Birmingham and proud

[hawley]

Okie peeps who like to take the micky out of Birmingham, here are some facts about Birmingham and the bootiful people who live and used to live here...


Population 965,928 in city and 2,555,596 in the West Midlands

The people of Birmingham are known as Brummies

Birmingham has a more extensive canal network than Venice!!!.

There are 30 other Birmingham’s around the world and one crater on the moon called Birmingham. (apparently it lies within a larger crater called "Hell"!)


Birmingham's key partner cities are Frankfurt and Leipzig (Germany); Lyon (France); Milan (Italy); Chicago (USA) and most recently Johannesburg, (South Africa).

21.5% of the population of Birmingham are classified as ethnic minorities(AKA THIEF'S):)

The city puts on the third largest St Patrick's day parade in the world, next to Dublin and New York (ONE FOR U MAX)

Birmingham's civic motto is Forward(IRONIC AS MOST PEEPS ARE BACKWARD)

Birmingham has the UK's largest National Sealife Centre which incorporates the world's only 360 degree transparent tunnel so you can stand suspended in mid-ocean

Birmingham is home to the Balti, a spicy, aromatic Kashmiri dish, with over 100 Balti houses attracting over 20,000 visitors per week

In 1998 Birmingham hosted three of the world's most prestigious events - the Eurovision Song Contest, the G8 Birmingham Summit of world leaders and the Lions Clubs International Convention - the largest convention of its type in the world.

[hawley]

The game of lawn tennis was first originated and played in Edgbaston in 1865, Edgbaston Archery is the oldest Lawn Tennis Club in the world.

There are more world and European sporting championships staged in Birmingham than any other UK city

Nigel Mansell, the former F1 Grand Prix World Champion winning 31 Grand Prix events, lived in Hall Green and worked for Lucas Aerospace. (ONE 4U RICH)

The Ryder Cup will return to the Brabazon course at the Belfry for a record fourth time in 2002.

Birmingham has three professional football teams - Aston Villa, nicknamed the Villains; Birmingham City, nicknamed the Blues; and West Bromwich Albion, nicknamed the Baggies.
William McGregor, the Aston Villa Football Club Committee man is credited with the idea leading to the creation of the Football League in 1888. Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion were founder members of the football league.

[hawley]

F.W Lanchester built the first four-wheeled petrol driven car in Birmingham.

Half of all jewellery made in the UK comes from Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.( 14U ANDY);)

Birmingham's assay office, established in 1773, is the largest in the world.

The West Midlands is home to Europe's largest centre for the manufacture of ceramics, combined with a significant crystalware sector.

All models of the internationally recognised Land Rover, produced in the UK were made in Solihull.

Way back in 1940, two scientists, Sir John Randall and Dr. H. A. Boot, invented a device called a magnetron to produce microwaves in their lab at England's Birmingham University. The magnetron became the most critical component of the microwave oven


Matthew Boulton, one of the great pioneers of the Industrial Revolution was born in Snow Hill in 1728.
James Watt worked with Boulton in Birmingham and together they perfected Watt's invention of the steam engine, which powered Britain's rise to industrial supremacy.
James Watt's name lives on through the his name was given to the electric unit of power, the Watt.
William Murdock, inventor of gas lighting, was also employed by Boulton.
Boulton, Watt and Murdock are all buried at St Mary's Church, Handsworth which has become a place of pilgrimage for historians, scientists and thinkers from as far a field as Japan.

Joseph Priestley, the world renowned Birmingham-based scientist and chemist, discovered oxygen. He was forced to leave Birmingham after a rioting mob destroyed his house in Sparkbrook

The Baskerville typeface, used by printers world-wide, is named after its inventor John Baskerville, who lived and is buried in Birmingham.

Lloyd's Bank was founded in 1765 in Dale End by Sampson Lloyd and John Taylor. The Midland Bank also began life in Birmingham.

George Cadbury began making chocolate in Birmingham in 1824. At that time chocolate was considered an aphrodisiac and therefore not suitable for a lady's diet(TAKE NOTE LANA):P

[hawley]

The NEC, opened in 1976, is the UK's largest and Europe's seventh largest exhibition venue.
The NEC stages more exhibitions than any other major European centre, including the UK's top trade and public events.

Symphony Hall, within the ICC, sits on 2,000 rubber "shock absorbers" which help to prevent any external vibration reaching the hall. It is recognised as one of the most acoustically perfect venues in the world

[hawley]

Charles Dickens was the sixteenth President of The Birmingham and Midland Institute.

Sherlock Holmes' creator Arthur Conan Doyle lived in Birmingham from 1871 to 1881.

J R R Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" grew up by Sarehole Mill

The famous ODEON chain of cinemas was first opened in Birmingham in 1930 by Oscar Deutsch. ODEON stands for Oscar Deutch Entertains our Nation

Famous actors and entertainers from the region include Tony Hancock, Sid Field, Julie Walters, Lenny Henry and Jasper Carrott.

The whistle used by Kate Winslett in the film "Titanic" was based on the original whistle used to save people's lives when the ship sank. The whistle was invented and made by Birmingham company, J Hudson & Co.


Pop groups as diverse as UB40, Duran Duran, Led Zeppelin(4U JAMIE), Moody Blues, Slade, Stevie Winwood, Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra and Ocean Colour Scene. Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne born in Aston is now has a half hour show on MTV "The Osbournes"

[hawley]

So the next time you peeps get out of bed in the morning, turn on your lights so you can see, then put your beakfast in the microwave after working out what Watt to put it on. Jump in your Car so you can go and play Tennis.. Spare a thought if this would ever be possible if there was never a Birmingham;)

[hawley]

Canal

Nice to stop off for a drink in the summer

[hawley]

St Patrick's day

[Max]

So the next time you peeps get out of bed in the morning, turn on your lights so you can see, then put your beakfast in the microwave after working out what Watt to put it on. Jump in your Car so you can go and play Tennis.. Spare a thought if this would ever be possible if there was never a Birmingham;)


Very good Hawley.

You forgot watching movies or photos of the girls, as without another Brummie, this would not be possible. ;)

Alexander Parkes.
He developed the first form of celluloid

[hawley]

Matthew Boulton, James Watt, William Murdoch

[hawley]

Cadbuy

[hawley]

Very good Hawley.

You forgot watching movies or photos of the girls, as without another Brummie, this would not be possible. ;)

Alexander Parkes.
He developed the first form of celluloid

ahh very true! i did see that but thought it was what the girls got on thier legs and butt;)

[Nic]

Excellent! Nice work. Can't believe you left out Spaghetti Junction though...

[hawley]

Excellent! Nice work. Can't believe you left out Spaghetti Junction though...


I was tryin to make Birmingham sound "good" :cool:

[Nic]

:hahaha :hahaha :hahaha

Oh now I'm sure it is an engineering masterpiece. It certainly requires a degree to navigate. I'm off to find a pic!.....

/edit: well that was surprisingly difficult...

[hawley]

:hahaha :hahaha :hahaha

Oh now I'm sure it is an engineering masterpiece. It certainly requires a degree to navigate. I'm off to find a pic!.....

/edit: well that was surprisingly difficult...


lol cool pic:) ive been on there many times, still think its pot luck if you end up goin the right way:)

:thumbsup

[Geo]

Hawley, you forgot to mention the Origins of Birmingham and what Birm-ing-ham means.




In the Saxon 6th Century Birmingham was just one small settlement in thick forest - the home (ham) of the tribe (ing) of a leader called Birm or Beorma.

Geography played a major role in the transformation of Birmingham from a hamlet worth 20 shillings in 1086 into Britain's centre of manufacturing in the 20th Century. It was a dry site with a good supply of water, routes converging at Deritend Ford across the River Rea. There was easy access to coal, iron and timber.

The de Bermingham family held the Lordship of the manor of Birmingham for four hundred years from around 1150. In 1156 Peter de Birmingham obtained a market charter from Henry II and in 1250 William de Bermingham obtained permission to hold a four day fair at Whitsun.

In addition the family allowed many freedoms to their tenants and there were no restrictive obstacles to trade. Developing as a market centre, Birmingham also saw the beginnings of small scale smithing and metal working. Craftsmen were listed amongst the taxpayers in 1327. When Leland visited Birmingham in 1538 there were 1500 people in 200 houses, one main street with a number of side streets, markets and many smiths who were selling goods all over England.

By supplying the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War (1642-46) with swords, pikes and armour, Birmingham emerged with a strong reputation as a metal working centre. By 1731 the population had grown to 23,000 and manufacturing business thrived. By the time of the Industrial Revolution Birmingham had become the industrial and commercial centre of the Midlands.

:D :D :D