I can understand what you say about the Bull Ring. I have not been there recently but remembering it as it was in the 1950s as you say it had flavour and vitality. Even the old fish market that had its roof destroyed in the war was ok by me I guess you become comfortable with what you know. There may have been Marshall Aid to fix Germany but it did not stretch far enough to fix the roof on the market. Anyway, the planners should be careful about what they destroy. In North
America they go out of their way to try to create the old English abode look. In fact when you come to the UK one of the things you notice is how refreshingly comfortable the old towns and houses appear. Some of the slums had to go though but I wonder how many fine buildings have bit the dust in the name of modernisation, when they could have been refurbished and included in the scheme of things. I used to visit the old reference library next to the town hall when I lived in Brum, but I notice that it is gone now. I don't know what it has been replaced with but I am sure that it would be impossible to come close to the wonderful Victorian architecture of the old building. In my opinion anyway.