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{{two other uses|the English city|the U.S. city named after it|Birmingham, Alabama}} <!--NOTE: this disambig header has been agreed upon, please do not change it-->
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[[Image:BirminghamUK skyline Centenary Square 700.jpg|thumb|The city from above [[Centenary Square]].]]
{| class="infobox bordered" cellpadding="3" width="250"
{| class="infobox bordered" cellpadding="3" width="250"
|+ style="font-size: larger;" | '''City of Birmingham'''
|+ style="font-size: larger;" | '''City of Birmingham'''
|-
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| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background: white;"|[[Image:BirminghamUK skyline Centenary Square 700.jpg|300px|The city from above [[Centenary Square]]<br/><small>Birmingham City Centre from [[Centenary Square]]]]</small>
|-
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| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background: white;"|[[Image:EnglandBirmingham.png]]<br />''Shown within the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]''
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background: white;"|[[Image:EnglandBirmingham.png]]<br />''Shown within the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]''

Revision as of 18:42, 3 June 2007

Template:Two other uses

City of Birmingham
The city from above Centenary Square Birmingham City Centre from Centenary Square

Shown within the West Midlands
Geography
Status Metropolitan borough, City (since 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°28′59″N 1°53′37″W / 52.48306°N 1.89361°W / 52.48306; -1.89361
NUTS 3 UKG31
Demographics
Population:
Total (2022)
Density 		Ranked

/ km²
Ethnicity
(2001 census) 		70.4% White
2.9% Mixed
19.5% S.Asian
6.1% Black
0.5% Chinese
0.6% Other
Politics Members of Parliament:

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 often considered to be the United Kingdom's second city [1][2][3][4][5][6]. 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".[7]

The City of Birmingham has a population of 1,001,200 (2005 estimate).[8] It forms part of the larger West Midlands conurbation, which has a population of 2,294,093 (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,[9] which is derived from an earlier name of the city, 'Bromwicham'. There is a distinctive Brummie dialect (distinct vocabulary and syntax) and accent (way of speaking), both of which differ from those of the adjacent Black Country.

History

Main article: History of Birmingham

Over the last 1,000 years, Birmingham has grown from a tiny Anglo-Saxon farming village into a major industrial and commercial city.[10] Birmingham started life as a small Anglo-Saxon farming hamlet, on the banks of the River Rea. The name 'Birmingham' comes from "Beorma ingas ham", meaning "home of the people of Beorma." Birmingham 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 early as the 16th century, Birmingham's access to supplies of iron ore and coal meant that metalworking industries became established. By the English Civil War in the 17th century Birmingham had become an important manufacturing town with a reputation for producing small arms. 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.

The Birmingham Canal Navigations between the International Convention Centre (left) and Brindleyplace (right) in central Birmingham.

By the 1820s an extensive canal system had been constructed. During the 18th century, the Lunar Society was an important gathering of local thinkers and industrialists.

During the Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million[11] and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in England. Railways arrived in Birmingham in 1837.[12]. Birmingham was granted city status in 1889. The city built its own university in 1900.

Birmingham was originally part of Warwickshire, but expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, absorbing parts of Worcestershire to the south and Staffordshire to the north and 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's "Birmingham Blitz", and the city centre was extensively re-developed during the 1950s and 1960s. In recent years, Birmingham has been transformed, with the construction of new squares, the restoration of old streets, buildings and canals, the removal of the pedestrian subways, and the redevelopment of the Bull Ring shopping centre.[13]

In the decades following World War II, the population of Birmingham changed dramatically, with immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations and beyond.[14]

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,[15] 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 [16]. 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.[17][18]

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.

Climate

These are the average and record temperatures (Celsius) as provided by BBC Weather. [19]
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.[20]

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 1990s with snow becoming much less frequent.

Similar to most other large cities, Birmingham has a considerable 'urban heat island' effect[21]. During its coldest night (14 January 1982) for example, the temperature fell to -20.8 °C (-5.4 °F) at Birmingham Elmdon airport on the city's eastern edge, but just -12.9 °C (8.8 °F) at Edgbaston, near the city centre[22]. Relative to other large UK conurbations, Birmingham is a snowy city, due to its inland location and comparatively high elevation[22]. Snow showers often pass through the city via the Cheshire gap on North Westerly airstreams, but can also come off the North sea from North Easterly airstreams[22].

Areas and suburbs of the city

Nearby places

Cities
Towns
Villages

See also the Black Country

Economy

File:New Street Birmingham 700.jpg
New Street in central Birmingham
Main article: Economy of Birmingham

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.[23]

Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded in Birmingham - Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) in 1765[24] and the Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank plc) in 1836[25] - and today the city employs 108,000 in banking, finance and insurance.[26]

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.[27] The city's sporting and cultural venues attract large numbers of visitors.

With an annual turnover of £2.2bn, Birmingham city centre is the UK's second largest retail centre,[28] with the country's busiest shopping centre - the Bull Ring.

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,[29] 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.[30] 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.

Birmingham has a large incineration plant, the Tyseley Energy from Waste Plant which burns rubbish and in the process produces electricity for the National Grid.

Administration

Main article: Government of Birmingham
City of Birmingham
Politics
The Arms of Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council[31]
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/
Leadership Leader & Cabinet
Control Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition.

Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK. It has 120 councillors in 40 wards. There is no overall control, and the council is run by a Conservative/Lib Dem coalition.

Birmingham's ten parliamentary constituencies are represented in the House of Commons by one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, one Independent Labour and seven 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.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Birmingham

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 & 1.5% Other White), 19.5% British Asian, 6.1% Black or Black British, 0.5% Chinese, 2.9% of mixed race and 0.6% of other ethnic heritage[32]. 16.5% of the population was born outside the United Kingdom. Birmingham is home to one of the largest Pakistani-Kashmiri communities outside of Kashmir and is said to have an overall Pakistani origin population of more than 200,000, which would make this the largest Pakistani community of any local authority in the UK.

The population density is 3,649 people per square km compared to the 377.2 people per square km for England. Females represented 51.6% of the population whilst men represented 48.4%.

Places of interest

See also Places of interest in Birmingham[33]

Museums and galleries
Chamberlain Square

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has renowned displays of artwork include a leading collection of work by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the world's largest collection of works by Edward Burne-Jones. The group also owns other museums in the city such as Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and Sarehole Mill, a popular attraction for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien. Thinktank is one of the newest museums in the city. The Birmingham Back to Backs are the last surviving court of back-to-back houses in the city.

File:Sareholemill.jpg
Sarehole Mill

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is both an art gallery and concert hall. It also has one of the world's most detailed and largest coin collections. Cadbury World is a museum showing visitors the stages and steps of chocolate production and the history of chocolate and the company.

Parks and squares
'The River' in Victoria Square.

There are over 8000 acres (32 km²) of parkland open spaces in Birmingham.[34] The largest of the parks is Sutton Park covering 2400 acres (9.7 km²) making it the largest urban nature reserve in Europe.[35]. Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a Victorian creation, with a conservatory and bandstand, close to the city centre.

Religious buildings
St Philip's Cathedral from the rear

St Philip's was upgraded from church to cathedral status in 1905. Another cathedral in the city is St Chad's, which is the seat of the Roman Catholic Province of Birmingham. St Martin in the Bull Ring is a Grade II* listed church. There is also a variety of non-Christian religions in the city. In the 1960s, Birmingham Central Mosque was constructed for the Muslim community of the city. It is one of the largest mosques in Europe.

Leisure

Two major developments have regenerated two parts of the city in recent years. Brindleyplace is a major canalside development with restaurants and office buildings along with the National Sealife Centre. The other development was the Bullring Shopping Centre. The Mailbox features many designer stores as well as offices and apartments. The National Indoor Arena is one of the busiest large scale sporting and entertainment venues in Europe.

Outside of the city centre is Star City entertainment complex on a brownfield site.

Famous residents

Main article: list of famous residents of Birmingham, England

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.

See also Blue Plaques erected by the Birmingham Civic Society.

Transport

File:Curzon Street Station.jpg
Curzon Street railway station from the front.
Main article: Transport in Birmingham

Due in part to its central location, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks.[36] The city is served by a number of major motorways and probably the most famous motorway junction in the UK: Spaghetti Junction[37]. Birmingham also forms a major hub in the National Express coach network and is served by Birmingham International Airport

Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram (the Midland Metro light railway system between the city centre and Wolverhampton[38]). The number 11A and 11C outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe.

The city's main railway station, Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national railway network. Birmingham is also notable for its canal system.

Education

Birmingham Central Library.
Main article: Education in Birmingham

The city council is England's largest local education authority, directly or indirectly responsible for 25 nursery schools, 328 primary schools, 77 secondary schools[39] and 29 special schools.[40] It also runs the library service, with 4 million visitors annually,[41] and provides around 4000 adult education courses throughout the year.[42] The main library is Central Library and there are 41 local libraries in Birmingham, plus a regular mobile library service.

Birmingham is home to three universities: Aston University, the University of Birmingham 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 specific arts subjects.

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 UCE opened the New Technology Institute facility in the same area in 2006.

Sport

The NIA has hosted many national and international sporting championships.
Main article: Sport in Birmingham

The city is home to two of the UK's oldest professional football teams: Aston Villa (1874) and Birmingham City (1875).

The city is home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club, whose Edgbaston ground also hosts test matches. International track and field meetings take place at Alexander Stadium, the home of Birchfield Harriers. The National Indoor Arena (NIA) is a major indoor athletics venue.

The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston; ATP international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club.[43][44] Birmingham also has a professional Rugby Union side, Moseley RFC, and there is professional basketball team, Birmingham Panthers, as well as professional boxing, hockey, skateboarding, stock-car racing, greyhound racing and speedway in the city.

Birmingham was the first city to be named National City of Sport by the Sports Council.[45][46]

Food & drink

The Old Crown pub in Deritend.
Main article: Food & drink in Birmingham

Birmingham based breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers.[47] 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. The city has a plethora of nightclubs and bars, notably along Broad Street[48].

The Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter[49]. The Balti was invented in the city, which has received much acclaim for the 'Balti Belt' or 'Balti Triangle' [50]. The city boasts two Michelin starred restaurants: Simpson's and Jessica's, both in Edgbaston.

Culture and arts

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 century.

In the 1960s, the "Brum Beat" era featured blues and early progressive rock bands. The city is often described as the birthplace of heavy metal music,[51] with Judas Priest and Black Sabbath being local. 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.

Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival[52] is the largest of its kind in the UK.

Classical music

The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall. There is a City Organist; since 1834 only 7 men have held this position. The current holder, Thomas Trotter has been in post since 1983[53]. Weekly recitals have been given since the organ in Birmingham Town Hall was opened.[54] but are now held in St. Philip's Cathedral, until the Town Hall organ opens in October 2007, following restoration. The Birmingham Royal Ballet[55] resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst School for Dance.[56]

The Birmingham Triennial Music Festivals took place from 1784-1912. Music was specially composed, conducted or performed by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvořák, Bantock and Edward Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham. Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius had its début performance there in 1900. Composers born in the city include Albert William Ketèlbey and Andrew Glover.

Birmingham's other city-centre music venues include The National Indoor Arena, the CBSO Centre and the Adrian Boult Hall at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Theatre

Among the many theatres in Birmingham, the largest are the Alexandra ("the Alex"), The Rep, the Hippodrome and the Old Rep. The the Crescent Theatre, Drum Arts Centre, mac, and the Old Joint Stock Theatre also host performances. The Fierce! festival teams with the Rep to present an annual series of performances from local and national companies.

Literature

Literary figures associated with Birmingham include Samuel Johnson , Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis MacNeice, Washington Irving, David Lodge, W. H. Auden, Roi Kwabena, Jonathan Coe, and Benjamin Zephaniah. J. R. R. Tolkien is said to have been inspired by areas and buildings in the city.

Visual art
The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham, spent his first twenty years in the city, later becoming president of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the 2004 Good Britain Guide. The Ikon Gallery hosts displays of contemporary art. Notable local artists include David Cox, David Bomberg, Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and Donald Rodney.

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 longstanding military show. The Caribbean- style Birmingham International Carnival takes place in odd- numbered years. Birmingham Pride takes place in the 'gay village' and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. Party in the Park, a popular chart music event, is Birmingham's largest music festival. For several years the city also hosted an annual arts festival ArtsFest, the largest free arts festival in the UK. In December 2006 the City Council announced that it would no longer hold Artsfest. [2].

The city's largest single-day event is its St. Patrick's Day parade (Europe's second largest, after the one in Dublin)[57].

Newspapers

Birmingham has two local daily newspapers - the Birmingham Post and the Birmingham 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, as is Forward (formerly Birmingham Voice), Birmingham City Council's free newspaper. Birmingham is also the hub for various national ethnic media.

Film

The Electric Cinema on Station Street is the oldest working cinema in the UK,[58] and Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in Perry Barr during the 1920s. The Birmingham Film Festival takes place annually. 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; both are in Nechells.

Television

The BBC has two facilities in the city. The Mailbox in the city centre is the location for the national headquarters of BBC English Regions,[59] the headquarters of BBC West Midlands and the BBC Birmingham network production centre.

The BBC Drama Village, based in Selly Oak, is a production facility specialising in television drama.[60].

Radio

Local radio stations include BRMB, Galaxy, Heart FM, Kerrang! 105.2, New Style Radio 98.7FM, Smooth Radio 105.7FM and BBC WM.

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 night-time entertainment. There are many stylish clubs and bars outside the Broad Street area. The Medicine Bar in the Custard Factory, The Sanctuary, Rainbow Pub and Air in Digbeth are very popular. Many bars and club nights exist in areas such as the Arcadian and Hurst Street by China Town, Summer Row, The Mailbox, and St Philips/Colmore Row - where once a month there is a party night held for Polish residents of Birmingham - and Jewellery Quarter. There are number of late night pubs in the Irish Quarter.

Architecture

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').

Today's Birmingham is chiefly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as its real growth 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. A few other buildings from the medieval and Tudor periods survive, among them The Lad In The Lane[61] and The Old Crown, the 15th century Saracen's Head public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton[62] and Blakesley Hall.

A number of Georgian buildings survive, including St Philip's Cathedral, Soho House, Perrott's Folly, the Town Hall andmuch of St Paul's Square.

The Victorian era saw extensive building across the city. Major civic buildings such as the Law Courts (in characteristic red brick and terracotta), the Council House and the Museum & Art Gallery were constructed. St Chad's Cathedral was the first Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in the UK since the Reformation. 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

Postwar redevelopment and anti-Victorianism resulted in the loss of dozens Victorian buildings like Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library. In inner-city areas too, much Victorian housing was redeveloped and existing communities were relocated to tower block estates like Castle Vale and Bromford. Birmingham City Council now has an extensive tower block demolition and renovation programme. There has been a lot of construction in the city centre in recent years, including the award-winning Future Systems' Selfridges building, 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 imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority on the heights of buildings as they could affect aircraft from the International Airport, (e.g. Beetham Tower).

Science and invention

Main article: Science and invention in Birmingham

Local inventions and notable firsts include: gas lighting, custard powder, the magnetron, 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:

Many of these scientists were members of the Lunar Society.

Town twinning

Birmingham's town twins[63] are:

Birmingham, Alabama, USA is named after the city and shares an industrial kinship.

See also

References

  1. ^ City Watch: Birmingham - From The Independent
  2. ^ Second coming - From The Guardian Unlimited.
  3. ^ Birmingham for beginners - From Guardian unlimited travel.
  4. ^ Birmingham, Britain's second city The College for International Citizenship
  5. ^ OAG Cities Guide
  6. ^ Parties square off in Britain's second city - from The Economist.
  7. ^ Decline of the city of a thousand trades (April 17, 2006) Birmingham Mail
  8. ^ Census Population Information for Birmingham www.birmingham.gov.uk
  9. ^ Worldwidewords.com
  10. ^ Origins of Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk
  11. ^ Historic Population Of Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk
  12. ^ Birmingham UK pages
  13. ^ Major Development Birmingham.gov.uk
  14. ^ Birmingham's Post War Black Immigrants Birmingham.gov.uk
  15. ^ Lickey Hills Country Park
  16. ^ The History of Greater Birmingham - down to 1830 (page 15), Victor Skipp, 1987, V. H. T. Skipp (ISBN 0-9506998-0-2)
  17. ^ The Growth of the City, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham (1964), pp. 4-25
  18. ^ Solid Geology - 1:250,000 scale (Source: British Geological Survey, NERC) Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
  19. ^ Average Conditions for Birmingham, England BBC Weather
  20. ^ Birmingham Tornado 2005 Birmingham.gov.uk
  21. ^ BBC: Inside Out: Living with global warming
  22. ^ a b c Regional Climates of the British Isles, Dennis Wheeler and Julian Mayes, 1997, Routledge (ISBN: 0415139309)
  23. ^ NUTS3 Gross Value Added (GVA) (1995-2003) Tables Office for National Statistics. Data on sheet NUTS34, line 339
  24. ^ The History of Lloyds Bank
  25. ^ HSBC History (The HSBC Group in Europe) PDF document
  26. ^ Local Authority Profile> Birmingham Office for National Statistics, Nomis Official Labour Market Statistics (Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis 2004)
  27. ^ NEC Group (Conference City) Locate Birmingham
  28. ^ Comparison Expenditure CACI Retail Footprint 2005
  29. ^ NUTS3 Gross Value Added (GVA) (1995-2003) Tables Office for National Statistics. Data on sheet NUTS33, line 102
  30. ^ Local area labour markets: statistical indicators - Parliamentary Constituency tables (Unemployment Rate January 2005 to December 2005) Office for National Statistics
  31. ^ Coat of Arms Information Birmingham.gov.uk
  32. ^ Ethnicity of Birmingham
  33. ^ Places of Interest Birmingham.gov.uk
  34. ^ Birmingham City Council Parks Page
  35. ^ Birmingham City Council pages
  36. ^ Canals in Birmingham Birmingham.gov.uk
  37. ^ Spaghetti Junction Birmingham.gov.uk
  38. ^ Travelmetro.co.uk
  39. ^ Birmingham City Council Primary and Secondary
  40. ^ Birmingham City Council Special Needs Schools
  41. ^ Facts about Birmingham Library Service www.birmingham.gov.uk
  42. ^ Birmingham Adult Education Service
  43. ^ Played in Birmingham, Malavan Media (ISBN 0-9547445-1-9)
  44. ^ Birmingham's Sporting Heritage Birmingham.gov.uk
  45. ^ Birmingham - 'The National City of Sport' BBC Where I Live
  46. ^ Birmingham: European City Of Sport - Concept2
  47. ^ Birmingham Breweries
  48. ^ BID Broad Street
  49. ^ Taste of the Orient sweet for Wing Yip The Birmingham Post Midland Rich List 2006
  50. ^ [1] The Balti Experience | Accessed 19/12/2006
  51. ^ Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal, David Konow, Three Rivers Press, 2002 (ISBN 0-609-80732-3)
  52. ^ Birmingham Local Events (BBC)
  53. ^ Thomas Trotter on Patrick Garvey.com
  54. ^ Birmingham Town Hall's Organ Birmingham.gov.uk
  55. ^ Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham.gov.uk
  56. ^ Elmhurst School for Dance's website
  57. ^ History of St. Patrick's Day
  58. ^ The Electric Cinema website
  59. ^ About Us - Information about BBC English Regions BBC
  60. ^ Lights, campus, action for BBC Birmingham's Television Drama VillageBBC Press Release
  61. ^ The Lad In The Lane, Erdington pub-explorer.com
  62. ^ History of Kings Norton Birmingham.gov.uk
  63. ^ Partner Cities Birmingham.gov.uk
  • Birmingham A Study in Geography, History and Planning, By Gordon E. Cherry (1994) ISBN 0-471-94900-0
  • A History of Warwickshire, By Canon Doctor Terry Slater (1981) ISBN 0-85033-416-0
  • Positively Birmingham, By Johnathan Berg (1994) ISBN 0-9523179-0-7
  • Managing a Conurbation: Birmingham and its Region Edited By A.J.Gerard and Canon Doctor Terry Slater (1996) ISBN 1-85858-083-8

External links

Official

Pictures

Culture

History

Community

Travel


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