Redditch

Redditch is a town and local government district in Worcestershire, England, just south of the West Midlands urban area. The district has a population of about 80,000 and is represented in Parliament by Jacqui Smith.

Related Topics:
Local government district - Worcestershire - England - West Midlands - Jacqui Smith

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The first recorded mention of Redditch is in 1348, the year of the outbreak of the Black Death. During the Middle Ages it became a centre of needle-making. It was designated a new town in 1964 and the population increased dramatically from 32,000 to around 77,000. Entire new estates such as Church Hill, Matchborough, Oakenshaw and Winyates were created to accommodate the large overspill from an industrially expanding Birmingham. Now mainly a dormitory town with one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the country, it has some light industry and is also well-known in the region for its speciality Batchley Cheese. With the redevelopment of the flagship Kingfisher Shopping Centre in 2002 Redditch is undergoing an economic and cultural renaissance.

Related Topics:
1348 - Black Death - Middle Ages - Needle - New town - 1964 - Birmingham - 2002

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