Birmingham, Britain's second city lies at the heart of the United Kingdom and is easily accessible by train, plane or car. Birmingham International airport is only 10 minutes by train from the city centre and as the second city Birmingham is at the centre of the rail network and only an hour and 25 minutes from London by train.

As a dynamic international and cosmopolitan centre of business, culture and education, Birmingham has developed rapidly over the past few years, following the renovation of the historic areas of the city and exciting and visionary large-scale modern developments.

A city of cultural excellence and diversity Birmingham boasts: 6 city centre theatres, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, with an internationally renowned collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, The Barber Institute of Fine Art, the Ikon Gallery of Modern Art, Symphony Hall, home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the National Exhibition Centre, the National Indoor Arena, the International Convention Centre, The Birmingham Royal Ballet, Thinktank- the Birmingham Museum of Science and Discovery and many city centre multi - screen complexes.

Birmingham is also a centre of sporting achievement and activity and was the first city to be awarded National City of Sport status and in recent years has staged more world, European and national sporting championships than any other UK city. Birmingham also boasts Premier League football action from Birmingham City and Aston Villa, international cricket at Edgbaston and world athletics.

Shopping is a pleasure in Birmingham with a mixture of restored arcades, the world famous Jewellery Quarter, modern malls and old-fashioned markets. 2003 saw the opening of the Bullring complex, a state of the art shopping centre, housing the largest Selfridges outside of London and many other designer and high street stores.

Birmingham also has a vast array of restaurants that reflect the cosmopolitan mix of the city's population. Whatever your taste a choice of cuisines is on offer, from Chinese, Latin American, Thai, Indian and Mongolian to the finest French cuisines and the world renowned Indian Balti. One of the jewels in Birmingham's crown is the canalside area in the heart of the city, a wonderful place to relax and watch the world go by. Known as Brindley Place, it has a wide variety of bars and restaurants.The area gained international recognition with the 'Excellence on the Waterfront' award.