Watching Antiques Roadshow may not seem the most obvious way to choose a weekend away, but that's how my other half and I ended up in Lichfield. The aim was to visit the National Memorial Arboretum, which had hosted the roadshow, and the Holiday Inn Express is just a few miles away, so good for an overnight stop. The hotel is on a modern, pretty bleak site just off a roundabout on the outskirts of the town. There is a Frankie and Benny's restaurant next door, a gym and a McDonald's, so steady traffic during the evening, but not a lot of noise. The hotel has its own car park, which is free, and there's ample parking. Our double room was clean and a good size, with pretty much the same layout as in other Holiday Inn Express. The shower was great and the bathroom spotless. Staff at reception were friendly and helpful. They suggested a nearby pub as a good place to eat, but we chose not to drive and walked across to Frankie and Benny's instead. Next morning we had a late breakfast and found that some items, like baked beans, had run out. These may have been provided if we had asked, but we only wanted cereal, fruit and toast. Overall, it was a pleasant stay, despite the setting, and very convenient for visiting the arboretum.
