Birmingham in the West Midlands is widely considered to be the UK's second city. Its reputation was forged as a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution, which led to Birmingham being known as the "workshop of the world" and the "city of a thousand trades".

Although Birmingham grew to prominence as a manufacturing and engineering centre, today it is a major financial and administrative centre. The city's central business district has the largest concentration of administrative and private sector office-based employment in England outside Central London.

The city centre has undergone extensive regeneration in recent years, most notably at the Bull Ring shopping complex with its chic Selfridges department store. Pleasant daytime shopping is also available at Brindley Place, a canal side restoration project close to the city centre. Broad Street is the city's nightlife hub with a vast array of smart bars, gourmet restaurants and lively nightclubs.

Birmingham New Street station offers direct inter-city rail connections to all parts of the UK including London Euston. Birmingham International Airport is 6 miles south east of the city centre.

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