Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. It is the most populous British city outside London, and is widely considered Britain’s second city.Shoppaholics will be ecstatic to know that with an annual turnover of £2.43bn, Birmingham city centre is the UK's third largest retail centre, with the country's busiest shopping centre – the Bullring]– and the largest department store outside London – House of Fraser on Corporation Street. The City also has one of only four Selfridges department stores, with is iconic building just walking distance from the bullring. It is also home to the second largest branch of Debenhams in the country. In 2004 the city was ranked as the third best place to shop in the United Kingdom, behind the West End of London and Glasgow, being described as a "world-class shopping centre”
Birmingham also has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last century. Birmingham bands have made a major contribution to the musical culture of the United Kingdom, with many contemporary bands citing Birmingham bands as a major influence. Among the many theatres in Birmingham, the largest are the Alexandra ("the Alex"), The Rep, the Hippodrome and the Old Rep. The Crescent Theatre and Old Joint Stock Theatre are other city centre theatres.. The Fierce! festival collaborates with The Rep to present an annual series of performances from local and national companies.
The Birmingham Royal Ballet also resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst School for Dance. In terms of art galleries Birmingham has two major public art collections. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is best known for its works by the Pre-Raphaelites, a collection "of outstanding importance" and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Edgbaston which is renowned one of the finest small art galleries in the world.
Birmingham is also home to the science museum Think Tank, an IMAX cinema, a planetarium and other science-based museums including the National Sea Life Centre in Brindleyplace. Birmingham is also teeming with restaurants and bars to suit all tastes including many award winning eateries.
