Lichfield on the main routes from London to the north-west and Birmingham to the north-east. It also became a centre of great intellectual activity, being the home of many famous people including Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward; this prompted Johnson's remark that Lichfield was "a city of philosophers". In the 1720s Daniel Defoe described Lichfield as 'a fine, neat, well-built, and indifferent large city', the principal town in the region after Chester. During the late 18th and early 19th century much of the medieval city was rebuilt with the red-brick Georgian style buildings still to be seen
The Lichfield Festival Sir Roy Strong and The Hairy Bikers. 1928 Indian Silent film "Shiraz" was brought out of the British Film Institute Archives and a new score was commissioned and performed live by the Sabri Ensemble. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain performed to an audience of 900 at Lichfield Cathedral, and Gwilym Simcock returned as part of Acoustic Triangle, who together with the Sacconi Quartet performed specially composed music in the round. The 2009 Festival opened – unusually – in the Lichfield Garrick, with a performance by 'Chairman' Ray Gelato and his band the Giants. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain