Online shopping, WiFi, Google, Super Mario Brothers, wheelie suitcases, Harry Potter, Becks, flat screen TV’s, text messaging and email are considered to be some of the greatest things from the past three decades according to people in Birmingham – a new survey out today has revealed.
The research conducted by the UK’s first budget hotel brand, Travelodge which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, surveyed 3,000 British adults to seek their views on the greatest things of the past 30 years.
Findings revealed that technology dominates, with the World Wide Web, smartphones, iPod, online shopping, Google and text messaging, email and flat screen TV’s have been named as among the top ten greatest things from the past 30 years.
Birmingham City’s League Cup Final victory in 2011(13), the 2005 Ashes Test Match at Edgbaston (36) and the Birmingham Christmas Markets (97) have also been named by locals as amongst the greatest things.
Other local things making the list are a number of famous games involving Aston Villa and Birmingham City, as well as the opening of the new Bullring (88).
Super Mario Brothers (10), the smoking ban (26), Harry Potter (40), William and Kate’s wedding (58) and Take That (64) have also been named by locals as amongst the greatest things.
Key findings have revealed that whilst technology dominates the top 100 listing, in an era where Britons were hit by the credit crunch and a recession, budget operators also featured highly. Low cost supermarkets (28), airlines (34) and hotels (41) are all in the top 50, demonstrating that we have become a nation of value conscious shoppers.
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: “The last 30 years has seen a huge shift in the way we live our lives with technology in particular changing many things.
“The internet has certainly accelerated the growth of budget travel and made going away a key part of our modern lifestyle. The ease of being able to book online, but also researching where you are visiting and staying has made travelling a much smoother experience than it might have been before the 1980s.
“Over the last 30 years, Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, which has over 500 UK sites, has made staying in a hotel accessible to everyone.
“Today over 17 million people annually stay in a Travelodge hotel for work and leisure”.
Detailed below is the listing for the top 100 greatest things of the past 30 years as voted by people in Birmingham:
1. World Wide Web
2. Smartphones
3. iPod
4. Google
5. Facebook
6. DVD
7. Text messaging
8. Email
9. iPad
10. Super Mario Brothers
11. Wi-Fi
12. Online Banking
13. 2011 League Cup Final – Birmingham City v Arsenal
14. iTunes
15. Digital cameras
16. Online shopping
17. iPhone
18. Satellite navigation
19. Digital TV
20. Flat screen televisions
21. 2012 Olympics
22. Twitter
23. Berlin Wall coming down
24. Tablet computers
25. GHD Straighteners
26. Smoking Ban
27. Sky+
28. Budget supermarkets
29. Microsoft Office
30. eBay
31. 2002 Play Off Final – Birmingham City v Norwich City
32. Apple
33. Andy Murray winning Wimbledon
34. Budget airlines
35. YouTube
36. 2005 Ashes Test Match at Edgbaston
37. E-Book readers
38. Nintendo NES
39. Wikipedia
40. Harry Potter
41. Budget hotels
42. Online check-in
43. Sunday opening hours
44. Mobile apps
45. Red Bull
46. Sony Playstation
47. Networked computers
48. Live Aid
49. Price comparison websites
50. Wonderbra
51. MP3
52. Birmingham City v Aston Villa Premier League 2002
53. The Millennium
54. Nintendo Game Boy
55. The National Lottery
56. Bluetooth
57. Mo Farah wins 10,000 meters at the Olympics
58. William & Kate’s wedding
59. Barack Obama
60. Rollaboard suitcase
61. Aston Villa v Liverpool FA Cup Semi Final
62. Friends (TV show)
63. The Premier League
64. Take That
65. Aston Villa v WBA FA Cup Quarter Final
66. David Beckham
67. Skinny jeans
68. Tony Blair
69. Italia 90
70. Macbook
71. Botox
72. 1994 League Cup Final – Aston Villa v Manchester United
73. Online dating
74. 1996 League Cup Final – Aston Villa v Leeds United
75. The 2005 Ashes
76. Sega Megadrive
77. X Factor
78. The Simpsons
79. Sex and the City
80. Instagram
81. The Rachel cut
82. Big Brother
83. Denise Lewis wins gold at Olympics 2000
84. The announcement that London had won the Olympics
85. The Selfie
86. Usain Bolt
87. Fibre optic broadband
88. Bullring opening in 2003
89. Birth of Prince George
90. One Direction
91. Titanic (film)
92. Euro 96
93. Margaret Thatcher
94. Roger Federer
95. Brian Lara scores 501 for Warwickshire in 1994
96. England beating Germany 5-1
97. The Birmingham Christmas Market
98. Spotify
99. The Spice Girls
100. Lionel Messi