April 2007PERIL OF THE PAVEMENT PARKERS30-04-2007Following complaints from our readers and bloggers about the perils of pavement parking, we’ve been out snapping some of the most obvious culprits in the West Midlands. The bad news is the Department of Transport admits there’s not a lot they can do about it. >>> moreBRUCE AND BLUES ON THE UP30-04-2007Now that Birmingham City have secured automatic promotion, it’s hard to imagine that it was only two months ago that The Stirrer was asking What’s Gone Wrong At Blues. But the truth is that this has been a tortuous, if ultimately successful season at St Andrews. >>> moreGet Out More…………………Gig PreviewTHE LEMONHEADS (Birmingham Carling Academy, May 15)30-04-2007Lemonheads singer Evan Dando was the star of grunge who just wasn’t grungey enough to follow Kurt Cobain to international stardom - and eternal oblivion. Which is good news for Paul Samuels who’ll get to see him in action again. >>> moreANOTHER LOAD OF RUBBISH IN SANDWELL30-04-2007Ahead of the media pack as always, The Stirrer was discussing local council rubbish collections a week ago. Lynn Hawthorn is a Sandwell resident who’s keen to get into the swing of the recycling thing…she’s just finding it rather difficult. >>> moreStirrer Exclusive VideoTANNI GREY ABLE TO LAUNCH FASHION RANGE28-04-2007Hall 17 at the NEC is a long way from the catwalks of Milan, but this week it saw the launch of a fashion range of arguably greater significance than anything you’ll see worn by a size zero model. At the Naidex exhibition, medal winning athlete Tanni Grey Thompson introduced a new line for wheelchair users and other disabled people. >>> moreEXCESS BAGGAGE28-04-2007Dr David Nicholl is keen to tell us where he’s going this weekend, and while we wouldn’t normally tolerate that kind of self-indulgence on The Stirrer, on this occasion we’re prepared to make an exception. And with good reason. >>> moreFUNNY OLD GAME, POLITICS (PART FOUR)28-04-2007Hugh McCallion’s reflections on his half a century in local politics have already triggered a massive response on our messageboard. In this latest exclusive extract from his forthcoming memoirs, he has more on former Birmingham councillor (and later, government minister) Edwina Currie. >>> moreQUICK LERNER GIVES VILLA AN EDUCATION28-04-2007While Wolves,the Blues and The Baggies battle to get out of what should rightly called the Second Division, smug Villa fan Dave Woodhall has something else to look forward to - the day Peter Withe nearly missed an open goal. >>> moreBLAIR WATCH PROJECT28-04-2007Sometime next month, we’re assured, Tony Blair will announce the date that he’ll step down. “Oh, yeah??” says Andy Goff. >>> moreSOWETO KINCH - AND ALL THAT JAZZ28-04-2007One of The Stirrer’s favourite local musicians, the jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch has been nominated for two categories in the British Jazz awards - and you can help him win a gong. >>> moreKIDS BOOZE BAN HARD TO SWALLOW27-04-2007Has someone at Alcohol Concern been at the bottle? They’re suggesting today that parents who gives booze to kids under the age of 15 should be prosecuted. >>> moreCAMERON "OUT OF TOUCH" WARNS SENIOR TORY27-04-2007The former Mayor of Sandwell Bill Archer, one of the most senior Conservatives in the West Midlands, has launched a stinging attack on David Cameron’s “hug a hoodie” style of leadership, saying that the party needs to return to a no-nonsense law and order approach. >>> moreOOH! LOOK! THERE'S A MINISTER27-04-2007Watch out! Watch out! There’s a minister about. Gordon Brown is in Birmingham today, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper is in the city next week, and yesterday it was Peter Hain’s turn. Blimey, anybody would think there’s an election coming up. >>> moreTHE DRUGS DON’T WORK27-04-2007Feeling depressed? Then don’t reach for the medicine cabinet reckons Birmingham psychologist Dr Mike Drayton. >>> moreSCOUTS’ HONOUR27-04-2007Young men and women marching up and down the street dressed in uniform? It’s not exactly cool, is it? And others have even seen darker motives in the scouting movement. Pete Millington, though, admits to being a convert. >>> moreTHE TRUTH - IN BLACK AND WHITE27-04-2007BBC bosses will have been horrified by the furore surrounding Robert Beckford’s departure from Radio WM. >>> moreKARREN BRADY - FIRST LADY?27-04-2007Labour party veteran Hugh McCallion will be assessing all of Birmingham’s potential mayoral runners and riders over the next few weeks. After 50 years in politics he’s got plenty of experience. First off, Karren Brady. >>> moreVEGANS LIKE THE TASTE OF BIRMINGHAM27-04-2007Birmingham’s growing foodie reputation gets a further boost today with the news that the Vegan Society is relocating to the city from Hastings. >>> moreNEW MAYOR CANDIDATE AS BORE BLASTS “HYPOCRITE” HEMMING26-04-2007Birmingham Labour leader Sir Albert Bore has blasted the “hypocrisy” of Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming for his willingness to stand as the city’s mayor. Meanwhile The Stirrer understands that another local MP Khalid Mahmood will stake his claim to the position in today’s Birmingham Mail. >>> moreLONGBRIDGE STATION PLAN “JUST A GOLD-PLATED CAR PARK”26-04-2007Northfield MP Richard Burden has hit out at Centro’s plans for the redevelopment of Longbridge station close to the old Rover factory, calling it an “opportunity wasted”. He said their proposals amounted to “little more than a gold-plated car park”. >>> moreNIGHT CLUBBED26-04-2007Birmingham’s £5 million superclub Oceana in Hurst Street has been issued with a “severe warning” after a clubber died on the premises - and has been forced to sack it’s head bouncer. Edward Cameron reports from the city’s licensing committee. >>> moreNEW PHARTZ! JUST LIKE THE OLD PHARTZ26-04-2007Thanks to a special sepia-tinted bye-law recently introduced into his part of Moseley, Laurence Inman does the time warp. Again. >>> moreNOT WHEELIE RUBBISH AT ALL26-04-2007There are few more vexed questions at the moment than household rubbish collections. Earlier this week, Sandwell resident Lynn Hawthorn complained about her local council’s well meaning attempts to improve recycling - now Sandwell responds. >>> moreGet Out More………………………..Gig ReviewYANN TIERSEN (last night, Glee Club, Birmingham)“We are five,” declares the French virtuoso as he strides onto the stage with his band-mates. He might be trying to help the hard of counting, but more likely Tiersen’s emphasising that this is a gang ROCK thang, light years away from the cutesy melodies of his best known work - the soundtrack to Amelie. >>> moreBRUM CANDIDATE CAUGHT IN THE WEB26-04-2007Birmingham council wannabe Brian Seymour-Smith is claiming to be a pioneer - he reckons he’s the first candidate in the country to post an election address on the web. Is this the future of party political broadcasts? Check it out for yourself at www.brianseymour-smith.org.ukWEEKLY COLLECTIONS ARE A LOAD OF RUBBISH25-04-2007The Local Government Association has thrown its weight behind fortnightly rubbish collections - saying it’s the only way ahead for councils keen on recycling. >>> moreBRUM COUNCILLOR CAN'T DECIDE WHICH SIDE HE'S ON25-04-2007He’s the Birmingham councillor who just can’t make up which side he’s on. Shaukat Ali Khan sits for the Liberal Democrats in one part of the city, but he’s also the official leader of the People’s Justice Party - which is standing against the Lib Dems another ward. >>> moreENGLAND LOSES ITS BALL AS WORLD CUP HERO DIES25-04-2007Alan Ball, the midfield dynamo in England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad has died of heart failure at the age of 61. Many of the details of his career are well-known - but it’s not widely realised that he might have been a star of West Midlands football. >>> moreTHE DOCTORS’ LOBBY AND THE EMPTY CHAIR25-04-2007Dozens of medics from the Midlands joined a demonstration in London yesterday against the government’s much-criticised Modernising Medical Careers programme for junior doctors. Stirrer blogger and City Hospital neurologist Dr David Nicholl joined them, and ended up on Channel 4 news. >>> moreGLOBAL FOOD HARD TO SWALLOW25-04-2007The loss of HP Sauce production from Birmingham highlighted how vulnerable Britain's food supply is to international commerce. Barbara Panvel says it's time we started eating local. >>> morePAY NOW, LOSE NOW!24-04-2007Birmingham-based Opera Interactive Technology “starred” in Panorama’s expose of an alleged £40million TV quiz show scandal last night. Pete Millington asks a premium rate question of his own - how much responsibility should the viewers take? >>> moreHOSPITAL TRUST PLANS FOR FAILURE OF DOCTORS JOBS SCHEME24-04-2007On the day that hundreds of doctors from around the UK are lobbying parliament over the government’s shambolic new recruitment scheme for junior doctors, The Stirrer can reveal that one hospital Trust in the Midlands has prepared a contingency plan in case the whole thing falls apart. >>> moreLIFE’S A BEACH IN BRUM24-04-2007Can there really be people quibbling about Birmingham by the sea - a novel attempt to bring the beach to the city centre? It seems there can. >>> moreEVER BIN HAD?24-04-2007Sandwell Council is doing its utmost to be a clean, green local authority. And that’s whether or not it’s suitable for local residents like Lynn Hawthorne. >>> moreA CHEAP SHOT AT ETHICAL SHOPPING24-04-2007Now that he’s moved out of his parents’ house and into his own pad, Edward Cameron wonders if he can still afford a conscience about what he buys. >>> moreMARTIN LONGLEY’S MUSICAL BLOGAIRTO MOREIRA & BANDA SINFONICA DO ESTADO DE SAO PAOLO (Teatro Cultura Artística, São Paulo, Brazil)24-04-2007In part two of his series on old geezers who used to gig with Miles Davis, Martin Longley swanks down to the Teatro Cultura Artistica in São Paulo, Brasil, to find percussionist Airto Moreira standing in front of a classically-orientated ensemble, jibbering primitivistically into his tambourine-like pandeiro... >>> moreGRAND CHANCE OF STARRING ROLE23-04-2007Youngsters aged between 7 and 10 will have the chance to take the stage at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre for a performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - but they'llhave to be quick. And we mean QUICK! >>> moreBBC “UNFAIR” TO BLACK PEOPLE CLAIMS REPORTER23-04-2007Former BBC WM reporter Veron Graham has launched a stinging attack on his former employers in tonight’s Birmingham Mail following The Stirrer’s revelation that a disillusioned black presenter, Robert Beckford, has quit the station. >>> moreCADBURY FACES COURT OVER SALMONELLA OUTBREAK23-04-2007Birmingham chocolate maker Cadbury is being taken to court over last year’s salmonella contamination, which forced it to withdraw more than a million bars. The company has been summonsed to appear before city magistrates on June 15. >>> moreBLIND DAVE COLLAPSES AFTER LONDON MARATHON23-04-2007Black Country marathon runner Blind Dave Heeley collapsed just minutes after finishing yesterday’s London marathon…but it was West Bromwich Harriers team-mate Karl Moore who made the headlines, after falling just yards from the line in front of the nation’s TV cameras. >>> morePHONE MAST FEARS FOR BRUM23-04-2007Birmingham Council’s deputy leader Paul Tilsley is seeking re-assurance from senior officers about the safety of mobile phone masts today, after the Sunday Times revealed details of a cancer cluster in Coleshill. >>> moreFAMOUS FOR 15 YEARS23-04-2007For such a big city, Birmingham has an incredibly small town attitude to fame reckons Dave Woodhall. We just can’t resist basking in the reflected glory of folk who couldn’t leave the area quickly enough. >>> moreGet Out More…………………………..Gig PreviewBILL CALLAHAN (Carling Academy, Birmingham, April 27)23-04-2007Love Leonard Cohen? Can’t get enough of Lou Reed? Then you’re sure to dig American alt.country balladeer Bill Callahan. For newcomers, Paul Samuels provides the commentary and the essential youtube links. >>> moreThe Armchair Anarchists Rap23-04-2007With the local elections coming, who wants to be bothered with all that voting nonsense? Not The Stirrer’s resident poet Brendan Hawthorne. He’s an armchair anarchist, he is. >>> moreFUNNY OLD GAME, POLITICS (Part Three)22-04-2007More recollections about Edwina Currie from Birmingham Labour veteran Hugh McCallion in this exclusive extract from his forthcoming memoirs. Today - did Edwina flatten a fellow a fellow councillor with a sharp right hook? And what colour were her knickers? >>> moreBLACK LEADERS MEET BBC BOSSES IN BECKFORD FALLOUT21-04-2007The Stirrer has discovered that leaders of the African-Caribbean community in the West Midlands met with BBC bosses earlier this to discuss the fallout from Robert Beckford’s decision to leave the station. >>> moreNHS BOSSES DEFEND DOCTORS’ VSO ROLE21-04-2007Embarrassed NHS managers have criticised the leaks revealing their plans to encourage jobless doctors to work abroad for nothing - and say that many enjoy giving their skills free anyway. >>> moreA FUNNY OLD GAME, POLITICS (Part Two)21-04-2007In the latest extract from the explosive memoirs of Labour Party veteran Hugh McCallion, we lift the lid on Edwina Currie’s time as a Birmingham councillor. Today, the former Health Secretary’s legendary appetite at the buffet table (and there’ll be more Edwina revelations tomorrow.) >>> moreTHE STIRRER’S MAYORAL BLOG 3AFTER BRADY - WHO NEXT?21-04-2007Now that Karren Brady has declared her hand as a prospective mayor for Birmingham, the question is - who’ll declare their interest next? >>> moreBLIND DAVE’S BLOG21-04-2007On Sunday, Blind Dave Heeley from West Bromwich will be running in the London marathon. In his exclusive Stirrer blog, he gives us the lowdown on his preparations - and a family holiday. >>> moreJOBLESS DOCTORS TO BE SENT ABROAD20-04-2007The Stirrer can reveal that the government has discussed sending hundreds of doctors abroad on VSO attachments to hide the mass unemployment caused by their controversial new recruitment scheme. >>> moreGet Out More……………………………Gig NewsSOUNDS IN THE ROUND (MAC, Birmingham)20-04-2007The Sounds in The Round line-up of outdoor concerts at MAC has just been announced - and there are some real “ don’t miss” performances - with the return of Hayseed Dixie, a guaranteed sell-out turn from Badly Drawn Boy, and a rare appearance from Kanda Bongo Man. >>> moreMUGABE COMES TO THE BULLRING20-04-2007When is a ban not a ban? When The Bullring says so, that’s when. But call it what you will - a BBC film crew has beentold it can't conduct interviews at Brum's top shopping centre,prompting accusations that they’re behaving like Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe. >>> moreSHARKS IN THE 50 METRE POOL20-04-2007The idea that Birmingham might have a so-called "tank in a shed" instead of a permanent Olympic-sized pool have been mocked by some observers. Why? asks Steve Beauchampé. >>> moreDO DOCTORS REALLY GET PAID TOO MUCH?20-04-2007It’s the ultimate worker’s dream - a 25% pay increase for less work. And according to the National Audit Office that’s precisely the deal handed to consultants by the government. Dr David Nicholl, a neurologist at City Hospital in Birmingham wonders why he isn’t feeling more flush. >>> moreSTIRRER READER LEADS CHARGE AGAINST BANKS20-04-2007Fed up of being ripped-off by the banks every time you go a few quid overdrawn? Let Simon Lowe tell you how to get your money back. He’s just negotiated a refund of £399 from Natwest without having to bother with a lawyer. >>> moreGet Out More…………..Film PreviewMIDLAND JOURNEY (MAC, tonight)20-04-2007Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg hosts another Midland Journey at MAC tonight with films of bygone Birmingham. The good news is that there are still a few tickets available - but not many. >>> moreTOWN HALL ANNOUNCES OPENING LINE-UP19-04-2007Birmingham’s Town Hall re-opens in October after a £35 million revamp with a two-week festival celebrating the city’s past and current musical achievements. >>> more“LABOUR WILL RUE THE DAY IT GOT RID OF BLAIR” - DIGBY19-04-2007Sir Digby Jones, the Birmingham lawyer who became Director General of the CBIreckons Labour will regret forcing Tony Blair to quit - andsays the only people who think he's unelectable are members of his own party. >>> moreBRADY SHOWS HAND IN MAYORAL RACE19-04-2007Cripes! Here’s a scoop. The Birmingham Mail have persuaded Karren Brady to show her hand early by declaring that she’ll stand as mayor if there’s an election. The Blues Managing Director tells the paper today that she has no faith in the way the city is run. >>> moreBBC CLAIMS “10 HOURS A WEEK” AFRO-CARIBB PROGRAMMING19-04-2007Robert Beckford’s claim that BBC WM is in danger of appearing “aggressive not progressive” towards the black community provoked the station to argue that it “now provides 10 hours of programming per week aimed at the African Caribbean population of Birmingham and the Black Country”. Oh really? >>> moreBRUM IN LIMBO OVER 50 METRE POOL19-04-2007Birmingham’s Leisure boss has admitted that plans for an Olympic-sized swimming pool are in limbo - and that one option includes putting a “tank in a shed”. >>> moreWATER, WATER….BUT NOT EVERYWHERE19-04-2007The Woodland Trust have declared that “spring is the new summer” following our unseasonal weather. Barbara Panvel wonders what happened to April showers. >>> moreBBC’s ROBERT BECKFORD - WHY I QUIT18-04-2007The Stirrer revealed yesterday plans by leaders of the black community in the West Midlands to lobby the BBC’s director general Mark Thomson, following the departure of presenter Robert Beckford. Here’s the first interview with Beckford since his decision to leave. >>> moreTAXI FOR FLETCHER18-04-2007England’s pathetic showing in the cricket World Cup can only mean one thing - it’s time for coach Duncan Fletcher to go. >>> moreTHE ONLY TEN BOOKS YOU’LL EVER NEED18-04-2007It’s a bold claim, but Laurence Inman reckons he’s nailed it - here are the essential books no reader should miss. The others you canthrow away. Apparently. >>> moreBRUM MINISTER WARNS OF IMMIGRATION DANGER18-04-2007Immigration Minister Liam Byrne - the MP for Hodge Hill in Birmingham - has made an outspoken attack on the pace of new arrivals into Britain, saying that it has left the country “deeply troubled”. >>> moreWHATEVER NEXT?18-04-2007Lynn Hawthorne on how the strange and sometimes insensitive ordering of news items can cause offence. >>> moreHUMAN RACE AGAINST TIME17-04-2007The United Nations Security Council, under Britain’s chairmanship has been discussing for the first time the threat that climate change poses to world peace. Pat Knowles of Birmingham’s Green Party offers her two penn’orth. >>> moreExclusiveBLACK LEADERS DEMAND BBC MEETING AS BECKFORD QUITS17-04-2007Leaders of the black community in the West Midlands are demanding a meeting with the BBC’s director general Mark Thomson, following Robert Beckford’s shock departure from Birmingham-based BBC WM. >>> moreGUNS, DEATH AND THE AMERICAN PSYCHE17-04-2007The mixture of horror and pity that we feel on this side of the Atlantic after hearingabout yet another massacre of US students will be tempered by anger as we ask ourselves again - why do they allow such free access to guns? >>> moreExclusiveSANDWELL MAN SAYS “THE BNP FORGED MY SIGNATURE”17-04-2007Nominations for BNP candidates in Birmingham are already being scrutinised by the police following revelations on The Stirrer last week; now we’ve heard from a Sandwell man who says his signature has been forged by the party. >>> moreSPINNING THE DOCTORS17-04-2007Defence Minister Des Browne said sorry yesterday for allowing Britain’s captured marines to sell their stories to the press, but Dr David Nicholl reckons we’re focusing on the wrong apology. There’s been scarcely a word about Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt’s far more shocking admission that the government cocked-up the new recruitment system for junior doctors. >>> moreGet Out More………………….Gig PreviewSAVE MOSELEY RD BATHS BENEFIT17-04-2007The restoration of Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham, has been the subject of much controversy on this website, but for those of you who are for the project we’ve got news of a fund-raising gig. >>> moreVOTING FOR A CHANGE?17-04-2007The recent mud-slinging between rival politicians on this website has left Kevin Chapman wondering if theyget the turnout they deserve. >>> moreWHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH17-04-2007Following the hullabaloo about people being fined for leaving out their black bin bags - Brummies are the worst offenders, apparently - a letter has been leaked to Brendan Hawthorne from the ‘Amalgamated Re-cycling Services Executive’ outlining changes in the simple matter of refuse removal. >>> moreBLIND DAVE’S BLOG17-04-2007Just the 23 miles around Sutton Park to warm up for The London marathon, then? Followed by a five minutes sitting in a cold bath. It’s all in a week’s work for marathon runner Blind Dave Heeley. >>> moreWAR OF WORDS ON WAR ON TERROR16-04-2007Is this what you call irony? Britain’s Development Secretary Hilary Benn is calling on politicians to drop the phrase “the War on Terror” - just as one of its frontlines, Iraq, descends further into anarchy. >>> moreROVER RALLIES IN LONGBRIDGE16-04-2007Nanjing Automobile plans to make 50,000 cars a year at Longbridge - a greater volume of production than the Rover company achieved in the year before it went into administration.>>> moreSQUABBLING LIB DEMS WANT ELECTION FRAUD SQUAD17-04-2007Birmingham’s Liberal Democrats are calling for the creation of a dedicated electoral investigation team to proactively investigate allegations of fraud - yet ironically the party is coming under fire from its own members after some shameless ballot box jiggery pokery. >>> moreCINEMA LEAVES PATRONS IN THE DARK16-04-2007It's the ultimate cliff-hanger drama - a movie which leaves customers on the edge of their seats, but then ends ten minutes early because of a technical hitch. That’s what happened to dozens of disappointed cinema-goers in Birmingham on Saturday lunchtime. >>> moreGet Out More…………………………………….Gig PreviewFRANK TURNER (Bar Academy, Birmingham, May 6)16-04-2007Ex Million Dead hardcore hero Frank Turner brings his neo-Billy Bragg stylings to Bar Academy in Birmingham next month. Paul Samuels can’t wait. >>> moreDO WE NEED A BBC FOR THE INTERNET?14-04-2007Plans for a BBC-style internet content provider could become a reality within five years according to the deputy chairman of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom. The question is - do we need one? >>> moreTOO MUCH INFORMATION14-04-2007What a good idea it must have seemed to open up official bodies to questioning by nosy journalists and campaigning groups. Yeah, until they started asking awkward questions. Dave Woodhall reports on new moves to clamp down on our right to know. >>> moreRED ROSE TINTED GLASSES?14-04-2007Wolverhampton voter Edward Cameron has decided to switch his support to Labour for the first time in the forthcoming local elections. Here he tells us why? >>> moreTHE STIRRER’S FAMOUS PUB CRAWLS - DUDLEY14-04-2007The Black Country has got some of the best boozers in the country. But how many of them are in Dudley town centre? The Stirrer’s been to find out. >>> moreMARTIN LONGLEY’S MUSICAL BLOG14-04-2007Our musical adventurer takes in Mike Stern & Romero Lubambo at Bourbon Street Music Club, São Paulo, Brazil. (Hold on a minute, have we paid for his flight?) >>> moreA FUNNY OLD GAME, POLITICS (Part One)14-04-2007Tory councillor Len Clark recently walked out of a Birmingham Council meeting after calling Sir Albert Bore a “bloody hypocrite”. But Labour veteran Hugh McCallion recalls the days when Clark was a keen socialist. In thisfirst extract from his forthcoming memoirs, he pulls no punches. >>> moreGet Out More…………………….Theatre ReviewUNCLE VANYA (Birmingham Rep, closes tonight)14-04-2007It’s just about to finish a long run, so how has Chekhov’s masterpiece fared in Bryony Lavery’s adaptation. We sent Lucy Quilliam. >>> moreVOTE FOR MEAT “MINGER CITY”13-04-2007One of Labour’s candidates for the forthcoming local elections in Birmingham has called the people he wants to represent “mingers” - and has said that where they live is “Minger City”.>>> moreBRUM SUNDAY PARKING NOT FINE FOR 28,00013-04-2007More than 28,000 motorists have been fined since 2001after falling foul of Birmingham’s confusing Sunday parking rules. Now one of the victims, Selly Oak MP Lynne Jones, is joining The Stirrer in a campaign to improve signage so that others aren’t caught out. >>> moreREP OFFERS CHANCE TO SINK OR SWIM13-04-2007Non-professional performers who fancy turning their hand to acting are being given the chance to star in a new Birmingham Rep production based around the city's canals.>>> moreA GOOD WAY TO BURY BAD NEWS13-04-2007How come in a world of 24 hour news and media overkill, the really important stuff so often gets pushed aside? Barbara Panvel ponders one of the curiosities of the modern age. >>> moreROVERS’ RETURN13-04-2007Hundreds of Austin and Rover enthusiasts are expected to gather on Saturday for a rally marking the second anniversary of the closure of the Longbridge factory. Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg will be opening the event. >>> moreThe Stirrer’s Mayoral Blog 2THE PUSH ME PULL YOU POLITICIAN13-04-2007The normally forthright Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell is attempting to have his cake and eat it over the prospect of a mayoral election. Pointing both ways at once, he’s become the push-me-pull-you-politician. >>> moreFORCES FAMILIES DEMAND RIGHT TO VISIT IRAQ12-04-2007The mothers of two Midlands soldiers killed by roadside bombs in Iraq are demanding the right to visit memorials to their sons in Basra and Al Amarah. >>> morePOLICE PROBE BNP "FRAUD" CLAIMS12-04-2007In what’s turning out to be the dirtiest local election in Birmingham for years, The Stirrer can reveal that the police are investigating allegations of fraud against the BNP - claims which the party has strenuously denied. >>> moreSOLIHULL WOLVO CASINO LIMBO12-04-2007Plans for major new casinos in Solihull and Wolverhampton are still in limbo following last month’s shock parliamentary rejection of the government’s gambling Bill. >>> moreDEAL OR NO DEAL12-04-2007Ever wondered why Noel Edmonds' Channel 4 quiz is such a hit? Easy, says Laurence Inman. It's the perfect metaphor for life itself. >>> moreCAMCORDER COUNCILLOR TARGETTED OVER GAY ORGY VIDEO12-04-2007Birmingham's “camcorder councillor” Martin Mullaney has become the subject of a hate campaign after releasing a video exposing gay orgies in Kings Heath's Highbury Park. >>> moreSPECIAL SCHOOLS AND THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES - LATEST12-04-2007Jonathan Harris has been one of the most active campaigners in the battle to keep open all of Birmingham's Special Needs Schools. It looked as though parents had won an important victory by being guaranteed full consultation in a review of their kids' education, but as Jonathan reports all is not as it seemed. >>> moreBNP DENIES “FORGERY” CLAIMS11-04-2007The British National Party has denied allegations that it's been forging signatures on nomination papers for the local elections - but we've spoken to one woman whose name appears on one of their candidate's official forms who insists she never signed it. >>> morePLAY-OFF FEVER11-04-2007It's one of the most exciting seasons for years in the Championship, with Blues, the Baggies and Wolves all vying for promotion. The Stirrer gives his verdict on the run-in. >>> more“INTIMIDATION” ROW OVER INNER CITY GAY CLAIMS11-04-2007As canvassing hots up ahead of next month's local council elections, rival political parties have clashed in inner city Birmingham afterclaims that views about homosexuality are being used as a vote winner. >>> moreGet Out More…………………………Cricket PreviewEDGBASTON 20/20 TICKETS ON SALE11-04-2007As the World Cup heads towards it's climax in the Carbbean, it's unlikely that many Stirrer readers will be lucky enough to have a ticket for the Final. But we can tell you how to get make sure of seeing at least one of this summer's showpiece matches. >>> moreGet Out More…………………………..Gig PreviewYann Tiersen (Glee Club, Birmingham April 25)11-04-2007The man who wrote the haunting soundtrack to the film Amelie is coming to Birmingham later this month. Martin Longley caught up with his performance at Sesc Vila Mariana, São Paulo, Brazil. >>> moreSARAH'S LAW UNSPUN10-04-2007One of Britain's leading child sex experts has welcomed government plans for new laws to protect youngsters from paedophiles - but says that talk of a “Sarah's Law” is nothing more than “spin”. >>> moreTHE STIRRER GOES ON A MIDLAND JOURNEY10-04-2007Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg is heading off down Memory Lane once more at the Midlands Arts Centre, showcasing another fascinating collection of archive films about life in the West Midlands. >>> moreTHE STIRRER'S MAYORAL BLOG 110-04-2007With Birmingham citizens collecting signatures in their thousands in the hope of forcing a referendum on a mayor, The Stirrer is commencing a regular blog on the subject, updating the latest news and gossip. First, the story to date. >>> moreBNP EYES OPPOSITION CHANCE IN SANDWELL10-04-2007In the forthcoming Council elections the BNP's priority area is Sandwell, where they currently lag behind the Lib Dems by just one seat, and the Tories by four. Could the far-right party become the official opposition? Edward Cameron assesses their chances. >>> moreBIRMINGHAM'S TV CRIMES10-04-2007Tonight, the TV detective series Life on Mars comes to an end. But as it's yet another drama based in Manchester, Kevin Chapman poses the question - is there Life In Brum? Not as far as media folk are concerned. >>> moreThe Stirrer's Easter Movie Treat……………….Part ThreePERSONAL BEST - THE STORY OF BLIND DAVE09-04-2007This time next year, Blind Dave Heeley from West Brom will attempt to become the first disabled athlete to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents - and The Stirrer will be following him every step of the way. Here's his latest blog, and a chance to catch up on his history. >>> moreIRAN CAPTIVES ANDTHE VALUE OF CHEQUBOOK JOURNALISM09-04-2007As an advocate of free speech, The Stirrer welcomes the decision of the Ministry of Defence to allow the British marines captured in Iran to speak out - we now trust the same right will be extended to all other service personnel, including those who oppose the war in Iraq. >>> moreKEEP THE FLAMIN' NOISE DOWN!09-04-2007So what's the Easter bunny brought Lynn Hawthorne? An earache, that's what. >>> moreBANK HOLIDAY JOLLITY09-07-2007Does this sound like Your Bank Holiday? The Stirrer's resident poet Brendan Hawthorne with a DIY verse that can't wait for Tuesday to come around. >>> moreGet Out More………………………….Play ReviewUNCLE VANYA (Birmingham Rep, until April 14)08-04-2007Chekhov's classic - updated by Bryony Lavery, starring Jill Halfpenny, and reviewed by Paula Elenor. >>> moreGet Out More…………………………..Gig PreviewONLY ONES (Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, June 8)07-04-2007Yes, you read it right. The Only Ones. In the late 1970's they recorded three albums of dark, heroin-addled brilliance then lead singer Pete Perret disappeared into rehab oblivion. Paul Samuels celebrates this year's unlikeliest and most welcome comeback. >>> moreThe Stirrer's Easter Movie Treat………………Part TwoMANCHESTER DISUNITED08-04-2007Manchester Disunited And Other Football Feuds was Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg's first documentary after leaving the BBC last year. Here he reflects on the film and catches up with Andy Walsh, the inspiration behind the supporter-run breakaway club FC United. >>> moreWHERE'S WHITBY?
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