Birmingham
This article is about the city in England. For other uses, please see Birmingham, Alabama or other places named Birmingham.Birmingham (pron.
IPA RP or in the local dialect) is a
city and
metropolitan borough in the
West Midlands. Birmingham is the largest of England's
core cities, and is generally considered to be the UK's
second city. The city's reputation was forged as the powerhouse of the
Industrial Revolution in
Britain, a fact which led to Birmingham being known as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades
[Decline of the city of a thousand trades (April 17, 2006) Birmingham Mail]".
The City of Birmingham has a
population of 992,400 (2004 estimate)
[Census Population Information for Birmingham www.birmingham.gov.uk]. It forms part of the larger
West Midlands conurbation, which has a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census) and includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as
Solihull,
Wolverhampton and the towns of the
Black Country.
The people of Birmingham are known as 'Brummies', a term derived from the city's nickname of
Brum. This comes in turn from the city's dialect name,
Brummagem[Worldwidewords.com]. There is a distinctive
Brummie dialect and
accent.
Birmingham is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. At the time of the 2001 census, 70.4% of the population was
White (including 3.2%
Irish), 19.5%
British Asian or simply Asian, 6.1%
Black or
Black British, 0.5%
Chinese, and 3.5% of
mixed race or other ethnic heritage.
Birmingham has a recorded history going back 1,000 years. In this time, it has grown from a tiny
Anglo-Saxon farming village into a major industrial and commercial city.
[Origins of Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk ] The Birmingham area was occupied in
Roman times, with several military roads and a large
fort. Birmingham started life as a small Anglo-Saxon hamlet in the
Early Middle Ages. It was first recorded in written documents by the
Domesday Book of 1086 as a small
village, worth only 20
shillings.
In the 12th century, Birmingham was granted a charter to hold a
market, which in time became known as the
Bull Ring. As a convenient location for trade, Birmingham soon developed into a small but thriving
market town.
By the 16th century, Birmingham's access to supplies of
iron ore and
coal meant that
metalworking industries became established. In the 17th century Birmingham became an important manufacturing town with a reputation for producing
small arms. Birmingham manufacturers supplied
Oliver Cromwell's forces with much of their
weaponry during the
English Civil War. Arms manufacture in Birmingham became a staple trade and was concentrated in the area known as the
Gun Quarter.
During the
Industrial Revolution (from the mid 18th century onwards), Birmingham grew rapidly into a major industrial centre. Unlike many other English industrial cities such as
Manchester, industry in Birmingham was based upon small
workshops rather than large
factories or
mills.
Historical population of Birmingham[Historic Population Of Birmingham] [Population table Bham.de]| Year | Population figure |
|---|
| 1538 | 1,300 |
| 1650 | 5,472 |
| 1700 | 15,032 |
| 1731 | 23,286 |
| 1778 | 42,250 |
| 1785 | 52,250 |
| 1801 | 73,670 |
| 1811 | 85,753 |
| 1821 | 106,722 |
| 1831 | 146,986 |
| 1841 | 182,922 |
| 1851 | 232,638 |
| 1861 | 296,076 |
| 1871 | 343,787 |
| 1881 | 400,774 |
| 1891 | 478,113 |
| 1901 | 522,204 |
| 1911 | 840,202 |
| 1912-1967 | Records destroyed |
| 1968 | 1,116,000 |
From the 1760s onwards, a large network of
canals were built across Birmingham and the
Black Country, to transport raw materials and finished goods
[Britains Canal City and the Jewellery Quarter Birmingham.gov.uk]. By the 1820s an extensive canal system had been constructed; Birmingham is often described as having more miles of canals than
Venice.
Railways arrived in Birmingham in 1837, with the opening of the
Grand Junction Railway and later the
London and Birmingham Railway the railways soon linked Birmingham to every corner of Britain.
New Street Station was opened as a joint station in 1854. And this was soon followed by the
Great Western Railway's
Snow Hill station[Birmingham UK pages].
During the
Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million
[Historic Population Of Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk ] and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in Britain. It became known as the
"City of a thousand trades" due to the wide array of industries located there. Birmingham's importance led to it being granted
city status in 1889 by
Queen Victoria.
The city built its own university in 1900, The
University of Birmingham, which became the first of Britain's
Redbrick universities.
Birmingham was originally part of
Warwickshire, however the city expanded in the late 19th and early 20th century, absorbing parts of
Worcestershire to the south and
Staffordshire to the west. The city absorbed
Sutton Coldfield in 1974, and at the same time became part of the new
West Midlands county.
Birmingham suffered heavy
bomb damage during
World War II during the
Birmingham Blitz, and partly as a result of this the city centre was extensively re-developed during the 1950s and 1960s, with many
concrete office buildings, ring-roads, and now much-derided pedestrian subways. As a result, Birmingham gained a reputation for ugliness and was frequently described as a "concrete jungle"
[Tackling congestion in Birmingham (BBC News) Mentions Birmingham's nickname as concrete jungle ].
In recent years however, Birmingham has been transformed, the city centre has been extensively renovated and restored with the construction of new squares, the restoration of old streets, buildings and canals, the removal of the pedestrian subways, and the demolition and subsequent redevelopment of the
Bull Ring shopping centre, which now includes the architecturally unique
Selfridges building
[Major Development Birmingham.gov.uk].
In the decades following World War II, the face of Birmingham changed dramatically, with large scale immigration from the
Commonwealth of Nations and beyond
[Birmingham's Post War Black Immigrants Birmingham.gov.uk].
Birmingham's transition from an industrial centre to a tourism and services economy is best illustrated by the hosting of the first official
summit of the
G8 at the
International Convention Centre (
May 15 to
May 17,
1998).
The city of Birmingham is situated just to the west of the geographical centre of
England, across an area of relatively high ground, ranging around 150-200 metres above sea level. The main north-south
watershed of Britain actually passes through Birmingham. The Birmingham area has recently seen several
tornadoes, the most recent of which were witnessed in 2005
[Birmingham Tornado 2005 Birmingham.gov.uk]. The watershed of the
River Severn and
River Trent can clearly be seen along the
Perry Barr area of Birmingham and areas near
Erdington where the level and gradient of the land changes significantly.
To the south and west of the city lie the
Lickey Hills[Lickey Hills Country Park],
Clent Hills and
Walton Hill, which reach 315 metres (1,300 ft) and have good views over the city.
Part of the city centre is located on a
sandstone ridge which makes some buildings appear taller than other buildings which are actually taller than them. One of the highest points is located on
Broad Street.
[THE GROWTH OF CITY (British History Online) At footnote 20, there is reference to a sandstone ridge.]Birmingham, United Kingdom
Climate
These are the average and record temperatures as provided by
BBC Weather[Average Conditions for Birmingham, England BBC Weather].
Celsius| | Average | Record |
|---|
| Month | Min | Max | Min | Max |
| January | 2 | 5 | -12 | 13 |
| February | 2 | 6 | -9 | 16 |
| March | 3 | 9 | -7 | 21 |
| April | 5 | 12 | -2 | 24 |
| May | 7 | 16 | -1 | 29 |
| June | 10 | 19 | 3 | 31 |
| July | 12 | 20 | 6 | 32 |
| August | 12 | 20 | 6 | 33 |
| September | 10 | 17 | 3 | 27 |
| October | 7 | 13 | -2 | 25 |
| November | 5 | 9 | -4 | 19 |
| December | 3 | 6 | -6 | 14 |
 |
New Street in central Birmingham |
Main articles: Economy of Birmingham, Birmingham transport historyBirmingham is an important
manufacturing and
engineering centre, employing over 100,000 people in industry and contributing billions of to the national economy. Over a quarter of the UK's exports originate in the greater Birmingham area.
Birmingham's industrial heritage predates the
Industrial Revolution, and up until the 20th century the city maintained a tradition of individual craftsmen, sometimes working independently in their own back yards or on piecework rates in rented workshops, alongside larger factories. During the Industrial Revolution many factories, foundries and businesses prospered in the city, including the areas known as the
Gun Quarter and
Jewellery Quarter.
Pen manufacture in Birmingham helped revolutionise writing across the world with many companies based in and around the Jewellery Quarter
[Timeline of Birmingham Pen ManufacturingPenroom.co.uk]. The
Jewellery Quarter is still the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe, and one third of the jewellery manufactured in the UK is made within one mile of Birmingham city centre. Until 2003,
coins for circulation were manufactured in the Jewellery Quarter at the
Birmingham Mint, the oldest independent
mint in the world
[Applegate.co.uk], which continues to produce
commemorative coins and
medals.
James Watt improved the
steam engine while working in the city, and historically the largest manufacturers in the city have been associated with the
steam,
electric and
petrol transport and power industries. The city's workers designed and constructed
railway carriages,
steam engines,
motorcycles,
bicycles,
automobiles and even – unusually for somewhere so far from the sea –
ships, which were made as pre-fabricated sections, then assembled at the coast
[SeaBritain Birmingham.gov.uk]]. Birmingham was home to two major car factories:
MG Rover in
Longbridge and
Jaguar in
Castle Bromwich. The MG Rover car works went into administration in 2005, resulting in the plant being mothballed and the loss of 6,000 jobs at the site, plus more in the
supply chain. Things are looking more positive in 2006 with the
Nanjing Automobile Group (MG Rover's main purchasers) hoping to restart production of MG cars at Longbridge by 2007
[New lease of life for Longbridge BBC News]. Another small sports car manufacturer has set up business in the Longbridge premises.
The city's products include motor vehicles, vehicle components and accessories,
weapons, electrical equipment,
plastics,
machine tools,
chemicals, food,
jewellery and
glass. Scientific research (including research into
nanotechnology at the
University of Birmingham) is expanding in the city. Other famous
brands from the city include
Ariel Motorcycles,
Bakelite,
Bird's Custard,
Brylcreem,
BSA,
Cadbury's chocolate,
Chad Valley toys,
Halfords,
HP Sauce (but soon to be closed down by its American owners Heinz),
Norton Motorcycles,
Triumph Motorcycles,
Typhoo Tea,
Velocette Motorcycles and
Valor, the list is extensive
[History of Birmingham (List of companies of Birmingham) BirminghamUK.com].
Birmingham has over 500
law firms, and is
Europe's second largest
insurance market. The city attracts over 42% of the UK's total
conference trade
[NEC Group (Conference City) Locate Birmingham]. Two of Britain's "
big four" banks were founded there.
Lloyds Bank (now
Lloyds TSB) began in 1765
[The History of Lloyds Bank] and the
Midland Bank (now
HSBC Bank plc) opened in Union Street in August 1836
[HSBC History (The HSBC Group in Europe) PDF document].
In recent years Birmingham's economy has diversified into
service industries,
retailing,
tourism and
conference hosting, which are now the main employers in the city. Millions of people visit Birmingham every year, and in 2004 the city was named the second best place to shop in England after the
West End of London [Birmingham soars up the shopping list (March 3, 2004) Guardian online]. Attractions for visitors include
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery,
Millennium Point,
Bull Ring,
Selfridges Building,
Cadbury World,
Tolkien Trail
[Tolkien's Birmingham www.virtualbrum.co.uk],
Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the
National Sea Life Centre.
Main article: Architecture of Birmingham
 |
City of Birmingham Council House, with Dhruva Mistry's sculpture, 'The River', in the foreground (commonly known as 'the floozie in the jacuzzi'). |
Although Birmingham has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years, today's city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as the real growth of the city began with the
Industrial Revolution. Consequently, relatively few buildings survive from its earlier history.
Traces of
medieval Birmingham can be seen in the oldest churches, notably the original
parish church,
St Martin in the Bull Ring, where a church has stood since at least the 12th century
[St. Martin's in the Bull Ring Birmingham (Colin Hickman) Virtual Brum.co.uk]. The current church (begun around 1290) was extensively re-built in the 1870s, retaining some original walls and foundations. A few other buildings from the medieval and
Tudor periods survive, among them
The Old Crown public house in
Digbeth[The Black And White Gem (Brian Matthews) Theoldcrown.com], the 15th century
Saracen's Head public house and Old Grammar School in
Kings Norton[History of Kings Norton Birmingham.gov.uk] and
Blakesley Hall in
Yardley[Blakesley Hall Through the Centuries Birmingham.gov.uk].
The city grew rapidly from
Georgian times and a number of buildings survive from this period. Among them are
St Philip's Cathedral, originally built as a parish church, St Paul's Church in the largely
Georgian St Paul's Square,
Soho House in
Handsworth, the home of
Matthew Boulton,
Perrott's Folly in
Ladywood (which is said to have later inspired
J. R. R. Tolkien[Tolkien's Birmingham Virtual Brum.co.uk]), and the
Town Hall.
The
Victorian era saw extensive building across the city. Major public buildings such as the Law Courts, the
Council House (see picture) and the
Museum & Art Gallery were constructed, many under the auspices of
Joseph Chamberlain's reforming mayoralty.
Saint Chad's Cathedral, built in 1839 by
Augustus Pugin, was the first
Roman Catholic Cathedral to be built in the UK since the
Reformation. The characteristic materials of Victorian Birmingham are
red brick and terracotta, and many fine Victorian buildings have been retained on
New Street and
Corporation Street in the city centre. Across the city, the need to house the industrial workers gave rise to miles of redbrick streets and terraces, many of
back-to-back houses, some of which were later to become inner-city
slums.
 |
The new Selfridges building |
Continued population growth in the
interwar period, saw vast estates of
semi-detached houses being built on
greenfield land in outlying parts of the city such as
Kingstanding and
Weoley Castle, but the coming of
World War II and
the Blitz claimed many lives and many beautiful buildings too. However, the destruction that took place in post-war Birmingham was also extensive: dozens of fine Victorian buildings like the intricate glass-roofed
Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library, were razed in the 1950s and 1960s and replaced with
modernist concrete buildings. In inner-city areas too, much Victorian housing was
redeveloped and existing communities were relocated to
tower block estates like
Castle Vale.
The planning decisions of the post-war years were to have a profound effect on the image of Birmingham in subsequent decades, with the mix of
ring roads,
shopping malls and tower blocks often referred to as a '
concrete jungle'. In more recent years, Birmingham has learnt from what many see as the mistakes of the 1960s and instituted the largest tower block demolition and renovation programmes anywhere in
Europe[Castle Vale Birmingham.gov.uk]. There has been a lot of new building in the city centre in recent years, including the award-winning
Future Systems'
Selfridges building, an irregularly-shaped structure covered in thousands of reflective discs (see picture), the
Brindleyplace development and the
Millennium Point science and technology centre.
Highrise development has slowed since the
1970s and mainly in recent years due to enforcements on the heights of buildings as they could affect aircraft from the International Airport.
Holloway Circus Tower was originally going to be about 190 metres tall however, the
CAA forced the Beetham organisation to reduce the height of the tower to 122 metres. Another tower that has been forced to be reduced in height is
Arena Central Tower which is yet to be constructed. The tower was originally going to be 245 metres in height however after the attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York City, it was shortened to 180 metres. However, these rules are now being scrapped as it has been recognised that interest in highrise architecture for the city has been reduced. One of the latest towers that has been allowed to be increased in height is the Broad Street Tower which is set to be 134 metres and will most likely be approved due to the airport removing all objections to it.
Some fine architects hail from the city such as
Glenn Howells and
Ken Shuttleworth.
Main article: Government of Birmingham
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the
UK. Following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004 it has 120
councillors representing just under one million people, in 40
wards.
After the election of
4 May 2006, there is no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the
Labour, (42 councillors),
Conservative (41) and
Liberal Democrat ("Lib-Dem", 33) parties, with 4 Others
[Election 2006 - Results Birmingham.gov.uk].
In the 2006 elections, when a third of the council was up for re-election, Labour lost a net total of two seats, the Conservatives made a net gain of one, the Liberal Democrats had no change, and
Respect and the
British National Party gained one each, though the BNP candidate's election was caused by a counting error and is almost certain to be subject to an electoral petition by the Labour party.
There is a Conservative/Lib-Dem coalition, with Conservative group leader Mike Whitby as Leader of the council and Lib-Dem group leader Paul Tilsley as Deputy Leader.
Birmingham's eleven
constituencies are represented in the
House of Commons by one
Conservative, one
Liberal Democrat, and 9
Labour MPs.
Birmingham is also the seat of the
Government Office for the
West Midlands region.
See also Places of interest in Birmingham[Places of Interest Birmingham.gov.uk]Museums and Galleries
Birmingham has a rich industrial history which is now preserved in many museums located all over Birmingham city centre and outside the city centre boundaries. Many museums are preserved buildings which are restored to the time period in which they were most significant.
The
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery looks over
Chamberlain Square. It contains collections of
archaeological findings,
ethnography,
natural history and
social history and also hosts exhibitions in adjacent halls.
The
Birmingham Thinktank is one of the newest museums in the city which replaced the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Science Museum. It is part of the
Millennium Point complex in the
Eastside area of Birmingham.
Aston Hall is a large hall in
Aston built between
1618 and
1635. It is now preserved, along with gardens, with free admission.
The
Birmingham Back to Backs are the last surviving court of back-to-back houses in the city. They are decorated in different time periods to give visitors an idea of what living in each house was like during different decades.
The
Jewellery Quarter in
Hockley is the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe and the
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter shows the history of the area and the building it is situated in. The interiors are maintained to the standard to what was found when the building was first accessed after being abandoned.
Sarehole Mill is a water mill museum in
Hall Green.
J. R. R. Tolkien lived within 300 metres of the mill between the ages four and eight, and would have seen it from his house. This makes the mill a favourable destination for fans of the author.
Blakesley Hall is a Tudor style house in
Yardley which has been preserved as a attraction along with the gardens and a visitor centre.
The
Gun Quarter was once the foremost gun manufacturing community in the UK and now contains a wide range of Victorian style buildings.
The
Barber Institute of Fine Arts is both an art gallery and concert hall. As well as housing some famous works by
Vincent van Gogh and
Pablo Picasso, it also has one of the worlds most detailed and largest coin collections. In 2004, the gallery received the title,
Gallery of the Year.
Cadbury World is a museum showing visitors the stages and steps of chocolate production and the history of chocolate and the company which started on Bull Street in the city centre. However, the museum is located in
Bournville.
Sports locations
Birmingham has two major football teams which play in their own parks;
Villa Park (
Aston Villa Football Club) and
St Andrews (
Birmingham City Football Club). Major cricket competitions are often held at
Warwickshire County Cricket Club in
Edgbaston. Sporting events are also held at the
National Indoor Arena (NIA).
Parks and squares
|
'The River' in Victoria Square. |
There are over 8000 acres of parkland open spaces in Birmingham
[Birmingham City Council Parks Page]. The largest of the parks is
Sutton Park covering 2400 acres making it the largest urban nature reserve in Europe.
[Birmingham City Council pages]Another major park in the city is
Cannon Hill Park which contains a timber-framed house, a model of the Elan Valley Reservoirs and two lakes.
BRMB, the local radio station, hosts the Party in the Park in Cannon Hill Park.
The mac, a non profit arts centre, is located in the park not far from the model of the Elan Valley Reservoirs.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a Victorian creation which still exist to this day with a conservatory and bandstand. The large area is a superb opportunity for recreation and relaxation and is not far from the city centre.
There are numerous squares in Birmingham city centre. Many contain memorials and pieces of art. Four major squares in the city centre are:
*
Centenary Square*
Chamberlain Square featuring a
BBC Big Screen*
Victoria Square*St. Martins Square in the Bullring
In the Jewellery Quarter is
St Paul's Square which is located around a Grade I listed church of Georgian architecture. The surrounding area is largely listed after restoration of the buildings in the 1970s.
Religious buildings
|
St Philip's Cathedral from the rear |
Birmingham was made a city in 1889 and the cathedral,
St. Philip's Cathedral, was given cathedral status in
1905. It is surrounded be a churchyard which is a popular congregating area. Another major cathedral in the city is
Saint Chad's Cathedral which is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Province of Birmingham.
St Martin in the Bull Ring is a Grade II listed church in the centre of St Martin's Square in the Bullring Shopping Centre.
There is also another wide variety of religions in the city and in respect for the Muslim community of the city,
Central Mosque was constructed which is now one of the largest in Europe.
Leisure
Two major developments have regenerated two parts of the city in recent years.
Brindleyplace is a major canalside development which required the restoration of many old warehouses into restaurants and the construction of office buildings. The other development was the
Birmingham Bull Ring which replaced an older shopping centre which had became disliked by the public.
Another modern shopping centre is
The Mailbox which features many expensive designer stores as well as offices and apartments next to the canals.
The Convention Quarter features many broadcasting companies and radio stations in the city centre. The area is modern and was developed around the same time as Brindleyplace. The
National Sealife Centre is located alongside the canals next to the main square at Brindleyplace.
Outside of the city centre is
Star City which is a major entertainment complex which houses a large cinema, casino and restaurant area.
Other areas of interest are:
*
Town Hall which is located next to Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square.
*
Birmingham University*
National Exhibition Centre (The NEC) which is a major music and exhibition venue near the airport.
Joseph Chamberlain,
Neville Chamberlain,
J. R. R. Tolkien,
Tony Hancock and
Ozzy Osbourne are a few of the many famous names associated with Birmingham.
For a larger list see
List of famous residents of BirminghamYou can also browse the list of Blue Plaques erected by
The Birmingham Civic Societyto the city's eminent citizens
|
A canal tunnel, looking towards Gas Street Basin, in Birmingham city centre |
See main article: Transport in BirminghamDue in part to its central location in
England, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the
motorway,
rail, and
canal networks
[Canals in Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk].
It is served by a number of major roads, including the
M5,
M6,
M6 Toll,
M40, and
M42 motorways. Junction 6 of the M6 is also one of Birmingham's most famous landmarks, and probably the most famous motorway junction in the UK:
Spaghetti Junction, officially called the Gravelly Hill Interchange
[Spaghetti Junction Birmingham.gov.uk].
Birmingham is served by
Birmingham International Airport, which has flights to Europe and
New York. It is the fifth busiest airport in the UK, and handles (as of
2005) nine million passengers a year. The airport has published a master plan for its development up to 2030. The first major element is an extension to the main runway, targeted for completion in time for the
2012 London Olympics. The extension will increase the runway length to 3000 metres, as well as including a starter strip to provide a maximum takeoff run of 3150 metres.
Local public transport is by
bus, local train and
tram (the
Midland Metro light railway system between the city centre and
Wolverhampton[Travelmetro.co.uk]). The tram system is due for expansion which will see it on major streets in the city centre such as
Broad Street which has been partially funded by the developers of
Arena Central at a cost of £5 million.
The number 11A and 11C
outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe. In recent years, the council has tried to move bus stops out of the city centre (especially off Corporation Street) to ease congestion and move them to the boundaries of the city centre. In a notable attempt to move buses away from the city centre, the bus mall, a large area for buses to stop, was constructed next to the
Bull Ring Shopping Centre however due to the complicated layout, the amount of buses travelling through was reduced as it caused a several accidents.
The city's main station,
Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national rail network, whilst
Birmingham International railway station serves
Birmingham International Airport. Two other major stations are located in the city centre:
Birmingham Snow Hill Station and
Birmingham Moor Street railway station. The first railway station in the city centre was
Curzon Street railway station which opened in
1838, however, its location on the edge of the city centre made it unsuccessful and it closed in
1966.
Birmingham is also notable for its
canal system; formerly the lifeblood of the city's industries, their use is now mainly for pleasure. There are 60 kilometers (35 mi) of canals in the city, most remaining navigable. The abundance of canals has led to the frequently made claim that "Birmingham has more canals than
Venice". Although this is in some sense correct (Venice has 41 kilometers (26 mi)), Birmingham is far larger
[Guide to Birmingham Jewellery Quarter], and the types of
waterway are very different. Birmingham's canals are comparatively shallow artificial channels, while those in Venice are primarily reinforced natural channels between islands of the lagoon on which the city stands.
Birmingham also forms a major hub in the
National Express coach network, which is based in Birmingham and operates services from
Digbeth Coach Station. This is due to be redeveloped by
2008[National Express website Current News paragraph] after plans to build a replacement coach station next to Snow Hill Station on Great Charles Street Queensway were abandoned due to a breakdown in discussions between National Express and the City Council
[Application Withdrawn]. A temporary coach station is due to be made at the former
Volkswagen dealership on the opposite side of the road to the coach station. Birmingham also has a Megabus service to London.
In 2005, the City Council launched a strategy to encourage
cycling. The council developed the city-wide cycle route network by identifying and tackling hazardous locations for cyclists and creating better cycling facilities. They also took cyclists' needs into account in all road maintenance and construction. In 1995, they set a target to increase cycle use in Birmingham from 1.5% to 5% by the year 2005
[Cycling in Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk].
|
The University of Birmingham crest. |
Main article: Education in Birmingham
Birmingham has three
universities: the
University of Birmingham,
Aston University and the
University of Central England (UCE). It also has two other
higher education colleges (
Newman College and the
Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies). The
Birmingham Conservatoire and
Birmingham School of Acting, both now part of UCE, offer higher education in the arts. The conservatoire planning to move from their current location in Adrian Boult Hall to a site in the Eastside which was first intended for a large library.
The city council is England's largest
local education authority, directly or indirectly responsible for 25
nursery schools, 328
primary schools, 77
secondary schools
[Birmingham City Council Primary and Secondary] and 29
special schools
[Birmingham City Council Special Needs Schools]. It also runs the
library service, with 4 million visitors annually
[Facts about Birmingham Library Service www.birmingham.gov.uk ], and provides around 4000
adult education courses throughout the year
[Birmingham Adult Education Service]. King Edward VI Camp Hill is academically, the leading secondary school in the city.
A minority of the city's children receive
private education.
King Edward's School is perhaps the most prestigious
independent school in the city.
Matthew Boulton College is also located in the city. In 2005, the
Eastside branch of the college was completed and opened.
Main article: Sport in Birmingham
A
cricket club was in existence in Birmingham as early as 1745, and today the city is home to
Warwickshire County Cricket Club whose ground at
Edgbaston is also a venue for international
Test matches. International
athletics meetings take place at the open-air
Alexander Stadium in
Perry Barr, the home of
Birchfield Harriers athletic club, which numbers many
Olympic medallists among its past and present members. The
National Indoor Arena (NIA) meanwhile is a major indoor athletics stadium and in 2003 hosted the 9th
IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics[Homepage of 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics]. The city has also hosted the
IBF World Championships in
1993 and
2003[World Badminton Championship is coming to the NIA - BBC Bimringham Sport] which were both held in the
National Indoor Arena. The NIA has also hosted the
All England Open Badminton Championships[The Yonex All England Open 2006] from
1994 onwards and the
British Indoor Rowing Championships since
2000[Brunel Umiversity].
The first ever game of
lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston in 1859; international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club
[Played in Birmingham, Malavan Media (ISBN 0954744519)] [Birmingham's Sporting Heritage Birmingham.gov.uk].
The city is home to two of the UK's oldest professional
football teams:
Aston Villa (1874) and
Birmingham City (1875), until recently both played in the
Premier League, however at the end of the 2005-2006 season Birmingham City were relegated to the
Coca Cola Championship. The world's first professional
football league was founded at a meeting in
Aston on
March 22 1885 under the auspices of William McGregor, a director of Aston Villa.
Birmingham also has a professional
Rugby Union side,
Moseley RFC, and there is professional
basketball team called the
Birmingham Bullets as well as professional
boxing,
hockey,
skateboarding, and
greyhound racing in the city.
Birmingham has a large concentration of
Martial Arts Clubs and is thought by some to have the highest concentration of Martial Artists in the UK.
Birmingham is also home to the sportswear manufacturer
Epsc with the founder of the company having attended
The University of Birmingham.
Birmingham was the first city to be awarded the title
National City of Sport by the
Sports Council.
[Birmingham - 'The National City of Sport' BBC Where I Live] [Birmingham: European City Of Sport - Concept2]Main article: Food & drink in Birmingham
Birmingham based
Breweries included
Ansells,
Davenports and
Mitchells & Butlers[Birmingham Breweries].
Aston Manor Brewery is currently the only brewery of any significant size.
Many fine Victorian pubs and bars can still be found across the city. The oldest inn in Birmingham is the
Old Crown in
Deritend (circa 1450). The
Anchor Inn (1797), is also nearby in
Digbeth. For a more contemporary night out the city has a plethora of nightclubs and bars. Perhaps Birminghams most famous street for nights out is Broad Street which also has a cinema and many restaurants on it
[BID Broad Street].
Famous food brands from Birmingham include
Typhoo tea,
Birds custard,
Blue Bird Toffee,
Bournville cocoa,
Cadbury chocolate, and
HP Sauce which is based within
Aston.
Alum Rock,
Saltley contains the largest concentration of take-away businesses in Birmingham.
Ladypool Road,
Sparkhill contains the largest concentration of restaurants in Birmingham and possibly the UK.
The
Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the
Chinese Quarter[Taste of the Orient sweet for Wing Yip The Birmingham Post Midland Rich List 2006].
In 1945, Abdul Aziz opened a cafe shop selling
curry and
rice in Steelhouse Lane. This later became The Darjeeling, the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham. The
Balti was invented in the city and has since received much gastronomic acclaim for the 'Balti Belt' of restaurants in the
Sparkbrook,
Balsall Heath and Ladypool areas. The Balti Belt is also known as the
Balti Triangle among locals
[The Balti Triangle Birmingham.gov.uk].
The city boasts two
Michelin starred restaurants:
Simpson's and
Jessica's, both in
Edgbaston.
The
BBC Good Food Show takes place at The
National Exhibition Centre, and is Britain's biggest food event
[BBC Good Food Show].
Main article: Arts in Birmingham
Popular music
|
Black Sabbath, a pioneer band in heavy-metal music, was formed in Birmingham. |
Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last half-century.
In the 1960s, the "
Brum Beat" era featured
blues and early
progressive rock bands such as
The Fortunes,
Spencer Davis Group,
Traffic,
The Move and
The Moody Blues.
The city is often described as the birthplace of
heavy metal music[Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal, David Konow, Three Rivers Press, 2002 (ISBN 0609807323)], with
Judas Priest and
Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham.
Robert Plant and
John Bonham came from nearby towns, and played in local
Brum Beat bands before forming one half of
Led Zeppelin.
In the 1970s members of The Move and The
Idle Race formed the
Electric Light Orchestra and
Wizzard. The 1970s also saw the rise of
reggae and
ska in the city, with
Steel Pulse and later on
UB40,
The Beat and
Musical Youth. Singer-songwriter
Joan Armatrading had many hits during this decade.
The 1980s brought
Duran Duran, possibly the most successful
new romantic group, and
Dexy's Midnight Runners, and the 1990s the
Charlatans,
Dodgy and
Ocean Colour Scene. Recent chart success has come from Mike Skinner (also known as
The Streets),
R&B singer
Jamelia, Fyfe Dangerfield (singer/songwriter) of the
Guillemots (band),
Mistys Big Adventure and the
Editors.
Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual
Birmingham International Jazz Festival[Birmingham Local Events (BBC)] is the largest of its kind in the UK.
Party in the Park, a popular chart music event, is Birmingham's largest music festival.
In 1998, Birmingham was the host city for the
Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in the National Indoor Arena in the City Centre.
Birmingham has also been synonymous in the development of the British electronic music scene.
Digbeth, near the city centre, features some of the country`s top dance clubs, including Air, host to the eminent
Godskitchen. The nearby
National Exhibition Centre has played host to the biggest indoor dance events in the country.
Classical music
The internationally-renowned
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is
Symphony Hall, where it gives frequent performances.
Birmingham is one of the few remaining cities in the UK to still have the position of City Organist. Since 1834 only 7 men have held this position, the current holder, Thomas Trotter has been in post since 1983
[Thomas Trotter on Patrick Garvey.com]. Free weekly recitals have been given since the organ in
Birmingham Town Hall was opened
[Birmingham Town Hall's Organ Birmingham.gov.uk]. The recitals are temporarily being held in St. Philip's Cathedral, until the Town Hall organ opens again after restoration in 2006.
The equally world-renowned
Birmingham Royal Ballet[Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham.gov.uk] also resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school,
Elmhurst School for Dance[Elmhurst School for Dance's website].
The
Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784
[The Town Hall, 1865 Birmingham.gov.uk] - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. Music was written for the festival by
Mendelssohn,
Gounod,
Sullivan,
Dvořák,
Bantock and most notably
Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham.
Albert William Ketèlbey was born at 41 Alma Street, Aston in 1875
[Naxos.com].
Birmingham's other city-centre music venues include The
National Indoor Arena (NIA), the
CBSO Centre, Adrian Boult Hall at
Birmingham Conservatoire and
Birmingham Town Hall (currently closed for refurbishment).
Theatre
There are many theatres in Birmingham. The four largest professional theatres are the
Alexandra Theatre ("the Alex"),
Birmingham Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), the
Birmingham Hippodrome and the
Old Rep. The
mac and
Drum Arts Centre also host many professional plays.
The
Fierce Festival teams with the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre annually to present a series of quirky performances from local and national companies.
Literature
Literary figures associated with Birmingham include
Samuel Johnson ,
J. R. R. Tolkien,
Arthur Conan Doyle,
Louis MacNeice,
Washington Irving,
David Lodge,
W. H. Auden,
Roi Kwabena and
Benjamin Zephaniah. J. R. R. Tolkien is said to have been inspired by buildings in the city such as
Perrott's Folly for scenes in
The Lord of the Rings.
Libraries
The main library for the city is
Central Library. The library has been redeveloped over a period of 150 years with the first Central Library opening in 1865. However, this library was destroyed in 1879. A replacement was built and in 1974, it was demolished with the new library and current library standing next to it. One of the collections was housed in the
Shakespeare Memorial Room which houses collections of
William Shakespeare's literary pieces.
A replacement library was planned for the Eastside area however, it was deemed unnecessary and did not go further than the planning stage. It is now expected to be divided into two sites, one housing the special collections and the other as a reference library.
There are 41 libraries in Birmingham overall and a regular mobile library service serves the city too.
Visual art
|
The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery |
Birmingham has one of the largest collections of
Pre-Raphaelite art in the world at The
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham, spent his first twenty years in the city, and later became the president of the
Birmingham Society of Artists. The
Barber Institute of Fine Arts, found in
Edgbaston, was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the 2004
Good Britain Guide. The
Ikon Gallery off Broad Street hosts displays of art for the more contemporary palete. For a fuller list of art galleries in Birmingham, see
Arts in Birmingham.
Other famous Birmingham artists include
David Cox,
David Bomberg, and various Afro-Caribbean artists including
Pogus Caesar,
Keith Piper and
Donald Rodney.
Graffiti (or "spraycan art") culture appeared in the early 1980s, and graffiti art competitions are still regularly held.
The construction of the
Bull Ring Shopping Centre allowed local and international artists to display their work. These included three
light wands which were erected at the main entrance, a huge mural on a glass
facade located at the entrance facing
New Street station and three fountains in St Martin's square in the shape of
cubes, which are illuminated at night in different colours
[Artwork of the Bullring BBC].
Festivals and shows
Birmingham is home to many national, religious and spiritual festivals including a
St. George's Day party. The
Birmingham Tattoo is a military show that has taken place in the city for several years. The currently biennial
Caribbean- style
Birmingham International Carnival was originally the
Handsworth Carnival, held in
Handsworth Park from 1984, but now takes place in the August of odd- numbered years, parading through the streets of Handsworth to
Perry Barr Park.
Birmingham Pride takes place in the 'gay village' and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. The city also hosts an annual arts festival (
Artsfest) during September, where people can enjoy many of the regions' arts, free.
The city's largest single-day event is its
St. Patrick's Day parade (Europe's second largest, after the one in
Dublin)
[History of St. Patrick's Day].
Film and media
Birmingham is unusual in supporting two local newspapers - the
Birmingham Post and the
Evening Mail - as well as the
Sunday Mercury, all owned by the
Trinity Mirror, who also produce
The Birmingham News, a weekly freesheet distributed to homes in the leafy surburbs along with
Forward, the
Birmingham City Council's free newspaper distributed to homes and via community centres and public buildings.
The
Electric Cinema on Station Street is the oldest working
cinema in the UK
[The Elctric Cinema website], and
Oscar Deutsch opened his first
Odeon cinema in
Perry Barr during the 1920s. The
Birmingham Film Festival takes place annually, and the
Birmingham School of Acting won a
Royal Television Society award for their short film 'Soul Boy'
[Television Award for BRUMMIEWOOD film BSSD.ac.uk].
Star City is said to be Europe's largest leisure and cinema complex and is not far from the Britain's only permanent drive-in cinema maintained by
T-Mobile; both are in
Nechells.
The
BBC has its regional headquarters,
BBC Birmingham, in the
Mailbox, in the
Convention Quarter (where they relocated from
Pebble Mill), and many
television and
radio programes are produced in the city, including the world's longest running radio
soap opera,
The Archers[BBC Birmingham Features]. The area was one of the first to receive programming from the new
Independent Television network in 1955. The networks' original representatives were
Associated Television (
ATV) who served the area during the week and
Associated British Corporation who broadcast at the weekends. In 1968 ATV won the contract to serve the area seven days a week. To commemorate this ATV built new studios off Broad Street at the heart of the city which featured the now famous landmark, the
Alpha Tower.
In 1982 ATV was reorganised and became
Central Independent Television. The
ITV Central and
BBC studios are famous for many shows, including
Tiswas,
Crossroads,
Dalziel & Pascoe,
Midlands Today, the
BBC Asian Network.
Local radio stations include
BRMB,
Galaxy,
Heart FM,
Kerrang! 105.2,
New Style Radio 98.7FM ,
Saga 105.7FM, and
BBC WM. There is also one hospital radio station, which covers 10 of the city's hospitals, called BHBN (Birmingham Hospital Broadcasting Network) Hospital Radio, which has been broadcasting since 1952
[BHBN website].
Birmingham is also the hub for various national
ethnic media, including
The Voice,
The Sikh Times,
Desi Xpress,
The Asian Today[Newspapers in Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk] and
Raj TV (based in the Mailbox
[Raj TV contact]).
Nightlife
There is a large number of clubs and bars in the city centre, mainly along
Broad Street and into
Brindleyplace which has now become the city's centre for nighttime entertainment.
Preclub bars are common in varying themes and music tastes as well as clubs of varying themes which are located in the area including a
sports cafe,
comedy club and
lapdancing club. The smaller of the clubs are located in older buildings such as the former Second Church of Christ the Scientist which now is home of the 1970s themed Flares. Larger premises resulted in a large club called The Works being set up which sometimes performs a light display.
Clubs outside the Broad Street area include The
Medicine Bar in the
Custard Factory in
Digbeth. There are number of late night pubs in the
Irish Quarter.
Gay and lesbian
Birmingham features its own annual festival known as
Birmingham Pride. The three day event is located on
Hurst Street which is generally considered the centre of the gay scene of Birmingham. A parade is also featured in the festival. The organisers say that the festival is the largest free gay and lesbian event in the United Kingdom
[BirminghamUK.com].
The first gay marriage was held on December 21, 2005 at the Birmingham Registry Office
[Gay 'wedding' first in B'ham BBC Birmingham].
Main article: Science and invention in Birmingham
Local inventions and notable firsts include:
gas lighting,
roller skate wheels, the
Baskerville Font[ John Baskerville Font Designers],
questionnaires,
Custard powder,
foam rubber, the
magnetron (the core component in the development of
radar and
microwave ovens), the UK
electroplating industry, the first ever use of
radiography in an
operation, and the UK's first ever
hole-in-the-heart operation, at
Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Among the city's notable scientists and inventors are:
*
Matthew Boulton, proprietor of the Soho engineering works.
*
Sir Francis Galton, originator of
eugenics and important techniques in
statistics.
*
Alexander Parkes, inventor of
celluloid, the first synthetic plastic.
*
Joseph Priestley, chemist and radical.
*
James Watt, engineer and inventor; associated with the
steam engine.
*
John Wright, inventor of a type of
electroplating.
Birmingham is
twinned[ Partner Cities Birmingham.gov.uk] with:{| valign="top" |
*
Chicago, Illinois,
USA*
Frankfurt,
Germany*
Johannesburg,
South Africa
* Leipzig, Germany
* Lyon, France
* Milan, Italy
| 
