Morning Solihull 👋

The final Bank Holiday weekend of the summer is almost here and whether you’re staying firmly in Solihull or fancying a very spontaneous trip to Dublin, we’ve got you covered.

This week, we’ve found free sunflower fields, a free Bank Holiday mini festival, pottery painting, glass fusing, two local food spots worth trying and plenty more.

Plus, Birmingham Airport has broken another record, there’s a brilliant achievement from an Olton golfer and it’s a big few days for local sport.

Coffee ready? Let’s get into it.

— Max

There’s good news if you use Dickens Heath, Hobs Moat or Balsall Common Library.

New Open Plus technology is being introduced between winter 2026 and spring 2027, allowing registered members to use the libraries outside their normal staffed hours with a library card and PIN.

During Open Plus hours, visitors will still be able to borrow and return books, use computers, printing and Wi-Fi, or simply find somewhere to read, work or study.

Residents are also being invited to have their say on how the new extended-hours service should work. 📚

👉 Find out more about Open Plus

If the airport felt particularly busy this summer… it was.

Birmingham Airport welcomed 1,487,899 passengers during July, making it its busiest July on record and its fourth consecutive record-breaking month. Dublin, Palma, Alicante and Malaga were among the most popular destinations.

And if you fancy making the most of having the airport right on our doorstep, there are still some tempting last-minute Bank Holiday options around.

At the time of checking, you could fly from Birmingham to Dublin tomorrow and return on Monday for around £85 return — accommodation on top, of course, but not bad for a spontaneous long weekend away. 🇮🇪

Would you like to see a regular “Cheap Flights from Birmingham” section in Spotlight, where we hunt out the best-value weekend escapes from our local airport?

👉 Hit reply and let us know!

A big well done to Coppice Academy in Solihull, which has received a Gold Award from the Skills Builder Partnership.

The award recognises the school’s work helping pupils develop essential skills for life and future employment — from communication and teamwork to problem-solving and leadership.

The school has embedded the programme through assemblies, curriculum activities, enterprise challenges and careers learning.

A lovely bit of recognition for the pupils and staff involved. 👏

👉 Find out more about Coppice Academy

This is a huge achievement.

Sam Easterbrook, from Olton, has been selected to represent Great Britain & Ireland against the USA in the Walker Cup at Lahinch in Ireland on 5–6 September.

The Walker Cup is essentially amateur golf’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, and Easterbrook earns his first appearance after an impressive season which included a top-20 NCAA Championship finish and reaching the quarter-finals of The Amateur Championship.

One to keep an eye on next weekend. ⛳👏

👉 Read more about the 2026 Walker Cup team

Got a local achievement we should be shouting about? Hit reply and let us know — from grassroots teams to personal milestones, we’d love to share it.

If you fancy proper Italian food without heading into town, L'Aragosta on Warwick Road is well worth a look.

This independent neighbourhood restaurant serves up homemade pasta, slow-cooked sauces, Italian wines and all the classics you’d hope for, including a very tempting tiramisu.

A lovely one for a relaxed date night, family meal or somewhere a little different to try locally.

👉 Take a look at the menu and book a table

If Japanese food is more your thing, KIBOU on Solihull High Street is another spot to add to the list.

Expect sushi, ramen, katsu curry, bao buns, gyoza and tempura, all served in some seriously impressive Japanese-inspired surroundings. 🍣🥢

There’s also a kids’ menu and plenty for anyone who hasn’t quite been converted to sushi yet, making it a good shout for date night, lunch with friends or a family meal.

👉 Check out KIBOU Solihull

Teen Glass Fusing — The Core, Solihull — 28 August
Something a little different for creative teens this Friday. This hands-on two-hour workshop is designed for ages 11–16, with participants learning how to cut, colour and arrange glass before creating their own fused-glass artwork. Everything is included and no previous experience is needed. The session runs from 1pm–3pm and tickets are £30 plus booking fee.
👉 Teen Glass Fusing at The Core

Pottery Painting — Barn Studio Ceramics, Earlswood — 29 August
Get creative this Saturday with a relaxed pottery-painting session at Barn Studio Ceramics. Choose from hundreds of pieces — including mugs, plates, bowls, animals and more — before giving it your own colourful makeover. It’s suitable for all ages, with Saturday sessions available during the summer holidays and prices starting from around £12.50pp. Booking ahead is recommended.
👉 Pottery Painting at Barn Studio Ceramics

Boxing & Fitness Launch — Club Vitalize, Solihull — 29 August
Fancy trying something a little more energetic this weekend? Club Vitalize is hosting the launch of a new weekly boxing class on Saturday, with boxing, circuits, fitness challenges, music and even an optional session in the sauna and steam room afterwards. It runs from 12pm–2pm, is open to ages 16+, and general entry is currently £10 plus booking fee.
👉 Club Vitalize Boxing Launch

Becketts Farm Sunflower Fields — Wythall — until 31 August
It’s the final few days to wander through the sunflower fields at Becketts Farm. Their Summer Garden Party includes flower-filled photo spots, garden games, plenty of outdoor space and food and drinks from The Thirsty Goat, with a BBQ running Friday to Sunday from 11am–3pm. Entry is completely FREE, with donations welcomed for this year’s local charity partner, SoLO. 🌻
👉 Becketts Farm Sunflowers

Heart of England Vehicle Show & Mini Festival — Fillongley — 31 August
Cars, live music and Bank Holiday festival vibes come together at the Heart of England on Monday. Alongside the vehicle show there’ll be a live band, DJ, bars, street food and a huge inflatable village for the kids, making it much more than just a day for petrol heads. It runs from 12pm–6pm and, even better, entry is completely FREE. 🚗🎶
👉 Heart of England Vehicle Show & Mini Festival

Touchwood’s 25th Anniversary Celebration — Solihull — 5 September
Touchwood is celebrating 25 years at the heart of Solihull with a special day of creativity, prizes and birthday celebrations. Visitors can create their own limited-edition artwork with local artist Cris Wong, pick up commemorative mugs raising money for Acorns Children’s Hospice and have a go in the returning Touchwood Tornado to win prizes donated by retailers. A lovely excuse to head into town next Saturday. 🎉
👉 Celebrate 25 Years of Touchwood

It hasn’t been the start to the season the Moors would have wanted, with a 3–1 defeat to Southend United last weekend leaving them still searching for their first league points.

The Bank Holiday weekend brings two quick chances to change that, though. First up is a trip to Scunthorpe United on Friday night at 7:45pm, before they’re back at Damson Park to host AFC Fylde on Monday at 3pm. 💛💙

👉 See the latest Solihull Moors fixtures

What a start to life in the FA Cup for Knowle FC.

Playing in the competition for the first time in their centenary year, the Robins followed up their opening-round victory by beating higher-division Coleshill Town 1–0, thanks to an early Talib Copeland goal.

They’ve now reached the First Round Qualifying and will welcome Worcester City to Hampton Road next month. Before that, they’re back in league action away at Rugby Town this Saturday. ⚽👏

A huge result for Dorridge Cricket Club, who recently produced an emphatic 226-run victory over Barnards Green.

Nivethan Radhakrishnan led the way with a brilliant 131 from just 85 balls, helping Dorridge rack up 397-5 before bowling their opponents out for 171.

Not a bad afternoon with the bat. 🏏🔥

Gravity Show 2026 — NEC Birmingham — 29–30 August
One for the car lovers this Bank Holiday weekend. Gravity Show takes over six halls at the NEC with thousands of modified cars, classics, supercars, hypercars and race cars, alongside live-action drifting, exhibitors and plenty of automotive entertainment. It runs 10am–5pm across Saturday and Sunday, with tickets starting from £24. 🚗🔥
👉 Gravity Show 2026

Mayer vs Cameron: UK vs USA — bp pulse LIVE — 29 August
A huge night of boxing lands right on Solihull’s doorstep this Saturday, as Mikaela Mayer takes on Chantelle Cameron as part of a UK vs USA fight night at bp pulse LIVE. If you fancy swapping the usual Bank Holiday plans for an evening ringside, this is one of the biggest sporting events happening locally this weekend. 🥊🇬🇧🇺🇸
👉 Mayer vs Cameron at bp pulse LIVE

The Strongman Open — Utilita Arena Birmingham — 5 September
Some of the strongest athletes on the planet are heading to Birmingham for The Strongman Open, with another huge night of Giants Live competition at Utilita Arena. The action gets underway at 5pm on Saturday 5 September — expect enormous lifts, incredible feats of strength and a pretty electric arena atmosphere. 💪🏋️
👉 The Strongman Open 2026

• Bin collections: https://digital.solihull.gov.uk/BinCollectionCalendar/
• Council news + updates: https://www.solihull.gov.uk/news
• Travel disruptions (West Midlands): https://disruptions.tfwm.org.uk/

Thanks for reading Solihull Spotlight 💙 let’s chat again on Sunday! Hit reply and tell me what you want more of next week: family, events, food, deals, walking routes, live music, sport, or hidden gems.

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