Archaeology, Birmingham & Warwickshire Archaeological Society Founded in 1870, BWAS promotes the study of archaeology and history in Birmingham, Warwickshire and West Midlands County by the investigation, preservation and restoration of local antiquities and historic buildings and by the publication of these activities in its Transactions.

Art - the website of Bob Speel This personal website is dedicated mainly to 19^th century British art, mostly Victorian, including painting, sculpture, illustration, some architecture, mainly to support the decorative sculpture pages, and a bit of pottery and so forth. The most useful part is the list of artists, which leads into the artists' biographies. Also useful, perhaps, are the pages to see art in London (sketchy) and elsewhere in England (less sketchy) – including Birmingham.

Art, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists The RBSA is one of the oldest art societies in the UK.

Autobiography, All the Days of my Life Brian David Williams turned 72 on the last day of July 2007. Born in Bordesley Green, all his life he was a diarist, penning some 3-4 million words. He later lived in Acocks Green. After "retiring" from the ministry in March 2001 he decided to type out the complete diary of his school years; later adding a few entries from each of the years before and since.

Back-to-Backs Birmingham - The National Trust Birmingham's last surviving court of back to back housing whose story is told through the experiences of the people who lived and worked here. The houses are set out in four periods from 1840 to 1977.

BBC Birmingham website includes a buildings and history section.

Beer - Campaign for Real Ale, Birmingham This website has been created to provide information on the activities of the Birmingham Branch of the Campaign For Real Ale, a voluntary organisation. CAMRA Birmingham holds regular Branch meetings, trips to pubs and breweries and other social events. It is part of a national organisation which aims to promote real ale and cider, as well as preserve the traditional British Pub.

Bell Ringing - St Martin’s Guild of Change Bell Ringers for the Diocese of Birmingham

Bell Ringing - Worcestershire & District Change Ringing Association

Bingley Hall There is a history of Bingley Hall by the late Bill Ainsworth of the Barr Local History Society available on Local History Online, the website of The Local History Press Ltd.

Birmingham, The Workshop of the World is being continuously updated, in particular the popular section on churches-more accurately, places of worship-now totalling over 200. There is also a page devoted to the cemeteries of Birmingham. The "Population" page is being developed, with historical data on the influx of Jews and Irish to the town. The "Synchronopsis" gives a timeline of the most important events in the town's history and is ongoing. The "Industries" page is the start of a trail through the major historical industries of the town-buttons, brass, jewellery and guns. New here is a transcription of Brass Founders and brass works from the Pigot Directories 1822, 1835 and 1943. The "Research" page is intended to help those starting out their own research but doing it from outside the UK as I am doing. It includes many useful online resources, as does the page of links. On the "Roads" page you will find, amongst other things, a streetfinder map of central and northern Birmingham together with an index and histories of over 350 street names. This personal site of Andrew Spencer has a genealogy focus.

Birmingham & Midland Institute BMI Founded in 1854, for ’the Diffusion and Advancement of Science, Literature and Art amongst all Classes of Persons resident in Birmingham and the Midland Counties. Located in an attractive Grade II listed building in the centre of Birmingham, the BMI pursues its own cultural and educational activities, including a wide-ranging programme of Arts and Science Lectures, exhibitions and concerts for its members and others. The BMI also includes The Birmingham Library, founded in 1779. Several independent societies are affiliated to the BMI including the Birmingham Philatelic Society, Moseley United Nations Association, Institute Ramblers, Birmingham & Warwickshire Archaeological Society, Alliance of Literary Societies, Birmingham Art Circle, Birmingham Water Colour Society, Midland Painting Group, Midland Spaceflight Society, Workers Educational Association, Dickens Fellowship, Olton Recorded Music Society, British Russian Society and the Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry. The Royal Institute of British Architects, Birmingham Film and Television Festival and Midland Co-operative Society are among its long-term tenants.

Birmingham Civic Society The main objectives of the Birmingham Civic Society are to ensure that Birmingham is an attractive city by working to stimulate interest and pride in the history and well being of the city, ensure high standards in planning, building and preservation, including the provision and use of public spaces, encourage developments designed to enhance the amenities of the city and its general prosperity.

Birmingham Grid for Learning The website of Birmingham Education Department. Historical content is aimed at school students, but much is useful for the general reader. William Dargue’s History of Birmingham on Your Doorstep is here, as are most of the historical-geography booklets of John Morris Jones.

Birmingham History Forum A valuable forum initially organised by Rod Birch, Keith Birch and John Houghton to which users can contribute items or ask for information. There are links to other local history websites including some hosted by the Webring itself. The site has recently (October 2009) changed hands and is now under the management of Jim Pritchard.

Birmingham Mail Forum - Birmingham Memories A similar site to that immediately above run by the Birmingham Mail newspaper. We've opened this section of the site up to try and harness all of those fantastic memories of Birmingham that we all have. It doesn't have to be way back, but just the city that YOU remember. Over time we'd like to develop almost a recent social history of the city in the words of those people who make up our beloved Birmingham. As with all sections it will only work if you guys and girls contribute. So it's over to you!

Birmingham, World Guides A commercial travel guide packed with information about the city.

Black History Month This site will celebrate Black History Month all year round. It will be regularly updated and used to educate, inform, and build confidence and to celebrate and share African and Caribbean history.

Black Oral History Project, Birmingham The project is housed at the Orchard Learning Resources Centre on the University of Birmingham Selly Oak campus. Formed by the merger of the Selly Oak Colleges Library and the Westhill College Library, it was opened in 1997 to provide IT, media and library services to the Federation of Selly Oak Colleges. Primarily theological, the Selly Oak Colleges are now part of the University of Birmingham.

Buildings - Gibbs and Canning Ltd was a terracotta works at Glascote, Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK. It produced a wide range of wares including pipes, bricks, sinks, vases and jars. When it finally closed the site was cleared and a housing estate built on parts of the grounds. There is now very little evidence left of the buildings, railways, clay and coal pits. I (Angella Streluk) am researching the works, with the emphasis being on the architectural terracotta. This was used in many famous buildings, and was used to good effect all over the world. Local examples appear on even humble buildings such as terraced houses and local shops. Interesting catalogue of Birmingham buildings with work by the firm.

Cadburys and Cadbury World Discover the history, the making and the magic of Cadbury World. Opened in 1990 it remains the only purpose built visitor centre in the UK devoted entirely to chocolate. Over 5 million people have visited since 1990.

Canals - Birmingham Canal Navigations Society The Birmingham Canal Navigations Society was originally formed as a registered charity in 1968. The Society aims continue to conserve, improve and encourage a wide range of interests in the 100 mile network of Birmingham and Black Country waterways known as the BCN.

Cars - Austin Memories The purpose of the site is to keep the Austin name alive. It will be dedicated to products which had the Austin name or were made at the Longbridge factory. Seems to be the personal site of John Baker.

Church, Anglican, Diocese of Birmingham The Church of England in Birmingham - everything about the Anglican Church in Birmingham.

Conservation Areas - Useful City Council documents with background and details of all the City's Conservation areas - Anchorage Road, Aston Hall, Austin Village, Barrnsley Road, Bournville Tenants, Bournville, Colmore Row, Digbeth, Edgbaston, Four Oaks, Harborne, High Street Sutton, Ideal Village, Jewellery Quarter, Kings Norton, Lee Crescent, Lozells, Moor Pool, Moseley, Northfield, Yardley, Ryland Road, St Agnes', St Augustine's, Scholl Road Hall Green, Steelhouse and Warwick Bar.

Conservation - Victorian Society, Birmingham & West Midlands The aims of the Victorian Society are threefold: to save and prevent needless destruction and alteration of buildings of architectural and historic interest, built between 1837 and 1914. to learn about Victorian and Edwardian architecture, to enjoy more about this fascinating and vital part of our past. Besides architecture, the Victorian Society covers all aspects of the culture, the decorative arts and history of the period. Members of the Victorian Society enjoy a wide range of talks and lectures, site visits, tours and walks.

Conservation Trust, Birmingham, a charity which exists 'to preserve and enhance Birmingham's threatened architectural heritage and to promote an enjoyment and understanding of the city's historic buildings'. Our projects secure the long-term future of buildings at risk, especially those that developers or larger charities and public bodies might ignore. We do this through combining imaginative new uses for the buildings with sensitive repairs. By working in partnership with others, the Trust creates attractive places to live, work and play. Current projects include Brandwood Cemetery and Newman Brothers coffin furniture factory; completed projects include the Birmingham Back-to-Backs and Station Road Cottages, Erdington.

Dunlop Tyres From the world of racing to the everyday road, Dunlop are committed to providing high-performance tyres. Dunlop engineers were the first to apply race tyre performance standards to tyres designed for everyday motoring. Whatever your tyre knowledge, this site offers straightforward information, interactive tyre search tools and a wealth of facts and advice.

Garages - Old Birmingham Garages The personal site of Bob Johnson - Memories of how buying petrol and getting your car serviced used to be.

Genealogy - Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry BMSGH, the principal family history society for the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire. This includes the areas of the old counties as they existed before the major boundary changes of the 19^th and 20^th Centuries, as well as the areas brought into them by those changes. The modern metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton (collectively known as the West Midlands) are within the area. The Society promotes, maintains, and encourages good practice, research, preservation of records, including transcription and publication), publication and dissemination of good practice, collaboration with other interested bodies in connection with genealogy and heraldry.

Genealogy - The Middlemores The Middlemores can be traced continuously in the neighbourhood of Birmingham to the early years of the fourteenth century, when we have mention of Simon de Middelmore, Roger de Middelmore, and John de Midelmore, who were living at Solihull, Tanworth, and Studley about the year 1329, and it therefore seems probable that the moor from which they derived their name was situated not far from Birmingham. Information about a notable local family.

Geology - Lapworth Museum The Lapworth Museum of Geology has the finest and most extensive collections of fossils, minerals and rocks in the Midland Region. The Museum dates back to 1880, and is one of the oldest specialist geological museums in the UK. Throughout its long history the Lapworth Museum has provided a valuable resource for students, schools and colleges, research workers, enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in, or desire to learn, about geology. The museum supports teaching and research in the Earth Sciences and natural history within the University and the West Midlands region.

Gun Barrel Proofhouse Established in 1813, by Act of Parliament, the Proof House was requested and obtained by the Birmingham gun trade at its own expense to ensure an independent compulsory proof test for their gun barrels. The purpose of the Proof House remains essentially unchanged and is able to offer many additional services to that of proof. Inside this historical & unique institute are assembled a store of documents and artefacts of real interest.

Guns - Webley & Scott, probably the oldest name in the British gun industry – able to trace its origins back to 1790 when William Davies started making bullet moulds in his factory in Birmingham. The company gained a worldwide reputation for high quality guns of all types.

Heritage - Birmingham Heritage Website for Birmingham Heritage Forum, a voluntary association of public and private groups and individuals interested in the heritage of Birmingham. Gives details of sites in and around Birmingham.

Housing, UK Housing Wiki The UK Housing Wiki is a collaborative encyclopedia, aiming to provide a detailed account on council housing in the United Kingdom in the interwar period, post-World War II period and present day. This includes council estates, private estates, tower blocks, tower block construction methods and pioneers in residential property construction - Birmingham Index.

Industrial history - Made in Birmingham Birmingham was not only known as the workshop of the world but the world's first industrial town. It was said of Birmingham that you could find anything being made, from an anchor to a pin! The aim of the site is to publish brief histories of each company featured but we welcome contributions from people who either worked or were connected with a particular industry or company. This is a non-profit making community site run on a part-time basis.

Industry - The Life & Times of Thornley & Knight Ltd, a website dedicated to the history of a family-run business. Thornley & Knight Ltd. was founded in 1797 at premises in Lionel Street, Birmingham, England for the purpose of Varnish manufacture. The company progressed, developing many decorative coatings culminating in a vast range of Tekaloid Automotive Products, becoming famous and respected throughout the world for quality and durability. This short history attempts to record the development of the company and depict some of the local, national and international events that have helped to shape Britain's present-day environment.

Jewish Birmingham This is the website for the Representative Council of Birmingham and Midland Jewry. It contains all the information about Jewish life in Birmingham, UK. It should be a valuable source of information for everyone, members of the community, students studying in Birmingham, and visitors! Information is available here on every aspect of our community- the synagogues, welfare organisations, educational bodies, kosher outlets, communal security, youth organisations, charitable groups, and all other societies and trusts.

Local History Association, Birmingham & District BDHLA, formerly known as the Birmingham & District Association of Local History Societies, was founded in 1987 to provide an umbrella group for the growing number of local history societies in and around the city. They are best known for producing the highly acclaimed local history journal, Birmingham Historian, fast approaching its 20th issue, and a quarterly newsletter with all the latest news and events from the region. On the website: a diary of forthcoming local history events, photos from past events organised by BDLHA, a comprehensive list of local societies, with links to their individual websites, a list of companies and organisations who supply or provide access to local history materials, a page of links to other websites which have information on the locality.

Local oral history - Carl Chinn’s Birmingham Lives An extensive collection of living memories recorded in speech and written testimony and photographs. Easy to use Search facility. BirminghamLives is about you, whoever you are, whatever you do, however you fit into Birmingham’s story. It is about your experiences, old and new; your family, young or old; and your community and our shared cultures. BirminghamLives has developed from the wonderful material collected by Professor Carl Chinn MBE, through his Birmingham People’s History Archive. The enthusiasm of the people of Birmingham has resulted in Carl receiving thousands of photographs, film, sound recordings, original documents such as letters and diaries, and personal stories of life in Birmingham. This material is now being used to increase access to your heritage through the Internet. Working with Carl Chinn, South Birmingham College, Birmingham Grid for Learning, Netmedia Education, and in partnership with Community Heritage Curators, volunteers and the local community, BirminghamLives aims to raise awareness of the cultural heritage that has shaped Birmingham. Thanks to the wholehearted belief in this project of South Birmingham College, BirminghamLives now has a full-time curator who will catalogue the collection and put it onto the BirminghamLives website. Together we want to build a record of, and share in, the personal and communal histories of the people of Birmingham. The many cultures that make up Birmingham have created a cultural heritage unique to us. BirminghamLives is a new way of accessing, learning from and expressing that heritage and telling our story.

Mint - Cartwheel Twopence Coins Information about Matthew Boulton & James Watt’s famous coins on a commercial coin-dealing website.

Mint, Birmingham Mint The Birmingham Mint is the UK's leading supplier of bright semi-proof medals for Sports Events, Commemorations and Corporate Gifts. The Birmingham Mint has over 200 years experience in this field and exports to more than 85 countries world-wide.

Money - A Ramble 'Round Old Birmingham This is a "missing chapter" from an early draft of Professor Selgin's book, ‘Good Money', the true and remarkable story of private coinage and banking in Britain in the early years of the Industrial Revolution 1775-1850. The chapter takes the form of a walk round Birmingham on a day in 1829.

Muslim Birmingham A website with a wide variety of information about Muslim Birmingham. The owner of the website is not identified.

Open Spaces Forum, Birmingham BOSF Birmingham Open Spaces Forum is a network organisation that aims to bring together all the people in Birmingham with an interest in open spaces. An Open Space is any space that a community regards as a green area, accessible to the local community. This includes: parks, allotments, nature reserves, country parks, cemetries, wildlife corridors, playing fields. BOSF is for any group in Birmingham working to promote and develop an open space. This includes: friend's groups community groups residents' associations neighbourhood forums environmental projects and groups professionals working in open spaces.

Pens - Birmingham Pen Trade Heritage Association Birmingham was the centre of the world pen trade for more than a century, employing thousands of people, and pioneering craftsmanship, manufacturing processes and employment opportunities for women. The availability of cheap pens enabled the development of education and literacy throughout the world. The Birmingham Pen Trade Heritage Association is working to ensure that this important part of Birmingham's history receives the recognition it deserves. Andy Doherty’s personal website.

Photographs - Birmingham past & present A collection of interesting photographs taken from the 1960s on the personal site of Keith Berry - mainly the City Centre, Aston and nearby districts. Also here are some pf Birmingham University lecturer, the late Phyllis Nicklin. A fuller collection is also available at http://62.105.110.193/extras/public.bhtml?library=10032 .

Sadly Keith Berry died in January 2009.

Photographs - Birmingham Picture Library BPL - Professional commercial photography of Birmingham and the West Midlands - high-quality imaginative photographs for sale.

Photographs - City Centre Quirky photographs and comments - Euphoria is the invisible city. It is glimpsed momentarily, through the haze of mediocre urban existence generated by bus windows and sandwich lunchtimes on park benches. It is the city of the future that whispers of its past, the city that revolves around a Paradise Circus. Euphoria is the city in which serene cloisters are hidden amongst derelict underpasses, traffic islands are built upon ancient burial grounds, and office workers dream of utopia. The site was set up with a grant by West Midlands Arts and is a product of Joyfeed, which seems to be an arts organisation, though with an anonymous membership.

Photographs - flickr Birmingham group Modern photographs of the City contributed by members. Includes separate groups for certain districts eg. Bournville, Kings Norton, Sutton Park.

Photographs - Photo by D J Norton The personal site of Mark Norton, son of D J Norton, an amateur photographer of the 1950s and -60s. Many photographs are railway- and tram-related and many were taken during the development of the Inner Ring Road. The author is developing the site with his own photographs especially of the changing City Centre. Also here is a collection of photographs by Leonard Stace and the Geoff Thompson Archive.

Photographs - Birmingham Daily Photo This is a photographic blog by an author named Shutterspy, an interesting collections of places with B postcodes. Seems to have been out-of-use since 2008.

Photographs - Geograph British Isles This project aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The photographs may be searched by inputting a postcode (the first part is sufficient), grid reference or placename. Sponsored by The Ordnance Survey and linked to their maps and to Google Earth. See the Birmingham photographs.

Photographs - Photoaddiction A website of interesting photographs of derelict places by Michael Scott.

Postcards of the Past - Birmingham A collection of postcards over 50 years old - other towns available. The personal site of Dave Gregory.

Postcard World The commercial site of Deryk and Brenda ? for the sale of postcards - includes a good viewable selection of Birmingham postcards to buy.

Joseph Priestley and the Birmingham Riots Article by jreuter of Portland University, Oregon

Publishers - Alton Douglas is best known as the author of a host of best-selling books using local photographs of Birmingham: The War Years: Birmingham at War, Birmingham: Back to the Forties, Birmingham: Back to the Fifties, Birmingham: Back to the Sixties, Birmingham: Back to the Seventies, The Birmingham Scrapbooks, Birmingham in the Thirties, Birmingham in the Forties, Birmingham in the Fifties, Birmingham in the Sixties, Birmingham in the Seventies, Memories of Birmingham: 100 Hundred Years of Photographs, Birmingham: A Look Back, Birmingham at Play, Birmingham at Work, Birmingham Remembered: A Centenary Celebration.

Publishers - Heartland Press Heartland Press is a modest publishing house set up in 1991 by historians Ray Shill and Ian Minter to produce quality local history and industrial archaeological titles. Recent publications have concentrated on the West Midlands, but there are other long-term projects which will deal with subjects elsewhere in Britain. Heartland Press is truly a home grown enterprise, with its roots fixed firmly in the "Heartlands" area.

Publishers - Tempus Publishing Founded by Alan Sutton in 1993, Tempus’ first years were spent producing Local History titles, principally books of old photographs on towns and villages. During the 1990s, the list diversified. We produced our first books in our acclaimed Archaeology list, as well as books on more general history subjects. Other highly successful areas of publishing now include Transport, Military, Industrial Heritage and Sports History. Local History remains the bedrock of publishing output with 1500 titles now published.

Publishers - Tindal Street Press One of the smallest publishers ever to reach the Man Booker Prize shortlist, Tindal Street Press provides a national and international platform for talented new writers from the English regions. Strong contemporary novels and short stories make for a varied, appealing list.

Rail Around Birmingham This site is intended for those who have a keen interest in local history and the region's railway history. Although the site is 'Rail Around Birmingham' the author has chosen his boundary to suit areas that interest him. His aim is to visit the site of every disused station and operational station in the area as a snapshot of the current state of the railways in the West Midlands.

Railways, Disused, an offshoot of The Railway Station Gallery. This site aims to provide pictures of various disused stations, formations, structures and routes from all over the UK. Personal website of the ?author.

Roman Roads, Birmingham, Project A site run by Peter Leather of Birmingham University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning about the Roman Roads around Birmingham, which the Birmingham Roman Roads Project has been studying since 1994.

Skyscraper City Seems to be the personal website of Jan Klerks in Rotterdam. Lots of information on tall buildings with members contributions. Skyscraper City - Birmingham

Television - ATV A tribute website to ATV, a fondly-remembered and popular broadcaster, operating from 1955 until 1981, at which time, as a condition of keeping their franchise, they had to more reflect the Midlands in their programmes and name, and became Central on 1st January 1982.

Theatres and Music Halls, Birmingham Pictures of Birmingham's theatres on Matthew Lloyd's website devoted to his great grandfather, music hall artist Arthur Lloyd 1839-1904 - arthurlloyd.co.uk.

Transport Museum, Wythall - Birmingham & Midlands Motor Omnibus Trust BAMMOT The website of the Transport Museum, Wythall, situated in north Worcestershire, just south of Birmingham. The Museum has extensive collections of buses, battery electric vehicles and a miniature steam railway which operates on our special operating days. Amongst the collection there are over 80 buses and coaches including the biggest collection of Midland Red vehicles, plus vehicles from former Birmingham, West Bromwich, Walsall and Wolverhampton Corporations and WMPTE.The web site is designed to tell you about the museum, our collections and operating days.

University of Aston in Birmingham

University of Birmingham & Birmingham Archaeology As one of the leading independent archaeological practices in the UK Birmingham (University) Archaeology aims to provide assistance and support for organisations within the construction industry. An experienced project manager with a clear understanding of the requirements and needs of each development personally oversees each piece of work from start to completion.

University, Birmingham City University, formerly the University of Central England

Urban Country Lanes Stephen Battey’s personal website. Urban country lanes are the original rural roads that have survived urbanisation. As developers advance a city piece-by-piece, estate-by-estate, sometimes the roads on the edges of each new development are overlooked and so fragments of the countryside can be found deep within the heart of a city. This web-site aims to track down urban country lanes in cities across the UK. With the help of people across the country I hope to develop a database of all urban lanes, their locations and where-ever possible, photos of the throughfares. The author started the project by discovering the country lanes of South Birmingham.

Virtual Brum One of the first ports of call for Birmingham history with hundreds of photographs, past and present, local history articles and the home of the Acocks Green Local History Society’s exemplary website. The site is the personal project of the late Peter Gamble and funded by advertising. A sister site BirminghamNet, is a new website developed by VirtualBrum. designed to be a replacement for the site that has been enjoyed by over one million visitors since it was first started in 2000. Not all the content has yet been added, but like the VirtualBrum, site it will grow gradually. This site, which is also the website of Peter Gamble, contains articles and photographs and appears to be primarily sponsored by the hotel trade.

Sadly since Peter's untimely death in 2008 the site is no longer available.