The Black Country Living Museum is one of the key locations for the world-famous Birmingham drama Peaky Blinders. As is well known, since 2013, the museum has provided key locations for filming some of the most dramatic moments in the series, including the Anchor Forge, the rolling mill and the bridge on Canal Street. But the most famous location, of course, remains Charlie Strong’s Yard, which was filmed at the museum’s historic wharf. It appears in all six seasons of the television series. For more details about the places, and sometimes even entire areas of Birmingham, that can be seen in Peaky Blinders, read here: birmingham-trend.com.
Context of the painting
Today, Birmingham residents are proud to be neighbours with the “Bridget Jones” crew. Six seasons of the series have instilled a sense of pride in Birmingham residents, making their city even more famous and renowned than it already was. But first and foremost, the series made its creators and the actors who starred in it famous. Peaky Blinders tells the story of a family of criminals from the Romani community who lived in Birmingham during the interwar period.
The Shelby brothers are feared for their racketeering, extortion, alcohol and tobacco smuggling, and illegal gambling. Killian Murphy plays the lead role of Thomas Shelby. Incidentally, after the series, the actor won an Oscar for Best Actor in the film Oppenheimer. After filming six seasons of the series, Cillian won the hearts of not only Birmingham women, but women all over the world.
The romanticisation of criminals has done its dirty work in the Black Country. For example, Phil is a city dweller, soon to be 50, and a fan of the series. The man wears a thin-striped three-piece suit, a pocket watch, a long black coat and a famous cap. He always defends his idols, even though he knows they are antiheroes guided solely by criminal morality.
Instead, Philly argues that the series made Birmingham famous. In his opinion, before the film came out, the city and its residents were ridiculed, considered slow, clumsy people who worked from morning to night in the dirty factories of the Black Country. According to Philly, Peaky Blinders completely changed the situation. Despite the fact that the characters in the film are not heroes, but antiheroes. In any case, the locals can be proud of this, says Philly, adjusting his cap, because everyone has come to appreciate the Birmingham accent, which was never the case before.
Filming locations
But it wasn’t just the main characters and local accent that became popular around the world after the TV series hit the small screen. The industrial architecture of the Black Country played a significant role in this. It was here, in this area, that the main events of the series took place. The gloomy atmosphere of the crime drama was quickly created by the sets and excellent camera work.
Many night scenes took place along the canals of Birmingham. As is well known, historically, even today the city boasts more kilometres of canals than Venice, Italy. Therefore, their presence in the film is a key element, especially when considering the working-class context that forms the basis of the series.
The first canals in Birmingham were built in 1769 and contributed to the city’s industrial revolution. It should be remembered that in the 19th century, Birmingham was nicknamed the “city of a thousand trades” for a reason. At that time, goods could be transported to their destinations and raw materials to manufacturers using these very canals. It was the easiest and cheapest way at the time.
Later, replaced by railways, the canals fell into disrepair. But volunteers did not let them die completely; they cleaned them up and gave them a second life. Today, tourist boats ply these waterways. The number of tourists in the West Midlands region has grown from 128 million in 2017 to over 141 million in 2022. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the film Peaky Blinders played a significant role in this growth. After all, the film shows these very places in Birmingham.
Currently, the Black Country Living Museum has a special “Sharp Caps” room. It is particularly popular with visitors. And this is no coincidence, because just half an hour from Birmingham is the location that became the industrial setting for the series. At that time, Birmingham and the Black Country formed a large manufacturing region.
In order to attract visitors, the museum organises special themed evenings, which are called “Sharp Caps” evenings. During these parties, visitors are transported back to the harsh atmosphere of the 1920s. It is known that these themed events have already been attended by over 30,000 people. The Charlies Yard forge is no less popular. Incidentally, anchors were made in this forge, including the anchor for the Titanic. Many years later, a burial scene was filmed here.
In general, this is a film about Birmingham, and here, of course, the scenery was somewhat improved with the help of special effects. But everything was done very skilfully, because the technical innovations only helped to create an underground, foggy, rather threatening world. The film’s soundtrack also added to the effect.
However, it should be noted that Birmingham was not the only location used for the live-action series. It was also filmed in Leeds and Liverpool.
Based on real events?
Some claim that the series is based on real events. Apparently, there really was such a gang operating in Birmingham. In addition, there is a well-known story about the Irishman Sir Charles Houghton Rafter, the chief constable of Birmingham. He allegedly became famous during his service in the police for many cases, including the investigation of incidents in Athlone, Sligo, and Tipperary. His work earned him the admiration of Arthur Moore, a member of parliament from the Home Rule Party.
It is also claimed that Charles Rafter was largely responsible for cleaning up the gang-ridden areas of Birmingham and eliminating numerous gangs, including the notorious Sharp Caps from Small Heath. This was a brutal gang, made up of men and youths from different streets of the city, who fought fierce battles using belts, fists, and boots with steel caps.
But there is another theory that the story of the gangsters is fiction, according to Carl Chinn, a historian and author of numerous books on the realities behind the fiction of the Sharp Caps. The scholar is convinced that in the 1920s there was no gang with such a name, that gangsters at that time were not organised, and that none of them thought about glamour and a certain style of dress. The real “Pointed Hats” were ordinary street thugs who belonged to many different gangs. They fought each other, fought the police, and extorted money from various people, including the poor.
The series and its awards
Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who gave a spectacular performance in the series, won an Oscar in 2024 for his role in the film Oppenheimer. This is his first major film award. Despite having played six seasons in Peaky Blinders, Cillian is ready to return to this role and once again embody the character of Thomas Shelby.
Speaking of awards, this series, directed by British director Steven Knight, has been awarded a BAFTA. It aired from 2013 to 2022. During this time, the series won the hearts of viewers around the world.
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