At the Victoria Square, in the city of Birmingham, England

 “There’ll always be an England, while there’s a country lane. Wherever there’s a cottage small, beside a field of grain… There’ll always be an England… England shall be free if England means as much to you as England means to me."

-– Vera Lynn
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(in England) Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK, lies near the geographic center of England. The largest city of the West Midlands conurbation, it is an administrative, recreational, and cultural center.

+ At the heart of Birmingham is Victoria Square, with the classical Town Hall and the Renaissance-style Council House. The adjacent Chamberlain Square is home to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Another important cultural institution is the Birmingham Repertory Theater, which opened in 1913 and fostered the careers of such distinguished performers as Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Margaret Leighton, and Paul Scofield. The city’s symphony orchestra (based at the International Convention Center’s Symphony Hall) tours internationally. Educational institutions include the University of Birmingham, Aston University, and Birmingham City University.

+ As its industrial prowess grew in the 19th century, Birmingham earned the nickname “the city of 1,001 different trades.” Parts of the city became known for particular trades, including the Gun Quarter and the Jewelry Quarter. The expansion of industry contributed to increasingly crowded conditions in the city, however. In the 1870s the local industrialist Joseph Chamberlain was elected mayor and introduced important reforms. His pioneering efforts in improved housing and city-center redevelopment continued into the early 20th century.

+ During World War I and World War II, Birmingham turned out huge quantities of munitions. It was heavily bombed by the German air force in the Blitz of World War II. During the reconstruction of the city after the war, bombed-out areas in the central districts were replaced with blocks of apartment towers, office buildings, and shopping and commercial complexes.

+ Regeneration, renewal, and grand-scale construction continue apace in Birmingham. A state-of-the-art library, gleaming shopping center atop revitalized New St station, and restored Victorian buildings are just some of the successful initiatives of its Big City Plan, following on from the striking Mailbox and Bullring shopping malls and the iconic Selfridges building's "bubblewrapped" facade. Work is underway on extensions to the Metro (light rail/tram) network, and on the centerpiece Paradise development's new hotels, public spaces, and glitzy residential and commercial buildings (with final completion due in 2025).

+ Alongside Birmingham's canals, waterside attractions, great museums and galleries is an explosion of gastronomic restaurants, cocktail bars, and craft breweries. Legacies of the city's industrial heritage include its Jewelry Quarter, Cadbury manufacturing plant, and former custard factory turned cutting-edge creative hub.