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Revision as of 00:28, 1 June 2005
- This article is about the city in England. See also places called Birmingham.
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| City of Birmingham | |
|---|---|
 Shown within the West Midlands | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Metropolitan borough, city (1889) |
| Region: | West Midlands |
| Ceremonial county: | West Midlands |
| Area: - Total |
Ranked 169th 267.77 km² |
| ONS code: | 00CN |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2003 est.) - Density |
Ranked 1st 992,050 3,705 / km² |
| Ethnicity: (2001 census) |
70.4% White 2.9% Mixed 19.5% Asian 6.1% Black 1.2% Chinese or Other |
| Politics | |
| Birmingham City Council http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & cabinet |
| Executive: | Conservative & Lib Dem |
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the second largest and second most ethnically diverse city in the UK and is regarded by some as England's "second city". The City of Birmingham has a population of 992,100 (2003 estimate), while the Birmingham metropolitan area (the West Midlands county) has a population of 2,575,768. Birmingham is also the "capital" of the West Midlands region
The city is commonly known by its nickname Brum (from the local name Brummagem), and its people as Brummies. Birmingham is home to the distinctive Brummie accent and dialect.
Birmingham is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK. Along with large populations from the Caribbean, Indian subcontinent and Ireland, the city's largest single-day event, the St. Patrick's Day parade is second largest in Europe (after Dublin), and Birmingham's Balti restaurants produce some of the finest Indian cuisine in the UK.
A few million 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 . Its top attractions include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Millennium Point, Bull Ring, Selfridges Building, Cadbury World, Tolkien Trail , Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the National Sea Life Centre.
History
Main articles: History of Birmingham and Birmingham military history
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 dark ages. It was first recorded in written documents by the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small village.
From the 12th century onwards Birmingham developed into a market centre, and by the 17th century it had become 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. Gun manufacture in the city pre-dates 1689, and from the development of the flintlock pistol to arms supply for the Napoleonic Wars and American Civil War Birmingham became the foremost arms producer in the world by some one million items over its nearest rival, London, and was employing a few thousand people who in the main worked within a definite area, known as the Gun Quarter.
During the Industrial Revolution from the mid 18th century onwards, because of abundant nearby sources of coal and iron ore and a skilled workforce, Birmingham grew into a major industrial centre. Birmingham became a centre of the British canal and later railway networks in the early 19th century.
In Victorian times, the population of the city grew rapidly to well over half a million and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in Britain, it became known as the "City of a thousand trades" due to the wide variety of manufacturing industries located there. Birmingham gained city status in 1889.
Birmingham suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II, 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".
However, in recent years 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 much-derided pedestrian subways, and the demolition and subsequent redevelopment of the Bull Ring shopping centre, which now includes the architecturally unique Selfridges building.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Birmingham, Birmingham transport history
Birmingham is an important manufacturing and engineering centre, employing over 100,000 people in industry and contributing billions of pounds to the national economy. Over 25% of UK exports originate in the greater Birmingham area. The Steam Engine was developed to a great extent by James Watt 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 present day products include: motor vehicles, vehicle components and accessories, weapons, electrical equipment, plastics, machine tools, chemicals, food, jewellery and glass. Birmingham was home to two major car factories: MG Rover in Longbridge and Jaguar in Castle Bromwich. However, the future for manufacturing at Longbridge looks bleak, as MG Rover 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.
The Jewellery Quarter is the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe. 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, which continues to produce commemorative coins and medals.
In recent years Birmingham's economy has diversified into service industries, retailing and tourism, which are now the main employers in the city. Scientific research (including research into nanotechnology at the University of Birmingham) is expanding in the city.
Over 500 law firms exist in the city, and Birmingham is Europe's second largest insurance market. The city attracts over 40% of the UK's total conference trade. Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded in Birmingham. Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) began in Birmingham in 1765 and the Midland Bank (now part of HSBC) opened in Union Street in August 1836.
During the Industrial Revolution many factories, foundries and businesses prospered in the Gun Quarter and Jewellery Quarter, with watchmakers, goldsmiths, attorneys, physicians, surgeons, Breweries, apothecaries, metallurgists, chemists, Bicycle and Automobile manufacturers also prospering. The city's workmen designed and constructed railway carriages, steam engines, and even – unusually for somewhere so far from the sea – ships, which were made as pre-fabricated sections, then assembled at the coast.
Numerous inventors emerged from these different professions, and the city's skilled workforce and infrastructure encouraged other inventors and businessmen from across the world to set up shop in the city. (See Inventors and Inventions).
Other famous brands from the "city of a thousand trades" include Bakelite, Bird's Custard, Brylcreem, BSA, Cadbury chocolate, Chad Valley toys, Halfords, HP Sauce, Typhoo Tea and Valor.
See also: More details about the Birmingham economy
Architecture
Main article: Architecture of Birmingham
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 city's oldest churches, notably Birmingham's original parish church, St Martin's in the Bullring. A church has stood on the site since at least the 12th century. The current building (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 15th century "Saracen's Head" public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton and Blakesley Hall in Yardley.
The city began to grow rapidly in 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, and Perrott's Folly in Ladywood (which is said to have later inspired J. R. R. Tolkien).
The Victorian era saw an extensive building programme right across the city. Major public buildings such as the Town Hall, 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. 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 wider city, the need to house the industrial workers who flocked here 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 raized 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. 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.
Politics
Main article Government of Birmingham
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 councillors representing just under one million people, in 40 wards.
After the election of 10 June 2004, there is no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Labour, (53 councillors), Conservative (39) and Liberal Democrat ("Lib-Dem", 28) parties.
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.
Places of interest
- Gun Quarter - (Once the foremost gun manufacturing community in the UK)
- The Back to Backs Living Museum (The National Trust).
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
- Brindleyplace - Canalside development
- Centenary Square
- Chamberlain Square
- Chinese Quarter - home to many clubs, bars and restaurants
- Convention Quarter
- Jewellery Quarter - The largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe
- National Sealife Centre
- Number 9 The Gallery
- Birmingham Thinktank Science Museum
- Victoria Square
- Sutton Park
- See also Places of interest in Birmingham
Famous residents
Neville Chamberlain, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Ozzy Osbourne are amongst the many famous names associated with Birmingham.
For a full list see Famous people from Birmingham.
Transport
See main article: Transport in Birmingham
Due in part to its location in central England, Birmingham is a major transport hub, of both road rail and air travel.
Birmingham is served by a number of major roads, including the M6 motorway, the M40, the M5, the M42 motorway and the M6 Toll.
The City's number 11A and 11C outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe.
Birmingham is at the centre of the national rail network. The city's main station is Birmingham New Street, and there is also Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street. Trams on the Midland Metro light railway system run between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport, which has flights to all over Europe and to New York. The airport is served by the railway network at Birmingham International railway station.
Birmingham has 35 miles (60 km) of canals within the city boundaries, of which most are navigable; the canals were once the lifeblood of the city's industries during the Industrial Revolution but are now used mainly for pleasure. It is often quoted that Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice. This is in fact true (Venice has 26 miles) although Birmingham is much larger than Venice .
Education
Main article: Education in Birmingham
One of the most prestigious schools in England, the King Edward's School is located in Edgbaston. Birmingham also has three universities: The University of Birmingham, Aston University and The University of Central England (UCE, formerly Birmingham Polytechnic). The UCE has asked Aston to consider a merger. The Birmingham Conservatoire, now part of the UCE, was established over 100 years ago and is recognised as one of the major national colleges of music which focuses on performance and composition.
Birmingham School of Acting is one of the UK's leading vocational drama schools it offers two fully funded higher education courses and also offers a range of part time, summer schools and short courses for adults and children.
Elmhurst School for Dance is the oldest and one of the most successful vocational dance Schools in the UK. After recently relocating from London to Edgbaston the school has teamed up with Birmingham Royal Ballet.
The city also hosts many 'Urban Workshops' for modern music including street level DJ mixing tuition and dance hosted by many experienced musicians from ground roots enteprises like for instance Punch Records in New Town.
Mansfield College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, was founded (under the name of Spring Hill College) in Birmingham but later moved to Oxford with the relaxation of non-conformists in 1886.
Sport
Main article: Sport in Birmingham
Birmingham has been awarded the title National City of Sport by the Sports Council, and sport has long played an important role in the life of the city at every level from the hundreds of diverse grass-roots sports clubs to internationally known venues, clubs and associations.
The city is home to two of the UK's oldest professional football teams: Aston Villa (1874) and Birmingham City (1875), both of whom currently play in the Premier League. 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.
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 meets in athletics take place at the open-air Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, which is also the base of the Birchfield Harriers athletic club, which numbers many Olympic medallists among its past and present members. The National Indoor Arena (NIA) meanwhile is Britain's premier indoor athletics stadium and in 2003 hosted the 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics. The NIA also hosts events in many other sports, such as the World Indoor Badminton Championships.
Professional golf is played at The Belfry (4km outside Birmingham) which has hosted The Ryder Cup four times, and rugby union, basketball, boxing, hockey, and greyhound racing all take place on a professional level in the city. The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston in 1859 by Major Thomas Henry Gem and Batista Pereira, both residents of the city, and international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club.
Food & drink
Main article: Food & drink in Birmingham
Birmingham based Breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers. 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 Digbeth (circa 1450). The Anchor Inn (1797), is also in Digbeth.
Famous food brands from Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Birds custard), Blue Bird Toffee, Bournville cocoa, Cadbury chocolate, and HP Sauce.
The Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter.
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 Ladywood areas.
The city boasts two Michelin stars. 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.
Culture and arts
Main article: Arts in Birmingham
Popular music
The 1960s gave rise to the Brum Beat era featuring bands such as The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Fortunes, The Rockin Berries, The Honeycombes, Wizzard, The Idle Race, The Move and The Moody Blues (members of the last two going on to form The Electric Light Orchestra).
The city is often cited as the birthplace of heavy metal music. The now- defunct venue Mothers in Erdington, was where Pink Floyd recorded part of Ummagumma and Traffic staged their debut gig.
In the 1970s, Birmingham's large West Indian population contributed to the popularity of reggae
Jazz is popular in the city. The Birmingham International Jazz Festival takes place annually and is the largest of its kind in the UK.
Party in the Park, a popular chart music vent, is Birmingham's largest music festival.
Classical music
The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall, where it gives frequent performances. The equally world-renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet also resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst School for Dance.
The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784 - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. Music was written for the festival by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvorak, Bantock and most notably Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham.
Albert William Ketèlbey was born in Alma Street, Aston on 9 August 1875, the son of a teacher at the Vittoria School of Art, Ketèlbey attended the Trinity College of Music, where he beat the runner-up, Gustav Holst, for a musical scholarship.
Birmingham's other city- centre music venues include The National Indoor Arena (NIA), CBSO Centre, Adrian Boult Hall (ABH) at Birmingham Conservatoire and the Birmingham Town Hall,currently closed for refurbishment, which played host to many classical and popular music performances from the late 1800s.
Theatre
Kenneth Peacock Tynan is possibly Brums most famous character linked to the Theatrical scene.
Birmingham Amateur Dramatic Federation ran from 1926-28.
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 centres also host many professional plays. The actors in the long-running Radio 4 serial The Archers live in and around Birmingham, where the supposedly rural programme is recorded.
The Fierce Festival teams with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre annually to present an series of quirky performances from local and national companies.
Comedy
- Birmingham has generated some very famous comedians that have based much of their content on the city, including Sid Field, Tony Hancock, Jasper Carrott, and Shazia Mirza.
- The local evening newspaper sponsors an annual autumn comedy festival in the city.
- The Glee Club and Birmingham Jongleurs are both prominent comedy venues. The Drum Arts Centre also hosts series of monthly comedy sessions as does the mac.
Visual art
History
An "Academy of Arts" was organised in 1814, and an exhibition of paintings took place in Union Passage that year. A School of Design, or "Society of Arts," was started Feb. 7, 1821; Sir Robert Lawley (the first Lord Wenlock) presenting a valuable collection of casts from Grecian sculpture. The first exhibition was held in 1826, in a building on New Street. The "Society of Artists" commenced in 1826, when several gentlemen withdrew from the School of Design.
The first Ballot for pictures to be chosen from the Annual Exhibition of Local Artists took place in 1835
Birmingham has one 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.
David Cox (artist) was a famous Birmingham watercolour artist and President of the Associated Artists in Water Colour in 1810.
David Bomberg's first well known works date from the 1910s. They are rather complex geometric compositions built over relatively traditional subjects, and typically use a limited number of striking colours with humans being turned into simple, angular shapes, some have likened these works to 70's New York Graffiti (aka Bombing). Bomberg travelled France where he met Modigliani and Picasso.
The Birmingham Surrealists were prominent in the city's arts in the early and mid 20th century.
The Birmingham Arts Lab was an important centre for alternative comic art in the late 1970s.
Contemporary African Caribbean artists and photographers who have exhibited internationally include Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and the late Donald Rodney.
Graffiti (or "spraycan art") culture appeared in the early 1980s, with the area featuring in Channel 4 documentary Bombing. Graffitti art competitions are still regularly held.
Current galleries
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery ~ houses one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Its Water Hall gallery displays modern art.
- The Barber Institute of Fine Arts ~ declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the Good Britain Guide 2004.
- Ikon Gallery ~ housed in a neo-gothic former school in Brindley Place and showcases modern art.
- Number 9 The Gallery
- Halcyon Gallery ~ located inside the International Convention Centre.
- Royal Birmingham Society of Artists' New Gallery ~ in St Paul's Square shows local artists.
- Custard Factory ~ now one of the largest media and arts villages in Europe, with exhibitions and modern sculpture and water features.
- The Birmingham mac ~ hosts theatre performances, concerts, literature and poetry showcases, courses, film screenings and small art exhibitions.
- Drum Arts Centre ~ features the work of African, Asian and Caribbean contemporary artists.
- The Big Peg ~ a large complex of studios for artists and designers, based in the Jewellery Quarter in Hockley.
- Arts Lounge ~ situated in the Birmingham Mailbox development and showcases and sells local modern artist.
There are a variety of other small and private galleries in the city such as Harborne Gallery.
Birmingham Arts Fest is an annual citywide event which utilises many venues.
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 Perry Barr Park. Birmingham Pride takes place in Birmingham's gay village and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year.
Film and media
In 1742 Aris's Gazette was established as Birmingham's first newspaper. Modern local newspapers include The Birmingham Post, Sunday Mercury and Evening Mail .
The Electric Cinema on Station street is the oldest working Cinema in the UK and was once reputedly a haunt of George Bernard Shaw.
Albert Austin (born 13 December 1881 or 1885) was an actor, film star, director and script writer, primarily in the days of silent movies. He was born in Birmingham. He worked for Charlie Chaplin's Stock Company and played supporting roles in many of Chaplin's films, and working as his assistant director.
In the 1920's Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in the UK in Perry Barr. By 1930 the Odeon chain was a household name and still thrives today.
The Birmingham Film Society was set up in 1930.
The Birmingham School of Acting recently won a Royal Television Society Award for their short film 'Soul Boy'. Moseley dance centre also contributes to the city's drama and dance talent.
The Birmingham Film Festival takes place annually at various Broad Street venues. It highlights local talent as well as a wide spectrum of international productions.
- The BBC has had a regional headquarters in the Convention Quarter for many decades, and many T.V. and radio programes are produced in the city including the long running The Archers radio soap.
- ATV had its headquarters in Birmingham for many years, recording T.V shows in the city. Central Independent Television later took over the Midlands ITV franchise, eventually merging with Carlton, which is now part of ITV plc.
- Local legal radio stations include BRMB, Galaxy, BBC WM and Heart FM, and Kerrang, Birmingham's first dedicated rock station.
- The city also plays host to one of oldest community radio (or pirate radio) stations in the UK, in the form of P.C.R.L., which began in the early 1980s and mainly plays reggae.
Science and invention
Main article: Science and invention in Birmingham
The city's long history of industrial innovation has led to a wealth of invention and discovery, mainly in the areas of engineering and applied science. Local inventions and notable firsts include: gas lighting, malleable iron, roller skate wheels, the Baskerville Font, questionnaires, Custard powder, Foaming Latex, the Heat-Indicator and Fire Alarm, the first British patent for windscreen wipers, Brylcreem, the magnetron (the core component in the development of radar), the UK electroplating industry, the first ever use of radiography in an operation, and the first ever hole-in-the heart operation in England (performed at Birmingham Children's Hospital).
Some of the city's more groundbreaking scientists and inventors are:
- Matthew Boulton, proprietor of the Soho engineering works.
- Sir Francis Galton, originator of eugenics and many important techniques in statistics.
- Frederick William Lanchester, automobile developer.
- Alexander Parkes, a pioneer of electroplating who also invented the first celluloid, one of the earliest plastics.
- Joseph Priestley, chemist and radical.
- James Watt, engineer and inventor principally associated with the steam engine.
- John Wright, inventor of a type of electroplating.
Nearby places
- Cities: Coventry, Leicester, Lichfield, Wolverhampton, Worcester
- Towns: Bedworth, Cannock, Kenilworth, Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Redditch, Royal Leamington Spa, Rugby, Solihull, Stafford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tamworth, Warwick
- See also the Black Country
Partner cities
(Partner cities are akin to twin towns)
- Lyon, France
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Leipzig, Germany
- Milan, Italy
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Chicago, USA
Military
- HMS Forward Royal Naval Reserve Unit
See also
- Transport in Birmingham - roads, rail, air and water.
- Government in Birmingham - local and national government
- Religion in Birmingham
- Constituent areas of Birmingham
- Birmingham Coat of Arms
- Birmingham transport history
- Misplaced Pages images of Birmingham
External links
- Birmingham City Council
- yourbirmingham.co.uk A guide to Birmingham
- Virtualbrum.co.uk photographs and information
- Birminghamuk.com discussion forum
- West Midlands Local Government Association useful facts (slightly outdated)
- Birmingham: It's Not Shit celebration of Brummie culture
- LoveMyTown: City of Birmingham civic pride facts and organisations in Birmingham
- Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham, a circa 1885 "history and guide, containing thousands of dates and references to matters of interest connected with the past and present history of the town", from Project Gutenberg.
- Birmingham Restaurants Guide - Birminghamplus over 1400 reviews of restaurants in Birmingham and the West Midlands - updated daily
- Birmingham timeline
- Restaurants in Birmingham lists all restaurants in Birmingham and the surrounding area. Users can write reviews about any restaurant.
| Districts of the West Midlands Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Herefordshire |  | |
| Shropshire | ||
| Staffordshire | ||
| Warwickshire | ||
| West Midlands | ||
| Worcestershire | ||
 Government of Birmingham | ||
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham UK parliamentary constituencies (left) and city council wards | ||
| Edgbaston |  | |
| Erdington | ||
| Hall Green | ||
| Hodge Hill | ||
| Ladywood | ||
| Northfield | ||
| Perry Barr | ||
| Selly Oak | ||
| Sutton Coldfield | ||
| Yardley | ||