# data[].attributes.headline
I recorded sounds of the way to the city center on Sunday:) We may not need this, but I will send it just in case.from11:15~ is okay

# data[].attributes.subject
I recorded sounds of the way to the city center on Sunday:) We may not need this, but I will send it just in case.from11:15~ is okay

# data[].attributes.headline
Things you only knew if you grew up in 1980s Birmingham

# data[].attributes.subject
Things you only knew if you grew up in 1980s Birmingham

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Did you love The A-Team, have a Ghostbusters lunchbox and wear Deely Boppers?

Did you go to see Indiana Jones at the Odeon in New Street.

If so, you were probably a child of the 80s.

It doesn't feel that long ago, certainly not three decades.

Here are 35 things you'll probably remember if you grew up in the era that brought us Bananarama, Bros and The Breakfast Club.

You remember when shopping in Birmingham looked like this

There was no Selfridges or Harvey Nichols, no Bullring as we know it today. Instead you had to take your life into your hands as you ventured through the city's subway shops and underground passages that are now filled in and long since vanished.

You hung out with your mates at Silver Blades

As music pumped out over the ice rink, which was next to the Wholesale Markets, this was a teenagers' paradise every Saturday afternoon in the 80s. You may have even had a first date there.

You bunked off school to queue for Duran Duran tickets

The Brummie band also played at The Cedar Club and Villa Park during the 1980s. And their posters graced your bedroom walls.

You got bored every Sunday

Because there was nothing to do. The shops were closed and Birmingham city centre, and the suburbs, turned into a ghost town. There wasn't even Going Live! on the telly because that was on Saturdays but you could sometimes catch up with Doctor Who.

You were miffed when your brother or sister got to start Beavers or Rainbows

You'd had to wait until you were eight to go to Cubs or Guides, but by the mid 80s your little siblings could rock up there at six.

You watched Birmingham Superprix

You remember the buzz (and noise) of the Superprix on the streets of Birmingham. You may also have been inspired by the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which made you want to bunk off school and take your dad's Austin Metro (not quite a Ferrari but hey this was 80s Birmingham!) for a spin up and down Broad Street.

You went down to Woolworths to get a Sindy doll or Action man with moving eyes

Your nan bought it for you from Woolworths on the ramp into The Pallasades. And you played happily with it on her floral carpet for hours. The floral carpet was, of course, an unfortunate remnant from the 70s

You rode the Corkscrew and the Black Hole at Alton Towers

If you were very brave. It's probably more likely that you gazed up in awe at the people riding these new rollercoasters and opted for the much more gentle Mississippi Showboat or 1001 Nights instead. Check out these rides we'd love to return to Alton Towers

You remember the summer as always being hot and sunny

It probably wasn't but it was great to think we had lots of fun at lidos, Cannon Hill Park and had trips to that Birmingham beach mecca that is Weston-Super-Mare.

Remember splashing about at Stechford Lido?

You enjoyed the top of the milk on your Ready Brek

You never had to run to the shop for an emergency pint of milk because you had a milkman. And if you were lucky enough not to have the blue tits crack open the foil top, you could pour that nice creamy bit at the top of the milk on your Ready Brek or cornflakes - we never actually glowed orange like the advert suggested.

Nightmare on Elm Street terrified you and your friends

You went to see it at the Odeon on New Street, or on VHS at a pyjama party at a friend's house. You pretended not to be scared. But it gave you nightmares for weeks after.

And you didn't just see films at The Odeon

Blondie, UB40, Duran Duran and many more bands played there throughout the 1980s as part of their tours. We didn't have the Barclaycard Arena (or the NIA as it used to be called) back then.

You collected Blues, Albion and Villa football stickers for your Panini album

How many swaps on the playground did you do to try to get Cyrille Regis, Tony Coton and Gordan Cowans before you realised that actually completing the thing was nigh on impossible?

You thought Neapolitan ice cream was quite posh

You had it for pudding at the Berni Inn on the Hagley Road, Edgbaston whilst your mum had a floater coffee. You all felt dead posh.

You may also still insist that chicken and chips taste better served in a basket.

You made your own mix tapes from vinyl and cassettes bought at The Plastic Factory and Reddington's

Although, honestly? You probably recorded a lot off the radio too - trying not to tape the presenter's voice at the end of your favourite songs by King, Culture Club and New Kids on the Block.

You or your friend had a BMX

You were dead proud of your BMX and the tricks you could do on it. You would ride it around the streets hopping up and down the kerb or you met friends in Kings Heath or Cannon Hill Park. Normally along with packets of Chipsticks, Spangles and candy cigarettes.

You spent hours leafing through books at Central Library

Soon to be just a distant memory as the old building comes down, we all have great memories of pacing up and down the stairs and escalators for books here.

You may have borrowed that well-thumbed copy of Judy Blume's Forever and read it under the covers which you'd try to finish before your mum saw it was on your library ticket. Or perhaps enjoyed the fantasy role play in a Dungeons and Dragons book.
Watch a drone video of the library demolition below
You went to the Christmas grotto at Lewis's

Remember the amazing Alice in Wonderland grotto where little shoppers could slide down into Wonderland? This store was amazing - it had a pet shop and a roof garden - and people still refer to the building when offering directions, even though the shop closed 15 years ago.

You wanted to be on Blockbusters, Tiswas or Why Don't You?

You were desperate to be in the cage on ITV's Tiswas, filmed in Birmingham, or to say 'Can I have a P please Bob?' You'd watch it whilst having your tea, which was usually something like Findus Crispy Pancakes and potato waffles.

You went to a street party to celebrate the Royal Wedding

It was a big day in Brum when Prince Charles married Lady Di. Did you or your mom have the Diana haircut too? Own up!

Saturdays were spent bargain-hunting at Mark One or The Pallasades

The challenge was also to pick up the most stationary for under £1 from The Works or Woolworths on the ramp. Or to come home with something really random for your bedroom from The Pier or The Reject Shop.

You felt dead grown up having a coke in the Oasis Market ​café

You'd have to wade through clouds of smoke and incense and sit amongst teens covered in tattoos and piercings to get there. What was not to like?

You were desperate for your mum to let you go to The Night Out or Power House

Your older sister got dressed up in puffball skirt, batwing top and shoulder padded jacket (nice) and hit the town to dance to Five Star and Duran Duran. You? You had to stay at home and watch Diff'rent Strokes with your dad. Whatcha talkin' bout Willis?

Your football team was legendary

If your supported Villa that is. That glorious European Cup win made the boys in claret and blue heroes, and everyone wanted to play like Nigel Spink and Peter Withe, with jumpers for goalposts every Saturday in parks all over the city. How well do you know your 80s Villa players?

You went to the circus in Pype Hayes Park

Or Bonfire Night, that was always a big night out for Brum in the 80s.

McDonald's was a treat and then you went to the drive-thru (just because you could)

Really, you'd have preferred to have eaten in the restaurant but when drive-thru's opened in Dudley and Coventry in 1986, complete with Happy Meals too, it was too cool for school. And you really wanted a Ronald MacDonald birthday party

There was white dog poo - everywhere

Be it Handsworth Park or the route in and out of school, the paths seemed to be frequently littered with dog poo, which mysteriously turned white in the sun.

Your school uniform came from C&A

With its two large escalators that went up through the middle of the store, C&A on Corporation Street offered fashion for all the family. There even used to be a man who worked the lifts. Here's 33 Birmingham shops you used to love

A trip to Cannock Chase felt like a million miles away

You packed your Simple Simon game to play on the way, or just to annoy your parents as you happily rolled around seatbelt-less in the back.

Your mum started shopping in fancy arcades

It all suddenly felt very posh - after all we had the new Pavilions and City Plaza. If you were good, she'd treat you to a cake at Druckers afterwards.

You were dragged around Bullring markets by your mom...

You went on the bus into town to go shopping at the Bullring markets with your mom, who you begged to buy to you jelly shoes, even though they rubbed blisters on your toes.

...And then taken to a cafe like this for lunch

Never mind your independent coffee shops and your artisan bakeries and delis. In the 80s this is where we would have had lunch while out shopping. You would have had a quick cup of tea and a cake in a department store cafe like this one at BHS.

Self service style, you may have been lucky enough to get a plate of fish, chips and peas if your mom was feeling generous.

You went to Bewdley and it was considered a holiday

You were, after all, 20 plus miles out of Birmingham. You could eat chips by the river, and there was a steam train and a Safari Park, what more did you need?

You bought your football kit from Harry Parkes sports shop

Where else would you buy them from, especially when you knew he supplied all the Villa players with their boots? Except perhaps if you were a Blues fan.

You loved the lion mural on the side of a terrace block in Newtown

Remember that? So much of the city has changed since then ...

* What are your memories of the 80s? We'd love to hear them

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Things you only knew if you spent the 1980s in Birmingham

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Did you love The A-Team, have a Ghostbusters lunchbox and wear Deely Boppers? Did you go to see Indiana Jones at the Odeon in New Street. If so, you were probably a child of the 80s. It doesn't feel that long ago, certainly not three decades.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Bull Ring shopping centre was built in 1964. In 1973 a shopping centre was built over Birmingham station. In the 1980s it was refurbished and renamed the Pallasades. The Pavilions Shopping Centre opened in 1987. City Plaza followed in 1989. Mailbox Shopping Centre opened in 2000

# data[].attributes.subject
The Bull Ring shopping centre was built in 1964. In 1973 a shopping centre was built over Birmingham station. In the 1980s it was refurbished and renamed the Pallasades. The Pavilions Shopping Centre opened in 1987. City Plaza followed in 1989. Mailbox Shopping Centre opened in 2000

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Tim Lambert
Birmingham in the Middle Ages

Birmingham is the second-largest city in England. It began as an Anglo-Saxon village. In the early 12th century it grew into a town. In 1166 the King gave the Lord of the Manor, Peter De Birmingham, the right to hold a weekly market at Birmingham. Once a market was up and running merchants and craftsmen came to live in Birmingham and it soon developed into a busy little town.

In 1250 the people of Birmingham were given the right to hold a fair each Summer. In the Middle Ages, a fair was like a market but it was held only once a year. Birmingham's fair attracted buyers and sellers from all over the Midlands.

Medieval Birmingham became known for its wool industry. Wool was woven and dyed in the town. By the late 14th century Birmingham was also known for its metalworking industry. By then it was also known for leatherworking. Leather was tanned and then used to make gloves, saddles, bottles, shoes, and many other things.

In the Middle Ages, the church ran the only hospitals. In them, monks would care for the sick and poor as best they could. In the early 13th century a 'hospital' dedicated to St Thomas was built in Birmingham.

In 1500 Birmingham was still a small market town with a population of about 1,500. It would seem tiny to us and even by the standards of the time, it was a little town. The Old Crown House was built in the 14th century.

Birmingham in the 16th century and 17th century

In the 16th century, Birmingham grew rapidly. In 1547 the population was around 1,800 people. By 1560 it had probably passed 2,000. In the 17th century, Birmingham continued to grow rapidly. In 1650 it had a population of around 5,000. By then it was a fairly large and important place.

In 1570 a writer said Birmingham was 'full of inhabitants and echoing with forges. The lower part of it is very wet, the upper adorned with handsome buildings'. Aston Hall was built in 1635.

In the Middle Ages, there was only one fair in Birmingham but by the early 16th century there were two. Furthermore, in the Middle Ages, there was also just one general market but by the middle of the 16th century, there were three specialized markets, the Cornmarket, the Welsh market, and the English market.

Wool was still woven and dyed in Tudor Birmingham. Leather was also tanned and made into goods in the town. There was, in the 16th century, a leather hall in Birmingham where it could be bought and sold.

However, the newer industry of metalworking was fast taking over. Tudor Birmingham gained a reputation as a place where cutlers made knives, nailers made nails and many blacksmiths worked at their forges. Birmingham had 3 natural advantages. Firstly it was near to a source of iron ore. Secondly, it was by a coal seam, which provided fuel for forges. Lastly, it was surrounded by streams so that watermills could power the bellows for forges.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the 16th century, a grammar school was founded in Birmingham.

The civil war between the king and parliament began in 1642. In October 1642 the king came to Birmingham with his army. His soldiers looted the houses of civilians. After the king left the townspeople attacked his baggage train and looted it.

In April 1643 a royalist army was sent to capture Birmingham. The townspeople erected earth defenses across the roads but the royalists simply marched across the open country into the town. They then set about plundering Birmingham again.

The first mention of a fire engine in Birmingham was in 1695.

Birmingham in the 18th century

St Phillips Church was built in 1715. By 1720 Birmingham had a population between 11,000 and 12,000. By 1750 the population had risen to around 24,000. By the end of the century, the population of Birmingham had risen to 73,000.

Industry in Birmingham continued to boom during the 18th century. Metalworking of all kinds flourished in the town. Artifacts made in Birmingham included buckles for shoes, blades, pins, nails, screws, bolts, and buttons. Some craftsmen made brass fittings such as handles for coffins. There were also many gunsmiths and some locksmiths. In the late 18th-century glass making boomed in Birmingham. Meanwhile, Sarehole Mill was built in 1765.

In 1724 charity school called the Blue Coat school was founded. It was so-called because the children wore blue uniforms. In 1769 an act of Parliament formed a body of men called the Street Commissioners who had powers to clean and light the streets of Birmingham. They appointed a 'scavenger' who collected all the rubbish (which included large amounts of animal dung) from the streets and sold it as fertilizer. They also widened the streets by demolishing houses. Furthermore, they lit the streets of Birmingham with oil lamps.

Also in 1769, a canal was built from Wednesbury to Birmingham. The General Hospital was built in 1779. Two new wings were added in 1790. In 1792 a dispensary was opened where the poor could obtain free medicine.

Birmingham in the 19th century

In 1801, at the time of the first census Birmingham had a population of 73,670, which meant it was one of Britain's largest and most important towns.

In 1818 the Street Commissioners began to provide gas street lighting. But in 1852 their powers were transferred to the Town Council.

In the 19th century industry in Birmingham was still dominated by metalworking. The workers of the town still made nails, brass goods (such as bedsteads), nuts and bolts, screws, and buttons. They also made pen nibs and toys. There were also jewelers and gunsmiths in Birmingham. In the late 19th century railway carriages were made in Birmingham. So were bicycles. Glass making was also an important industry. From the end of the 19th century, there was also a cocoa and chocolate industry at Bournville.

A new Town Hall was built in Birmingham in 1834. It was built to imitate the temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome. St Chad's Roman Catholic Cathedral was built in 1841.

Like most towns in the early 19th century, Birmingham was dirty and unsanitary. But in the second half of the century conditions improved. In the 1850s a network of sewers was dug under the streets of Birmingham. A by-law passed in 1861 stated that all new houses must be connected to a sewer. Unfortunately, it did not apply to houses already built some of whom had to wait decades before they were connected).

Birmingham Water Company was formed in 1826 to provide piped water to part of the town but citizens had to pay for this service and even where it was available many people could not afford it. They relied on wells or water carriers who sold water from carts in the streets. In 1875 Birmingham council took over the water company and after that sanitary inspectors closed many private wells. But it was not until a reservoir was built at Elan Valley in 1904 that Birmingham's water supply problems were solved.

Although conditions improved in Birmingham during the 19th century there were epidemics of smallpox in 1871-72, 1874, and 1883. There were also epidemics of scarlet fever in Birmingham in 1878 and 1882-3.

However, amenities in Birmingham gradually improved. Winson Green asylum opened in 1850. Rubery Hill asylum opened in 1881. Queens hospital opened in 1847. (It closed in 1993). A general hospital opened in 1897 but it later became a children's hospital.

The Botanical Gardens opened in 1832 and the first public baths opened in 1852. The first public park in Birmingham opened in 1856. In 1873-75 Joseph Chamberlain was mayor of Birmingham. He was a great believer in local authorities taking responsibility for services like water and parks and set an example for many other local politicians.

The Council House was built in 1879 and the Museum and Art Gallery opened in 1885. Then in 1889, Birmingham was made a city.

A railway from Birmingham to Manchester and Liverpool was opened in 1837. Then from 1838, Birmingham was connected to London by rail. From 1873 horse-drawn trams ran in Birmingham. The town gained its first electricity supply in 1882. The first electric trams ran in Birmingham in 1890.

The first modern fire brigade in Birmingham was formed in 1874 and the first telephone exchange opened in 1879. The first public library in Birmingham opened in 1861. A Municipal School of Art opened in 1885. It was followed by a Municipal Technical School in 1891.

In 1891 the boundaries of Birmingham were extended to include Balsall Heath, Harborne, Saltley, and Ward End.

Birmingham in the 20th century

Birmingham University was founded in 1909. Birmingham Repertory Theatre was built in 1913.

In the early 20th century the traditional metalworking industries continued in Birmingham. So did more modern ones like bicycle making and tire making. Electrical engineering became an important industry in Birmingham at that time. However in the late 20th century manufacturing industry in Birmingham went into a steep decline. They were eventually replaced by service industries.

In 1909 the boundaries of Birmingham were extended again to include Quinton. In 1911 they were extended yet again. This time Handsworth, Aston Manor, Erdington, Yardley, Northfield, and Kings Norton were included. Between 1919 and 1939 nearly 50,000 council houses were built in Birmingham. About 65,000 private houses were also built.

The boundaries of Birmingham were extended in 1928 to include Perry Barr. In 1931 they were extended to include Castle Bromwich and Sheldon. By then Birmingham had a population of about 1 million. The South African War Memorial in Cannon Hill Park was built in 1905. A Hall of Memory was built in 1925.

Fox Hollies Park opened in 1929. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts opened in 1932. A School of Speech and Drama opened in 1936. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth Hospital was opened in 1938.

During the Second World War Birmingham was, as a major manufacturing center, an obvious target for German bombing. More than 2,000 people died as a result of the bombing.

In the years 1945-54 more than 37,000 council houses were built in Birmingham. By 1970 the number had risen to over 80,000. They were sorely needed. A survey in 1954 showed that 20% of the houses in Birmingham were unfit for human habitation.

In 1956 a statue of 3 famous men, Bolton, Watt, and Murdoch was erected in Broad Street. Birmingham Rotunda opened in 1965. In 1966 a statue named Hebe was erected in Holloway Circus.

An inner ring road was built in Birmingham between 1960 and 1971. Aston University was founded in 1966. In 1971 New Street Station was rebuilt. A Nature Centre opened in Birmingham in 1975.

The Bull Ring shopping centre was built in 1964. In 1973 a shopping centre was built over Birmingham station. In the 1980s it was refurbished and renamed the Pallasades. The Pavilions Shopping Centre opened in 1987. City Plaza followed in 1989. Mailbox Shopping Centre opened in 2000.

In 1987 the City Council unveiled a new City Centre Strategy. Birmingham city centre was to be rebuilt and refurbished. The International Conference Centre and Indoor Arena opened in 1991.

Also in 1991 the sculpture named 'forward' was unveiled. Other public sculptures in Birmingham include a statue of Thomas Attwood in Chamberlain Square and Iron Man unveiled in 1993. Also in 1993 fountains and sculptures including the one called The River were erected in Victoria Square, which was pedestrianised. A statue of Tony Hancock was erected in 1996. Ikon Gallery opened in 1998. Furthermore, the Midland Metro System opened in Birmingham in 1999.

Birmingham in the 21st century

In 2001 Millennium Point opened at Digbeth. It includes Thinktank the Museum of Science and Discovery, Imax Cinema, the Technology Innovation Centre, the University of the First Age, and the Hub, which is made up of shops and cafes.

Today finance and tourism are important industries in Birmingham.

In 2020 the population of Birmingham was 1.2 million.

Timeline of Birmingham

1166

The king grants the right to hold a weekly market in Birmingham. It becomes a busy little market town.

1250

The people of Birmingham are given the right to hold an annual fair

1380

Birmingham is becoming known for its metalworking industry

1500

Birmingham has a population of about 1,500

1560

The population has risen to around 2,000. There is still a wool industry in Birmingham and a leather industry but metalworking is fast becoming the most important industry.

1635

Aston Hall is built

1642

Royalists sack Birmingham

1643

Royalists plunder Birmingham again

1650

The population of Birmingham is about 5,000

1695

Birmingham gains its first fire engine

1715

St Phillips Church is built

1720

The population of Birmingham is about 12,000

1750

The population of Birmingham is about 24,000

1765

Sarehole Mill is built

1769

A canal is built from Wednesbury to Birmingham. A body of men called Street Commissioners are given power to clean and light (with oil lamps) the streets of Birmingham

1779

A General Hospital is built in Birmingham

1801

The population of Birmingham is about 73,000

1818

The streets of Birmingham are lit by gas

1832

The botanical gardens open

1834

A new town hall is built in Birmingham

1838

Birmingham is connected to London by railway

1841

St Chad's Cathedral is built

1850

Winson Green asylum opens

1856

The first public park in Birmingham opens

1861

A by-law says that all new houses in Birmingham must be connected to a sewer

1871-72

There is a smallpox epidemic in Birmingham

1873

Horse drawn trams begin running in Birmingham

1874

Another smallpox epidemic strikes Birmingham

1879

The Council House is built. A telephone exchange opens.

1881

The Council House is built. Rubery Hill asylum opens.

1882

Birmingham gains an electricity supply

1883

Smallpox strikes Birmingham again

1889

Birmingham is made a city

1890

The first electric trams run in Birmingham

1909

Birmingham University is founded

1929

Fox Hollies Park opens

1938

Queen Elizabeth Hospital opens

World War II

More than 2,000 people in Birmingham are killed by German bombing

1954

A survey shows that more than 20% of the homes in Birmingham are unfit for human habitation

1964

The Bull Ring Shopping Centre opens

1965

Birmingham Rotunda opens

1966

Aston University is founded

1987

Pavilions Shopping Centre opens

1991

The International Conference Centre and Indoor Arena opens

1998

Ikon Gallery opens

2000

Mailbox Shopping Centre opens

2001

Millennium Point opens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A History of Birmingham - Local Histories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A brief history of the English city of Birmingham from its beginning in the Middle Ages to the 21st Century

# data[].attributes.body
1980

10–11 July: 1981 Handsworth riots begin.

September: The Aston Hippodrome is demolished.

5 October: Brian Leslie Fuller is appointed as chief fire officer of the West Midlands Fire Service.

5 December: Birmingham International Arena opens at the National Exhibition Centre.

Simon Rattle begins an 18-year tenure as Principal Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

1981

4 January: British Leyland workers vote to accept the peace formula in a Longbridge plant strike.

5 & 10 July: Rioting.

19 August: Leading Fireman Robin John Gleeson of Walsall fire station dies following injuries received at a fire in Bath Street, Walsall.

23 November: 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak strikes in Erdington and Selly Oak.

Trident House is completed and opened.

Aston Villa win the league for the first time in 71 years

A golden dome is added to the minaret of Birmingham Central Mosque.

Ansells Brewery is closed down following strike action.

1982

1 January: Central Independent Television takes over the Birmingham-based franchise.

26 May: Aston Villa F.C. win the European Cup Final.

1983

14 April: Award of The Queen's Gallantry Medal to Sub-officer Michael Tamplin and Fireman Andrew walker for 'calls above duty'.

22 September: Fireman Dennis Flint is killed whilst attending a fire at Trevor Street, Nechells.

The Sutton Coldfield transmitting station mast is rebuilt.

Birmingham Airport is privatised.

1984

January: Bingley Hall is seriously damaged by fire and demolished.

7 August: Maglev link to new terminal at Birmingham Airport from International railway station opens (closes 19 June 1995).

9 October: West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive Tracline 65 guided bus experiment, the first in the U.K., at Short Heath (continues to 26 September 1987).

The Perrott's Folly Company is formed to restore Perrott's Folly for public use.

1985

3 July: Fireman Nicholas Walker dies as a result of injuries received after an accident at Pershore Road, Stirchley whilst responding to a fire call.

9–11 September: 1985 Handsworth riots.

3 December: Golden Jubilee of the opening of Fire Service Headquarters at Central fire station, Corporation Street: a plaque is unveiled by the Duke of Kent.

1986 – 31 March: The West Midlands County Council is abolished.

1987

January: The foundation stone to the International Convention Centre is laid, signalling the start of construction.

1 April: The ownership of Birmingham Airport is transferred to Birmingham International Airport plc.

July: The city council invites developers to draw up a masterplan for 26 acres (110,000 m2) of land alongside canals, adjacent to the International Convention Centre.

5 October: A rebuilt Snow Hill station is opened to the public.

"The People's Plan", a document containing designs and plans for the redevelopment of the Bull Ring, is published and issued by London and Edinburgh Trust but the plans are greeted with public objection.

1988

A glass roof over Paradise Forum and a pedestrian crossing of the Inner Ring Road at this point are built.

London and Edinburgh Trust redesign their proposals for the Bull Ring redevelopment but again receive public criticism.

The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design is formed following the Faculty of Art and Design at Birmingham Polytechnic absorbing Bournville College of Art.

1989

September: The Brindleyplace development alongside the ICC and Broad Street is granted planning permission.

October: The topping out ceremony of the railway tunnel for the future site of the National Indoor Arena is conducted by the council.

The Birmingham School of Music is renamed the Birmingham Conservatoire.

National Exhibition Centre expanded.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Timeline of Birmingham history - Wikipedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article is intended to show a timeline of events in the History of Birmingham , England, with a particular focus on the events, people or places that are covered in Wikipedia articles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Brum Beat was a monthly magazine about the music of Birmingham, England, and the neighbouring towns. The magazine was started in 1970 as Midlands Beat by promoter and band-manager Jim Simpson, who sold it to its latter editor, Steve Morris, who in turn relaunched it in newspaper format as The Beat, before converting it into a website.

It took its original name from the term coined in the late 1950s to collectively describe the City's music scene, in the manner of the Mersey sound.

It has been suggested that The Moody Blues, formed in May 1964, were the first of the "Brum Beat" bands to become internationally famous. other bands such as the Spencer Davis Group were members of the Brum Beat scene.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Brum Beat was a monthly magazine about the music of Birmingham, England, and the neighbouring towns. The magazine was started in 1970 as Midlands Beat by promoter and band-manager Jim Simpson, who sold it to its latter editor, Steve Morris, who in turn relaunched it in newspaper format as The Beat, before converting it into a website.

# data[].attributes.headline
club Mothersit was the world’s best rock venue in 1969 and 1970. It’s a supermarket now. In Erdington

# data[].attributes.subject
club Mothersit was the world’s best rock venue in 1969 and 1970. It’s a supermarket now. In Erdington

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mothers Club Erdington |  BBC Inside Out West Midlands, Mar 5th 2018

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
All that's brilliant about Brum is being celebrated at the Pride of Birmingham Awards, held in the historic Town Hall on Friday, September 26.

We are working our way through the many reasons to be proud of Brum.

Today's topic is the music of our great city.

Birmingham is the birthplace of heavy metal, with Black Sabbath and Judas Priest coming from the city.

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, from the Aston area of the city, shaped the sound when he learned to play guitar in a different way following an industrial accident that removed the tips of two of his fingers.

He tuned the guitar down and relied on power chords, something guitarist Terry Butler also did - and together they produced the classic sound of metal.

Rolling Stone magazine said Black Sabbath's album Paranoid - the band's second studio release and with a last-minute title track written and arranged in 20 minutes - changed music forever.

With two Grammy awards and record sales of 70 million, they have been ranked the greatest metal band of all time by MTV.

The later metal bands Napalm Death and Godflesh are also from Birmingham.

Birmingham club Mothers, where Sabbath and many other stars played including Pink Floyd, Elton John, Rod Stewart, The Who and Led Zeppelin, was voted the world's best rock venue in 1969 and 1970.

Birmingham band Judas Priest brought in a new wave of heavy metal, laying foundations for even heavier styles - and it was in the Sparkhill suburb of the city that grindcore was born when extreme metal and hardcore punk were merged. Napalm Death formed and defined the genre, and Godflesh followed.

Birmingham's music of the late 50s and the 60s became known as Brum Beat - a counterpart to the Merseybeat of the Liverpool area.

The Moody Blues, formed in 1964, were the first of the Brum Beat bands to become internationally famous. At the time there were more than 500 groups in the city.

The first Birmingham band to release a commercial single were Jimmy Powell and The Dimensions, in 1962, and the first to make the top 10 were The Applejacks, in 1964. The most successful Birmingham group of this era were The Spencer Davis Group.

TV music show Thank Your Lucky Stars, broadcast by ABC Television from its Aston studios in Aston from 1961 to 1966 was a major platform for British pop music of this era and hosted the network television debut of The Beatles on January 13, 1963.

Birmingham didn't have a dominant influence like Liverpool's Brian Epstein so Brum Beat was far more diverse and defined more by geography than by the sound itself.

Rock legends ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) formed in Birmingham in 1970. Roy Wood was joined by Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan.

Wood left to form Wizzard, Jeff became the new frontman and the band went on to global success.

Lynne was named the fourth greatest record producer in music history and in 2014 received a star on the Birmingham Walk of Fame.

New Romantic legends Duran Duran formed in Birmingham in 1978 and have sold more than 100 million records.

They played regularly at city nightspot Barbarella's, which was named after the 1968 sci-fi movie starring Jane Fonda. The group took their name from a character in that film and went to become resident band at the Rum Runner club in Broad Street.

Duran Duran - who have never disbanded despite a changing line-up - have won two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and also have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Birmingham is also the birthplace of modern bhangra and the centre of the UK's Asian music industry.

Bhangra emerged from the Balsall Heath area of the city in the 1960s and 1970s and Birmingham is now regarded as the international capital of bhangra music, producing almost 90 per cent of it.

Birmingham dance group Nachda Sansaar are one of the most high-profile Bhangra groups in the UK and have played at the opening of the Eurovision Song Contest and Commonwealth Games.

Bhangra was originally an energetic folk music brought here by Punjabi families from Asia and has been combined with modern Western styles, such as reggae, soul, rock, hip-hop, pop, house and drum'n'bass. These days, Birmingham Bhangra is even exported back to its original homeland in the Punjab.

There are more than a dozen Bhangra record labels in Birmingham, plus about 50 acts including dance teams, singers, bands and DJs. The first Bhangra artist to cross over into the charts was Birmingham singer Apache Indian, from Handsworth.

Thanks to bands such as Peace and Swim Deep, the Digbeth district of the city is gaining national recognition as a brewing point for some of the best new independent music.

The whole 'B-Town' label for the local indie music scene might make us and the bands themselves cringe but becoming one of the best areas in the country for music talent is some achievement.

Other areas around the country now look at Digbeth as an inspiration as they try to put themselves on the map. In fact, Digbeth was named The Shoreditch of Birmingham by NME.

Birmingham was named among the top UK cities that pushed the new 80s music genre called High Energy or Hi-NRG, which emerged when the dying disco scene was revamped with greater emphasis on electronics rather than real instruments.

Midlands radio DJs and clubs such as Birmingham's Nightingale were named in the music press as major influences in promoting the new club sound, which was eventually seized upon by Midlands DJ Pete Waterman and his associates Stock and Aitken as a template for numerous pop hits in the mid to late 80s.

R&B embraced the synthesiser too as electro-funk emerged - and Birmingham was at the forefront with its 'all-dayers'. These daytime club events at the Powerhouse nightclub drew big name artists and dance fans from across the country.

When acid house arrived and began to spin off into various styles, it was Birmingham DJ Neil Rushton who identified, named and brought attention to a new offshoot called techno. He compiled an album called Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit for Virgin Records and then set up his own influential Birmingham label called Network Records.

Techno was merged with the city's own industrial music in the early 1990s to form a fast, minimalist style known as the Birmingham Sound.

The downtempo variation called ambient dub was also created in Birmingham.

The idea of 'sampling' - taking sounds from one recording and using them in a new production - is well-known in the modern music industry. It was here in Birmingham that the concept first took on life.

Frank, Norman and Les Bradley of Birmingham tape engineering company Bradmatic invented the Mellotron, a keyboard that was arguably the original sampler.

Pressing the keys played recordings of real instruments, sound effects and voices that were stored on a piece of audio tape underneath. It was based on a similar American device called the Chamberlin that hadn't been designed for commercial use by musicians.

With the support of BBC conductor Eric Robinson - who arranged the recordings that would go on the internal tape - and backing from magician and presenter David Nixon, a company called Mellotronics was formed and the first Mellotron keyboards were made in Aston in 1963, costing £1,000 at a time when a typical house would sell for £2,000 to £3,000.

The device was popularised by The Beatles and became a crucial part of rock music. Birmingham band The Moody Blues made great use of the device, as did Genesis, Yes and many other groups. As synthesisers grew in popularity during the 80s, the Mellotron faded away but a new version came on the market in 1999.

There are many other musicians and bands linked to Birmingham.

They include Fairport Convention, The Move, Steve Winwood and his band Traffic, Musical Youth, Pato Banton, Steel Pulse, UB40, Dexys Midnight Runners, Fuzzbox, The Beat, Fine Young Cannibals, Toyah Willcox, Ocean Colour Scene, The Streets, Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin.

Birmingham's Joan Armatrading, from Handsworth, was the first British black woman to have international music success. She was followed by fellow Brummie Jaki Graham - who became the most successful black British female artist of all time - and also Ruby Turner, Jamelia and, most recently, Laura Mvula.

Big names in the pop and rock world regularly come to the city for concerts.

Among the venues where you can see national and international music stars are the LG Arena, NIA, O2 Academy, Jam House, Glee Club and The Institute.

The LG Arena - previously the NEC Arena - is the 10th busiest arena in the world. Together the arena and adjoining halls of the National Exhibition Centre attract more than three million visitors a year.

The NIA is getting a £20.6 million refurbishment to keep it in the premiere league of venues competing to host major international shows. The revamp will transform the city's skyline with three towering lighting sculptures.

Among the Brummie music stars attending the Pride of Birmingham Awards are Tony Iommi, Laura Mvula, Roy Wood, Ruby Turner and UB40's Ali Campbell.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reasons to be proud of Birmingham: Music

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All that's brilliant about Brum is being celebrated at the Pride of Birmingham Awards, held in the historic Town Hall on Friday, September 26. We are working our way through the many reasons to be proud of Brum. Today's topic is the music of our great city.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
James T. Hong screening and live music | Ikon

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Live music by Cristiana Ilie, Chromatouch, Steckdose, RBMK and Taibach To watch online please subscribe to Ikon Gallery’s YouTube channel or click here. An evening of live music with local electronic artists responding to visuals provided by James T. Hong. Each artist will perform their own musical…

# data[].attributes.headline
The Diskery  the oldest record shop in the UK? 1952~

# data[].attributes.subject
The Diskery  the oldest record shop in the UK? 1952~