By Keith Sellick

Birmingham, England's second city. The jewel of the Midlands, home of industry, canals, the bull ring, Baltis, and some other things.

So memorable is the city that the council has been advertising its merits with a photo of the other Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Now that Birmingham was named after the English one to emphasise its industrial qualities. It was also nicknamed "magic city", a moniker its English namesake definitely does not have.