deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

Birmingham colloquially known as Brum, is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West Midlands metropolitan county, and approximately 4.3 million in the wider metropolitan area. It is the largest UK metropolitan area outside of London. Birmingham is commonly referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom.

Historically a market town in Warwickshire in the medieval period, Birmingham grew during the 18th century during the Midlands Enlightenment and during the Industrial Revolution, which saw advances in science, technology and economic development, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791, it was being hailed as “the first manufacturing town in the world”.

Being ‘the second city’ of England is is the source of interesting cultural and political diversity. It is the home of the first football ‘league’ in England, with the idea of town teams competing against each other. It’s Aston Villa FC is in the Premier League now. The British Music scene would be nothing without Birmingham musicians. Names such as Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osborne, Stevie Windwood, Traffic, The Moody Blues, The Electric Light Orchestra, Duran Duran and Led Zeppelin all hailed from Birmingham.

The flag first came to my attention because a group of dissidents who opposed Prime Minister Boris Johnson ‘co-opted’ the flag for use during their anti Johnson rally’s. I also found it interesting to see a city flag from a different country that was well designed and aesthetically pleasing.

The story of the current flag is also a great story. In 2015 the city council held a contest to design a new flag. The winner was an 11 year old who submitted the flag that was adopted.

The ‘Lesser’ Coat of Arms shows where the designer borrowed his color scheme from. The bull is a recognition to the importance and significance of the Market in the city.