Flights of fancy
It’s a hit with James Corden and Liam Payne and now Flight Club has come to Birmingham. FIONNUALA BOURKE and BECKY WEAVER take a look around the ‘social darts’ venue
AVICTORIAN fairground complete with a carousel horse greets us as we enter Birmingham’s spanking new ‘social darts’ venue Flight Club. Vintage portraits adorn the walls, interspersed with dart boards - bullseyes and oches gleaming in the atmospheric lighting enhanced by the horseshoe shaped lights.
The distinctive venue on Temple Street in Birmingham city centre has certainly caught the eye of a few passers-by – expectantly waiting to find out what lies behind the regal facade of period tiles and brass lighting.
As we look to the left we spot a wooden staircase leading to another floor of intrigue.
Expectantly ascending the steps we spot a plaque bearing a few well known names – Liam Payne, James Corden and Sky News Presenter Sarah-Jane Mee - are among the frequent fliers.
This is the celebrity leaderboard for Shanghai, not the country, but a specialist darts game popular at Flight Club.
These famous faces have all played at the other Flight Club venues in London, Manchester and Chicago.
Who knows who will turn up in Birmingham after Flight Club officially opens tomorrow (Friday).
Making your way upstairs, the decor quickly shifts in theme from fairground to a traditional pub, reminiscent of the kind popular in Dickensian times.
The walls are covered in old paintings, there are newspaper cuttings featuring darts stories from
back in the day and an aged wallpaper.
You would never guess this venue is brand new.
Old fashioned lamp shades, stained glass windows and floral furnishings add to the character of the room which feels like a historic pub with a stylish twist.
Flight Club is shattering the out-dated but popular perception of darts – a game played by men with beer bellies on a battered board in a dingy boozer.
The social darts experts have combined all the fun, social aspects of the sport with the latest technology, with quality food and drink.
It’s the latest venue to offer a sporting edge to a night out in Brum, so if you’ve enjoyed a bit of Ghetto Golf or bowling at Lane 7 this could be the perfect spot for you and your friends.
The oches (playing areas) are spacious, which is a huge bonus for larger groups.
There are plenty of places to pop your drink down, hooks for your belongings and comfy seats.
Flight Club Birmingham can house up to 370 people.
And clever technology means you can compete against up to 150 players at once – and you won’t even have to track the score.
You don’t even need to think about posing for selfies at Flight Club. They’ve got cameras everywhere to capture you’re best moves, all ready for you to download later and post on instagram and other social media.
When it comes to food and drinks you’ll be spoilt for choice at Flight Club - and you can order through the tablet at your oche, so you won’t need to take your eyes off the dart board.
Even if you don’t fancy a round of darts, you’re still welcome to visit, take a seat in the bar and enjoy a bite to eat as the action revolves around you.
There is a bar on each floor and the drinks menu features everything from ice cold beers to wines, spirits and even sharing cocktails – alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
The food menu includes everything from mix ‘n’ share mini plates to larger plates including steak and burgers.
And if you’re hosting an event, you can hire out either the first or second floor – or both – exclusively.