Maypole, Birmingham facts for kids

The Maypole, Birmingham is a place located on the southern edge of Birmingham, England. It sits between areas called Druids Heath and Highter's Heath. It also borders the Bromsgrove area in Worcestershire. In 2011, about 2,260 people lived there.

Getting Around The Maypole

The Maypole is well-connected to other places. Major roads like the A435 road and the M42 are nearby. The A435 connects to the M42 at junction 3. This junction is also close to the M5 and M40 motorways.

The Maypole is about 7 miles south of Birmingham city centre. You can easily get to the city centre using the 50 bus route. This bus runs through The Maypole. It ends near the Selfridges building in the city centre. The 50 bus is very frequent, arriving every 5 minutes.

You can also reach Solihull by taking the 49 bus route. This bus runs every 20 minutes. It also goes in the other direction to Cotteridge. Another bus, route 2, runs every 20 minutes to Yardley Wood.

Shops and Services

The Maypole area has many useful shops and services. You can find banks and places to buy food. These local amenities help serve the people living in the area.

A famous person who grew up here is Alan Smith. He was a well-known football player for Arsenal. Later, he became a football commentator. Alan Smith went to Hollywood Primary School. This school is located on Pickenham Road, near the Emmanuel Church.

Celebrating St. George's Day

In 2008, some students from Baverstock Sports College wanted to celebrate St. George's Day. St. George's Day is on April 23rd. The students, who were 15 years old, wore special clothes to show their national pride.

Local newspapers reported on the event. School staff asked the boys to remove the St. George's crosses from their hair and faces. If they did not, they would be sent home. One student, Anthony Fuller, felt this was unfair. He said they had celebrated another country's day recently. He thought it was strange they could not celebrate their own national day.

Anthony's mother, Pauline, said it was just for fun. She explained that her son only had a red stripe in his hair and a cross on his face. She said there was nothing political about it. At the same time, Birmingham city was celebrating St. George's Day. There were events like a curry festival and a big city walk. A performer dressed as St. George also handed out flowers.