h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Not all of Solihull is rich/middle class. I spent most of my childhood in Chelmsley Wood/Smiths Wood, this area is one of the most deprived areas in Western Europe, and tends to be forgotten by people who live in Solihull proper. This may be due to the fact that the area used to be in Birmingham and was transferred to Solihull in about 1981, I think as a result of a deal over the airport/NEC.
Anyway North Solihull is a much forgotten area, and when I went to do my A Levels in Solihull the town, the first thing that was always said was 'You come from Chelmsley Wood and yet you're not pregnant!', I am male so I could understand the undercurrent of humour but did feel I was battling against coming from an inferior area.

I don't know if you have figures, but is it not a bit of an exagerration to say that Chelmsley Wood is one of the mst deprived area in Western Europe? You may be right though.

I believe using a scale known as Townsend's it is classified as such. I don't know where I read this though.

Really? Wow, I would have thought that the most deprived areas of W. Europe would have been in rural Spain of ortugal, not right here in Chelmsley Wood! Fair enough!

Really? Wow, I would have thought that the most deprived areas of W. Europe would have been in rural Spain or Portugal, not right here in Chelmsley Wood! Fair enough!