Second city to none

Birmingham has reinvented itself from the great industrial years of old – and is all the better for it. Ian Buxton reports

Birmingham, apparently, means home (ham) of the people (ing) of the tribal leader Birm or Beorma. Remember that. You can probably win money with that kind of trivia information.

Of course, the city really got into its stride with the Industrial Revolution.

According to Birmingham City Council’s website the city’s first canal was opened in 1769 and linked Birmingham to Wednesbury; the pneumatic tyre was invented in Birmingham in 1888 (by Mr Dunlop of course); state education was pioneered in Birmingham in the 1850s and we can thank Birmingham for, amongst myriad other things, electro-plating, cotton wool, gas lighting, the spinning jenny, papier mache and the first Odeon cinema.

Oh, and let’s not forget Sir Alec Issigonis’ world-beating triumph, the Mini. Born in 1959, it’s still an icon of cool. And Cadbury’s, of course, who started making chocolate in Bournville in 1879. Yum!

Apparently there are more than 30 other Birminghams around the world, but we’re concerned with the original and genuine which, by the way, so impressed the composer Dvorak that he wrote home about it admiringly (and a little breathlessly): "I'm here in this immense industrial city where they make excellent knives, scissors, springs, files and goodness knows what else, and, besides these, music too. And how well! It is terrifying how much the people here manage to achieve."

Well, time moves on. Not so much is made in Birmingham these days, though it still has a significant manufacturing sector, espe.....

To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door.

By Ian Buxton

Section : City Watch

Page number : 8

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 6 on 11/11/2005.

This article is 81 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.



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	Second city to none Birmingham has reinvented itself from the great industrial years of old – and is all the better for it. Ian Buxton reports Birmingham, apparently, means home (ham) of the people (ing) of the tribal leader Birm or Beorma. Remember that. You can probably win money with that kind of trivia information. Of course, the city really got into its stride with the Industrial Revolution. According to Birmingham City Council’s website the city’s first canal was opened in 1769 and linked Birmingham to Wednesbury; the pneumatic tyre was invented in Birmingham in 1888 (by Mr Dunlop of course); state education was pioneered in Birmingham in the 1850s and we can thank Birmingham for, amongst myriad other things, electro-plating, cotton wool, gas lighting, the spinning jenny, papier mache and the first Odeon cinema. Oh, and let’s not forget Sir Alec Issigonis’ world-beating triumph, the Mini. Born in 1959, it’s still an icon of cool. And Cadbury’s, of course, who started making chocolate in Bournville in 1879. Yum! Apparently there are more than 30 other Birminghams around the world, but we’re concerned with the original and genuine which, by the way, so impressed the composer Dvorak that he wrote home about it admiringly (and a little breathlessly): "I'm here in this immense industrial city where they make excellent knives, scissors, springs, files and goodness knows what else, and, besides these, music too. And how well! It is terrifying how much the people here manage to achieve." Well, time moves on. Not so much is made in Birmingham these days, though it still has a significant manufacturing sector, espe..... To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door. By Ian Buxton Section : City Watch Page number : 8 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 6 on 11/11/2005. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 81 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements. Copyright Cigar Buyer © 1999-2012. All rights reserved. To use or reproduce part or all of this article please contact us for details of how you can do so legally.