Activ Birmingham

Due to its easy access by all forms of travel, Christmas shopping in Birmingham has to be the place to consider, this assumes of course that you have yet to venture into this annual pilgrimage. Birmingham offers shopping facilities second to none and in the current economical climate, at prices to suit all pockets.

Birmingham Walk of Stars is installed on a section of pavement in Broad Street, Birmingham. The Walk honours those people who have made noteworthy contributions in the categories of Music, Television, Theatre, Film, Radio, Literacy, Business and Sport. The initial idea came from Gary Raybould, a local Birmingham man, who broached his idea with Steve Hewlett at the Broad Street Improvement District and it was Steve who pursued the idea into reality.

A brief biography of James Watt and his involvement in the development of the steam engine.

This year 2010, as was the case in 2009, Birmingham is blessed with having three Chefs named in the Michelin Restaurant Guide. Luke Tipping of Simpsons, Edgbaston, Glynn Purnell of Purnell's Birmingham and Richard Turner of Turner's, Harbourne. Activ Birmingham would like to extend their congratulations to the three chefs for retaining the Michelin Stars for their respective restaurants for this year.

It has been voiced many times that Birmingham has a larger canal network than Venice and its Gondoliers. In making that statement, which has no doubt been made by many of Birmingham's population over the years, it would be very interesting to determine how many Brummie's have actually taken the trouble to walk and explore the Birmingham canal network?

The Bull Ring is the place where Birmingham originally began. There has been a church here for more than eight hundred years. Peter de Bermingham, who lived in close proximity, set up the first market here in 1166. It is possible that there was a place of worship, simple as it may have been, here at that time. However, the first church for which records exist was built around the year 1290, by Peter's descendant, William.

The Birmingham Botanical Garden is highly recommended by Activ Birmingham as a place to visit under its heading of Great Days Out. These delightful gardens and glasshouses are located in Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, and Birmingham. The gardens cover some 15 acres of interest and enjoyment, and were designed by one of the leading garden planners of the day, J.C. Loudon. Loudon was also a respected horticultural journalist and publisher. The gardens first opened to the paying public in 1832.

The government have announced recommendations for a high speed rail link between London and Birmingham, at an estimated cost of £15.8 - £17.4billion, with a future proposal of a two route extension on the east and west which will link to existing lines at Manchester and Leeds, providing a direct service to Glasgow and Edinburgh. These two route extensions are currently estimated to cost a further £12.6 - £14.2billion. These new links will be capable of carrying trains at speeds of up to 250mph.