"It's not so grim up north after all! " a Birmingham Travel Page by M0B1US

Birmingham - or 'Brum' to the locals ('Brummies')

My early memories of Birmingham are of an ugly concrete mess - however a recent business trip and my latest visit have totally turned those notions on their heads!

Although still possessed of much of its ugly past in the form of an unsightly concrete ring of busy roads and 'circuses' and many 60's and 70's office blocks, Birmingham now has plenty of attractive and eyecatching new developments such as the famous new Bullring shopping centre...

Now is a time to visit Britain's 'second city'...

There is plenty to see such as a number of industrial heritage museums.

Birmingham has a world-famous historic jewelry quarter that has been lovingly restored, as well as being the centre of Britain's canal network (did you know Brum has more miles of canals than Venice!?) with plenty of attractions such as canal trips or even dining on a narrow boat!

Just west of Birmingham is the world-famous glass factories of stourbridge once the crucible of such groundbreaking companies as Wedgewood and Stuart Crystal - there are a number of shops and museums that reflect this rich heritage here.

Birmingham is a centre for shopping and dining including some excellent developments such as the new Bullring, the Mailbox and Brierley Square.

Being in the centre of the UK, Birmingham is a major transport hub surrounded by motorways and trainlines - including the famous Spaghetti Junction motorway interchange...

As a major city it also has excellent public transport and air links.

Much of the centre of the city is pedestrianised making it very easy to walk around the main sites...