Birmingham Heritage week has given second city dwellers a wonderful opportunity to get out and explore their hometown with a series of engaging free events taking place at a raft of iconic venues, we’ve cherry picked the best of these happening over the forthcoming weekend. If you’ve seen them already, then drag along friends and family that haven’t and share in the great cultural breadth of our beloved home. We’ve even planned it for you. Begin your Saturday bright and early (6am) with a tour of the soon to be demolished Wholesale Market and attendant Everything Must Go exhibit, followed by a leisurely stroll around medieval Yardley led by archaeologist Dr. Mike Hodder; visit Soho House during the afternoon and take in the wonderful Extraordinary Lives of Everyday People exhibit that has trawled the archives of Vivid Projects and Collecting Birmingham, spend your evening viewing clips from Andy Howlett’s forthcoming documentary Paradise Lost at the John Lewis community hub, examining the sadly gone brutalist marvel that was the Central Library, with Howlett himself presenting. Ok it’s Sunday you can have a little lie in; but mid-morning mosey on down to the beautiful Botanical Gardens and take in the lushly cultivated blooming paradise, shimmy over to Newman Brothers at The Coffin Works and top up your local coffin furniture knowledge with a factory tour, step back in time with unrestricted access to the famous Back to Backs on Inge Street, then wind down with homemade pizza and a Birmingham Heritage quiz at Stirchley Baths. We’ve really only scratched the surface here, check out the free Tolkien Weekend at Sarehole Mill, Starman outdoor cinema event in Stirchley park and more here in our Free Weekend guide. What a city. Events continue until 17th September.

Sat 9 Sep to Sun 10 Sep at various venues all listed events free but some require booking in advance, check the links or see www.birminghamheritageweek.co.uk for the full line-up.

Birmingham Heritage runs from Thu 7 Sep to Sun 17 Sep at venues across the city.