At last - competition winners!!!

I have finally found five minutes to draw five lucky winners for our competition to win a pair of tickets to the:

GRAND DESIGNS LIVE
BIRMINGHAM NEC SPONSORED BY BRITISH GAS
9th- 11th OCTOBER 2009

These five people will all receive a pair of tickets each:

Carl Barton of Wigan
Darren Cousins of Hampshire
Carol Battle of Erdington
Carol Watkins of Madeley
Simon Sims of Stourbridge

There has been a seperate competition running for tickets for the same exhibition in The Gazette magazines, the closing date for which was today. But Gazette readers were given the option of posting their entries, which means in fairness to them I have to physically pop into Westpoint in Digbeth tomorrow morning to check out if there are any in my in-tray. So, dependent on how many entries I received, I may have more tickets to give away to those people who entered via Spaghetti Gazetti tomorrow - though no guarantees. But watch this space.

Thanks for entering everyone, I will shortly have some tickets for Scrooge at Birmingham Hippodrome with the great Tommy Steele in the lead role. So if you want to enter the competition, keep looking in during the next couple of days.

I've heard Chuck Berry is coming to town soon - at the Alex, now that would be an interview and a half! "Chuck, Pete Millington here from the Hodge Hill Gazette, is it true you know a few rock and roll chords on the old banjo there Chuck?"

Check out The Fridgeridoo

And before moving on to more serious stuff... I just picked up this email from Richard O'Brien in Australia, supplying us with various links to his own writing and also there's a bit of sales going on here for his very unique product, the Fridgeridoo - a six can holding device for cricket fans and miscellaneous strollers and picnickers. It is worth checking out if nowt else for the very delightful song which starts playing on his website.

If you're having a bad day, take a moment to listen to the Fridgeridoo song and you will be back on top again in seconds.

Thank you Richard, great tip for our Coca Koalas! Here's Richard's message (the internet never ceases to amaze - all genuine contributions from international bloggers welcome!!):

Hi there Pete Millington

Before I scrolled down to read about the Spaghetti Gazetti I thought that you could perhaps journalise as the “Worcestershire Source”. Seriously, I wish you well in your efforts re social enterprise, as far as I understand the term in the British context, and will be following your Blog from now on.

Cheers, Richard O’Brien

Business: www.fridgeridoo.com

Writing http://thesilentbee.com/

http://onceuponadreamtime.com.au/

http://thetablesturned.com/

Wednesday evening blog

Just got back in from a trip over to Coleshill for various things this evening, so before ploughing on with articles and other serious stuff, thought I'd do a quick diary entry, well it is a blog after all!

Apologies again to anyone who has sent an email to the AOL editorial email address in the past 2 weeks. For reasons I won't bore you with I lost access to the editor's email address, well basically I inherited the email account from the previous editor and whichever Gazette employee in the dim and distant past set up the email as part of their personal home account, has recently pulled the plug on it and AOL have been utterly unhelpful about transferring the account to my name, hence I have set up the new account with Google. I told it was boring, though also annoying.

So if you've been trying to get hold of me and I haven't replied - that's why. On top of this I lost access to the internet altogether over the weekend when my 10 year old modem packed up. But I won't even begin to tell you the ins and outs of my telephone conversations with the nice lady in the Virgin call centre. Hands up, I am the proverbial grumpy middle aged man when it comes to being talked at by nice patient people in call centres. One of my responses (I kid you not) was, well if I was phoning the water company they would send me a plumber, they wouldn't start giving me technical instructions on how to repair a leaking pipe over the phone (or perhaps they would?), but in fairness she got me there in the end.

I did warn you.

We seem to have acquired a cat over the weekend. It is quite a young one and has no doubt therefore been attracted by the children. We established from his collar that he actually belongs to some neighbours, though it seems they may be happy with the arrangement of us having Albert in the daytime and then him wandering home for his tea and blanket sometime around 10pm. They are the same neighbours who share an allotment with another couple on the road, who also happen to be the same people they share a lift to work with (i.e. car sharing) which is obviously fantastic and to be encouraged.

I can't remember such communal bliss since I lived in student accommodation in Moseley in the 1980s where 6 people would happily share one tin of spam, a box of Smash potato and a bag of out-of-date kidney beans for the community supper.

Our contribution up to now to the more recent communal arrangement has been Joe and Patrick sharing their footballs with the neighbours, indeed that's when we spotted Joe's accuracy with a football the day he successfully landed one in the neighbour's bird bath. Which sat like a miniature version of the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square for about a month until they eventually threw it back over, returning said bird bath to it's originally intended purpose.

There you go, there's an idea for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square - invite punters to land a ball so it stays on top of the plinth and win a copy of the BBC publication Sir Alex Ferguson's Unabridged Post-Match Wit and Fable - A Slim Volume. Second prize, Arsen Wenger's An Honest and Open Analysis of Controversial Incidents Involving My Own Players (1996-2009) - A5 pamphlet.

Sorry, one more, Farewell Messages to Sullivan and the Golds from the Tilton Enders - available on new business card format.

Anyway, I digress, actually it may be difficult to write anything serious after this, I did have a couple of things to highlight, so perhaps I'd best knock the blog on the head for now and get on with some proper articles! I will go away and gather my thoughts if such a thing is possible at 10 past 10. Ahh! Albert seems to have done a vanishing act ...the neighbours must be home.

Taddar for now.

KEEPING IN TOUCH by Beryl Kellie

EXHIBITION

Having been shown the stunning catalogue from “ Starstruck in the Cathedral” I was eager to see the Exhibition and a friend, similarly enthusiastic, joined me for the day.

Advertised as an unmissable family event, it was an innovative exhibition, the first of its kind in the country, displaying costumes from stage and screen.

In all there were 90 costumes, divided into seven sections, and the Nave of Worcester Cathedral was a perfect place for them.

With music playing in the background, all of which was relevant to the costumes on display, we heard 28 pieces, from the ‘Wedding March’ of a Midsummer Nights Dream’ to the Overture from The Phantom of the Opera and ‘Hoist the Main brace’ from Pirates of the Caribbean to ‘Patients’ from Sense and Sensibility, it was all in keeping with the occasion.

The first section was weddings and beginning the display was the Bride of Frankenstein, the most elaborate by far. Rather more ball gown than wedding dress, but to see so close the minute detail in stitching, embroidery and additions of ribbons and lace, it was amazing to realise right at the beginning, all of the costumes were hand-stitched to create the correct image when the period had no access to machines.

No zips, fastenings were minute hooks and eyes or press-studs.

More traditional gowns were for Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Cranford, but one made for Meryl Streep in The House of Spirits, elegant in the extreme, had a train making almost a complete circle behind it and yards long.

The Tea Party was next and Gosford Park was depicted by a formal tea-gown for Maggie Smith circa 1932, and very much the ‘upstairs’ costume of the era, followed by a gown of intricate layers from Finding Neverland, and finally a crimson creation well covered with pearls and crystals from the Secret Garden.

Next came The Royals, and Helen Mirren and Cate Blanchett had worn the first four for their individual representations of Elizabeth 1.

The materials and designs were stunning and we wondered how on earth the actresses were able to move, never mind remembering lines and acting, the costumes of that period were so large and cumbersome sitting down must have been a near impossibility.

We had the first actors in this section, with Shakespeare in Love (Joseph Fiennes) and Elizabeth the Golden Age (Christopher Ecclestone) looking very underdressed beside the magnificent costume for Charles 11.

The section ended with the black outfit worn by Helen Mirren as The Queen at the funeral of Diana, complete with beautiful brooch, but looking very ‘utility’ in its making.

The largest section was The Red Carpet and took the long centre of the Nave, so that front and back of each costume had equal vision, and all 27 were a delight.

I do have to admit Janet and I did not know some of the films or film stars portrayed.

Most were period costumes, and as we were able to see very close to, back and front, it was wonderful to see and appreciate the enormous work that goes into the costume making. Reading the Catalogue from cover to cover you learn how much time is taken to research every detail of date, style and material, and the ‘ageing’ of them if they have to appear well-worn.

Janet’s favourite was Renee Zellwegger’s gown from Miss Potter, an absolute delight in ruffles, gathers and pleats, mine was Uma Thurman’s from The Golden Bowl, heavy lace and silk, apparently inspired by Sargent portraits of the time.

The catalogue records that due to the tiny waists of some stars the wooden mannequins had to be carved down to fit the dresses.

At this point we were half way through and opted for a lunch break in the Cathedral Coffee Shop, which was very pleasant - and welcome.

The exit from the Coffee Shop was to the outside and entrance had to be made again through the main door to the Exhibition, but this gave us the opportunity to see something of the Cathedral and the beautiful windows

Back to the Red Carpet for a final look and noting the few actors amongst the lovely gowns. There were only six, the most flamboyant being Casanova (Heath Ledger) and the best known Daniel Craig from Defiance.

On to the Shakespeare section and a piece of British Theatre History.

All were costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company - and were amazing.

The oldest was for Richard Burton as Henry V from 1951, closely followed by Vivienne Leigh and Laurence Olivier in Macbeth, 1955.

This section had the most extraordinary costumes imaginable. The same play under a different Director gave a quite distinctive representation.

For instance The Scottish Play had several ‘alternate’ productions, with completely diverse costumes. Fascinating. The most unusual was a cape made for Glenda Jackson in Anthony and Cleopatra (1978)

The Robin Hood section featured six costumes from the recent television series, and the most remarkable thing about them was the deliberate ‘ageing’ of the leather and fabrics, reproducing endless wear without attention or cleaning.

And finally - Action Heroes. Pirates of the Caribbean costumes for Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp even had the belts and buttons ‘worn’ to look correct, and a magnificent embroidered Dragon on a dressing gown made for Ben Kingsley in Thunderbirds

A big ‘thank you’ to Worcester Cathedral for hosting the Exhibition, and to the Curator and her team for a wonderful experience.

Celebration

Briefly - after so much about Worcester - I was invited to join the Coleshill and District Brownies and Guides at Kingsbury Water Park as they began the national launch for the centenary of Girlguiding, which will have many events during the next twelve months until the significant date next October 20 – 10 – 2010 when there will be a final celebration.

Recreation

A small team of novice croquet players took part in a fundraising match at Berkswell recently. Alan Craske, who for many years has demonstrated his croquet skill at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Open Days, was enthusiastic enough to supervise some (very necessary) practise on his lawn beforehand. We were delighted that two couples, including Alan, won their first game, but then were unsuccessful in the second. However, we were playing Association Rules, and not everyone was!!

The Library Theatre Autumn programme is underway and several dates are in the diary starting with ‘A Timeless Collection‘ of music from the 50’s to 80’s and including the forthcoming ‘Festival 09’ with some great shows.

More next time about those.

Obligation

Have you applied yet for your ‘A’ level in Re-cycling ? Looking at the list of do’s and don’ts we shall need at least one of those.

More about that later too!!

I’ll keep in touch…………….

Beryl Kellie

PROBUS CLUB OF COLESHILL - September Report

A BRITISH LEGEND - TRIUMPH MOTOR CYCLES:

Tuesday 1st September saw members of the Probus Club of Coleshill gathering at the Coleshill Hotel for the start of the autumn season of meetings and to which they welcomed a return visit by Ray Sturdy to talk about the history of Triumph Motor Cycles. It was fact filled history charting the rise, fall and regeneration of a great British Tradition with a strong Midlands connection.

1887 to 1914:
The story began in London in 1887 when the partnership of Messrs Bettman and Shorts began copying and marketing bicycles, then a rapidly developing form of personal transport and without the inconvenience of maintaining your own horse. Realising that the Midlands had better resources and engineering expertise the business was relocated to Coventry (Priory Road) from where they rapidly expanded; Mr Sturdy showed us several advertisements for Triumph Cycles taken from newspapers and magazines of the period and illustrating that even in the Victorian period the use an attractive young lady made an excellent selling feature.

Logically the next move was to add a motor to the cycles to ease the burden on the cyclist and to achieve this Triumph imported engines from Belgium (a 2 Horse Power Minerva) as there were no suitable British made units available: It was obvious from a photograph that this was a modified cycle where only the main frame had been redesigned to accommodate the engine, this Mark One version was introduced in 1896/7. 1902 saw the first custom designed motor cycle with a 2.5 HP Engine, however the basic cycle frame was still evident, it had no clutch or gearbox and stopping was achieved by switching off the engine and applying normal cycle brakes, very basic and fundamental but a great innovation at the time. Ray said that Harley Davidson brought out their first machine a year later that was very similar in design and operation to the Triumph ‘First’.

Put a group of like minded and equipped young persons together and it not long before competitiveness comes along (as it has done for millennia). Consequently motor cycle racing began, (as it had with cars) and in 1907 Triumph became an established name at the TT Races on the Isle of Man. A photograph of the time was later used by the Post Office to advertise the introduction of motor cycles for the speedier delivery of letters. At this same time (1907/8) Triumph were producing 12,000 bikes per year and competition was rife with other firms such as BSA, AJS, Norton, Velocette and Royal Enfield many of which had also originated from bicycle manufacture.

Triumph 11

WORLD WAR ONE and THE INTER-WAR YEARS:
With the advent of the First World War in 1914 Triumph were asked to supply motor cycles for Despatch Riders conveying messages and orders from Head Quarters to battalions stationed on the Western Front. There were also motor cycles armed with a Lewis Gun, that Ray explained, were not without their own problems such as the tendency for the ‘bike’ to travel backwards due to the recoil from the gun!

Many motor cycle manufacturers were also into cars and museums have examples; this was the case with Triumph and in 1922 the company split into two separate units – Triumph Motors (cars) with Clive Holbrook employed as the Managing Director, and Triumph Motor Cycles. Mr Sturdy has a separate talk on their cars but on this occasion we would only be concerned with the motor cycles. [Triumph Cars of course continued as one of Coventry’s major motor vehicle companies eventually finishing up with British Leyland and as Rover-Triumph with such well known models such as the Herald, the Stag, the Dolomites and the TR Range]. In the 1930’s Triumph head hunted Edward Turner the Chief Designer for the Aerial Company, - who had designed the ‘Square-Four’ motor cycle engine capable of achieving a 1000cc capacity, - as a new M.D. who initiated major changes on the design front and many of their better known models date from this period.

The design of the machines changed and even the ‘on-road names’ became meaningful. Turner introduced the ‘Triumph Tiger’ range; the name designating the achievable on-road speed (in miles per hour) such as a Tiger 50 (= 50mph), Tiger 60, Tiger 80 up to a Tiger 120. It was also in this period that they began using twin cylinder engines because up until then all bikes had a single cylinder giving a maximum capacity of 250cc. A Triumph ‘Trophy’ machine was also developed for trials use following successes achieved by Triumph’s in various off-road – cross country events that became popular in the 1930’s; the ‘Trophy’ was specifically designed for off-road use having ‘knobbly’ tyres on both wheels, a redesigned engine and telescopic dampened front forks (other manufacturers quickly followed suit.

1940 to the Present:
For the Second World War Triumph received an order for 50,000 bikes from the M.O.D. for use by the armed forces that was to be capable of roadside repairs by any competent engineer. The designed version had a 350cc single cylinder engine and was very popular with its users and gave very little trouble. In fact at the end of the war a large surplus of unused machines was sold back to the company, who re-sprayed them maroon and sold them to the general public. In November 1940 the Triumph Factory suffered the fate of much of Coventry thanks to the Luftwaffe but very little production time was lost as contingency plans had been made and they quickly re-established them selves at their Meriden Factory where production remained until the 1980’s.

Triumph 17

Immediately after WW II Edward Turner realised that the company should continue to support, encourage and compete in the Motor Cycle Racing world since it is from technological advances in this field that new innovations can be developed and applied to the normal on-the-road-civilian market. Very much as is still done to day in Formula One by major manufactures such as BMW, Renault Ferrari and Toyota. A 500cc racing bike was subsequently developed that gave Triumph many circuit successes and an enhanced reputation in the 1950’s and 60’s. In the early 1950’s Edward Turner visited the USA where he established a chain of dealers because due to their racing success Triumph’s were in high demand especially once Marlon Brando bought one and motor cycle films such as ‘The Wild One’ were released. It was whilst visiting America that Turner was inspired by a Totem Pole on an Indian Reservation that represented a ‘Thunderbird’ and utilised this when naming a new machine with a 650cc power unit. The Triumph Thunderbird became a best selling machine. Following successes at Bonneville (Utah) on the Salt Flats using a specially designed bike fitted with the Thunderbird 650cc engine a land speed record of 240.4 mph was achieved; this lead to the production release of the Bonneville Machine in 1958 this survived in production until 1983. The Thunderbird and Bonneville rapidly became every teenager’s desire (including our Speaker, as he admitted and there were confirming nods in the audience); of course these were the days when you could pass your single test on a 50cc machine one day and then go out on a 500cc – or greater – the next and crash helmets were not mandatory. No doubt many readers remember these as ‘good old days’. There is no doubt that the 50’s and 60’s were the heyday of British designed and built motor cycles: not just for Triumph but also for Aerial, Matchless, Norton and BSA etcetera as a visit to the National Motor Cycle Museum [M42-A45 Junction 6] will confirm.

During this period the reviving Japanese economy began to arise (like the sun in the east) and Honda produced a ‘Moped’ unfortunately the well established Motor Cycle Industry (including Triumph) chose not to see this threat mistakenly thinking they were immune. Success on the racing tracks, speed records and off road trials are good for reputations and, as was said above, good for research and development but they were not always economically viable in the world of the second half of the 20th Century. There were financial problems in the Industry as a whole and BSA acquired an interest in Triumph as early as 1951, by 1972 Triumph was given a reprieve with the creation of “Norton-Villiers-Triumph” but this was short-lived; Triumph struggled on through various ‘rescue plans’ largely surviving by export trade with the USA who took 60% of their production. In 1983 John Bloor (a Property Developer and Motor Cycles enthusiast) bought the Meriden site (which is now a residential development) but also the ‘Triumph’ name and all the manufacturing rights. The Triumph revival at Hinckley will be discussed later.

Readers will be aware that the decline resulted from the influx of Japanese motor cycles and Italian Scooters (Lambretta’s (Innocenti) and Vespa’s primarily) – does anyone admit to having owned a Douglas Vespa? British manufacturing costs rose and could not compete with the selling price of the Japanese imports - simple economics that British complacency allowed to happen. There were attempts to counteract the Japanese influx and Triumph produced the ‘Tiger Cub’ with a 150cc engine (and similarly the BSA Bantam) aimed at first time buyers/learners. The scooter market was unsuccessfully tried with 150cc Tina and 250cc Tigress and as illustrations showed these were no competition for the Vespa’s and Lambretta’s.

John Bloor’s interests were developed at the Hinckley site in very strict secrecy using the very best motor cycle designers that money could hire with the development of a water cooled three cylinder 750cc engine (and a 900cc version) known as the Speed Triple (built on Triumph’s first automated production line). This engine was an immediate success on the racing circuit at Daytona in USA which resulted in a sports bike appropriately named the ‘Daytona’ being marketed. Other machines have followed as well as 4 cylinder (1200cc) engine to cover the whole spectrum. An all terrain machine resurrecting the old name of the ‘Tiger’ was also introduced that can go off road in both desert and alpine conditions.

Triumph Rocket

Harley Davidson had had some success by producing ‘Retro’ bikes (modern technology to reproduce much earlier popular models) so Triumph used the same techniques to reproduce the classic Thunderbird model with a 900cc power unit and in spite of major fire in their Paint Shop (2002) produced and sold 30,000 bikes within 3 months. Triumph has re-arrived and able to take on their Japanese rivals and have also continued to participate with their own team on the racing circuits of the world.

Mr Sturdy spoke for some time on the National Motor Cycle Museum both before and after the disastrous fire and told how one famous Triumph bike, known as ‘Slippery Sam’ has been lovingly restored by the donation of parts from enthusiasts all over the world that when completed achieved speed of 163 mph at Brands Hatch, go to the Museum yourself and ‘Sam’ is the machine that greets you in the foyer. Looking to the future amongst their many offerings is a Retro Bonneville with a 900cc engine looking like the classic of the 60’s but built entirely with modern technology. The latest machine developed to compete with Harley Davidson is the ‘Triumph Rocket Three’. If you own a Triumph you are in good company, it was a Triumph ridden by Steve McQueen in the ‘Great Escape’ and we also saw a photograph of Formula One ace, Michael Schumacher riding one for pleasure: the Triumph Motor Cycle Owners Club is well worth joining if you are an enthusiast and not already a member.

Mr Sturdy’s talk lasted over an hour and proved that he was indeed a dedicate enthusiast with a strong love motorcycling; he currently owns a ‘Retro Thunderbird’ machine that is used regularly. Of course readers will appreciate that space forbids including many of the facts, figures and anecdotes that he told us during the talk. His illustrations chosen (over 100 slides) were obviously carefully selected and helped to bring over the points made in his talk. Thank you Mr Sturdy.

Jerry Dutton
Press Secretary

Triumph TT600

Infuencing Local Decisions Workshop

Influencing Local Decisions is a workshop for women – and in particular Black and Minority Ethnic women. The aim is the look at how you can influence the decisions that affect your community and neighbourhood. We will be finding out about local governance is changing in Birmingham; learning what works. and developing tactics for gaining influence in local decisions.

The workshop takes place on Tuesday 13 October 9.30am to 1pm at The Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BB It will be led by Hannah Worth and Paul Slatter from Chamberlain Forum and is part of the WAITS (Women Acting in Today’s Society) Women Making Change programme which is supported by the Big Lottery Fund. It is also part of Local Democracy Week in Birmingham which is supported by BeBirmingham and Birmingham City Council.

Places are free, but numbers are limited. To book a place at the workshop please call Rani Johal at WAITS on 0121 440 1443 or email ranijohal@waitsaction.org

"Social Enterprise 09: the future of public services?"conference

We would like to make you aware of an upcoming conference hosted by the Guardian and in association with SEC which will explore the role of social enterprise in the future of public service delivery.

“Social Enterprise 09: the future of public services?” takes place on Thursday 19th November (Social Enterprise Day) at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham and is aimed at anyone involved in commissioning, delivering or improving public sector services.Speakers at the event will include Vince Cable MP, Claire Dove, chair of SEC, and Peter Holbrook, CEO of Sunlight Development Trust.

As the government plans to limit spending, the public sector will need to fundamentally rethink how it delivers services. This event will provide inspiration, ideas and practical lessons on how to exploit the benefits of working with social enterprises.

For Coalition members interested in taking their first steps into public service delivery, the conference presents an opportunity to find out more about the commissioning process, make useful contacts and begin to plan for your future. For those already delivering contracts, the event is a chance to network with commissioners and other social enterprises.The conference will tackle some of the common misconceptions that exist around social enterprise which can hamper its prospects in a competitive tender, and offer advice from commissioners and experts on the best ways to demonstrate social impact in order to secure a contract.

To view the programme and register for a place visit- http://www.guardian.co.uk/socialenterprise

Kind regards

Richard Startari
Membership & Stakeholder Manager
Social Enterprise Coalition
Southbank House
Black Prince Road
London SE1 7SJ
t 020 7793 2324 f 020 7793 2326

PROFESSIONAL ADVICE SURGERY and FUNDERS FAIR

Birmingham ProHelp Group and i’SE Presents
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE SURGERY and FUNDERS FAIR

Thursday 12 November 2009, 16:00 - 18:00
Lower Ground Floor
Business Insight
Birmingham Central Library

Do you run a social enterprise, community group, not-for-profit organisation in Birmingham, Black Country or Coventry?

Would you like to meet professional people and funding bodies who can offer you help and advice – FREE of charge?

*New for 2009* - Meet the funders
Community Builders Future Builders


Places are limited so booking is essential by Monday 26 October 09
Please email jennifer.leech@bitc.org.uk for further information and a booking form

Latest on the BSSEC Blog

New on the BSSEC Blog...

Anyone for loan finance?September 29th, 2009 by Steve Walker

http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=258

Are the Conservatives really out to reverse Labour’s ‘marketisation’ of the third sector — it looks that way

http://www.bssec.org.uk/blog/?p=262

Regards,

Alun

-- -Birmingham & Solihull Social Economy Consortium

Alun Severn: BSSEC Secretariattel: 0121 233 0278

email: alun@bssec.org.uk

A Day of Discovery for toddlers in Herefordshire

Herefordshire Council is inviting teachers, childcare workers and parents with their children to a day of discovery at Hereford Racecourse this weekend, where they can explore new ways of helping toddlers become active learners.

The early years foundation stage is a statutory framework, which has to be delivered by all schools, nurseries and people working with children aged up to five years. The aim is to support children’s learning and development through play and discovery and marks a shift in the way we help our youngsters learn. Gone are the days of letter drills and worksheets and in their place are fun open-ended activities, which encourage learning through discovery.

Discovery Day will take place on Saturday October 3 at Hereford Racecourse from 10am-3pm. A range of workshops have been organised, including creative recycling, forest schools, sow and grow ideas, Music Pool, local artists getting messy and early years specialists talking about child development.

In addition to lots of innovative ideas and activities, adults and children will be able to get their hands on a SMART table - the first multi-touch, multi-user interactive learning centre for pupils of all ages. Designed to encourage collaboration and teamwork, discussion and consensus building, the table gives all pupils a gathering place to explore digital lessons. For more information visit www.smart-table.co.uk.

Louise Jackson of Herefordshire Council said: “The early years foundation stage is about providing fun play-based activities that help children discover the joy of learning.

“Children getting involved in play-based activities learn to test out their own skills such as the sounds they make, the way they communicate with others and the impact their behaviours have on others. There are lots of exciting ideas and tools around to help early years workers and parents stimulate developmental behaviours. Discovery Day will be a great opportunity for parents, carers and childcare workers to come and explore some of these tools and test them out for themselves.

“They’ll also get some great ideas for having fun at home and understanding their child’s behaviours and developments.”

The event is free with refreshments available for purchase, or picnic spaces for those wanting to stay a while. There will be a range of commercial stalls too for teachers or early years leaders who wish to purchase goodies to stimulate the youngsters in their care.

Remembrance Concert

The Birmingham Icknield Male Voice Choir will be taking part in a charity concert on Saturday 14th November at Saint Edmund Campion School in Erdington. The concert starts promptly at 7.30.

The League of Friends of the John Taylor Hospice are holding their annual Remembrance Concert to raise funds.

Ray Woods, Marketing and Fundraising Officer for the League of Friends said,

'We are delighted to have the choir back again. They have been very supportive of the Hospice. Although this is our Remembrance Concert, it is intended to be a celebration - and if the choir are up to their usual form, it will be a very lively occasion.

Tickets are £5 each or £2 for under 16's. They are available by calling freephone: 0800 718 1898.

Lunar Society @ The Station

Featuring Lazurus Clamp, Chase Mist & James Summerfield

Friday 2nd October

Octobers Lunar Society sees us moving briefly over to The Station in Kings Heath just down the road from our usual haunt The Hare And Hounds. Apart from that the format stays the same. 3 great bands, candle lit tables and good company.

Headlining the evening this month we bring you Lazarus Clamp . This 1993 formed UK alt. folk/post-punk institution have played with with Giant Sand, Chris Brokaw, The New Year,

Laura Cantrell, Richard Buckner, David Grubbs, Herman Dune and at SXSW in 2001.
.

Lazarus Clamp are magically inventive, and capable of producing muscular post-punk as heavy as Silkworm or Shellac, intricately textured post-rockers, and deceptively purty pop songs in the tradition of the Go-Betweens or Palace.

.
Hailing from Burntwood Chase Mist have quickly gained a reputation on the midlands folk scene as a polished and exciting contemporary acoustic/folk act. With their undoubted ability to spot or write a good tune they have come up with an eclectic mix of songs. This coupled with solid musicianship and outstanding vocal ability makes them an act not to be missed!

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Fresh from Moseley Folk Festival James Summerfield sounds like Oldham, Dylan and Young and has been described by The Scotsman as "one of the finest exponents of moss-hung backwoods Americana you'll find in the UK"

Friday 2nd October

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The Station

8 High Street

Kings Heath

Birmingham

B14 7BB

Doors Open 8pm

Admission £5.00

Hoard fundraising plans to be announced

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will work closely with partners to identify fundraising opportunities to permanently acquire the now world famous Staffordshire Hoard.

And Cllr Martin Mullaney, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture, will shortly announce a fundraising campaign to keep the largest ever find of Anglo-Saxon treasure in the Midlands.

Over 10,500 people queued to see an exhibition of selected items from the Hoard this weekend and museum staff reported continued high interest this morning.

Cllr Mullaney, who is keen to work closely with Stoke Museums, said: “I think it’s important to stress that the treasure has not yet been valued. That is the next chapter of the story.

“But the British Museum has indicated support for the finds ultimately remaining in the Midlands and once the value has been set, we will be looking at creative fundraising opportunities to acquire the Hoard for the region.

“Lengthy queues over the weekend and massive worldwide media coverage clearly indicate the huge amounts of interest in these artefacts and we believe these objects would significantly contribute to the ongoing development of our collections.

“To that end, I hope to shortly announce details of a fundraising campaign and in the meantime visitors to the exhibition can contribute using the collection boxes located around the museum.

“Museums these days have a good track record in terms of raising large sums of money to add to their collections, something that was clearly illustrated in the campaign to keep Titian’s Diana and Actaeon for the nation.”Selected artefacts from the Hoard are currently on display at BMAG before being transferred to the British Museum for valuation on October 13.

After that, Cllr Mullaney hopes Birmingham, Staffordshire, Stoke and other partners can work together to jointly acquire the Hoard, returning it permanently to the Midlands.

Take the First Steps to Athletics in Stafford

This Saturday (3 October) 8 to 12 year olds can take their ‘First Steps to Athletics’.

The Athletics course is part of Stafford Borough Council’s ongoing sports sessions ‘Go For It!’ programme launched last month.

The First Steps to Athletics sessions will take place every Saturday (excluding school holidays) at Stafford Sports College from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Kath Fenn, Sports Development Officer at Stafford Borough Council commented, “We are pleased to offer the First Steps to Athletics course again this year, giving 8 to 12 year olds an idea of the skills and techniques involved in traditional track and field athletics in an indoor setting. Specially adapted equipment will be used for the sports hall environment providing the opportunity for children to try sprinting, throwing, jumping and relays.”

For more information on the Athletics course and other sports sessions, pick up a copy of the Go For It! Sport Sessions brochure from Stafford Tourist Information Centre, Stafford Leisure Centre, Alleyne’s Sports Centre or the civic offices; download a copy at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/sportsdevelopment; call 01785 619 607; or email sportsdevelopment@staffordbc.gov.uk to request a copy.

Canal Music @ The Flapper & Firkin

Featuring Lisa Knapp and Leafcutter John
Wednesday 30th September

Even as the last echo's of this years festival fade from the park we're right back to business and very proud to announce that we're hosting the final night of the Canal Music Tour in conjunction with Sound UK.

Taking place at the Flapper and Firkin (B1 2NU) Canal Music brings you two of Britain’s brightest folk and electronics artists, Lisa Knapp and Leafcutter John.

The pair collaborate for the first time to create new music inspired by the culture and history of the British waterways.

Join them for a performance along the banks of the Grand Union Canal.

Following the world premiere inside the London Canal Museum, the 1930s narrow boat The Chiswick will journey up the once thriving trade route from London to Birmingham, Britain’s longest single stretch of canal.

Serving as a floating stage, The Chiswick stops for performances along the banks of five canal side settings, each chosen for their natural beauty and significance to the history of the canal. Highly acclaimed folk singer Lisa Knapp and leading electronics artist Leafcutter John will capture the spirit of the UK waterways in a contemporary celebration of canal life playing new work inspired by the canals as well as their own existing music.

We hope you can join us on the night.

Weds 30 September - 7.30pm
The Flapper & Firkin
Kingston Row
Birmingham
B1 2NU

Unreserved seating available in the pub garden.
This is an outdoor event, please wear suitable clothing.

Tickets
£10.00 + booking fee through our web site
http://www.moseleyfolkonlineshop.co.uk/shop/
£12.00 on the door

Women from the Midlands honoured as 2009 Women of the Year

Students from Rushcliffe School in Nottingham, Grace Easie-Edgar from Birmingham and Ann Cotton OBE invited to join the most significant gathering of women in the world

Students from Rushcliffe School in Nottingham, Grace Easie-Edgar from Birmingham and Ann Cotton OBE have been nominated, amongst other women from the Midlands, to join the prestigious Women of the Year Lunch and Awards. This long established event, set up in 1955 by Lady Tony Lothian, brings together outstanding women from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, in recognition of their individual achievements. This year’s lunch and awards is taking place on 12th October at the Intercontinental Hotel in London.

Each and every woman attending the lunch is considered to be a ‘Woman of the Year’ and is invited in recognition of their contribution to society and achievements in their chosen field. These extraordinary women gather to bring matters of importance to a national audience and raise awareness of subjects concerning women. The theme for this year focuses on rebuilding a sustainable Britain, taking a look at how the women honoured today can work towards building a brighter tomorrow. Women are nominated by a council of over 40 women, including: President, Joan Armatrading, Chairman, Gill Carrick, Eleanor Angel, Maureen Lipman, Mary Nightingale, Doreen Lawrence, Virginia Wade and Ann Barr.

Students, Bex Bailey (Age 17), Fliss Cooper (Age 16), Zoe Buckberry (age 13) and Stevie Grieves (Age 13) from Rushcliffe School in Nottingham have organised over 200 fundraising, campaigning and volunteering actions through the school's Citizenship Club. The Club helped organise presentations, awareness raising events and debates with local MPs in their school on a range of issues from fair trade to anti-fur. Selected from 96 UK secondary schools, they were national winners of the Giving Nation Awards and won the opportunity to spend one week learning first hand about the work of environmental charity the Rainforest Foundation UK in Cameroon. In April 2009, they travelled to the West African forest to learn about the charity's work to preserve the Rainforest, its wildlife & habitat and to protect the rights of the Baka, a people who have lived sustainably in the forest for thousands of years.


Grace Easie-Edgar is the President of the Social Care Association. Grace is the first African Caribbean woman to be elected to the post of President of the Social Care Association (SCA), the professional body for social care workers. Grace currently manages the city-wide service for children leaving care, supporting over 2000 young people who have previously been in the care of Birmingham Council to access accommodation, employment and training opportunities, to enable them to live independently.

Ann Cotton OBE is the Executive Director of Camfed International. Young people and education have been the focus of Ann Cotton’s life and she has a passionate belief in the power of education to transform lives. In her early career, she established and led an education centre for girls excluded from mainstream education in London. Following research into the constraints on girls’ education in Zimbabwe, Ann founded Camfed in 1993 after she found that poverty was the biggest obstacle preventing girls from going to school.

President, Joan Armatrading, commented, “In my final year as President I look back over the last five years with great emotion and am honoured to have been a witness to such astounding women and deeds. Every woman who attends the Women of the Year Lunch and Awards is invited because of their considerable achievements and we look to honour each and every one of them. This year we acknowledge the impact they have made and call all women to mirror their example and work together to rebuild a sustainable Britain”

The guests at the 2009 Women of the Year lunch, whose professions range from the arts to the business world, encompassing media, medicine, politics, charity work, agriculture, journalism and much more, will have the opportunity to talk with each other on important issues. As well as working as a platform to introduce vital issues, a number of awards are made to women who have made significant achievements in the past year. 2008 special award winners included: Nina Barough CBE (Outstanding Achievement Award); Ann Cotton (Window to the World Award); Shy Keenan and Sara Payne (Women of the Year Award) and Claire Hicks (Food for Thought Award).

100 Years of Girlguiding in Birmingham

By Margaret Birkett

Sunday 6th September Girlguiding Birmingham launched its centenary celebrations in Symphony Hall. What a magnificent show from the youngest Rainbow to the oldest Trefoil Guild member joining into the spirit of the celebrations, after all on the very day of our launch weekend started, a small group of girls stormed a Scout Rally at Crystal Palace to ask Robert Baden-Powell to provide ‘Something for Girls’. In 1910 there were 6,000 members, now our organisation has grown to over ten million, world wide, what an achievement! Girlguiding Birmingham’s first Guide Company was formed in Aston and is still going strong. Here in Birmingham we now have 4,260 girls in 265 units across the city with 573 volunteer leaders.

Our launch day started early with girls arriving for the dress rehearsal at Symphony Hall. This was the first occasion for all those taking part to rehearse the whole concert through with the choir; the stage in our Guide Headquarters is too small to accommodate the 700 performers. Everyone was filled with mixed emotions of excitement and nervousness, after all it’s not everyday you get a chance to perform on the stage of such a wonderful venue.

The choir sang first with Come, Come, Light up the Fire, Here find dreams to inspire, stories to tell, music to sing, this is how the events unfolded. Hall Green Division portrayed 1909 Crystal Palace followed by Highbury Division giving us a flavour of the 1910s highlighting the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War. The war years never stopped Guiding, in fact it played a big part in the City with its ready made army of volunteers, however that’s another story.

Northfield Division took us through the 1920s included dancing the Charleston and jitterbug, the carefree days of the roaring twenties. Then came the depression of the 1930s, Trinity Division lightened it up with the Coronation of George V1, only to end with the storm clouds of war gathering once more. Yardley Division showed the 1940s was not all doom and gloom. 1950s with Edgbaston Division acting short items of the Coronation of Elizabeth II and the conquering of Mount Everest.

Moving swiftly on to the 1960s, Cole Valley Division’s chance to remind the older ones in the audience of the Beatles, flower power and that man had landed on the moon. Ladywood Division showed us how the world was changing in the 1970s, with street parties to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and Mrs Thatcher moved into number 10 Downing Street. Perry Barr portrayed the 1980s in musical style, with Torville and Dean spinning on ice and audience participation with the Birdie song. Vesey Division reminded us of films that were released in the 1990s, the mania caused by Harry Potter and the tears shed over the film Titanic. King’s Norton Division brought us to date with this present decade 2000 and showed us some of the changes that have been made to the Guiding programme making it more relevant to the girls in this new century. As for the future, Middlepark Division gave us a flavour of what’s to come followed by a grand finale that raised the roof and lifted our spirits, we all felt so proud to be members of Girlguiding Birmingham and a world wide movement.

Michael Collie, Broadcaster and Presenter Ambassador for Girlguiding Birmingham gave a short talk on the value of Guiding. His four daughters have all enjoyed Guiding and have gained a tremendous amount from it, life skills, confidence, character building all that is needed to equip a young woman for the 21stcentury.

We provide a unique girl-only space…..and have done for 100 years! ‘A girl is not allowed to run, or even to hurry, swim, ride a bike or raise her arms above her head…’ according to a 1909 publication, but just a year later girls in guiding were heading off to camp. Where in a girl-only space they could raise their arms as high as they liked.

We promote equality and diversity……and have done so for 100 years! Guides have come from a rich mix of backgrounds, faiths and nationalities from the beginning. Across the decades there have been units in factories, young offenders’ homes and hospitals to ensure that guiding was really ‘open to all’.

We’re relevant to today’s girls…..and have been for 100 years! Guiding has not only kept up with the times, but has, always been ahead of them: in 1912 (only four years after the first powered flight in Britain), there was an air mechanic badge!

We give girls and young women a voice….and have done so for 100 years! Girls pushed the boundaries and really spoke out when they turn up at Crystal Palace Boy Scout Rally in 1909 asking for ‘something for the girls’. Later, when Baden-Powell was asked, ‘Who started the Guides?’, he replied, ‘They started themselves’.

If you want a flavour of the past 100 years read my book ‘Girlguiding Birmingham The First 100 Years’ available from Trefoil House, Blucher Street, Birmingham B1 1QL girlguidingbham@btconnect.com

LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!

IT’S A GUARANTEED PARTY!

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Richard O’Brien’s THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW opens at Birmingham Hippodrome from Monday 2 – Saturday 7 November. The Rocky Horror Show will thrust its way to the theatre featuring Olivier Award winner David Bedella starring as the celebrated Frank ‘n’ Furter and popular TV Chef and presenter Ainsley Harriott as The Narrator.

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This irresistible riot has seduced audiences all over the world for more than thirty years so whether you’re a die-hard fan or a Rocky Virgin, it’s time to celebrate this infamous adventure like never before.

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Brush up on those pelvic thrusts, squeeze into that corset and slip back into those killer stilettos
because the world’s favourite rock ‘n’ roll musical is back with a vengeance!

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The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of engaged sweethearts Brad and Janet who are forced to seek refuge in a castle full of the maddest, baddest and sexiest group the world has ever seen. Featuring the timeless classics ‘Sweet Transvestite’, ‘Damit Janet’ and ‘The Time Warp’, this is the craziest party you’ll ever go to, so select your seats, dress to impress and get ready for Rocky!

Richard O’Brien is the writer of the The Rocky Horror Show which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre on 19 June 1973. He starred in the 1975 film adaptation as Riff Raff and is also widely
recognised as the presenter of the popular TV show ‘The Crystal Maze’. Since premiering, the stage show has been in almost continuous production, and the cinematic version is one of the best known and most ardently followed films of all time.

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Richard is currently in the casting process for his forthcoming production of a new pulp fiction detective musical The Stripper, by himself, Richard Hartley and Carter Brown, directed by Bob Carlton. Richard will also be appearing in the show.

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Best known for creating the roles of Satan/Warm Up Man in Jerry Springer - The Opera for which he won Best Musical Actor in 2004, David Bedella plays the mad scientist Frank ‘n’ Furter for the 2009/10 UK tour. Bedella has walked the corridors of as BBC1’s popular hospital drama Holby City as Doctor Carlos Fashola and starred in numerous Broadway and US national tours including Jesus Christ Superstar, La Cage Aux Folles, Almost Like Being in Love, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, West Side Story, and A Chorus Line, or which he received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He has also played Frank ‘n’ Furter alongside Meat Loaf in The Rocky Horror Show. He was last seen at Birmingham Hippodrome in Chasing Fate.

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There are only a handful of personalities whose enduring popularity places them in that rare category where they are instantly recognized simply by their first name. “Ainsley” can only mean Ainsley Harriott, (The Narrator) who, after fifteen years as one of the country’s favourite TV chefs and presenters is something of a national institution. Best known for his twenty series of Ready Steady Cook, which continue to air on tv channels around the world, and with eight solo primetime cooking series under his belt, he has become the master of fresh, fun, accessible cuisine.

This production is produced by Howard Panter for ATG and Bill Kenwright.

The Rocky Horror Show runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Monday 2 – Saturday 7 November.

Perf times: Mon-Thurs 7.30pm; Fri & Sat 5pm & 8.30pm. Tickets £13-£32.50.

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Book online at
http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/ or 0844 338 5000. Calls vary from 5p per min. Transaction fee 6% phone and counter, 3% online.

New directory for adult care services in Birmingham

Residents will have better access to information on care and community services in Birmingham, with a new web-based directory, www.adultcareinbrum.org.uk that lists services available, including; care, community living, difficult times, disability information, learning and skills, physical and mental health, sports and leisure and citizen rights.

Produced with the input from Adults and Communities service users, the directory supports the aims of the recent government green paper, ensuring that services are personalised to individual needs, to support people to live their lives in the way that they want to.

Peter Hay, Strategic Director of Adults and Communities, comments: “Adult Care in Brum aims to address service user concerns around the availability of information and we hope it provides both a comprehensive listing and improved levels of customer satisfaction.”

For more information, please contact enquiries@adultcareinbrum.org.uk

Hospital to give talk on bone health

Locals have the chance to quiz an expert on bone disease this week, as Heartlands Hospital hosts a seminar on osteoporosis. The condition affects as many as half of all women and one in five men over 50 in the UK. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Steven Hughes, will be discussing the degenerative disease, including its causes and symptoms He will also be advising attendees on what treatment is available with an opportunity for questions and answers.

Mr Hughes said: “As the population gets older, the number of those with bone disease will increase, making it really important for all of us to be aware of the symptoms to look out for. Taking steps like sustaining a balanced diet can be crucial in maintaining healthy bones. I hope this will encourage the local community to come along and learn more.”

Organiser of the seminar, membership manager, Sandra White said: “We hope those who attend the seminar will leave feeling a lot more knowledgeable about osteoporosis. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask our experts questions and discuss their own thoughts and experiences of the disease. The hospital is committed to educating the public about their health.”

The health seminar is taking place on Friday 2 October at 5pm in the Lecture Theatre, Education Centre, Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green. To book your place or for more information, contact Sandra White on 0121 424 1218 or email Sandra.white@heartofengland.nhs.uk.

Liam runs Birmingham half marathon for West Midlands Police Benevolence Fund and Marie Curie

Liam Byrne MP said: Like millions of people, I once lost some-one I loved to cancer. My mum, Ruth Byrne, was just 52 when she died of pancreatic cancer. In that terrible time for our family, Marie Curie made the world of difference. The little things. The care. The thought.

So, I'll be saying thank you to Marie Curie by running the Birmingham Half-Marathon on 11 October this year.

I will also be running in aid of the West Midlands Police Benevolence Fund to say ‘thank you’ for the great work they have done across the West Midlands but in particular in my constituency of Hodge Hill where crime just keeps falling, by 13% two years in a row! The fund helps provide long term financial help for the widows and orphans of police officers and civilian employees and grants to cover the immediate needs of the dependants following the death of a police officer or civilian employee.

I hope you agree that these are two great causes, and will support me in supporting them. To donate please email byrnel@parliament.uk with your pledge and Liam will send you a donation link, or.send a cheque to Liam at 35a Coleshill Road, Hodge Hill, Birmingham B36 8DT with your address and phone number for receipt.

New Book: 'Life With Full Attention'

By Maitreyabandhu

A practical course in mindfulness

Mindfulness is a quality that enhances all experience, whether mundane or extraordinary. It is an ancient Buddhist wisdom that has been practised for centuries. In this eight-week course Maitreyabandhu shows how, by applying mindfulness to modern times, we can steal back the lost moments of life.

This book is now on sale in the Buddhist Centre bookshop, priced at £9.99. There will also be a launch of this book at Birmingham Buddhist Centre on Tuesday 29th September, from 7.15pm - 10pm, along with a talk by Maitreyabandhu entitled 'The Happiness Problem'.

Velma opens the Flower Show

The sun shone down on Marston Green Flower Show this year and Councillor Velma Jones was on hand to get things underway. Velma opened the show by cutting an orange ribbon and organisers presented her with a bouquet of beautiful orange and white roses as a thank you.

This year’s show, which took place in August was another resounding success and visitors were able to enjoy an incredible 462 entries. The flower show is organised by the Marston Green Horticultural Society which began again last year after a gap of one year in 2007. The show featured many categories including flowers, miniature flowers, foliage plants, wines, woodwork, crafts, vegetables, displays, scarecrow and foods.

This year’s Best In Show was won by Mrs P Rooke with her stunning flower arrangement (pictured).

Photo blog of my week

I consider myself very lucky to do work which takes me out and about in the community and brings me into contact with a lot of interesting people. I like to take a camera with me at all times and this week I thought I'd share with you a photographic blog of some of the things I've come across in the past seven days.

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This afternoon myself and my colleague John from the Birmingham Disability Resource Centre put up an information stand at a community day held in Muntz Park, Selly Oak. The event was attended by hundreds of people from Selly Oak and also lots of local organisations.

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Amongst the people I had conversations with today were the Royal Naval Reserve from HMS Forward, student wardens from the Guild of Students at Birmingham University, the scouts from Bournville, some of the local councillors and a charming elderly gentleman in his 80s who used to be a teacher at the school which is located in the park. I also found out a lot about the park itself and the history of the Muntz family who donated the land to the city over a hundred years ago. I will try to remember to do some research into the Muntz family for this website. Entertainments today included the West Midlands Police Brass Band, two members of whom are pictured above.

On the way home from Selly Oak I stopped off to take this photo of the new hospital on the Queen Elizabeth site in Edgbaston. Quite a formibable looking building I am sure you will agree and I thought there was a striking contrast with the allotments in the foreground.

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Incidentally, I was at the Cadbury castle on top of the Lickey Hills a few months back and an old chap expressed to me his dismay at not being able to see the university clock on the horizon. "That's odd" he said "you can always see the clock tower from the top of the Lickeys, has it been knocked down?" My vision isn't great these days but it was in suffient working order to spot the three big white blobs pictured above which now obscure the Joe Chamberlain clock tower from the view from the Lickeys. The planners clearly didn't take that into consideration - but all the same, an impressive looking building.

Always on the look out for street art, I spotted this one on the side of an Islamic shop in Small Heath earlier this week. This is quite likely a commissioned piece of street art and obviously portrays a spiritual message to local Muslims. But what I like in this is that there is also the spire of a church or cathedral next to the mosque and also the use of the name God for Allah, suggests to me an expression of mutual respect for other local faiths by the artist.

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I think we should take great pride in the fact that people of different faiths do, by and large, live peacefully together in the West Midlands - a good reason to ignore the right wingers who have been doing their best to stir things up in recent weeks.

On Thursday I had the interesting experience of being asked to be a judge at the West Midlands Network Flower Show held by the organisation Cultivations, which supports therapeutic horticulture. The Show was held at the Forward 4 Work project at Inkerman Street in Nechells and the invitation came to me in my role as Information Manager at the Disability Resource Centre, though it could well make a good story for the Hodge Hill Gazette too. Always the opportunist!

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There were some 15 judges in total, many of whom had in-depth knowledge of all things green and beautiful. We were split into smaller groups of judges and allocated different categories from which to pick 1st, 2nd and 3rd. My group's categories included carrots, stem flowers, jams (not a great idea to invite a diabetic to judge jams - but sometimes needs must .... yummy!), photographs of 'gardening in action' and also herbs.

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Having initially declared to my fellow judges my personal lack of expertise in horticultural matters, I have to say I did manage to excel in the photography section - as I have learnt to pick out a good photo in this line of work. But I was also very pleased with myself when it came to the herbs as I am at least able to recognise most herbs and have successfully grown several varieties from seed this year, including my own coriander which, coming from Birmingham the Balti centre of the universe, I just love to be able to rip fresh from a pot in the garden to do a Jamie Oliver impression over a curry.

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I will digress no further, above is a photo of the five herb presentation which won our first prize. Can you name the five different herbs?

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On the subject of all things earthy, I also visited Friends of the Earth in Digbeth earlier this week to take a look at a local access matter. I've driven by Friends of the Earth many times but never been in and it's well worth a visit as there is a small shop and a vegetarian cafe, as well as plenty of advice and resources around environmental matters.

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It's a nice little corner of an area of Birmingham which is otherwise very urban and industrial, as if someone has taken a tiny corner of Amsterdam and dropped it into the back streets of Birmingham. I was particularly taken with the bicycle above, which actually serves the purpose of marketing the shop.

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So, that was the week that was. If you see anything interesting when out and about in the West Midlands region and you don't mind sharing your pix with Spaghetti readers, by all means email them in to editorialgazette@googlemail.com

Birmingham City Centre wins gold at "Britain in Bloom 2009"

Hilary Hall, Chair of Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail, Toby Buckland of BBC Gardeners' World, Darren Share, Acting Head of Parks (Operations), Birmingham City Council

The Birmingham City Centre Floral Trail, spearheaded by the Birmingham City Centre Partnership has picked up two top awards in the 2009 Britain in Bloom competition – winning gold in the Urban Community category and overall category winner.

The Trail beat nine finalists – including Manchester City Centre – to be crowned overall winner in its category at a glittering ceremony in Torquay last night.

The national accolades come less than a month after it won a gold award in the regional Heart of England in Bloom finals.The Trail claimed the prestigious prizes for its success in combining floral displays with environmental projects to celebrate the city’s industrial and cultural heritage. Seven of the features reflect the legacy of Birmingham industrialist Matthew Boulton in his bicentennial year.

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The 19 features along the 3.5-mile route, which stretches from The Mailbox, through the city centre and down to the Jewellery Quarter, includes a floral Mini and flower-bedecked Wallace and Gromit as well as a planted lion and “dry” garden.The Floral Trail was assessed by the Heart of England in Bloom judges in July and the national judges in August.

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Both sets of judges lavished praise on the Floral Trail displays and environmental initiatives, and for Britain in Bloom, the comment was made that the Trail was ‘miles ahead’ of the competition in the category.

Hilary Hall, Chair of the Floral Trail Steering Group, said: “This is fantastic news for the City Centre and for Birmingham and I am very proud of our achievements this year.

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“It has been wonderful to work with so many good people at the City Council, City Centre businesses and community groups to celebrate Matthew Boulton and Birmingham’s heritage through our floral features.”

Jonathan Cheetham, Chair of Birmingham City Centre Partnership, said: “These accolades just go to show the real value of partnership working – everyone working together towards the same goal and enjoying the results. This year has seen an exceptionally high standard of floral displays, which is a real tonic to all those who live, work, visit and study in Birmingham.”

Councillor Martin Mullaney, Cabinet Member of Leisure Sport and Culture at Birmingham City Council, said: “We are delighted to have won this award.

“It is a fitting reward for the hard work that has been put in across the city that really brightens up Birmingham every year. This accomplishment is even more impressive when you consider the stiff competition we have had to beat from across the county to land the award. I applaud everyone involved with the effort.”

New website is now live - Tindal Street Press on its Tenth Birthday

Our new website on our tenth anniversary – http://www.tindalstreet.co.uk/

We’re delighted to tell you our new site is now live.

An excellent independent bookshop

We hope our new space will take shape like an excellent independent bookshop, the kind of place where authors and readers hang out together, a stylish place alive with discussion and opinion about contemporary writing – where the passion for fiction fills the room.

Authors and their mentors

Browse through our extensive authors section to meet them in written, audio and video interviews.

But as well as authors talking about their own books we also have a writing section – in which ten of our authors pick their favourite story writers and show what they have learnt about the craft of writing from them. You can see all ten of these creative writing masterclasses here

What do you think of the authors who inspired our authors? Who are the masters of the short story? And who are the shameful omissions from our list? Please let us know your opinions here

Books

And of course, all of our books are here to read about and buy in our online shop, where you can browse most of our novels through Amazon’s Search Inside.

A Free Graphic Short Story – ‘Since Charlie Didn’t Come’ by Chris Smith – adapted by Jess Watson

One of the highlights of Roads Ahead edited by Catherine O’Flynn is ‘Since Charlie Didn’t Come’ by Chris Smith. And to celebrate the forthcoming launch of the anthology on 1 October we’re giving away a graphic interpretation of it by talented young illustrator Jess Watson.

Jess says:

“After reading through Roads Ahead I found myself drawn to the visual writing style of Chris Smith and the moving tale Since Charlie Hadn’t Come. The story was powerful, a tale of a man reduced to the level of an animal by the removal of his sole carer, full of imagery and dankness that genuinely leaves the reader haunted. I began by systematically segmenting the story and plotting the panels before I begun on the originals which are entirely done in pen and ink. I primarily work in black and white so it was a good match, since the bleakness of the story seemed to fit monotone. I wanted to create the chaos and confusion that steadily increases within the central character Albert and focus on the deterioration of environment and mental health.”

Jess Watson is an illustrator residing in the North East of England. She recently graduated from Birmingham City University with a First Class Honours degree in Visual Communication. Winner of the Trevor award for Narrative and Sequence Illustration, she has a passion for graphic novels, storytelling, monsters and black and white illustration.

Chris Smith graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester in 2008, before moving to France to work on his novel. He is currently living in South Carolina.

Reading Groups

We’ve also launched a new section dedicated to book groups, with discussion questions, interviews and background information to help groups appreciate and debate the appeal of our novels. We’ve begun with guides for our three Booker nominated titles: What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn, Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold, Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall – and two of our best novels published this year, Heartland by Anthony Cartwright and Tell it to the Bees by Fiona Shaw.

Please get in touch if you’re in a reading group and would like to suggest other novels we could produce reading guides for.

Events

We’ll keep you right up to date with every public event our authors are involved with – and others too that will be of interest.

To start with, we hope you’ll join us for our two big tenth birthday celebrations in October:

Tenth Birthday Party and launch of Roads Ahead

Our Booker-nominated trio in conversation with Ion Trewin

Prizes

We have a section devoted to our prizelisted books – and one of our special Booker Prize Trio box-sets signed by all three authors to give away. We’ll send this to the person who posts our favourite comment or raises the most interesting question about any of our books before 15 October. Please make your comments in the comment box on the site – we’ll be reading them all and joining in!

Vote for Herefordshire’s favourite rhyme

Little Miss Muffet, Little Bo Peep and even Incey Wincey Spider will be out in force this October as Herefordshire Council helps to celebrate National Bookstart Day 2009.

In support of the day’s theme `my favourite rhyme` Herefordshire Council’s library service will be asking people to vote online at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/libraries and at their local library to find the county’s favourite rhyme.

Voting will take place from October 12 to 31 with the result being announced on November 19.

National Bookstart Day on Friday, October 9 will see more than 4,000 parties, storytelling, singing and rhyming sessions taking place across the country.

Bookstart aims to help every child in the UK to develop a lifelong love of books and this year's programme will offer millions of children and parents the chance to discover the joy of reading together.

Bounce and Rhyme and storytime sessions in Herefordshire’s libraries take place throughout the year and are free. Families are welcome to join in the sessions and share their favourite rhyme all year round. For more details please visit you local library or go online to www.herefordshire.gov.uk/libraries

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for economic development and community services, said: “It is vital every child discovers the joy of reading at as young an age as possible because this will not only improve their educational prospects but will also provide them with a lifelong hobby.

“Rhymes are an important starting point for helping children enjoy the sound of words and then move onto reading and it will be interesting to know which are the county’s favourites so I would urge people to join the vote, either online or by visiting one of the county’s libraries,” he added.

Grand Designs Competition

Thanks to all those Spaghetti Gazetti visitors who entered the competition for tickets for the Grand Designs Live competition. I apologise for the delay in announcing the winners, as I appreciate that people need to make travel arrangements and other plans if they are attending the show.

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It is likely I will have some additional tickets to give away to the people who entered but I may not know for certain until 1st October. So my intention was therefore to publish all of the winners names together.

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But in fairness to people waiting, I will randomly pick out 5 winners this weekend and hopefully I can give out some more tickets to other entrants should they become available later this week.

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Unfortunately I can not accept any more new entries from Spaghetii Gazetti visitors and any additional ticket winners will be selected from those who have previously entered. For readers of the paper copy of The Gazette, the competition is open until the 30th September 2009 but there is a different code for these entrants.

Don't forget to use the new email address

Don't forget to use the new email address for the eidtor of The Gazettes and for Spaghetti Gazetti, which is:

editorialgazette@googlemail.com

I am unable to access the previous AOL address, so all emails sent to that address in the past fortnight will not have been read. The new email address is being published in subsequent Gazettes.

I can also be contacted on disability and health related issues at:

pmillington@disability.co.uk

My apologies ...but take 10 seconds to delete the AOL address and replace it with Google.

Gold Rush at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

By geoffc • September 25th, 2009

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) was at the centre of a gold-rush this morning as hundreds of people jostled for a first view of the now world famous Staffordshire Hoard.

Almost 1,000 people arrived to see the Anglo-Saxon treasures within the first hour and, with massive interest across the globe, museum staff are bracing themselves for a hectic weekend.

A selection of artefacts from the Hoard are on display at BMAG before being transferred to the British Museum for valuation on October 13.

And, as the museum opened at 10.30am, the queue from the front entrance stretched across Chamberlain Square and beyond Birmingham Central Library.

Leader of Birmingham City Council Mike Whitby said: “The international coverage for this story has been amazing, so it’s hardly surprising that people were queuing outside Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery before we opened this morning.

“I’ve been privileged enough to get up close to this stuff and it’s certainly worth a visit. The levels of craftsmanship are exquisite and the excitement among the experts will certainly be mirrored by excitement from the general public. It’s amazing to think that this exhibition contains objects that have been buried for around 1,300 years.”

Councillor Martin Mullaney, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture added: “I am delighted that we can show a selection of these items at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It’s incredibly exciting for the city and the region as local people will be the first to see these historic items.

“As an added bonus, if they come along this weekend they get to see the last two days of the hugely successful Matthew Boulton exhibition.”

The Staffordshire Hoard is an unparalleled treasure find dating from Anglo-Saxon times. Both the quality and the quantity of this unique treasure are remarkable.

The Hoard was first discovered in July 2009. The find is likely to spark decades of debate among archaeologists, historians and enthusiasts.

The Hoard comprises in excess of 1,500 individual items.

• Most are gold, although some are silver.

• Many are decorated with precious stones.

• The quality of the craftsmanship displayed on many items is supreme, indicating possible royal ownership.

• The Hoard is the by far the largest find of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. There is approximately 5 kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver (Sutton Hoo had 1.66kg of gold).

The Staffordshire Hoard ExhibitionBirmingham Museum and Art GalleryChamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3DHTel: +44 (0)121 303 2834

Admission: Free.

Opening Times:

Monday – Thursday 10.00am – 5.00pm

Friday 10.30am – 5.00pm

Sat 10.00am – 5.00pmSunday 12.30pm – 5.00pm