Birmingham

**Birmingham** is a muckle ceety in Ingland, an is Ingland's seicont ceety. It haes a population o aboot 1,000,000 fowk.

## History
### Mercat Toun

Birmingham wis a wee veelage till it gat a chairter in the 12t century for tae hae a mercat, kent as the Bull Ring. That turnt Birmingham intae a thrang centre o troke. By the 13t century, Birmingham haed a thrang claith industry an aw. This growth in industry meant a growth in population, an by the 14t century it wis the thrid muckle maist toun in Warwickshire, ahint Coventry an Warwick.

### Centre O Industry

In the 16t century, Birmingham becam a centre o mony metalwark industries. This wis acause Birmingham wis by soorces o airn uir an coal. Than Birmingham stairtit tae mak wappens, like guns an swuirds. In the 17t century, thare wis e'en a Gun Quarter o Birmingham.

By the 18t century, Birmingham wis a major industrial toun. It becam a centre o the canal seestem an aw, that helpit the ceety to conteena it's industrial growth. Acause o it's mony industries it wis tae-named "The Warkshop o The Warld". 

In the 19t century, the first railwey in Birmingham wis biggit, the Grand Junction Railway that connectit Birmingham tae Liverpuil an Manchester. Suin efter, mair railweys wis biggit, connectin Birmingham wi Lunnon, Derby an Gloucester amang the lave. Birmingham becam kent as the "Ceety o a thoosand treds" as troke conteenad tae growe. Mony fowk frae Ireland cam to the ceety, increasin the population. Durin this time maist o the ceety centre wis rebiggit an leevin condeetions wis bettert.

### The Modren Ceety

Durin the 20t century, a hantle o the ceety haed to be rebiggit efter the blitz and slums wis cleared. Efter the war, thare wis a hantle immigration frae the Breetish Commonwealth, contreebutin to the diversity o the ceety. Thare wis forder immigration frae Ireland an aw, addin to the ceety's muckle Irish community. In the hindermaist 30 years, thare hiv been mony projects to regenerate the toun, the Naitional Exhibeetion Centre wis biggit in the 70s and in the 90s the Internaitional Convention Centre wis biggit. The Bullring Shopping Centre was opened in 2003, an nouadays Birmingham is a modren ceity.

## Sport

Birmingham's main sport is fitbaa, wi twa main teams, Aston Villa an Birmingham Ceety, an wi Wast Bromwich in Sandwell naur Birmingham. The Birmingham Derby is spielt atweesh Aston Villa an Birmingham Ceety.

Birmingham is the hame o Warwickshire County Cricket Club, that spiel thair gemmes at Edgbaston.

## Cultur an Airts

Birmingham haes produced mony baunds, like Electric Light Orchestra, Duran Duran and UB40. Birmingham is the hame o the Ceity o Birmingham's Symphony Orchestra an Birmingham's symphony hall is consideered ane o the best o the 20t century. The Naitional Indoor Arena, the Carling Academy and the Naitional Exhibeetion Centre aw host concerts an aw. Pairty in the Pairk is Birmingham's muckle maist muisic concerts, wi up tae 30,000 fowk gaun.

Thare hiv been mony famous leeterar fowk frae Birmingham. Authors an poets like W.V. Awdry, Edgar Guest an J.R.R. Tolkien as weel as contemporar authors an poets like Jonathan Coe an Benjamin Zephaniah.

Mony Comedians hiv cam frae Birmingham includin Tony Hancock, Jasper Carrott an Frank Skinner. Places like The Glee Club an The Birmigham Jongleurs are kenspeckle venues. Birmingham haes it's awn comedy festival, the Birmingham Comedy Festival, whilk begoud in 2001.

Mony airtists cam frae Birmingham, for ensaumple Edward Burne-Jones, David Cox an comtemporar airtists like Keith Piper an Pogus Caesar. Thare are mony airt venues throughout Birmingham, includin the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery an the Barber Institute of Fine Arts amang lave.

Aucht to mony different communities, thare are mony festivals in Birmingham, thare is a caribbean style Birmingham Internaitional Carnival, a muckle St George's Day festival an a St Patrick's Day parade, whilk is the thrid muckle maist St Patrick's Day paraud in the warld (efter Dublin an New York).

## Twin ceeties
Birmingham's sax offeecial twin ceeties are:
{|
| valign="top" |
* Chicago, Unitit States
* Frankfurt, Germany
* Johannesburg, Sooth Africae
* Leipzig, Germany
* Lyon, Fraunce
* Milan, Italy

;Freendship greement
* Guangzhou, Cheenae
* Mirpur, Pakistan

## References