~Almanacks.~--The first English-printed Almanack was for the year 1497, and the London Stationers' Company had the monopoly of printing them for nearly 300 years. The first locally printed Almanack was the "Diaria Britannica" (or "British Diary"), by Messrs. Pearson and Rollason, issued in 1787 for 1788, at 9d. per copy, in addition to the 1s. 6d. required for stamp duty. It was barely half the size and not a tenth the value of the "Diary" published by Messrs Walter Showell and Sons, and of which 20,000 copies are given away annually. The stamp duty was removed from Almanacks in 1834. "Showell's Almanack" in past years was highly esteemed before we had been supplied with "Moody's," the "Red Book," &c., and a copy of it for the year 1839 is valuable as a curiosity, it being issued with a partly printed page with blanks left for the insertion of the names of the members of the Corporation, whose first election under the charter of incorporation was about to take place. To prevent any mistake, the "Esqrs." were carefully printed in where the names of the new Aldermen were to go, the blanks for Councillors being only honoured with a "Mr." ~Almshouses~ for Lench's Trust were built in Steelhouse Lane in 1764. In later years other sets of houses have been built in Conybere Street, Hospital Street, Ravenhurst Street, and Ladywood Road, the inmates, all women, numbering 182. Jas. Dowell's Almshouses in Warner Street, consisting of 20 houses and a chapel, known as the "Retreat," were built in 1820. Mrs. Glover's Almshouses in Steelhouse Lane for 36 aged women, were erected in 1832. James Lloyd's twenty-four Almshouses in Belgrave Street were erected in 1869. ~Aluminium.~--This valuable material for the use of one of our staple trades was first obtained by a German chemist in 1837, but was not produced in sufficient quantity for manufacturing purposes until 1854, at which time its market value was 60s. per oz. It gradually cheapened, until it is now priced at 5s., and a company has lately been formed for its more easy manufacture, who promise to supply it at about as many pence. ~Amphitheatres.~--Astley's celebrated amphitheatre was brought here in October, 1787. Mr. and Mrs. Astley themselves had performed in Birmingham as early as 1772.--A local amphitheatre was opened in Livery Street in 1787, on the present site of Messrs. Billing's printing works. After the riots of 1791 it was used for a time by the congregations of Old and New Meeting, while their own chapels were being rebuilt. An attempt to bring it back to its old uses failed, and "the properties" were sold Nov. 25, 1795. Several sects occupied it in after years, the last being the Latter-Day Saints. It was taken down in 1848.--Another amphitheatre was opened at Bingley Hall, December 29, 1853, by the plucky but unlucky John Tonks, a well-known caterer for the public's amusement.