Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I want to tell you why I love podcasting. Hi, my name's Tommy Dixon,

and I make podcasts for the BBC. I'm a big fan of stories, always loved a good book. But when I started

commuting for my first job, I discovered podcasts. I was blown away by how a creative idea and the right

mixture of sounds could take you into a whole new world full of incredible stories. You know, the type that make you go, wow. And that kind of inspired me to

give it a go myself, which to cut a long story short led to a BBC training scheme and a whole

new career giving other people that exact same feeling. So if you want to hear amazing stories

that make you go wow like I did, they're just a tap or click away on BBC

sounds. This is the Coast and Country podcast from the BBC. You can find the terms and conditions

on our website. Today, you can hear ramblings with me, Stuart McConey. The Licky Hills on the

outskirts of Birmingham have been inhabited by humans since Neolithic times.

There's evidence of neolithic hunters up here.

And in living memory, these hills have always been a playground for the working people of Birmingham.

They used to run trams out here and there'd be huge queues on a Bancolidem Monday of people at the end of the day going back to suburban Birmingham.

It's a lovely stretch of hills offering some easy walking but with spectacular views and woodland and the views in particular will lead us back to see the skyline of Birmingham which is one of the we've come here today, and I've come with a selection of people from different groups

and different sections of the Birmingham community.

So I'll get to know them as we walk

and a little bit about the rich sort of cultural and geographical and ethnic mix

of modern Birmingham, England's second biggest city

and the countryside that's on its doorstep.

We seem to be making a brief stop already, taking the views.

John is indicating the view to the group.

They're going to walk back the same way.

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