"Why Does Everyone Hate Birmingham?"

[Wildeybeast]

You mean aside from being the home of the industrial revolution?

Ok some fun facts for Wildey.

The Jaguar plant (formerly Fishers) made Spitfires for the battle of Britian
Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice (though people who quote this usually miss the point )
Birmingham has an estimated 6 million trees, that's more than Paris, and more parks than any other European city, it has won a record-breaking 14 consecutive gold medals form the Chelsea Flower Show and our National Britain in Bloom awards.
The central library is the largest in Europe (and it is currently moving to a larger location) lending more than 8 million books per year
Birmingham is home to many past and present bands including Ocean Colour Scene, Duran Duran, ELO, UB40 and Black Sabbath.
The first of the famous Odeon chain of cinemas first opened in Perry Barr, Birmingham in 1930
Celluloid was invented in 1862, by Alexander Parkes in Birmingham
Joseph Sampson Gamgee (1828-80), a Birmingham doctor, invented the surgical dressing known as cotton wool
Joseph Priestley, a Birmingham minister (1780-91), discovered oxygen.
Electro-plating was invented in Birmingham by John Wright in 1840.
25% of manufactured exports are made in Birmingham
The Jewellery Quarter is the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe accounting for almost 40% of UK jewellery
F.W Lanchester built the first four-wheeled petrol driven car in Birmingham
St. Patricks day parade is the 3rd biggest in the world.
Birmingham Hippodrome is the busiest and most popular theatre in the UK with over 520,000 visitors taking their seats at performances every year.
Over 50,000 people watch inspirational and varied musical performances by the world famous City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) every year. That’s more than any other UK orchestra.
The world’s largest collection of rock album covers can be found at St Paul’s Gallery in the Jewellery Quarter.
Birmingham has three Michelin starred restaurants – Simpsons in Edgbaston, Turners in Harbourne and Purnell's in the city centre.
Famous food brands that originated in Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Bird's Custard, Blue Bird Toffee, Bournville cocoa, Cadbury chocolate and HP Sauce.
JRR Tolkien wrote Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit in Birmingham. The twin towers from the book were inspired by Edgbaston water works!
It has the most lap dancing clubs of any UK city
Birmingham has the 5th busiest Mcdonalds in the world and one of the few in the UK to open on Christmas day.
Birmingham is officially the most congested area of the UK with more cars per square mile than anywhere else
The National Sea Life Center, located in Brindleyplace, is home to the world's first completely transparent underwater walkway.
If the world was flat and you could stand in Birmingham and look East, the first thing to block your view would be the Urals.
Victoria Square hosts one of the largest fountains in Europe, with a flow of 3,000 gallons per minute, it is officially known as 'The River'.
Alec Issigonis was one of the most colourful car designers of modern times. He went on to design the world famous, Birmingham- made 'Mini', which started production in 1959 at Longbridge, Birmingham.

I cannot claim the validity of any of the aforementioned claims.

See, this is the sort of thing they need to promote. Except that BS about being the home of the Industrial Revolution, that honour belongs to Derby and Derbyshire.

[Wolfshade]

See, this is the sort of thing they need to promote. Except that BS about being the home of the Industrial Revolution, that honour belongs to Derby and Derbyshire.

If you say so, obviously the leveraged their position in the centre of the country to maximise their economy and managed to make it a major industrial player, oh wait.

We were operating blast furnaces before you'd even thought of having a water mill..

[Psychosplodge]

I imagine it depends on how you count it, it could be in terms of tree density, in canopy coverage, in raw tree numbers, urban trees that are not on privately held land, IDK,

Ah ha "estimated 2.5 million trees, giving Sheffield the highest ratio of trees to people of any city in Europe"

So while you have a higher tree/person we have more trees

probably taken from the same source

61% of Sheffield's entire area is green space

And furnaces, really?

[Wolfshade]

A cricket pitch is green space and has 0 trees (actually one test match does have 1 tree in it, and there are special rules about hitting said tree).

Also first blast furnace to smelt iron ore and coke.

The crucible process was 1740s, 31 years later...so ssh.

[Psychosplodge]

I'll take your word for it being too lazy to look it up...

Also what are the rules?

[Wildeybeast]

See, this is the sort of thing they need to promote. Except that BS about being the home of the Industrial Revolution, that honour belongs to Derby and Derbyshire.

The key to the industrial revolution was the massive increase in production and the industrialisation of people's lives. The world's first factory is in Derby, not to mention Arkwright building entire towns to house his workers. You may have a got an early foray, but Derbyshire is where the Industrial Revolution proper was born.

[Wolfshade]

Because Bournville wasn't built to house chocolate makers? Oh wait, it was Bournbrooke until they renamed it.

I will grant you the first factory. But I'd raise the factory and see Boultons Soho Manufactury which pioneered mass production on the assembly line principle. (Who also minted the first copper penny, which was only retired at decimalisation).

But certainly proving that you could drive machinery (other than [flour] mills) with water was a major step forwards. Indeed upgrading that from water to steam was arguably a smaller step but I think more important given the easy of installing a steam engine vs having a suitable river for water power.

Though a lot of the industrialists set up towns for their workers, though the first one was in Norfolk apparently.

[Chris Copeland]

I don't hate Birmingham at all. I doubt that you hate New Braunfels, either!

[Wolfshade]

I don't hate Birmingham at all. I doubt that you hate New Braunfels, either!

Boy do I feel awkward now...

[Psychosplodge]

I don't hate Birmingham at all. I doubt that you hate New Braunfels, either!

Where?