Who has the top job in Birmingham? Is it the leader of the council tucked in an office in the magnificent Council House? Is it the head of the city's largest firm, lording over their employees? The Chief Constable? A High Court judge? No, the man who holds the highest position in Birmingham is 35-year-old crane driver Michael Dunworth. The father of two perches 140 metres above the city streets as a key part of the team building the giant tower at Holloway Circus - what will become Birmingham's second tallest structure. And every day he peers down on the chaos and confusion of the everchanging city. "There is still a thrill every day you come up the tower and see some of the spectacular views," said Michael, who starts his ten-hour shift for Laing O'Rourke at 6am. "On a clear day you can see the Lickey Hills in the south, the West Bromwich Albion ground in the West and all the way past Solihull in the east. "At Christmas, the city looked fantastic with all the lights and the Wheel - and we are at least twice as high as that. You see some amazing examples of bad driving, too!" The 120-metre Beetham Tower will eventually house a large hotel, capped with six penthouse apartments offering a panoramic view of the city. Only the British Telecom tower will be higher in Birmingham. Crane shifts are shared with Des O'Rourke, who was briefly missing in Thailand following the tsunami. Michael contacted the Evening Mail for help tracing him and was relieved to find that Des was safe. "He had just turned off his phone after running up a huge phone bill on his previous trip," added Michael, who lives in Hay Road, Hay Mills, with his partner Eileen, aged 29, and children Ciaran, four, and Eileen, 16 months. "Teamwork is everything. I don't actually see the load I am lifting until it is very close, so you rely completely on your colleagues," he said. "The wind is whistling through your cab, but it is fantastic work." | 
