Brum’s rush, roaring at Lions and you as a work of art

You wait ages for a positive national newspaper article about Birmingham’s ever-changing cityscape and then this comes along.
It is quite fitting that it is in “arts and entertainment” as the writer has clearly swallowed a hyperbole machine with often hilarious results.
Perhaps some of the journalist’s wild enthusiasm rubbed off on Clive Dutton, redoubtable boss of [...]

The future should not be televised

I have an enduring soft spot for the Cross City Line.
It might get consistently criticised, but many of these problems are basic human failings rather the fault of the trains or the line itself.
There is, however, one major irritation about the Cross City Line guaranteed to make me feel rather miffed…find out what it is [...]

Ivor forever, Wales cares and East meets West

A round-up that includes my childhood, the land of my fathers and my adopted home:
Ivor the Engine and the Clangers shaped my early life.
The little steam engine from North Wales and the slightly surreal depiction of life in space were the two programmes guaranteed to get me inside and watching TV – back in the [...]

Another Brum UFO, hardcore sitting, camouflage espionage and g’bye cobbers

A crisp round-up for a clear, frosty morning:
The crew of a police helicopter have claimed they narrowly avoided disaster when flying over Birmingham earlier this year after a near miss with a UFO.
The truth is still out there.
Sixteen-year-old Aaron Fotheringham has become the first person to gain official recognition for perfecting a back flip in [...]

The Carers’ Trade Union

I had been planning to blog about the fairly significant changes that have taken place for Rachel and I over the last fortnight anyway.
But then Carer Watch provided a nice new hook by sending me an email regarding the launch of the first ever Carers’ Trade Union.
What a fantastic idea.
It is proactive, determined, professional, passionate, belligerent, fiercely independent [...]

No benefit, small-town mentalities and willy waving

A new week and a new round-up:
So the Government’s long-awaited and frankly ill-judged shake-up of the benefits system is launched with plenty of predictable headlines and comments about getting “cheats” and “scroungers” back into work.
If only life was that simple. Yes there are some horrendous examples of those who cheat the system and yes they [...]

Birmingham in 3D, healthy fart gas, bloody-minded jobsworths and the Bermeowda Triangle

A week-ending round-up before I head off to sunny Wales for my first live rygbi of the season:
Birmingham is on Second Life, having launched its presence at the city’s Hello Digital event.
Reaction so far has been mixed, or should that be underwhelmed?
Like my view of the new-look Birmingham Post, I’m reserving judgement until I have [...]

First Post, blue badges, flying saucers and woggles

A new week and there is a new era and a brave new world kicking off a new round-up:
The Birmingham Post has relaunched as a compact as part of the radical overhaul of newspaper publishing in the Midlands.
First impression last, so they say. And by and large first impressions of the smaller Post are positive [...]

Shabby Brum, shadowy software, dodgy signs and a punch drunk pony

After what appears to have been a very successful Blog Action Day, both globally and locally, everything is back to “normal” today:
Terry Grimley is not enjoying the view from the top deck of the No.50 bus as it makes its way from Moseley to the Digbeth (sorry, Eastside) area of Birmingham.
I always enjoy Terry’s knowledgeable and [...]

BAD is good

Tomorrow is Blog Action Day and the theme this year is poverty.
Bloggers around the world will be writing posts and taking part in events to raise awareness about a wide variety of issues.
In Birmingham tomorrow a group of bloggers have got together to offer a free social media surgery to local voluntary groups and charities.
There’s [...]