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News
- Birmingham to help army veterans buy homes
22 Feb 12
Birmingham City Council claims to be the first local authority in England to offer a “homebuy” scheme to army veterans.
The Veterans “Homebuy scheme” will allow former servicemen and women to buy their home with the help of the council which… - Birmingham Mail World View: Star Wars at the Rio Carnival, Mona Lisa, Anna Wintour and more
22 Feb 12
TODAY’S round-up of images from around the world includes a man dressed as a Star Wars stormtrooper walking on Copacabana beach during Rio Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - Dudley Road out of Birmingham closed after pedestrian is injured in collision with car
22 Feb 12Motorists on Dudley Road heading out of Birmingham city centre faced several hours of traffic congestion as police closedmajor route to investigate a collision between a pedestrian and a car. - Birmingham Jewellery Quarter firm Vaughtons making Carling Cup Final medals (Gallery & Video)
22 Feb 12BIRMINGHAM Jewellery Quarter firm Vaughtons is making the medals for the Carling Cup Final. - Charity helps students get hands-on to increase their chance of finding work
22 Feb 12A charity is looking to increase its numbers of volunteers to help students in Birmingham have a better chance of finding employment.
Trident Reach the People Charity, which provides support to vulnerable people across the region, is marking… - Traffic chaos in Birmingham after six vehicles crash at Swan Island, Yardley
22 Feb 12POLICE were advising motorists to avoid Yardley in Birmingham on Wednesday afternoon after a collision involving six vehicles. - Wolves WAG Danielle Lloyd due back in Birmingham after six-day hospital stay
22 Feb 12Danielle Lloyd – wife-to-be of Wolverhampton Wanderers star Jamie O’Hara – is due back at her Birmingham home tonight after a six day hospital stay – just a week after revealing how an aborted boob job had saved her life. - Helium balloon tangled in power cables at Birmingham New Street Station causes rush hour chaos for rail commuters
22 Feb 12EVERYBODY’S heard of leaves on the line but commuters in Birmingham faced a headache this morning because of a helium balloon. - Kings Norton care home manager fleeced elderly resident out of almost £3,000
22 Feb 12A MANAGER of a Birmingham care home who used a “vulnerable” resident’s bank card to fleece her of more than 2,000 has been jailed for six months. - Birmingham brothel madam turned artist launches new show
- Bittersweet day as family of Birmingham cancer victim Harry Moseley mark what would have been his 12th birthday
- Longbridge court date for cash fight for former MG Rover workers
- University of Birmingham student official cleared over Lib Dem banner charge tells of court case 'hell'
- Tesco store finally opens in Yardley, Birmingham after ten-year battle
North
- Special Constituency Meeting – Update
22 Feb 12
There was a special constituency meeting yesterday evening to confirm that Sutton Coldfield councillors have proposed the disposal of three town centre car parks and that the money made from such a sale would be used toward the cost of repairs and development of the library building. Following the… - Local charity seeks volunteers
22 Feb 12Local cancer support charity, The Cancer Support Centre, is urgently looking for a team of committed individuals to help with their latest fundraising appeal. Ann Mckeown, Fundraiser of The Cancer Support Centre said: “We have a large number of collection boxes that have kindly been donated to… - Police ratings website turns up mixed responses
22 Feb 12
West Midlands police have released statistics from a website which encourages the public to rate the service provided by their local force. The website – rateyourlocalpolice.co.uk – was set up in 2010 by the West Midlands Police Authority to give the public the chance to give feedback on the police… - What is this new building?
- Special Constituency Meeting
- 'Secret Agent' show looking for participants
- Police link vicar murder to Betty Yates death
- The BIG Sandwell READ
South
- Down from 30mph to 20mph – an extra two minutes around the estate
22 Feb 12
Councillors, council officers, police, members of the fire service and around 25 members of the public attended Castle Vale Road Safety Group’s public meeting tonight at the swimming baths in Farnborough Road. Dave Boucher, Station Commander at Erdington Fire Service, told the meeting that his… - Auditions
22 Feb 12
- Tempers stretched by library dispute
21 Feb 12Labour and Conservative councillors crossed swords last night at the Erdington constituency meeting at St Barnabas School. The arguments became heated as the parties exchanged blame for budget cut proposals that will reduce the opening hours of local libraries. The nine councillors eventually agreed… - Works – Arboretum Path
- Man injured as motorbike collides with car in Northfield
- [Updated] FREE Arts Workshops
- Our response to Labour Party Statement
- Labour Party statement on Moseley Road Baths
Central
- March towards Hotel La Tour opening
22 Feb 12
With just over a month to go until Hotel La Tour opens work is moving forward on finishing the hotel ready for opening in March. The £24 million hotel will generate around 100 jobs and has recently secured internationally acclaimed chef Marcus Wareing to advise on the new Aalto restaurant, consulting… - Morrisons Five Ways work commences
22 Feb 12
Since my previous update of the 11 January, Supermarket sweep – Morrisons Five Ways preparatory work , work has progressed rapidly on the new Morrisons supermarket at Five Ways between the Hagley Road and Harborne Road. Although the pictures of the site below show the scale of the new store it will… - Whose Space?
22 Feb 12
In 2005 I completed a Masters in Urban Regeneration, Research and Policy at the University of Birmingham in which I wrote a dissertation on the development and future of Birmingham’s gay village. In the following short comment I note the idea of space and sexuality, a topic which I considered in my… - ACCA booking form
- Further Support for the Digbeth Summit
- You are the future of education |COMPETITION
- Student, Kevin becomes teacher
- Invitation to the Sustainability Forum at the Council House
UK news
The Independent
- Hospital wards for the elderly would close under Labour's social care plans
- Riot 'arsonist' in court over Croydon blaze
- UK to double military aid for Somalia
- Back-to-work tsar's business has faced nine official investigations
- Top Tory attacks PM for Murdoch 'cronyism'
International news
Al Jazeera
- Dozens dead in Argentina train crash
- Deadly attacks shake Baghdad
- Journalists killed in Syria shelling on Homs
- World leaders to discuss Somali crises
- Tensions build ahead of Senegal vote
City Council
- Street light, 22nd February, B11 1UL
22 Feb 12
Street light not working in middle of poplar road opposite rosary villas and laburnham villas, see picture attached of street light which does not work during the night. Report on FixMyStreet - Knackered Vans Dumped On Path, 22nd February
22 Feb 12There are often vans in various states of disrepair dumped on the footpath, untaxed and often without number plates by a car repairer. This has been ongoing for some years now. Nearest road to the pin placed on the map (automatically generated… - Ash Dumped, 22nd February
22 Feb 12Piles of ash from fires are being dumped here regularly. There are several piles of ash here which may well be contaminated waste. Nearest road to the pin placed on the map (automatically generated by Bing Maps): Lower Darwin Street, Deritend… - Bins In Street, 22nd February
- Street Lighting, 22nd February
- Rubbish dumped, 22nd February, B23 7YU
- Empty Properties
- Media Watch – February 22
Police
- Policing team have the recipe for success at community event
22 Feb 12
- Police get onboard with mobile youth centre
22 Feb 12 - Members of the public rate their local police online
22 Feb 12760 MEMBERS of the public have used a website to rate the service provided by their local police. From issues around… - Cyclist injured
- Community gardens receive cash boost from police
- Police Authority sponsors live music for young people at The Pump
- Appeal following armed robbery at home of disabled man
- Pedestrian seriously injured
Traffic
Comment
- Robert Fisk and Islam
22 Feb 12
- BULS AGM 2012
22 Feb 12
Today saw BULS’s 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) with most of the positions up for grabs. And the results are as follows for the new committee-elect: Chair – Catie Garner Vice-Chair – Ed Gilbert Secretary – Areeq Chowdhury Treasurer – Ellis Stacey Website Editor… - Dancing along the third rail
22 Feb 12
“As we stand on the verge of possibly irreversible damage to one of the hallmarks of what it is to live in a civilised country, it is time to rise up and defend an institution that was built by our parents and our grandparents and which we owe to our children and our grandchildren to maintain and to… - Brumicana: urban myths and memes — the walking tour
22 Feb 12
A little nepotism, a little self promotion here. Your beloved editor is one half the guides leading a walking tour of Birmingham’s underbelly soon. It’s part of the Still Walking festival , which we’re rather excited about. Ben Waddington has pulled together tours of film and TV locations… - Jon Walker: Vince Cable on top in prof battle
22 Feb 12
BLACK Country MP Adrian Bailey helped cause a major headache for the Government without even trying. - Chamber leads the charge on elected mayors
- City leader sets out Birmingham’s global ambitions over House of Commons wine and canapes
- It's a snip at £110 billion
- Revealed: The Secret NHS Reforms
- Michael Gove gets his way as more Birmingham schools drop council to become academies
Politicians
- Threat to Free Bus Travel for Older People
23 Feb 12
Free bus travel for older people is under threat from David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The Lib Dems are seeking means-testing of free bus passes and Tory councils have asked the government for permission to restrict entitlement. Despite David Cameron’s general election pledge, the Tory-led government… - SUPPORT OUR LOCAL HAWTHORN ROAD TRADERS
22 Feb 12
GEORGE HOUGH CHAIR OF THE OSCOTT DISABILITY GROUP ZIG ZAGING HE’S WAY PAST BROKEN UP FRONTAGES ON THE HAWTHORN ROAD Sadly there are a number of shops disappearing from the Hawthorn Road shopping Centre at the moment mainly due to the poor economic situation I fear. Many other shops are staying and battling… - Jack Dromey MP visits Transformation Life Centre.
22 Feb 12
On Friday 17 th February Jack Dromey MP for Erdington visited the Transformation Life Centre on New Street, Erdington. The progressive Evangelical Church with strong local roots was concerned that their Church Hall and facilities are not being used to its full capacity. read more - TRISTAN CHATFIELD LOCAL CAMPAIGNER
- GREAT BARR LEISURE CENTRE ACTION TO REPAIR ROOF IS NEEDED.
- Wake Up Call!
- Banners on Bridges
- Jack Dromey MP meets Connexions staff providing a lifeline to the 1 in 4 young people who are unemployed
Features
- An Introduction to Social Return on Investment Analysis
22 Feb 12
Date time: Wed, 21/03/2012 – 11:00 – 16:00 Venue: Girl Guiding HQ, Hixon, Staffs. Read more Location ST18 0PS United Kingdom 52° 49′ 33.4812″ N , 2° 0′ 7.0596″ W See map: Google Maps Contact email: emma.kirkbride@barnardos.org.uk read more - Family Voice Creative Workshops
22 Feb 12Date time: Mon, 12/03/2012 – 10:00 – 16:00 Venue: Leamington Spa sound delivery ( www . sounddelivery . org Read more read more - Ethical Shopping – Hard on the High Street?
22 Feb 12
On Monday, we held a discussion meeting on ethical shopping and where we draw the line when it comes to choosing what we buy. The consensus was that it’s very hard to find fair trade/organic lines for a lot of the clothes people need for everyday wear. You can go on ethical consumer to check out a lot… - Super 8
22 Feb 12
An evening you won’t get back. If you succumb to the idea of watching Super 8 on the grounds that it was directed by the same bloke behind both Lost and Cloverfield , J.J. Abrams, and that it was produced by Steven Spielberg too, remember it’s an evening of your life you will never get back. And it… - G:XL Participation Learning Cluster
- Grayling the job snob
- Contagion
- A Cracking Mornings Cycling
- weekly compilation 17.02.2012
Social Media
- Carbon Digital ‘Backs’ SpinAndWin.com
22 Feb 12
Visual effects company, Carbon Digital will be unveiling this week their latest TV commercial for leading online gaming brand, SpinAndWin.com. The commercial due to air from 24 February, involved extensive post production, and was created using a complex mix of CGI techniques and the added factor of… - Puffin Poem
22 Feb 12
I just composed this in the time it takes to write a tweet. Don’t ask me why or where it came from. I am a puffin Munchin’ on a muffin But I can’t get enuffin ‘Cos I’ve got a small mouth. Possibly related posts Time Window and Sandbox - On free stuff for charities: suitability, expectation and value
22 Feb 12Someone complained to me recently that he couldn’t give his product away. His company had developed a tool that it was offering to charities for free, but no-one was taking advantage of it. He was quite indignant, implying that charities should be grateful for anything they’re given. My… - VIDEO: Investigating people online – Neil Smith
- Analysis vs Reckoning
- Hacking with GLA environmental data
- Twespians Fringe: Social Media and Theatre
- Spotlight on international social media surgeries
Arts & culture
- The Pecha Kucha That Never Was
22 Feb 12
I got some way through preparing to speak at Coventry’s most recent Pecha Kucha night , organised by the lovely Janet Vaughn of Talking Birds , before I realised it was in danger of turning into a rant about the future of the profession. But I’m not one to waste something when I’ve… - Four West Mids organisations destined for The Space
22 Feb 12
Four organisations in the West Midlands are among the 53 successful applicants who will be creating hundreds of hours of original commissions for the new BBC/ Arts Council partnership, The Space. The new experimental service, managed by the Arts Council and developed in partnership with the BBC, will… - OLIVE AND OLIVIA LAUNCHES AT BHS
22 Feb 12
On Friday 24 February, a brand new and fresh fashion collection, ‘Olive and Olivia’ will launch at Bhs . The inspiring capsule range of keyshapes, colours and catwalk informed prints offer a sure fix for updating your spring/summer wardrobe. The stylish and comfortable collection is exclusively… - Hustle mapped
- IN STORE EXCLUSIVES AT STORM
- KIPLING LAUNCHES AT HOUSE OF FRASER
- PC World
- Fierce 2012
Food & drink
- Live Music Friday
22 Feb 12
On Friday 2nd March we have some great live music for you, it all kicks off at 7pm and goes straight through until 9pm. So why not join us for a leisurely wind down into the weekend with a cold beer or glass of wine. Get to know our act by having a look at their answers to our quick questions below… - Oh… Crumbs presents ‘I Heart New York’
21 Feb 12
After our storming pizza night back in January, we’re going all intimate for the next Oh Crumbs… pop up. We’re teaming up with chef Carl Finn and wine expert Matt Beck to present our homage to NYC – an evening of food, wine, cocktails, and music inspired by the big apple. Places… - Glyn Purnell Is Going To Cook Up A Storm For Cure Leukaemia
21 Feb 12
Michelin-starred chef, Glynn Purnell will host an exclusive evening with blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia on Monday March 5 at Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Edgbaston Stadium . Cure Leukaemia continues its long standing partnership with Edgbaston to showcase an evening of culinary talent at… - February’s Coffee Connoisseurs
- Saffron Birmingham(94%)
- A Flipping Tasty Tuesday…
- Sabai Sabai (Harborne)(100%)
- Mughal E Azam(77%)
Sport
- New Keeper Checks In….
22 Feb 12
Manager Richard Evans has boosted the squad with the acquisition of goalkeeper Lee Evans. - Midweek Round Up
22 Feb 12Latest Results from the Evo-Stik League. - First Team – SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN v GOOLE AFC
21 Feb 12
RESULT 1 – 1 ATTENDANCE 123 Man of the Match Matt Dodd (Sutton) Entertainment 3/5 - Moseley: Opportunity knocks for Marshall Gadd
21 Feb 12AS ONE door slammed shut in the face of young prop Tom Warren, another has opened for bit-part player Marshall Gadd as Moseley finalise their preparations for the Championship play-offs. - Moseley 15 Bedford 24 – Match report
20 Feb 12DEFEAT in Moseley’s final home match of the regular season left Kevin Maggs reconciling a mixture of emotions, the all-too-familiar feeling of frustration combined with the warm glow of admiration. - Royals Held By Goole
- Ryan Aston v Lee Noble left in doubt
- Chris Truman edged by Lenny Daws
- Moseley 15 Bedford 24: Brian Dick's big match rugby verdict
- First team – A point apiece as neither side troubles the scoresheet.
Aston Villa
- Online Lion's lie-in
23 Feb 12
THEY grow up so quickly nowadays. That’s not just me being overly sentimental about my ‘baby’ boy’s impending fourth birthday, it’s also my protective paternal instincts kicking in over Aston Villa’s youth team lads. (Not that I’m anywhere… - Delph done, Gabby back
22 Feb 12
It seems our recent article on whether or not we should use Fabian Delph for the run in is a bit redundant, after news broke today that the midfielder might miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Mcleish had this to say on the player… - The Villa Times – 22/02/2012
22 Feb 12
The Villa Times – 22/02/2012 Vitalfootball:Aston Villa:22/02/2012 19:00:00 The latest uno fish ial news and views on Aston Villa. - New VMF Menu Launched
22 Feb 12New VMF Menu Launched Vitalfootball:Aston Villa:22/02/2012 18:40:00 New VMF menu launched… - Villans Say Yes To Robbie Keane
- Villans Looking For FAI Glory
- Cuellar Looking Forward To Extended Run
- Delph doubtful for season
- Fabian Delph faces a critical battle to save career
Birmingham City
- Highlights: Birmingham 0-0 Hull
22 Feb 12
Birmingham drop two places to fifth in the table following a goalless draw with Hull at St Andrew’s. - Highlights – Barnsley 1-3 Birmingham
22 Feb 12Birmingham claim a priceless 3-1 victory away to a battling Barnsley at Oakwell to climb up to third in the Championship. (UK only) - Lets Keep It Up says Hughton
22 Feb 12
Lets Keep It Up says Hughton Vitalfootball:Birmingham:22/02/2012 12:45:00 Blues manager Chris Hughton wants his in form side to keep up the good work as they took a step nearer to an automatic promotion spot by beating Barnsley on Tuesday. - Barnsley 1 Birmingham City 3: Colin Tattum' big match verdict and player ratings
22 Feb 12
RUTHLESS Birmingham City moved back onto the shoulders of the Championship’s top two with an emphatic victory at Oakwell. - Birmingham City: Chris Hughton says Jordon Mutch and Nathan Redmond proved him wrong
- Birmingham City: Chris Hughton responds to 'satisfying' Barnsley victory
- The Season So Far In Numbers
- Birmingham City fan of the week: Paul Harrison
- Blues Simply Too Good For Barnsley
Business
- MG Rover Longbridge cash battle reaches court
22 Feb 12
A preliminary hearing next Tuesday will decide whether MG Rover parent group Phoenix Venture Holdings can pursue its legal fight against banking giant HBOS. - DTZ advises SCMC on £2.4m Worcestershire deals
22 Feb 12
SUTTON Coldfield Municipal Charities (SCMC) has acquired the freehold interest in two Worcestershire properties, totalling £2.4m. The Birmingham office of DTZ acted on behalf of SCMC.In the first of t… - Tata set to double investment in Jaguar Land Rover to £1.5bn
22 Feb 12
JAGUAR Land Rover parent Tata Motors is set to double its investment in the vehicle manufacturer in order to sustain its spectacular growth.The Midland vehicle maker has announced third quarter profit… - Mucklow planning to regenerate Tyseley
22 Feb 12
BLACK Country property developer and investor A&J Mucklow is planning to regenerate a large swathe of land in inner city Birmingham.Together with Helical Retail, it has put in an outline planning appl… - CBI calls for £500m business boost from George Osborne's Budget
22 Feb 12The Government has been urged to give a £500 million Budget boost to business through a series of changes to the tax system aimed at stimulating growth. - Energy Act could make Birmingham buildings 'virtually unlettable'
- Tyseley Electrical completes pre-pack administration
- NFU conference in Birmingham: Government urged to stick to planning reform plans
- Talking Business: Jason Wouhra of East End Foods
- Jaguar Land Rover selects partner for Chinese assembly plant
Music
- Interview – Josh Osho
22 Feb 12
The MOBO tour visits Birmingham this week, showcasing some of the hottest new talent on the scene. Birmingham Live had the chance to speak to 20 year old Josh Osho – an inspirational musician and songwriter from South London – about his music, working with the Wu Tang Clan and redemption. BL: Hello… - Mark Badger wrote a new blog post: Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene at Glee Club Birmingham 17th April 2012
22 Feb 12
Mark Badger wrote a new blog post: Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene at Glee Club Birmingham 17th April 2012 Birmingham music legend Simon Fowler is set to launch his new solo project with an intimate show at Birmingham’s Glee Club on Tuesday 17 April. Best know as lead vocalist and guitarist with… - Ocean Colour Scene frontman launches solo project at Glee Club Birmingham
22 Feb 12
Birmingham music legend Simon Fowler is set to launch his new solo project with an intimate show at Birmingham’s Glee Club - Diddy Announces REVOLT TV
21 Feb 12
Sean “Diddy” Combs announces REVOLT, his new TV channel. He talks about wanting a place where artists and their viewers come together and engage with technology and social media. He promises that the videos will be raw, uncut, and uncensored… I wonder how he’ll achieve this… - [New Video] Odd Future – Rella
- Some Cold February Evening…
- Pulled Apart By Horses @ HMV Institute, Birmingham – 20th February 2012
- #nowplaying new soundboard of Prince & The Revolution at…
- Picked up some vinyl today. Replaced the copy of…
Events
- The Legend of Eric Shipton – Birmingham Town Hall on Monday 5 March.
23 Feb 12
Explorer, writer broadcaster Stephen Venables tours celebration of Shipton In winter/spring 2012, Stephen Venables will regale the story of one of the greatest legends of mountaineering, at theatres across the UK, in his lecture show The Legend of Eric Shipton, presented by adventure-based speakers… - The Kings of Spain, 23 February
22 Feb 12
23 February – Rock & Pop at Cherry Red Cafe Bar FREE - Quiz Night at Moorpool, Harborne
22 Feb 12Dear Moorpoolers The February quiz will take place on Wednesday the 29th at 7.30 in the Bowling pavilion. Margaret will be doing the questions so it will be a True/False format. If you haven’t experienced one of these quizzes, come along and join us for the quiz with a difference. Teams can be up to… - StakeOut
22 Feb 12
StakeOut – O2 Academy 3 Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom – 02, Jun 12 - Absolut Reggae
22 Feb 12
The minds behind Reggae Records, one of the best online record shops for reggae/dancehall have teamed up with the bashment party boys of Pub Tropicana to bring you, ABSOLUT REGGAE. Join us on a journey as we look back at early reggae and it’s progression through to dance…hall, bashment… - Stall holders wanted for Easter festival
- Versus The World
- Further Support for the Digbeth Summit
- Ocean Colour Scene frontman launches solo project at Glee Club Birmingham
- Joyce Sims – Buy 2 get a third Free!