Birmingham in the 2000s: The life and times of Brummies in the noughties in 36 pictures

It's fair to say that there's a prevailing opinion that everything seemed better 10 to 20 years ago. 

Although some things have changed for the better, it certainly feels as though things were in a better place in the early 2000s. The noughties, from 2000 to 2010, saw the rise of the internet, which grew from covering 6.7% to 25.7% of the world population, and in the UK, it was a decade that saw the birth of reality television, Facebook, modern day indie music, and Labour governments.

In Birmingham, the city set about more updates to our ever-changing cityscape. The Mailbox opened in 2000, followed by Millennium Point and the shiny new Bullring. Our food even won the city’s first Michelin star! 

You could enjoy a drink in Mechu, one of Birmingham's most glamorous bars, eat at Glynn Purnell's Michelin-star winning Jessica's restaurant in Edgbaston, or party in Digbeth's CODE nightclub. Birmingham's city centre has undergone big changes since then, for the better, but many Brummies will still miss these old Birmingham venues.

During the decade, shopping went seriously upmarket when the Mailbox opened in December 2000, bringing all the designer labels to Brum in Harvey Nichols. Selfridges followed in 2003. IMAX cinema opened in 2001 at Millennium Point and closed 10 years later, although the building still hosts occasional themed nights.

We've taken a look back over the decade with pictures of the era in Birmingham