My name is Silvie. I am from the Czech Republic but I lived half a year in Birmingham. When I was planning to go to England, I definitely wanted to go to London. What a nice suprise Birmingham was! Birmingham, the second largest city in the U.K., is not just an industrial city as most people usually think. It is a modern vibrant exciting and energetic city! Nightlife exists to rival that of any major city with such a great pubs and night clubs! Birmingham has all the entertainments and facilities a student needs. There are excellent shopping facilities and a cosmopolitan cuisine. Birmingham has more parks than any other European city, over 200 city parks, four country parks, riverbanks and canal sides. Did you know that Birmingham has more canals than Venice? Did you know that Birmingham is home to delicious Cadbury's Chocolate? There are so many choices that it would be difficult for anyone living in Birmingham not to find the kind of life they want. Believe me, Birmingham has something for everyone. I was so happy to be able to live there! It is a place I definitely want to go back again...
You will find that Birmingham is also surrounded by areas of great beauty and interest. Less than an hour away by bus, car, or train is Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace with its three theatres. The countryside of Shropshire, Wales, and Derbyshire is within easy reach. Getting to those places, or going back to your home, or anywhere else in England, is very easy from Birmingham.
Let me provide you with some pictures:
| The ICC (International Convention
Centre) is Birmingham's premier conference venue, with eleven halls, which can be
combined, sub-divided and isolated to suit individual needs. The Central Mall is a vital thoroughfare linking the halls, including Symphony Hall, to a public way that leads from Centenary Square to the canals, Brindley Place and leisure complexes beyond.
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| Symphony Hall, located inside The ICC is the home of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Acclaimed as the "finest concert hall in Europe", Symphony Hall is the nearest thing to acoustic perfection you can get. It stands on a floating base designed to minimise vibration from outside. In design the hall returns to the shape of the classical concert hall of the pre - 20th century. With its acoustic curtains and its huge reverberation chamber behind stage, it is an instrument in itself, which can be tuned to enhance the quality of musical performances. It is also the venue for rock concerts and other events, including graduation ceremonies. |  |
| Named in celebration of the
centenary of Birmingham's city status (1989), Centenary Square
is one of the City's newest public open space. The square is a work of art in itself, with paving, railings and lamps designed by artist Tess Jaray. The paving includes a deliberate mistake - can you find it? A variety of live events are held in Centenary Square, which is also the focus of New Year's Eve celebrations. |
| Spirit of Enterprise by Tom
Lomax, a water sculpture outside the new extension to the Repertory Theatre in Centenary
Square. This bronze fountain features three bowls. The head in the first, facing the Hall of Memory, is based on a classical portrait, and is supported by a coin on top of a stump- vice, used in the minting of coinage. Enterprise leaps from its bowl, facing North, and rides in hope on a wave of water. The head in the third bowl, commerce, is a composite of many nationalities to reflect the multi-ethnic nature of the city and is backed by a ledger book. This bowl faces The ICC. |
| Birmingham's Hall of Memory was
erected in the 1920s (before Baskerville House, in front of which it now stands) to
commemorate the 12,320 Birmingham citizens who died in the "Great War", which we
now know as the First World War (a further 35,000 Birmingham men came home from that war
with a disability).
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| Victoria Square stands at the
junction of three streets; New Street, Paradise Street and Colmore Row. After the Council
House was built in the 1870's it was known as Council House Square. It became Victoria
Square after the arrival of the statue of Queen Victoria in 1901. Between August 1992 and June 1993, Victoria Square was completely redesigned at a cost of £3.2 million. Only the statue of Queen Victoria remains in its original location. The square was re-opened by the Princess of Wales on 6th May 1993. |
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| In 1993, Victoria Square was pedestrianised and
remodelled. This included the installation of a massive water feature. "The River" Sat in the upper pool, is a monumental female figure representing the life force. The figure has been nicknamed "the floozie in the jacuzzi" and weighs 1.75 tonnes. The River is also a fountain - one of the largest in Europe - with a flow of 3,000 gallons per minute. |
| See Birmingham and the Midlands from a
completely different angle by walking along the canals. They give a pleasant escape from
the bustle and noise of the streets and still contain glimpses of the area's industrial
heritage. During the summer flowers and shrubs make certain parts of the system rather
pleasant. Birmingham's first canal was opened in 1769.
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These images and this information comes from: Birmingham Assist, http://www.birmingham.gov.uk./
For more information please visit : http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/epislive/homepage.nsf/6dd8da96f2985e0680256616003ce99f/dbb44c312fc537dd802566160031150f?OpenDocument
| This is the new development called The Waters
Edge. There are shops and restaurants, with live jazz in the Summer. The bridge
leads to the ICC Mall. The steps in the centre lead through to Brindley Place.
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This info and picture comes from Ken Bonham. To find out more info and great pictures about Birmingham, please visit his such an interesting page: http://homepages.tesco.net/~andy.oddjob/birmingh.htm
This page was created by Silvie Stetkova, a student in Green River Community College's ESL 055 class.
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