BIRMINGHAM
The heart, life and soul of England
Birmingham has been an industrial and economic powerhouse since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, becoming a huge conurbation by the early 20th century – as shown in the TV series Peaky Blinders. The crucible of the “Midlands Enlightenment” in the 18th century, it was a stronghold of nonconformism, of independent, free-thinking businessmen, intellectuals and inventors, who gathered to discuss the scientific and technological ideas of the day at the likes of the Lunar Society. Their innovations turbocharged the industrial development of the period: Birmingham saw the birth of the mechanised cotton mill, the factory system and – most crucial of all – the steam engine.
The city’s rapid industrialisation brought explosive growth in the 18th and 19th centuries, with an emphasis on a highly skilled, well-paid labour force specialising in small-scale manufacturing. Buttons, buckles, guns, tools, cutlery, jewellery: “the workshop of the world” made them all.
THE CITY NOW
Today, Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter still produces 40 per cent of the UK’s jewellery. The city was also an early entrant into the world of financial services (which remains a major business sector), with the first Lloyds bank opening here in 1765. Second only to London in size by the middle of the 19th century (and it still is), Birmingham grew steadily in importance and prosperity, with manufacturing and later, cars, becoming its dominant industries. After decline and stagnation in the late 20th century, the city is now focused on creating a knowledge-based, high value-added economy.
Birmingham has youth on its side. It is Europe’s youngest city, with almost 40 per cent of the population under 25, and it is also one of Britain’s most diverse urban areas – nearly a third of Brummies hail from black and ethnic minority communities. This diversity is reflected in the dynamic and varied dining scene. Birmingham has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any city outside London – Adam’s, Purnell’s, Simpsons and Carters of Moseley – as well as a deserved reputation for South Asian food, particularly in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath’s “Balti Triangle”; try the long-established Imrans on the famous Pakistani restaurant strip of the Ladypool Road. The city also has a small Chinatown, centred on Southside Square (off Hurst Street and Ladywell Walk) and including the veteran Cantonese Chung Ying, worth a visit both for dim sum and evening meals.
There’s also a wealth of opportunities to watch sport in the city. Football fans have a choice of clubs to support including EFL Premiership
West Bromwich Albion and Championship teams such as Aston Villa and Birmingham City, while top-flight athletic meets are held at the Alexander Stadium on a regular basis.
RIPE FOR EXPLORATION
Birmingham’s neighbourhoods also merit investigation, especially Moseley with its preponderance of pubs (visit the Prince of Wales,a multi-roomed Victorian beauty with a capacious beer garden), restaurants (the aforementioned Carters) and its terrific farmers’ market (held on the last Saturday of the month). Affluent Harborne is also well-blessed with dining and drinking venues.
Change is most visible in the historic centre, which is dominated by imposing neoclassical edifices such as the Town Hall, Council House and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Bling has arrived amid the Victorian civic grandeur in the shape of the £189 million gold-wrapped Library of Birmingham (the largest in Europe), the £600 million redevelopment of New Street station and high-end shopping malls to add to the Bullring centre (the retail area by the city’s fashion and food markets) and Selfridges. The mixed-use Paradise development is under way too, and the Victorian workshop area of Digbeth (parts of which still resemble a set from Peaky Blinders) is fast becoming the most on-trend district: don’t miss the Custard Factory, full of vibrant start-ups, and the old-school Anchor pub, with its Victorian interior. Regeneration is set to ramp up further, with the council’s ambitious and far-reaching Big City Plan aiming to bring 50,000 jobs and £2.1 billion to the economy by 2031.
Today, Birmingham has youth on its side. It is Europe’s youngest city, with almost 40 per cent of the population aged under 25