A deep well of unique history can be found in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Legends such as that of St George and Lady Godiva, which have shaped the nation, meet modern human achievements by jet pioneer Sir Frank Whittle and others.
Cultural life, with figureheads such as The Specials and The Enemy, has always made its influence felt way beyond CV postcodes.
But there are many little-known facets to our region, such as Sir Edward Elgar choosing a house to rent in Stratford – because his dogs liked it.
Shakespeare is perhaps the best known cultural icon of all – but did you know he reportedly jilted a Coventry woman on the eve of their wedding?
Here are some of the most extraordinary things ever to happen in Coventry and Warwickshire:
The legend of St George
Legend has it that the city was the birthplace of St. George, dragon slayer and patron saint of England. Various stories link St George to Coventry and he’s sometimes regarded as one of our most famous citizens, alongside Lady Godiva.
Lady Godiva is synonymous with Coventry, with the legend of her naked horse ride enshrined in folklore. She is said to have exposed herself as part of a deal with her husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia, to free the people of Coventry from the heavy taxes he had forced on them. The story of the ride was first told in the 12th century, some 150 years after her death in 1067, while Peeping Tom is a later addition, first appearing in the tale in the 17th century. A striking statue of Godiva stands in the city's central square, Broadgate.
Introducing the bicycle
All modern bicycles are descended from John Kemp Starley's Rover safety cycle, invented in Coventry in 1885.
Shakespeare's wedding was not to be
Stratford playwright William Shakespeare is said to have jilted a Coventry woman on the eve of their wedding, so that he could marry Anne Hathaway.
Shakespeare - the Stratford-Upon-Avon born playwright and Warwickshire's most famous son - is widely recognised as the greatest writer in history.
Rising from the Blitz
After the Coventry Blitz, the city's name entered the German language when Joseph Goebbels used the term coventriert ("coventried", meaning razed to the ground, totally destroyed) to describe similar levels of destruction of other enemy towns.
You may also be unaware that air-raid shelters were built in Coventry in 1938, just a year before the Second World War began.
The day after the Coventry Blitz, demolition crews had to be prevented from pulling down Coventry Cathedral's tower, which had survived the bombing. They didn't realise it had been leaning for at least 100 years.
Coventry man who spared Hitler
Coventry was home to Henry Tandey, the most decorated British private soldier of the First World War, who spared Adolf Hitler’s life.
Tandey had watched his city burn and heard the screams of hundreds of men, women and children after an attack by waves of 515 German bombers.
The brave air raid warden had spent the previous 10 hours fighting his way into blazing houses, rescuing victims and pulling out bodies as the Luftwaffe tried to destroy the Coventry factories powering Britain’s war effort.
Two years earlier Tandey had discovered that he was the man who let Hitler live. In the dying moments of the First World War, 22 years earlier, he had pointed his rifle at a wounded German soldier trying to flee a French battlefield. Their eyes met and Henry lowered his gun. The German nodded in thanks then disappeared. In that moment Henry, then 27, let 29-year-old Corporal Adolf Hitler walk free.
Racy movie scenes
The Italian Job's car chase scene involving Minis was filmed in huge sewer pipes at Stoke Aldermoor, in September 1968.
Other than the famous film, Debbie Isitt's Nativity! franchise was based in and around Coventry, as well as BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances and Spooks: The Greater Good.
JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth is based on Warwickshire.
The author lived in the Warwickshire village of Sarehole long before it became part of the city of Birmingham.
Sarehole was believed to have provided the inspiration for Hobbiton and the Shire, while the mill that features in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is thought to have been based on Sarehole Mill.
Tolkien later moved to Birmingham but returned to Warwickshire to marry Edith Bratt at St Mary Immaculate church in Warwick on March 22, 1916.
It's been argued that the settlements of Edoras and Minas Tirith in Tolkien's work were modelled on Warwick at various stages in its history.
The name "hobbit" is an old word for a type of sprite or goblin and can still be seen in street names in Balsall Common and Kenilworth.
Writer George Orwell was also inspired by the region, and wanted to use Coventry as the model for his study of poverty in England during the 1930s but he found it to be too prosperous.
The two-tone music genre was developed in Coventry during the late 1970s. West Midlands bands such as The Specials, The Beat and The Selecter were at the forefront of the two-tone scene – a fusion of ska, reggae and rocksteady with elements of punk rock and new wave.
The genre promoted and celebrated multiracialism, bringing ska and reggae to new heights of popularity across the country and dominating the pop charts.
Famous names who didn't fare so well
It's believed Paul McCartney was stopped for speeding on Fletchamstead Highway on July 22, 1968. He was driving an Aston Martin and did not appear in court but was fined £15.
Godfather of soul James Brown was left stranded at Coventry train station in July 2003 after he was caught up in a series of delays and diversions while on his way to perform at a festival in Liverpool.
No shortage of twins...
A pioneer in the twin city movement since World War Two, Coventry is paired with 26 towns and cities, including Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Dresden and Jinan in China.
It's a spirit of internationalism which lives on, most recently in the City of Culture 'changemakers' project where artists, creative people and community workers have forged links across the globe ahead of Coventry's year in the spotlight.
The city was the birthplace of jet pioneer Sir Frank Whittle, the poet Philip Larkin and the pop impresario Pete Waterman.
City of firsts
The first tank, the first traffic indicators for cars and the first dumper truck were built in Coventry. The first motorised funeral was held in the city.
Sent to Coventry
The phrase 'sent to Coventry' originated during the English Civil War, when captured Royalists were imprisoned in the heavily fortified and strongly pro-Parliament city. They were given a hard time by the local people.
Amazing Grace was written in Warwickshire
The song ‘Amazing Grace’ was written in Kineton.
John Newton wrote the hymn while visiting the village at Christmas in 1772. Considered one of the most influential hymns in history, it is performed an estimated 10 million times annually and featured on more than 11,000 albums.
Elivis Presley and Barack Obama are among those who have recited the stirring words of redemption.
Newton was a former slave trader who later became an Anglican priest and wrote hymns for his services. He renounced the slave trade in 1788, making a public statement about the appalling treatment of humans forced into servitude.
Elgar had a nose for a home
For 19 eventful months Sir Edward Elgar made his home on the Tiddington Road in Stratford. Contemporary reports suggest that Elgar decided to rent the property after visiting his friends Lord and Lady Muntz and the enthusiasm of his dogs for the place made up his mind to move in.
A copy of Elgar’s dairies are held at Worcester Records Office and provide a good reference to his time at Tiddington House and the guests he entertained. His first entry at the house was made on April 20, 1928, where he details attending a theatre performance.
Sources include research by Martin Kenny and information from Coventry City Council