[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Birmingham Polytechnic[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about Birmingham: [EBOLD]see [ULNE]University of [PARA]Birmingham[EULNE].[BOLD] [EBOLD]Perry Barr is not the name of one of Dr Who's [PARA]sidekicks. Instead it's an area of Birmingham 23/4 miles to the [PARA]north of the centre where UCE's main site is planted, but fewer [PARA]than 1/2 the students are here. It has 6 other sites around the city[PARA]centre and another out on a limb at Bournville. Sites differ in [PARA]atmosphere and looks as much as the Hilton and a Happy Eater -[PARA]from the [ITAL]elegant [EITAL]Victorian gothic College of Art in Margaret [PARA]Street to the brown brick and dark glass slab at Perry Barr. Over[PARA]the last few years, UCE has undergone the kind of face-lift that [PARA]would make Joan Collins jealous.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]UCE students complain of having a harder time with locals than [PARA]those at central Birmingham's other 2 universities, but they say [PARA]they like the city anyway and the factory full of fun it offers. As [PARA]for University facilities, there's the Union services and okay, so [PARA]they're limited, but that just broadens students' horizons. Doesn't [PARA]it? Maybe not, but it does mean they have to get out and explore [PARA]their city.[EITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Perry Barr:[EBOLD] (3,780 students - most courses) [ITAL]Despite being the [PARA]main site, it isn't all that big and its student are very business-like. [PARA]Perry Barr itself is a fairly scruffy, grubby part of the city [PARA](although the campus itself is a large enough and pleasant [PARA]enough island)[EITAL]. Its best features are a good number of local [PARA]shops, a greyhound stadium (opposite the campus) and a station [PARA]to get you out of there.[PARA][BOLD]Bournville: [EBOLD](art and design) 4 miles from the centre, near the [PARA]choccy factory, Bournville is one of 4 sites housing art and [PARA]design courses, and [ITAL]unsurprisingly, the students here are arty [PARA]and exciting[EITAL].[PARA][BOLD]Others: [EBOLD]Gosta Green (art and design), Westbourne Rd, [PARA]Edgbaston (education), Margaret St (art and design), the [PARA]Birmingham Conservatoire (music) and the Jewellery School in [PARA]the city's Jewellery Quarter [ITAL]which is turning touristy[EITAL]. The last [PARA]three are undergoing expansion and renovation on a big scale.[HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 2,200,000 [BULL] London: 105miles [BULL] Manchester: [PARA]75miles [BULL] Bristol: 75miles[ESTAT][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]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Books: 415,562 [BULL] Periodicals: 2,195 [BULL] Study places: 1,195 [PARA]Computer workstations: 780[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA]The main Kenrick Library is at Perry Barr with 5 specialist [PARA]libraries on other sites for the courses based there. There are [PARA]computer rooms at each faculty site (IBMs and Macs), all linked [PARA]through 1 network[ITAL].[EITAL][HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 4full [BULL] Unemployed after [PARA]6mths (1992): 10%[ESTAT][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Apache Indian (Bhangramuffin megastar); Alfred Bestall (Rupert [PARA]Bear's creator); Betty Jackson (fashion designer); Larry [PARA](cartoonist); Judy Simpson (one-time Olympic heptathlete, now [PARA]Nightshade in 'Gladiators').[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and part timers. For a student's [PARA]point of view, get a copy of the UCESU Handbook, intended for [PARA]freshers rather than applicants.
