The West Midlands region is largely based in and around Birmingham, Britain's second largest city.  However, it also covers a wide and diverse geographical area, ranging from Hereford in the south, to Stoke on Trent in the north. The region produced the first English bicycle in 1870 and, in 1895, Britain's first, 4-wheel, petrol car. Birmingham itself, of course, is reputed to have more miles of canals (pictured above) than Venice .

The region covers a large section of the English Midlands, extending from the industrial city of Coventry in the east to the more rural delights of Shrewsbury in the west.

The city of Birmingham itself is a dynamic hub with a huge range of cultural and sporting centres, restaurants and leisure facilities. Importantly, it has excellent communication and transport links with the rest of the UK. It often comes as a surprise to people that the countryside in the East Midlands, far from being destroyed by heavy industry, actually provides some of the most attractive rural landscape in the UK.

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