Birmingham:
The city of Birmingham is commonly known by its nickname Brum (from the local name Brummagem) and its people as Brummies. Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK by population, was at the heart of the UK's industrial revolution, and its wealth was built upon the multitude of trades developed as a result. The growth of factories and mills led to the need for a transportation network. The resut was a massive canal network, which gave Birmingham over 32 miles of canals: more miles of canals, in fact, than Venice.
Much of the city was destroyed during the Nazi Luftwaffe bombing of World War II. Postwar replacement buildings were hastily erected, utilitarian structures that added little in the way of beauty or charm to the city. Within the last ten years, Birmingham has undergone a radical change. The majority of the post war buildings have been replaced by appealing and harmonious architecture. Most of the city center is now pedestrianised, and the canals have been cleaned up and bordered by
