Birmingham is a major city of the UK, commonly called the “second city” of the UK which is part of a wider West Midlands region that includes 6 counties in the heart of England, 100 miles north of London.
Birmingham has 5 universities and hosts significant cultural organisations and national sporting events in quality facilities. Birmingham is hosting the Commonwealth Games 2022 and mounting the Let’s go out festival April – September 2022.
History
Birmingham’s first market charter was granted in 1166, allowing it to have a regular market to distinguish it from a village or city. It was not until the beginning of 1750 – 60 that Birmingham
became the leading nucleus of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Between 1770 – 1830 Birmingham developed over 35 miles of canals, which became busy waterways transporting coal, iron, sand based materials, playing a crucial role in the development of Birmingham and the Black Country’s industry. Birmingham’s metal and gun-making trades expanded, fine jewellery was made alongside cheaper lines, and brass buttons and trinkets served a world market. The engineers James Watt (inventor of the steam engine), Matthew Boulton, and William Murdock (pioneers in steam engine development), the chemist Joseph Priestley, and the printer John Baskerville all lived in the city at that time and greatly contributed to the technological progress of Birmingham and the country. Boulton’s Soho Manufactory, which developed the steam engine for industrial use, became famous throughout Europe. His Soho House where he lived from 1766 to 1809 remains a museum, open to the public and was the first of its kind to install gas lighting, a steam bath and central heating. In 1775 Boulton created a partnership with the Scottish engineer James Watt, who designed the first steam engines, to become a major producer of steam engines in the 19th century.
It was not until after the Reform Act of 1832 that Birmingham elected its own members to Parliament, and the city was not incorporated until 1838. In 1873 the rich local industrialist Joseph Chamberlain became the city’s mayor, and during his three-year tenure he initiated important reforms, among them sweeping slum and city-centre redevelopment schemes.
In 1893 Bournville was founded as a model village founded by the Quaker Cadbury family for employees at its Cadbury's factory in Bournbrook Hall. It was designed to be a "garden" village incorporating park and recreation areas, encouraging swimming, walking and entertainment for all the residents who worked at the factory. In 1900 the Bournville Village Trust was set up to control the development of the estate independently of the Cadbury family and remains today an important and popular residential area with 7,800 homes on 1,000 acres (4 km2) of land with 100 acres (0.4 km2) of parks and open spaces. Cadbury World remains a chocolate producing factory but is no longer owned or managed by Quakers.
Birmingham is famous for it’s car manufacturing with Longbridge plant opening in 1905 employing over 25,000 people by late 1960s. It was taken over by British Leyland then nationalised as MG Rover before finally closing following a takeover by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) in 2005. Jaguar in Castle Bromwich owned the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory which produced most of the Spitfire from the Mk II onwards during the war. After 1945 there were several owners until Jaguar Cars took over in 1977 followed by Ford in 1990 and Tata Motors in 2008 to retain the brand Jaguar Land Rovers and is still manufacturing the iconic Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.
A new City of Birmingham was created, including the old city and the former borough of Sutton Coldfield, in 1974. Birmingham's economy is a major international commercial centre and an important transport, retail, events and conference hub. Its metropolitan economy is the second-largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of £92.6 billion. It has five universities, including the University of Birmingham, making it the largest centre of higher education outside London.
Geography, Climate and environment
Birmingham is dominated by the Birmingham Fault, which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the south west, passing through Edgbaston and the Bull Ring, to Erdington and Sutton Coldfield in the north east.
Birmingham’s 571 parks, totalling over 14 sq miles (3,500 hectares) of public open space. The city has over six million trees, and 250 miles (400 kilometres) of urban brooks and stream including Sutton Park, which covers 2,400 acres (971 ha) in the north of the city. Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens, located close to the city centre, retains the regency landscape of its original design by J. C. Loudon in 1829, while the Winterbourne Botanic Garden in Edgbaston reflects the more informal Arts and Crafts tastes of its Edwardian origins.
Culture, music, dance and Carnival
Birmingham is a super diverse city with economic inequality greater than in many other major cities. The Alexander stadium, located in the north west identified 60% of the working population is from a Black and minority ethnic background. Birchfield District identifies 52% Asian (including Indian 14% Pakistani 24.5% Bangladeshi 7.2% Chinese 1.1% other Asian 5.2%) 27% Black (Black African 7.4%, Black Caribbean 15.6%, Black other 4%) 13.7% White; multiple ethnicities 4.8% and 2.5% other.
Birmingham's cultural institutions have collaborated as Culture Central and include the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the Library of Birmingham, Birmingham Museums Trust and the Ikon Gallery enjoying international reputations. The city’s grassroots festivals such as Fierce, Birmingham Pride, Mostly Jazz, Simmer Down Festival, Vaisakhi, and Birmingham’s Literature Festival bring diverse communities together.
Popular music in Birmingham was defined from the 1960s with over 500 bands constantly performing across a well-developed network of venues and promoters. The Spencer Davis Group created a new rhythm and blues sound while English psychedelia grew a different sound. Heavy metal was born in the city spearheaded by Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne. Bhangra music and dance emerged with western musical influences merged with Punjabi folk traditions. Ska and grindcore grew out of the city from extreme metal and hardcore punk. Steel Pulse, formed in 1975 has created an internationally successful roots reggae music honed from Handsworth, Birmingham, and is currently touring with a new album during 2022-3.
Birmingham’s Carnival, active since the 1960s in Handsworth with Professor Black and his hand-made sequined costumes, will be re-imagined for the Birmingham 2022 Let’s Go Festival. Route 34 - Embracing Cultures produced by North Birmingham Alliance will present iconic costumes inspired by Caribbean flowers and dance, whilst International Dance Festival Birmingham; Birmingham Royal Ballet and Tappinin2022 will stretch the concepts of what commonwealth means to us today by using ballet, contemporary, tap professionals and participants together in dance performances.
Birmingham’s main contribution to food has been the creation of the Balti curry created and located around the Ladypool road in Birmingham. A balti is fast cooked dish, over a high flame using vegetable oil not ghee to give it a cleaner, lighter taste.
