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Former Warwickshire all-rounder Paul Smith talks candidly to Stirrer TV about his book "Wasted" click
Medal winning athlete Tanni Grey Thompson introduced a new line for wheelchair users and other disabled people. click
Watch the Stirrer's interviews with Gary Taylor click here and John Madin click here
Rageh Omaar explains why Bush and Blair were good for Bin Laden click
Fred Grove talks to The Stirrer about his battle to keep his house in the face of redevelopment. click
The Stirrer talks to Ron Watts about starting The 100 Club in London 30 years ago click
Excuse our breathless enthusiasm, but we've just seen the presentation for the VTP 200 - the most eye-catching building in Birmingham for years. And yes, it's got us excited. See for yourself why it's got us all aquiver more
Exclusive
ASBESTOS POISON FEAR OVER SUTTON LIBRARY
22-05-2010
The Stirrer’s hearing conflicting reports about the recent discovery of asbestos which has forced the closure of Sutton Coldfield Library and Neighbourhood Centre. Some insiders suggest the health of members of the public are being put at risk by Council complacency – but that’s disputed by the local authority. more
ANTI BNP RALLY IN BRUM ON MONDAY
22-05-2010
Anti racist campaigners, political figures and trades unionists are planning a protest in Birmingham city centre on Monday morning against what they claim will be three days of demonstration by the British National Party and two closely related organisations. more
Get Out More.................................Event Listings
7” LISTINGS
22-05-2010
Our friends at 7” Cinema have a mobile film night at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath on Tuesday, and details of all manner of interesting events – including a celebration of Pebble Mill drama at the new MAC. more
AWM - "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT"
22-05-2010
Business leaders have denounced the government's suggestion that it might scrap regeneration agency Advantage West Midlands - which has an annual Whitehall budget of £48m. They say - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". more
Get Out More............................................Gig News
SUPERSONIC FESTIVAL
22-05-2010
The first tranche of acts have been named for the sonic assault course known as the Supersonic Festival in October. It follows the recent announcement that Swans are the headline act. The cast list includes fearsome noisemongers like Necro Death Mort and Japanese punkers Melt Banana. more
RAPE CAMPAIGNER SLAMS I.D. BAN
21-05-2010
Midlands anti-crime campaigner Jill Saward has accused the government of “sticking two fingers up” to rape victims after proposals to ban the identification of men accused of serious sexual assault were revealed. more
Get Out More...........................Comedy News
JOHN CLEESE’S ALIMONY TOUR
21-05-2010
Here’s a bit of a coup for Birmingham Hippodrome – Fawlty Towers and Monty Python star Cleese heads into two for two dates on May 10 and 11 next year. more
ASBESTOS SCARE SHUTS SUTTON LIBRARY
21-05-2010
Sutton Coldfield Library and Neighbourhood Office have been closed “for the “foreseeable future” following the discovery of asbestos during refurbishment. more
Get Out More............................Theatre Review
NOISES OFF
21-05-2010
Michael Frayn’s backstage farce gets a re-working at Birmingham Rep. “See it if you can – it’s great", enthuses Paula Elenor. more
BIRMINGHAM MAYORAL VOTE "NEXT YEAR"
20-05-2010
Brummies are likely to get the chance to decide if they want an elected mayor as early as next year, The Stirrer has discovered. The new Conservative-Lib Dem government is planning a “Referendum Day” which will also include a ballot on electoral reform. more
WHY DAB AIN'T FAB
20-05-2010
The government’s obsession with DAB continues with the announcement of a “scrappage scheme” offering discounts for listeners willing to trade in their analogue radio sets. The question posed by Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg is “why”? more
Richard Lutz’s Blog
TIME FOR THE TRAIN
20-05-2010
Richard Lutz is no Rail Anorak but let the train take the strain for his holiday. And the verdict… more
WITHER THE STIRRER? PART TWO
20-05-2010
With the future of The Stirrer up for grabs, webmaster Andy Goff adds his two penn'orth. more
Get Out More......................................Theatre Review
DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS
20-05-2010
A night of nostalgia as Birmingham Hippodrome's show gets the thumbs up from Terry Wills. more
BLOODY STUPID
19-05-2010
The tragic case of Joshua Macauley, the 15-year old Jehovah’s Witness from Smethwick who died because he refused a blood transfusion, highlights how cultural sensitivity has overtaken common sense. more
HUMAN RIGHTS BOMBSHELL
19-05-2010
There’s the usual right wing media frenzy today about two Pakistani students who can’t be deported despite allegedly plotting to blow up a shopping centre in Manchester. As well as the would-be bombers, the other villain of the piece is - all too predictably - the Human Rights Act. more
I DON'T WANT TO GO TO...ISRAEL
19-05-2010
30 years ago Elvis Costello didn’t want to go to Chelsea – now he’s struck Israel off his list as well in protest at the treatment of Palestinians. more
WITHER THE STIRRER?
19-05-2010
“Bloody hell, I’m tired,” reports Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg – as he opens a discussion about the future of the website. more
Health 1
TREATMENT BAN STICKS IN THE THROAT
18-05-2010
Stirrer reader Christopher Abbleby from Bromsgrove rages at his local health trust for refusing to allow him access to a medical trial which could help his recovery from throat cancer. And he’s angry at the bureaucratic hurdles being placed in his way. more
Health 2
STROKE BUSTERS
18-05-2010
This week sees the official launch of a stroke thrombolysis trial at City Hospital in Birmingham led by Stirrer blogger and neurologist, Dr David Nicholl, who explains why there are still many more questions in stroke treatment that need answering. more
BRUM'S FAIR VOTES DEMO
18-05-2010
Around 100 people gathered in Victoria Square on Saturday to support the Fair Votes campaign organised by the Take Back Parliament campaign - and you can see the pictures here. But what precisely is the movement campaigning for? more
MR SHAKY HANDY
18-05-2010
Disgruntled Labour councillors in Wolverhampton who feel the Liberal Democrats held out the prospect of an alliance purely to secure a better deal with their Conservative coalition partners are busy circulating an embarrassing election poster featuring soon-to-be Mayor Malcolm Gwinnett. more
Andy’s Blues Blog
ST.ANDREWS SCHOOL OF FOOTBALL
18-05-2010
Head Teacher Andy Munro offers his end of term report – with marks out of ten. more
WHITBY BLOW AS BARTON SNUBBED
18-05-2010
Signs that the tectonic plates are shifting beneath the feat of Birmingham Conservative leader and Council boss Mike Whitby emerged last night when his preferred deputy was snubbed at the party's AGM. more
EASTSIDE BACK TO DRAWING BOARD WITH HOWELLS
18-05-2010
It's back to the drawing board for Birmingham City Council whose stop-start planning policies for Digbeth/Eastside were ripped up earlier this year following the government's endorsement of a new High Speed rail route to the city. more
TREASON AND TRIESMAN
17-05-2010
In an unusual show of solidarity, the red tops have piled in to support the Mail On Sunday today for their exposure of Lord Triesman – aka Lord Treason – the man behind England’s World Cup bid who has lost his job after alleging corruption in the world of football by both Spain and Russia. more
LIB DEMS “DISSEMBLING SHYSTERS” AS TALKS FAIL
17-05-2010
Roger Lawrence, the leader of Wolverhampton’s Labour group has called the city’s Liberal Democrats “dissembling shysters” after they turned their back on a coalition deal and instead entered a formal pact with the Conservatives. more
Get Out More...............Gig Review
THE FALL
17-05-2010
You can quantify the number of albums - 50 - but the changes in band line-up have reached a number so astronomical, mathematicians haven't yet invented a formula to count them all. Paul Samuels checks whose hanging out with Mark E Smith these days. more
CULTURE VULTURES
17-05-2010
Birmingham’s much vaunted desire to become the UK’s Capital of Culture are ringing hollow for three young members of a Digbeth-based dance troupe, whose hopes of appearing in a high profile event at the Bull Ring on Saturday were strangled by red tape. more
Get Out More.............................Theatre Preview
NEW SEASON AT BIRMINGHAM REP
17-05-2010
In its last season before closing its doors to accommodate the new Library of Birmingham, The Rep has put together a strong programme including Tom Stoppard's adaptation of The Cherry Orchard and the spoof musical Little Shop of Horrors - not to mention the West End hit Enron. more
WOLVES CON-LIB COALITION SAVED
15-05-2010
Wolverhampton’s ruling coalition has been saved after the Liberal Democrats were granted a Cabinet seat by the Conservatives. Their leader Mike Heap will also be allowed to speak – but not vote at all Cabinet meetings. more
FAIR VOTES RALLY
15-05-2010
Fed up with the new coalition government already? Campaigners for a fairer voting system will be staging a "purple protest" in Birmingham's Victoria Square outside the Council House at 2pm today (Saturday). more
TRIDENT BOMBSHELL FOR LIB DEMS
15-05-2010
With the Liberal Democrats due to discuss their new coalition with the Conservatives in Birmingham on Sunday, CNS is calling on the party to clarify its position on the Trident nuclear deterrent - which in opposition it was committed to scrapping. more
THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE
14-05-2010
Britain’s first coalition Cabinet for years has a curiously old-fashioned look, with just four women among its 30 members, and only one non-white face – but it’s the threat of a new legislation making it harder to dissolve parliament that should really worry voters. more
WOLVES LEADERSHIP TOTTERS
14-05-2010
Wolverhampton Council’s ruling coalition continues to totter with the Liberal Democrats putting forward a “shopping list” of demands to both Labour and their current Conservative partners. more
Get Out More..........................Film Review
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED
14-05-2010
After the disappointment of Four Lions, Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg is rather more impressed with this tightly plotted British thriller starring Bond girl Gemma Arterton. more
BRUM'S PUNKY REGGAE (AND BHANGRA) PARTY
14-05-2010
Birmingham’s great musical heritage - or at least the reggae, punk and bhangra bit of it - is being celebrated in a new documentary slated for festival screenings later this year. more
"PATHETIC" TORY LEADER THROWS TOYS OUT OF PRAM
14-05-2010
The former leader of Sandwell’s Conservative party has thrown his toys out of the pram after being voted out of office this week – as revealed on The Stirrer. more
Get Out More........................Event News
TUNING OUT WITH RADIO Z
14-05-2010
Birmingham-based Stans Café who toured the world with the amazing rice-based show “Of All The People In All The World” are back with their latest venture – a six hour theatre show cum radio station which can be enjoyed both live and online. more
SCHOOLS "EXPERT" MYSTERY
13-05-2010
Parents who lost their voluntary roles as governors of Birmingham’s Moseley School have been asking awkward questions about Thelma Probert – a former head teacher appointed to the Interim Executive Board which replaced them. more
UPGRADE FOR BIRMINGHAM FOSTERING
13-05-2010
Birmingham’s beleaguered Childrens’ Services department has received a significant boost this week, with Ofsted upgrading its fostering service to “good” – with several areas classed as outstanding. more
Get Out More.................................Film Review
FOUR LIONS
13-05-2010
There’s no bigger fan of Chris Morris than Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg, but he’s unimpressed by this piss-take of Muslim suicide bombers. more
Doc Dave's Blog
THE LAST BRIT IN GUANTANAMO
13-05-2010
Where is Shaker Amer, the last Briton in Guantanamo? Dr David Nicholl wants to know. more
CHANGING TIMES
13-05-2010
Could the change in government herald a change in heart over the decision not to list Birmingham’s existing Central Library and replace it with a fancy new one in Chamberlain Square? Alan Clawley hopes so. more
Get Out More........................Gig Review
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE
13-05-2010
Florence Welch brought her ever-expanding Machine to Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Monday for the first of two sell out shows. Steve Beauchampé reports. more
HEATHROW'S LOSS "COULD BE BIRMINGHAM'S GAIN"
13-05-2010
Birmingham Airport is once again pressing its case to be regarded as London's "extra" airport following the government's decision to scrap the third runway at Heathrow. more
Andy’s Blues Blog
END OF SEASON BLUES?
13-05-2010
Blues season ended in disappointing style at Bolton, but Andy Munro reflects on a satisfying 10 months at St Andrews – and then tucks into some ‘nouveau canteen’ at the end of season awards ‘do’. more
A TASTE OF SPAGHETTI - Pete Millington is a one-man writing factory. Not content with regular output for The Stirrer, he's found time to pull together the latest edition of his excellent magazine Spaghetti Gazetti, dedicated to local life and culture.
“Eviction notices” have been served on eight Wolverhampton councillors in an emotive video posted on youtube designed to highlight the forced removal earlier this year of 106-year old Louisa Watts and other residents from Underhill House. more
Longer videos are stored at BlipTV
Stirrer TV
THE LUTZ REPORT ON......DOROTHY WILSON
06-04-2010
Richard Lutz gets the lowdown on the reopening of the MAC from the powerhouse behind the project...Dorothy Wilson. more
Stirrer TV
THE LUTZ REPORT ON....JOHN LINES
03-04-2010
Richard Lutz interviews Birmingham housing boss Councillor John Lines who has been in charge of the city’s 65,000 council houses for the past six years. And he leaves the session with more questions than answers. more
Stirrer TV
THE LUTZ REPORT ON...... THE BISHOP OF BIRMINGHAM
31-03-2010
The Bishop of Birmingham sits down with Richard Lutz and talks about unemployment, Birmingham’s future and how you can help. more
Stirrer TV
THE LUTZ REPORT............ON DAVID EDGAR
27-03-2010
Legendary Brummie playwright David Edgar talks to Richard Lutz for Stirrer TV about the issues raised by his new production at the Birmingham Rep - a production that summons up a murky chapter in the city’s past. more
Stirrer TV
THE LUTZ REPORT....ON SOWETO KINCH
22-03-2010
Musician Soweto Kinch talks to Richard Lutz about growing up in Handsworth, sticking to his jazz and hiphop roots and why he won’t leave Birmingham. more
Stirrer TV
THE LUTZ REPORT…ON SALMA YAQOOB
In the first of a series of interviews with the movers and shakers around the West Midlands, Richard Lutz discovers that Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob likes rock climbing and old movies - and was a mean footballer on the streets of Alum Rock while growing up. more
Fred Grove talks to The Stirrer about his battle to keep his house in the face of redevelopment. 
