About Wolverhampton

The midlands city of Wolverhampton, location of the country's first ever traffic lights, made it's name during it's industrial past - rich coal seams in the local bedrock brought much of the region's wealth - and this heritage can still be seen in the still-functional network of canals that criss-crosses the area.

In fact the network is said to have more miles of canal than Venice. Although much of it's industry has long since left to greener (and cheaper) pastures, Wolverhampton is still a vibrant city with hi-tech, retail and service industries filling the void.

Culturally the city has a rich history being, as it is, the birthplace of 70's glam-rock icons Slade, as well as Drum and Bass pioneer, Goldie, and soul-diva, Beverley Knight.

Wolverhampton also boasts a number of music venues, with capacities of anything up to several thousand, and consequently has a blossoming live music scene to rival any of it's more illustrious neighbours. A number of theatres - such as the Grand and the Arena - and cinemas populate the centre of town, as well as several arts venues, but the Wolverhampton Art Gallery is perhaps the best-known, housing the biggest collection of Pop-Art in the country.

There city is the proud home to the imposing Molineux stadium, inaugurated in 1877, today home to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. One of the oldest clubs in the game, founder member of the original football league, 'Wolves' - as they are known to their fans - have enjoyed an illustrious past with league and cup trophies from their heyday in the 50's.

In more recent years, however, the team have seen harder times yo-yoing up and down the divisions, including a season in the Premiership, but now they ply their trade in the Championship.