Birmingham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the city in England. For the city in the U.S. State of Alabama, see Birmingham, Alabama. For other uses, see Birmingham (disambiguation).
Image:BirminghamUK skyline Centenary Square 700.jpg
 Shown within the West Midlands | |
| Geography | |
| Status | Metropolitan borough, City (1889) |
|---|---|
| Region | West Midlands |
| Ceremonial county | West Midlands |
| Historic county | Warwickshire (some suburbs from Staffordshire and Worcestershire) |
| Area - Total | Ranked 169th 267.77 km² |
| Admin HQ | Birmingham |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-BIR |
| ONS code | 00CN |
| OS grid reference | SP066868 |
| Coordinates | 52°29N 1°54W |
| NUTS 3 | UKG31 |
| Demographics | |
| Population: Total (2005 est.) Density | Ranked 1st 1,001,200 3,739 / km² |
| Ethnicity (2001 census) | 70.4% Whites 2.9% Mixed 19.5% S.Asian 6.1% Black 0.5% Chinese 0.6% Other |
| Politics | |
| Image:Birm 1977 arms.png Birmingham City Council<ref>Coat of Arms Information Birmingham.gov.uk</ref> http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership | Leader & Cabinet |
| Control | Conservative / Liberal Democrats |
Birmingham (pron. IPA: [ˈbɜ:mɪŋˌəm]/Burr-ming-um) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. 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 a 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"<ref>Decline of the city of a thousand trades (April 17, 2006) Birmingham Mail</ref>.
The City of Birmingham has a population of 1,001,200 (2005 estimate) <ref name=census>Census Population Information for Birmingham www.birmingham.gov.uk</ref>. 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.
People from 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<ref>Worldwidewords.com</ref>, which is derived from an earlier name of the city, 'Bromwicham'. There is a distinctive Brummie dialect and accent.
[edit] History
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.<ref>Origins of Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk </ref>
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.
| 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 | 2 |
| 1968 | 900,000 |
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<ref>Birmingham UK pages</ref>.
During the Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million<ref>Historic Population Of Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk </ref> and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in England and the third in Britain after Glasgow and then London. 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"<ref>Tackling congestion in Birmingham (BBC News) Mentions Birmingham's nickname as concrete jungle </ref>.
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<ref>Major Development Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
In the decades following World War II, the face of Birmingham changed dramatically, with large scale immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations and beyond<ref>Birmingham's Post War Black Immigrants Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
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).
[edit] Geography
Birmingham is situated just to the west of the geographical centre of England on the Birmingham Plateau - an area of relatively high ground, ranging around 150-200 metres above sea level and crossed by Britain's main north-south watershed between the basins of the Rivers Severn and Trent.
To the south and west of the city lie the Lickey Hills<ref>Lickey Hills Country Park</ref>, Clent Hills and Walton Hill, which reach 315 metres (1,033 ft) and have good views over the city.
Geologically Birmingham is dominated by the Birmingham Fault which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the south west, passing through Edgbaston, the Bull Ring and Erdington, to Sutton Coldfield in the north east. To the south and east of the fault the ground is largely softer Keuper Marl, interspersed with beds of Bunter pebbles and crossed by the valleys of the Rivers Tame, Rea and Cole and their tributaries. To the north and west of the fault, varying from 45-180 metres (150-600 ft) higher than the surrounding area and underlying much of the city centre, lies a long ridge of harder Keuper Sandstone.<ref>The Growth of the City, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham (1964), pp. 4-25</ref><ref>Solid Geology - 1:250,000 scale (Source: British Geological Survey, NERC) Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs</ref>
Much of the area now occupied by the city was originally a northern reach of the ancient Forest of Arden, whose former presence can still be felt in the city's dense oak tree-cover and in the large number of districts (eg Moseley, Saltley, Hockley) with names ending in "-ley", an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "woodland clearing".
[edit] Climate
These are the average and record temperatures as provided by BBC Weather<ref>Average Conditions for Birmingham, England BBC Weather</ref>.
| 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 |
The weather in Birmingham is quite temperate with average maximum temperatures in summer (July) being around 20C (68F); and in winter (January) is around 4.5C (40F). The weather is hardly extreme but there have been a few tornadoes in the area- the most recent being in July 2005 in the South of the city tearing homes and businesses in the area.<ref>Birmingham Tornado 2005 Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
Occasional summer heatwaves, such as the one experienced in July 2006 have become more common in recent years, and winters have become milder since the 1990's with snow becoming much less frequent.
[edit] Economy
Although Birmingham grew to prominence as a manufacturing and engineering centre, its economy today is dominated by the service sector, which in 2003 accounted for 78% of the city's economic output and 97% of its economic growth<ref>NUTS3 Gross Value Added (GVA) (1995-2003) Tables Office for National Statistics. Data on sheet NUTS34, line 339</ref>.
Birmingham is a major financial and administrative centre. The city's central business district has the largest concentration of administrative and private sector office-based employment in England outside Central London<ref>Town Centre Boundaries and Statistics for England and Wales - 2002 Department for Communities and Local Government</ref><ref>Area of Town Centre Activity (2002): Birmingham Department for Communities and Local Government</ref>. Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded in Birmingham - Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) in 1765<ref>The History of Lloyds Bank</ref> and the Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank plc) in 1836<ref>HSBC History (The HSBC Group in Europe) PDF document</ref> - and today the city employs 108,000 in banking, finance and insurance - exceeded in the UK only by Westminster and the City of London<ref>Local Authority Profile > Birmingham Office for National Statistics, Nomis Official Labour Market Statistics (Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis 2004)</ref>. Birmingham has particular strengths in accountancy and commercial law, with the Birmingham Law Society having over 300 member firms<ref>Birmingham Law Society (Infobox at bottom of homepage)</ref>.
Tourism is also an increasingly important part of the local economy. With major facilities such as the International Convention Centre and National Exhibition Centre the Birmingham area accounts for 42% of the UK conference and exhibition trade<ref>NEC Group (Conference City) Locate Birmingham</ref>. The city's sporting and cultural venues attract large numbers of visitors, as does the nightlife district around Broad Street. In total the West Midlands County attracts 1.1 million international visitors<ref>Visits To The UK By Area Visited > Regional Spread 2004 VisitBritain - Market Intelligence and Research</ref> and 4.2 million domestic overnight visitors<ref>United Kingdom Tourism Survey 2004 - West Midlands Statistics on Tourism and Research UK</ref> per year, making it the UK's third most-visited county after Greater London and Devon.
With an annual turnover of £2.2bn, Birmingham City Centre is the UK's second largest retail centre<ref>Comparison Expenditure CACI Retail Footprint 2005</ref>, with the country's busiest shopping centre - the Bull Ring with 36m visitors per year<ref>UK's busiest shopping centre Birmingham Post, Sep 3 2004</ref>, and its third largest department store - House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams) on Corporation Street. Other major shopping areas include New Street, High Street, the Pavilions and Pallasades shopping centres and the upmarket Mailbox.
Birmingham's industrial heritage pre-dates 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<ref>Timeline of Birmingham Pen ManufacturingPenroom.co.uk</ref>. 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<ref>Applegate.co.uk</ref>, 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<ref>SeaBritain Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>. 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<ref>New lease of life for Longbridge BBC News</ref>. 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<ref>History of Birmingham (List of companies of Birmingham) BirminghamUK.com</ref>.
Although Birmingham has seen strong economic growth overall in recent years, with per capita GDP rising from 2% above the UK average in 1995 to 7% above in 2003<ref>NUTS3 Gross Value Added (GVA) (1995-2003) Tables Office for National Statistics. Data on sheet NUTS33, line 102</ref>, the benefits have not been felt evenly throughout the city. Many of the higher skilled jobs generated have gone to commuters from the surrounding area, and the two parliamentary constituencies with the highest unemployment rates in the UK - Ladywood and Sparkbrook and Small Heath - are both in inner-city Birmingham<ref>Local area labour markets: statistical indicators - Parliamentary Constituency tables (Unemployment Rate January 2005 to December 2005) Office for National Statistics </ref>. Growth has also placed significant strain on the city's transport infrastructure, with many major roads and the central New Street railway station operating considerably over capacity during peak periods.
[edit] Architecture
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<ref>St. Martin’s in the Bull Ring Birmingham (Colin Hickman) Virtual Brum.co.uk</ref>. 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 Lad In The Lane public house in Erdington<ref>The Lad In The Lane, Erdington pub-explorer.com</ref>,also The Old Crown public house in Digbeth<ref>The Black And White Gem (Brian Matthews) Theoldcrown.com</ref>, the 15th century Saracen's Head public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton<ref>History of Kings Norton Birmingham.gov.uk</ref> and Blakesley Hall in Yardley<ref>Blakesley Hall Through the Centuries Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
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<ref>Tolkien's Birmingham Virtual Brum.co.uk</ref>), 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.
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 and Bromford.
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<ref>Castle Vale Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>. 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. Beetham Tower, standing on Holloway Circus 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.
[edit] Politics
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, (44 councillors), Conservative (41) and Liberal Democrat ("Lib Dem", 33) parties, with 2 Others<ref>Election 2006 - Results Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
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 won a seat. It initially appeared that the British National Party had also gained a seat, but it soon transpired their candidate's election had been caused by a counting error and was subsequently overturned in favour of the previously third-placed Labour party candidate following an election petition<ref>BNP never won seat on city council, The Birmingham Post, Jul 27 2006</ref>.
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 parliamentary constituencies are represented in the House of Commons by one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, and 9 Labour MPs.
Law enforcement in Birmingham is carried out by the West Midlands Police and fire and rescue by the West Midlands Fire Service.
Birmingham is also the seat of the Government Office for the West Midlands region.
[edit] Demographics
Birmingham is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. Birmingham has the smallest white population by percentage of many of the major cities. 29.6% of its population is non-white, where as London, commonly seen as the most diverse of British cities is 29.0% non-white. This is compared to Liverpool which is only 5.1% non-white.
At the time of the 2001 census, 70.4% of the population was White (including 3.2% Irish & 1.5% Other White), 19.5% British Asian 6.1% Black or Black British, 0.5% Chinese, and 3.5% of mixed race or other ethnic heritage.
The population density is 3,649 people per square km. 23.4% of people were aged under 16, 57.7% were aged between 16 and 59, while 18.9% were aged over 60. The average age was 36, compared with 38.6 years for England<ref>Census 2001: About Birmingham - Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
[edit] Places of interest
See also Places of interest in Birmingham<ref>Places of Interest Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>
[edit] 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 an 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.
[edit] 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). Birmingham is also home to greyhound racing and has two tracks in Perry Barr and Hall Green, Perry Barr undergoing a major refurbishment in 2004. Major cricket competitions are often held at Warwickshire County Cricket Club in Edgbaston. Sporting events are also held at the National Indoor Arena (NIA).
[edit] Parks and squares
There are over 8000 acres of parkland open spaces in Birmingham<ref>Birmingham City Council Parks Page</ref>. The largest of the parks is Sutton Park covering 2400 acres making it the largest urban nature reserve in Europe. <ref>Birmingham City Council pages</ref>
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.
[edit] Religious buildings
Image:Birmingham St Philip's Cathedral.jpg
Birmingham was made a city in 1889. Stemming from this, the Diocese of Birmingham was created in 1905 and St Philip's was accordingly upgraded from church to cathedral status. The cathedral is surrounded by a churchyard which is a popular congregating area. The other 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 a variety of non-Christian religions in the city. In the 1960s Central Mosque was constructed for the Muslim community of the city. It is one of the largest mosques in Europe.
[edit] 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 become 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.
[edit] Famous residents
Joseph Chamberlain, Neville Chamberlain, J. R. R. Tolkien, Tony Hancock, Nigel Mansell and Ozzy Osbourne are a few of the many famous names associated with Birmingham.
For a larger list see List of famous residents of Birmingham
You can also browse the list of Blue Plaques erected by The Birmingham Civic Society to the city's eminent citizens.
[edit] Transport
Due in part to its central location in England, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks<ref>Canals in Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
[edit] Roads
Birmingham 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<ref>Spaghetti Junction Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>. The city is also known for the numerous junctions with pedestrian tunnels within the city centre itself which have been redeveloped through demolition or reorganisation. One of the most significant of these redevelopments was Masshouse (also known as the "Concrete collar") which saw the demolition of an entire elevated junction. Other projects include Snow Hill Queensway with St Chads Circus.
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<ref>National Express website Current News paragraph</ref> 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<ref>Application Withdrawn</ref>. 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.
[edit] Airports and aviation
Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport, which has flights to Europe, North America, the Middle East and South Asia. 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.
[edit] Local transport
Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram (the Midland Metro light railway system between the city centre and Wolverhampton<ref>Travelmetro.co.uk</ref>).
The Midland Metro 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 bus services in the city are run by Travel West Midlands (TWM) with the routes also adopted by smaller bus companies in different buses. Travel West Midlands are constantly introducing newer, more modern buses to replace older buses which have been frowned upon due to the pollution they create. Routes are sometimes reorganised with the most recent being the bus routes from Sutton Coldfield to the city centre.
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.
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<ref>Cycling in Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
[edit] Canals
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 35 miles (60 kilometres) 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 26 miles (41 kilometres)), Birmingham is far larger <ref>Guide to Birmingham Jewellery Quarter</ref>, 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.
[edit] Education
The city council is England's largest local education authority, directly or indirectly responsible for 25 nursery schools, 328 primary schools, 77 secondary schools <ref>Birmingham City Council Primary and Secondary</ref> and 29 special schools <ref>Birmingham City Council Special Needs Schools</ref>. It also runs the library service, with 4 million visitors annually <ref>Facts about Birmingham Library Service www.birmingham.gov.uk </ref>, and provides around 4000 adult education courses throughout the year <ref>Birmingham Adult Education Service</ref>.
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.
A minority of the city's children receive private education. King Edward's School is perhaps the most prestigious independent school in the city. The seven schools of The King Edward VI Foundation are known nationally for setting the very highest academic standards and all of the schools consistently achieve top positions in national league tables.
Matthew Boulton College is also located in the city. In 2005, the Eastside branch of the college was completed and opened. The University of Central England opened the New Technology Institute facility in the same area in 2006.
[edit] Sport
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<ref>Homepage of 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics</ref>. The city has also hosted the IBF World Championships in 1993 and 2003<ref>World Badminton Championship is coming to the NIA - BBC Birmingham Sport</ref> which were both held in the National Indoor Arena. The NIA has also hosted the All England Open Badminton Championships<ref>The Yonex All England Open 2006</ref> from 1994 onwards and the British Indoor Rowing Championships since 2000<ref>Brunel University</ref>.
The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston in 1859; international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club<ref>Played in Birmingham, Malavan Media (ISBN 0-9547445-1-9)</ref> <ref>Birmingham's Sporting Heritage Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
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 FA 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. Aston Villa is one of only four English football clubs to have been crowned champions of Europe; they did so by winning the European Cup in 1982.
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. <ref>Birmingham - 'The National City of Sport' BBC Where I Live</ref> <ref>Birmingham: European City Of Sport - Concept2</ref>
[edit] Sports Teams In Birmingham
[edit] Food & drink
Birmingham based Breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers<ref>Birmingham Breweries</ref>. 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 Birmingham's most famous street for nights out is Broad Street which also has a cinema and many restaurants on it<ref>BID Broad Street</ref>.
Famous food brands from Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Birds custard, Blue Bird Toffee, Bournville cocoa, Cadbury chocolate, and HP Sauce which was 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<ref>Taste of the Orient sweet for Wing Yip The Birmingham Post Midland Rich List 2006</ref>.
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 Sparkhill, Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Ladypool areas. The Balti Belt is also known as the Balti Triangle among locals<ref>The Balti Triangle Birmingham.gov.uk</ref>.
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<ref>BBC Good Food Show</ref>.
[edit] Culture and arts
[edit] Popular music
Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last 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<ref>Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal, David Konow, Three Rivers Press, 2002 (ISBN 0-609-80732-3)</ref>, 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 Editors.
Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival<ref>Birmingham Local Events (BBC)</ref> 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