From a young age the Birmingham accent was knocked out of me. It was like, "you're not meant to be proud about being from here". Working in jewellery and fashion industry there have been times where I've seen a switch in perception the minute I've said I'm from here. But the thing is, I am proud to be a Brummie and so I should be. This city has such rich jewellery heritage - my dad started his business in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter and we get our bespoke rings made here to this day. Walk around the Quarter and you'll see old factories still running, cobbled streets interlaced with unpretentious bars and restaurants, old buildings with experienced jewellery makers working away behind closed doors. But more than that, the people here have shaped me, my school brought together kids from every culture and background and was arguably the reason I strive to democratise timeless jewellery so it can be enjoyed by all. So in celebration of the Commonwealth Games being here, we'll spend the week biggin up Brum and giving you the best places to go just in case you're in town. And while I might not sound like I'm from Birmingham, you can rest assured I am, bab.