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