There is something of the Victorian air of confidence about the Midlands at the moment as it looks forward to a revival of its fortunes.
Victorian in the sense that engineering is at the heart of the activity and it is getting a rebuilt New Street Rail Station and can look forward to the historic site of the Curzon Station being the fulcrum for a massive regeneration programme generated by the HS2 rail link.
Indeed, politicians may blather on about why spend the money on a new rail line but in the Midlands and North it is being seen as a lifeline and a deserved investment because of the flow of money into London.
The region has every reason to be confident because the surge in development plans seems to cover so many areas and is noticeable for its impact in the East Midlands.
Many of the schemes are adjuncts to enhanced manufacturing but there are also new warehouses for retail distribution. Clearly, the funding is coming through.
Birmingham had the civic chutzpah to make a splash with its ambitions at Mipim.
The days when it felt the long shadow of Manchester was a problem seems to have changed and it bangs away at the second UK city image, helped by the plans for the HS2 line. This massive infrastructure investment should not be underestimated.