Renault

This was shown in October of that year and is called Renault Identité. Birmingham is twinned with:. In 2004, French typeface designer Jean-François Porchez was commissioned to design a replacement. Among the city's notable scientists and inventors are:. This type family is said to have been designed not for prestige reasons, but mainly to save costs at a time where the use of typefaces was more costly than it is now. Local inventions and notable firsts include: gas lighting, roller skate wheels, the Baskerville Font, questionnaires, Custard powder, foam rubber, the magnetron (the core component in the development of radar and microwave ovens), the UK electroplating industry, the first ever use of radiography in an operation, and the UK's first ever hole-in-the-heart operation, at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Both the Renault logo and its documentation (technical as well as commercial) had used a specially designed typeface called Renault, developed by British firm Wolff Olins. Birmingham is also the hub for various national ethnic media, including The Voice, The Sikh Times, Desi Xpress, The Asian Today and Raja TV (based in the Mailbox).

Renault has regularly topped the French car sales charts, fighting off fierce competition from Citroën and Peugeot. Local radio stations include BRMB, Galaxy, BBC WM and Heart FM, and Kerrang, Birmingham's first dedicated rock station. The Renault 12 (1970), Renault 5 (1972), Renault 20 (1976), Renault 25 (1985) and Renault Laguna (2002) have all achieved runners-up in spot in the competition. The Central TV and BBC studios are famous for many shows, including Tiswas, Crossroads, Dalziel & Pascoe, Midlands Today, the BBC Asian Network,. Renault cars have performed well in the European Car of the Year awards: the Renault 16 (1966), Renault 9 (1982), Renault Clio (1991), Renault Mégane Scénic (1997), Renault Mégane (2003) and Renault Clio III (2006) have all won the award. The BBC has its regional headquarters, BBC Birmingham, in the Mailbox, in the Convention Quarter (where they relocated from Pebble Mill), and many television and radio programes are produced in the city, including the world's longest running radio soap opera, The Archers. Conversly if the team is unsuccessful in future it can be expected that Ghosn will withdraw resources from the sport. StarCity is said to be Europe's largest leisure and cinema complex and is not far from the Britain's only permanent drive-in cinema maintained by T-Mobile; both are in Nechells.

In short he will continue Renault's investment in F1 as long as the team is successful and can use the resulting publicity for wider commercial gain. The Birmingham Film Festival takes place annually, and the Birmingham School of Acting won a Royal Television Society award for their short film 'Soul Boy'. However at the 2005 French Grand Prix Ghosn set out his policy regarding the company's involvement in motorsport:. The Electric Cinema on Station Street is the oldest working cinema in the UK, and Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in Perry Barr during the 1920s. Questions have been raised regarding Renault's commitment to its Formula One team, particularly with the appointment of Carlos Ghosn as CEO. Birmingham is unusual in supporting two local newspapers - the Birmingham Post and the Evening Mail - as well as the Sunday Mercury, all owned by the Trinity Mirror, who also produce The Birmingham News, a weekly freesheet distributed to homes in the leafy surburbs along with Forward, the Birmingham City Council's free newspaper distributed to homes and via community centres and public buildings. 2004 saw the Renault team finish a close third in the Constructors' Championsip and in 2005 the team won both Constructors' and Drivers' titles (with Fernando Alonso). Patrick's Day parade (Europe's second largest, after the one in Dublin).

Renault also took over the Benetton F1 team in 2001, and quickly became very competitive, Fernando Alonso winning Renault's first race in its second incarnation at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. The city's largest single-day event is its St. However, the team were to win their first race on home soil in Dijon a mere two years later and by the early eighties, every front-running Formula One team used turbochargers. The city also hosts an annual arts festival (Artsfest) during September, where people can enjoy many of the regions' arts, free. Initially, Renault's entry into Formula One in 1977 was ridiculed when the team's first design included such curiosities as a turbocharger. Birmingham Pride takes place in the 'gay village' and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. In the late seventies and early eighties, Renault began to involve itself more heavily in motorsport, setting up a dedicated motorsport division called Renault Sport, and winning the Le Mans 24 Hours (once again in collaboration with Alpine) while achieving success in both rallying (with the Renault 5 Turbo) and Formula One. The currently biennial Caribbean- style Birmingham International Carnival was originally the Handsworth Carnival, held in Handsworth Park from 1984, but now takes place in the August of odd- numbered years, parading through the streets of Handsworth to Perry Barr Park.

Motorsport has long been recognised as an effective marketing tool for automobile manufacturers. The Birmingham Tattoo is a military show that has taken place in the city for several years. See List of Renault vehicles. George's Day party. Current members of the board of directors of Renault are: Yves Audvard, Michel Barbier, Alain Champigneux, François de Combret, Charles de Croisset, Carlos Ghosn, Jean-Louis Girdolle, Itaru Koeda, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, Dominique de La Garanderie, Bernard Larraouturou, Henri Martre, Jean-Claude Paye, François Pinault, Franck Riboud, Louis Schweitzer, Georges Stcherbatcheff, and Robert Studer. Birmingham is home to many national, religious and spiritual festivals including a St. Renault, together with associated brands Dacia and Renault Samsung, aims to sell 4 million vehicles worldwide in 2010. Graffiti (or "spraycan art") culture appeared in the early 1980s, and graffiti art competitions are still regularly held.

Renault retained its position as the leading brand in Europe with 1.8 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold and market share of 10.8%. Other famous Birmingham artists include David Cox, David Bomberg, and various Afro-Caribbean artists including Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and Donald Rodney. The Group (Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors) posted a 4.2% increase in worldwide sales to a record 2,489,401 vehicles, representing a global market share of 4.1%. For a fuller list of art galleries in Birmingham, see Arts in Birmingham. For 2004 Renault reported a 43% rise in net income to €3.5 billion and 5.9% operating margin, of which Nissan contributed €1,767 million. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the 2004 Good Britain Guide. The most popular French car in Britain is currently the Renault Clio, which has been a strong seller throughout Europe since its launch 14 years ago. Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham, spent his first twenty years in the city, and later became the president of the Birmingham Society of Artists.

In 2004, Renault was the fifth most popular car maker in Britain behind the Ford Motor Company, Vauxhall Motors, Peugeot and Volkswagen. Birmingham has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world at The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Renault also owns Samsung Motors (Renault Samsung Motors) and Dacia, as well as retaining a minority stake (20%) in Volvo Trucks. Auden and Benjamin Zephaniah. Nissan in turn took a 15 per cent stake in Renault in 2002. H. Renault has a stake of 44.4 per cent in Japanese automaker Nissan together with which they form the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Tolkien, Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis MacNeice, Washington Irving, David Lodge, W.

In 2005, Carlos Ghosn (also CEO of Nissan) has become Renault's CEO, Louis Schweitzer staying Chairman. R. Louis Schweitzer has been the Chairman of Renault since 1992 and CEO from 1992 to 2005. R. The government of France owns 15.7 per cent of the company. Literary figures associated with Birmingham include Samuel Johnson , J. The Laguna was the first car to achieve a 5 star rating and in 2004 the Modus was the first small car to achieve this rating. The Fierce Festival teams with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre annually to present an series of quirky performances from local and national companies.

As well as its distinctive styling, Renault was to become known for its car safety - it is currently the car manufacturer with the largest number of models achieving the maximum 5 star rating in EuroNCAP crash tests. The Mac and Drum arts centres also host many professional plays. The Avantime, a bizarre coupe/minivan hybrid, sold very poorly and was quickly discontinued while the luxury Vel Satis model did not sell as well as hoped. The four largest professional theatres are the Alexandra Theatre ("the Alex"), Birmingham Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Old Rep. Less successful were the company's more upmarket models. There are many theatres in Birmingham. The second generation of the Laguna and Mégane featured ambitious, angular designs which turned out to be highly successful. Birmingham's other city-centre music venues include The National Indoor Arena (NIA), the CBSO Centre, Adrian Boult Hall at Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham Town Hall (currently closed for refurbishment).

In the twenty-first century, Renault was to foster a reputation for distinctive, outlandish design. Albert William Ketèlbey was born in Alma Street, Aston in 1875. This new freedom allowed the company to venture once again into Eastern Europe and South America, including a new factory in Brazil and upgrades for the infrastructure in Argentina and Turkey. Music was written for the festival by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvorak, Bantock and most notably Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham. It was eventually decided that the company's state-owned status was detrimental to its growth, and it was privatized in 1996. The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784 - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. The return to success on the road was matched by a return to success on the racetrack - Renault-powered cars won the Formula One World Championship in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997 with Williams and in 1995 with Benetton. The equally world-renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet also resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst School for Dance.

A revitalized Renault launched several successful new cars in the early 1990s, including the phenonemonally successful 5 replacement the Clio, the second generation Espace, the Twingo, the Laguna, and the 19. The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall, where it gives frequent performances. He was replaced by Raymond Lévy, who continued along the same lines as Besse, slimming down the company considerably with the result that by the end of 1987 the company was more or less financially stable. Digbeth, near the city centre, features some of the country`s top dance clubs, and the nearby National Exhibition Centre has played host to the biggest indoor dance events in the country. Although this succeeded in halving the deficit by 1986, Besse's treatment of the workforce resulted in him being assassinated by the left wing terrorist group Action Directe in 1986. Birmingham has also been synonymous in the development of the British electronic music scene. The government intervened and Georges Besse was installed as chairman; he set about cutting costs dramatically, selling off many of Renault's non-core assets, withdrawing almost entirely from motorsports, and laying off many employees. Party in the Park, a popular chart music event, is Birmingham's largest music festival.

Although its cars were successful both on the road and on the track Renault was losing a billion francs a month and reported a deficit of 12.5 billion in 1984. Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK. The second-generation Renault 5, the European Car Of The Year-winning Renault 9, and the most luxurious Renault yet, the 25 were all released in the early 1980s, building Renault's reputation. The Streets), R&B singer Jamelia and Editors. The company's road car designs were revolutionary also - the Renault Espace was one of the first minivans and was to remain the most well-known minivan in Europe for at least the next two decades. Recent chart success has come from Mike Skinner (a.k.a. In the late seventies and early eighties Renault increased its involvement in motorsport, with novel inventions such as turbochargers in their Formula One cars. The 1980s brought Duran Duran, possibly the most successful new romantic group, and Dexy's Midnight Runners, and the 1990s the Charlatans, Dodgy and Ocean Colour Scene.

Renault sold AMC to Chrysler in 1987 and the brand and its cars subsequently disappeared (though the subsidiary Jeep brand remained). Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading had many hits during this decade. Renault sold some interesting models in the USA in the 1980's, especially the simple looking but fun Renault Alliance GTA convertible - a real automatic-top convertible with a simple but clean euro-style design with a gently sloping hood, as well as a 2.0 liter engine - big for a car of its class; and the ahead-of-its-time Renault Fuego coupe; Renault sold other models here in the 80's. The 1970s also saw the rise of reggae and ska in the city, with Steel Pulse and later on UB40, The Beat and Musical Youth. Unfortunately the American Renault-AMC partnership was not successful - the cars had so-so reliability and by the time the Renault range was ready to become established in the American market, the energy crisis was over, taking with it much of the trend for economical, compact cars. In the 1970s members of The Move and The Idle Race formed the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. Some consider the Jeep XJ Cherokee as a joint AMC/Renault project since some early sketches of the XJ series was done as a collaboration of both Renault and AMC engineers (AMC insisted that the XJ Cherokee was designed by AMC personnel; however, a former Renault engineer designed the Quadra-Link front suspension for the XJ series). Robert Plant and John Bonham came from nearby towns, and played in local Brum Beat bands before forming two thirds of Led Zeppelin.

Renault continued to increase its control over AMC, eventually owning 55% of the company by 1980; the Renault-AMC partnership also resulted in the marketing of Jeep vehicles in Europe. The city is often described as the birthplace of heavy metal music, with Judas Priest and Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham. This was one of a series of collaborative ventures undertaken by Renault in the late 1960s and 1970s, as the company established subsidiaries in Eastern Europe and South America (many of which remain active to the present day) and forged technological cooperation agreements with Volvo and Peugeot (for instance, for the development of the PRV V6 engine). In the 1960s, the "Brum Beat" era featured blues and early progressive rock bands such as The Fortunes, Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Move and The Moody Blues. Previously, an AMC Rambler American was badged as a Renault Torino in Argentina (sold through IKA-Renault). Although its music scene is not as renowned as those of Liverpool or Manchester, Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last half-century. However, in the early part of the decade, when the energy crisis-hit continent required small, economical cars, Renault began to make plans to return through a collaborative partnership with the American manufacturer AMC. The BBC Good Food Show takes place at The National Exhibition Centre, and is Britain's biggest food event.

The energy crisis also provoked Renault's attempt to reconquer the North American market; despite the Dauphine's success in the United States in the late 1950s, Renault had virtually disappeared from North America by the 1970s. The city boasts two Michelin starred restaurants: Simpson's and Jessica's, both in Edgbaston. Endangered like all of the motor industry by the energy crisis, during the mid seventies the already expansive company diversified further into other industries and continued to expand globally, including into South East Asia. The Balti was invented in the city and has since received much gastronomic acclaim for the 'Balti Belt' of restaurants in the Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Ladywood areas. The formula was much the same however, and the Super5 inherited its styling lines from its father. This later became The Darjeeling, the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham. The 5 remained in production until 1984 when it was replaced by the Super5. In 1945, Abdul Aziz opened a cafe shop selling curry and rice in Steelhouse Lane.

The company's compact and economical Renault 5 model, launched in 1972, was another success, particularly in the wake of the 1973 energy crisis. The Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter. As well as the 4 and 8, the company achieved success with the more upmarket Renault 16 launched in 1966, which continued Renault's reputation for innovation by being the world's first hatchback larger than subcompact size as well as the first hatchback with folding rear seats, which became and remains the universal standard hatchback design. Ladypool Road, Sparkhill contains the largest concentration of restaurants in Birmingham and possibly the UK. Both cars continued Renault's motor racing traditions with great success in rallying, a tradition which was further upheld by collaborations with the Alpine company (which most famously produced the Renault-powered Alpine A110). Alum Rock Road, Alum Rock, contains the largest concentration of take-away businesses in Birmingham. The 4 in particular was to continue in production until 1992. Famous food brands from Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Birds custard, Blue Bird Toffee, Bournville cocoa, Cadbury chocolate, and HP Sauce.

In an attempt to revive its flagging fortunes, Renault launched two cars which were to become phenonemonally successful - the Renault 4 and Renault 8 in 1961 and 1962 respectively. The Anchor Inn (1797), is also nearby in Digbeth. The car did not sell well in North America and it was outdated by the start of the 1960s. The oldest inn in Birmingham is the Old Crown in Deritend (circa 1450). The 4CV's replacement, the Dauphine, sold extremely well as the company expanded production and sales further abroad, including Africa and North America. Many fine Victorian pubs and bars can still be found across the city. However, despite the success of its flagship model, the company continued to be blighted by labor unrest, and indeed continued to be well into the 1980s. Aston Manor Brewery is currently the only brewery of any significant size.

As with earlier Renault models, the company made extensive use of motor racing to promote the 4CV, the car winning both the Le Mans 24 Hours and Mille Miglia races as well as the Monte Carlo rally. Birmingham based Breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers. In the years immediately following its nationalization Renault experienced something of a resurgence, led by the rear engine 4CV model, which was launched in 1946 and proved itself a capable rival for cars such as the Morris Minor and Volkswagen Beetle, its success (more than half a million sold) making sure it remained in production until 1961. Birmingham has been awarded the title National City of Sport by the Sports Council. The Renault factories became a public industry (known as Régie Nationale des Usines Renault) under the leadership of Pierre Lefaucheux. Birmingham also has a professional Rugby Union side, Moseley RFC, and there is professional basketball, boxing, hockey, skateboarding, and greyhound racing in the city. His industrial assets were seized by the socialist provisional government of France. The world's first professional football league was founded at a meeting in Aston on March 22, 1885 under the auspices of William McGregor, a director of Aston Villa.

An autopsy later proved that his neck had been broken, suggesting that he was murdered. The city is home to two of the UK's oldest professional football teams: Aston Villa (1874) and Birmingham City (1875), both of whom currently play in the Premier League. He was, for this reason, arrested during the liberation of France in 1944 and died in prison before having prepared his defense. The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston in 1859; international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club. During World War II, Louis Renault's factories worked for Nazi Germany producing trucks with work on cars officially forbidden. The NIA also hosts events in many other sports, such as the World Indoor Badminton Championships. This continued through the 1920s and it was not until 1930 that all models had the radiator at the front. The National Indoor Arena (NIA) meanwhile is a major indoor athletics stadium and in 2003 hosted the 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics.

The pre First World War cars had a distinctive front shape caused by positioning the radiator behind the engine to give a so called "coalscuttle" bonnet. International athletics meetings take place at the open-air Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, the home of Birchfield Harriers athletic club, which numbers many Olympic medallists among its past and present members. However, Renault struggled to compete with the increasingly popular small, affordable "people's cars" from Volkswagen and Fiat, while problems with the stock market and the workforce also adversely affected the company's growth. A cricket club was in existence in Birmingham as early as 1745, and today the city is home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club whose ground at Edgbaston is also a venue for international test matches. Between the two world wars, Louis Renault enlarged the scope of his company, producing agricultural and industrial machinery. King Edward's School is perhaps the most prestigious independent school in the city. By the end of the war, Renault was the number one private manufacturer in France. A minority of the city's children receive private education.

Renault became the world's leading manufacturer of airplane engines, and the success of the company's military designs were such that Renault himself was honored by the Allies for his company's contributions to their victory. It also runs the library service, with 4 million visitors annually [6], and provides around 4000 adult education courses throughout the year [7]. As well as cars, Renault manufactured taxis, buses and commercial cargo vehicles in the pre-war years, and during World War I (1914 - 1918) branched out into ammunition, military airplanes and vehicles such as the revolutionary Renault FT-17 tank. The city council is England's largest local education authority, directly or indirectly responsible for 25 nursery schools, 328 primary schools, 77 secondary schools [4] and 29 special schools [5]. At the time, cars were very much luxury items, and the price of the smallest Renaults available being 3000 francs reflected this; an amount it would take ten years for the average worker at the time to earn. The Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting, both now part of UCE, offer higher education in the arts. The Renault reputation for innovation was fostered from very early on - in 1899 Renault launched the first production sedan car as well as patenting the first turbocharger. It also has two other higher education colleges (Newman College and the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies).

Louis was to take full control of the company as the only remaining brother in 1906 when Fernand retired for health reasons. Birmingham has three universities: the University of Birmingham, Aston University and the University of Central England (UCE). Although Louis Renault never raced again, his company remained very involved, including their Renault AK 90CV winning the first ever Grand Prix motor racing event in 1906. Birmingham's canals are comparatively shallow artificial channels, while those in Venice are primarily reinforced natural channels between islands of the lagoon on which the city stands. Both Louis and Marcel Renault raced company vehicles, but Marcel was killed in an accident during the 1903 Paris-Madrid race. Although this is in some sense correct (Venice has 26 miles), Birmingham is far larger [3], and the types of waterway are very different. The brothers immediately recognized the publicity that could be gotten for their vehicles by participation in motor racing and Renault made itself known through achieving instant success in the first city-to-city races held in France, resulting in rapid expansion for the company. The abundance of canals has led to the frequently made claim that "Birmingham has more canals than Venice".

Louis was a bright, aspiring young engineer who had already designed and built several models before teaming up with his brothers, who had honed their business skills working for their father's textiles firm; Louis handled design and production, Marcel & Fernand handled company management. There are 35 miles (60 km) of canals in the city, most remaining navigable. The Renault corporation was founded in 1898 as Société Renault Frères by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand. Birmingham is also notable for its canal system; formerly the lifeblood of the city's industries, their use is now mainly for pleasure. . The city's main station, Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national rail network, whilst Birmingham International railway station serves Birmingham International Airport which has flights to cities across Europe and several Asian and North American destinations. However, Renault is correctly pronounced "Rhen-oh" (as it is commonly in the UK). The number 11A and 11C outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe.

When its cars were imported to and sold in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, it was decided to pronounce the name as "Ren-ALT" in marketing to the American public, and the Anglicized pronunciation continues in common usage. Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram (the Midland Metro light railway system between the city centre and Wolverhampton). Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing small to upper-midsize cars, vans, buses, tractors and trucks. Junction 6 of the M6 is also one of Birmingham's most famous landmarks, and probably the most famous motorway junction in the UK: Spaghetti Junction, officially called the Gravelly Hill Interchange. 2005 - Carlos Ghosn becomes president. It is served by a number of major roads, including the M5, M6, M6 Toll, M40, and M42 motorways. 2002 - Benetton Formula One team formally becomes Renault F1. Due in part to its central location in England, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks.

2001 - Renault sold its industrial vehicle subdivision (Renault Véhicules Industriels) to Volvo, which renamed it Renault Trucks in 2002. For a larger list see List of famous residents of Birmingham. Renault vice-president, Carlos Ghosn was parachuted in to turn round the ailing firm. Tolkien, and Ozzy Osbourne are a few of the many famous names associated with Birmingham. 1999 - Renault purchased a 35 percent equity stake in Nissan the troubled Japanese car maker, injecting $3.5 billion to obtain effective control of the company under Japanese law. R. 1996 - The company was privatized to create Renault S.A.. R.

1992 - Louis Schweitzer becomes president of Renault group. Neville Chamberlain, J. 1986 - On April 9 the government of France ruled against the privatization of Renault. See also Places of interest in Birmingham. 1979 to 1987, Renault held majority ownership in the American Motors Corporation (AMC), which it sold to Chrysler Corporation in March 1987. Birmingham is also the seat of the Government Office for the West Midlands region. 1898 - Louis Renault founded Renault. Birmingham's eleven constituencies are represented in the House of Commons by one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, and 9 Labour MPs.

There is a Conservative/Lib-Dem coalition, with Conservative group leader Mike Whitby as Leader of the council and Lib-Dem group leader Paul Tilsley as Deputy Leader. After the election of 10 June 2004, there is no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Labour, (53 councillors), Conservative (39) and Liberal Democrat ("Lib-Dem", 28) parties. Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 councillors representing just under one million people, in 40 wards. There has been a lot of new building in the city centre in recent years, including the award-winning Future Systems' Selfridges building, an irregularly-shaped structure covered in thousands of reflective discs (see picture), the Brindleyplace development and the Millennium Point science and technology centre.

In more recent years, Birmingham has learnt from what many see as the mistakes of the 1960s and instituted the largest tower block demolition and renovation programmes anywhere in Europe. The planning decisions of the post-war years were to have a profound effect on the image of Birmingham in subsequent decades, with the mix of ring roads, shopping malls and tower blocks often referred to as a 'concrete jungle'. In inner-city areas too, much Victorian housing was redeveloped and existing communities were relocated to tower block estates like Castle Vale. However, the destruction that took place in post-war Birmingham was also extensive: dozens of fine Victorian buildings like the intricate glass-roofed Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library, were razed in the 1950s and 1960s and replaced with modernist concrete buildings.

Continued population growth in the interwar period, saw vast estates of semi-detached houses being built on greenfield land in outlying parts of the city such as Kingstanding and Weoley Castle, but the coming of World War II and the Blitz claimed many lives and many beautiful buildings too. Across the city, the need to house the industrial workers gave rise to miles of redbrick streets and terraces, many of back-to-back houses, some of which were later to become inner-city slums. The characteristic materials of Victorian Birmingham are red brick and terracotta, and many fine Victorian buildings have been retained on New Street and Corporation Street in the city centre. Saint Chad's Cathedral, built in 1839 by Augustus Pugin, was the first Roman Catholic Cathederal to be built in the UK since the Reformation.

Major public buildings such as the Town Hall, the Law Courts, the Council House (see picture) and the Museum & Art Gallery were constructed, many under the auspices of Joseph Chamberlain's reforming mayoralty. The Victorian era saw extensive building across the city. Tolkien). R.

R. Among them are St Philip's Cathedral, originally built as a parish church, St Paul's Church in the largely Georgian St Paul's Square, Soho House in Handsworth, the home of Matthew Boulton, and Perrott's Folly in Ladywood (which is said to have later inspired J. The city grew rapidly from Georgian times and a number of buildings survive from this period. A few other buildings from the medieval and Tudor periods survive, among them The Old Crown public house in Digbeth, the 15th century Saracen's Head public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton and Blakesley Hall in Yardley.

The current church (begun around 1290) was extensively re-built in the 1870s, retaining some original walls and foundations. Traces of medieval Birmingham can be seen in the oldest churches, notably the original parish church, St Martin's in the Bullring, where a church has stood since at least the 12th century. Consequently, relatively few buildings survive from its earlier history. Although Birmingham has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years, today's city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as the real growth of the city began with the Industrial Revolution.

Attractions for visitors include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Millennium Point, Bull Ring, Selfridges Building, Cadbury World, Tolkien Trail [2], Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the National Sea Life Centre. Millions of people visit Birmingham every year, and in 2004 the city was named the second best place to shop in England after the West End of London [1]. In recent years Birmingham's economy has diversified into service industries, retailing, tourism and conference hosting, which are now the main employers in the city. Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) began in 1765 and the Midland Bank (now part of HSBC) opened in Union Street in August 1836.

Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded there. The city attracts over 40% of the UK's total conference trade. Birmingham has over 500 law firms, and is Europe's second largest insurance market. Other famous brands from the city include Bakelite, Bird's Custard, Brylcreem, BSA, Cadbury's chocolate, Chad Valley toys, Halfords, HP Sauce, Typhoo Tea and Valor.

Scientific research (including research into nanotechnology at the University of Birmingham) is expanding in the city. The city's present day products include motor vehicles, vehicle components and accessories, weapons, electrical equipment, plastics, machine tools, chemicals, food, jewellery and glass. However, the future for the former looks bleak, as MG Rover went into administration in 2005, resulting in the plant being mothballed and the loss of 6,000 jobs at the site, plus more in the supply chain. Birmingham was home to two major car factories: MG Rover in Longbridge and Jaguar in Castle Bromwich.

The city's workers designed and constructed railway carriages, steam engines, bicycles, automobiles and even – unusually for somewhere so far from the sea – ships, which were made as pre-fabricated sections, then assembled at the coast. James Watt improved the Steam Engine while working in the city, and historically the largest manufacturers in the city have been associated with the steam, electric and petrol transport and power industries. Until 2003, coins for circulation were manufactured in the Jewellery Quarter at the Birmingham Mint, the oldest independent mint in the world, which continues to produce commemorative coins and medals. The Jewellery Quarter is still the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe, and one third of the jewellery manufactured in the UK is made within one mile of Birmingham city centre.

Pen manufacture in Birmingham helped revolutionise writing across the world with many companies based in and around the Jewellery Quarter. During the Industrial Revolution many factories, foundries and businesses prospered in the city, including the areas known as the Gun Quarter and Jewellery Quarter. Birmingham's industrial heritage predates the Industrial Revolution, and up until the 20th Century the city maintained a tradition of individual craftsmen, sometimes working independently in their own back yards or on piecework rates in rented workshops, alongside larger factories. Over a quarter of the UK's exports originate in the greater Birmingham area.

Birmingham is an important manufacturing and engineering centre, employing over 100,000 people in industry and contributing billions of pounds to the national economy. To the south west of the city lie the Clent Hills and Walton Hill, which reach 315 m and have good views over the city. The watershed of the River Severn and River Trent can clearly be seen along the Perry Barr area of Birmingham and areas near Erdington where the level and gradient of the land changes significantly. This high ground makes Birmingham prone to tornadoes which were witnessed in mid-2005.

The main north-south watershed of Britain actually passes through Birmingham. The city of Birmingham is situated on an area of high ground, around 150-200 metres above sea level. Birmingham's transition from an industrial centre to a tourism and services economy is best illustrated by the hosting of the first official summit of the G8 at the International Convention Centre (May 15 to May 17, 1998). In the decades following World War II, the face of Birmingham changed dramatically, with large scale immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations and beyond.

In recent years however, Birmingham has been transformed, the city centre has been extensively renovated and restored with the construction of new squares, the restoration of old streets, buildings and canals, the removal of the pedestrian subways, and the demolition and subsequent redevelopment of the Bull Ring shopping centre, which now includes the architecturally unique Selfridges building. As a result, Birmingham gained a reputation for ugliness and was frequently described as a "concrete jungle". Birmingham suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II, and partly as a result of this the city centre was extensively re-developed during the 1950s and 1960s, with many concrete office buildings, ring-roads, and now much-derided pedestrian subways. The city absorbed Sutton Coldfield in 1974, and at the same time became part of the new West Midlands county.

Birmingham was originally part of Warwickshire, however the city expanded in the late 19th and early 20th century, absorbing parts of Worcestershire to the south and Staffordshire to the west. The city built it's own university in 1900, The University of Birmingham, which became the first of Britain's Redbrick universities. Birmingham's importance led to it being granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria. It became known as the "City of a thousand trades" due to the wide array of industries located there.

During the Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in Britain. And this was soon followed by the Great Western Railway's Snow Hill station. New Street Station was opened as a joint station in 1854. Railways arrived in Birmingham in 1837, with the opening of the Grand Junction Railway and later the London and Birmingham Railway the railways soon linked Birmingham to every corner of Britain.

By the 1820s an extensive canal system had been constructed; Birmingham is often described as having more miles of canals than Venice. From the 1760s onwards, a large network of canals were built across Birmingham and the Black Country, to transport raw materials and finished goods. Unlike many other English industrial cities such as Manchester, industry in Birmingham was based upon small workshops rather than large factories or mills. During the Industrial Revolution (from the mid 18th century onwards), Birmingham grew rapidly into a major industrial centre.

Arms manufacture in Birmingham became a staple trade and was concentrated in the area known as the Gun Quarter. Birmingham manufacturers supplied Oliver Cromwell's forces with much of their weaponry during the English Civil War. In the 17th century, Birmingham became an important manufacturing town with a reputation for producing small arms. By the 16th century, Birmingham's access to supplies of iron ore and coal meant that metalworking industries became established.

As a convenient location for trade, Birmingham soon developed into a small but thriving market town. In the 12th century, Birmingham was granted a charter to hold a market, which in time became known as the Bull Ring. It was first recorded in written documents by the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small village, worth only 20 shillings. Birmingham started life as a small Anglo-Saxon hamlet in the Early Middle Ages.

The Birmingham area was occupied in Roman times, with several military roads and a large fort. (paloma). In this time, it has grown from a tiny Anglo-Saxon farming village into a major industrial and commercial city. Birmingham has a recorded history going back 1000 years.

. Around 30% of Birmingham's population is of non-white ethnicity; at the time of the 2001 census, 70.4% of the population was White (including 3.2% Irish), 19.5% Asian or Asian British, 6.1% Black or Black British, 0.5% Chinese, and 3.5% of mixed or other ethnic heritage. Birmingham is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. There is a distinctive Brummie dialect and accent.

This comes in turn from the city's dialect name, Brummagem. The people of Birmingham are known as 'Brummies', a term derived from the city's nickname of Brum. It forms part of the larger West Midlands conurbation, which has a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census) and includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as Solihull, Wolverhampton and the towns of the Black Country. The City of Birmingham has a population of 992,400 (2004 estimate).

To this day over a quarter of the UK's exports originate in the greater Birmingham area. The city's reputation was forged as the powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, a fact which led to Birmingham being known as "the workshop of the world". It is England's "second city" and is the largest of England's core cities. Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands.

See also the Black Country. Towns: Bedworth, Cannock, Kenilworth, Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Redditch, Royal Leamington Spa, Rugby, Solihull, Stafford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tamworth, Warwick,. Cities: Coventry, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester. John Wright, inventor of a type of electroplating.

James Watt, engineer and inventor; associated with the steam engine. Joseph Priestley, chemist and radical. Alexander Parkes, inventor of celluloid, the first synthetic plastic. Sir Francis Galton, originator of eugenics and important techniques in statistics.

Matthew Boulton, proprietor of the Soho engineering works. Victoria Square. Town Hall. Sutton Park.

St Philip's Cathedral. Sarehole Mill. National Sealife Centre. National Indoor Arena.

The Mailbox. mac. Jewellery Quarter - The largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe. Gun Quarter - Once the foremost gun manufacturing community in the UK.

Convention Quarter. Chamberlain Square featuring a BBC Big Screen. Central Mosque. Centenary Square.

Cannon Hill Park. Cadbury World. The Bullring. Brindleyplace - Canalside development.

Blakesley Hall. Birmingham Thinktank - Science Museum. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The Back to Back houses. Aston Hall.