March 07
31-03-2007
Birmingham's top lawyer has given his backing to a pioneering TV channel which is planning to start filming defendants on the steps of the city's magistrates courts. more
Get Out More ....... Film Review
31-03-2007
Based on the Jhumpa Lahiri novel, this is the tale of Gogol, the American born son of Indian immigrants, who rejects his parents' traditional ways. Dionne McCarthy watches the culture clash. more
31-03-2007
Iran's disgraceful treatment of the 15 captured British Navy personnel - parading them on television, issuing “confessions” - masks the fact that the Middle Eastern state is probably as desperate as Britain for a quick resolution to the crisis. more
31-03-2007
Sylvia King is best known as the inspiration behind the controversial Public Arts Centre in West Bromwich. Financial problems have delayed the project, and Sylvia left her job as Chief Executive in 2006. But what's she been up to since? more
31-03-2007
Birmingham's camcorder councillor Martin Mullaney has been out filming again - this time giving a voice to keen gardeners desperate to preserve Billesley Lane allotments in Moseley. more
Get Out More……………………………Gig Preview
31-03-2007
The one-time Suede front man and Britpop pioneer returns to Wolvo in May. Paul Samuels - surely the only critic capable of putting put AC/DC's Angus Young and Jimmy Krankie in the same sentence - assesses the form. more
31-03-2007
The Eco-Pod was unveiled at the National Home Builders exhibition at the NEC last week - and stole the show. But would you really want to live in one? Dionne McCarthy investigates. more
30-03-2007
Birmingham Council leader Mike Whitby has laughed off suggestions that he needed to be restrained during a heated exchange with a local journalist during Tuesday's Best of Broad Street awards. more
30-03-2007
Bearwood writer Will Buckingham's debut novel “Cargo Fever” was launched last night - and you can see an interview and watch him reading it here. more
30-03-2007
Thousands of cable TV viewers lost their favourite Sky channels when Richard Branson's Virgin Media took over the old Telewest franchise - and now The Stirrer can reveal that their phone calls will go up too. more
30-03-2007
Birmingham's Labour party is putting the issue of a mayoral referendum to next week's city council meeting - stepping up the pressure on Tory leader Mike Whitby who is vehemently opposed to the plan. more
30-03-2007
ThoseMancsdon't half make a noise about themselves, but as Dave Woodhall reports, when it comes to their new international festival they've got plenty shout about. So are they leaving us behind? more
30-03-2007
The anti-fascist Hope Not Hate bandwagon returns to the West Midlands this weekend, featuring a performance by Billy Bragg and - it's rumoured - UB40. more
30-03-2007
The Stirrer revealed yesterday that the adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is planning to join Blind Dave Heeley on the last lap of his challenge to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. In the latest instalment of his blog, here's the rest of what Dave's been up to. more
29-03-2007
A senior Birmingham councillor has rubbished allegations that Council leader Mike Whitby had to be restrained during a confrontation with local journalist David Bell during the Best of Broad Street awards on Tuesday. more
29-03-2007
Wolverhampton's council leader has launched a withering attack on the Westminster politicians who've scuppered the city's ambition to host a major new casino. A vote in the House of Lords last night also means plans for a casino in Solihull - probably at the NEC - are in disarray. more
29-03-2007
Amid all of the frothing outrage about the arrest of the British military "hostages" in Iran, including "mum of one" Faye Turner, no one seems to be asking whether the Iranians might actually have a point. Apart from Andy Goff, that is. more
29-03-2007
Dog owners in Sandwell are seeing red over new Council plans which appear to show that pooches will be banned from every green space in the borough. more
29-03-2007
Black Country runner Blind Dave Heeley will have the ideal guide on the final leg of his attempt to complete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents next year - he'll be joined by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the first man tofinish the challenge. more
29-03-2007
Birmingham City Council is appealing against an Employment Tribunal verdict which declared that it was guilty of racial discrimination against one of its workers. more
29-03-2007
Barbara Panvel visits a Solhull school that was once threatened with closure - but which is now attracting pupils who might have gone private. more
29-03-2007
Fresh from failing a Crimewatch audition as an 80-year old bloke stabbed with a skewer in Walsall, local actor Laurence Inman reflects on the value of an ology. And wonders if Wittgenstein dreamt up some of his best philosophy in Harborne. (Oh, andthere's a pavements update too). more
28-03-2007
Birmingham MP John Hemming is helping to launch the Angela Cannings Foundation in parliament today - with the aim of getting fair treatment for families who've been on the wrong end of rough justice. more
28-03-2007
Dozens of Birmingham Council workers have failed to sign up to a deal compensating them for years oflow wages - leaving the city facing the prospect of a major class action lawsuit over its new Single Status agreement. more
28-03-2007
Now that MG Rover's are going to be mostly made by Nanjing Automobile in China - at the same time as flying a British flag - what are their new motors going to look like? more
Get Out More…….Gig Preview
28-03-2007
If you've stumped up £50 (plus fees) to see the ex-Pink Floyd Man in Brum in six weeks time, is it going to be worth it? Martin Longley caught his show at Morumbi Sadium, São Paulo, Brazil. more
28-03-2007
With a survey to find Birmingham's most iconic buildings underway, Steve Beauchampé speaks up for one that he's certain nobody else will nominate: The Wreck of Hockley more
27-03-2007
More than 6,000 former workers at MG Rover in Longbridge have had their financial futures secured after the intervention of the government backed Pension Protection Fund. more
27-03-2007
Joy at this morning's confirmation that Nanjing Autombile is planning to resume car production at Longbridge in June should be tempered by a recognition that the Chinese company has long-standing financial troubles which have never been fully resolved. more
27-03-2007
As we reported yesterday, Sir Albert Bore has written to all Labour councillors in Birmingham asking them not to comment on the recent Employment Tribunal at which the City Council was ruled to have racially discriminated against a black employee Paul Samuels, who itjudged was victimised and unfairly dismissed. By popular demand, here's Sir Albert's letter in full. more
27-03-2007
Birmingham Councillor Martin Mullaney wants your help on an issue afflicting suburbs across the West Midlands and which is certainly affecting the quality of life on his home turf in Moseley - the large gatherings of boozy teenagers who scare the locals. more
27-03-2007
Whereas Birmingham has made a feature of suspending one its major bus lanes in favour of the car,in Manchester they obviously take a different view. more
27-03-2007
The recent debate about the relative dangers of drugs and the reclassification of cannabis provokes The Stirrer's resident poet Brendan Hawthorne into a substance free reverie about what's legal ...and what's not more
Get Out More…..Music preview
27-03-2007
Eclectic's not the word for Martin Longley's recommended April music selection. Suffice to say, he ranges from Van Der Graaf Generator to Bob Dylan to Soweto Kinch to Madeline Peyroux. To be read with open ears. more
27-03-2007
Birmingham fair-trade campaigner MaggieJo St John is coming to the end of her trip to Nicaragua, where she's been teaching English to local farmers and finding out more about the coffee trade. more
26-03-2007
Birmingham's historic Longbridge car factory will resume production under its new Chinese owners in late May or early June. Nanjing Automobile Corporation are expected to make an official announcement tomorrow. more
26-03-2007
Tesco's application for the first off-license in Bournville has been rejected today by Birmingham City Council's Licensing Committee bringing welcome relief to hundreds of local residents. more
26-03-2007
Sir Albert Bore has moved to silence fellow Labour councillors over the recent Employment Tribunal verdict which ruled that the City Council had victimised and racially discriminated against a black employee who was unfairly dismissed. more
26-03-2007
The Stirrer's Westminster sources reckon Gordon Brown's decision to employ Commons leader Jack Straw to run his leadership campaign will head off efforts to undermine the Chancellor being led by a group of MPs known as "the Blair Taliban". more
26-03-2007
In these eco-conscious times, The Stirrer is delighted to let you know where you can get two free energy saving light-bulbs - 10,000 are being given away in Birmingham over the next five days. more
26-03-2007
Residents in Birmingham's famously 'dry' Quaker village of Bournville will find out today whether Tesco's application to operate the first off-licence in the area is successful. In the meantime, we've got pictures of the vandalism already taking place there. more
26-03-2007
Last week, Lynn Hawthorne took Richard Branson's side in the Virgin v Sky media war. Now she's been forced to think again. more
26-03-2007
We catch up with Black Country marathon runner Dave Heeley's big fund-raising night in Walsall, and an experiment which involved plunging his legs into an ice cold bath after a race. Mad as a hatter or wot? more
24-03-2007
This weekend marks the 200th anniversary of the Act of Parliament which abolished slavery, and we've received this thought-provoking submission on our messageboard from "Wolvo Born And Bred". We thought it raised such important issues, we'd put it on the front page too. more
24-03-2007
On the 200th anniversary of Britain's (official) abolition of slavery, Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg offers a personal view on why, all these years on, the issue still can't be dismissed as ancient history. more
TOWN HALL TASTER
24-03-2007
Birmingham's Town Hall re-opens in October after a £35 million refurb.
Was it worth the wait? Pete Millington's been getting a sneak preview.
Just click here to view his snaps.
24-03-2007
The Labour supporter threatening to take his own party to court insists there's nothing personal in what he's doing - he says he's just fighting for the interests of democracy. more
Get Out More………………………………Gig Preview
24-03-2007
The great thing about The Stirrer's musicologist Paul Samuels is that he makes you want to see bands you've never even heard. This week, Maximo Park. more
The Media Column
24-03-2007
What a shame 'iTV' was already taken. Now the company behind the iMac, iTunes, and iPod, are shipping the... AppleTV - and signs are that Apple could be pipping Microsoft to the much-coveted living room market writes Paul Bradshaw. more
24-03-2007
Young black men being killed by other young black men is a sadly recurring feature of British inner city life. Birmingham psychologist Dr Mike Drayton looks for reasons. more
23-03-2007
Jamaican police are now treating the death of the Pakistan and former Warwickshire coach Bob Woolmer as murder. more
23-03-2007
The internal conflict which ripped apart Labour in the 1980's has resurfaced in at least one part of Birmingham where members are threatening to take their own party to court. more
23-03-2007
Channel 4's much discussed documentary about global warming the other week continues to attract comment, with Laurence Inman finding that it's made him see the whole world in a different light. more
23-03-2007
The tragic death at 42 of Sally Clarke, once falsely imprisoned for killing two of her young children, shows how personal tragedy can make - as well as break - a marriage, says Diane Benussi more
23-03-2007
Barabra Panvel reflects on the knife and gun crimes which have become endemic in our inner cities and wonders why those who are running our country are missing the obvious causes. more
22-03-2007
Brummie rock legend Ozzy Osbourne is coming home - if only for one night. The Aston-born king of doom metal - and reality TV superstar - takes to the NIA stage in July. more
22-03-2007
Following The Stirrer's revelations that an employment tribunal had ruled that Birmingham City Council was guilty of racism and had victimised one of its black employees, contributors to our messageboard raised several important questions. So we put them to the local authority. more
22-03-2007
The roar of motorbike engines pierced the cold night sky of Perry Barr last night, as speedway returned to Birmingham for the first time in more than 20 years. And The Stirrer was there. more
22-03-2007
The Stirrer reported the views of one West Midlands financial expert yesterday who suggested that Gordon Brown's budget held out the promise of “jam tomorrow”. But what of its green credentials? Chris Crean of West Midlands Friends of the Earth offers a personal view. more
22-03-2007
Sports Minister Richard Caborn has told the West Midlands to “get on your marks” for the Olympics so that the region can cash in on a £25 billion dividend. more
Get Out More…………………….Gig List
22-03-2007
Want to see James? Sorry they've sold out. Wu Tang Clan? They're playing Manchester now. The good news is that you can still get tickets for Travis and the resurgent Napalm Death. more
22-03-2007
He's been paraded on the pitch at the Albion and got soakedin Sutton Park.Throw in the usual DIY disasters and, ladies and gentlemen, we give you Blind Dave's Blog. more
21-03-2007
Gordon Brown sliced two pence off the basic rates of income tax and the higher rate of Corporation tax - but as the Chancellor described today's budget as "revenue neutral", the question is, where are the increases? more
21-03-2007
The death of Pakistan and former Warwickshire coach Bob Woolmer has been described as “suspicious” by a senior Jamaican police officer. more
21-03-2007
The Stirrer understands that more than 800 members of the Birmingham Citizens group voted last night to support a referendum for a city mayor. more
21-03-2007
While British troops are fighting to impose democracy in Iraq, the shoddy deal struck this week between the Labour and Tory leaderships to stifle debate about gay adoptionis a prime example of why we're in no position to preach to anyone about free speech. more
Get Out More
21-03-2007
Local film producer Roger Shannon has put together an excellent programme of talks under the generic heading of Lower Eastside Dialogues - the last in the current series takes place on Thursday night. more
21-03-2007
Andy Goff has got Birmingham University's clocktower in his sights. Or at least he used to before building work wrecked one of the city's great views. more
21-03-2007
Following yesterday's revelations about the dire state of the toilets at Liverpool's Lime Street Station (read it here) The Stirrer's resident poet and self-confessed Scouse lover Brendan Hawthorne has been engaged in asking some vital questions. And he's not extracting the urine. Honest. more
20-03-2007
A Sandwell councillor who pimped a woman on the internet will lose his seat after receiving a suspended jail sentence today. more
20-03-2007
We're always beating ourselves up over the state of New Street Station - but what about Lime Street, the rail hub of Liverpool which beat Brum to the title of European Capital of Culture? Mark Wilson says it's hardly flushed with success. more
20-03-2007
The cock-ups continue with the government's new recruitment scheme for junior doctors - The Stirrer can reveal that the scoring system for candidates has been changed midway through the selection process. more
20-03-2007
Birmingham's landmark Custard Factory development is set for a multi-million pound revamp aimed at creating more than 300 jobs. more
20-03-2007
And still the plaudits keep coming for Birmingham author Cath O'Flynn's debut novel, published by the local Tindal Street Press. After glowing reviews in the national press, it's now been longlisted for this year's Orange Fiction Prize. more
20-03-2007
Lynn Hawthorne is missing her favourite telly programme in the fallout of the Branson v Murdoch telly wars. Only Jack Bauer can save her now. more
Get Out More……………………….Gig Guide
20-03-2007
The weird transatlantic ebb and flow of rock music once saw Nirvana name-checking ropey punk band Chelsea as a key influence; more recently we've had The Killers re-working that 80's post-industrial long mac sound, and now it's the turn of The Shins to cop a few licks from Blighty. Paul Samuels returns the compliment. more
19-03-2007
The repercussions are still being felt of The Stirrer's revelation that Birmingham Council isa racist employerwhich victimised one of it's black workers. A councillor involved in the case has hit out at the judgement, but a number of serious questions remain unanswered. more
19-03-2007
No subject has attracted greater interest on The Stirrer messageboard than the discussion about whether Birmingham should have an elected mayor. More than 35,000 signatures are needed to force a referendum on the subject, and if you want to sign up we can help. more
19-03-2007
The former Warwickshire all-rounder Paul Smith has paid tribute to Bob Woolmer - the coach who led Warwickshire to an historic treble in 1994. more
19-03-2007
Residents of Birmingham's famously "dry" suburb of Bournville gathered on Saturday to unite in protest against a plan to sell alcohol at a new Tesco Express store in the area. more
19-03-2007
This weekend, junior doctors from the West Midlands joined thousandsfrom around the country at a rally in London, protesting against the government's controversial new method of recruiting consultants. Ruth Jeavons who works at City Hospital in Birmingham was amongst them. more
Poets Corner
19-03-2007
The Stirrer's resident poet Brendan Hawthorne casts a sideways glance at the current obsession with all things green. more
18-03-2007
Bob Woolmer, the coach who guided Warwickshire to their historic treble winning performance in 1994, has died after being found unconscious in his hotel room in the West Indies. more
17-03-2007
One of the Birmingham men wrongly imprisoned for the murder of newspaper boy Carl Bridgewater, has vowed to continue his battle for justice after the Law Lords ruled this week that he had to pay board and lodgings for the time he spent in prison. Vincent Hickey who spent 19 years in jail was talking in an exclusive interview with Stirrer TV. more
17-03-2007
The BNP voting “scandal” revealed on The Stirrer is now being passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions. more
17-03-2007
The alleged mastermind of the 9/11 horror, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed apparently had a wish list of targets if what we hear from Guantanamo Bay is anything worth believing. Andy Goff says he's not the only one. more
17-03-2007
Fired up by a packed public meeting recently, the Friends of Birmingham Library who want to save the threatened building in Paradise Forum have set a new meeting date. They've alsocreatedan online exhibition showing some of the history of the place. more
17-03-2007
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is just one the famous footballing figures to have signed up to a campaign aimed at persuading Premiership soccer stars to hand over a day's pay for hard-up nurses. Dionne McCarthy tests the temperature of the great British public. more
17-03-2007
The Baggies, Blues and Wolves are all suffering from disappointing attendances despiteenjoying good seasons in the Championship, and gates are down in the Premiership too. For fansturned off by big time football. Dave Woodhall says there is an alternative. more
17-03-2007
Je ne regrette rien - apart from not having learned a foreign language to a competent level, which is why languages should be a 'must' for seven-year-olds, says Ros Dodd more
17-03-2007
Shocking revelations that viewers of one of the nation's best loved kids' telly shows were conned in a competition have supposedly scandalised the nation. But as Pete Millington recalls, Blue Peter is anything but whiter than than white. more
16-03-2007
Lovers of Birmingham's famous Cadbury's chocolate should be afraid - very afraid. The US investor behind this week's break-up of the famous Bournville company is the same man who forcedHeinz into axing HP sauce in Aston where production stopped today. more
EXCLUSIVE
16-03-2007
The Stirrer can reveal that an employment tribunal has found Birmingham City Council guilty of race discrimination and victimisation of one of its workers. A damning judgement condemns the city's legal officer, one of his senior officials and a Liberal Democrat councillor. more
16-03-2007
The Stirrer's exclusive story about Birmingham Council's racist behaviour towards one of its employees Paul Samuels - who a tribunal ruled was unfairly dismissed and victimised - has brought this response from the local authority. more
Get Out More....................................Gig News
16-03-2007
Take your pick between an awesome panto rock triple bill of Alice Cooper, Motorhead and Joan Jett, or a rare Birmingham visit for the jazzy AOR of Steely Dan. more
The Media Column
16-03-2007
So you're an old media dinosaur who recognises the threat posed by the internet. So what do you do? Threaten to sue the backside off your rivals? Or get into bed with them? As Paul Bradshaw reports, the BBC is opting for the latter option. more
16-03-2007
Far be it for us to play on traditional - nay old - fashioned views of men and women - but we've been given a glimpse of a new dictionary whose definitions recognise that blokes and birds sometimes see the world in slightly different ways. more
15-03-2007
The Football League's management board will vote today on proposals to decide drawn matches with a penalty shoot-out. It's not the worst idea we've heard, but it won't solve the League's real problem. more
15-03-2007
Birmingham Council has been trying to snuff out opposition to the controversial Single Status pay deal by removing trade union posters and newspaper cuttings from staff noticeboards. more
TRIDENT 1
15-03-2007
A handful of West Midlands joined the Labour rebellion against Tony Blair last night - but it wasn't enough to prevent the Prime Minister pushing through his plans to upgrade Britain's nuclear weapons programme. more
TRIDENT 2
15-03-2007
After last night's vote in favour of renewing Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent, Andy Goff looks to history for guidance as to how effective it might be. more
15-03-2007
Dr David Nicholls reflects on a curious 12 months in which he thought he might be shying away from the limelight. Then the government pressed ahead with it's much-derided plans for recruiting the next generation of medical specialists ... more
15-03-2007
When Laurence Inman was a schoolboy, "it was the love that dared not speak it's name." Not unless you wanted a blazers down "scrap, scrap, scrap" with the cock of the playground. Now, at last, he can confess everything. more
15-03-2007
Never mind latte or cappuccino - the real debate gripping real coffee buyers (and other foodies) is whether you should have fair trade or organic. MaggieJo St John has travelled from Birmingham to Nicaragua to find out more about this and the coffee-making process. more
14-03-2007
Is justice blind - or merely cock-eyed? Either way, something very curious is going on when two West Midlands men can be sent to jail for a crime they didn't commit - then ordered to pay for their board and lodgings. more
14-03-2007
Dozens of Birmingham Council's lowest earners are preparing to do battle with their bosses over a new "fair pay" deal which will only give them two-thirds of the cash they are owed. more
14-03-2007
It looks like we'll never know who killed Baha Musa, an Iraqi man who died in British custody in Basra in 2003. The last two of seven soldiers was cleared at court martial yesterday, although one is yet to be sentenced after admitting inhumane treatment. Andy Goff muses on the verdicts. more
14-03-2007
The neutron bomb was a designed to kill humans but leave buildings standing. Lynn Hawthorne wonders whether the banks have got hold of this secret weapon. more
14-03-2007
In years to come, the government's Climate Change Bill published yesterday could look like a 21st century folly. The science behind it may prove to be laughably wrong or, alternatively, the action we're taking now might prove to be woefully inadequate for the challenges we face. more
Get Out More…………………………….Film Review
14-03-2007
Now that's what you call a cast ....Bobby De Niro (who also directed), Angelina Jolie, and Matt Damon. But would a film about the birth of the CIA prove compulsive for British viewers? Mike Drayton is our man with the pick n'mix more
13-03-2007
A petition has been launched by the Birmingham Mail today to try and force a referendum on whether the city should have an elected mayor. The paper's editor has e-mailed councillors asking for their support. more
Exclusive
13-03-2007
Great news for campaigners fighting to save the historic Black Patch Park in Smethwick. Sandwell Council has now given the clearest indication yet that it's willing to preserve this vital piece of urban greenery. more
13-03-2007
Nine leading consultants from the West Midlands have written to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt calling for the immediate suspension of a controversial new recruitment scheme for specialists. They are also warning that junior doctors have been seriously misled about the number of jobs available. more
13-03-2007
As discussed on The Stirrer on Sunday, Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital is being subject to the British media's full arsenal of hypocrisy and moral righteousness following allegations that troops returning from Iraq have been mistreated. more
13-03-2007
Cricket's World Cup begins today, and as ever when an English team are in competition, there's unrealistic hype about our chances. Forget it, says Steve Beauchampe ... more
13-03-2007
Could the MP for Baghdad Central speak up in parliament wonders Andy Goff? Well if we're serious about extending democracy, why not? more
13-03-2007
Black Country marathon runner Dave Heeley raised almost £3,000 in his latest fund-raiser on Saturday at Bescot Stadium. Here's the rest of his latest adventures. more
12-03-2007 16:52
A Birmingham councillor is due to be interviewed by the police tonight after he was left with a broken nose following an incident in Sparkbrook yesterday. more
12-03-2007
An everyday tale of climate change.
On the day that David Cameron announced that the Tories would introduce a “green tax” on flights if they were elected, Birmingham Airport has released details of a new tree-planting initiative to offset carbon emissions. It's also got 13 new services lined up this year which are, of course, bound to generate additional Co2. more
12-03-2007
Political rivals say the BNP will have “no excuse” if one of their councillors voted illegally at last Tuesday's Sandwell Council budget meeting. more
12-03-2007
Birmingham Council's cabinet members are expected to approve the outline of a new masterplan for the city today - although if you read between the lines of Professor Michael Parkinson's initial study he's actually giving them a good kicking. more
12-03-2007
They've got the best beards in rock since ZZ Top - and more importantly, a coupla fistfuls of fine tunes. Let Paul Samuels persuade you to part with your hard-earned for a
date with Kings Of Leon. more
12-03-2007
There've been some cracking FA Cup ties on telly over the weekend, with the bonus for the teams taking part that if they make it to the Final, it will be played at the newly rebuilt Wembley stadium. Er, probably. The Stirrer's resident poet Brendan Hawthorne examines a project that's gone deep into extra time. more
11-03-2007
Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital is at the centre of allegations today about the mistreatment of British troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. more
10-03-2007
The leader of the British National Party on Sandwell Council has admitted that he could be the focus of an inquiry into an alleged illegal voting scandal. more
10-03-2007
Traders are warning that the loss of free parking would signal the death of Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter. more
10-03-2007
Don't forget …The Stirrer's favourite athlete, Blind Dave Heeley, has a charity “do” on Saturday 10 March at Bescot stadium, starting at 7.30. more
10-03-2007
There's an eco-friendly tinge to The Stirrer's politics and we make no bones about it. So when we heard a “green bank” had opened in the area, we sent Barbara Panvel to investigate. more
10-03-2007
Birmingham hosts its annual St Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday - reputedly the third largest event of its kind in the world. Pete Millington reflectson a weekend when the craic can be enjoyed by all. more
10-03-2007
The debut novel by Birmingham author Catherine O' Flynn has been selected as the Book Of The Month by Radio Five Live's Simon Mayo programme. more
Get Out More.........................Theatre review
10-03-2007
It's the final production in the main house of Royal Shakespeare Theatre before it goes dark pending a three- year transformation. So does Coriolanus give a great send-off to a stage populated by the ghosts of theatrical greats? Paula Elenor gives a view from the stalls. more
EXCLUSIVE
09-03-2007
A Sandwell councillor is under investigation after claims that he took part in Tuesday's annual budget meeting despite being in arrears with his council tax. It's illegal to vote on a budget if you are more than two months behind with payments. The Stirrer understands that the probe centres on the BNP. more
A leading Birmingham doctor has demanded the suspension of all interviews under the government's controversial new recruitment scheme for consultants, amid claims that hundreds of application forms have simply “disappeared into the ether.” more
09-03-2007
Paul Oppenheimer, one of the best loved figures in West Midlands' life, has died. Born in Holland, he was a survivor of the Belsen concentration camp, before settling after the war in Birmingham more
09-03-2007
Earlier this week, we raised speculation that the refuse service in Sandwell might be privatised. We didn't get a comprehensive denial,and if this picture is anything to go by maybe it would be a good thing. more
09-03-2007
This time last week, tickets went on sale for Take That at the NEC, and as soon as they were all gone, the re-selling began - at predictably inflated prices. Dionne McCarthy gets tout and about more
09-03-2007
Where now for the Midlands Metro extension? Recent reports suggest that investment in buses might be more cost-effective? Kevin Chapman from Transport 2000 wonders if someone's taking us for a ride. more
09-03-2007
Roads pricing would be unpopular in the West Midlands even if all the cash generated was used for public transport - that's the verdict of a survey for the BBC's Politics Show. more
Get Out More………………….Music
09-03-2007
It's the West Midlands top venue for retro and revival rock - and to prove it, over the coming weeks they've got American guitar legend Johnny Winter, R n'B pioneer Glenn Tilbrook, and Brummie veteran Steve Gibbons. Check out the latest listings from the Robin in Bilston. more
08-03-2007
A petition organised by the BNP has been circulated at a branch of Somerfield in Birmingham. Bosses at the store still haven't explained how it got there or who was responsible. more
08-03-2007
The latest video by Birmingham's camcorder councillor Martin Mullaney blows the lid on an open-air sex scandal in a suburban park. more
08-03-2007
The Black Country grandmother leading a national campaign for the re-introduction of compulsory TB jabs for all school-children has hit out at official complacency after new figures showed that during one week last month the West Midlands had more cases than London. more
08-03-2007
The Stirrer presents…the short movie that's been taking youTube by storm. more
08-03-2007
Poland's capital Warsaw is the latest low-cost route to be added from Birmingham International. more
08-03-2007
Not content with creating a new word - willy-nillily -Laurence Inman rages against Muckfurters and praises the Australians. Can I have some of what he's on? more
08-03-2007
There are still plenty of people around who think so…and Paul Gebhard is one of them. Using ripe, uncensored language, he recommends we all watch The Truth About Global Warming on Channel 4 tonight. more
Get Out More………………..Gig News
08-03-2007
Get your shades on…Donny Osmond is back, and the 70's heart-throb might just flash you a smile when he returns to the NEC in October. more
07-03-2007
The government has promised a review of its controversial new scheme for selecting consultant doctors following a groundswell of criticism - much of it aired here on the Stirrer. more
07-03-2007
The tale of the Birmingham man sacked for being “too old” - first aired on this website and in The Stirrer's Birmingham Mail column - reached national radio today when it was aired on “You and Yours” more
07-03-2007
The boycott of the government's controversial "fast-track" procedure for medical consultants is gathering pace. We understand that a panel of West Midlands doctors has refused to “sign off” interviews with junior doctors earlier this week, because they were fearful of being sued. more
07-03-2007
Sandwell's Labour-dominated local authority has been accused of “acting like a good Tory council” amid claims that the borough's refuse service is to be privatised. more
07-03-2007
Telewest is no more; now in the West Midlands, cable TV is supplied by Richard Branson's Virgin Media. But Dionne McCarthy reckons Old Beardie is still fumbling around like a first-timer. more
07-03-2007
In the middle of Fair Trade fortnight, Birmingham medic Dr David Nicholl offers an inspirational tale which proves that individuals can make a difference - not only to those around them, but to others in far-flung parts of the world. more
07-03-2007
Jez Moorcroft muses on the resurgence of the West Midlands music scene and implores readers to take a minute to part with just a little cash to lend a helping hand to a local band on the verge of success. more
Exclusive
06-03-2007
A junior doctor who travelled thousands of miles to Birmingham for a job interview was left disappointed yesterday after a boycott by senior medics, protesting against the government's new “fast track” plan for appointing consultants. more
06-03-2007
The Stirrer can reveal that the cost of a plan to ensure wage equality for Birmingham Council workers will be more than £100 million …. even though it will leave 1 in 7 employees worse off. more
Get Out More............................Gig Review
06-03-2007
Mark E Smith, the Grinch at pop's party, was in surprisingly upbeat mood last night, almost cracking a smile on one occasion. Well, it was the old curmudgeon's 50th birthday. more
06-03-2007
Last week, Angela and Ian Gay from Halesowen were finally cleared of murdering Christian Blewitt, the little boy they had hoped to adopt. Dr Mike Drayton, a Birmingham psychologist examines how so many experts could have got it wrong. more
06-03-2007
The latest Department of Education research suggests that the education system is failing black boys, who are three times more likely to be excluded than their white counterparts. There is, they conclude, evidence of institutional racism. Derrick Campbell wonders why a new report is still telling us the same old story. more
06-03-2007
Birmingham fair trade campaigner MaggieJo St John with the latest on her trip to Nicaragua. This week she's doing her bit for the local tourist board, and checking out the cut-price recording studios. more
05-03-2007
The Police are playing the first UK date for almost a quarter of a century at Birmingham's NIA later this year. more
05-03-2007
Birmingham Council leader Mike Whitby has revealed that it was the city's relaxed attitude its multi-ethnic mix that persuaded the USA's track and field team to set up training camp here for the 2012 Olympics. more
05-03-2007
Birmingham's camcorder councillor Martin Mullaney has been getting his ugly mug in front of the camera again - this time exposing the decrepit condition of a beautiful, but sadly neglected,Grade Two listed building. more
POETS CORNER 1
05-03-2007
Fancy your petrol without lead? Without silicon would be nice, too, muses The Stirrer's poet-in -residence Brendan Hawthorne. more
05-03-2007
Being handed a religious leaflet in the street leads Edward Cameron to a surprising conversion. more
05-03-2007
Marathon runner Blind Dave Heeley was presented to his home crowd in West Bromwich on Saturday when he was introduced to the crowd at half-time in the Baggies v Sunderland match. Here's what else he's been up to as he builds up to next year's record-breaking 7/7/7 challenge. more
POETS CORNER 2
05-03-2007
This weekend saw major demonstrationsagainst low pay and job cuts in the NHS; in fact in Birmingham there were two demos one at City Hospital, the other in Victoria Square. Brendan Hawthorne takes the pulse... more
04-03-2007
Birmingham has pulled off a stunning coup by persuading the US track and field team to base its training camp in the city ahead of the 2012 Olympics. The Americans are the most successful nation in history of the games, and their arrival is a feather in the cap of city leader Mike Whitby. more
EXCLUSIVE
03-03-2007
Almost 5,000 Birmingham Council workers will have their pay slashed in September under proposals leakedto TheStirrer.241 employees are facing a devastating reductionof more than £9,000 a year, with some losing out by as much as £15,000. more
03-03-2007
Disturbing news reaches The Stirrer about a computer cock-up at City Hospital in Birmingham; e-mails carrying references for junior doctors applying for jobs got blocked in the corporate spam filter. Whoops! more
03-03-2007
Kids's health checks - what kids' health checks? Ros Dodd ponders whether we've truly learned anything from the Victoria Climbie tragedy... more
Get Out More....Gig Preview
03-03-2007
Drugs. Not big. Not clever. But definitely part of the furniture in the penthouse suite of rock. From which you've already thrown the television out of the window. Paul Samuels assesses a band whose idea of a “hit” is probably not the same as yours or mine. more
03-03-2007
West Bromwich Albion have become the first of our local clubs to reduce prices following disappointing attendances. The cheapest season tickets for the Birmingham Road end next season will be £349 - a cut of 13%. That follows a 6% reduction this season. more
Get Out More....Film Review
03-03-2007
Neil Burger's tale of love, politics and intrigue opens in yer multiplexes this weekend. Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Millhauser, it stars Fight Club bloke Ed Norton. But did it cast a spell on Dionne McCarthy? more
03-03-2007
Birmingham Council leader Mike Whitby has been telling The Stirrer that he's given Prime Minister Tony Blair a 20 minute personal lowdown on the New Street station Gateway project, which remains stymied by official inaction. more
Get Out More.........................Music Preview
03-03-2007
Wanna find out what one of Britain's top orchestras is getting up to on your very doorstep? Go right ahead. Be our guest. Here's a full programme of theirperformances overthe coming weeks. more
03-03-2007
The leader of Birmingham Labour group Sir Albert Bore is fuming after his response to the latestcity budget was rejected by thecouncilnewspaper Forward for being “too political”. more
02-03-2007
Sir Patrick Cormack, the Conservative MP who recently faced a de-selection fight in his South Staffordshire constituency because some party members thought he was “too old” has backed The Stirrer's anti-ageism campaign. more
Get Out More…………………..Gig List
02-03-2007
Martin Longley presents his monthly accounting of all the
grey jazz, noir rock, earthen global music, bluest blues,
silver electro, sepia singer-songwriter and yellow-spurting
improvisation worth ambling along to... more
02-03-2007
The reverberations are still being felt around the football word following last Sunday's Carling Cup prize-fighting final in Cardiff. SteveBeauchampé sticks the boot in. more
The Media Column
02-03-2007
Wanna watch the biggest international movie event of the year on the internet? Forget it. As Paul Bradshaw reports, the people who bring you the Oscars get no honours for their attitude to the web. more
01-03-2007
Birmingham's home of cricket -Edgbaston - is in line for a mult-million pound revamp to ensure that it stays at the forefront of international cricket. more
01-03-2007
Sir Albert Bore has vowed to continue leading Birmingham's Labour party despite gossip suggesting that he might be about to throw in the towel. One opposition source described him as looking like a “wounded elephant” during the city's annual budget meeting on Tuesday. more
01-03-2007
Birmingham MP John Hemming has vowed to “publish and be damned” despite warnings that he could go to jail for contempt of court. more
01-03-2007
Although the government won it's battle last night to partially privatise the probation service, 49 Labour MP's rebelled against Tony Blair, whose authority is ebbing away by the day. But beware the obvious when it comes to replacing him warns Laurence Inman. more
01-03-2007
Ministry of Defence staff in the Midlands and around the country took to the picket lines yesterday in protest at pay offer which has been imposed by the government. Edward Cameron wonder whether workers in key jobs should be able to enjoythe luxury of a strike. more
01-03-2007
After “duvet days” how about “divorce days”? Top Birmingham lawyer Dianne Benussi reckons it's time companies began recognising one of the realities of modern life and started planning for their workers marital breadowns. more
Get Out More…………………………Theatre Review
01-03-2007
Since his breakthrough play The Weir in 1997 Conor McPherson has been a constant of the Anglo-Irish stage, with his most recent effort coming to WAC this week. Paula Elenor went to see if The Seafarer would sink or swim in its only Midlands port of call. more |
BRANSON RINGS THE CHANGES
Thousands of cable TV viewers lost their favourite Sky channels when Richard Branson's Virgin Media took over the old Telewest franchise - and now The Stirrer can reveal that their phone calls will go up too.
Virgin have decided to start “rounding up” call times, so that subscribers will be charged by the minute instead of by the second.
To find out more, click here to read The Stirrer's weekly column in the Birmingham Mail.
Download the Birmingham Mail Mayoral referendum form click
Friends of Birmingham Library “Back To The Modern Exhibition” online exhibition click here
APOLOGY TO IAN WARD
Whoops. The Stirrer's made a mistake.
In an earlier version of our story headlined “Birmingham Council ‘Racist' Says Tribunal” we incorrectly referred to Ian Ward, deputy leader of the Labour group on Birmingham Council.
The councillor involved was Mike Ward, Lib-Dem councillor for Sheldon.
Our sincere apologies to Ian.
GEBBY'S CHELTENHAM TIPS
Well he's had one winner this week...so prepare to risk the mortgage on Paul Gebhard's Cheltenham forecasts
2.00 PUNJABI (nap! - 9/1 available this morning)
3.15 THE LISTENER (available at 12/1 this morning)
GEBBY'S CHELTENHAM TIPS
The Stirrer's top tipster Paul Gebhard marks your card with predictions for the first day of the Cheltenham Festival today. Don't blame us if you lose your shirt.
2.00 RINDOON (each way)
2.35 DON'T PUSH IT
3.15 DETROIT CITY (the nap, have as much as you can afford on!)
4.00 LITTLE BRICK
ST PAT'S PICS
Thousands of people lined the streets of Birmingham on Sunday for the St Patrick's Day parade. If you were one of them, see if you can spot yourself among Pete Millington's snaps. Just click here
Travellers using Birmingham Airport's new direct flights to northern Cyprus which start in May could have a shock if they travel to the south of the island - they might be liable to a fine or even imprisonment. more
Personal Best - The Stirrer's inspirational movie
To see the movie click here: Personal Best - The story of Blind Dave 
We would like to thank the following for their financial assistance:
West Bromwich Building Society,
The Black Country Consortium,
Wood Green High School College Of Sport-Wednesbury
The Stirrer tests out a lunchtime “dine with wine” offer at Raymond Blanc's gaffe, just across the road from the Ikon Gallery. more
Just what the West Midlands needs - another giant supermarket. Residents in Shirley are fighting back against plans for a new Asda which will see precious parkland gobbled up, and couldthreatenthe local traders who havealready survived the onslaught of more than half a dozen large stores. Here's their story. more
A TASTE OF SPAGHETTI - 4th EDITION NOW AVAILABLE
Pete Millington is a one-man writing factory. Not content withregularoutput 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.
Check it out here
It's seriously good.
One of Britain's leading "no win, no fee lawyers" has promised a showdown with the unions to help former Birmingham council workers claim their share of a back-pay bonanza. more
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