A CITY can have a glitzy nightlife, gleaming buildings, friendly people and acres of lush greenery and still be unwelcoming.
For, if litter is blowing down the streets, old fridges stand abandoned on corners and walls are defaced by graffiti, there is a sense that the place is in the grip of the unruly and anti-social.
Not so Birmingham, which has been officially named the cleanest place in Britain.
No doubt there will be those who will scoff, pointing to derelict land, rubbish-strewn pavements and vandalised property near their homes.
But these are the exceptions rather than the rule.
A lot of hard work has gone into improving Birmingham cleanliness and we praise the council and its staff for what they have achieved.
No-one must forget, though, that they cannot complete the task alone.
Litter is caused by ordinary men, women and children who show little pride in their surroundings or care for their fellow citizens.
Come on, Brummies. Now is the time to play your part.
We have just staged the European athletics championships, the National Veterans Day celebrations are coming to the city in summer and plans have been unveiled for a fabulous new skyscraper.
Be proud. Be clean.