Rubery and Rednal in south Birmingham provide residents with a quieter place to live in Birmingham - while still being within a short distance from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
Located on the edge of Birmingham, Rednal is near some lovely green spaces, with the popular rural Lickey Hills Country Park is just a mile and a half south of the neighbourhood, with Rednal Hill being the nearest peak.
Former clay mining pits, later flooded and known locally as 'The Marl Holes', now make up the Callowbrook Park in Rubery, which, alongside St Chads Park, is also one of the two main parks in the village.
Great Park is also in Rubery and is home to the Omniplex Cinema as well as the Hollywood Bowling alley. The two south Birmingham neighbourhoods have also been home to very famous people over the years
We’ve decided to have a look at the famous faces of the two south Birmingham neighbourhoods. We have included people who were either born in the neighbourhoods or who have lived there.
Let’s take a look:

1. JRR Tolkien
Author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien lived at Fern Cottage in Rednal at the age of 12, when his mother died there in 1904. The young Tolkien also walked widely on the hills of the Lickey Hills as a youngster Photo: © BBC

2. Charles Dance OBE
Acting star Charles Dance is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. He made his feature film debut in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. He starred in The Crown and also played Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. He lived on Leach Green Lane in Rednal for a period as a child. | Getty

3. Martin Duffy
was an English musician who played keyboards with Felt and Primal Scream in the 90s. He was born in Birmingham and grew up in Rednal. Duffy also played with The Charlatans following the death of founding member Rob Collins, appearing with the group at Knebworth supporting Oasis in 1996 after learning all the group's songs in three week. Duffy died on 18 December 2022, at age 55. The cause of death was given as a brain injury suffered after a fall at home in Brighton | Getty

4. Garry Cook
The current CEO of Birmingham City used to live in Rubery. The childhood Blues fan also worked for Manchester City between 2008 and 2011 and Nike between 1996 and 2008 and for UFC between 2012 and 201 | Getty Images Photo: Getty