LIFE without a mobile phone seems impossible to imagine these days.

The crazy ring tones and bleeping text alerts have become everyday features of an essential means for us to communicate with one another.

Yet it wasn't that long ago when it was only a few posey yuppy types who owned one.
And we had to rely on more basic technology to keep in touch.
One everyday instrument we rely on to communicate is, of course, the humble pen.

IT was the year that Prince Andrew, Duke of York, married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey, British journalist John McCarthy was kidnapped in Beirut and Argentina defeated Germany 3-2 to win the FIFA World Cup.

But these were not the only events that helped to shape1986.
Meanwhile a Midland inventor was working hard to try to ensure that our daily domestic lives could run that little bit smoother.

Arthur Perks, who was 71-years'-old at the time, and lived in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, produced this special space saving creation - a kitchen turned on its head.

HE failed his maths exams three times while at school.

But that did not stop car designer Sir Alec Issigonis from providing the Midlands with one of its most iconic inventions - the Mini.

The best selling Mini is the most popular car ever made in Britain - boasting a production run of 5.3 million.
It became a fashion must-have in the 1960s when it first rolled off the production line at Longbridge, in Birmingham.

BIRMINGHAM might be classed as Britain's number one regional city.
But its achievements are frequently overlooked and character belittled by outsiders.

They mock our Midland accents, they sneer at our concrete constructions and cringe at our to glam rock music stars.

Meanwhile Manchester is known for its successful football clubs and music scene, Liverpool has got its special scouse brand of humour and the Beatles, and Newcastle is renowned for its lively night life.

Yet the creativity and innovation of Birmingham people and those of the wider Midlands has been crucial to shaping the world we live in.