Centrelink

Alternatively, it was suggested that the pension cheques were used as a way to get away with the murder, by them not being declared as dead. Birmingham is twinned with:. It was hypothetised that one of the main motivations for the murders was to take their pension cheques and hence increase their income. Among the city's notable scientists and inventors are:. In 1999, when the Snowtown murders, also known as the "bodies in the barrel" case was first brought to public attention, it was discovered that many of the people murdered had continued to collect their Centrelink pensions or unemployment cheques for years after their murders, and hence were not declared dead. 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. Centrelink operates one of the largest and highest throughput OLTP database systems in Australia, and is one of the largest users in Australia of Model 204. 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).

However, upon release or discharge from imprisonment or psychiatric hospitalisation of more than two weeks, the claimant is entitled to an additional payment equal to seven days of their regular payment, to help with adjustment. Local radio stations include BRMB, Galaxy, BBC WM and Heart FM, and Kerrang, Birmingham's first dedicated rock station. (However, it may be payable if a psychiatric stay is classed as rehabilitation.) The benefits resume upon release or discharge. The Central TV and BBC studios are famous for many shows, including Tiswas, Crossroads, Dalziel & Pascoe, Midlands Today, the BBC Asian Network,. If you are imprisoned or admitted to a psychiatric institution, you are not eligible to receive your benefits for the duration of your imprisonment or admission. 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. The following concession cards are issued by Centrelink:. 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.

However, no one who has been awarded a Masters or Doctorate is eligible for PES. 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'. You are still eligible for PES for study even if you have completed previous studies. 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. However, Masters and Doctorate degrees are not approved. 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. Bachelor's degrees and many TAFE courses are approved courses of study. Patrick's Day parade (Europe's second largest, after the one in Dublin).

It only applies to approved courses of study. The city's largest single-day event is its St. An additional payment, for those on a disability pension who are studying, to help cover the cost of study. The city also hosts an annual arts festival (Artsfest) during September, where people can enjoy many of the regions' arts, free. A very small payment for those receiving Pension payments only, to help cover the cost of telephone bills. Birmingham Pride takes place in the 'gay village' and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. A small payment for those receiving another payment, to help cover the cost of prescription medicines. 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.

Verification of the rent details are required either a lease or by completing a Rent Certificate every six months. The Birmingham Tattoo is a military show that has taken place in the city for several years. This payment is paid as part of the income support payment. George's Day party. Income support recipients who are classed as non-homeowners and pay more than a required amount of board or rent for accommodation are eligble for Rent Assistance payments. Birmingham is home to many national, religious and spiritual festivals including a St. A payment for those providing full time care to their own children. Graffiti (or "spraycan art") culture appeared in the early 1980s, and graffiti art competitions are still regularly held.

A payment for those providing full time care to someone who is ill, injured or has a disability. Other famous Birmingham artists include David Cox, David Bomberg, and various Afro-Caribbean artists including Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and Donald Rodney. A payment for those receiving another payment, and currently suffering an illness. For a fuller list of art galleries in Birmingham, see Arts in Birmingham. Newstart with a medical certificate to cover the activity tests) while the payment is being assessed; once granted it is backdated to the claim date at the higher DSP rate. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the 2004 Good Britain Guide. DSP can take a while to process, so as a temporary measure claimants are placed on another payment (e.g. 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.

However, if you are permanently blind, you can receive DSP without income and assets tests, and without needing to prove any inability to work, etc. Birmingham has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world at The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. It is more than you get on Newstart, and is income and assets-tested. Auden and Benjamin Zephaniah. Provides income support for people who suffer a long-term disability, which in the opinion of a medical professional they will not recover from in the next two years, and which will render themselves unable to support themselves. H. Abstudy is tailored according to income tests, and the status of partners, guardians, and dependents. Tolkien, Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis MacNeice, Washington Irving, David Lodge, W.

To qualify as Indigenous, a student must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent by Centrelink standards and be a current Australian citizen. R. All Indigenous students at secondary or tertairy institutions, as well as those studying by correspondence, and primary students who turned 14 prior to January 1 of their current year of study. R. Abstudy is a welfare payment for Indigenous Australians undergoing some form of study. Literary figures associated with Birmingham include Samuel Johnson , J. The major differences between the Austudy payment and Youth Allowance payment is that the rate does not vary based on 'living at home'; and that Austudy recipients are not eligible for rent assistance. The Fierce Festival teams with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre annually to present an series of quirky performances from local and national companies.

Like most Centrelink payments, Austudy is subject to an income test. The Mac and Drum arts centres also host many professional plays. However, students who were receiving Youth Allowance prior to turning 25 and are still pursuing the same course of study continue to receive Youth Allowance until they finish (or otherwise terminate) their course. The four largest professional theatres are the Alexandra Theatre ("the Alex"), Birmingham Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Old Rep. To qualify, one must be an Australian resident, over 25, and studying full time at an approved education institution. There are many theatres in Birmingham. Austudy was originally an all-ages study allowance, but since the introduction of Youth Allowance (see above) it has been reserved for the over 25s. 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).

Youth Allowance was introduced from July 1998 and replaced previous unemployment and study benefits for those under 25. Albert William Ketèlbey was born in Alma Street, Aston in 1875. In cases where young people are deemed independent (eg on the basis of their own past income, or unreasonable to live at home), they are provided with Newstart as per other recipients. 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. As eligibility is based on parent's income or independence from parents, there is an assumption that parents of 16-24 year old students or under 21 year old job seekers will support their children. The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784 - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. The payment is only available to dependents of low-income earners or young people 'independent' of their families. 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.

'Youth' is defined as 16-25 for full-time students, or 16-21 for job seekers. The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall, where it gives frequent performances. Youth Allowance is an alternative to Newstart tailored specifically to young Australians in full-time study, an apprenticeship, or actively looking for employment. 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. Centrelink provides many services for the unemployed at Job Search including job listings, résumé building and other information distribution to clients. Birmingham has also been synonymous in the development of the British electronic music scene. This network of providers covers the country and is designed to provide unemployed people with numerous benefits such a training workshops, photocopying, internet access, printers, fares assistance and reimbursements for uniform or clothing that may be required on the job. Party in the Park, a popular chart music event, is Birmingham's largest music festival.

Most of the changes are related to the outsourcing of job search services to private job network providers, including some religious organisations and charities, for direct assistance. Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK. The so-called "Employment Sector" continues to be generously subsidised. The Streets), R&B singer Jamelia and Editors. For recipients of unemployment benefits, called Newstart Allowance, the service provision and conditions are constantly altered. Recent chart success has come from Mike Skinner (a.k.a. Other benefits such as sickness and disability payments were affected with similar economic rationing. 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.

Penalties were increased for breaches, a strict job search diary was introduced and the Work for the Dole program began. Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading had many hits during this decade. Under the coalition policy of mutual obligation the body has undergone a series of major changes, placing greater restrictions and conditions on recipients. 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. This ensures that only those that require assistance receive it. In the 1970s members of The Move and The Idle Race formed the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. Unlike pension payments of many other countries, workers do not contribute to a pension or insurance within Australia, and the payment is available subject to means testing. Robert Plant and John Bonham came from nearby towns, and played in local Brum Beat bands before forming two thirds of Led Zeppelin.

Women currently becoming eligible for Age pension is 63 years old. The city is often described as the birthplace of heavy metal music, with Judas Priest and Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham. The age for women to become eligible is being progressively phased upward from 60 to 65 years, in line with males. 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. It is available to men aged 65 years and over. 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. The Age pension was the first payment issued from the Commonwealth Government and dates back to 1909. The BBC Good Food Show takes place at The National Exhibition Centre, and is Britain's biggest food event.

The FAO also administers the "baby bonus". The city boasts two Michelin starred restaurants: Simpson's and Jessica's, both in Edgbaston. It is payable to low income earners either as a payment or through a tax reduction. 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. Family Tax Benefit Parts A and B are administered by the Family Assistance Office within Centrelink. This later became The Darjeeling, the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham. In addition, lump sum crisis payments are payable in certain situations, such as release from prison, discharge from a psychiatric institution, or having to leave home due to domestic violence. In 1945, Abdul Aziz opened a cafe shop selling curry and rice in Steelhouse Lane.

Telephone Allowance only for people on Pensions) are paid on a quarterly or other basis. The Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter. Most are payable on a fortnightly basis, although some small allowances (e.g. Ladypool Road, Sparkhill contains the largest concentration of restaurants in Birmingham and possibly the UK. . Alum Rock Road, Alum Rock, contains the largest concentration of take-away businesses in Birmingham. The structure of student payments under Youth Allowance is notable in that full-time students between the ages of 21-25 are actually paid considerably less then they would be as unemployed Newstart Allowance recipients, thereby making studying more difficult for young people. Famous food brands from Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Birds custard, Blue Bird Toffee, Bournville cocoa, Cadbury chocolate, and HP Sauce.

There have been numerous complaints about the quality of Centrelink services, and scandals surrounding fraud and abuse of the welfare payment system, competency of staff, and quality of governmental employment conditions. The Anchor Inn (1797), is also nearby in Digbeth. Centrelink operates under the Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997. The oldest inn in Birmingham is the Old Crown in Deritend (circa 1450). It claims to offer 140 different products and services, which it supplies to around one third of Australian citizens. Many fine Victorian pubs and bars can still be found across the city. Additionally, Centrelink supplies numerous Commonwealth services to the Australian Community, such as assistance and education for people receiving welfare payments. Aston Manor Brewery is currently the only brewery of any significant size.

It is the central body responsible for the dispensation of all Commonwealth welfare payments including pensions, student allowances, and unemployment benefits (the 'dole'). Birmingham based Breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers. Centrelink (formerly the Department of Social Security (DSS)) is the Australian Commonwealth government's welfare agency. Birmingham has been awarded the title National City of Sport by the Sports Council. Pensioner Concession Card - this offers additional benefits to the HCC, including pensioner transportation fares (in some areas), and a certain number of free country rail journeys within the holder's state. Birmingham also has a professional Rugby Union side, Moseley RFC, and there is professional basketball, boxing, hockey, skateboarding, and greyhound racing in the city. Commonwealth Seniors Health Card- a HCC issued to senior citizens. 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.

This card has secondary benefits, including cheaper public transport in some areas not including Queensland. 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. Most recipients of a payment are entitled to this. The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston in 1859; international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club. Health Care Card - primarily entitles holder to PBS medications at the concession rate. The NIA also hosts events in many other sports, such as the World Indoor Badminton Championships. Youth Allowance - for full-time students or New Apprentices aged 16 to 24 and people aged under 21 who are undertaking job search or a combination of approved activities. The National Indoor Arena (NIA) meanwhile is a major indoor athletics stadium and in 2003 hosted the 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics.

Student Financial Supplement Scheme - no longer available. 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. Pensioner Education Supplement - helps certain income support recipients with education expenses. 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. Parenting Payment - for parents or guardians to help with the cost of raising children. King Edward's School is perhaps the most prestigious independent school in the city. Maternity Payment - for help with those extra costs after the birth of a new baby. A minority of the city's children receive private education.

Newstart Allowance - for people who are looking for employment or who are forced off DSP onto a lower income to look for employment. It also runs the library service, with 4 million visitors annually [6], and provides around 4000 adult education courses throughout the year [7]. Maternity Immunisation Allowance - for fully immunised children or those exempt from immunisation. 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]. Family Tax Benefit Part B - for single income families or sole parents. The Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting, both now part of UCE, offer higher education in the arts. Family Tax Benefit Part A - for parents or carers to help with the cost of raising children. It also has two other higher education colleges (Newman College and the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies).

Double Orphan Pension - for people who are raising children who have lost both parents. Birmingham has three universities: the University of Birmingham, Aston University and the University of Central England (UCE). Disability Support Pension - for people unable to work for 2 years due to illness, injury or disability. 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. Child Care Benefit - for families to help with the cost of child care. Although this is in some sense correct (Venice has 26 miles), Birmingham is far larger [3], and the types of waterway are very different. Carer Allowance (Child) - for people who care for a child with a disability at home. The abundance of canals has led to the frequently made claim that "Birmingham has more canals than Venice".

Carer Allowance - for people who care for a child with a disability at home. There are 35 miles (60 km) of canals in the city, most remaining navigable. Austudy Payment - for full-time students and New Apprentices aged 25 years or over. Birmingham is also notable for its canal system; formerly the lifeblood of the city's industries, their use is now mainly for pleasure. Assistance for Isolated Children - if your child cannot attend school locally because you live in a remote area or your child has special needs. 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. Assistance for Isolated Children - for families with a child who cannot attend school locally because of distance or special needs. The number 11A and 11C outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe.

ABSTUDY - offers a range of allowances to assist Indigenous students and New Apprentices. Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram (the Midland Metro light railway system between the city centre and Wolverhampton). 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. It is served by a number of major roads, including the M5, M6, M6 Toll, M40, and M42 motorways. Due in part to its central location in England, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks.

For a larger list see List of famous residents of Birmingham. Tolkien, and Ozzy Osbourne are a few of the many famous names associated with Birmingham. R. R.

Neville Chamberlain, J. See also Places of interest in Birmingham. Birmingham is also the seat of the Government Office for the West Midlands region. 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.