Bits and Bobs about Birmingham 13.10.11

Bits and Bobs about Birmingham
1. Birmingham was named the gastro capital of the country – Britain’s foodiest town- by BBC food magazine Olive.
2. Birmingham is the only English city outside London to have 3 michelin starred restaurants; Purnells, Simpsons and Turners.
3. It has the largest spearmint rhino in the UK.
4. A study in 2008 ranked the Birmingham accent as the least intelligent or intelligent sounding.
5. Traditional Birmingham expressions include; Babby- Baby, Cob- bread roll, Pop- fizzy drink and Gambole- forward roll.
6. Birmingham’s trade and manufacturing industry began to take hold as early as the early 1500’s.
7. The first map of Birmingham was made in 173.
8. It’s thought that Birmingham has more trees than Paris, more miles of canals than Venice and more parks than any other European city.
9. Birmingham city council is the biggest local authority in Europe.
10. The jewellery quarter is said to be the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe, with half of all jewellery made in the UK coming from the Jewellery quarter.
11. The city’s annual St Patricks day celebration is the third largest outside Dublin and New York.
12. The city’s nicknames include; brum, city of a thousand trades and workshop of the world.
13. Is the second most populous city outside London hence its second city status.
14. Is an important transport, retail, events and conference hub.
15. Birmingham’s three universities and two university colleges make it the largest centre of higher education in the UK outside of London.
16. The big city plan is a large redevelopment plan currently underway in the city centre with the aim of making Birmingham one of the top 20 liveable cities in the world within 20 years.
17. Birmingham was granted city status in 1889 by queen Victoria.
18. Following the heavy bomb damage during WWII “Birmingham Blitz” the city was extensively redeveloped during the 1950’s and 60’s.
19. Birmingham was Britain’s most prosperous provincial city up until the 1970’s.
20. The city’s crime rate is above average for England and Wales, but is lower than any of England’s other major core cities.
21. Females represent 51.6 of the population.
22. 59% of the population are Christian.
23. Although the city grew to prominence as a manufacturing and engineering centre, its economy today is dominated by the service sector.
24. Birmingham is the largest centre for employment in public relations, education and health in Great Britain.
25. Two of Britain’s largest banks were founded in Birmingham – Lloyds Bank (Lloyds Banking Group) in 1765 and the Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank) in 1836 – as well as Ketley’s Building Society, the world’s first Building society.
26. With major facilities such as the ICC and the NEC the Birmingham area accounts for 42% of the UK conference and exhibition trade.
27. The city is the UK’s third largest retail centre.
28. The Bullring is the Country’s busiest shopping centre.
29. House of Fraser on corporation street is the largest department store outside London.
30. The city’s growth has meant that many major roads and New Street station operate over capacity at peak times.