Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter
One of the things I most enjoy about housesitting is that I end up in delightful places (Appledore, Lapworth, Lens, Quillan) I’d never heard of and would never have visited if it hadn’t been for Trusted Housesitters . Similarly, I would normally have avoided a big, industrial city like Birmingham if I hadn’t needed to be here for a dental appointment, and that would have been a shame as the city has some hidden gems. Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter was the centre of Great Britain’s jewellery trade for over 200 years. At one point, over 80% of the country’s jewellery was fashioned in this one small neighbourhood, along with buttons , pens , and coffin fittings . In 1913, there were 70,000 people employed in precious metals businesses. It was a self-contained community of goldsmiths and silversmiths where everyone knew everyone else and relied on each other’s specialist skills. There were no outsiders so 14-year-old girls could safely take valuable jewellery to the post o...