About the venue

The meeting was hosted at the School of Mathematics, based on the leafy Edgbaston Campus of the University of Birmingham, which is set in 250 acres of parkland. The University is one of the UK's so-called red brick universities and accommodates in the region of 30,000 students. It is strongly research-driven, and is one of the founding members of the Universitas 21 group.

Old Joe [1]

At the heart of the campus is the University's striking 100 metre tall clock tower, affectionately known as "Old Joe", which is the tallest freestanding clock tower in the world. The surrounding Aston Webb Building is equally striking. There are a variety of impressive sculptures distributed across the campus, dating from 1717 to the present day and the University has its own Botanical Gardens. Additionally, the University houses the Barber Institute of Fine Arts which is rated by critics as one of the finest small art galleries in Europe, featuring works from the 13th century to the 20th century, to which admission is free. The Institute is based in one of the city's finest Art Deco buildings and, in addition to the galleries, houses a concert hall and a substantial coin collection.

The campus is also well equipped with many convenient facilities, including bars, cafés, shops and banks, and is also the only university campus in the UK to have its own railway station. This station means that Birmingham City Centre is within easy reach, with Birmingham New Street Station only eight minutes away.

Birmingham Library [2]

The city of Birmingham itself, commonly regarded as the UK's second city, has undergone massive rejuvenation in recent years. The architectural masterpiece Town Hall was reopened in October 2007 following a £35m renovation. The city is also home to the famous Bull Ring shopping centre, numerous museums, three universities, Europe's largest public library and Birmingham Symphony Hall, generally regarded to be one of the acoustically finest concert halls in the world. Birmingham is the original home of the Cadbury family and the place where the Cadbury chocolate brand was born, and also the home of the first cinema of the famous Odeon line.

The city is a picturesque one with more miles of canal running through it than Venice, and more parks than any other European city with over six million trees in total.

Narrowboats in Birmingham [3]