That’s until you heard someone talk of course with that very distinctive Brummie accent. Gone are the images you would recall from those old black and white movies of wafts of black acrid smoke billowing out of lines upon lines of factories. Today’s Birmingham, cleaned up and smoke free, is trying to change its image from an industrial hub of the Midlands to a centre for tourism.

Urban planners are tirelessly trying to regenerate the city centre with lots of wide open spaces and recreational areas. The canal, originally an artery for the industrial revolution, has become a major attraction for leisure seekers from the city and all around. The bars and restaurants that line its banks make for comfortable stopping points on what could be a really enjoyable medium-to-long stroll.

Eating out in Birmingham is an experience that gives the lie to the story that England isn’t somewhere you can eat well. Apart from the canal-side places, the city has pubs and restaurants vying for the custom of the thousands who head towards the centre for its thriving night-life. Indian food, Thai food, and Italian food: it’s all here ready to be sampled.

Within reach of Birmingham are places that echo with the sound of English culture through the centuries. Stratford upon Avon is where Shakespeare was born and eventually bumped into his future wife, Anne Hathaway. Her charming cottage is open for visitors and is worth a look.

The countryside vies with the city as an attraction in itself. The rolling Cotswolds have village after village that could be – and often are – subjects of postcards from England, with their village greens and ponds that are characteristic of country living.

You might have thought Bourneville was the name of a rather good dark chocolate, until you spot the sign pointing to the village of that name. Here Cadbury, the downfall of dieters the world over, have their factory, to which they’ve added “Cadbury World”, where visitors can witness the entire process of creating the confection of the gods.

Maybe Birmingham’s biggest attraction is the Bull Ring. On first hearing the name one would think one might be about to encounter a matador, or at least a great peppered steak. But no, at the Bull Ring you get shops, a few more shops and then some more shops. It’s said to be Europe’s largest shopping centre, very conveniently situated within a short stroll of the city centre. While you’re in the Bull Ring area and get a bit tired of shopping, worth a visit is the Back-to-Back Houses Museum. Be warned, there are steps, steps and a few more steps. The museum gives an interesting look at the area that defined those black and white films.

Slap bang in the centre of town is the massive NEC convention centre used in 1998 to host the G8 summit, now used as a space for musical concerts and large and not so large conferences all set in a giant steel and glass auditorium.