I was born in the 2nd city of Scotland and was exported to the 2nd City of England where my mother and her 2 sisters and 1 brother lived at 4 years old. My aunts were in the Odeon New Street with their boyfriends watching different films the night of the Birmingham Pub Bombings, the panic and hysteria has echoed through the next generation of Brummie's who live with a city that had our security ripped away from us in one night, even going out in the 80's and 90's my mother still used to warn me not to go up that town for fear of me not coming home? Birmingham BIG CITY - BAD CITY? no -v London or Manchester or Glasgow? Big citys all have problems, our councils create the ghettos not the people, the people try and live in harmony, and I travel the UK on a weekly basis, I see many citys and towns, Birmingham people have a warmth and directness to them. I grew up in a warm scottish irish and brummie family, my uncle Jimmy Walpole played in a band called Lazy day in the 60's my mom went to st vincents RC in saltley and the family lived in Cato street till they knocked it down for industrial units in the 70's! My uncle who had charlie grimmer as his drummer and knew ozzie ozborne from local aston jam's had a great career in music in Birmingham and 20 years on, I have also enjoyed listening to some fine live music around the jewellery quarter, black country, sutton coldfield,Solihull, the yardbird in the City centre is one of the hearts of Birmingham? Perhaps you dont know Birmingham so well? I know the north side of Birmingham well, and I have to say I dont feel like the youth are ruining it for the old people! I have a 22 year old son who has grown up in sutton coldfield, my aim was to teach him how to be a nice person, mission accomplished, I did this in a Birmingham Nursery,A Birmingham Primary school, A Birmingham College and then he secured a job - in Birmingham! I gave the right message at home, not everyone does, this isnt a Birmingham problem, its a problem with the way we connect with the youth of today maybe? They are misunderstood, and not just in BIRMINGHAM. We live in the 2nd city - one that is ALWAYS over looked for financial support over Manchester/Leeds/London, we dont have the huge football investment money that manchester do, although we do finally get our new train station - And doesnt she look lovely all shiny like the darlek spots on the selfridges building! Love it bring it on Birmingham its time to grow, there will always be channel 4 documentarys about a whole street of dole scrowngers and a day in the life - its great (its middle class lets go watch the elephants in the zoo stuff really) I feel sorry for those who cant help themself - Birmingham is a great city for opportunitys and I dont believe the bad press - its no worse than any other city with a poulation of 1,085,400 ! We have intigration immigration issues with gangs,drugs,same as any other city, what we need is more jobs, more money - our football teams to win so huge investors want to think of us as the 2nd city that we are, where are all the cranes on the Birmingham skyline? Where are all the Birmingham Skyscrappers? (Well done to BAM who are building a big one for us right opposite st martins and selfridges - The Beorma Quarter - Beorma (saxon king who gave Birmingham its name!) Brummies are the HEART of this city - go and find some real ones - who work hard, play hard and love life instead of the scum that all citys have in the uk - if you dont love Birmingham its because you havent visited the right places, we had over 3 million visitors to the German market this year, and its such a well organised event, there was ice skating outside the new library, the ICC is about to get a new face lift and our lovely wheel all lit up for christmas was as pretty as a picture. Go for a walk down the canal to the Cube and have something tasty at Marco Pierre white or Rodizio Rico or just go shopping in Bull ring and have a burger king or better still "Urban Pie" or wagamma or Jamie oliver's place - Birmingham has some great places, upmarket curry go to Akbars (i liked it better as Libertys lol but great curry great service) or if you want just a good curry then I know a great place in moseley - I mean Moseley, what a great little villiage for some real brummies - love that night out too, and live music - well Ocean colour...need I say more?THANKS!! Up the Brummies x