Rubery

Rubery
HSBC Rubery (now closed) & Shops
OS grid reference	SO985768
Civil parish	Unparished
District	Bromsgrove
Shire county	Worcestershire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BIRMINGHAM
Postcode district	B45
Dialling code	0121
Police	West Mercia
Fire	Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Bromsgrove

Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. Part of the village also forms a southern suburb of Birmingham, England. The village is 9 miles (14 km) from Birmingham city centre.

The area has around 16,000 people living in it, including the nearby Great Park estates within the city of Birmingham. Both the Birmingham and Bromsgrove parts are unparished areas.

Etymology

The word 'Rubery' comes from the old English word 'rowbery' meaning 'a rough hill', which there is in the village of Rubery.

Geography

Rubery (Worcestershire) is divided into two essential areas, either side of the A38. North of the A38 is primarily residential consisting of a sub-area named Waseley. South of the A38 is the High Street (New Road) where Rubery's retail activity is concentrated, there are shops as well as an extensive residential area, there is also a number of food outlets including Subway, Greggs, Tesco Metro and various other takeaways. To the east lies the Great Park area of Rubery (within the Longbridge ward of Birmingham).

Rubery is located in the valley of the Waseley and Lickey Hills, and within the basin of the Callowbrook and thus the River Rea. Politically, it lies in the Beacon Ward of Worcestershire County Council, and under both the Waseley and Beacon areas for Bromsgrove District Council.

Rubery is situated near to Longbridge, where the remains of the Austin motor works, mostly demolished following the MG Rover collapse in April 2005, can be found. Frankley is to the north, and Lickey is to the south.

Literary Connections

The author Jonathan Coe (b.1961) was brought up in Rubery, and his novel "The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim" names several local places and landmarks.

Steve Haywood artist and author created a series of children's books in Rubery. The Crowman of Stonesthrow Village (1996). Also the founder of the Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival held each year to raise money for local amenities. He now lives in Evesham.

Politics

The local councillors are, in March 2014: Peter McDonald (Labour) and Colin Wilson (Labour) - Waseley (District), Christine McDonald (Labour) - Beacon (District),[1] and Peter McDonald (Labour) - Beacon (County).[2]

Community Website

http://www.ruberyvillage.info

Amenities

Rubery now has its own market with café and children's soft play area.

In recent years Rubery has benefited from Great Park, which provides numerous leisure activities, namely an Empire Cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Gala Bingo, Nuffield Health (formerly Greens Health and Fitness), Frankie & Benny's, Chiquitos, Brewers Fayre and a Premier Inn. As well as further housing there is also a Morrisons which was a Safeway Megastore.