9 Definite Signs You Grew Up In Birmingham

If you grew up in the amazing city of Birmingham, England, I’m sure you know this city like the back of your hand. Here are 9 signs you definitely grew up in Birmingham:

1) Hanging around in Pigeon Park.

Everyone that grew up in Birmingham will remember hanging out in pigeon park. Everyone went through an emo stage and the best place to meet your fellow emo’s and goths was at pigeon park while you sat around graves whilst listening to deep thrash metal music and reapplying dark black eyeliner. Even if you weren’t an emo, you’d still go and catch some rays there.

2) People trying to do your accent.

Everyone else in the UK loathed the Birmingham accent with some participating in a vote that they’d rather have Chlaymidia than a ‘brummy accent’. You’d hate anyone who after you told them you’re from Birmingham, they mimicked you – ‘I’m from Buuuuuurrrrrrmingham’. Seriously none of us actually talk like that!

3) The Oasis.

Whilst going through your emo phase back when you were 14,  the Oasis was like heaven for your gothic style. It was your favourite place to get a new weird piercing, a stretcher for your ears a black top with ‘All time Low’ scrawled on the front of it, or to get some knee high black leather boots that you could co-ordinate with your skinny black jeans and black leather jacket.

4) Visits to the German Market.

It was like Christmas had come early when the German Market came to Birmingham in early November. You visited nearly every week to get your daily dose of pretzels, chocolate coated marshmallows and trying to look old enough to be able to buy a massive pint of beer, some mulled wine or some Baileys hot chocolate.

5) Getting annoyed with people that claim they live in Birmingham but don’t.

“Whereabouts you from?” you ask people. “In Birmingham” they reply. “Which part?” You ask. They answer with “Oh Cannock, but no one’s ever heard of Cannock so I just say Birmingham because everyone knows Birmingham and it’s technically Birmingham isn’t it? ” They weren’t a true Brummy and that would really annoy you.

6) Those ‘Brummy’ phrases that nobody else understood

Growing up as a teenager, you used several Birmingham phrases that only you and your fellow brummy friends would understand. You’d forget that they were unique to Birmingham and always looked puzzled when everyone else couldn’t quite understand what a ‘peng ting’ was or what on earth ‘sound as a pound’ actually meant.

7) Trying to convince people that Birmingham is actually a nice place.

Everyone assumes that people from Birmingham are thick and that Birmingham is a rough place to live full of chav’s and thugs. You try and convince people that there are nice places in Birmingham – “Edgbaston is lovely” and “Have you visited the mailbox?” but you’re not convincing enough, everyone associates Birmingham with thugs and rioting and it’s apparently awful accent…

8) The Iconic Bull statue outside the bullring.

You’d get fed up of visiting the bull ring and seeing tourists taking selfies next to the Bull statue or some foreign exchange students trying to climb on it to get a good pic for their Instagram. You’d roll your eyes wondering why on earth you’d want a picture of a bloody bull on your phone and why on earth it was so famous.

9) Hanging around in the Birmingham library.

The Birmingham library was iconic for its beautiful interior design, its lovely views and a place to keep warm when it was tipping it down. You spent countless hours in there taking pretty pictures of the view on the roof on a sunny summer day or in the winter, taking a snooze in the cozy chairs on the bottom floor or just chilling with your mates.

If you grew up in Birmingham, drop some of your fondest memories below!

featured image source: weheartit.com