The West Midlands (more than three big urban cities!)
The West Midlands is a ceremonial county, and home to three cities, but also has lots of pretty villages, and is not that from the least populated county of Shropshire, on the Welsh border.
If out walking, follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe.
Birmingham (England’s second-biggest city)
Birmingham is England’s second-biggest city, and also one of its friendliest. Sutton Park is one of Europe’s largest urban parks (over 2400 acres) and nearby Sutton Coldfield is also known for its beautiful parks.
It’s one of the most multi-cultural cities, so don’t visit here if you’re a ‘little Englander racist’, as you will be made to feel most unwelcome, and rightly so! It gave rise to some of our best music – Joan Armatrading, ELO, UB40 (named after the benefits they used to claim) and Duran Duran.
It was also home to the wonderful late poet and animal welfare campaigner Benjamin Zephaniah. He called his home city ‘concrete with a heartbeat’, and did all he could to change the perception of Birmingham as ‘benefits street’ to the general public. Make a vegan Balti curry in his memory!
When I left Birmingham for London, I found myself passionately defending the city of my birth. As a proud Brummie survivor I’d like to think that my achievements are a model antidote to TV programmes that depicts Brummies as workshy.
Even though we have a proud industrial heritage to when Birmingham was ‘the workshop of the world’ and ‘city of a thousand trades’.
Dame Barbara Cartland (grandmother of Princess Diana) was born in Edgbaston. Aside from writing romantic novels, she helped design the first aircraft-towed airmail delivery glider (with two RAF officers). So not just pink dresses and heavy makeup!
The Birmingham Brewing Company makes local vegan beers (including stout) with many alcohol-free versions. It also sells wholesale (including draught) for pubs, restaurants and hotels.
Profits help local charities (air ambulances and people with alcohol and mental health issues). It also makes Brummie gin (by mixing leftover beer mash with six botanicals).
The Clean Kilo is England’s largest zero waste shop, started by a young couple who also sell drinks in the reusable Brummie Cup, which you take with a deposit, then return it next time you’re passing. For food, just take along your own clean jars and tubs, fill up and save money on packaging.
How George Cadbury Helped A Village (from the grave!)
Now here’s a story to make you smile! Bournville is a small village just outside Birmingham, built by George Cadbury, a devout Quaker, who invented drinking chocolate, to dissuade his workers from drinking gin (he was a strict teetotaller!)
He looked after his staff well, and built this village with nice houses and pretty green spaces, to give a good quality of life, amid the city slums of yesteryear.
A few years back, Tesco Express opened a store nearby, and applied for an alcohol license. It was refused, because local people were concerned about glass litter.
So Tesco Head Office went into action, and launched a legal challenge. And guess what? Clever Mr Cadbury had wrapped the deeds up so well, that it became the first store where it lost, and Tesco had to open this branch, with no alcohol. A triumph of the little man winning!
Alas, Tesco got around it by selling alcohol at a nearby petrol station.
Two More West Midlands Cities
Nearby Wolverhampton is home to the world’s friendliest people (Wulfrunians, that’s one to help you win at Scrabble). And beautiful medieval streets, outside of the main shopping areas.
Classical composer Elgar was a huge fan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and would cycle 40 miles from his home in the Malverns, to watch them play. He even composed the first football anthem – no doubt a bit more demure than ‘It’s coming home, it’s coming home, football’s coming home!
Coventry suffered terribly during the war, when Hitler’s army dropped bombs on the city in 1940, causing 500 deaths and also destroying the cathedral. At one time, this was the fourth wealthiest city in England, and has the third largest church spire in England (after Salisbury and Norwich).
Home to Lady Godiva, in recent years it became the setting for the successful TV series Keeping Up Appearances.
It was also the unlikely setting for parts of The Italian Job (the scene where Minis speed through tunnels, were actually filmed in Coventry’s sewers). The film became known for its iconic line:
You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!
