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- At the centre of the Heart of England region is Birmingham, now able to offer a
world class cultural scene, superb shopping, top attractions, fantastic
nightlife, major international events and exhibitions, and easy access into some
of England's most beautiful countryside. Close by lies the Black Country, and a
visit here will reveal a rich seam of art, crafts, tradition and culture with
modern architectural design sitting alongside villages from the Victorian era.
If your perception of Coventry is rooted in the grim old industrial steel town perception, then it is time
to take another look at the 'new' Coventry.
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton - "the high town or town on the hill' and just 17 miles from Birmingham, Wolverhampton has a proud industrial past and over a thousand years of recorded history, with a great future ahead.
Click on the headings to find out more:
Birmingham - Now Britain's second largest city and built on industry, Birmingham is a now a truly diverse and dynamic city, vibrant both by day and by night. - With its fascinating history and world-class cultural scene, combined with superb shopping, major international events and exhibitions, great nightlife and award-winning restaurants, Birmingham has a unique quality that brings with it an exciting and dynamic spirit.
The creation of world-class attractions and facilities, such as The Water's Edge at Brindleyplace, an award-winning waterfront, it's pedestrian friendly squares and streets, coupled with venues such as the National Indoor Arena, Symphony Hall and the famous - and enormous - National Exhibition Centre (NEC) - The busiest convention and exhibition centre in Europe - the city resounds to world-class live music and sport, and ensures a city experience like no other.
Truly cosmopolitan in its make-up, Birmingham is an exciting city, hosting a range of visual and performing arts and a variety of music and theatre, difficult to surpass. Home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham really is a city of world-class culture. A city located at the heart of a region full of history and heritage, beautiful quaint villages and access to lush rolling countryside - Birmingham really is the gateway to the heart of England!
Coventry. Six hundred years ago Coventry ranked fourth among England's cities in size and importance and at its heart still stands reminders of that golden age - the legend of Lady Godiva, some of England's finest mediaeval guildhalls, almshouses and monastic foundations, timber framed shops and pubs and the two great central churches of Holy Trinity and St Michael's, the famous ruined cathedral.
The medieval street pattern that framed these startling buildings was already beginning to disappear, even before WW2 German bombers turned the old city into dust. (Coventry suffered enormous damage from German bombing during WW2, as it was singled out for particular attention due to its heavy engineering and steel works.)
Now the post war city centre that replaced the old city with its pioneering pedestrian precincts and contemporary cityscapes, is changing again. New bars and eating places are springing up in the historic Cathedral Quarter. A huge entertainment and leisure complex is rising on a site where factories once stood. A major project has transformed one whole side of the central area, and exciting plans for more shopping promise to do the same for another. Alongside the city centre’s key visitor attractions, its world-class transport museum, the clutch of historic buildings and the extraordinary modern new Coventry cathedral, and a programme of festivals and events is breathing new life into the heart of Coventry.
Footnote: Coventry Cathedral
On 14th November 1940, the city of Coventry was reduced to ruins by German
bombs. Its Cathedral, at the heart of the city, burned with it. Rather than look
to revenge, the cathedral's Provost, pledged to go in peace to Germany.
He did do immediately after the war, taking with him a symbol of reconciliation, a Cross of Nails, originally made from three mediaeval nails taken from the wooden beams of the ruins of the Cathedral. This was taken to Kiel, Berlin and Dresden.
Coventry Cathedral's ministry of reconciliation is the most well established, church-based centre for reconciliation in Great Britain. The the symbol of this courageous vision, has been taken to all five continents to encourage people who are working towards peace and reconciliation within their own communities - from Slovakia to the USA, South Africa to Australia and the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland to the House of Hope in Israel.
The NEW Coventry Cathedral
Today, Coventry rewards visitors with its new spectacular modern cathedral built alongside the ruins of the old cathedral - replacing the old cathedral destroyed by the ferocious German bombing raid in WWII.
The new catherderal was designed by Sir Basil Spence, and it really is a treasure, housing works by the best artists of the day (including bronzes by Sir Jacob Epstein) and it has outstanding stained glass windows, some floor to ceiling. There's an eerie contrast with the old ruins and, engraved behind the altar in gold, is the prayer, "Father Forgive".
Wolverhampton is a modern city - it was granted city status on 31 January 2001. Just 17 miles from Birmingham, and a gateway between the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire, Wolverhampton provides the perfect base to explore the Midlands.
The city centre has undergone radical change over the years, not once but twice. First there were extensive changes in the last quarter of the 19th century. This was followed by redevelopment of the city centre in the 1960's and 1970's with the building of both the Mander and Wulfrun Shopping Centres.
Wolverhampton is a modern city that moves with the times and as such, it is constantly building and rebuilding. The city has a vibrant and multi-cultural offering for the tourist ranging from a visit to Wightwick Manor to view William Morris originals to a day out at Britain's first all-weather racecourse, Dunstall Park. End your day with an evening at the Grand Theatre, a meal at one of the many restaurants or a concert at the acclaimed Civic Halls. Other award winning attractions such as Bantock House and Park, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Bilston Craft Gallery & Museum only enhance the city further. As a major university city, Wolverhampton is reknowned for its thriving nightlife: 25,000 revellers descend on the abundance of bars and nightclubs around the lively Entertainment Quarter each weekend.
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