Things you didn't know about... West Bromwich

West is West (unless it's East)
West Bromwich is divided into the parliamentary constituencies of West Bromwich East and West Bromwich West, the latter once represented by Labour MP Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons.

West Bromwich football club Strolled into existence
West Bromwich Albion began as a works team at Salter's Spring Works in 1878, and the next year named itself the Strollers after the team walked to nearby Wednesbury to buy a ball.

It wasn't until 1880 that the team named itself West Bromwich Albion. In 1900 it moved to The Hawthorns, which claims to be the highest football ground in the English league at 165 m (551 ft) above sea level. Their nickname "The Baggies" comes from the very large shorts they sported.

West Bromwich is rock 'n' roll
Robert Plant, lead singer and songwriter with Led Zeppelin, was born in West Bromwich on 20 August 1948. Phil Lynott, leader of Thin Lizzy, was also born in the town, exactly one year later.

Unsung local hero gets West Bromwich monument
Hollywood leading lady Madeleine Carroll, who was born in West Bromwich, gave up a glittering movie career in 1943 after her sister was killed in the Blitz during World War II. She volunteered for the Red Cross, and later campaigned on behalf of children for Unicef. She was awarded France's L?gion d'Honneur and presented with America's Medal of Freedom by President Harry S Truman. In 2007 a commemorative monument was unveiled in the town of her birth.

St George rides high in West Bromwich parade
West Bromwich is said to host England's largest St George's Day celebrations. Organisers estimate that some 25,000 people attend the annual march and fun day every April. The free event, now run by Sandwell Council, began as a neighbourhood activity in the Stone Cross area of the town in 1999.

Courting couples can thank West Bromwich
The now-defunct Tower Cinema in West Bromwich was fitted with double seats specially designed for courting couples.

Tamworth pig is championed in West Bromwich
The Tamworth Breeders Club, which promotes the Tamworth pig—thought to be the purest English breed—is based in West Bromwich. The breed made front-page news in 1998 when the so-called Tamworth Two—"Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Pig"—went on the run after escaping from a Wiltshire abattoir.