[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Birmingham, midway between Manchester and Bristol and [PARA]almost as far from the coast as it's possible to be in Britain, is [PARA]arguably the 2nd largest city in Britain. This depends on how you [PARA]count, because, together with the surrounding towns, the [PARA]Birmingham conurbation covers an expanse of land not small [PARA]even by the standards of London. [ITAL]Until recently, it was famous [PARA]for its urban splat and sprawl: platefuls of spaghetti junctions; [PARA]heaps of scrappy factories; and stagnant stews of fetid canals. [PARA]But now the city's moving on, moving up, developing and [PARA]redeveloping and consequently, with only a little hesitation, we [PARA]would actually go so far as to say it's an... an... attractive city[EITAL]. The [PARA]landscaped University Campus is about 21/2 miles from the [PARA]centre of Birmingham in Edgbaston in a little island of green trees[PARA]and grassy banks, close to an abundance of shops, pubs and [PARA]markets. The buildings are redbrick and red brick, although [PARA]there's some more modern concrete [ITAL]thrown in for bad measure[EITAL].[PARA]The campus is dominated by the Old Joe clock tower, nicknamed[PARA]after Chamberlain, who was a local hero turned politico.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]If variety is the spice of life, Birmingham University is the vindaloo.[PARA]Being a large University, the students are from a wide range of [PARA]backgrounds and, Birmingham, being a large city, provides a [PARA]varied foreground. Students are never short of distractions and [PARA]attractions whatever their whim.[EITAL][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 2,200,000 [BULL] London: 105miles [BULL] Manchester: [PARA]75miles [BULL] Bristol: 75miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Birmingham is best known for being ugly and run down - the [PARA]Handsworth Riots and the Birmingham Six (you can still visit the [PARA]pub they didn't blow up - The Tavern in the Town by the Odeon). [PARA]And there's the vowel-boiling accent sent up by everyone as the [PARA]hallmark of the typical ignorant oik and Frank Skinner.[EITAL][PARA][ITAL]But (courtesy of EC cash) Birmingham is on the up, like a [PARA]phoenix rising from the fag ash of the Industrial Revolution, [PARA]coughing and spluttering and spreading brand new space age [PARA]wings.[EITAL] The canals (of which there are more in Birmingham than [PARA]Venice) have been cleaned up. Grotty alleys have been cobbled [PARA]or paved and pedestrianised ([ITAL]and often dehumanised as a result[EITAL]).[PARA]The Broad Street area in the centre now has the New Convention[PARA]Centre, [ITAL]one of the best venues for miles with some of the best [PARA]acoustics.[EITAL] It has the Birmingham Rep Theatre, Ronnie Scotts [PARA]Jazz Club, a new indoor arena and a modern modish piazza full [PARA]of [ITAL]cache [EITAL]cafes and [ITAL]chic [EITAL]shops. Birmingham Museum and Art [PARA]Gallery has the kind of collection (particularly Pre-Raphaelites) [PARA]that turns Lloyd Grossman's drawl into a drool. The Sadlers [PARA]Wells Ballet has moved back to 'Brum' (as those who know it, [PARA]know it) and the D'Oyly Carte Opera has joined them here. The [PARA]Bull Ring shopping centre, [ITAL]the ugliest ever spewed onto Britain's [PARA]streets[EITAL], is destined for demolition and monstrosities are being [PARA]replaced by [ITAL]swish [EITAL]shopping centres like the Pallasades [PARA](incorporating New Street Station), the Pavilions and City Plaza, [PARA]which usually has a man playing Grand Piano at the bottom of [PARA]the escalator. [ITAL]If you haven't got the idea by now, the message is: [PARA]forget your prejudices, Brum is breaking into brilliance.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD][ITAL]Being the belly button of Britain, Brum is brilliantly placed [PARA]for rail links.[EITAL] Inter City links from London (1:40hrs, 3/hr) and just [PARA]about every city in the country all come into New Street Station, [PARA]from where there are 4 Cross-City Line trains every hour to the [PARA]University Station.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]National Express services to London (ú9.50, 2:30hrs, [PARA]1/hr), Manchester (ú7.00, 2:20hrs, 8/day), Leeds (ú12.00, 3hrs, [PARA]6/day), Bristol (ú9.50, 1:50hr, 7/day), Cardiff (ú11.25, 2.20hrs, [PARA]5/day), Stoke (ú4.75, 1hr, 7/day) and all over. Also West [PARA]Midlands Travel and London Liner.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] From the north-west and north Wales: M6, M54 and A41. [PARA]From the south-west and south Wales: M5, A38 and A456. From[PARA]London and south-east: M6 (to the M1), M40, A45. From [PARA]north-east: M42 and A38.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Birmingham International Airport, 9 miles from the campus to[PARA]the east of the city, operates flights to the USA, Europe and [PARA]Ireland as well as inland services.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Well located for branching out to the whole country - [PARA]plenty of traffic and a motorway ring road all round the city as a [PARA]launch pad. [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Bus services are very comprehensive, but all too often [PARA]crowded (especially in rush hour).[EITAL] [ITAL] However, while there are [PARA]plenty of services from the outskirts to the centre, it's quite [PARA]difficult to skirt the edge. [EITAL] They run late into the night and are quite[PARA]cheap (65-70p anywhere and ú6.50 for a 2 week pass). [PARA]Overground trains run around the city -[ITAL] they're faster than buses, [PARA]but more expensive and very unreliable. Not worth using, except [PARA]by students who live in Selly Oak.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The cowboy outfits are cheaper than the black cabs [PARA](minimum charge ú2) but when God invented taxis, she wasn't [PARA]thinking of students.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Routes are juggernaut jungles and a cyclist's life [PARA]expectancy has got to be about the same as James Bond's [PARA]girlfriend's. If a cyclist is lucky, their bike might well get nicked [PARA]first.[EITAL][ITAL][HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 2,895 22pts[BOLD][PARA]Commerce[EBOLD] 1,637 23pts[BOLD][PARA]Engineering[EBOLD] 1,876 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 632 26pts[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 1,333 24pts[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 2,631 21pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 2,000,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 5,000 [BULL] Study places: [PARA]1,770 [BULL] Computer workstations: 2,500[ESTAT][PARA]The Main Library is massive and there are various other faculty [PARA]libraries.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 6 full[BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): %[ESTAT][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Hilary Armstrong MP (Lab); Andy Comyn (footballer); Philippa [PARA]Forrester (Children's BBC presenter); Dr Lynne Jones MP (Lab); [PARA]Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran); Desmond Morris (author of [PARA]'Manwatching'); Ian Prosser (Chairman, Bass plc); Chris Tarrant [PARA](TV and radio presenter, who was severely chastened for killing [PARA]a noisy goose when he was a student); Sir John Vane FRS [PARA](nobel prize winner); Sir Peter Walters (Chairman, BP); Victoria [PARA]Wood (comedienne).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads. For ú1.50, an [PARA]alternative prospectus is available from the Guild.[PARA][PARA]
