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Few cities have undergone such a radical transformation over the last few decades as Birmingham. Culturally and architecturally, it has been in a state of perpetual flux and regeneration, with new communities moving in, then out, and iconic post-war landmarks making way for brighter-coloured, 21st century flourishes. Much like the city itself, the characters in the stories gathered here are often living through moments of profound change, closing in on a personal or societal turning point, that carries as much threat as it does promise. Set against key moments of history – from Malcolm X’s visit to Smethwick in 1965, to the Handsworth riots two decades later, from the demise of the city’s manufacturing in the 70s and 80s, to the on-going tensions between communities in recent years – these stories celebrate the cultural dynamism that makes this complex, often divided ‘second city’ far more than just the sum of its parts.
In the early 1870s, the boomtown of Birmingham erupted in a series of vicious gang wars. Mobs of youths armed with stones, knives and belt buckles fought pitched battles in a struggle for territorial supremacy. Known as "sloggers", they drew their numbers from the workshops and factories that made guns, nails and jewellery, and lived cheek-by-jowl in overcrowded, insanitary slums. Author Philip Gooderson traces the history of these warring factions from their first appearance in the Cheapside area to the later rise of the "peaky blinders", new gangs named for their peaked caps and long fringes. He describes for the first time the brutal antics of once-infamous fighters such as the Simpson and Harper brothers and the police killer George "Cloggy" Williams, and explains the eventual demise of the gangs at the turn of the century. The Gangs of Birmingham brings to vivid life a forgotten chapter in the history of British gangland.
Dr Carl Chinn MBE is well known as an academic, broadcaster and author. A passionate Brummie, he is Community Historian at The University of Birmingham, a regular columnist for The Birmingham Evening Mail, and a presenter of his own local history radio show from BBC Pebble Mill. He is also the author of many books on Birmingham's history. Meticulously researched, Brum and Brummies 3 includes extracts from the many accounts sent to Carl by men and women who remember the Birmingham of yesteryear. This third fully illustrated volume on the people and places of old Birmingham will reawaken many memories. The book is dedicated, in the author's words, to all Brummies proud of our city and proud of our forebears.
The Little Book of Birmingham is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Here we find out about the city’s most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts. Norman Bartlam’s new book gathers together a myriad of data on Brum. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of frivolous details which will amuse and surprise. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something you never knew. This is a remarkably engaging little book, and is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.
This new, factually rich and visually stunning publication is the first major history of Birmingham for more than four decades.
It's Christmas Eve, Have you been good? Santa's packed up all the presents and is headed your way! With the help of a certain red-nosed reindeer, Santa flies over: •Red Mountain •Vestavia Hills •Homewood •Southside •Huffman •Hoover •Mountain Brook •Bentbrook •Avondale •Gardendale "Ho, ho ho!" laughs Santa. "Merry Christmas, Birmingham!"
Birmingham was a village worth only one pound in the Domesday Survey, yet it rose to become the second city of the British Empire with a population that passed a million. Its growth began when Peter de Birmingham obtained a market charter in 1154 for his little settlement by an insignificant river, with all roads leading to its all-important market-place, the great triangular Bull Ring, with the parish church of St Martin's in the middle. In the succeeding centuries, Birmingham has been a product of market forces, as a market of agriculture, trade and metal work.By the 18th century, Birmingham overtook Coventry as the biggest town in Warwickshire and by 1800 it was 'the toy shop of Europe', ...
- The ultimate insider's guide to Birmingham for locals and experienced travellers - Features interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides - Part of the international 111 Places series with over 650 titles and 3.8 million copies in print worldwide - Appeals to both the local market (more than 1.1 million people call Birmingham home) and the tourist market (more than 41 million people visit Birmingham every year!) - Fully illustrated with 111 full-page colour photographs - Revised and updated edition Welcome to Birmingham, a super-diverse city with an ever-shifting identity. This is the quiet medieval market town that overnight became the center of the industrial revo...