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June 2009
"NO LIBRARY DELAY" PLEDGES COUNCIL
30-06-2009
Birmingham Council has moved to scotch claims by Friends of the Central Library campaigner Alan Clawley that the new building has already slipped behind schedule. more
Birmingham Central Library 1
PLANS FALLING BEHIND
30-06-2009
In yet another exclusive that’s likely to be pinched by other news organisations without crediting us, Birmingham Central Library campaigner Alan Clawley claims a key deadline for the new building has already been missed. more
MOORPOOL BATTLE GOES NATIONAL
30-06-2009
Campaigners fighting to preserve Birmingham’s historic Moorpool estate have won the backing of residents in one of the country’s flagship conservation areas. more
Birmingham Central Library 2
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE LIBRARY DEBATE
30-06-2009
Andy Munro is a bold champion for Birmingham’s new central library, and believes the existing one should be bulldozed. Here’s the latest instalment in his spat with the conservationists – and specifically Andy Foster who called John Madin’s building “a great work of architecture”. more
Get Out More......................Gig News
BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL
30-06-2009
Here’s a couple of belters from Birmingham Town Hall – new gigs for the wonderful Sheffield songsmith Richard Hawley and Wolverhampton’s Scott Matthews. more
CONFESSIONS OF A BRUMMIE MUMMY (Part 34)
30-06-2009
Brummie Mummy faces the ordeal of her husband's works 'do'. But at least it means she can weigh up his relationship with the mysterious Stevie. more
Get Out More..................................Film/Events
7” LISTINGS
30-06-2009
Seven Inch cinema, - home of the wondrous Flatpack Festival – offers you the best of the West Midlands thriving “fringe” arts scene, with plenty of mainstream action besides. Watch out in their latest listings for Redditch Film Festival, Digbeth’s Supersonic music spectacular and a Paul “Taxi Driver” Schrader masterclass. more
BIRMINGHAM CHILD SWINE FLU VICTIM
29-06-2009
Health officials have confirmed that a child has died of swine flu in Birmingham - the first fatality arising from the illness in the West Midlands. Reports suggest the victim was a 9-year old girl. more
COPS FILMED PUBLIC "WITH BEST INTENTIONS"
29-06-2009
West Midlands Police have insisted they filmed a public meeting in Birmingham with "the best of intentions" following previous alleged racist incidents. more
BALTI "TRADEMARK" - NOT JUST A PR STUNT, HONEST
29-06-2009
Claims that Birmingham is aiming to trademark the balti may not be as far fetched as they originally seemed - with the City Council confirming today that it will pursue the idea if it's "feasible". And there was us just thinking it was a PR stunt. more
NOT SO CANDID CAMERA
29-06-2009
Mystery surrounds a police decision to film a public meeting of Birmingham Council on Friday night which has prompted fears of Big Brother style surveillance of local government. more
RAINBOW PETITION SUPPORT OUT OF THE BLUE
29-06-2009
Campaigners hoping to secure the future of Digbeth's Rainbow pub have won the support of a surprise backer - Birmingham Conservative councillor Robert Alden. He's put his name to the petition calling on the local authority to drop its noise abatement order against the venue. more
Andy’s Blues Blog
CLOUD NINE, BLUE HEAVEN
29-06-2009
These are possibly more exciting times for Blues fans than they can ever expect come August when the season actually starts. Andy Munro enjoys a rare summer of optimism.more
MUTTERINGS FROM A METAL BASHER
29-06-2009
Smethwick-based metal processing Professional Polishing Services quit Birmingham Chamber of Commerce in disgust last year, after being encouraged (along with other members) to move production abroad. Now director Kirsty Davis has some uplifting news in the depths of the recession. more
NO ORDINARY JOE
29-06-2009
The last time Joe Pasquale was in panto at Birmingham - "the best theatre in the country" - he broke box office records. This winter he'll be back in Sleeping Beauty, and as he tells Terry Wills, he can' wait. more
£16 MILLION ON ROVER REPORT - BUT STILL NO ANSWERS
27-06-2009
The long awaited report into the collapse of MG Rover has finally submitted to the government - four years after the company went under. It cost taxpayers almost £16million, but we still don't know what it says. more
JACKO - THE END WAS NIGH
27-06-2009
A surprise death? Not really reckons Andrew Cowen who reckons Michael Jackson's career already had the look of a fatal car crash. more
BLOGGING FOR IRAN
27-06-2009
Amnesty International is calling on the blogging community to maintain the pressure on Iran's leadership following the recent protests in the country. Here's the latest update from Steve Ballinger in their blogging team. more
JACKO'S "NOT GUILTY" CHILD ABUSE CLAIM
26-06-2009
During a marathon Talksport phone-in dedicated to Michael Jackson who died last night, Uri Geller tells Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg that he hypnotised the singer to uncover the truth about child abuse allegations. more
Get Out More................................Gig Review
Blur (Wolves Civic, Wednesday)
26-06-2009
A reunited Blur warmed up for their Glastonbury and Hyde Park mega-shows in front of a capacity crowd at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Wednesday night, Steve Beauchampé reports. more
ASHES TO ASHES?
26-06-2009
Warwickshire’s controversial plans to expand Edgbaston recently won government approval – but questions remain about the demand for the game. A quick dabble on Ticketmaster reveals the forthcoming Ashes Test match still hasn’t sold out. more
Get Out More................................Film News
DRAG ME TO HELL
26-06-2009
“Spiderman” director Sam Raimi revisits his “Evil Dead” roots with this hugely enjoyable gorefest. If you’re into horror, you’ll love this. more
Get Out More..............................Gig News
LITTLE BOOTS (Wolves Civic)
26-06-2009
Electropop's great white hope comes to Wolves Civic on October 30th - with tickets on sale this morning at 9am for just a tenner. more
"JERUSALEM NOT MENTIONED IN KORAN"
26-06-2009
Birmingham's Israel Information centre is circulating an uncompromising video in response to Barack Obama's recent speech in Cairo. The film made by Jewish education organisation the Temple Institute suggests Palestinians have no claim on Jerusalem as it was never mentioned in the Koran. more
Get Out More.................................Film Listings
THE LIGHTHOUSE (Wolverhampton)
26-06-2009
Looking For Eric, The Girl Cut in Two and a summer Media School for schoolkids are on the agenda at The Lighthouse in July. more
NO "JOBS FOR LIFE" AT BRUM COUNCIL AFTER ALL
25-06-2009
Birmingham Council’s Equalities boss Alan Rudge has denied the local authority ever promised workers “jobs for life”– apparently contradicting his own Chief Executive Stephen Hughes who made the pledge two years ago on The Stirrer. more
Birmingham Central Library
DEFENDING "A GREAT WORK OF ARCHITECTURE"
25-06-2009
Andy Munro's recent support for Birmingham's planned new Central Library - and his disregard for the current one - provokes a response from the author of the Pevsner city guide Andy Foster. He describes John Madin's building as "a great work of architecture". more
YAQOOB CONDEMNS BURQA "HYPOCRISY"
25-06-2009
Respect party leader and Sparkbrook councillor Salma Yaqoob has attacked President Sarkozy’s “hypocrisy” after he called for the burqa to be banned in France. more
TOON TOWN
25-06-2009
Want to know where a world of tranquillity and civilised urban planning exists? Laurence Inman reckons he’s found it, right here in the heart of the grimy metropolis. more
Get Out More...................................Theatre Review
THE BFG (Birmingham Rep, until Sat)
25-06-2009
Roald Dahl’s kids’ classic gets the big stage treatment. But would Paula Elenor respond to its childhood magic? more
“WHITE KNIGHT” OFFERS HOPE FOR POST
25-06-2009
Solihull Observer publisher Chris Bullivant has told the NUJ he’s interested in keeping the Birmingham Post daily and saving some of the free Trinity Mirror papers apparently facing the axe in the region. Meanwhile Post and Mail insiders are curious about the source of yesterday’s leak, which suggested several titles are threatened. more
OH ZOE SHE ISN’T
25-06-2009
Zoe Hopkins rings The Stirrer to contradict our story that she’ll be seeking election in Shard End next year after standing down as a Kingstanding councillor. more
Get Out More..........................Gig News
TOWN HALL/SYMPHONY HALL NEW DATES
25-06-2009
Wolverhampton’s Beverley Knight and ex Mike and the Mechanics vocalist Paul Carrack have just been added to the gig lists for Birmingham’s Town Hall/Symphony Hall venues. more
MORE CUTS RUMOURED AT POST AND MAIL
24-06-2009
The daily Birmingham Post is facing the axe according to the NUJ who reckon it could be soon become a weekly edition. The union also says there are plans afoot to force the Birmingham Mail into a morning only publication, dramatically reducing its ability to cover breaking news. more
Exclusive
“SELL OFF DRIVING LIBRARY DEVLOPMENT”
24-06-2009
Birmingham Central Library campaigner Alan Clawley has uncovered new evidence which suggests that – contrary to official pronouncements – the real driver for plans to sell off Birmingham Central Library is the prospect of a lucrative land sale and development. more
"NO WAR CHEST" CLAIM - AS WOLVES RESERVES GROW £7M
24-06-2009
Wolverhampton Council’s Finance boss insists she hasn’t been developing a “war chest” ahead of next year’s local elections – even though the city’s coffers have swollen by £7.6 million in the last 12 months against a background of service cuts. more
Andy’s Balti Blog
GRAMEEN KHANA, 340 Ladypool Road (0121-449-9994)
24-06-2009
Here’s a rarity – a Bangladeshi establishment in the Pakistani-dominated Balti Triangle. Andy Munro checks it out. more
“FIVE YEAR WARNING” FOR COUNCIL CARE STAFF
24-06-2009
Staff at Birmingham’s old people’s homes have been warned they can expect to lose their jobs within five years. This follows revelations that 180 staff are being made redundant following the forthcoming closure of two homes in the city. more
WHITBY FOE PAYS PRICE IN SUTTON
24-06-2009
Peter Howard, arch enemy of Council leader Mike Whitby, has been deposed as leader of Sutton Coldfield Conservatives. Colleagues suggest he’s paying the price for supporting Whitby’s recent rival for the top job Randal Brew. more
Poet's Corner
FUDGESTOCK 2009
24-06-2009
Fudgestock is a music festival to raise awareness for Breast Cancer, and it will be held this year at The Public in West Bromwich on July 4. Brendan Hawthorne celebrates a worthy campaign. more
Exclusive
BRUM’S CITY TV IS KID’S STUFF
23-06-2009
David “Kid” Jensen and former Central presenter Llewella Bailey have been lined up to present the Breakfast Show on Birmingham’s new City TV station. MD Alan Grindley is determined to use the channel to boost Brum’s image, saying “what TV there is here is disgraceful”. more
180 LOSE JOBS IN COUNCIL U TURN
23-06-2009
Thousands of Birmingham Council workers will be looking over their shoulders this morning, as it emerged that their employer has reneged on a promise of “jobs for life”. The city’s Cabinet will vote next week to shed 180 jobs at the city’s old people’s homes. more
Deborah Hodgson's IoW Blog
ALL WIGHT ON THE NIGHT
23-06-2009
What's it like to play a major music festival and hang out with the big knobs backstage? Birmingham folk singer Deborah Hodgson can tell us with this exclusive blog about her recent appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival. more
THE COMEBACK KIDS
23-06-2009
News reaches The Stirrer that two councillors from opposing sides of the political spectrum are making an unexpected return to politics – Labour’s Zoe Hopkins in Birmingham and Karen Bissell, a Conservative in Sandwell. more
HOLED UP IN DUDLEY
23-06-2009
The latest instalment in Glyn Berrington’s efforts to get Dudley’s numerous potholes filled. Last time out, the “Head of Street and Green Care” Garry Dean had switched from email to snail mail, and although he’s now got the hang of the computer, Glyn still isn’t happy. more
ONLY IN ENGLAND
23-06-2009
Hardy gig goer Richard Nevin enjoys two very different gigs in Cardiff in Birmingham. There was only one common denominator – the bloody queues! more
Birmingham Central Library
CLOSING OFF AN OPEN LETTER
23-06-2009
There’s been a lively debate between Andy Munro (supporter of a new library for Birmingham) and Alan Clawley (defender of the existing one). Andy’s hoping to put the correspondence to bed with this one – some chance! more
KEEPING DOWN THE NOISE IN DIGBETH
23-06-2009
How about this for a solution to the ongoing noise row in Digbeth? Regular Aston FM contributor Igor Romanoff has an eye (as well as an ear) on the complaining resident(s) in the Abacus Apartments. more
WOLVES COUNCIL PLANS £11MILLION CUTS
22-06-2009
Internal documents seen by The Stirrer show Wolverhampton Council plans “salami slicing” services over the next two years to make savings of up to £11 million. Grants are being cut, the Christmas Park and Ride will be axed and Meal On Wheels being outsourced. more
RAINBOW MISSES OUT ON MULLANEY'S 10 GRAND
22-06-2009
Birmingham Council’s new Cabinet Member for Leisure Martin Mullaney has revealed on The Stirrer Forum that he was considering lending £10,000 to help the Rainbow pub in Digbeth improve its soundproofing – but says he decided to walk away after suffering personal abuse. more
GAY RIGHTS – OR "CULTURAL FASCISM"?
22-06-2009
Should Muslim parents be allowed to withdraw their children from lessons promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history? Iftikhar Ahmed reports on a case of “cultural fascism” which could have reverberations in the multicultural West Midlands. more
Andy’s Blues Blog
A BLUE REVOLUTION
22-06-2009
There’s a green revolution going down in Tehran – and a Blue one over at St Andrews, apparently. Andy Munro reflects on a rare summer of optimism. more
MP’S IN THE BLACK
22-06-2009
MPs’ Expenses: Now the rules get tough for hacks. Richard Lutz shows all. more
Get Out More......................................Film News
ELECTRIC CINEMA LISTINGS
22-06-2009
Booking opportunities for the new Harry Potter movie and Johnny Depp's forthcoming release "Dillinger" - not to mention The Hangover, given a positive write up here recently. Here's the full line-up from Birmingham's top indie cinema. more
"CUT US SOME SLACK" CALL FROM RAINBOW BOSS
20-06-2009
The owner of Digbeth’s Rainbow pub has appealed to Birmingham Council to “cut us some slack” after last night’s public meeting which attracted more than 300 people to the venue. more
Get Out More..................................Film Review
THE HANGOVER
20-06-2009
Four mates head off to party town Vegas for a stag do – I mean, what could go wrong? Rather more than you might think in this occasionally coarse but always engaging buddy comedy. more
Exclusive
WOLVES COUNCIL SPENDS 4K ON STIRRER CASE
20-06-2009
Hard-pressed Wolverhampton Council spent more than £4,000 of taxpayers’ cash on its failed legal action against The Stirrer. The news comes after a week when it emerged that departmental heads are being asked to identify spending cuts of up to 10%. more
THREE GRAND – THE PRICE OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT
20-06-2009
Residents in Kings Heath who want to close their road in Kings Heath for a street party aimed at fostering community spirit have been quoted three thousand pounds by Council jobsworths – a fee which is virtually guaranteed to kill the project. more
CONFESSIONS OF A BRUMMIE MUMMY – PART 33
20-06-2009
After a rumpus and the swift exit at the book club, Brummie Mummy and her paramour Ian need to clear the air. It’s make or break time, folks. more
DUDLEY: THE HOLE TRUTH
20-06-2009
Glyn Berrington's efforts to persuade Dudley Council to fill in the town's potholes took a twist the other day when after an extended email correspondence, the Head of Street Care and Green care Garry Dean sent him a letter. Undeterred, Glyn saddled up and got back on his computer. more
GONG HO
20-06-2009
The Birmingham Press Club, which was established in 1865, is the oldest in the world. Dominic Fisher reports back from this year’s Press Club Midlands Media Awards ceremony which took place on Thursday at the New Bingley Hall. more
COURSE CONVERSATION
19-06-2009
Birmingham Council’s new Cabinet Member for Leisure and Sport Martin Mullaney has been using The Stirrer Forum to defend his controversial plans for the city’s seven golf courses – which are expected to lose £600,000 in the financial year to March 09. more
FROM BIGOTRY TO BALTI
19-06-2009
The recent outburst of racism directed towards Romanian immigrants in Belfast prompts Dr David Nicholl to ponder how much has changed in the years since he left Northern Ireland. more
Get Out More.........................Gig News
PET SHOP BOYS (NIA 18 Dec, 2009)
19-06-2009
They once toured the campest show since Baden Powell was in shorts, and although they've scaled things down a bit these days, it's still likely to be a bit of stunner. more
MOTHER AND SON
19-06-2009
The Open University is 40 this year, and one its first wave of graduates Audrey Miller is in the mood to celebrate – especially as the family connection continues. more
Get Out More.........................Ballet Review
BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET - SIR FRED AND MR B
19-06-2009
Richard Lutz puts on his dancing shoes and reviews the new offering by Birmingham Royal Ballet. more
BUILDING BRIDGES TO BARCELONA
19-06-2009
Architecture students from Birmingham normally head out to Barcelona at this time of year to check out some of the fine buildings in the Catalan capital, but this year, the traffic, was reversed. The Chair of the City’s Planning Committee Peter Douglas Osborn explains why they swapped Gaudi for gaudy. more
Martin Longley's Music Blog
INDIAN SOUNDS: NEW YORK (Part 2)
19-06-2009
The Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain plays at London's Barbican tonite. Martin Longley caught his recent run of shows in New York City... more
SINK OR SWIM FOR BIRMINGHAM POOLS
18-06-2009
Councillors in Birmingham have delivered a shot across the bows to the city’s new Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, Martin Mullaney, warning him to put the future of local swimming baths like Sparkhill ahead of a new 50 metre pool near the city centre. more
AVOIDING A BLACK COUNTRY BELFAST
18-06-2009
The Taxpayers Alliance has been attracting national headlines after criticising a Gypsy and Travellers Awareness Month in Sandwell’s schools – but if events in Northern Ireland are any guide, it will be money well spent. more
Laurence Inman’s Blog
SO, WHAT IS THERE?
18-06-2009
You want philosophy? You got it, courtesy of the poetical Mr Inman. more
PESTER POWER
18-06-2009
So what would you like Birmingham to do next? The City Council has just launched an online petition service, and we’d love to harness the power of Stirrer readers to us it positively. more
CENTRAL LIBRARY; AN OPEN LETTER TO ANDY MUNRO
18-06-2009
Friends of the Central Library campaigner Alan Clawley rises to the challenge of Andy Munro’s article yesterday, which slated the existing building and look forward to its replacement in Centenary Square. Here’s Clawley’s feisty response. more
QUEEN WENDY AND THE WOLVES BUDGET CUTS
18-06-2009
The Stirrer's revelation that Wolverhampton Council's leadership is looking to identify budget cuts of up to 10% has drawn a swift response from the Cabinet's Finance Chief "Queen" Wendy Thompson. The opposition Labour group yesterday claimed 650 jobs could be at risk. more
CONSULTATION PARKED
18-06-2009
Traders in Wednesbury are bemused by the timing of a consultation over parking charges – they’re not being allowed to meet key councillors until two days after the Cabinet takes its crucial vote on the subject. more
Barbara's Blog
A TASTE OF INDEPENDENCE
18-06-2009
Love beautiful buildings and tasty, home made food? Barbara Panvel celebrates a Birmingham establishment where you can enjoy both. more
BIRMINGHAM UNVEILS NEW “DIGITAL DISTRICT”
17-06-2009
Birmingham Council’s deputy leader Paul Tilsley will unveil a new “Digital District” for the city at today’s regional launch of the government’s Digital Britain report. more
Exclusive
JOBS THREAT AS WOLVES BUDGETS SLASHED AGAIN
17-06-2009
650 jobs could be axed at Woverhampton Council under cost cutting plans being drawn up by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat leadership. Leaked documents seen by the city's Labour opposition show departments will be asked to identify budget cuts of up to 10%. more
Get Out More.................................Gig Review
ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (Symphony Hall)
17-06-2009
Dweezil Zappa, Frank’s son, was in Birmingham, recreating his father’s music. Richard Lutz has this review. But first, a story…. more
MP CALLS FOR HALT TO WARKS LOAN
17-06-2009
MP Roger Godsiff is calling on Birmingham City Council to withold it's £20 million loan to Warwickshire County Cricket Club for the redevelopment of Edgbaston. He says the thorny issue of floodlighting should be sorted first. more
TIME TO TURN THE PAGE
17-06-2009
Friends of the Central Library campaigner Alan Clawley has waged a wonderful guerrilla war against Birmingham City Council over its efforts to replace John Madin’s 1973 building with a new structure in Centenary Square. But there is another side to the story – put eloquently by Andy Munro. more
FLYING LOW
17-06-2009
Stirrer blogger Richard Lutz had a rant yesterday about the hidden charges levied by budget airlines. Andy Goff defends the no-frills operators. more
JULIE MUST GO, MARK MUST STAY?
17-06-2009
Should you lose your job simply for being politically active? Dr David Nicholl reports on a bizarre postscript to the campaign to oust Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride. more
Exclusive
TILSLEY TURNS DOWN “MONEY FOR NOTHING”
16-06-2009
Birmingham Council’s deputy leader Paul Tilsley has rejected the controversial £15,000 allowance he was granted last week for attending NEC board meetings – a payment first revealed on The Stirrer. more
BLUE RINSE FOR CLARE
16-06-2009
In an interview dribbled out across various Post and Mail outlets this weekend, Ladywood MP Clare Short condemned Gordon Brown as a “control freak” and said she fancied standing as Mayor of Birmingham. That leads us to the unsettling conclusion that old red has become a true blue. more
Get Out More..........................Film Review
LOOKING FOR ERIC
16-06-2009
Soccer superstar makes shock move to gritty British drama – and guess what? It’s a surprise result reports Paula Elenor. more
THE END OF THE RAINBOW?
16-06-2009
Digbeth's popular Rainbow has been issued with a noise abatement order by Birmingham City Council - who've given one complaining resident more credence than 14,000 people who've offered their support to the venue on Facebook. more
Richard Lutz’s Blog
SKY HIGH RIP-OFF
16-06-2009
Just how much do all those hidden add-ons amount to on a plane journey? And what the hell are they for anyway, wonders high flying Richard Lutz. more
KISS THE BADGE? KISS MY ARSE!
16-06-2009
The departure of Albion boss Tony Mowbray to Celtic will be greeted by supporters with a mixture of sadness and understanding – but defender Paul Robinson deserves nothing but contempt for suggesting he wants to leave as well. more
FIGHTING FOR ALI
16-06-2009
The Stirrer’s revelation yesterday that the Muhammed Ali Centre in Hockley will only be closed as a “last resort” has cheered up Pete Sampson – but he wonders why it’s taken so long to recognise the importance of the building. more
Get Out More.............................Gig News
BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL’S 175TH BIRTHDAY
16-06-2009
Birmingham’s wonderful refurbished Town Hall celebrates it’s 175th birthday with a series of events encompassing Handel's Messiah, a Bhangra Bash, The Destroyers, Paul Robeson Re-Explored, and Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. PR bloke Lyle Bignon has more. more
TWO TEENAGERS SHOT IN ASTON
16-06-2009
Two teenagers are in hospital after being shot in Aston last night. more
HOLE LOTTA LOVE
16-06-2009
Dudley’s self-appointed pothole investigator Glyn is now making progress after we started publishing details of his correspondence with the Council. But the latest response makes you wonder if they’re trying to make life difficult for us as well as him. more
IRANIANS CLAMP DOWN ON NET AS UNREST GROWS
15-06-2009
The Iranian authorities have moved to clamp down on unrest following the re-election of President Ahmadinejad by jamming mobile phones and clamping down on the internet. Unconfirmed reports suggest a massacre by the army at Teheran University. more
Exclusive
BRUM LIBRARY “APOLOGY DUE”
15-06-2009
Campaigner Alan Clawley is calling for an apology to architect John Madin, who designed the city’s Central Library. Clawley has established that the building – which the Council wants to demolish - is structurally sound, and says its faults have been exaggerated. more
ALI CENTRE CLOSURE “LAST RESORT”
15-06-2009
Birmingham’s new Cabinet Member for Leisure Martin Mullaney has vowed that the Muhammed Ali Centre in Hockley will be closed only as a “last resort”. In February, his predecessor Ray Hassall approved demolition of the building. more
Get Out More........................................Gig News
SECOND DATE FOR SPECIALS AT WOLVES CIVIC
15-06-2009
Reformed ska legends The Specials are booked in for a second date at Wolves Civic. Editors and TV impressionist Alastair McGowan are coming too... more
Sandwell Council 1
IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?
15-06-2009
Lynn Hawthorne asks you to all join hands, close your eyes and attempt to contact Sandwell Council…. more
Andy Munro’s Balti Blog
ADIL (353-355 Ladypool Road)
15-06-2009
It’s one of the oldest – but is it one of the best? Andy Munro revisits an old traditional, but wusses out on the green chilli bhajis. more
Dave Woodhall’s Boxing Blog
LYNDSEY FEELING CHAMPION
15-06-2009
Wolverhampton gained its first-ever boxing world champion on Friday night as Lyndsey Scragg survived a late scare to claim the women’s Global Boxing Council super-featherweight title in front of a partisan hometown crowd at the Civic Hall. Dave Woodhall reports. more
Get Out More..............................Gig News
WORD UNLIMITED GIG LIST
15-06-2009
The rootsiest promoters around, World Unlimited, are marking their 20th anniversary this year with some fine shows - all under the patronage of Seth Lakeman. They're bringing Billy Bragg, Shonen Knife and Seth himself to the West Midlands over the coming months. more
Get Out More....................................Gig News
ZERO 7/STEVE EARLE/DESTROYERS
15-06-2009
Birmingham’s Town Hall/Symphony Hall continues to attract some of the most intriguing gigs in the region. The latest batch of shows include Zero 7, Steve Earle and The Destroyers. more
Sandwell Council 2 – Poet’s Corner
JUDGEMENT CALL
15-06-2009
The introduction of parking charges and plenty more besides have wound up Brendan Hawthorne to ranting rhymer mode. more
GOOD SAVE AT WEST BROM
12-06-2009
West Bromwich Building Society, which just a few weeks ago was denying it had financial problems, has been saved from administration by a deal which allows debt investors to convert the millions they are owed into shares – a highly irregular move which undermines the traditional community base of its ownership. more
EDINBURGH COMING TO BRUM WITH GLEE
12-06-2009
Edinburgh comes to Birmingham this July as six of the best acts destined for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009 will be previewing their brand new stand-up comedy shows at the Glee Club. Promoter Duncan Burns takes us through the line up. more
WE’LL KEEP AXON THE QUESTIONS
12-06-2009
Wolverhampton Council announced six months ago it was scrapping its controversial business transformation deal with Axon – so why has no more been said about it since a confidential report leaked to The Stirrer in December was withdrawn? more
Barabara's Buswatch Blog
BUSWATCH GETS MOVING
12-06-2009
A major new initiative has been launched to relay feedback from bus users in the West Midlands. Barbara Panvel reports on the first meeting of a campaign first floated on The Stirrer. more
HOLED UP
12-06-2009
Yesterday's story about Glyn Berrington's unsuccessful efforts to rouse Dudley Council's chief executive about the town's multifarious potholes seems to have had the desired effect. He got an email by return - although the holes haven't disappeared yet. more
IN LIKE QUINN
12-06-2009
He doesn’t look old enough to shave or be out on the streets at night alone, but Ray Quinn has already got a veterans CV, with credits including Brookside, X Factor and Dancing On Ice. Terry Wills caught up with him at the launch of the this year’s Hippodrome panto Sleeping Beauty. more
CONFESSIONS OF A BRUMMIE MUMMY (Part 32)
12-06-2009
Come on woman – enough of this teasing. Will you or won’t you? Should you or shouldn’t you? This time she’s on the run. more
Get Out More............................Gig News
THE ROBIN LISTINGS
12-06-2009
One of The Stirrer's favourite venues The Robin in Bilston has some excellent musical fayre lined up over the next few months, including Southside Johnny, Roy Wood and Andy Fairweather Lowe. Get the full details here
LUCKY COUNCILLORS LAND 12K PAY RISE
11-06-2009
The days of “snout in the trough” politicians are over – or so we are led to believe. Pity the news hasn’t reached Birmingham, where four senior councillors are getting an extra £12,000 a year for a job that has traditionally been seen as a civic duty. more
EURO ELECTIONS – THE UNTOLD STORY
11-06-2009
Sandwell Labour boss Bill Thomas contacts The Stirrer to point out the untold success story of the European elections – his own party’s unlikely victory in the Black Country borough and other parts of the region. more
Get Out More..............................Gig News
MOSELEY ROAD BATHS BENEFIT (July 1)
11-06-2009
After countless Saturday afternoon benefit gigs over the last two years, the Friends of Moseley Road Baths campaign group is staging its first evening concert, to be held this July at the Hare and Hounds. Campaigner Mark Gunton reports. more
SINK OR SWIM?
11-06-2009
With further details of the proposed £58m Birmingham Aquatic and Leisure Centre emerging, Steve Beauchampé assesses the scheme’s desirability and viability. more
Laurence Inman’s Blog
UP IN SMOKE
11-06-2009
A disillusioned Laurence Inman discovers that one of his heroes has feet of clay. more
CRIME IS A HIT
11-06-2009
More than 63,000 people around the West Midlands have logged onto a police website giving information about local crime incidents since it was launched last year. more
HOLE IN MORE THAN ONE
11-06-2009
Stirrer blogger Gyn Berrington has been keeping readers updated on the Forum about the state of Dudley’s potholed roads. Here’s a sample of his correspondence with the Council which has led him almost – but not quite – to the Chief Executive’s office. more
BIRMINGHAM'S BALTI GUIDE - LATEST EDITION
11-06-2009
The latest edition of Birmingham's balti guide has just been published, and to mark the occasion chefs are being challenged to create a dish that somehow captures the essence of the city. more
THE MARTYRDOM OF ST NICK
10-06-2009
The egg splattering antics of Unite Against Fascism may have silenced Nick Griffin’s planned press conference at Westminster yesterday. But Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg warns it only reinforces the “martyr complex” which has fuelled the BNP’s Euro election success. more
TORY “WORM” FINDS COLLEAGUE TURN
10-06-2009
We thought Tory councillor Colin Hughes was doing Birmingham taxpayers a favour when he listed the past five years expenses incurred by their elected representatives. His colleagues didn’t see it that way, with one senior colleague calling him a “worm”. more
COUNTING THE COST OF THE LIBRARY
10-06-2009
Plans for new Central Library in Birmingham continue to vex Alan Clawley, who believes passionately in the virtues of the existing one. He makes the financial argument for refurbishment. more
Get Out More.................................Film Review
TERMINATOR SALVATION (12A)
10-06-2009
No Arnie this time…well, apart from a brief CGI reincarnation, so can the Terminator franchise survive without him? Er, not on this form. more
POOLING RESOURCES
10-06-2009
Stirrer blogger Steve Beauchampe reveals that Birmingham’s new £58m Aquatics and Leisure Centre will be run privately, and not by the City Council. The building will be financed by the sale of existing Council-owned leisure facilities. more
TRUE BLUE COLLAR HOUSING PLAN FOR BRUM
09-06-2009
Tory councillors are unlikely champions of council housing, but Birmingham’s John Lines deserves plaudits after the recent announcement of plans to build 500 family homes in the next three years. more
FREE SUPPORT LINE FOR LDV WORKERS
09-06-2009
Hundreds of workers facing redundancy after Birmingham vanmaker LDV was placed in administration are being offered help through a free phone support line. more
DON'T BE LATE FOR BUS CHANGES
09-06-2009
Bus users in South Birmingham are being urged to have their say on major changes planned to bus services in the area. Transport campaigner Kevin Chapman reports. more
Get Out More.............................Gig News
THE STIRRER’S GIG ROUND-UP
09-06-2009
Wow! What a selection of shows coming up around the West Midlands over the next few months - from Japanese punk femmes Shonen Knife to Beyonce, via “Rumours” era Fleetwood Mac. Oh, and a glorious homecoming for the wonderful Destroyers. more
Get Out More..................................Film News
BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL FILM SOC
09-06-2009
Flying the flag for global cinema in the West Midlands, BIFS holds regular screenings at the Library Theatre in Birmingham. Tonight, for example, a pair of films about hip hop, followed by next week's Spanish sci fi night. more
Glyn's Virals
NEW DSS POSTER LEAKED
09-06-2009
Stirrer blogger Glyn Berrington has been given a sneak preview of the latest DSS poster, warning of a crackdown on those who would defraud the nation. Kind chap that he is, he's agreed to share it with us. more
GET OFF YOUR FACEBOOK
09-06-2009
Social networking websites are usually seen as a pre-occupation of yoof, but Ros Dodd argues that they are the ideal social space for oldies too. more
Stay In More......................................Book Review
SCARY BONES THE SKELETON
09-06-2009
Native Brummie Ron Dawson manages to knock out the odd book when he isn't contributing to the Stirrer Forum - including this childrens' tale, reviewed by Andy Goff. more
HIGH NOON DEMO FOR BRAMU
08-06-2009
Protestors trying to save Birmingham Racial Attacks Monitoring Unit are urging supporters to turn out in numbers outside the Council tomorrow for a high noon demo. more
…AND THEN THEY CAME FOR ME
08-06-2009
Following the BNP’s success in winning their first two European seats, we were sent this piece written by Ann Lewis - born Hannah Berndt – the mother of a regular Stirrer reader. She recalls the rise of the Nazis in her native Germany. more
EU BETTER BELIEVE IT; LABOUR LOSES TO UKIP
08-06-2009
Labour’s Neena Gill lost her West Midlands seat to UKIP in the European parliament, on a night when hundreds of thousands of voters showed their disenchantment with mainstream politics. Nationally, the far-right BNP won it’s first two seats in Strasbourg. more
"FIGHT GOES ON" FOR LDV
08-06-2009
Birmingham Hodge Hill MP and newly elevated Cabinet minister Liam Byrne insists “the fight goes on” for van maker LDV – even though the company is filing for administration today. 850 jobs are at stake. more
5,000 MAKE A NOISE FOR DIGBETH
08-06-2009
More than 5,000 people have signed a Facebook petition protesting against the threat from Birmingham’s “noise enforcement Taliban” to Digbeth’s Rainbow pub. And they aren’t the only ones critical of the Council over the issue – as a recent AWM report makes clear. more
Andy’s Balti Blog
AL FRASH (186 Ladypool Road)
08-06-2009
It boasts of offering the best balti in Brum – so does it live up to its billing? Andy Munro investigates. more
SUGAR GOES SOUR FOR APPRENTICE KATE
08-06-2009
Midlands Apprentice contestant Kate Walsh lost out in last night’s final to Yasmina Siadatan – thus missing out on the chance of a £100,000 job with Sir Alan Sugar. more
Dave’s Villa Blog
GARETH A GO GO
08-06-2009
The departure of Gareth Barry has been greeted with monastic silence by the Villa hierarchy. Dave Woodhall says it’s time to speak up to reassure the fans. more
CONFESSIONS OF A BRUMMIE MUMMY (Part 31)
08-06-2009
As Brummie Mummy considers elopement, her husband’s mysterious relationship with a work colleague moves into sharper focus. more
THOSE MP'S EXPENSES IN FULL
08-06-2009
Baffled and bamboozled by who claimed what in the recent scandal over MPs' expenses? The Stirrer can help with details of the cash paid to all our elected representatives in Westminster. more
Martin Longley's Music Blog
LATIN SOUNDS: NEW YORK (PART 27)
08-06-2009
Martin Longley discovers that the musics of Argentina, Brazil and Puerto Rico are all fusing their asses off in New York City... more
Get Out More.............................Comedy News
CHEEKY MONKEY GETS "SKINNER WITHOUT THE FAME"
08-06-2009
Moseley's Cheeky Monkey comedy club has a brilliant show on Tuesday 9th June, with a former presenter of Channel 4 ‘Big Breakfast’ and one of the most sought after comedians on the circuity. more
A STIRRING VICTORY
05-06-2009
Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg reports on a vital victory for press freedom, after this website was threatened with legal action by Wolverhampton City Council. As a result, our sources can be more confident than ever that their privacy will be protected. more
JAB JABBER
05-06-2009
Former British Medical Association chairman Sir Sandy Macara has called for children to be excluded from school this week unless they've have the MMR jab. Dr Peter Mansfield takes umbrage. more
CONFESSIONS OF A BRUMMIE MUMMY (Part 30)
05-06-2009
Will she, won't she? Has she, hasn't she? Catch up the latest breathless installment. more
YAQOOB WELCOME FOR OBAMA SPEECH
04-06-2009
President Obama's olive branch to the Muslim world in Cairo yesterday has been welcomed by Respect Party leader and Sparkbrook councillor Salma Yaqoob. more
Exclusive
BRUM COUNCILLORS EXPENSES REVEALED
04-06-2009
After the recent MP's expenses scandal, how extravagant are the claims made by Birmingham's councillor? The Stirrer can tell you, with an exhaustive summary of the amount paid to each of our elected representatives over the last five years. more
FOR GORDS SAKE, GO
04-06-2009
The key question arising from today's European and local election isn't whether Labour will get a tonking - all that's in doubt is the scale of their humiliation. In the aftermath of defeat it will be tempting for Labour MPs to sign the letter calling for Gordon Brown to step down, but that would only prolong the agony for voters desperate for change. more
Get Out More.............................Gig Review
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
04-06-2009
Welsh rockers the Manic Street Preachers played a sell out show at Wolves Civic on Monday. Steve Beauchampé checked them out (photos are by Charlie Chan, from Cheltenham!) more
SANDWELL IMPOSES SINGLE STATUS DEAL
04-06-2009
More than 10,000 workers at Sandwell Council are digesting news of their new Single Status pay offer. The deal is likely to be imposed because it still doesn't have union backing. more
Laurence Inman’s Blog
ABSOLUTELY SCRABULOUS
04-06-2009
It’s Laurence Inman’s secret addiction. Hear how a mild mannered literary gent becomes a hard nosed keyboard killer. more
SORRY LABOUR TRIES TO RECRUIT LAPSED MEMBERS
04-06-2009
Lapsed Labour members have received letters of apology from the party for their recent performance. But John Tyrrell, who used to represent the party on Birmingham Council, remains unimpressed. more
A PRISONER OF THE TRUTH
04-06-2009
We take press freedom for granted in this country, but as Simon Ware reports, elsewhere in the world, publishing the truth can be a criminal offence. more
Get Out More..............................Theatre Review
THE WINTER’S TALE
04-06-2009
The Royal Shakespeare Company unveils its new staging of The Winter’s Tale at Stratford. Richard Lutz has a theory. more
YOUR CHANCE TO BE A MOVIE STAR
04-06-2009
The Stirrer’s old film director pal Mark Locke – who made the cult classic Crust – is calling on Stirrer readers to help him out with a pilot for his new telly series. Here’s his personal invite to you… more
Get Out More...............................Events Listing
SEVEN INCH LISTINGS
04-06-2009
The fine people behind Birmingham’s wonderful Flatpack Film Festival also create the most exhaustive list of what’s going on around here. Mark Thomas in Brum, Linton Kwesi Johnson at Hockley Flyover, and Andy Warhol in Wolverhampton are among the savoury delights. more
TOM WATSOFF
03-06-2009
West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson will follow Jacqui Smith out of the Cabinet in the forthcoming reshuffle - but unlike the Home Secretary, his departure will be a matter of genuine choice. more
ASSAULT ON BATTERY
03-06-2009
Word reaches The Stirrer that the last remnants of one of Birmingham’s great historical factories – the Battery and Metal Company in Selly Oak – has been demolished. That’s despite the fact that it was a Grade 2 listed. more
Martin Longley's Music Blog
BLUES SOUNDS: NEW YORK (Part 132)
03-06-2009
Hot on the heels of gigs by George Thorogood and Johnny Winter, Birmingham and Bilston are rapidly becoming a magnet for rockaboogie blues steamers. And now, The Fabulous Thunderbirds are coming to The Robin tonite. Martin Longley reports on their recent New York show...and plenty more besides. more
LOYALTY MY ****
03-06-2009
Ok, so he’s a Blues fan. But that hasn’t stopped Andy Munro feeling outraged at Gareth Barry’s defection from Villa to Manchester City. more
POOL PICS MAKE A SPLASH
03-06-2009
The first images of Birmingham’s proposed new 50metre swimming pool have been revealed as a public consultation gets underway. But there's still no word about how it will be paid for. more
Get Out More..................................Musical Review
CHICAGO
03-06-2009
The West End version currently has Jerry Springer making an appearance, but how is the touring version, which has Jimmy Osmond in a starring role? Terry Wills went to check it out at the Hippodrome where it runs until June 13. more
HOME IS WHERE THE ALLOWANCE IS...
03-06-2009
Hall Green parliamentary candidate Salma Yaqoob has weighed in on the debate over Roger Godsiff's expenses - saying that the Sparkbrook and Small Heath MP should return more than £87,000 claimed for his "second home" in London where his family live. more
Get Out More...............................Music Review
CBSO/MAHLER’S RESURRECTION
03-06-2009
An afternoon to remember at Symphony Hall with composer Andris Nelsons. Gary Whitehouse is among the appreciative audience. more
JACQUI SMITH QUITS AS HOME SEC
02-06-2009
Redditch MP Jacqui Smith has jumped before she was pushed ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle and indicated that she's going to "resign" after a brief and inglorious reign as Home Secretary. Rarely has a local politician looked more out of her depth on the national stage. more
LDV RESCUE FAILS
02-06-2009
Birmingham van maker LDV is once again seeking administration after a proposed rescue bid by Malaysian firm Weststar failed - placing hundreds of jobs in jeopardy. more
MUM’S NOT THE WORD
02-06-2009
Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg interviewed “the woman too thick to look after her own child” for Talksport last night – and can see no reason why she shouldn’t be re-united with her daughter. more
Exclusive
REP GOES DARK FOR TWO YEARS
02-06-2009
It looks like Birmingham Rep will have to "go dark" for two years to accommodate construction of the city's new Central Library - far longer than previously envisaged. Alan Clawley wonders why the news has been allowed to creep out with no fanfare. more
MORE BUSTLE ABOUT HUSTLE
02-06-2009
The Stirrer yesterday welcomed the arrival of the BBC's Hustle to the West Midlands, but questioned why one publicly funded agency - Screen WM - was effectively subsidising another - the BBC. Sarah Arnesen from Screen WM reveals that the investment could end up being a money spinner for the region. more
Barbara's Blog
DON'T SCOFF...IT'S LOCAL FOOD
02-06-2009
Barbara Panvel celebrates the growth of a delivery service bringing locally sourced food and drink to the doorsteps of the West Midlands. If you're fed up of Tesco, here's a practical alternative... more
Get Out More..............................Gig News
SOWETO KINCH'S FLYOVER SHOW
02-06-2009
The second annual Hockley Flyover show starring top Brummie saxophonist Soweto Kinch has been confirmed...and it's on Saturday, June 13. Watch in awe as a prime slice of inner city freeway is converted into a performing space for poetry, art and music. more
BLUNKETT’S RETURN JOURNEY
02-06-2009
David Blunkett has come under fire on this website for his connections to First Group – the US company that provides yellow school buses, which have also been advocated here by a Common Select Committee. Now he’s taken time to reply. more
DOUBLE BUBBLE HUSTLE COMES TO BRUM
01-06-2009
Welcome news that the hit drama series Hustle is coming to the West Midlands – but are we the only ones to wonder why one publicly funded body (Screen WM) is effectively subsidising another (the BBC)? more
BRITAIN'S GOT IRONY
01-06-2009
After a weekend when unlikely singing star Susan Boyle was eclipsed on Britain's Got Talent by dance troupe Diversity, Pete Millington applauds all the particpipants. He says it's not the winning that counts ... more
RIVAL'S "GREAT SADNESS" OVER GODSIFF EXPENSES SCANDAL
01-06-2009
Revelations about the expenses claimed by Birmingham Labour MP Roger Godsiff have produced a torrent of crocodile tears from his prospective Lib Dem rival Jerry Evans. Evans says he notes Godsiff’s discomfiture “with great sadness” – before plunging the dagger between his shoulder blades. more
TAKING THE P OUT OF SANDWELL
01-06-2009
Shoppers and residents in Wednesbury are set to pay more in the latest town to introduce parking charges as Sandwell Council rolls out a money grabbing intitiative. Lynn Hawthorne argues that there's still time to reverse the decision. more
A BIT OF A DO
01-06-2009
The Stirrer broke the news at the weekend that Matthew Boulton will become the first Brummie to appear on a banknote. Our correspondent James “You” Watt, saw the governor of the Bank of England make the shock announcement. more
Doc Dave’s Blog
JULIE, MADLY, DEEPLY
01-06-2009
Dr David Nicholl recently explained on this site why he wouldn’t be standing for parliament any time soon, but now that his MP Julie Kirkbride has announced she’s standing down, is Bromsgrove ripe for an independent challenge? Here’s Doc Dave’s letter to friends, colleagues, and fellow Stirrer readers. more
Dave Woodhall’s Boxing Blog
DUDLEY BOUT PUNCHES ITS WAIT
01-06-2009
Fans celebrating outside the ring while a boxer needed oxygen within it; a victory for a fighter who’d lost his first eight bouts, and a debut success for Brummie light-middleweight Nasser al Harbi. Dave Woodhall reports from ringside as pro boxing returns to Dudley after a gap of several years. more
PLATFORM SOUL
01-06-2009
Steve Beauchampe marked the tenth anniversary of the Midland Metro tram system by suggesting that the single route we have is all we are likely to get. Former Birmingham Cabinet member for Transport John Tyrell begs to differ. more
Andy’s Balti Blog
DAWAT (300-302 Ladypool Rd)
01-06-2009
Birmingham’s top balti enthusisast Andy Munro dips his nan bread one more time – this time at Dawat in Sparkbrook. more
Get Out More....................................Theatre Review
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
01-06-2009
The Gene Kelly classic made a fleeting visit to the Alex in Birmingham last week. Terry Wills joined an appreciative audience. more
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