Hello Solihull 💙

It’s World Book Day, Crufts is in town at the NEC, and it feels like the perfect weekend for a couple of wins: a cosy plan, a good coffee, and something fun in the diary (ideally involving a dog and/or a book).

Pop the kettle on, forward this to a mate who’s always asking “what shall we do this weekend?”, and let’s help plan your weekend. ☕🐾📚

— Max

World Book Day is today, and it’s landed at the perfect time because 2026 is also the UK’s National Year of Reading. There’s a big, nationwide push to help more of us (re)discover reading for pleasure (and it doesn’t have to be a book)!

Did you know? Solihull has 14 library branches across the borough (plus a Home Library Service if you can’t easily get to a branch). Here’s the full list + opening times so you can find your nearest in seconds.

👉 https://www.solihull.gov.uk/libraries/find-library

Most schools hand out World Book Day £1 book tokens — and you can use them in two ways:

The token redemption window is until the 15th March 2026 (so you don’t have to use it tomorrow — but don’t forget it in a school bag until Easter…)

As it’s crufts week, it only feels right that this week’s sponsor is Birmingham Dogs Home, in Catherine-de-Barnes. They rescue and rehome around 2,000 local homeless dogs every year, without any government funding.

If you’ve been thinking “maybe it’s time” (or you just want a wholesome outing), you can visit the centre Tue–Sun, 11am–4pm and meet dogs currently looking for a home.

👉 feeling like a local good deed? Support Birmingham Dogs Home in anyway you can, so more dogs find their forever homes: https://birminghamdogshome.org.uk/

Oxfam is the UK’s largest second hand book seller! Brilliant for second-hand gems, kids’ books, and “how is this only a few quid?” finds, and you’re supporting a good cause while you’re at it!

👉 https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shops/oxfam-bookshop-solihull/

We know its a national chain but Waterstones is our reliable “I want to browse properly” shop: new releases, bestsellers, gifts, and a great shout if you’re using a World Book Day token as £1 off a book. Did you know Waterstones hosts, stocks and supports local authors through regional specific events, and in many branches, curated local interest sections.

👉 https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/solihull

If you want a “proper treat” café stop that’s also dog-friendly: Mortons in Dickens Heath welcomes well-behaved dogs during the day, grab a coffee and settle in by the log fire (or sit outside if the sun shows up). Everything’s made on site and they’re famous for their brunch, fresh handmade cakes and wood-fired pizzas, a local favourite from morning coffee to late night cocktails.

👉 https://www.mortonskitchen.co.uk/

With crufts in town, here’s a dog-friendly café pick you can actually rely on: Boston Tea Party in Solihull. Dogs are welcome inside (they just ask for paws on the floor 🐾), which makes it an easy shout for a weekend coffee + cake stop after a walk, especially if the weather’s doing its usual “sun one minute, drizzle the next” thing.

This section includes events happening soon. For a complete list of all events, you'll have to wait for future editions!

🇬🇧 Fun fact:
Two Team GB Winter Olympians have Solihull ties. Niall Treacy, the short-track speed skater, was born in Solihull and started skating at Solihull Ice Rink. And Zoe Atkin, who won Bronze in the women’s freeski halfpipe, has a strong family connection to the borough. Huge congrats to them — and to every athlete who did Team GB proud in Italy over the last few weeks!

• 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 Monday morning! 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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