Opened by former Poet Laureate, Jasmine Gardosi and actor Annie Wallace, the new Birmingham LGBT centre represents a huge boost to LGBTQ+ support in the city and includes enough space for services to grow further. Steve Ball was involved in the previous incarnation of Birmingham LGBT which was called Birmingham Pride Community Trust.

Twenty years ago it was the organisation behind Gay Pride and the name suggested it was merely about a weekend of celebration when it was much more than that. Steve says: “Not all LGBTQ+ people go to Pride. It’s a more general organisation with support for all.” And so, Birmingham LGBT was born.

Birmingham LGBT is a registered charity and opened the country’s first LGBTQ+ Health & Wellbeing Centre in 2013. It’s grown from a team of two to 26 and the services delivered are wide ranging including sexual health testing, counselling, domestic abuse support, youth work, outreach and peer groups, as well as Shout, the organisation’s arts and culture programme. In the last 12 months the organisation has delivered more than 3,500 brief interventions, 1,770 specific interventions, roughly 750 HIV point of care tests, 1,100 self sampled STI tests, 380 substance support sessions and supported over 160 domestic abuse survivors.

COMMUNITY HUB

The centre has been delivered through Outpost Management’s joint venture with BlackRock Real Estate, in partnership with the Galliard Apsley Partnership, and forms part of Outpost’s Lower Essex Street development and will enable increased support services and community space for more people. Steve says, “It’s in the heart of the gay village. It’s accessible and provides a great base for services. There’s a large community hub where people can connect.”

The breadth of community groups is incredible including the gay film society and the Golden Babs over 55s among many others. Funding tends to be in the form of project grants. The sexual health element is funded by the NHS while domestic abuse services are funded by Birmingham City Council, and the rest takes on a project-based piecemeal approach.

While the grass roots community is thriving, the venues are being squeezed like the rest of the hospitality sector. Steve says: “Forty per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds don’t drink which has an impact on the night-time economy, so the queer scene in the gay village has its challenges.” Trying to encourage the community to use venues and working with Southside BID to support them is key.

BIG UP BRUM

Steve is also chair of Southside District Board and as such, is a big champion of the city and the wider region. He’s been in Birmingham for 40 years and as an honorary Brummie he’s keen to espouse the positives of the city and dispel some of the negative myths. First up, is that the city is broke. “There’s a massive perception that it’s bankrupt. The city is thriving. Birmingham City Council has a significant deficit – it’s not the same thing as the city being bankrupt.”

Of the magical fortnight of the Commonwealth Games, Steve says: “Council leader Ian Ward said that the Games was the start of a golden decade for Birmingham. We need to start marketing and advocating for ourselves. Get the chip off the shoulder. We’re a young, diverse city and there’s so much positive energy.”

He adds: “Our cultural offer is fantastic. We’ve three large theatres as well as some smaller ones. We’ve got the best concert hall in Europe and the best collection of pre-Raphaelites in the world at BMAG. Digbeth continues to be on the up – Steven Knight studios are a good example – plus our sports offer is also fantastic.” We couldn’t agree more.

A choir that started in lockdown which enables children and young people with severe and profound learning disabilities to enjoy music and singing is making a name for itself in Birmingham. Now in its fifth year, Birmingham Inclusive Choir brings together young people from across the city to play music-making instruments that include tambourines, maracas, xylophone and egg shakers for percussion.

The choir, which is run by Birmingham charity Services For Education with national charity Soundabout – recently staged a special Showcase concert at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC). It was the first time the choir has held its own Showcase event having performed at Services For Education’s Outdoor Festival at MAC in May 2025, which featured its Music Services’ ensembles.

The choir is funded through grants and fund-raising and costs £15,000 a year to run. Sharon Bell, chief executive of Services For Education, said: “Birmingham Inclusive Choir is hugely important, fostering a sense of belonging, community and joy – regardless of musical background, physical, or cognitive abilities. An environment is created where choir members develop strong bonds and lasting friendships, where every voice is valued, and participants, regardless of their background or abilities, have equal status. We’re delighted our skilled and enthusiastic staff enable this choir to make such a contribution to the lives of young people.”

ENJOYMENT AND EXPRESSION

The choir holds face-to-face sessions during term time at MAC with additional online sessions happening as part of West Midlands Inclusive Choir. Participation is free, with no auditions or requirement to read music — the focus is on enjoyment and expression rather than performance skill. Experienced choir leaders and practitioners from Services For Education and Soundabout tailor activities to suit the needs of those attending. There are different ways to take part, from singing, vocalising sounds, playing percussion instruments, moving to music, or simply listening. Songs range from children’s favourites to pop classics, often chosen with input from members themselves. Some songs having physical actions and ‘call and response’ moments for everyone to join in with.

In addition to live gatherings, the choir can connect with the wider West Midlands Inclusive Choir network through online or hybrid sessions, helping participants engage even if they can’t be there in person. The choir also participates in performances and collaborative projects, sometimes working with other inclusive choirs across the UK.

STRONGER THAN EVER

Richard Mabbott, head of the Music Service at Services For Education, said: “The choir is just a brilliant way of bringing music to the lives of children and young people with complex support needs. They and their family, friends and carers really enjoy and get pleasure from singing and playing sound makers, listening, vocalising and moving to the music.

“It’s just amazing that nearly five years on from being established in lockdown, when the only way they could get together was online, Birmingham Inclusive Choir is stronger and more powerful than ever bringing joy to the choir members’ lives. Whether it’s Abba’s Dancing Queen – always a hot-favourite – or simply making music, the choir just loves performing.”

CONFIDENCE BOOST

Families regularly highlight the boost in confidence, connection, and enjoyment that choir members get from being part of the group. Naomi Stevenson is mum to eight-year-old Thomas, who joined the choir in 2023. She said: “At first Thomas was a little nervous (about attending), but now he absolutely loves it. I remember the first time – on his third visit – he actually interacted with people. It’s all about learning social skills and communication skills that he has struggled with but when it happened, it was just like being lifted. Thomas was going with one of the leaders, helping her with the microphone and taking drums round and giving instruments to the other children. I’d never seen him do that before. It was absolutely amazing.”

The choir is led by Helen Phipps, who has worked in the vocal department for Services for Education for the past 18 years; Emily Tully of Soundabout who is a Birmingham-based music specialist; and Martin Fisher, who has worked part-time for Soundabout since 2019, including three years at a school in Coventry for children of all school ages with a broad range of special educational needs. Helen said: “I find it a joy coming together with the participants every month – just seeing the smiles the songs bring to their faces.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I originally wanted to join the police force from college, but having passed the exams I decided it wasn’t for me. I had always loved the arts and although I had no training in PR, I secured a job at Arts Council England’s press office in Birmingham. I then became press assistant at Birmingham Hippodrome and worked my way up to press officer and media and communications manager. I got to work on some of the biggest stage and outdoor productions, from Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins and Les Mis to pantomime and dance productions and outdoor events. I met many talented actors, musicians and performers, including Darcey Bussell, Kenneth Branagh, Brian May, Joan Collins and many more! I was special projects officer at the-then NIA and NEC Arenas, working on large scale concerts from the likes of ACDC and U2 to Robbie Williams and Britney Spears.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I set up my own consultancy, M7 Public Relations in 2016 focusing on arts and culture. I helped to create content for TV, radio, online and print to raise clients’ media profiles, which in turn helped to promote their product. I also served nearly five years on the board of trustees at Open Theatre Company.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Having Birmingham Royal Ballet as a client from 2022 up to my recent retirement. During this time, I had the opportunity to run the regional PR for Carlos Acosta’s Black Sabbath ¬– The Ballet. The world premiere was attended by Sharon Osbourne (in a fabulous trouser suit!) and members of Black Sabbath. Definitely one for the memory box!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Don’t ever doubt yourself, or be afraid to challenge people, or move out of your comfort zone – life is too short.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

That’s easy! Despite funding challenges, the rich culture scene in Birmingham and across the West Midlands continues to provide audiences with such a variety of things to go and see and experience. From Birmingham Rep, to Symphony Hall and the Hippodrome to famous companies such as the CBSO and Birmingham Royal Ballet who take the name of the city across the UK and internationally. And there’s all the small to middle scale companies, interesting venues in pubs and smaller theatres – not forgetting the vast number of outdoor festivals and live music events!

DOWNTIME

I recently moved to a market town in the Staffordshire Moorlands with my husband. It’s a very creative place with a fantastic arts centre which I visit a lot. I’m looking forward to getting back to travelling. I have relatives in Australia that I want to see and I want to explore South America. There’s so much to discover in the UK too, so we plan to get a camper van at some point. Retirement has given me the space and time to reflect on the next chapter and, in all honesty, it’s great to just ‘be’ for a while.

Cage fighter, stuntman, actor – and now filmmaker. Phillip Ray Tommy has pretty much been there, done that, and got the tee. The proud Brummie has even appeared in a movie with Tom Cruise, admittedly as an extra, but that was in the very early days of a career that has seen him travel the world since. Big Phill, as he is known in the business, cites the chance of being up close to the Mission Impossible legend as a “moment of inspiration, really triggering my passion for acting”.

We spoke with Phill just a few hours before he was due to jet off to the prestigious Berlin Film Festival to promote his new full-length feature, Lotus, which has Birmingham front and centre of the action. Phill both stars in, directs and co-produces the movie with Alan McQueen, which he says unashamedly has our great city as the backdrop to a story which centres around the lead character of John, an ex-special forces agent, whose attempts to protect an old friend puts him in the crosshairs of a dangerous drug plot in the heart of Birmingham.

CRIME AND CORRUPTION

Pitted against rival gangs and corrupt police, John must use his special set of skills to save those that he loves and dismantle a looming criminal operation. “Tonally its John Wick, Luther The Raid and Mission Impossible mixed with a little Gangs of London but set in Brum,” says Phill.

He adds: “To my knowledge Lotus is the first action feature film set and made in Birmingham. I’ve worked on plenty of films around the world but only ever had one filming job take place in Brum. So, I make films – previously short films – to show how amazing the city and surrounding areas can be, as well as provide opportunities to some of the terrific local talent that may not be able to get to London to work in film.” Sales for the film are being handled by UK-based Screenbound International, and the initial industry launch is at the Berlin Film Festival. “We’re aiming for a cinema run following that, with the premiere in Birmingham, of course!” adds Phill.

Lotus is very much about showcasing Birmingham and some of the surrounding areas as a viable and exciting place to make ambitious genre films. Phill says: “Birmingham has an image of being a grey and grim city, but that’s not the reality at all. There’s so much to admire here, from the beautiful countryside around it to the wonderful cultural centres in town. It’s a city that’s really untapped in term of its resources. I’m aiming to change all that – it’s a great place to film action movies!”

CAGE FIGHTING

Phill started out in martial arts. “I went all around the country doing stunt shows,” he says. “I’ve done cage fighting too.” He got into film work as a stunt performer and has appeared in the likes of The Expend4bles, The King’s Man and in TV productions including Ben Hur and Gangs of London. But he says he always knew that he didn’t just want to do stunt work and acting, but that he “needed to create”. He started making his own, short, films after sustaining an injury. “I began with short films but knew that I would make feature films. When you are on the right path you just know that it is going to work out.”

Getting the finance to make Lotus proved challenging. “I applied everywhere, left, right and centre but in the end, I decided I would self-finance and came together with some really good mates who chipped in. When I do something which I believe in, I am totally committed, so making this film meant everything. In fact, I already have the sequel, Lotus 2, in the pipeline ready to go. I guess I’m a bit of a workaholic, always looking to the next thing to do. I am still acting with bits and pieces, all stunt work. Last year I was working on Spiderman. But as any actor knows, work isn’t a regular planned thing in our business. The good thing is that means that I’m home with my 11-year-old son who I adore. I hated being away from him, so filming Lotus completely in Birmingham meant I was here for him all the time.”

MOVIE MOVEMENT

Lotus 2 will also be totally Birmingham-based. “Our city is so beautiful that I want to continue to showcase it,” said Phill. Filming in Brum also has some lovely spin-offs, as Phill has been able to open up the business of how a movie is made to the huge well of young talent in the area. “We’ve had students come to help and see what we’re doing,” he explains. “And they are buzzing with what they’ve seen. It’s really game-changing for them.”

Phill is optimistic that Lotus will provide the impetus for a movie movement in Brum. He points in particular to the growth of TV and creatives in areas such as Digbeth. “Success for Lotus will hopefully see more film shoots taking place in Birmingham, with more jobs and opportunities available for all of our incredibly talented, creative local people,” he says.

And leaving us with that intriguing thought, Phill prepared for his trip to Berlin, to be followed with more promotional visits to the Hong Kong Film Festival this month and the Cannes Film Festival in May ahead of the release of Lotus in the summer. The action truly never stops for Brum’s very own action man…

We last caught up with Richard O’Gorman aka Instagram’s @househomo just after his stint on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters which didn’t end that well thanks to the contentious length of a pair of curtains. Their loss is our gain. The Birmingham mural artist works across public spaces and personal commissions creating large scale pieces to suit the location. Some days it’s a big commercial space, other days it’s somebody’s bedroom.

Last year Richard was picked to create a legacy piece for the city as part of last month’s breathtaking Birmingham Light Festival and he was cock-a-hoop with the result. Richard’s installation, Where The Trees Begin (pictured) is located in Edgbaston Village, bringing light and joy to a once dreary car park. The artist also created a story to go with the piece which viewers can access by scanning a QR code so they can listen while they absorb the artwork for a multi-sensory experience. There are even benches to relax on while viewers take it all in.

NAPKIN DOODLING

The selection process was lengthy, involving the mastermind of the Light Festival Alex Nicholson Evans as well as events OPUS (Outdoor Spaces Unusual Places) and Calthorpe Estates. When the legacy funding was announced Richard received emails highlighting the opportunity from multiple people including Alex and the people at OPUS which he saw as a sign that he should go for it.

He went out for lunch with his partner and couldn’t think about anything else. He says: “I just kept staring off into the distance and eventually I got a pen and a napkin and started drawing ideas.” Richard submitted a statement as per the process and was invited to an interview with Alex, OPUS and Calthorpe Estate’s Demi Swingler, of which he says they got on so well it didn’t feel like an interview. The list was whittled down to three artists.

Richard hadn’t worked with lighting on any sort of grand scale and thankfully the final three artists were able to chat to local firm Taylex about how their designs might come to life from a technical perspective. Richard says: “Usually as a mural artist there’s a flat wall and some paint, so it was a bit different. It was a super fast learning curve!”

Keen to ensure the piece worked in daytime as well as at night, Richard set about designing something unique. He says: “Sometimes with light installations you’re waiting for it to get dark for it to work and it looks a bit off during the day. It was important to me that it worked for both.” When Richard found out his design had been chosen, he cried. He says he’d put so much pressure on it.

BROLLIES OF BRUM

Then began the task of creating the piece. The biblical rain of January and February didn’t help but mercifully, the artwork was created indoors and transported to its resting place. Richard says: “Usually I paint onto a wall directly, so the idea was get up on a scissor lift and go for it. Thankfully we painted it indoors and transported to site. I got up on the lift to do some touch ups.” The rain didn’t keep the people of Birmingham away during the festival either. He says: “I was there every day and despite the rain, the footfall was amazing. There were a lot of brollies and hoods but it didn’t put us off.”

Richard is enjoying a well-deserved rest before he gets back to it and during our chat we reflected on how his career could have taken a very different path. He was told by one of his teachers that he was no good at art. Naturally he believed him – the teacher was in a position of power and responsibility after all.

Richard studied economics at university as it felt like a solid degree and didn’t pick up a pencil or a paint brush for years. Once he did though, there was no stopping him. What started in lockdown as a solitary yellow circle on the wall above a fireplace at home, turned into a love affair with painting and colour. Richard says: “It’s been one long exploration ever since. I love it. It’s my happy place, my therapy.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Born to parents from Jamaica, I grew up in West Bromwich and Quinton in a household of music and no TV, just the radio! Listening especially to BBC Radio 4 became a real love. My love for soul/gospel music grew from there and going on to play it through my radio shows, was a real bonus. I also became very community-minded with Birmingham Association of Youth Clubs, Girl Guides and local Sunday School activities throughout my younger life. After university, teaching became my career – from lecturing in further education college to being a head in a PRU centre. I also became a radio broadcaster on Galaxy 102.2, then had a call from BBC WM & CWR and asked to present the gospel music show in March 2003. I juggled presenting my show on Sunday nights, with being a mum and wife, teaching, hosting events, speaking in the community and, seven years ago, set up my own company, Nikki Tapper Events.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I continue to deliver training and support to young people embarking on their career path or studies, present on radio voluntarily and host podcasts and events. I like to be a champion in the community, especially for women and younger people whose lives are full of hurdles that they think can’t be overcome. 

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally, hosting two key Archers events at BBC Birmingham and being an Archers tour guide – I’m a massive Archers fan! Also interviewing the first black TV presenter on ITV in the late 60s/70s, Barbara Blake Hannah, co-hosting on the red carpet of Peaky Blinders’ final TV series on Broad Street and, last October, receiving the MBE for Services to Broadcasting and the Community from Prince William. Personally, being married for over 30 years to my husband, Norval and being a mum to Olivia, our daughter.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

To follow my dreams earlier in life and save money!! 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The warmth and cultural ethnic mix of Brummies has always meant a lot to me. And the beauty of Piccadilly Arcade, off New Street. Even though many of the original shops I’ve grown up with have gone, its architectural design still feels magical. The addition of Ozzie the Bull in New Street Station reminds me how proud I was to have the Commonwealth Games in our city in 2022.

DOWNTIME

I am a patron of Edward’s Trust, an incredible charity which provides free, specialist bereavement support for parents, children and young people. I also support the Jamaica Hospital Appeal fund founded by Erma Lewis BEM after Jamaica was devastated by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. It not only supports an orphanage and children’s hospital in Jamaica but here, in Birmingham comes alongside carers and those in need of wheelchairs. To relax I love watching Call the Midwife and Death in Paradise and enjoy most sports, particularly football, as well as dancing.

A hop skip and a jump from Snow Hill station, Neko Health opened its doors in January amid a flurry of social media activity with influencers and local celebs gadding about in robes and rubber shoes ahead of the clinic’s official launch. I was lucky enough to have a complimentary health check too so thought I’d report back. For transparency, despite being a freebie, there’s no pressure for me to say nice things here.

MOOD MUSIC

Firstly, it’s a health facility with actual doctors. It might feel like a luxury spa, but Neko has serious preventative health at its core with the Birmingham site having the capacity to deliver 25,000 full body scans every year. What the spa vibes and geisha-like robe and shoes do is relax you slightly. I say slightly because as a middle-aged mother-of-two, there’s a nervousness about it that no amount of minimalist interiors and mood music will eradicate. ‘What if they find something horrendous?’ closely followed by, ‘At least I’ll know there’s something horrendous,’ and ‘As long as I can get the kids through university before the worst happens,’ irrationally whirred about in my head while I waited.

The procedure, if that’s the right word, is simple, takes roughly an hour and is painless unless you call a blood test painful in which case, get a grip. Standing in your pants for a couple of minutes while you’re scanned head to toe is about as bad as it gets and that’s a doddle. The scan documents every mark on your body flagging any that might need a second look by a dermatologist. I had roughly 1,200 marks which is about half the average according to the doctor which is staggering. An ECG, blood pressure check and even a tissue scan followed. Your bloods are whizzed up to a lab in a Star Trek contraption while the other checks are completed meaning results are in quickly.

RISK FACTOR

The scan assesses skin health, blood sugar levels to identify pre-diabetes risk and blood abnormalities as well as risk factors linked to metabolic syndrome, stroke and heart attack so it feels fairly comprehensive. You sit down with a doctor straight after your tests to talk through the findings. An avatar of your body pops up on the big screen which feels a bit odd but once you’re over the shock of that, the results are fascinating. I didn’t have anything to worry about so the word fascinating feels right.

If something is flagged as concerning, I imagine it’s less so. A copy of the report is sent via the Neko app and by email so you can fully digest it later, but I found the chat with the doctor very helpful. The doctors are dressed more like tech bros than doctors but mine was fantastic – really thorough, he deciphered the numbers in a language I understood.

FOLLOW UP

The scan costs £299 and it’s recommended you have one every year. As a health check-up I think it’s fantastic and feels reasonably priced. I know there are health checks on the market at a much higher price point offering MRIs and CT scans, but as an overall 12-monthly check-up I think the offering at Neko is a brilliant option.

Apparently 80 per cent of people choose to re-book for the following year which I did – it felt silly not to. I’ve been evangelical about Neko since and recommended it to everyone. There’s a waiting list as long as Mr Tickle’s arm currently, but I thoroughly recommend getting your name on it. Whether the news is good or bad you won’t regret it.

You might know Seventh Circle through its former Moseley home where it stayed for three years between the original shed and its current vast Digbeth home. The footprint in Moseley was small but Chez and Marie (Robin Chesworth and Marie Hutton) made the best of it supporting artists and serving customers with their signature charm and authenticity. Marie says the tiny framing operation was a bit like Tetris, but other than that, Moseley treated them well.

Small business owning is not for the faint-hearted and the question, ‘do we stick or twist?’ will resonate with many. The decision to twist and make the move to a massive former factory in Digbeth eight times the size of the Moseley gallery was a biggie, but a goodie. Marie says: “We chatted about moving in January 2025 and saw the place in February, so found it quickly. It was a doer-upper.” One thing Marie learned: “Sanding is not my calling!”

After much DIY, the space is smart but crucially welcoming. There’s real scope for events as well as for artists and clients and there’s certainly more space for the framing operation – it’s more a workshop than a desk. Marie says: “It’s lovely to step back and realise what we’ve done.” There’s also a strong creative community that’s beneficial and joyful. The gallery’s Bowyer Street landlord is picky about his tenants and seems to be building a creative hub – there’s a guitar maker and a Lambretta restorer among others. There’s also the Be a Good Neighbour scheme in the area that does what it says on the tin and encourages community and support.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

It’s not all been plain sailing mind you. The initial decision for Chez to go from a steady salary leading a team of art installers to branching out on his own was a tough one. He rented studios in Wolverhampton initially which often turned out to be cold, leaky and just not fit for purpose. Then he found a gem which gave him more than enough space for a workshop, meetings with clients and gallery space.

Unfortunately, just as things were taking off, Covid reared its ugly head and Chez was forced to scale back. Projects were cancelled and he found himself paying rent for a space he couldn’t use. Bruised but undeterred, Chez built a workshop in his garden from which the business took off. He was framing, installing and creating late into the night and it became obvious it was too much for one person. Cue Marie. She took the leap in 2021, joining Chez and the plucky pair began searching for gallery space the following year. Marie’s background was in galleries working across numerous departments including sales, curation, events and management which brought an excellent set of skills to the table.

CREATIVE ECO-SYSTEM

In late March 2022, the Moseley gallery opened displaying and selling artwork by local artists and hosting events. The mission has always been to reject art snobbery and create an accessible, authentic space connecting people with art in a meaningful way. The Moseley gallery grew into just that and became a joyful place for customers and artists alike. They just outgrew it.

The move to Digbeth has been ‘reinvigorating’ and Marie says it’s more than a gallery now, ‘it’s a full blown creative eco-system built on resilience, red wine and a radical love of art’. Among the joy, there’s been sadness too. Just before they picked up the keys to Bowyer Street, Chez’s beloved dad, Alan died. He’d been heavily involved in Seventh Circle’s journey always up a ladder or on his hands and knees getting stuck into DIY in the gallery or helping Chez on installations, so his absence is acutely felt, but also spurs them on.

GREATEST JOY

The launch party was a joyful celebration that set the tone for the future. Despite all the changes, Marie says the mission hasn’t changed: “Still the greatest joy is watching someone walk in unsure, maybe even feeling out of place, and leaving with a smile, saying they’ll be back.” In a world that’s riddled with pretention, Chez and Marie’s warm, authentic approach is refreshing and infectious. Here’s to a brilliant 2026!

Buzzards Valley, is a 60-acre site located just a 20-mile drive from central Birmingham and welcomes around 1,000 visitors a week. Owners, brother and sister Leon and Yvonne Jones, have taken on their father Ivan’s vision and continued to develop the site for wine, leisure and retail purposes.

Initially established as a farm, and transformed into a vineyard in 2001, Buzzards Valley is now a thriving collection of six fishing lakes, a free nature trail, a woodland retreat, a bistro and a thriving community of on-site businesses.

RISING FROM THE ASHES

But the thriving business Buzzards Valley is today, was by no means guaranteed, and indeed could be said to have risen out of the ashes of a devastating bout of foot and mouth disease which ended the possibility of cattle farming for the family. Pivoting initially to growing vegetables, and then extremely popular dried flowers, Ivan had a grand vision to create six fishing lakes and plant 4,000 trees for leisure purposes.

Then in 2001, came the inspiration to plant vines for winemaking. Ivan got to see the vineyard established before his death in 2007, when son Leon took on the mantle of the winemaking. Since then, the site has diversified and is now a collection of individual boutique businesses and leisure activities.

TASTE OF NATURE

A couple of years ago, Buzzards Valley appointed Jayne Dale as artisan shop manager, a move which turned out to be another significant part of Buzzard Valley’s development journey. Seeing the amount of available land, Jayne bid for funds to create a nature trail and woodland retreat. The trail can be accessed free of charge between March and December.

A new range of wine tastings have been launched including a rustic wine tasting, sweet potato spirit tasting, a wine and chocolate tasting and a ‘all about the reds’ tasting, as well. Tastings can be combined with food from the neighbouring Kiki’s bistro for another dimension. The chocolate and wine tasting includes handmade Belgian chocolates, which are very popular with visitors.

THRIVING COMMUNITY

The site hosts a collection of businesses selling everything from furniture and specialist flooring to garden buildings and even beauty treatments. The artisan shop has a stunning collection of products. Jayne said: “We pride ourselves on buying as locally as we can in the artisan shop. We stock local relishes, jams, chutney, cheeses, honey, selling fine foods and drink and gifts mainly from the UK. We specialize in bespoke hampers, making them throughout the year but Christmas is our busiest time.” Boutique markets take place monthly, March to December, to showcase artisan products.

THE FUTURE

Sadly, due to family illness, the vineyard was dormant in 2025. The family are keen to see it brought back to life and are currently looking to find someone who wants to take on the winemaking part of the business. This promises to be a great opportunity for a budding wine maker. In the meantime, the thriving nature activities, fishing and diverse shopping experiences are going strong. What better reason, to get out and explore this hidden gem!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’m the founder of NeonCow, a Birmingham-based neon sign store. I didn’t take a traditional route into business or the creative industries – NeonCow started from experimenting in my mother’s kitchen after an eye-opening trip to New York. What began as a side hustle turned into a full-time business working with brands and venues over the world – the likes of NFL team Atlanta Falcons, Harvey Nichols, Aston Villa, ITV Studios, Ja Rule, SEGA. Being part of the Birmingham Light Festival with ‘My Heart Belongs in Birmingham’ feels like a real full circle moment and almost like a homecoming.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I design and create custom LED neon artwork for businesses, events and public installations. My role sits between creativity and production, turning ideas, words and emotions into something physical that people can experience. I love working on pieces that live in public spaces, where anyone can stumble across them and feel something, even briefly.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I want to continue working closely with brands and individuals, listening to their vision and helping turn their ideas into something tangible. There’s something incredibly rewarding about sitting with a customer and showing them their logo or message in neon for the first time. And I’d love to keep expanding into more large-scale public work and installations.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Being part of Birmingham Light Festival is certainly up there. Creating a piece that sits proudly in the city and is experienced by so many people feels incredibly special. Alongside that, working with Birmingham Museum on the MADE IN BIRMINGHAM neon sign was a huge moment for me, it felt like a real acknowledgement of both my work and my connection to the city. Building NeonCow from the ground up and seeing how people emotionally connect with what I create is something I’m deeply proud of.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Always make sure you can see the bigger vision, especially when things feel challenging. It’s easy to focus on what’s next or what isn’t working, but I’ve learned how important it is to stop, look back, and be grateful for how far you’ve come, no matter the situation.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Birmingham has always felt like home to me. I’ve been lucky enough to travel and experience different cities across the UK and around the world, and it really makes you realise just how friendly people are here.

DOWNTIME

I love helping out at Derek and Pauline’s corner shop in Cotteridge, my grandparents, which has been part of the community for over 60 years. It’s a great way to slow down and stay grounded. I also enjoy supporting local independents around me, especially GlassHouse Brewery in Stirchley, a taproom specialising in craft beers.

Katie Bishop says growing up she always “loved books and loved writing”. So, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that she was likely always destined to become a top author. But there were times along the way it seemed that might just be out of reach. Even Katie herself admits that while she dreamed of one day publishing a novel, she never really thought it would actually happen.
She says: “I didn’t think it was a real job. I didn’t know anyone who had a career in writing. I didn’t know anyone with a creative career actually. It seemed impossible, unattainable.” Happily for her, and us, that wasn’t the case, thanks to her amazing talent and sheer persistence.

Her debut novel The Girls of Summer, a psychological thriller based on around a woman’s summer romance with a much older man, arrived on the bookshelves in 2023 and won rave reviews – and awards – as a ‘must-read’ from critics as diverse as The Times and Independent, to the Sun, New York Post and Glamour magazine. Her latest novel, a gripping thriller titled High Season, has been equally well-received. All of which delights Katie, who grew up living in Nuneaton with a mum and grandparents from Birmingham, and who now lives with her husband in Kings Heath.

CHECK-OUT

Katie, who studied English Literature at university, worked on the check-out in a supermarket in Nuneaton for a year while she worked out what she wanted to do with her life. She started working at an academic publisher – assistant editor, essentially an admin job peer reviewing. She stayed there for six or seven years but says she felt miserable and unfulfilled.

In her twenties she started to think, ‘what do I actually enjoy?’ She says: “I started writing a novel at that point. I did 12 drafts which took five years!” She approached a lot of agents and while she had a bit of interest she was ultimately unsuccessful in her attempt to get published. “Some agents didn’t respond at all, some came back with a rejection and a couple showed a bit of interest but it didn’t lead anywhere.”

Katie started doing a bit of journalism on the side – for the New York Times, Guardian, Independent and Vogue, among others. As her journalism started to take off, she went part-time at the academic publisher, which proved to be bad timing as it coincided with Covid. “All of a sudden no editors were commissioning. People were terrified about the future. It was scary losing work.” Katie also lost someone close to her during the pandemic.

EARLY STARTS

“I had an extra couple of days a week, so I started writing The Girls of Summer. I wasn’t commuting anymore. I’d get up at 5am and write for a couple of hours even on the days I was working.” Katie wrote The Girls of Summer quickly in just nine months. She pulled out the spreadsheet of agents she’d compiled for the first unsuccessful book and began contacting them starting with her top six dream agents. She expected a long process and a lot of rejection thanks to the experience with the first book, but all but one came back and wanted to read the whole book.

Offers came in quickly after that. Katie got an agent, who she’s still with, sent the book to publishers and ended up with multiple pre-empts (when a publisher wants to skip the offers and auction process and just puts a figure down that hopefully secures a deal without an auction.) Katie says it was the polar opposite to the first book. She went with Penguin here in the UK and has a lovely publisher in the US too.

“It all just happened very quickly, and on a much bigger scale than I ever dreamed it would,” says Katie. “I don’t think I could really believe it – it had been a lifelong dream and I knew how difficult it was, so the whole thing was far beyond my expectations. My first effort not getting picked up was devastating. I’d had no formal training so in a way writing that first book was the equivalent of that.”

She says she learned about pacing and structure. “The topic of The Girls of Summer was unintentionally very ‘zeitgeisty’,” she says. “It’s set on a Jeffrey Epstein-esque island.” While it was written before the high-profile underage sex scandal involving the US financier, it was published at that time.

MORE TO COME

With High Season, Katie says she experienced the ‘second book syndrome’. “I had a huge crisis of confidence. It was a challenging process. You have to have a lot of optimism and possibly slight delusion to write a novel. I was just being a lot more critical. I wrote and scrapped two novels. I was in a spiral of self-doubt and it took me a long time to get to a concept I was happy with.”

Now that High Season is published and earning widespread plaudits, Katie is turning her attention to a third novel, about which she says she can’t say too much. It’s a completely different genre – historical fiction – and she says: “Writing it has been a complete joy. I just felt so strongly about it. I kept it a secret for a while. It’s such a relief.”
In between novels Katie has dozens of ideas and gets inspiration from everywhere – reading lots, of course, and watching a lot of TV, especially reality shows like Real Housewives and Made in Chelsea.

Katie moved to Kings Heath without doing much research but says she “absolutely loves it”. She adds: “There’s great pubs, restaurants, and a brilliant bookshop – the Heath Bookshop which was voted the best in the UK.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

For years, rugby was my life – I played 1st team rugby for Moseley Rugby Club and Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Club (BEES) and then had a stint at captaincy for BEES and leading the England Counties squad. Basically, if there was a muddy pitch and a ball, I was there! Ten years ago, I finally hung up my boots and swapped tackles for tactics, moving into coaching. These days, I coach kids at my local rugby club and even dabble in football coaching – because apparently, you can’t live on scrums alone. The communication and leadership skills I picked up on the pitch have proved invaluable in my current role at Brindleyplace.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’ve been involved in Brindleyplace since the nineties – back when phones were landlines and the coffee option was just milk and sugar! In 2021, Hines invited me to join as director of placemaking and tenant engagement. Then, after Praxis acquired the majority share in 2023, I became senior asset manager for the estate. My job? Working with tenants old and new, and teaming up with the development team to make sure Brindleyplace stays future ready.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Watching my kids achieve their academic and sporting goals fills me with pride and I want to see them go on to realise many more. Professionally, I want Brindleyplace to keep thriving and evolving – working with its fantastic community of occupiers to deliver the very best experience.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Sport, and rugby in particular, runs through generations of my family, so managing the England Counties and Barbarian teams was huge. The highlight? Having my dad join me on the Barbarian tour of Korea and Japan – unforgettable. On the work front, I’ve been involved with some fantastic major development projects in the region’s office market. Basically, I like building things – whether it’s teams or workplaces.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

That the old adage is true: teamwork really DOES make the dream work. Working with like-minded, hard-working and honest individuals is paramount to optimal productivity and success. Also, never underestimate the power of a good post-match pint!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love the way Birmingham is always evolving and how it has changed in recent years – younger, vibrant and full of energy. It’s like Birmingham went to the gym and is always working on its fitness regime.

DOWNTIME

Sport, obviously! Watching it, coaching it, and talking about it with my family and fellow fans! If there’s a ball involved, I’m interested.

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD…

Those who know me will know I’ve already overshared! But at least I haven’t shared any rugby injury stories… yet!

Despite an incredible show reel, Anton Lesser seems to remain comfortably under the radar. He’s not harangued in the supermarket and goes about his life largely unfussed by fame. And yet, he’s appeared in shows that have attracted huge audiences and much critical acclaim such as Wolf Hall, Game of Thrones, Endeavour, The Crown, Andor, Pirates of the Caribbean and umpteen others.
He’s portrayed some of the most high profile characters on stage and voiced many audio books including most of Dickens’s novels for which he won a Talkie Award for his reading of Great Expectations. A national treasure one might say, not that Anton would see it that way. He’s just keen to make work that does some good and that gives people hope.

EPIPHANY MOMENT

The acting world almost missed out on Anton’s talent but thanks to an epiphany in Nigeria and a British Council film about the RSC, one of the UK’s now most respected actors headed to RADA. Anton says at Moseley Grammar school he was only really good at English so was always reading out loud in class. Drama was a natural progression and he remembers playing the title role in Hamlet, but acting didn’t feel like a career path at that time.

Unsure what he wanted to do, Anton headed to Liverpool University to study Architecture. While on a placement in an architect’s office in Nigeria, he watched a British Council film on the RSC and something in him shifted. Anton recalls: “It was a film essentially saying, this is what the RSC is about and an extraordinary thing happened. I knew I had to act. I’d never been more certain of anything in my life and I came back to go to drama school.”

RADA accepted Anton and he enjoyed a wonderful few years training followed by a glittering career during which he says he’s lucky to have never really been out of work. He says: “Out of the 21 in my class at RADA only three or four have continued acting. It can be pretty grim. I’m very lucky.”

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN

Relatively recently Anton has started working with the Orchestra of the Swan who we’ve featured in these pages previously. A group of highly talented musicians all from the Midlands and led by David Le Page, the Orchestra has transcended its Warwickshire roots performing all over the country and beyond. Anton was approached by the orchestra with an idea about combining live music with the spoken word which he jumped at. This month the orchestra and Anton are bringing Dickens’s A Christmas Carol to Town Hall.

Anton says: “Words and music is a kind of unique genre, neither pure reading, nor acting, but there’s this wonderful immediacy, that comes from the huge emotional impact the music has upon the words, and vice versa, and the interplay we actors enjoy with the musicians on-stage. Quite simply, it’s the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done! I’m thrilled and delighted – as a Birmingham boy – to be performing in the actual place Dickens’s immortal tale began. The very thought gives me goosebumps!”

Uniquely the music is integral to the concert not slotted in between the action. The musicians heighten the suspense and emotion in a way the orchestra believes Dickens would approve of. Anton’s versatility, ability to break hearts and comedy makes him the perfect partner. It’s something that took Anton by surprise but he enjoys immensely. He says: “I’m lucky to have found this group of people – well they found me actually. They are a group of stunning musicians and David Le Page is magnificent. We have a lovely relationship – it’s very improvisational and we inspire each other.” He adds: “It’s a minimal set. For Dickens there’ll be chairs for the orchestra and lots of candles. It’ll be wonderful.”

DICKENS TO STAR WARS

The variety of Anton’s work is a testament to his versatility – from Dickens to Star Wars for instance is quite the leap. He says the writing on Andor was superb. “That sort of genre is usually very predictable but this was interesting and complex. For a big franchise like that it’s unusual.” Anton is also playing Garrick Ollivander in the Harry Potter series and has done many seasons in Stratford which he’s loved.

At this period in Anton’s career, he’s in the fortunate position of being able to be more choosey than an actor starting out. He says: “For 50 years I’ve been pretending and people respond so wonderfully. My aspiration is a continual one – to work and do things which have goodness coming through and make people feel hope. The bits of work I’m offered now I always ask myself, “do I want to be expressing this and is it uplifting?”

Kit Holder has enjoyed a sparkling career at Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) dancing some of the world’s most iconic roles and now, as part of the company’s artistic team, he’s helping to bring a new generation of dancers through the ranks. But without Sir Peter Wright’s Nutcracker, he may never have found his dancing feet. We caught up with Kit ahead of the 35th year of Sir Peter’s production of The Nutcracker – the ballet that changed his life.

When the company formerly known as Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet moved from London and became BRB the council offered Sir Peter the opportunity of a purpose-built studio in Birmingham. As a thank you, Sir Peter gifted The Nutcracker to the city which remains in Birmingham to this day. Kit, who has danced 12 roles in the production over the years, says: “Everybody loves The Nutcracker. Most great shows don’t necessarily satisfy every dancer, but The Nutcracker does. It’s a production with a lot of opportunity for dancers.” He adds: “If you had a financial head on you’d take it everywhere, but there’s something about it belonging to Birmingham. It’s special.”

ONE IN A MILLION

The production has been performed more than 600 times in the city watched by over one million people. For Kit, Christmas begins when the children from The Nutcracker come into the studio to rehearse. He says: “Some are shy, some are boisterous. I remember that feeling – the excitement, the build-up.”

After moving from London, the company set up junior associate classes which Kit was part of. This led to his first role on stage in The Nutcracker aged just eight-years-old that changed the trajectory of his life. It prompted a love of ballet that took him to the Royal Ballet School with a view to coming back to his home town – it was always Birmingham and always BRB. He says he’s always been happy here and has been thrilled to take on roles he’d watched as a child in productions like the Penguin Café and Swan Lake among many others.

Kit says he had a great relationship with former Director of BRB, Sir David Bintley who taught him so much as a leader and choreographer. When Carlos Acosta was appointed as Sir David’s successor a new chapter began for the company. Kit said: “Carlos is Carlos. I watched him dance a great deal as a dancer. He has different direction, vision and leadership. He makes things happen, makes ideas work.”

CROWD GOES WILD

Black Sabbath: The Ballet is a great example. Kit was at the point of retiring when the idea of Sabbath was mooted. He paused his retirement plans to satisfy his curiosity about the show. He says they didn’t finish the show until the afternoon of opening night, so it was touch and go, but it’s been an absolute phenomenon. “While The Nutcracker is a lot of peoples first ballet, so is Sabbath. Metal fans took a chance on this and the audiences go wild. When you’re on your ninth show of the week, that energy from the audience is welcome.”

Over time Kit became more interested in the process of creating shows and choreography, so after retiring as a dancer, he was thrilled to be part of BRB’s artistic team particularly working with BRB2 which shines a spotlight on some of the best young dancers from around the world aged 18 to 22. He says: “I get to work with young dancers that have graduated from the best schools. As a company we can attract that talent.” The original cohort of BRB2 dancers Maïlène Katoch, Jack Easton Frieda Kaden, Oscar Kempsey-Fagg and Mason King all completed the two-year programme and have now joined the main company as artists.

ALL CONSUMING

Given performing careers are all consuming, Kit was aware of the pitfalls of transitioning out of his. “I studied psychology so I was aware of the challenges of leaving a career like mine. Some people go through an identity crisis, but I’ve been lucky. My role is really fulfilling. Coaching BRB2 and watching them nail the choreography is beautiful. I have no desire to be taking the curtain call, so I know it’s right for me.”

Maintaining the same level of fitness has been a tougher ask. Kit makes use of the gym and physio on site at BRB and tries to cycle to work when he can but says it’s very different. Although the choice is a tough one, Kit’s pick from a packed BRB 2026 programme is the 1932 anti-war ballet by German choreographer Kurt Jooss, The Green Table. Kit describes it as the perfect ballet – devastating, fantastic, with no additional fluff.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

For over a decade I’ve dedicated my career to culture and placemaking, and for even longer I’ve been in a long-term love affair with Birmingham. From my time as commercial director at Birmingham Museums to launching Birmingham Cocktail Weekend (initially as a passion project), I’ve been lucky enough to experience this city from a whole host of different angles. My work has given me a thousand reasons to love Birmingham and I’m on a mission to share those with the world.

 IT’S WHAT I DO

I have always worn many hats. I’m the Director of Living for the Weekend, best known for creating Birmingham Cocktail Weekend and Birmingham Restaurant Festival. My work in this capacity centres on creating social experiences that connect people to place and simple pleasures – work that certainly complements my position as city curator. With this hat on, I take a creative director’s role in the city centre, commissioning and developing art, festivals, and cultural activity. I work on a whole host of projects that are focused on driving positive interest in Birmingham and increased visitor numbers too.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Those of us who call this place home already know it’s a showstopper – a brilliant place to live, work and visit. My goal is to make sure the rest of the world knows it too; that Birmingham is an incredible destination for food lovers, one of the greenest cities in Europe, a World Craft City (and the best place in the UK to buy jewellery). It’s the city that inspired Tolkien, the home of Heavy Metal… I could go on.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I’ve built a company that not only allows me to deliver on my ambitions for the city but that also brings me real joy every day. Part of that is because I have the opportunity to collaborate with incredible people from so many different industries.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

My gut instinct is rarely wrong. Looking back, every business idea that didn’t work out was one my gut had warned me about long before my heart or head caught up. These days, I’m much better at trusting those instincts.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Impossible to name one thing! I love that I can eat any cuisine I can think of – the breadth of choice in our dining scene is incredible. I adore that on any given Sunday, I can immerse myself in world-class fine art, wander along miles of canals (more than Venice, of course), sip cocktails from one of the UK’s Top 50 cocktail bars or visit one of Britain’s finest long galleries. It’s a city that truly has it all.

DOWNTIME

If I’m not making the most of everything I’ve just described, then I’ll be off exploring other cities and countries. Travel and trying new things give me such immense pleasure. If I’m not booking a plane ticket though, you might find me down at my allotment, giving my kayak an outing or exploring on a hike. Something about being in nature helps me unwind.

D G Torrens, is a best-selling author and filmmaker from Birmingham with 27 published books. She is best known for writing Amelia’s Story which sold several hundred thousand copies worldwide, as far afield as Japan, Mexico and India.

She recently published Three For a Girl, book three in what will be a series of 10 domestic thriller stories that shine a light on abuse, including domestic violence, coercive control and narcissism, through fictional stories. It’s a subject close to her heart and with which she shares great knowledge as a survivor herself of childhood domestic violence who is now in her 50s.

Like many leading authors, her writing is from the heart and from experience. She says: Amelia’s Story, my first published book, is really my memoir. It was my story for my daughter, so when she was older she would have a deeper understanding of her mother’s difficult survival journey. It is a story of triumph over adversity.”

READING TO ESCAPE

D G (her first name is Dawn, although she everyone knows her as D G) was brought up in the state care system along with her three siblings and says the environment was so harsh that she tried to hide behind the curtains and shut out everything that was going on around her. The home they were in had a paedophile ring which preyed on the boys in care. The four children were split up and sent to care homes scattered across the country. She remembers running away from the home at night, wearing just her pyjamas to try and find her brother.

Amid the turmoil, D G  found comfort and escapism through reading, with her first books being Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. She also discovered Charles Dickens and says she related to his writing, particularly Oliver Twist, a story that was in some ways similar to her own. “Dickens became a kind of mentor for me,” she said.

“I began writing aged nine with poetry and short stories, which was a welcome distraction. By the time I was 30, I had several half-written novels – half-written because I was working a day job and time was very limited. Nine years later, I left my day job and took the plunge to become a full-time author. It proved to be the best decision I ever made.”

DREAMS COME TRUE

Amelia’s Story became a Number One best-seller on Amazon, and D G said: “That first book gave me wings! I wrote about all my experiences in care and how I survived and grew – to show people how you really can fulfil your dreams if you try hard enough and never give in.”

D G’s writing process is highly creative but also very precise. “I write what is in my head, it is that simple.” she explains. “I make a skeleton outline with bullet points and transport myself to the emotional moments I am creating. I write in complete silence. I will be writing and I don’t hear anything else going on around me. I am totally immersed. I can even shed tears as I’m writing. And I always have a story lined up in my head before I finish my current work. After Amelia’s Story, which as I mentioned is my biography, my other books are fictional, although they still draw on themes from my life.”

AMAZING BRUM

Her works span diverse genres, from domestic thrillers, military romance to romantic suspense, drama/suspense, thrillers, contemporary romance novels, and even poetry collections. D G, who lives with her husband and daughter in Great Barr, said: “Birmingham has been amazing for me. I’ve been here for 37 years and I love the city and the people. My first cheque from Amazon was for just 25 dollars. Things have changed so much over the years and I am so proud of my success.”

That success includes film-making after she co-directed her first documentary titled Birmingham A City Rooted in Talent, celebrating the vibrant city, the remarkable talent that it has produced over the decades, and featuring 45 interviews with leading Birmingham celebrities. D G teamed up with co-director, co-producer and fellow author, Martin Tracey to form film production company Contrary Trees Productions. The film was named Best Documentary at the Birmingham Film Festival 2024.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I have always been fascinated by those who can tell a great story and who can make an idea feel as real as real life. I have spent my whole career with those people, the storytellers, the creatives, those who want to change the world through ideas, working with the likes of the BBC, ITV, Google, Activision, Fox, Sony and many others to help them invest in and enable storytellers.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am Chair of Create Central, whose role is simple: to grow the creative sector in the West Midlands as rapidly as possible. That means help funding and building tangible things like TV studios, such as the Bond in Digbeth, where Joe Lycett films his double BAFTA award winning Channel 4 chat show, alongside the BBC’s Silent Witness, its neighbour Digbeth Loc, Steven Knight’s very own studios (where he films you know what!), and his neighbour the Banana Warehouse where MasterChef is made. It also means running skills training. We have trained more than 500 apprentices who are now working in the creative sector, while Digbeth has gone from having tens of people working in the sector to over 1,000.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition is to help build a creative sector which is globally recognised as one of the greatest places for anyone, from anywhere to tell a story, and for the stories we tell the world.  With over 100 languages spoken in Birmingham alone we have so many stories waiting to be told, and I want to enable us to tell them.  I grew up listening to Benjamin Zephaniah and being amazed. Wouldn’t it be great to find the next one, 10 or 100 Zephaniahs!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally, it is building a media consulting business almost from scratch to be the largest in the world. Working with so many brilliant people to do some extraordinary things, such as helping the BBC launch iPlayer. More recently working with the Mayor and BBC to agree a partnership which will bring even more productions into the region. Personally, it’s been being able to live the life I wanted. I met my wife at school and have two lovely and spirited children.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Treat everyone as a friend and they will do the same.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Our deadpan humour. Walking through Newtown during the bin strike, I passed an old Birmingham City Council ‘Cleaner, Greener, Safer’ sign, and someone had piled bin bags and put a sofa on top, and changed one word on the sign so it read: Birmingham City Council ‘Cleaner, Greener, Sofa’.

DOWNTIME

Every two weeks I stand and sing in the Holte End at Aston Villa with my son. In the summer, I play cricket increasing badly as the years catch up with me.  And I am also a big proponent of rewilding, which my wife says is just an excuse not to cut the lawn…

Paul James has had an eclectic career that has seen him opening a jazz club in Doha and foot spa in Venice among many other wonderfully surprising achievements. A hotelier, predominantly working in marketing and brand development, Paul travelled extensively before landing in Brum and spent eight years developing hotel brands in New York.

Now, immersed in the world of dance and at the helm of Birmingham Royal Ballet, he’s driven to make the already amazing company the best it can be. Paul initially joined BRB just as David Bintley was moving on after 25 brilliant years and Carlos Acosta was joining which represented a fresh chapter in the BRB story.

At the time, the company wanted to rebrand and become more efficient. Cue Paul who was appointed as chief commercial officer. He says: “It was just an extraordinary opportunity. It’s an amazing place. All cities have their challenges and Birmingham’s no different but look what we have – BRB, the Hippodrome, the Rep, IKON, Symphony Hall. It’s culturally amazing.”

HELTER SKELTER

When we chatted to Paul, he was just six weeks into his new permanent role as chief executive which he describes as being a bit of a helter skelter period. Paul had been acting chief executive since December after the sad death of former CEO Caroline Miller.

Essentially, Paul runs the business side of the company and Carlos creates the artistic vision. Paul’s ambition for BRB is a bold one – to be seen everywhere as the world’s finest ballet company. Simple. In terms of innovation and quality, he says they’re unmatched. Lunar and Black Sabbath to name just a couple of stunningly unique productions have pushed boundaries and challenged balletic stereotypes.

HIDDEN CHALLENGES

It’s a challenging business mind you. As a punter, you see the shiny finished article, but the business of running the company is complex. Paul explains: “There are 55 full-time dancers as well as a full orchestra and for every person on stage there’s another backstage. Understanding the scale of that is crucial.”

When Swan Lake is touring, there are eight huge trucks on the road and when The Nutcracker is running, there are 400 people in the building working to make it happen. With those hefty challenges as a backdrop, it’s a tough ask to ensure productions are accessible and affordable, but it’s high on Paul’s list of priorities. Family offers and a proportion of tickets under £30 aim to keep theatres full and attract new audiences.

As well as bums on seats, accessibility is important in terms of nurturing young talent through BRB’s outreach programmes across the city. The company’s Dance Track initiative which launched in 1997 offers free training to children who wouldn’t normally have access to dance. Working with 60 schools the programme has given thousands of youngsters the opportunity to dance, and some have gone on to pursue it as a career.

BRB is a touring company – it’s what they do – so each production is designed with that in mind. Virgina, Washington DC and Japan are regulars as well mainland Europe which requires all kinds of logistical wizardry. Paul joins the company on tour sometimes, so he understands each aspect of the business of touring and what that means for everyone on board.

PINCH ME

Paul loves the way ballet tells stories without language. He says: “There’s an understanding of pure human emotion. A new colleague came in to see The Nutcracker and afterwards they said it wasn’t until the end they realised there were no words. That’s amazing.” His highlights so far include Black Sabbath – the Ballet. Paul says: “I’ll never forget opening night. The way it all sat together – the full house, the electric atmosphere, chatting to Robert Plant in the Patrick Studio. It was a real pinch me moment.” Black Sabbath is back at the end of this month which looks set to be another sell-out.

Our chat was peppered with ‘amazings’ ranging from Birmingham’s cultural offering, ballet specifically, life generally and colleagues including Carlos who he thinks has made a huge difference to the company. If we were choosing someone to head up an organisation, it would be someone with Paul’s infectious positivity and energy. He says he’s got the best job in the world, and we believe him.

Paul Lemmon is a bit of a contradiction. His work is largely created using traditional oil paint on board, yet his finished work encompasses the essence of the digital world scraped, deconstructed and turned into analogue works of art. Paul’s pixelated works are created by collecting then breaking apart digital images and film footage blurring the lines between real life and technology.

He says it’s quite ironic standing in front of a painting made from physical board and pigments derived from the earth yet created by scraping the digital world. Paul describes his work as floating somewhere between abstract and figurative.  He says: “I play around, disrupt, make images collide. I let the computer do it by accident almost.”

It’s quite a technical process to arrive at a composition – masking film, laying paint down, finding a pattern, asking is there an image there? Paul says: “There’s a meditative aspect to it and I always sleep better when working. Each piece needs to be more than pleasing. It needs to compel you to think, so I’m always considering the experience of the viewer.”

COVENTRY BIENNIAL

Paul is represented by Forward Gallery in Birmingham and RVP in London which is somewhat of a relief. He used to sell his work directly which involved a lot of juggling so he’s glad to hand some of that to the gallery and focus on his work. Paul takes on private commissions as well as public projects and selling to the general public. He says simply: “I make objects that hopefully people want to buy.”

One of Paul’s highlights so far was taking on a major commission for Coventry Biennial. In collaboration with University of Warwick professor Graeme Macdonald, the large-scale piece titled, Memories of a Future City catalogues imagined future events in Coventry leading to the transition from fossil fuel to clean energy. It represents the dynamics of environment and time, and the forces at play in energy transition. The completed piece consists of four painted panels sat together to form a six-metre wide piece that Paul’s particularly proud of. He says: “It was a privilege to create a timeline into the future for the people of Coventry. It was in a public place with good footfall and as a result I met some great people.”

SURREAL SOLIHULL

Paul also took part in Surreal Solihull earlier in the year where he exhibited his surrealist painting titled, And Takes Me to My Dreaming, which featured among the work of 29 artists as part of an original outdoor exhibition along Solihull’s High Street. The work now hangs at the entrance to Touchwood shopping centre on Station Road.

Paul didn’t have a traditional route into fine art, if indeed there is such a thing. Initially, he decided university wasn’t for him post-A levels and embarked on a YTS scheme apprenticeship, then completed a BTec at Mid-Warwickshire College before studying graphic design at Kingston. He says: “It was a strange time. It was polytechnic when I joined and a university when I left.”

Post graduation, Paul worked in London as a graphic designer for 14 years before believing he could build a career as an artist. In the early noughties he visited exhibitions like Frieze London which lit the fine art fuse in him. Having said that, much earlier in life he was a prolific drawer and painter. He fears he may have worried his mother when at nursery he was given a piece of paper and some paint, and he painted the entire thing black. Not like his lively technicolour pieces today.

Musing on the future and the rise in popularity of AI, Paul says: “I can see it coming over the horizon and I’m aware of the threat, but I don’t think AI can replicate oils. I guess scams are possible.” For Paul, his art is a spiritual experience as well as physical and surely something that’s safe from the march of the tech revolution.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I started singing with St Chad’s Cathedral Choir aged nine. I stayed with them for six years. As well as raising my confidence another chorister in the choir made me aware of the Midlands Arts Centre, which is where I spent nearly every summer from 12 to 18. I joined the children’s opera company there before joining Birmingham Youth Theatre. This then led to an interest in acting which pushed me onto drama school. 

HOMETOWN MEMORIES

I would walk to and from choir through town and then down the Bristol road to our flat. I got to know every inch of the area. I loved town. Meeting friends outside the library. Or on the Ramp before heading into the shopping precinct. (This is all quite a few years ago!) I particularly remember the teenage hip hop nights on a Monday at the Power House when kids 14 to 18 could meet friends, dance to hip hop, 80’s soul, funk and pop. Only soft drinks were sold, of course. All us kids would dress up and pay our 50p to get in. It was fantastic! 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

One of my wishes is to see Birmingham take its place as a hotbed of artistic creativity in the country. I want it to be known for its dance and drama companies. We need more homegrown bands making a name for themselves internationally. 

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Personally, my kids. I have two girls and it is a real pleasure to watch them take their place in the world as young women. I am pleased to have gotten a Black Belt in Taekwondo. I wasn’t the youngest in the room and I had to push myself out of my comfort zone to get it. It still reminds me what I can achieve even when I am sure I will fail. 

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

There are so many situations that come to mind where I would do things differently. A common theme is that I would be more prepared to state clearly what I wanted and what I didn’t want and protect the boundary in between. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The Rep, Midlands Arts Centre, and the fact that my family still live there.

WHAT ABOUT THE LOCAL ARTS SCENE

More! We need more of it. More kids being allowed easy access so that can have a go, More live music on Broad Street. The clubs should open their doors to live bands during the early part of the week. Get people playing, collaborating and working together in the understanding that it is possible to reach an audience and get a weekly following. Also, the knowledge that you get better in front of an audience by having places to practise.

DOWNTIME

I love watching films and series. I like other people’s work.

If you’re a fan of tennis, particularly the quintessentially English form of lawn tennis, you may already know that Birmingham has a unique place in its history. Actually, Edgbaston to be precise. It’s here, in 1859 that a certain Major Harry Gem and Augurio Perara first marked out a croquet lawn at ‘Fairlight’ in Ampton Road as a tennis court. That court, and the world’s first game of lawn tennis played upon it, is less than half-a-mile from another Birmingham landmark – and home to tennis, fitness and wellbeing excellence – Edgbaston Priory Club (EPC).

This year marks an incredible milestone for EPC — its 150th anniversary. It’s a year of celebration, reflection, and pride commemorated with a series of events that reflect the spirit, history and community at the heart of the club.

The club as we know it today was formed in December 1964 as a result of a merger between two long established clubs; Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club founded in 1878 and Priory Lawn Tennis Club founded in 1875. The merger came about in May 1963 when a fire completely destroyed Priory’s clubhouse – which is reflected in the club’s logo of a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Some of the world’s earliest lawn tennis tournaments were held at Edgbaston, Priory and then Edgbaston Priory Club from 1882 to the 1970s such as the Priory Whitsun Tournament, the Davis Cup, the Midland Counties Tournament and now the Lexus Birmingham Open.

At its core today, the club exists to provide a welcoming and world-class environment where members of all ages and abilities can thrive — whether on court, in the gym or socially. It’s not over-hyping to say that for many of its members, it’s a way of life. As recently appointed CEO Claire Daniel explained: “What makes EPC unique is our fusion of tradition and innovation. Members enjoy elite facilities, expert coaching, a strong sense of camaraderie, and a calendar packed with both competitive and social events. We host major events like the Lexus Birmingham Open, serve as a launchpad for local and national talent and run community programmes that open doors to sport. We’re proud to be both a sporting beacon and a social cornerstone in Birmingham.”

Providing the facilities and back-up needed to allow all-ages to achieve the best they can be in sports is at the heart of the club’s past, present and future. Household names like squash legend Jonah Barrington and Wimbledon champion Ann Jones were just regular club members who went on to reach the pinnacle of their sports. And the club is still developing elite athletes today – as well as providing the best facilities for budding amateurs and less talented ‘have-a-go-heroes’. Despite the club expanding and becoming slicker over time, there still a familiar community vibe about the place. The club has supported many grassroots community programmes with local schools such as Lordswood School and also in Cannon Hill Park, as well as working with the Heart of Birmingham Vocational College that helps provide workplace opportunities for young people with learning disabilities.

“With our proud heritage comes the challenge of staying relevant, fresh, and forward-thinking,” said Claire. “Our biggest challenge is balancing tradition with innovation — honouring our 150-year history while adapting to the changing needs of our members and the wider sporting landscape. We also face operational challenges common to member-led institutions – ensuring long-term financial and environmental sustainability, maintaining and upgrading our facilities to the highest standards, and continually enhancing the member experience. We already boast some of the finest squash courts and tennis surfaces in the UK, but the journey to excellence never stops.”

Looking to the future, the club has identified four key areas – grow participation through grassroots partnerships, inclusive programming, and outreach to schools and underrepresented communities; enhance member experience through technology and digital innovation; raise its profile across the city; and embrace emerging trends in sport – such as Padel and Pickleball.
So, as EPC celebrates this very special anniversary, we raise our glasses (or should that be raquets) to the club’s next 150 years.

LEGENDS & ICONS

Many legends of tennis have graced the club’s courts over the years. The first Wimbledon ladies singles winner, Maud Watson, was a member of Edgbaston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club. She brought the Wimbledon trophy back to Birmingham with her name engraved on it in 1885, and it is still awarded annually.

King’s Heath-born, Ann Jones, a life member of the club, won Wimbledon in 1969, two French Open singles titles, and reached six other Grand Slam singles finals. Ann went on to play an active role in the club, mentoring young players and refereeing tournaments. The new centre court which opened in 2013, was named after her.

Many more early Wimbledon winners perfected their strokes on the courts of the two clubs, among them Joan Fry (Wimbledon ladies singles finalist in 1925) and Dorothy Round (1934 and 1937).
In the 20th century Fred Perry, Dan Maskell (for many years the BBC’s voice of Wimbledon), Bjorn Borg, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova played at the club and more recently Maria Sharapova, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

LA-POP! in Islington Row, Edgbaston has been making and selling insta-friendly, handcrafted gelato popsicles for the last six years. Like a lot of cracking businesses, the concept is original but beautifully simple.
Freshly made using locally sourced organic milk, you pick your perfect flavour gelato and then customise from a vast selection of toppings, sprinkles and drizzles that’s as individual as you are. There are more than 700 different combinations, so a huge variety available, although by all accounts there’s serious demand for a Lotus Biscoff-themed creation that boasts a white chocolate dipped gelato with caramel fudge, salted caramel crunch, and crushed Lotus Biscoff! Blimey!

POP-TASTIC!

So, let’s go back to the beginning. The founders of LA-POP! are husband and wife team, Abdul and Anum Kaium. Both Brummies by birth, their dream was kickstarted on a family holiday to Dubai in 2017 where their young children expressed a wish for their own ice cream shop and the entrepreneurial seed was sown.

The couple spent the next few months researching and training in artisan gelato, learning the techniques that build credibility and the finest flavour, before sourcing the custom Italian gelato machines that would lead to the best possible popsicles. During this time, they also developed the strong, vibrant brand identity that helps sets them apart “We can thank a good friend of ours who truly understood our vision and created the LA-POP! logo and brand identity,” says Anum.

LOCATION, LOCATION

With product and brand sorted, the next key component was location. They always knew that they wanted to bring LA-POP! to their hometown. “After working as a professional chef for more than 20 years, I was always drawn to the city’s vibrant food scene and strong sense of community” says Abdul. Securing the Edgbaston site, with the support of Calthorpe Estate, was a key milestone. “We chose the area because we believed the leafy suburbs were the perfect place where Brummies would embrace a fresh, fun take on gelato,” Anum adds.

Building works began before a major financial setback from a failed relationship with the original contractor, led to a delay to the opening. The doors finally opened in August 2019 and after a positive start, just six months later the fledgling family business was hit by the pandemic. It was a tough time and the team almost lost hope, but they never lost sight of their vision before successfully navigating the choppy waters “Passion and perseverance carried us through,” said Abdul. “And the support from our customers was amazing, even showing up on rainy and cold days.”

Five years later, the award-winning business is thriving with some exciting expansion plans ahead, including new product ranges, more local partnerships and tie-ins with Edgbaston Village, and sights set on new locations – bringing the vibrant joy of LA-POP! to new neighbourhoods.

So, what is their key ingredients to success? “Passion, trustworthy partnerships and a supportive community that builds momentum—from family inspiration to Brummie love – have helped us turn our children’s dream into a thriving, award-winning business,” said Anum.

From overcoming early setbacks to crafting thousands of colourful, delicious creations, it feels like LA-POP! is only just beginning its journey.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I have worked at Edgbaston since August 1973 in a variety of roles, but until the date of my retirement last month I was Cricket Operations Manager working closely with the Warwickshire team, match officials as well as visiting International and domestic teams. There’s been many milestones during 51 years – receiving the British Empire Medal in the Queens New Year’s Honours in 2019, visiting Buckingham Palace on three different occasions with the team, and travelling the world with Warwickshire. I’ve met many famous sportspeople over the years, as well as royalty. I was recently awarded two of the highest accolades in the game for my work at Warwickshire – Honorary Life Membership of Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Honorary Life Vice Presidency of England and Wales Cricket Board.

IT’S WHAT I DO

My role was very much operationally based, planning and delivering major matches at Edgbaston, plus keeping a vibrant group of Warwickshire players ‘on the road’ at all times. I do feel that during my time with the club I was able to deliver on most occasions, and always with a smile (where possible).

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Professionally I don’t have any more ambitions within the game, my job was incredibly challenging in terms of time and commitments – especially during the summer months, so retirement now means more down time, catching up with family and friends and also travelling more with my wife Karen. Our ‘bucket list’ holiday, travelling around Italy, is looming.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Finishing up after 51 years working at the same place and being able to count upon so many wonderful friends who are a massive part of my life story. Success to me isn’t counted in big bank balances, cars or flashy homes, it’s a about the people you meet along the way and the way they weave themselves into your life.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I once wrote something that is printed on the walls of the entrance into the players area at Edgbaston and would be read by all players young and old who journey through those doors in their career which reads: “This isn’t just a job, it’s a life choice. Not everyone will make it to be top, but you will all have your moment. Take it with both hands, enjoy it to the maximum and remember it well”. I feel that we can all connect with that in some way in our lives.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I’m a born and bred Brummie, so my home city is always in my heart wherever I travel. The best thing about Birmingham is the people – I’ve met some amazing characters.

DOWNTIME

Catching up on 51 years of jobs at home that I was never able to get around to. Love to walk the local lanes and when time allows and really enjoy a day fly fishing.

When you’re over 200 years old, the number 25 could be seen as somewhat insignificant. But not for the glorious RBSA Gallery in the Jewellery Quarter. Opened 25 years ago by the-then-Prince Charles, the gallery has developed into a real gem of art and artists in the Birmingham cultural scene.

While the rich legacy of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists goes back two centuries, the Gallery’s much more recent history is both uplifting and inspiring. It is one of only two galleries outside London run by a society of artists, delivered and managed by its own members and trustees, with its own staff.

The Gallery held a celebratory exhibition last month, 25 For 25, which drew distinguished guests, including Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, as well as many members of the public. The exhibition involved two groups of 25 individuals, including the president, vice-presidents, members, associates, graduate artists, gallery staff and volunteers, each selecting an artwork or artefact from the collection.

OLD AND NEW

The brief was to choose something, old or new, with which they felt a personal connection, with explanations of the choices alongside portraits and text introducing the people behind the RBSA and its Gallery to visitors. As well as artworks, a number of documents featured, including letters from, surprisingly, Buffalo Bill and Birmingham-born creator of the city Cathedral’s famed stained-glass windows, Sir Edward Burne Jones.

The RBSA moved the Gallery to its current location in St Paul’s Square in 2000 from a building in New Street which now houses Medicine Bakery. As an artist-led charity, the Society supports creatives and promotes engagement with the visual arts through a hugely varied programme of exhibitions, events and workshops.

HISTORY-MAKING

Within the Gallery is the Society’s permanent collection – an archive of more than 1,000 artworks, catalogues, letters and records documenting the past 200-plus years. The works of many RBSA members and associates, past and present, are held within the collection, alongside other items important to the history of Birmingham as a city. The Gallery is, as a result of this collection, also an accredited museum and holds exhibitions showing items from the archive twice a year. The Gallery also features a craft shop which stocks jewellery, ceramics, textiles, prints, books, glassware and greetings cards from designers and makers based in the West Midlands and beyond.

A refurbishment project two years ago gave the Gallery a major facelift, and last year visitors numbers rose to 13,000. It’s a number which the RBSA’s recently elected president Ed Isaacs is keen to grow substantially moving forward.

VISITOR BOOST

“I would like to see this increase in the thousands,” he said, “by raising the profile of the Society as people don’t necessarily know who we are.” Ed says that aim is very much linked to getting more people in general into the Jewellery Quarter. “The profile of the JQ is increasing, but I would like to see it grow further, with more restaurants, bars, coffee shops and the like in the area, attracting more visitors who may then also visit the Gallery.”

While the Gallery’s 25th anniversary is a significant milestone, 2007 will see a more important landmark – the bicentenary of the first ever RBSA Annual Exhibition. The event is a tradition that has continued unbroken for 200 years with the exceptions of the war years of 1940 and 1941 and the 2020 Covid lockdown. “This is an occasion which I am very much working towards,” said Ed. “It speaks to the hugely important part the Society has played in the cultural ecology of our city.”

ROYAL GUEST?

Bearing in mind the Society’s royal patronage, could we perhaps expect a certain visitor from Buckingham Palace to make an appearance in Birmingham in two years’ time? “That’s something (how can I say?) that I couldn’t possibly comment on,” said Ed.

OK, but we think might get the bunting ready… just in case!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’m a Brummie born and bred and started out as a journalist on the Sutton Coldfield Observer. I moved into PR and communications, working on everything from pubs to pipe work and dating to dumper trucks. When I hit 40, I decided to take the plunge and started working in the charity sector with hospices, sight loss and young people’s charities before I landed in my current role.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m CEO of Martineau Gardens, a 2.5-acre community garden which offers therapeutic horticulture for people with a range of support needs. We’re a registered charity and are open to the public six days a week, alongside school visits, events and hiring the space. I’m involved in the running of the charity, fund-raising, events – everything that doesn’t involve digging or planting. (I have a track record of killing plants!)

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition this year is to lead a fund-raising appeal for the gardens for a new building, which the brilliant team at Martineau will be launching in June. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the gardens to become more accessible. We are launching a crowdfunder to support the next steps in the build process.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

In my personal life, raising three children solo while also caring for my mum who lived with dementia. Professionally, it’s finding a role where I see the impact of what the charity does every day. I read the other day about glimmers, tiny moments of joy that spark positive feelings. I realised just how many of those come through some wonderful moments at work for me.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

There is a fine line between being courageous and a bit daft! I’ve never been afraid to try new things, but on several occasions I’ve ended up over-committed and overstretched as a result.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

It has to be the food. It demonstrates the diversity of the city – from the pop-up traders at Digbeth Dining Club to Michelin-starred restaurant, like Opheem. One of my favourite nights ever was a fund-raising pop-up restaurant at Martineau Gardens run by Ben Wright, who was a chef at Opheem at that time. I waitressed – it was brilliant fun. But I’m equally happy with a hot, fresh samosa from the Desi Sweet Centre on Soho Road.

DOWNTIME

I’m a huge fan of a live gig and regularly organise meet-ups for a local rock group. This year I’m off to Cardiff to see Alanis Morissette, Liverpool for Bruce Springsteen and Paris for AC/DC. I also love a smaller gig closer to home – the blues afternoon at the Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath is a favourite.

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD?

Whatever you do today, take a walk in the fresh air if you can. Connecting with nature and being outside is one of the simplest and most powerful ways of boosting wellbeing.

Joe Baker who founded Midlands construction firm Second City Screed is shining a light on the 7,000 construction workers who have taken their own life in the last decade and hopes to prompt change. His aim is to reduce the stigma around mental health in construction, increase awareness and boost education and support for workers. More training about coping mechanisms and how to spot someone who might be struggling is key.

Joe is very open about his own battle with addiction as well as isolation during Covid and ultimately his attempt to end his life. He says: “I attempted suicide. I was deep into addiction. Really, really struggling. It was talking to people that saved me. That and becoming sober. I haven’t trained for this, but that’s the point – it’s meant to be hard because this is a hard issue.” It’s a personal mission for Joe, one rooted in pain and optimism that things can change.

LOST CITY

Joe’s supporting the Lost City, a powerful campaign exposing the human cost of mental health neglect in trades. By visualising exactly what they could have built, the Lost City shows the true scale of construction suicides – the city that could exist if the construction suicide crisis didn’t.

The campaign says that the 7,000 lives lost in a decade is equivalent to 150,000 homes, 80 schools and three hospitals that will never be built. The construction industry has a suicide rate four times the national average. Ninety-six per cent of tradespeople have worked in isolation, 65 per cent face severe financial pressure and 64 per cent turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. Yet support across the industry is woeful.

In 2024, the sector lost £2.4billion due to mental health related absence. Joe says: “The roads, the railways, the homes we live in — they’re all built by people like us. But we’re undervalued. Underappreciated. And when we break, no one notices until it’s too late.” Joe’s message is enough is enough. He’s raising money for Band of Builders and Construction Sport – two charities at the forefront of mental health support and suicide prevention in the trades.

LONELY BATTLE

The industry faces challenges including an ageing workforce and a shortage of skilled labour exacerbated by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the availability of workers hard. While the industry grapples with these issues, it also needs to address the drivers that result in poor mental health. Increased job security and improved working conditions would boost overall well-being and productivity.

Talking openly about the issues is a start and Joe hopes that by completing his challenge and sticking his head above the parapet to tell his story will help to effect change. He says: “Each run is a symbol of the mental load so many in the industry carry silently. Fatigue. Financial stress. Loneliness. Grief. These runs are for them — for the ones still battling, and the ones already lost.”

In a crowded swimwear market, sisters Daisy and Georgia Quirke hatched a plan in 2023 to create 100 per cent sustainable pieces with a timeless nostalgic feel. The following summer they launched Lola Baia. Exposure through last season’s Love Island raised the brand’s profile and increased sales, but more importantly, the positive feedback they receive from customers is the biggest boost.

Daisy and Georgia always wanted to run a business together. They’d watched their father and uncle successfully build and run a family firm in Birmingham and liked the idea. The concept of launching sustainable swimwear was born out of the frustration of trying to find the perfect bikini for summer trips abroad. They found themselves having to order swimwear from Australia and the US with high import duties and long shipping times plus they were shocked at the lack of sustainable options.

INSPIRATION

In 2023 Lola Baia started life at the kitchen table in Birmingham with sketches and mood boards taking inspiration from campaigns from the Sixties including swim skirts and boy shorts which Daisy and Georgia felt were missing from the market. They researched sustainable fabric suppliers, manufacturers, how to build a website and all the other aspects of running a business that were new to them. The sisters say: “It was all a bit DIY at first!” The pair found a manufacturer in Portugal that shared their ethics and vision and after numerous sample rounds and fit sessions, the first collection was complete and ready for market.

One of the biggest challenges Daisy and Georgia have faced has been the drive to be 100 per cent sustainable. Everything takes longer and costs are higher. As well as the fabric costing more, they found that working with an ethical, sustainable factory is also more expensive. While it’s more effort and investment, sustainability remains at the core of what Lola Baia is about, so it’s worth it.

They say: “The factory we work with specialises in sustainable production and small-batch manufacturing, which means we’re able to maintain high quality standards while also reducing waste.” The swimwear is crafted from premium Italian recycled fabrics made from regenerated ocean waste – so plastic bottles, ghost fishing nets and other marine debris. It’s made to last for years – this isn’t fast fashion.

TV DEBUT

When a stylist for one of the contestants on Love Island messaged Lola Baia asking for pieces, it was a surreal moment. Daisy and Georgia say: “It was so exciting! We had no idea if they’d actually end up being worn. We sent them off and just crossed our fingers. When we finally saw one of our bikinis on Love Island, it was honestly surreal.” Being on national TV gave them a confidence boost and raised the brand’s profile. Instagram started growing and there was a big spike in website traffic and sales. It brought a new audience to the brand, and it’s opened doors to potentially exciting opportunities.

With a new collection launching this month and plans in the pipeline for a shoot abroad, 2025 is set to be exciting not least because Georgia recently had a baby. Motherhood has inspired some early-stage planning for a cute baby swimwear collection to match the womenswear pieces. Mom and daughter matching Lola Baia could be a thing.

Long term plans for the business are to expand into resortwear opening pop-ups in some of Daisy and Georgia’s top holiday destinations. Eventually they’d like to grow the business into a full lifestyle brand maintaining the Sixties inspired feel and ethical values.

From post girl to designer and every department in between, Poppy Elder got under the skin of her family’s metal casting and jewellery business where she developed a unique understanding and appreciation of the industry. Now, with all her knowledge and experience, Poppy is creating meaningful, timeless pieces from her studio in Sutton Coldfield.

In the Fifties, Poppy’s grandparents opened a metal casting business in the Jewellery Quarter which became one of Europe’s largest independent jewellery manufacturers. Poppy was involved from an early age working in the school holidays for a bit of pocket money and when decisions about university were being made, she chose to follow her family into jewellery making instead. In addition to the factory, the family had a shop in the Jewellery Quarter where Poppy worked so that she could learn the retail side of the business. What was meant to be a 12-month stint in the shop turned into a decade.

Poppy’s mum and uncle are in the process of retiring and explored selling the business before settling on an employee ownership scheme in order to protect their loyal work force. While they had plenty of interest from people looking to buy the business, Poppy’s mum and uncle were worried they were looking to make a quick buck asset-stripping the factory which obviously they were keen to avoid. Poppy says: “The MD had been there for donkeys years and lots of people had worked there for decades, so it would have been heartbreaking. There would have been a hundred jobs lost potentially, which is why they started the employee ownership scheme.”

TIMELESS DESIGNS

With the wealth of experience under Poppy’s belt, going it alone wasn’t daunting, and she quickly found her own unique style preferring to create timeless pieces rather than following fickle trends. She’s had customers who have visited her with very wide gold wedding bands that were fashionable when they got married, but they don’t like them anymore. She says: “It has to last a lifetime, so there’s got to be an element of classic.” Poppy enjoys using unusual diamonds and colours in a classic setting ensuring beauty and longevity while also making the piece individual.

There’s a lot of emotion involved in the design process. She explains: “Nobody’s buying fine jewellery for the sake of it. It might be a wedding, an anniversary or a special birthday. There are generally a lot of emotions.” This is most evident with engagement rings when Poppy does a lot of hand holding through the design process. Some people come to see Poppy with very set ideas that might need managing.

She explains: “It’s a big decision and there are a lot of hats to wear. Some people want white gold but don’t realise that the shiny white finish might wear off in time and need work further down the line. Platinum doesn’t require that. Also, the cost of gold fluctuates because when there’s instability in the world people invest in gold. It’s currently more expensive than platinum and more high maintenance, so platinum is a better option.” Sometimes people want the stone to be as big as possible, others want it to be as perfect as possible. There’s generally a budget, so Poppy says there’s a fine balance to strike. She says: “There’s also the element of surprise with an engagement so that adds to the emotion.” Poppy is the only point of contact throughout the whole process making it a truly one to one experience that customers appreciate. Surprisingly she says WhatsApp has become a useful tool for answering questions quickly and discreetly with engagement rings.

AWARD-WINNING

Online business has generally been big for some time and while many of Poppy’s customers are local and pop in for face-to-face consultations, there’s a significant proportion online too – Poppy’s biggest wholesale customer is online.

As well as bespoke pieces that are collaborative and take time, Poppy has created an award-winning collection of one-of-a-kind pieces that are ready to ship which she has called the Signature Collection. Inspired by the natural beauty of the diamond or gemstone the piece is built around, crafted in 18ct gold or platinum, each piece is unique and aimed at customers who don’t want to wait.

Last year Poppy was part of the first cohort of the 51% Club which is a Birmingham-based organisation supporting female founders across all industries. It aims to change the landscape for female founders in the region through networking, masterclasses, workshops and generally creating opportunities and developing support networks. On the back of 51% Poppy has started running workshops for similar businesses to hers. She says: “The businesses could be seen as competitive but there’s enough work here for everybody. It’s a supportive community.”

In terms of what’s next for Poppy, she’s already building her dream career, so more of the same. She says: “This isn’t just a job for me, it’s my passion. I’m honoured to be part of such special moments in my clients’ lives.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I have always had a passion for marketing and communications and latterly behavioural economics – looking at what motivates us in our decision making. In my teens I was privileged to be offered work experience at Headline Communications on Newhall Street where I developed a love for PR. I went on to work at Golley Slater PR for nine years before joining Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, heading up the marketing and communications team within a cause I deeply care about.

IT’S WHAT I DO

While my fellow charity team members and I are not advanced clinicians on-board our helicopters, our roles still help to give patients in critical need the best chance of life and a good recovery. My team and I are responsible for raising awareness of our cause and to help raise vital funds as our emergency pre-hospital service does not receive Government funding for our daily missions, it is purely through charitable donations. The interactions I have with our former patients, supporters and volunteers is both humbling and rewarding. Their bravery, selflessness and generosity give me a great sense of pride and in turn motivates me to build further awareness of and engagement with our service, to ultimately help keep those helicopter blades turning.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I have a number of career goals still to achieve. Creating an award-winning world record is definitely still top of the list – watch this space!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I do appreciate little everyday wins, but my biggest achievement professionally was leading the team at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity to win the Communications Team of the Year at the national Third Sector Awards in 2021. During Covid, our We Can’t Work From Home campaign highlighted our crews were still responding to call-outs and that we needed the public’s support to continue to operate. It was a moment in time I will always be exceptionally proud of.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Never ever take credit for someone else’s idea, effort or chance to shine. This is my number one leadership rule. By recognising others’ achievements, you earn the respect of your team and your wider network.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I have a confession! I have never moved out of a Birmingham postcode and I’m proud of it! Birmingham is my home in every sense, you can find tranquil space, cool new places to eat and drink, and even find a blast from the past – DJ Fitchy at the Stoodi Bakers reunion last summer was incredible!

DOWNTIME

Without a doubt, my second home is the Edgbaston Priory Club. As a life-long member, I get a real sense of belonging there – whether it’s a kick ass class, picking up a racket or simply meeting with great friends.

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD?

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s High Flyers initiative allows you to add your name, or a loved one’s to the iconic chevrons on the air ambulance helicopter: highflyers.midlandsairambulance.com

Gill’s media shenanigans are a means to an end allowing her to raise her profile and in turn boost her charity fund-raising. When we spoke, Gill was fresh from completing the Polar Night Marathon in Norway and was as focused as ever on fund-raising for Cancer Research UK. Gill has raised just shy of £2million for the charity and is hoping to break through that mark by running the London Marathon in May.

Remarkably Gill doesn’t enjoy running which makes her achievements even more incredible. She’s been running and raising funds for more than 20 years and says she won’t stop until we live in a world without cancer. The fund-raising was prompted by her father’s devastating terminal diagnosis of bile duct cancer. Although Gill played hockey and cricket to a high level, she wasn’t a runner and thought it would amuse her father to see her running the London Marathon, so she did, and her fund-raising crusade was born.

POLAR BEAR

To complicate matters, Gill runs dressed in a polar bear outfit which her pupils at South Bromsgrove School have named Paula as it sounds a bit like polar and in honour of distance running royalty Paula Radcliffe. Cancer Research organises a winter run series where the support staff and volunteers dress as polar bears, huskies and penguins which is where the idea came from. The first time Gill donned the costume was London 2016 and she recalls: “As fun as it was, it was so hot. I never really thought I’d do it again.” Yet here we are.

It’s thanks to the polar bear outfit that Gill became a race ambassador for the Polar Night Marathon in Norway earlier in the year raising an impressive £22,000. She says: “The organisers fully embraced the idea and threw publicity behind it. I was on Norwegian TV and in the press.” It was a bit unnerving at times. At one point the temperature dropped to -23 degrees and Gill could hear arctic wolves howling which she says focused her!

CHEERS AND TEARS

Gill remembers running out of the wilderness and into hamlets where children were standing in the streets in temperatures of -16 waving drawings of polar bears. There were tears inside the costume not least because Gill knew that a week later to the day, she’d be sat in the chapel at Bromsgrove School, remembering one of her dear friends, Lesley, who had died from cancer. Gill says: “There is genuinely not a family in this country or any country that hasn’t been touched by cancer. The number of cases is rising, so it has never been more urgent to beat cancer.”

Gill’s training is consistent building to an intense 17-week schedule leading up to a marathon. She completed her very first marathon in London all those years ago with minimal training to which she said, ‘never again’. She says you have to keep the mileage up and get those long runs in.

SIX-HITTER

As head of sport at South Bromsgrove School as well as a coach at Bromsgrove School, Gill fits her runs around the day job by completing quick European runs or runs that fall in the school holidays. That said, she has managed to complete all six major marathons in the world – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York – and has been awarded the Six Star World Marathon Major medal. More people have reached the top of Everest than have been awarded this accolade. So, what’s next?

Gill would like to have a crack at the infamous Marathon de Sable in Morocco which is approximately the distance of six regular marathons over seven days. She says: “Maybe when I retire.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I worked on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as director of legacy. I’m a fan of sport but having never worked in sport or events it was a random career swerve. I was at Aston University for 14 years as director of careers and employability and another five years as a national policy advisor and commissioner for the government, so I had developed a grounding in how to get things done on a big scale with public money. When the opportunity came to join the Games’ organising committee, I had a blend of skills and experience for the role. It was very hard work, but I adored my time at the Games – however as the director of legacy, the hard work for me started once the Games were over…

IT’S WHAT I DO

For the last two years I’ve been running the charity founded to keep the good legacies going after the Games left town. The event created such an upswing in optimism, people told us they felt united by the summer of 2022 and asked us to keep that feeling alive. The charity has played a main role in ensuring £15million has gone to communities all around the West Midlands. If you’ve seen the orange uniforms of the volunteers at any of the 72 events around the region, that is what we do. We’ve also supported more than 2,000, 16 to 24-year-olds who face incredible hardships, providing experiences on our youth volunteering pathway. The young people might be carers, care leavers, disabled or living with a mental health condition which gets in the way of their dreams and prospects. We’re also upskilling hundreds of community groups to help them find sustainable funding, and we advise local employers on how they can be a better friend to local communities.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I’d love the rest of the country to believe in Birmingham the way I do. My latest mission is to get our businesses and public sector employers working on the same social challenges – like youth unemployment and health inequalities. It would be unbelievably powerful to combine the buying power of the council, the NHS, and businesses to make some coordinated asks of the suppliers they purchase from and turn that into tangible opportunities for local people.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I set up Degree Apprenticeships in England. It’s gone from zero in 2016 to 55,000 degree apprentices today. By working and earning as a degree apprentice, and not having to pay university fees, it opens up a completely new pathway to people of all ages who wouldn’t otherwise consider a degree. I’m so proud of that.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

In leadership – credit the team when things go well, take the hit when things go badly. In management – discretional effort is the biggest untapped resource on the planet. Personally – purpose gives me wings, wish I’d known that when I was 18.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Our people are funny, humble, diverse, creative and we get stuff done. Plus, we’ve got three Bulls and a Mr Egg. What’s not to love!

DOWNTIME

My ultimate stressbuster is kayaking out to a secret Welsh beach to watch dolphins as the sun sets. Preferably with a cold beer.

The news came as a bit of a shock. Afterall, who hasn’t heard of Simpsons? The first restaurant in Birmingham to earn a Michelin star. And who hasn’t heard of Andreas Antona. The man behind the legendary eatery, where good food became exquisite food and aspiring young chefs have been nurtured to become Michelin stars in their own right.

So, yes, the news that Simpsons is up for sale and that ‘The Godfather’ of this city’s burgeoning food scene is ‘retiring’ is hard to process. But as Andreas explained: “I’ve had a great run, I’m not getting any younger, and I still have many things I want to do with my life before my time is up.”

Let’s face it, it would be mean to protest too loudly his decision to hang up his apron after all he has brought to our city, lifting its profile from frankly what was a bit of a culinary joke to a dining powerhouse topped only by the capital for Michelin star restaurants.

FOODIE ROOTS

Andreas’s foodie roots began when he trained in Germany and Switzerland during his early years as a chef. On returning to the UK he worked with luminaries such as Anton Mosimann and Michael Quinn, former head chef at London’s Ritz. Having spent 35 years in the kitchen, he gave up cheffing to dedicate 15 years to running Simpsons followed by The Cross at Kenilworth which he took over in 2013.

Andreas said: “Last year, I marked 50 years as a chef and restaurateur, having started out at Ealing College in 1974. I feel lucky to have witnessed the boom and development of our industry into the wonderful profession it is now. Following a lot of soul searching, I’ve realised there is never a good time to retire, but when something from within is telling you to re-evaluate and enjoy life, family, friends, travel and golf, you need to listen. It is this realisation that has made me decide to sell Simpsons, the restaurant where my life as a chef patron began.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not one for standing still, and I will continue, albeit on a part-time basis, with my other interests such as The Cross and SOKO Patisserie for the near future. I’d also like to invest more time in projects close to my heart. Simpsons has a big place in my heart and a sale of this importance will take time. We have a fantastic team in place and I want to be sure that the buyer shares our passion to continue and build on Simpsons’s success.”

AWARDS GALORE

Simpsons has achieved three decades of culinary excellence with Andreas at its helm. The restaurant has held a Michelin star since 1999, alongside a host of other industry awards and accolades, including being recognised by PETA as one of the top 10 restaurants for plant-based dining. As such, Simpsons has established itself as a favourite dining destination for foodies and revolutionised the dining scene in Birmingham. Carrying on that legacy is front and centre for Andreas moving forward. “While I realise the time has come for me to unwind a bit, it’s vital that Simpsons carries on and goes from strength to strength. So, it will need someone with huge energy, commitment and of course talent.”

Resilience is a fourth quality which Andreas alluded to. “Times are very tough right now across the industry with a difficult trading environment,” he said. “Restaurants are a barometer of the country’s well-being, and we are going through it.” Never one to duck an issue, Andreas is happy to stir the pot when it comes to his views on how the nation is run by government.

“The whole nation has been let down over many years by politicians of all persuasions,” her says. “Let down through their interference in business which does more harm, instead of letting business get on with it. We are over-taxed and over-regulated. You want a growing economy? I could achieve that in two fell swoops – abolish the business rate system and reduce VAT to around four or five percent for retail and hospitality. As it stands now, everyone will have to actually reduce their payroll due to increases in National Insurance.”

YOUNG GUNS

Despite this criticism, Andreas is hopeful for the hospitality industry in the longer term. “I’m confident that good times will come again,” he said. “There are some brilliant young chefs out there. But we do need to create a broader appeal to get kids into the industry with more training programmes and apprenticeships. The problem is that government doesn’t look at hospitality as an industry, even though we are the third biggest in the country. They focus too much on tech, while our industry gets taken for granted.

“I knew at 15 that I never wanted to go to university, so I went to catering college. My generation wanted to make things better and we never took the industry for granted. I admire kids today, but I don’t sense the same camaraderie that we had. I was at the beginning of a great Birmingham revolution which became a golden era. Looking back on my career, I wouldn’t change anything.”

While Andreas is ‘officially retiring’ he says that “the Greek in me is to always carry on”. He adds: “I may have hung up my apron but you won’t see me shuffling around Sainsbury’s all day long or retiring to the garden. I will still be getting stuck in and involved ­– maybe through mentoring or consultancy.”

Of Brum in general, he says: “It looks buoyant, lots of cranes and plenty of building. There’s lots of different, ethnic restaurants and a great catering college. So, lots to be positive about!”

Anyone of a certain age might remember the randomness of Channel 4 televising kabaddi in the Nineties. I had no idea of the rules of the sport, but it was captivating, nonetheless. A sort of wrestling with rhythmic chanting. The president of World Kabaddi, Brum’s own Ashok Das has worked tirelessly – a phrase wildly overused but in this case totally accurate – to make kabaddi accessible in this country and beyond, culminating in this year’s Kabaddi World Cup coming to the region. It’s the first time the tournament has been held outside Asia and with support from the region’s mayor, Richard Parker and the West Midlands Growth Company, it’s happening.

To understand how this has come about, you have to understand Ashok’s drive and passion. Ashok grew up playing kabaddi in India before moving to Birmingham where he’s lived since 1986. Keen to give back to his community, Ashok wanted to boost kabaddi and give the community their own sport – something to be proud of. His wife, a black belt in karate, has supported Ashok in his decades long quest emotionally and ultimately, financially allowing her husband to focus on his dream. Ashok applied for Sport England funding for 15 years on the bounce but was unsuccessful. A sports charity called Sport Equal came on board three years ago which has helped.

Before his retirement from Birmingham City Council, Ashok spent years juggling the day job in pest control with kabaddi. Among many other things, Ashok made a documentary to boost engagement with a £5,000 loan from Barclays. He then launched an England team and took them to Mumbai to compete in 2004. He approached the British army about starting kabaddi training for soldiers. He showed a colonel the film he’d made, and the colonel agreed the sport would be good for soldiers.

They couldn’t pay Ashok, but he agreed to train them. For two evenings a week he travelled to train the soldiers after work and eventually launched a British army team that also competed in Mumbai. He launched the first women’s team in the UK and started approaching universities and colleges about running kabaddi clubs, again with zero funding.

BIG DREAMS

It wasn’t enough to grow the sport in the UK – Ashok was keen to boost kabaddi further. Every Friday Ashok would drive from Birmingham to Luton, jump on a flight to Italy, run training sessions and fly back late on Sunday ready for work the next day. Holidays were spent in countries where Ashok was trying to grow the sport such as Poland and Holland among others.

Ashok says kabaddi is an affordable sport – parents can send their children without worrying about money, they don’t need any kit, it’s inclusive and he was determined to get a league up and running. True to form, one team grew to over 10 clubs and now 100 players compete in the sport. Two years ago, just before his sixtieth birthday, Ashok sat down with his wife and sons and explained that the best present would be to retire. He says everyday was stressful and he was never appreciated at work. Ashok’s wife told him to leave his job and fulfil his dream and he’s been focused on kabaddi since.

When Joel Lavery, strategic lead of major sporting events at the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), approached him to meet up and discuss the sport’s future, it was a watershed moment that made Ashok’s dreams closer. Thanks to the Commonwealth Legacy fund, WMGC has been able to invest £500,000 in the Kabaddi World Cup coming to the region.

Joel says: “It is a massive honour and very exciting to welcome the first Kabaddi World Cup to ever be held outside Asia. This tournament promises to have a tremendous impact on the growth of kabaddi, bringing the West Midlands’ diverse communities centre stage.”

I feel like we can learn a lot from Ashok. We asked him how he kept going when no one other than his family believed in him. He says: “You have to make people believe in you. Never give up.” Ashok wakes up thankful everyday and credits meditation and faith with keeping him calm and positive. He says: “When I’m sleeping, I don’t know if I’ll wake, so every morning I thank my guru for another day.” There’s a lesson for us all in there somewhere. Be more Ashok.

Emma came to the CBSO from Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre where she landed after spending a decade as chief executive of the historic Bristol Old Vic. She was also head of theatre at Arts Council England and cultural programme advisor at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games as well as executive director of Battersea Arts Centre among other roles.  Now she has bold ambitions for the CBSO.

She says her vision is to connect with people who live here: “Classical repertoire will always be at the heart of what we do, however today’s Birmingham is immensely multicultural and young. We need to be bold enough to explore what to become. We need to be adventurous and brave enough to find something distinctive and step into new kinds of music.”

In April, the orchestra is putting on a concert in partnership with Punch Records titled Legacy which is surely the CBSO’s first foray into grime. Emma adds: “The musicians love the breadth. They’ll be playing Beethoven No9 at Symphony Hall one day and film music for a Halloween event the next.”

NUTS BUT FUN

Last summer the orchestra brought musical magic to the city by popping up and performing 27 free concerts in places like Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the library and New Street station among others. Emma says: “It was sort of nuts but the best fun ever. I would arrive at the office and it was like mission control. A string quartet would be off to play in a café, brass in the park. It was magic.”

Emma describes her role as CEO as a curious one. She says: “Internally my job is to care for the company. Do we have enough money and resources? There’s a strategic side too, so what we play and where as well as pushing us to think about the future.” She adds: “Externally, I represent the company and talk to partners and collaborate with cultural colleagues such as the ballet and internationally, represent the CBSO on the world stage. We’re in Europe in May, Japan in July. We take the city’s name with us.”

COMPLETELY MAGICAL

Just as Emma joined the orchestra, so did chief conductor and artistic advisor Kazuki Yamada who she works closely with and describes as ‘completely magical’ and who shares her love for the CBSO. Kazuki says: “It is a great orchestra with a very special connection, almost like telepathy. They have the ability to know in advance everything I want them to do. For me, it’s exciting just to think about how much fun it is to make music with them.”

Emma’s first impressions of Birmingham were positive. “I love being in the city. There’s a vibrancy and a happiness and so many different cultures. I found it welcoming.” Emma’s top foodie haunt is the unassuming Indian Racer. She says: “It’s my favourite restaurant. I take everyone. It’s in the back of a pub and such an improbable looking place. You go through a curtain and there it is. I absolutely love it.” The only issue with the city for Emma, and one we agree with, is the public transport provisions after dark. She says: “Public transport needs improving to stop the 9.30pm transit out of the city. It’s terrible for the night time economy. The mayor could sort it.”

VIOLIN BY ZOOM

It’ll surprise you to learn that Emma isn’t very musical but thought she’d have a stab at the violin during lockdown. She says: “I made various attempts as a child. I reached grade 2 on the piano. I spent my time dancing – ballet and tap.” She adds: “During lockdown in Toronto an oddly shaped package arrived from a friend which turned out to be a violin. I started a weekly Zoom class – poor neighbours! I got to a point where I could play Amazing Grace. It was really enjoyable.”

Emma headed up the Soulpepper Theatre throughout the pandemic so worked a lot from the kitchen table. A salary subsidy scheme kept the theatre’s staff employed. She says: “It was the opposite of the furlough scheme. Here people were paid not to work and in Canada the salary subsidy paid people to stay employed. We did all sorts – radio plays, sorting out the archive, sign language lessons.”

Emma says Birmingham is like Toronto in some ways, but she’s not looking back. She’s looking ahead to a packed programme for the rest of 2025 and ensuring that the CBSO continues to thrive. She says: “It has an incredible history, and I feel a profound responsibility.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

This year marks my 20th year with the West Midlands Growth Company and BBC Radio WM – thank you if your first thought was ‘he doesn’t look old enough!’ – having joined both organisations after graduating from Aston University. The variety, experiences and enjoyment gained from working as a communications officer with media during the week, and then the reverse at the weekend, has seen me working in Cannes, at Conservative Party conferences and the Commonwealth Games, so it’s rarely dull!

IT’S WHAT I DO

During the week, I am a communications manager for the West Midlands Growth Company. My job is to liaise with local, national and international media – as well as our seven local authorities, stakeholders such as VisitBritain/VisitEngland and our great tourism venues – with the aim of creating positive coverage about the region and attracting more tourists, conferences and major sporting events to the West Midlands. I hope that by reading, hearing or watching upbeat stories about the West Midlands in some of the outlets I’ve worked with in recent years, that tourists and event organisers are encouraged to think about coming here. At weekends, I commentate on one of the West Midlands’ five Premier League or EFL football teams – normally Aston Villa or Walsall – so I could end up being in Newcastle, Nottingham or Newport on any given Saturday afternoon!

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I would love to see Birmingham and the wider West Midlands featured more in national newspapers’ weekend travel sections as a viable and serious option, rather than as a surprise alternative. It still seems fashionable to bash Birmingham and its surroundings by people who’ve either never been or have outdated views. On the football side, to commentate on one of our teams winning a trophy or gaining promotion would be a great thrill.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

It’s hard to look beyond that fantastic summer in 2022 when Birmingham hosted the Commonwealth Games. It was fantastic to see Birmingham and the West Midlands getting its time to shine and so many positive headlines. Having interviewed Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight for our Visit Birmingham website back in 2013 before the first series launched, it’s been incredible to see how that drama has exploded into a global phenomenon – it’s helped me to get some big national and international stories. I love commentating on Aston Villa in big Premier League fixtures. It’s been something I could’ve only dreamed of as a child.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I wish I had had thicker skin when starting out – I remember being called a ‘wet lettuce’ on social media after one of my first Birmingham City matches – but I’ve learned not to be quite so offended nowadays.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I absolutely love all of the big sporting events that Birmingham and the West Midlands hosts. We’ve christened this region the ‘heart of sport’ in the UK, and with the All England Badminton Championships, Kabaddi World Cup and Rocket League Championship Series in March alone, there’s so much to enjoy.

DOWNTIME

Taking my six-year-old and three-year-old out and about to explore the West Midlands fills my weekends when I’m not at a football match. I also love watching game shows and will tell anyone who’ll listen (more than once) about my win on Countdown a few years ago. It’s probably time I went on another one!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

In my twenties, I was a civil servant in Whitehall, a teacher in North London and in Uganda. Working in a remote village in this beautiful East African country was a formative experience and a stepping-stone to my ordination. As an ordained minister in the Church of England, I have worked in Surrey, Essex and now Birmingham. I am married to Jenny and we have two grown-up married daughters.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am vicar of St Paul’s in the JQ and chair Thrive Together Birmingham, the Church of England community generation arm with a mission to tackle poverty and build community. My role as vicar is to connect the Christian community that worship and prays at St Paul’s with the businesses, residents and institutions of the JQ. I am also custodian of this historic and iconic church building, the jewel in the city’s crown. Urgently, we need to replace the roof before it fails and results in catastrophic water damage. The Raise the Roof campaign has been running for 14 months and has raised £170,000, bringing significant grant applications into play, but there is still some way to go to reach our total of £660,000.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

For St Paul’s, I want to see the church grow in numbers and in faith and to find new ways to serve the people of the JQ. Once the roof is replaced, my ambition is to modernise the interior while retaining its key heritage features, so that it can be an even better venue for concerts, the arts and a hub for community activities. On a personal note, I am working towards accreditation as a coach and the draft of my fourth book. You can find the other three on Amazon!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I am most proud of my two daughters! In terms of work, I am motivated by shaping and leading churches that are loving and fruitful communities. When it comes to leisure, I have cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 15 days, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and trekked to Annapurna base camp in Nepal.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Mutual supportive relationships are what make life and work enjoyable. That means that when it comes to recruitment, qualities of character, collaboration and colleagueship would have more sway now than in the past.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Its rich diversity and down-to-earth friendliness, along with its art, music and heritage. The Edwardian Tea Rooms in the Museum and Art gallery in the city centre and Edgbaston Cricket are two of my favourite places outside of the Jewellery Quarter which is so vibrant. I am also aiming to get to all the football grounds on match days in the West Midlands – so far, I’ve been to the Hawthorns and Villa Park.

DOWNTIME

I am a keen West Ham fan and was at Villa Park for the recent FA cup tie to see them lose! I have enjoyed playing football and cricket in my younger days but now focus on cycling. This year, I am cycling from Minster on Sea on the Thames Estuary to Weston-super-Mare in June. Besides pedalling, I like cooking, reading, walking in the countryside, going to the theatre and watching drama on TV. I am coming to the end of the seven seasons of The West Wing, the American political drama for the second time.

It’s an interesting and completely appropriate analogy. Birmingham Botanical Gardens and a pair of old, comfy slippers! You know the ones we mean… well-worn, a little threadbare maybe, but still very much loved.

In case you’re wondering, the description is not ours, but that of Sara Blair-Manning, the Gardens’ chief executive. And it wasn’t said to be derogatory in any way – far from it! Rather, Sara was summing up the Gardens place in Birmingham’s collective history. And the fact that a real jewel has become rather tired over time and definitely in need of some serious TLC.

MASTERPLAN

Sara and her amazing team are in the early stages of doing just that – of bringing the Gardens back to their former glory with a massive restoration masterplan over the coming five years. The £25million cost is targeted to come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), charitable foundations and corporate and individual donations. It will see the centrepiece of the 15-acre site, the four magnificent Victorian glasshouses – the Lily House, Palm House, Mediterranean House and Arid House – restored as part of a wider rejuvenation which will be the biggest overhaul in the Gardens’ 200-year history.

The NLHF awarded an initial development grant of £590,000 in 2022 and this will be followed up when the Gardens submit an application for the first phase of the project totalling £19million. “We should hear whether we have been successful from NLHF in June. If we are successful with the application then we will have fund-raised a total of £15.5million from charitable trusts and foundations,” Sara explained.

START DATE

“We will then have an additional £3.5million left to raise. Some of this will be from additional trusts, foundations and landfill grants. The remainder will be from individual and corporate giving. If successful with the NLHF and the fund-raising, the works are expected to start in mid-2026 and end in late 2029.”

As well as restoring the glasshouses – which in itself will require the relocation of more than 10,000 plants – the project led by Glen Howells Architects, supported by conservation architects Donald Insalls, will see a new visitors centre to include a cafe and shop, a new central courtyard and a building for events, as well as improvements to car parking.

The Gardens, which operates as a charity, already attracts 19,000 school visits a year, a total of 225,000 day visitors and 35,000 conference visitors, bringing an economic benefit to the city of £6million a year – which is expected to double to £12million as a result of the restoration project. In readiness for what will be an amazing new future for the Gardens, Sara has set her immediate goal on getting Brummies excited and talking about what is to come.

SUPPORT

“Our focus is on really raising awareness right now,” she said. “Getting people’s support for the Gardens in whatever form that may take – from more people visiting, or by becoming members, or writing to their MPs to get their support, or just by everyone speaking warmly of the Gardens in general.”

The importance of the project cannot be overstated as Sara stressed that it really is “the last chance to save Birmingham Botanical Gardens”. She added: “The Gardens offer a rich, uniquely biodiverse natural environment just one mile from Birmingham city centre, and we know, through consultation, that they are hugely treasured by the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands. This project will ensure the preservation of Birmingham’s priceless heritage and save these beautiful Gardens for future generations.

“It is a transformational project that will restore the glasshouse estate to its former magnificence, improve key spaces and facilities, including education spaces and the plant nursery, provide a suitable environment to care for the living collections, strengthen financial resilience and increase public understanding of plants, sustainability, and environmental issues.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Well, I came to gardening quite late to be honest – when we were all stuck at home about four years ago, I picked up a spade, put on some gardening gloves and never looked back! Over the last four years, I’ve gone from turning our humble little garden into a floral paradise to now sharing with others online, how to do the same. Never in a million years did I think I’d be talking on some of the biggest gardening stages in the world too!

IT’S WHAT I DO

Essentially, I’m a writer, podcaster, gardener and I’m also very busy on social media. My aim is to share, in whatever way possible, just how simple gardening can be and how anyone (literally anyone!) can do it. Now more than 60,000 people follow me over Instagram and many of those will have taken up gardening too.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Personally, my aim is to reach as many people as possible and continue doing what I’m doing. It makes me so incredibly happy to know that some people will have picked up gardening off the back of one of my videos, or by listening to my podcast, or seeing me talk at a show.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Gosh, that’s a difficult one – so tough to answer! I’m not sure I can pick just one, but having sat down and interviewed THE Alan Titchmarsh has got to be up there for sure. I remember my parents watching Ground Force and Gardener’s World when I was a lad, and going from just seeing him on the television to now talking to him – that blows my mind a wee bit.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I’d have started earlier! Why oh, why did I wait until I was 32 to start gardening properly?! You can pick up gardening at any age, and I think some people still think it’s something that the older generations do – but no, get gardening everyone!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Birmingham is such an underrated city. As far as city centres go, it’s so accessible and most things are within easy walking distance – but I’ve got to go with a garden haven’t I? It would be mad not to! We’re blessed with some fantastic gardens and one hidden gem, just out of the centre itself is Winterbourne – in the grounds of Birmingham University. Beautiful flowers and a cracking afternoon tea too – what could be better?

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I decided I wanted to be a quantity surveyor at the age of 13 (long story!!!), and made it. I followed my QS dream through consultancy and contracting until redundancy in the early 90’s recession led to a chance role of development manager in the care home sector. The company I worked for morphed in 1998 from elderly care development to under-5’s childcare, when I became one of the five founders and head of property of Leapfrog Day Nurseries, a venture capital equity-based start-up that grew to 39 locations across England and Scotland by 2004.
In 2004, Nord Anglia Education plc acquired Leapfrog and within 12 months I became their group property and development director. I managed an ‘eclectic’ property portfolio and development, growing the nursery division to 110 sites, alongside supporting Learning Services across the UK, and the International Schools, which included its expansion into China. When Nord Anglia sold its day nursery division in 2007 and then moved to Hong Kong, I chose to stay in the UK, joining Calthorpe Estates.

IT’S WHAT I DO

My role covers masterplanning, development and place-making across the 1,600-acre estate, working closely with the city planning and policy teams, visioning for the estate for decades ahead. This has led to the redevelopment of Pebble Mill, New Garden Square, Edgbaston Mill opposite ECG, and development of Edgbaston Village including Greenfield Crescent.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Personally, for me and my wife Natalie to see our three ‘boys’ – Reece, 24, an architectural assistant, Corey, 23, an apprentice/trainee quantity surveyor, and Perry, 20, a site operative – to continue to be happy and enjoy success in the construction industry that was a foundation for me. Professionally, to help maintain the important synergy of the Calthorpe Estate and Birmingham City Council, for growth and continuing successful regeneration of the estate.

BIGGEST SUCCESS & DOWNTIME

Taekwondo! I took up the martial art in 1978 as something to do while studying quantity surveying at Trent, Nottingham, and passed my black belt in 1981. I became an England and GB international competitor and represented GB at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. I started teaching inner-city kids in 1984, to try and inspire belief to achieve, and still teach classes in today. In 2020, I was promoted to 8th Degree World Master.
Professionally, I have great pride in driving the success of our Pebble Mill site, from 27 acres of fields and ‘dirt’ in 2008, to the established medical park today; with two hospitals, Circle and the NHS Dental, Bupa care home, Vita student, and our amenity retail and F&B site.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I live in a village called ‘Nottingham’ and work in a major city called ‘Birmingham’, but would love to see a Nottingham-esq tram and bus system here, especially through the estate along Hagley Road to Quinton.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The redevelopment of Paradise Circus, Arena Central, Centenary and Victoria Squares. That vision of Birmingham’s Big City Plan of 2010 now realised is just WORLD CLASS!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I started out as a culture writer for Metro newspaper, but after being made redundant I snuck my way into the world of independent cinema, which I’ve been doing now since 2009 – starting out at Birmingham’s Electric Cinema and continuing at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC). I’ve curated thousands of screenings and events, programmed festivals like the Shock & Gore horror festival and MAC’s Square Eyes TV festival. We’ve brought lots of excellent guests to MAC for special Q&A events – the likes of Pam Grier, Ken Loach, Asif Kapadia, Stephen Graham, Ricky Tomlinson, Cathy Tyson and Russell T Davies.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m currently the cinema programmer at MAC. You might think that means I watch films all day, but the reality is I spend about five per cent of the time doing that. Most of my job is about negotiating film rights, booking events, arranging workshops and Q&As, collaborating with nationwide festivals in terms of bringing their films to Birmingham and working on larger projects like our Expanding the Frame initiative to make cinema more accessible to everyone.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I have two ambitions in terms of my work. Firstly, to do lots more to make cinema available and accessible to everyone, whether they’re d/Deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired or have complex needs. It’s something the cinema industry is really running behind on, and we need to urgently fix. The second is to do more to attract high profile events to Birmingham. Our city often gets missed out by visiting talent from the world of film and TV, and I want to do more of those kinds of Q&A/panel events.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Personally, raising two brilliant boys with my similarly brilliant wife, all three of whom have literally changed my life. Professionally, it would be launching the Square Eyes TV Festival – a big festival focused around the incredible array of brilliant artistic work that you can find on television.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Be confident in your ideas. Just because somebody else is louder and more stubborn, it doesn’t mean that your ideas aren’t as valid as theirs.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

It’s rammed with talent. Music, theatre, film, TV, visual arts – it’s insane how many talented people live and work here. Look at the credits of a film or TV show filmed in the UK and chances are they will be filled with people from Birmingham and the Midlands.

DOWNTIME

My two young sons take up every spare moment, but I do manage to squeeze in some amateur theatre at the Crescent Theatre in Brindleyplace, where I’ve performed in shows like the Girl On The Train, My Night With Reg and Alan Ayckbourn’s House & Garden. It’s a brilliant hidden gem that deserves more love from the city.

FINALLY…

The annual Square Eyes TV festival returns to MAC between 1 and 10 November (see macbirmingham.co.uk). Expanding the Frame is made possible by the generosity of Film Hub Midlands, BFI Film Audience Network and the National Lottery.

So… who knew Morris dance was a tradition going back 75 years in Brum? No neither did we, but a chat with the crew at Jockey Morris soon set us straight. The club is celebrating its special landmark this year in the only way it knows how – with a special dance event in Birmingham city centre on 12 October with guests attending from across the Midlands. And as the club’s Squire (that’s Chair to the rest of us) Peter Austin says: “Having lots of fun, too.”

Jockey Morris was formed in 1949 and has represented dancing and the city of Birmingham in places as far flung as France, Flanders, Cyprus, Holland and Germany, as well as nearer to home here in the UK. “We like to keep our national folk tradition alive both at home and abroad,” explained Peter.

The club’s founder Gwen Johnson was a member of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS), and she formed Jockey Morris after becoming unimpressed with the standard of Morris Dancing in general and in Birmingham in particular. Inspiration for the club’s name came from Jockey Road, Sutton Coldfield where Gwen lived. The distinctive rosettes worn on members’ kits are taken from the Sutton Rose motif and the Blue Baldricks are from the colour associated with the City of Birmingham.

ALL AGES

You may think that Morris dancing is only associated with the period around May Day. You’d be totally wrong, as it’s a form of dance that’s practiced, perfected and performed all year round. You may also be under the misapprehension that it appeals to a certain (more mature) age group. Again wrong! Jockey Morris has members from all walks of life from students and professionals, right up to a sprightly 80-year-old. Peter said: “If you can walk, we can teach you to dance!”

Jockey Morris practice all year round on Friday evenings at Highgate Baptist Church, in Conybere Street. “After exerting ourselves in an energetic way for a couple of hours or so we then usually retire to the Lamp Tavern on Barford Street to refresh our weary bodies,” Peter added. While the dancing is key with ‘routines’ dating back many centuries, the social side is also important.
Of his own background, Peter explained: “I’d always enjoyed folk music and when I came to work in Birmingham, I was looking for a social activity that appealed to my musical background and which was on a Friday night so I could unwind for the weekend ahead, and just have fun. I discovered Jockey Morris and have loved it ever since.”

ALL WELCOME

There are more than 600 Morris teams in the UK with nearly 18,000 members. As with all forms of dance, there are numerous traditional steps and performances to learn and follow, but that doesn’t mean Morris is rigid. “At Jockey, we’ve added our own and I’ve even written some dances myself,” said Peter, who also serves as secretary to one of the national Morris dancing organisations.
Brummies will get the chance to see Jockey Morris celebrate its 75 years in style this month with anniversary performances around the city centre, including at New Street station and outside the library. Go watch them in action, and you may just be tempted to join Jockey yourself. As Peter says: “Everyone is welcome. It should be a great day.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’ve been a producer in the city for more than a decade, working first at Birmingham Hippodrome before setting up OPUS when I was pregnant in 2018. I’ve had the pleasure of working on lots of brilliant city events, the 2012 Cultural Olympiad and Birmingham Weekender. In 2022, I was the executive producer for Motionhouse’s site specific spectacle Wondrous Stories that opened the Cultural Programme of the Commonwealth Games and the event director for the festival sites that took over the city.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am currently producing Birmingham Royal Ballet’s next full-length ballet Luna, the final part of Carlos Acosta’s Birmingham Trilogy which includes City of a Thousand Trades and Black Sabbath – The Ballet. This involves a huge amount of coordination to bring complex productions like this to life with five brilliant female choreographers, creatives plans and schedules. I manage budgets and contracts but mostly I manage relationships. I take a lot of joy from working with creative people and particularly love telling stories of this great city we live in.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition is to keep this city that is home full of joy and wonder. Although I am currently working on my first theatre production with the ballet, you will generally find me outdoors bringing the public realm to life through interventions. I am currently completing my studies in cultural leadership and my ambition is to continue to grow our reach from the city nationally as we are starting to do now, to internationally… watch this space!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Keeping sane while running multiple projects and raising a fierce but kind daughter… sure other people can relate!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I believe everything happens for a reason and on sliding doors mentality. You have the power to decide if you are walking through or walking away, and making legitimate decisions without regret.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The inspiring women that live and work here. There are so many talented pioneers and hardworking women that work hard to make a life in this melting pot of Birmingham. Luna explores more of this in an abstract manner – picking out themes around overcoming adversity and female empowerment. We are so lucky to have the ballet here where we can see such stories explored on beautiful big stages.

DOWNTIME

My downtime is spent at other events and in the theatre, and now sharing that with my five-year-old daughter. I have set myself a task of a musical a month in 2024 – realising how much joy the artform still brings me and how lucky we are to have the regional theatre offer that we do – Hamilton was top but we currently have an excited five-year-old listening non-stop to Aladdin. I am not complaining!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I work in lots of different roles following various passions. I’m the co-founder of Kids’ Village, a sport and children’s presenter, producer, author and speaker. I was lucky to survive cancer as a child and I believe that the hope, joy and escape I experienced on a holiday to a place in America called Give Kids’ The World Village played a big part in that. With Kids’ Village we are building the UK’s first holiday village just for children with critical illness and their families to stay for free.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As the founder, I’ve done almost every role there is within Kids’ Village, from working on planning to accounting and designing the logo! But now that we have expanded the team, I’m able to focus on the bits I’m good at – social media, comms and speaking at events and to interested donors. I’m co-host of the daily children’s podcast Today with Tonies for the brand Tonies; I work in football for the BBC and Stoke City FC; I host T20 blast games for the ECB and have a weekly sports show on BBC Radio Stoke. My first children’s book has also recently been published, and I’m working on the next one.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

A breakthrough for me in presenting was hosting cricket for the Commonwealth Games at Edgbaston. I’m also really proud of getting the planning permission to build Kids’ Village. And early this year a team of us set out to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Kids’ Village and I’m incredibly proud to have made it to the top. I now wear a ring with Tanzanite that we bought after the climb to remind me that I can do hard things.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

A big one for me is to measure backwards. I’m always looking for the next big thing that I’d like to achieve so I find that I’m mostly focused on the future, but this can lead to feeling disappointed about where I am now. So, I’ve learned to look backwards, and it changes my perspective completely. I feel grateful and I’m reminded that the version of me that was lying in a hospital bed or trying to break into radio would be amazed of where I am today. A shout-out to my dad, Gary, for sharing this powerful lesson with me!

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Professionally, building and opening Kids’ Village is just the start of how I’d like to support children and families. Personally, I’m incredibly lucky with the most amazing family, group of friends and wonderful husband. I’d love to have my own little family and continue to live life finding fun every day.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I’m forever an ambassador for how great Birmingham is. My favourite thing is probably the food! We have soooo many incredible restaurants that I love.

DOWNTIME

Travelling is my absolute favourite thing. But I like to do so many different things – eating out, grabbing coffee, watching my husband play cricket, watching football (or any sport really!), running, the gym, walking my dog, shopping…

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’m a photographer specialising in conference photography. For the past two decades I’ve been documenting and capturing events here in the West Midlands and nationally. I’ve built a network of clients with whom I’ve forged strong working relationships in understanding what they need to deliver their objectives.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I capture images in the hope of capturing people’s attention. The power of a strong image is the potential to tell a story. It can also support a story, such as a press release, by drawing people in. The role brings me into contact with everyone, from business and thought leaders, politicians, music and sports stars and Royalty, to the people who attend the events I shoot. I would like to think my work helps my clients in their work. I take pride in seeing successful journeys and have witnessed individuals transition from undergraduates on their first step into the world of work to development, growth and conquering their world.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

The biggest professional success was being able to grow a business to provide the means to give my children a wonderful childhood. It’s why I sit on the NSPCC board – it’s a privilege to help other children who through no fault of their own have been dealt a poor hand.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Given the speed of life, it’s important to find what makes you happy and do it. I wanted to see the world and not wait until I retired to realise it. So, I took the family. Travel is a fabulous way to invest in yourself; you have memories that make you smile, stories to bore people with and a world view that teaches you that you are a part of a huge planet with distinct beliefs and traditions, and just because they are different doesn’t make them inferior to your ways.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I’ve achieved my personal ambition, I always wanted a family and it happened. I married, we bought a house, had a daughter and two years later a son. We watched them grow and develop into thoughtful and kind individuals. They both graduate from university in the same week in a fortnight.
Professionally, I’ve always wanted to be the ‘go to’ snapper in town. Sounds like a strange ambition but it shaped the way I grew the business. I imagined an events planner team around a table who need a photographer and I wanted the expression ‘get Sansi in’ to be the mantra.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I’m not going to say ‘it’s the people’, that’s a given as far as I’m concerned. Brummies are pure gold. My favourite thing about Birmingham is the trees, we have more than a million of them, one for every citizen. There’s hardly a place in Brum you can stand and not see a tree.

In the debate about whether to settle in London or Birmingham, our great city won and it’s all the richer for having Barbara and Marta in it. The creative output from Gibson Kochanek Studio has been extraordinary in terms of both creativity and the volume of work. I met Barbara and Marta a decade ago in their tiny Jewellery Quarter studio when they were introducing themselves to the city and building up contacts.

Originally from Poland, their obvious talent, energy and commitment was refreshing and exciting. Marta says: “We landed in Birmingham to fulfil our dreams blindly believing in our inner strength and determination. It wasn’t an easy start – but all the ups and downs only made us stronger.”

They reckon it took around two years to build trust within the community working hard to put their portfolio in front of potential clients over ‘endless cups of coffee’, events and meetings. They have a charming quality which means you never feel you’re being networked – they’re warm and enthusiastic but never salesy. I’ve ended up championing them at every turn. Whenever anyone mentions Gibson Kochanek my immediate reaction is, ‘oh Barbara and Marta, what lovely talented people.’ That’s what they instil, always raising a smile.

AWARD-WINNING

At the time of launching in Birmingham, photography was their focus and Marta had taken a series of striking atmospheric portraits of some of the dancers at Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) which you may have seen. One of which – a shot of BRB legend Cesar Morales – gained an honourable mention in the International Color Awards portrait category. Out of 7,500 entries just five were given a special mention. Marta has also been recognised in the Portrait of Britain competition named in the top 100 portraits for another of her shots pictured.

Marta was open to sharing her experience and professional expertise which led to a role at Birmingham City University as a visiting lecturer in commercial photography. While photography is still a staple of their work, the pair had to adapt significantly once the pandemic hit. All photography work was cancelled, and the dynamic duo started to develop digital content they could create at home.

Marta says: “While being creatively flexible and open to adapt to changes we started mastering photomontage/collage work, which soon started keeping us busy. We entered a new market providing work for magazines like the New Statement, the Guardian, the Economist, Evening Standard, Forbes and then the Rolling Stone, Billboard, Vanity Fair, Hollywood Reporter, Harvard Business, Politico and many more.” She adds: “Lockdown allowed us to take a step back and dedicate even more time to development, learning new skills and discovering new fields. We learned how to animate the content we produced.”

CAMPAIGN TRAIL

There have been advertising campaigns for HSBC, Mailbox, Birmingham Royal Ballet, National Express, Birmingham LGBT Centre, Black Country Living Museum, B:Music, Birmingham Hippodrome, JQ Bid, Colmore Bid, Chamber of Commerce and many more. Barbara and Marta also designed six posters for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 followed by a series of campaigns for UK Sport and England Rugby.

Marta says: “It’s been wonderful to see our work on billboards and across the city centre including New Street station’s media eye advertising screen.” Designing a cover for an AppleTV+ series and a main title sequence for HULU released last month is a particular highlight.

GLASS HALF FULL

The uncertainty and occasional frustration of a creative life are tempered with much joy and satisfaction. Marta says: “It’s part of the game. It is what all freelancers and small businesses face and must accept. All we can do is never to compromise on the quality of our work. We still learn, we still develop, and we still aim to work better, harder and more effectively.”

Grateful to Birmingham for the opportunities it’s thrown up, Barbara and Marta are looking back over the last decade in a celebratory mood. “It’s been an amazing time, now that we look at it from a perspective of a decade here. Birmingham has provided us with many opportunities to grow, becoming better and more professional, meeting people we are still in touch with today, many of whom have become returning clients, and some have become our long-term friends.”

Barbara and Marta’s glass half full spirit is infectious – they’ve found their groove, created a niche and are running with it producing work they’re proud of, that shines creatively and is commercially successful. Here’s to another 10 years!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

At the age of 18, I was Coventry Carnival Queen and even back then loved fund-raising – my year was completed with a parachute jump with the Lady Mayoress! Fast forward, I married and have two lovely sons, now 27 and 36. Twenty years ago, when I was just 38, I was widowed suddenly when my husband died while playing golf for the Law Society in Spain.

I sold our family legal practice and founded Warwickshire Legal Recruitment and worked in association with Warwickshire Law Society providing locums, something I struggled with before selling our practice. Then, when my mum was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, I sold the business and held mum’s hand during her cancer journey. After her death I suffered with empty nest syndrome with my oldest son now in his own home and my younger son at university.

I was offered the opportunity to take over a Women in Business network. I re-launched within three months and introduced our Ladies First Business & Inspirational Women Awards. It’s my motto that ‘we all have a story’, I told mine and was asked to write a book. In 2019, I became the author of Hidden Strength and set up my own bereavement foundation called Surviving Bereavement. During lockdown I qualified as a grief recovery specialist.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As the founder of Surviving Bereavement, I provide pop-up bereavement cafes across the West Midlands and Warwickshire. These provide a safe place for bereaved people to meet others feeling the same isolation of loss and loneliness. The cafes are free to attend and funded by sponsorship and donations. We have tears but we also have lots of laughter and hugs! I also provide free memory boxes and bags for children and young adults coping with bereavement. More recently, I give talks in the workplace on creating a compassionate culture.

I am still a director of Ladies First Professional Development and the network is bigger than ever. Many of the businesses support my Bereavement Foundation by offering sponsorship. In January, we launched our awards from the House of Commons and we are hosting our 6th awards at the IXL Dallas Burston Polo Club on 13 June, raising funds for the Giles Brain Tumour Charity.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Personally, seeing my sons grow into such wonderful young men – their dad would be so proud. Professionally, my Surviving Bereavement work, being recognised as a Platinum Champion for outstanding contribution as a volunteer in the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I see the best in everyone and sometimes I have been a little naïve. Will this change? Probably not!

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

For Surviving Bereavement, more cafes and volunteers to help run them. For Ladies First, see my awards continue to grow and encourage young people that they can achieve whatever they want in life.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The people! I love networking in Birmingham, the busy vibe and incredible venues.

DOWNTIME

Walking my dogs, concerts, theatre – and I absolutely love dancing!

A brilliant orchestra? Yes, that’s a given but the Orchestra of the Swan is so much more. In addition to supporting local community projects, they’re also selling out venues, climbing the Classical Music charts and enjoying radio play on 6 Music and Radio 3, not to mention over 10 million digital streams globally.

CORE VALUES

Founded in 1995 and based at the Warwick Schools Foundation, the orchestra has always been committed to promoting accessibility and inclusivity. Believing in the therapeutic power of music, the orchestra delivers activities for people with dementia, visual impairment, PTSD and a range of mental health issues. They run a regular dementia friendly café as well as performing family concerts introducing young audiences to music in a relaxed and engaging way.

Under the artistic direction of David Le Page, this multi-faceted orchestra enjoys pushing boundaries, blending genres and popping up in venues you might not expect to see or hear an orchestra.

CREATIVE COLLABORATION

Their upcoming project, Bhangra Symphonica is a great example. The orchestra is collaborating with Bhangra rock band, Kissmet in a gig at Birmingham’s Town Hall which promises to be thrilling.

Founded by Ron and Buzz Singh, Kissmet’s sound reflects the brothers’ experience of growing up in multicultural Britain. Described as a fusion of the traditional Punjabi folk dance music, Bhangra and Rock, Kissmet’s influences include classical Hindi and Punjabi as well as The Clash and Led Zepellin. It’s rousing, uplifting and unique – a sound that might just make you weep in the very best of ways.

The combination of Bhangra and classical strings might sound a bit bonkers but it works. David says “As far as we are aware this remarkable collaboration is first of its kind! The creation of Bhangra Symphonica, blending two totally different musical genres is such an exhilarating experience which will challenge and excite us as artists and performers.”

Then there’s the Night Owl concerts that are intimate cabaret-style gigs more akin to jazz than the confines of classical performance. Creative lighting, staging and narration create a more rounded engaging experience. It’s innovative and unexpected, where audiences can expect to hear anything from Bach to Radiohead.

There’s also a new touring series called Swan Projects – the first of which titled Earthcycle focuses on the impact of climate change. It features Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as well as jazz, baroque and folk to keep audiences on their toes. In partnership with the Stratford Literary Festival, the orchestra has created a series of podcasts to accompany Earthcycle featuring environmental journalist George Monbiot and audio producer Madeleine Finlay. Along the same climate emergency theme, the orchestra has produced a Nurture Nature video aimed at primary schools, that tackle the topic in a creative age-appropriate way.

MODERN DAY MIXTAPE

Adapting to Covid, the orchestra began producing digital mixtapes which have been hugely successful and continue to gain critical acclaim and airplay. The mixtape albums which feature music ranging from Bowie to Bach have been nominated for Gramophone awards as well as achieving healthy streaming numbers. The albums are supported by seven themed digital concerts inventively staged aimed at contemporary audiences.

The orchestra performs in forty-five concerts per year collaborating with celebrated guest conductors and solo artists. This feeds into the desire and commitment to new work. The orchestra has worked with composers such as Roxanna Panufrik and Huw Watkins to produce over 70 premieres.

There’s a core of musicians that make up the regular orchestra plus administration staff and composers, musicians and artists who come in on a project-by-project basis. Partnering with local organisations such as Stratford Play House, Birmingham Conservatoire, the Armed Forces and Coventry University, music education is at the core of the orchestra’s ethos and a commitment to provide as many schools as possible with access to professional high-quality musical and performance experiences.

The orchestra runs at a financial loss despite Arts Council funding which is hard. Selling out the RSC helps of course, but more of that would be very welcome. While the orchestra is making a name for itself beyond the Midlands travelling isn’t easy particularly across Europe thanks to you know what which is frustrating. The digital output solves this problem in part but there’s nothing like live performance.

Sabai Sabai Restaurant recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of serving authentic Thai cuisine and service in the Midlands. The faces behind Sabai Sabai – which means ‘chill and relax’ – are owners Juree and Torquil Chidwick, the husband and wife team who first opened in Moseley back in 2004 and who now have an impressive five restaurants to their name – since adding further eateries in Harborne, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham city centre and Solihull.

Torquil, who was born and raised in Moseley and Juree, were both straight out of Bradford University when they started their business, and knew it wasn’t always going to be plain sailing. Juree said: “My heart has always been in Thailand, and with most of my family working as chefs or owning restaurants over there it seemed only natural to open a restaurant and bring a little bit of Thailand to the West Midlands.”

MUM’S THE WORD!

Juree added: “When Torquil and I ventured into our first venue in Moseley 20 years ago there was a lack of funding available, so we had to scale back on a lot of things. There were not a huge number of Thai chefs in the UK so recruiting good chefs was pretty tricky – but luckily my mum helped! The shortage of staff forced us to be deeply involved in every aspect of operations. We wore multiple hats, from cleaning and customer service to managing finances and cooking. Every step has been a huge learning experience for us.” Enlisting the help of their families to get the business off the ground included having Juree’s mother running the kitchen for a year, while Torquil’s brother worked front of house.

Their second venture in Harborne High Street opened in 2011, followed by Stratford-upon-Avon, where they opened their third site in a Grade II listed building in Wood Street, just a stone’s throw from the RSC. Hot on the heels, the following year Juree and Torquil made the move into Birmingham city centre in Waterloo Street. Torquil said: “Over the past 20 years, Sabai Sabai has become synonymous with excellence in Thai cuisine, thanks to our dedication to using only the freshest ingredients and traditional cooking techniques passed down from Juree’s family.”

CHALLENGES

As with all independents in the hospitality sector, the couple have faced challenges along the way, pandemic closures, staffing and rising rate bills, but their passion, dedication and commitment to consistently great food and good customer service has enabled them to weather the storm and stay robust post-pandemic. Last year, despite extortionate business rates and the cost of living crisis, they opened their fifth restaurant in the couple’s home town of Solihull.

Juree said: “There have been so many memorable moments over the years, like serving behind the bar in the newly-opened Harborne just two days before giving birth to my son!” Torquil added: “My favourite time was when TV Chef Ainsley Harriot and Strictly’s Len Goodman came to film us for their BBC TV show. They were hysterically funny. The team had a great time.”
The pair have won a string of awards along the way – Juree was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the West Midlands Women of the Year Awards 2016, and Sabai Sabai was Best Restaurant at the Birmingham Awards, Best Oriental Restaurant 2016 and 2017, and was nominated again for the Midlands Food Drink & Hospitality Awards 2018.

FOLLOW THE DREAM

Of their success, Juree said: My mother has always told me to follow my dream, surround myself with like-minded people and not wait for the perfect moment. Running a restaurant is demanding, you cannot ever fully switch off from work. It is not just a job it is a lifestyle. Remaining resilient and adaptable has been key to our success. For example, we introduced more take-away services during Covid and developed our own take-away app which helped us increase sales.

“We want to continue innovating and refining our offers, creating and developing new dishes and ideas to enhance the dining experience. We want to focus on our five sites to ensure Sabai Sabai remains one of the best Thai restaurants in the Midlands.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I began working at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, initially as a casual member of staff. That got my foot in the door, and then I had the chance to do some grounds work in my first summer during the Nottingham Open tennis event. Aged 24 I made the move to Birmingham to take up the role of assistant grounds manager at Edgbaston Priory Club. I held that role for nearly 10 years before becoming head of grounds at the start of 2024.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I lead the grounds team that looks after the 14-acre site that makes up Edgbaston Priory Club. We have 32 tennis courts of varying surfaces, as well as large areas of managed lawns, shrub beds and borders, hedges, trees and seasonal flower displays, all of which falls under the remit of our grounds team. June is probably the busiest period, when we host the Rothesay Birmingham Classic Tennis event on our grass courts. Preparation goes on all year but it’s not unusual for our team to work 100-hour weeks for at least a month around the event.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally, the relationship we have with Heart of Birmingham Vocational College (HBVC) really stands out. Eight years ago, we started working with them to provide some occasional work experience once a week on the grounds team. Now we have supported interns learning in multiple departments within the club. Based on our relationship as a club, I have ended up with the privilege of being the chair of governors for the college, which is something I find massively fulfilling.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Never ask anyone to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself. If you want people to respect you, you need to lead from the front. The easiest way to start earning that respect is to take on some of the worst jobs yourself!

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I’m still relatively new in my role, so in the short-term I really want to work hard to prove my value and demonstrate what I am capable of. Aside from that, I’m very proud of the work we as a club do with HBVC. In recent years we’ve progressed our working relationship to include a satellite horticultural education provision based here at the club and I’d really love to see that grow.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Location. My partner’s family live near London, so it doesn’t take us too long to get down there when she wants to visit. I’m also not too far from Nottingham when I want to head back over there.

DOWNTIME

I do view the things I get to do with HBVC as downtime – it’s not work if you’re enjoying it! I’m also a big ice hockey fan, so I spend a lot of time travelling around to watch the Nottingham Panthers play.

Paul Hassell is a people person – warm, chatty, friendly, interesting and crucially, interested. While sales and photography aren’t obvious bedfellows, the qualities that made Paul flourish in a sales environment for decades also puts people at ease in the studio making for pleasing final outcomes. He says: “From the outset, I knew that my interest in photography was going to be based around people and therefore my work is story driven. I love to hear the story and journey of that person and I have always seen the image as a gift that reminds me of that time and place.”

INCREDIBLE PEOPLE

Aged 46, Paul joined a local photographic society in Birmingham because he just wanted to understand how to use a camera but was quickly hooked. He remembers: “From walking through the door on that very first evening I knew this was going to be a place I’d return to.” Thirteen years of dedication later and Paul has been lucky enough to photograph some incredible people and capture some special moments as well as gaining an FRPS distinction which means he’s a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

He says: “I’ve been rewarded with some amazing moments like seeing Mo Farah break numerous records in Birmingham and at the Olympic Park in 2016. I’ve photographed Commonwealth and World Champion gymnasts and met hundreds of amazing individuals who have sat with me and shared their stories.”

CHARACTER & COMMUNITY

A particular project that Paul’s proud of is his work in Romania. He made two trips in two years to the country, documenting how remote villagers have lived since time began. He says: “In essence time had stood still, but now young people are moving to big cities in search of prosperity and a different way of life. They are leaving behind their elders only to see their heritage slowly disappear.”

Paul’s photographs from these areas depict the survival of the older residents living hand-to-mouth trying to maintain their traditions and beliefs. Paul recalls: “I was fortunate to gain their trust and that engagement allowed a relation of character and community but also circumstance, which is sadly based on their inability to change.” Going forward Paul aims to embark on more projects possibly involving non-government organisations (NGOs) in the hope that his skill set will help people.

STRENGTH AND MOVEMENT

Today, Paul still enjoys engaging with people and their stories and for the last three years he’s dedicated his time to photographing dancers, in particular ballet dancers. He’s collaborated with Birmingham Royal Ballet artists which you can see more of on his Instagram page. He captures strength and movement brilliantly but also a softness somehow.

Paul recalls listening to a talk by a professional photographer who said that one of the hardest things to do as a portrait photographer is to get a person in front of the camera. Paul reflects: “I’ve been very lucky over my short time as a photographer to have some kind of gift, to relate to that person and form a photograph.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’ve been a part of Edward’s Trust for 12 years, going from volunteer, to patron, trustee and CEO. I’m a solicitor, although non-practising now, and was based in Birmingham for eight years before moving to Devon and then to Oxford. Despite relocation and a career break from law, I kept working with Edward’s Trust as I am passionate about their vital work in the West Midlands.

IT’S WHAT I DO

Edward’s Trust is a local charity that supports bereaved parents, children and young people from all over the West Midlands. We have 35 years of experience and provide qualified counselling and holistic support for complex or prolonged grief. We do not set time limits and our service is completely free. My role is to lead the exceptional team so they support as many bereaved individuals and families as possible, and to ensure we continue to raise vital funds to keep our service going.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally, I’ve always felt proudest of my work with bereaved people – I worked with grieving individuals as part of my private client legal work and now continue to help them, albeit in a different way. Offering help and hope to people in their darkest times is a real privilege. Personally, I am proud to be a disabled CEO. My career break was enforced after I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I hope that being in this position, while managing my disability, might mean I am able to change certain misconceptions around disability and chronic health conditions.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

It’s ok to not have all of the answers. We are all learning as we go and being vulnerable and asking for help is a sign of strength.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Edward’s Trust just moved into a larger property in Edgbaston with more therapy rooms and a large group space. Our ambition is to widen our reach to more grieving families and find more supporters to help raise funds for us. We would love everyone in the West Midlands to know about Edward’s Trust.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Brummies are such friendly people, and when someone calls me ‘bab’, I know I am home! Our city is rich in diversity and culture and I love everything about it.

DOWNTIME

I run a monthly virtual book club and I also draw and paint a little and enjoy taking photographs. Weekly film night with my husband, two daughters and our dog Oscar is one of my favourite things, too.

FINALLY…

I am always happy to chat with anyone who thinks they can help Edward’s Trust. Please do reach out if you can help or if you’d just like to know more.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Working in hospitality was not something I planned. I was studying product design at university but left as I wasn’t enjoying the course. At the time, I lived next to Brockencote Hall Hotel in Chaddesley Corbett and my parents told me to get a job there – so I did, working in the kitchens. I went on a journey from porter, to concierge, learned reception and the bar, became trainee assistant manager, assistant manager, and then restaurant manager. I stayed within Eden Hotel Collection in my next roles, moving to the Kings Hotel in the Cotswolds and the Arden Hotel in Stratford, and now I’m back to where it all began at Brockencote Hall. I couldn’t be happier.

IT’S WHAT I DO

The role of a general manager is to oversee the property, the offering and the financial performance. But first and foremost, it is to ensure we deliver the best customer experience. As a general manager, the key is not standing still. We have got to continually evolve the offer. We are currently looking at innovating the food and beverage offering, including our afternoon teas and Sunday lunches.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I was 18 when I quit university and that was an uncertain period, so to get to where I am today, and the journey I have been on along the way, is something I am really proud of.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

It’s okay not to know everything, even as a general manager. We have a great team of people at Brockencote Hall and across the wider group and we’re all here to support each other. It’s a bit cliché but we’re like a big family.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Brockencote means a lot to me so I’m excited to drive it forward as a business. We have so much to offer here, from award-winning 3AA Rosette dining in the Chaddesley, to a wedding and events offering which has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The food scene is a really big draw for the city. One of my favourites is Simpsons. There are so many great restaurants and I have been to so many already, but there’s always more to see!

DOWNTIME

My day off usually starts with me walking the dog – there are some lovely walks around Chaddesley. I’m a big Manchester United fan too, so I like to catch up with any football I have missed. I also like to cook for my fiancée, Louise. I’m quite experimental in the kitchen. I make a mean beef wellington, too. And I recently applied to appear on Masterchef!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I worked in homeless services for years, starting out in a night shelter. I remember the first night we opened I was so anxious about who’d come through the door – whether they’d be hostile and dangerous or poorly and distressed. The years have taught me that people are people and if you’re decent to them usually they are decent back. After moving on to supported housing, running hostels, move-on houses and refuges, I worked on capital projects, learning about new builds and remodelling old hostels, before having a national role with a large housing association.

IT’S WHAT I DO

Broadening Choices for Older People (BCOP) provides accommodation and support for older people in Birmingham, as well as running nursing homes. I have oversight of the organisation and ensure the services are as good as they can be – and I have a fabulous team who are all incredibly skilled.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I ran a retirement village through the first year of Covid when there was no vaccine, no PPE and everyone was scared. We had no cases at all in my village and when I left, I was told that I’d made the village a happier place to live. That made all the tough days worthwhile.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I’ve always been humble, to the point of self-deprecation. All this did was give any competitors fuel for criticism. My lesson – don’t over-egg your skills (lies will always be found out) but don’t be afraid to be clear about your strengths and skills.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

A personal ambition would be visit China and walk the Great Wall. Professionally, I would love to lead BCOP to a point of replacing all its old stock with new, better fit-for-the-future properties. Small charities like BCOP can’t afford the costs of building these days. My wish would be for Homes England to look at larger grants for smaller agencies. For the wider community, I’d love to see an end to homelessness.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The vibrancy and diversity of Birmingham – there’s always something to do.

DOWNTIME

I love nothing more than being at a festival with friends – for the ear-blasting music, cheeky portable tequila board, even the weary slog to the car with tents. For relaxation it’s a beach at sunset, listening to the waves.

FINALLY…

There are so many wonderful people in the industry, trying to make others’ lives better. I’d like to think that one day the NHS and care industry will be properly funded so that all these amazing people get the salaries they deserve.

We’ve interviewed hundreds of Brummies who fiercely champion their home city. Marverine Cole might just be the biggest supporter of them all. “I’m Brummie through and through,” she states, before adding, “It’s a warm, beautiful, supportive city.” We couldn’t agree more.

Marverine’s story is one of ambition, tenacity and obvious talent. Most known for Sky News and GMB, her rise has been lengthy and began in her childhood living room. Marverine grew up in Birmingham with her mom and two brothers in a house where education and news were high on the agenda.

She recalls: “Mom loved keeping up with news. We had the Birmingham Evening Mail every night. She’d then leave it for me and my brothers to read. I read it cover to cover from the age of seven.” In addition to Eighties favourites such as the A-Team, there was always the unmissable evening news both local and national on the TV.

She says: “I definitely got that love of news from my mom,” and adds, “I watched Sir Trevor MacDonald and Moira Stewart explaining big issues. They were black like me. Generally high-profile black people were sports people or entertainers, but not serious. I just thought it looked great.”

JOURNALIST’S NOSE

When Marverine’s brother went to university she was told by her mom, ‘you’ll be going too’. Despite being ‘very bookish’ and researching lots, Marverine couldn’t find any broadcast journalism courses. She began letter writing to the radio and TV stations in Birmingham and worked behind the scenes making tea, photocopying scripts, looking after guests and the like. She recalls: “Those nice letters got me inside studios. I didn’t have a plan – just a journalist’s nose.”

Marverine completed a Business Studies course at De Montfort and didn’t really know what she wanted to do. She started work as a trainee advertising executive but hated it. All through her twenties Marverine worked as a personal assistant to CEOs and MDs. She did temping jobs in financial services and banking and was PA to one of the directors at the university as well as bosses at Cadburys and the BBC. However, she says: “In the background I was always thinking ‘what about media’?”

BREAKING NEWS

Marverine did some small bits of local commercial radio before applying to a Broadcast Journalism Graduate diploma. “It was a small course with 20-odd people and I was lucky enough to get a bursary funded by ITV for a six-month fast track course.” Once Marverine started working in TV in earnest she found her earlier stint temping for MDs and CEOs was invaluable. She explains: “That experience of dealing with powerful people meant that I wasn’t intimidated interviewing politicians and others in power.”

In 2008, Marverine went from Midlands Today to Sky News where she was in the hot seat for hours on end, sometimes breaking news live on air. She says: “You’re looking at the news wires all the time when on air and the producer is in your ear saying, “have you seen this?” You have to go with it on the hoof then update with more information as it comes in.” Reporting on upsetting world events such as terrorist attacks takes a unique skill. “Inside you might be thinking OMG, but you have to lock the emotion in a box, showing no personal opinion. I think it’s an innate ability.”

Marverine says that when she started out in the industry, it wasn’t what is now in terms of diversity. “The catalyst for that change was the murder of George Floyd in 2020. It changed everything. Part of that is that I’ve been accepted to programmes I never thought I’d be able to do. GMB for instance – I would never have thought that would happen.”

Every week for 15 years Marverine has taken a suitcase to London for work and at times, she’s pondered moving to the capital. After conversations with her husband, they always settle on staying in Birmingham. She says: “As well as it being hugely expensive, we just wouldn’t want to leave Brum. We have our lovely house and cat in Kings Heath.”

BEER AFICIONADO

An unlikely string to Marverine’s bow is becoming a beer sommelier. She says: “I discovered beer through journalism. Data suggested more women were getting into cask ale year-on-year. I was more of a red wine and champagne woman, but I thought I’d investigate.” Marverine did a TV feature for Inside Out during which she tried a peach ale that ‘blew her mind’.

She says: “Beer is not all bitter and flat brown ale. I wrote a blog and put on some beer tasting parties for women then found a beer sommelier course which sounded interesting.” Marverine now has a regular beer column in BBC Good Food magazine. She rates the local brewers doing great things in Birmingham, like Attic Brew and GlassHouse, and is a regular at independent bar and bottle shop Hop and Scotch in Kings Heath.

In addition to Birmingham’s talented brewers, Marverine just loves the city unreservedly. She says: “There are cranes and construction everywhere, but it doesn’t put me off. I will always love and support this city. I live in Kings Heath and I adore it  – the shops, independent restaurants and the people.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

After university I went into the army as an infantry officer in the Staffordshire Regiment. I served in Germany at the end of the Cold War as well as in England, USA, Belize and two tours of Northern Ireland. My most rewarding time was training recruits at Whittington Barracks near Lichfield, as well as the pastoral side of being an officer and the responsible for the personal development of the soldiers under my command. After eight years this led to a career in teaching, and I have been working in schools serving disadvantaged communities in Birmingham since 1997.

IT’S WHAT I DO

In a nutshell I provide opportunities to our pupils that middle-class children take for granted. These are key to developing the social and personal skills that lead to successful adult lives and drive social mobility. They also broaden horizons and raise aspirations. These opportunities include residential trips in the UK and abroad, enrichment opportunities after school and exposure to career pathways the pupils have never heard of. It means I spend a lot of time sourcing grant funding and developing partnerships. This includes with Solihull School where we have now had five young people progress to their sixth form on fully-funded places. I am also chair of trustees of the Bryntail Cottage Charity, trying to revive this property in mid-Wales that has been used by children from Birmingham since 1915. One recent addition to my role is providing a pathway to boarding schools in partnership with the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Leading the top scoring team in the British Army’s Cambrian Patrol Competition in 1988. The Exercise has been running for more than 60 years and is the British Army’s principal All Arms Patrol Exercise and is open to all three Services (Regular and Reserve) and international participants.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Be ambitious and seize opportunities.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I would love the Government to make an entitlement for children to certain experiences during their time at school and provide the funding to enable this. For example, a camping trip or a visit to the pantomime.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love the multi-cultural nature of Birmingham and being part of making that a success.

DOWNTIME

I enjoy running with Droitwich Athletic Club, walking and skiing holidays with my wife and spending time with my children when they are back from university.

We caught up with The Twang’s lead singer Phil Etheridge ahead of the band’s latest run of gigs and found a man who’s more likely to be enjoying a pint of Batham’s and a cheese cob in his local than boozing it up in a dressing room. It might not sound rock ’n’ roll but Phil cherishes his ‘beautiful life’ full of family, friends and music making these days.

Formed in 2004, The Twang fast became one of the Midlands most successful bands of the decade – maybe too fast. Establishing a loyal fanbase in Birmingham, the band mixed dance beats with catchy indie guitar riffs and quickly became favourites of daytime radio DJs and prestigious magazines like the NME who described them as Britain’s hottest new band.

They were also the subject of a BBC documentary and went from day jobs to signing with B-Unique after a record label tussle to woo them. They supported the likes of  and released their highly successful debut album Love It When I Feel Like This. Four more albums followed with the band touring the UK consistently, supporting Doves and Shed Seven as well huge headlining shows of their own.

The band’s original line-up of Phil Etheridge, Martin Saunders, Jon Watkin, Stu Hartland and Matty Clinton has shifted over the years with Ash Sheeran replacing Matty on drums and Martin leaving in 2018, but five albums down and they’re still going strong.

WIDE AWAKE

It was in 2007 that the band was planted firmly into the mainstream music psyche. Debut single Wide Awake was released in March followed by their biggest single to date, Either Way in May which was picked up by radio stations and championed by DJs such as Jo Whiley and Edith Bowman. The first studio album, Love It When I Feel Like This was released in the same year charting at number three and the band made the cover of NME as well as winning the Phillip Hall Radar gong at the NME awards. Major festivals followed such as Wireless, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds as well as selling out large venues.

The band’s home turf is never far from their minds and second album Jewellery Quarter was named after where they were living at the time. Holed up in a cottage in Anglesey writing the JQ album, the band describe it as a ‘magical time’. Local artist Temper who we’ve interviewed in these pages and who was also living in the Jewellery Quarter, created the artwork for the album cover so it was a real local project.

THE DOWNSIDE

Phil says gracing the cover of NME and being lauded as the country’s hottest new band on the back of just one record wasn’t all good. He remembers: “There was definitely a downside. There was money and free drink everywhere we went. People kept telling us, ‘you’re gonna kill it’ and we probably took our eye off the ball and believed it would never end.” He adds: “It was amazing, but we were fucking up.” It turns out the music press that had fawned over the band initially were just as quick to try to pull them apart. Phil’s philosophical about it and doesn’t like to look back too much, but accepts the band never really fulfilled their potential.

Having said that, if it weren’t for bassist Jon Watkin suggesting going back to college, Phil may never have made it at all. He hated school leaving with no qualifications and started roofing with his uncle so when Jon Watkins suggested going back into education, Phil was a bit dubious. He agreed anyway and says the pair managed to blag their way onto a creative music course at Kidderminster College where in part, thanks to inspirational tutor Gary Edwards, their lives and prospects improved.

Of his tutor, Phil says: “He was a philosopher really. He was meant to talk about music but talked about everything. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed being in a classroom. Kiddy College was a total game changer for me – one of the best times of my life.” From there, both Phil and Jon went to Leeds University where they wrote songs such as Aimless With An Aim and Push the Ghosts. Neither completed their degree as they felt they’d be better off cracking on with forming a band. Phil says: “We had blind faith that we’d get signed. I don’t know why, but we never really doubted it. That sounds arrogant, but it’s how we felt.”

KNEES-UP

The band never moved away from the Midlands, so it’s always been home and while the crowds are incredible, Phil used to feel more pressure when performing in Birmingham than anywhere else. He says: “I always wanted it to be perfect – my mum or brother might be there, and I just put so much pressure on it.” Now he just enjoys lapping up the energy from the crowd.

The gig this month at the O2 Institute will be typically one big party. The pre-Christmas tour has become a tradition which fans treat like a giant Christmas party and Phil describes as ‘a big old knees up’. They’ve toured pre-Christmas every year since 2007 and Phil says it’s ‘mad and beautiful’. In the past they’ve gone hell for leather on the Christmas vibe even dressing up their manager in a Santa suit and firing T-shirts out of a cannon. They’ve reined in the festive add-ons recently, but you can still expect a top night full of joy, great music and good vibes.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I got to where I am more by accident as hospitality was meant to be a stop gap for me! I originally started in retail, acting as showroom and sales manager for high street brands. I then switched over to hospitality as receptionist and admin but soon started working my way up through various roles in both front and back of house, managing bookings, conferences and events and making sure customer service was at the forefront of everything I did. A highlight for me was completing the sale of the Orchid Hotel, Bournemouth back in 2021 to its current owners, being involved in its total refurbishment and taking it from strength to strength. And now in 2023 here I am at our next project the Cube Hotel, acting as managing director for both venues. 

IT’S WHAT I DO

My role is to oversee all aspects of the business and to make sure everything is running smoothly and efficiently. I work closely with my operations manager Reda and my Level 25 managers, day-to-day, providing clear directions on what’s required and future key dates and events ahead. I also look closely at my financial reporting and forecasting to see where the business can increase and its overall performance. 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

For the Cube Hotel and Level 25 which includes the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, my goal is to make it the go-to venue for both business and leisure guests looking for a quality place to stay, eat, drink and relax, where service excellence is at the heart of everything we do. I also want to make the restaurant the place to be seen, where guests can enjoy not only some delicious food and drink but also relax and take in the incredible views out across this amazing city. 

BIGGEST SUCCESS

My personal success would be my son Mason. He is like no other and I always would say he’s my biggest achievement in life. Professionally my biggest success is the continued growth of the Orchid Hotel in Bournemouth. I run this independently on behalf of the owner and it has gone from strength-to-strength each year, winning multiple awards to now being in the top three hotels in Bournemouth. I intend to mirror its success here in Birmingham. 

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

My way isn’t always the right way. Compromising is key to any business as well as for your staff’s growth as well.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

It’s a very vibrant and lovely place to be. I love the canals and there are so many places of interest to visit.

DOWNTIME

I don’t often get downtown but when I do, travelling with my husband and son is my favourite thing to do. It’s especially nice to be a guest at someone else’s resort or hotel as that is where I normally pick up ideas.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I started my career as a tree surgeon, but made the change to work in the pre-hospital environment with Surrey Ambulance Service in 2001, where I had my technician and paramedic training. I moved to the Midlands in 2008 and joined West Midlands Ambulance Service. From 2013, I have been fortunate enough to work with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity which is something I am exceptionally proud of. The charity has supported me in my training and qualifications to become a critical care paramedic, which means my colleagues and I are able to perform more advanced treatment to patients in critical need.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I work as a critical care paramedic on the charity’s fleet of air ambulance helicopters and critical care cars, responding to some of the most traumatic and life-threatening incidents in our area. I am also part of the Patient Liaison or Aftercare team. My colleague Kerry and I contact and engage with patients, their families and loved ones, and on occasion bystanders at incidents. We are there to offer support, answer any questions they may have, offer signposting to other services or just be a listening ear. It’s a really rewarding role and one we are passionate about at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition is to continue to provide the best possible pre-hospital care to our patients when they need us most and assist with the further development of the patient liaison service, engaging with as many people as we can. I firmly believe that we have a bigger part to play in the long-term recovery and rehabilitation of our patients and their families.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I am immensely proud to work for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and I feel that working as a critical care paramedic is my biggest professional success to date. Winning an award from the charity for our patient liaison work was a big, but very nice, surprise. Personally, being married to my wife Karina for nearly 20 years and having our two children, Carrie and Patrick, makes me proud every day in the way that they are growing into young adults.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I should have tried harder in school – I’m a slow starter (some still agree!). But once I joined the ambulance service, I found something I was really interested in and studying became easier. I love being able to practically apply the theory.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

As a family we love getting a train into Birmingham city centre and spending the day there with a mixture of shopping, getting food at independent restaurants and perhaps the cinema or theatre. It’s convenient and easy to get around with lots of variety.

DOWNTIME

I’m an avid fan of anything two wheels, so getting out on my motorbike or cycling is a great way to unwind. I also love to watch my children in theatre and dance productions.

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD…

If you or a loved one has been treated by our team at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, we would like to hear from you and support your on-going recovering. So, do please get in touch via patientliaison@midlandsairambulance.com

Next time you’re passing the Bull in the Bullring, give him a pat on the head and wish him Happy Birthday. It’s 20 years since he took up residence in the then newly-opened Bullring, and what started out as very much a destination for shoppers has become a centre not only for retail but for leisure, the arts, food, celebration… and much more. So, we decided it was only right to mark this important anniversary ourselves this month!

When the Bullring opened in 2003 it was one of Europe’s largest city centre retail regeneration projects, helping revitalise Birmingham city centre, connecting important streets while spearheading the regeneration of both New Street and Moor Street stations and the surrounding areas. It created a new meeting point and civic heart for the city.
The dramatic bonze Bull, weighing 6 tonnes and standing 2.2 metres high, created by sculptor Laurence Broderick, became not only the symbol of the new Bullring locally, but also of the city itself nationally and globally. On opening day, the Bullring welcomed 276,000 customers – today more than 30 million visitors come to the centre every year. Famous faces have included Victoria and David Beckham, Peter Andre, Girls Aloud, JLS and McFly to name but a few. The Bullring has played a significant role in Birmingham’s economic growth in both supporting employment and attracting visitors from near and far.

CULTURAL AMBITIONS

Toby Tait, director of asset management of Bullring owners Hammerson, said: “We’ve evolved considerably during our 20 years. We sit at the heart of the city’s social, cultural and arts programme and today you’re just as likely to visit us to shop in Zara and Selfridges as you are to participate in Birmingham Weekender or B Side Hip Hop Festival.”
A partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome six years ago has been instrumental in realising ambitions and changing the perception of the Bullring and Grand Central from a place where customers come only to shop. “Over the years we have delivered some fantastic events, including Birmingham Weekender, B-Side Hip Hop Festival and It’s Carnival which have all created new reasons for people to visit,” said Toby.
“A personal highlight was our sponsorship of the Commonwealth Games last year. This was a proud moment for Birmingham and showed the world how fantastic this city is. Through our partnership, we provided a suite of charging points within Bullring’s car park for the Games’ official fleet of electric vehicles – supporting the ambition to be the most sustainable Commonwealth Games yet.”

BIG YEAR

The 20-year landmark comes amid a big year for the Bullring and Grand Central with exciting new concepts and leading brands in the offing. New entertainment and leisure brands include Sandbox VR, Lane7 and TOCA Social, alongside high-profile retailers including M&S, Bershka, Pull&Bear and Watches of Switzerland.
Toby added: “There are plans to re-imagine a former 200,000 sq ft of retail space to create Drum, a new wellbeing designed office space complementing the existing food and social hub in Grand Central and the retail and entertainment brands Bullring has to offer. With an exciting selection of upcoming occupiers, brand partners and the repurposing and introduction of Drum, along with our continued efforts to innovate, we are poised to shape the next chapter of Birmingham’s retail legacy. I can’t say for certain what Bullring will look like in 20 years’ time but we don’t plan to stand still and are already looking ahead to seeing Bullring at 40.”
One thing is for sure – the Bullring Bull will continue to guard the centre and remain the undisputed emblem of Birmingham. And don’t just take out word for it – a prestigious World Top 10 of pieces of public art featured Brum’s Bull in its listing, along with the likes of New York’s Empire State Building, Florence’s sculpture of David by Michelangelo and Landseer’s lions in London’s Trafalgar Square. Now, that’s what we call making a mark…

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m very proud to be the founder and CEO of Buckt, a Birmingham-born business and the UK’s only tickets and activities subscription service. As the CEO, I’m responsible for the ultimate success of the business and ensuring we are growing in the right direction for our team and subscribers. On a day-to-day basis my role varies, from overseeing our marketing activity to growth and budget management and supporting staff, ensuring they feel happy within their role and able to perform to the best of their abilities.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Although I’m delighted to see Buckt’s impact on the leisure industry, I have ambitions to take the company to the next level. There are so many possibilities for the business and we’re already working on some amazing things.Starting in Birmingham, Buckt has expanded to four key locations nationally (Greater Birmingham, London, Liverpool and Merseyside and Greater Manchester). Our goal is to see the business gain a presence within every major city in the UK and then expand internationally. With our offering, we’re always adding new activities to the line-up, but we aspire to create our own attractions one day. Personally, I’m invested in engaging with the Birmingham business community over the coming year and am actively looking for board positions to volunteer time and help smaller organisations grow.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Securing our first round of investment for Buckt was a huge success for me. From a young lad watching The Apprentice and Dragons’ Den, I’d always aspired to grow a business to a point where someone believed in it enough to invest money into it. Aside from Buckt, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive many opportunities, specifically related to my first business Fourth Wall and my involvement in the community. Fourth Wall is a social enterprise that runs projects with young people in disadvantaged communities. As a result of Fourth Wall, and my position as a trustee for leadership charity UpRising, I was invited to meet King Charles (then, Prince Charles) at Buckingham Palace. I also received a Point of Light Award from David Cameron and a following invitation to 10 Downing Street by Theresa May.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

As an entrepreneur, you are constantly learning. My advice is, before starting a business, test as much as you can. People often jump into things without considering the end customers’ needs. Ask yourself, do they have a problem that your product is trying to solve? If the answer is no, start again.
One of my biggest lessons has been deciding when to say ‘no’ or to give something up, and when to push forward with an idea. Sometimes taking calculated risks is necessary to propel a business forward — it’s safe to say I probably wasted two years just playing it safe with Buckt.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Birmingham was once ‘the city of a thousand trades’. Now I see it as the city of a thousand opportunities. The city is big enough to offer opportunities, but small enough that you can have a real impact. Big enough that you can always find what you’re looking for, but small enough that you can build meaningful cross-sector relationships. More tangibly, I was born, raised, educated, in employment and now run a business in this city — Birmingham has always been my home.

DOWNTIME

As someone whose brain is always going 100-miles-an-hour, watching a good film or TV series is the perfect way to help me switch off and chill out. I’ve recently got back into football and of course… I love doing fun leisure activities! I participate in Buckt activities as often as I can and I’m always trying new things.

The inception of Brummie institution Miss Moneypenny’s goes back to the late eighties with humble beginnings in a clothing store. Founder Jim Ryan says it was a case of ‘right time, right place’, but he deserves more credit than that. Along with his brother Michael, Jim created a space that became the epicentre of the rave scene in the form of their clothing shop, Depot which is where the kernel of an idea started to grow into something that would touch the lives of an unimaginable amount of people.
Jim says: “Kids would buy their tickets for raves, purchase DJ tapes, videos of the rave and collect flyers of up and coming raves. So, we were in the middle of that cultural phenomena.” The brothers, realising they had an audience, started organising small events on the River Severn inviting the shop’s customers, friends and family which evolved into what became known as Chuff Chuff parties.

BAND OF BROTHERS

The events gained legendary status where hedonism reigned and people could just completely let go. Clocking the popularity of the parties, they moved from small boats to stately homes and hotels to accommodate larger crowds. In 1993, the Chuff Chuff parties morphed into a weekly club in Birmingham and Miss Moneypenny’s was born initially attracting 800 people rising to 1,500 in its heyday.
Moneypenny’s success was in part due to Jim’s right place, right time philosophy but also the brothers were active members of the club scene not just in Birmingham but also in Nottingham and London building a network of people. Location had something to do with the appeal of Moneypenny’s too. Ideally placed in the middle of the country, it was easy for people across the UK to travel to. “It pulled a diverse and very glamorous crowd. We had a large gay following. It was a place where people could express themselves. A sense of freedom if you like.”

HOCKLEY MASSIVE

The club would be packed by 9.30pm with coachloads of clubbers bused in from as far afield as Scotland. Jim remembers the celebrity following, too: “It soon attracted pop stars such as Robbie Williams, Boy George, The Pet Shop Boys, Mick Hucknall, Heather Small. TV celebs such as Zoe Ball, Melinda Messenger. Sports stars such as Lennox Lewis, Martin Offiah, Shaun Edwards to name but a few. It made a huge national impact, capturing the imagination of the national celebrity columns, all from a club on the outskirts of the city in Hockley.”
The concept toured the UK and then went global. In Ibiza, Miss Moneypenny’s residencies were legendary running for 15 seasons, first at Pacha then El Divino which led to the launch of record label Miss Moneypenny’s Music. A top 10 hit with Tom Novy’s Your Body followed as well as other releases including 21 compilations.
Jim says: “As a club brand, the amount of people we touched is just phenomenal. And that doesn’t take into account the tours, the international gigs, the magazine articles and the column inches and TV appearances. For a while Miss Moneypenny’s was everywhere.”

FREEDOM FIGHTERS

A big part of the pride Jim has in Moneypenny’s stems from the diversity, acceptance and freedom it fostered. He says: “I am proud that a concept such as Miss Moneypenny’s came from my home city of Birmingham. It incorporated what is the best of our city, a diverse audience, before the notion of diversity was even conceived. We put Birmingham on the map in terms of clubbing because of our values.”
Today Jim is busy penning Ibiza The Musical and is in talks with a number of Birmingham theatres about production partnerships as well as being a published poet. He’s also working on a project creating a platform to publish photographs and videos from gigs, albums and artwork which Jim’s hoping will be completed in 2024 – plus there’s a documentary in the pipeline focusing on DJ life on the road in the 90s and early 2000s. Despite having travelled the world DJing, Jim’s never played Brazil or Argentina so that’s on the bucket list along with a Glastonbury set – we’d love to see that.
The 30th anniversary celebrations kicked off with a gig at Crooked House last month, but in relation to the actual big bash Jim’s staying tight-lipped – but you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be one heck of a party!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I started at Birmingham Mind in 1995 as a senior support worker and had a variety of different roles before becoming CEO in 2005. I love the charity and the Mind network (we are a Federated Structure). The local delivery by the local Minds, with the national campaigning that National Mind does, helps to make a strong structure for moving mental health services forward.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I feel extraordinarily lucky to be the CEO of Birmingham Mind. We are not perfect and there is always room for improvement, but we are a charity with more than 220 staff who regularly go the extra mile to help people have and attain the life they want. I spend a lot of time in Mental Health NHS meetings, particularly now that I have been elected chair of VCFSE Mental Health Collective (more than 120 VCFSE organisations in Birmingham and Solihull focusing on mental health/wellbeing organisations). But I also get to make great links with other organisations and grounded. (Birmingham’s first wellbeing café, see Business News) is our latest example of working with Living Well Consortium. I am proud of our partnership work – we can reach more people by working together and we can influence the mental health system for the better when we have a strong united voice.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Professionally, to see Birmingham Mind continue to flourish and thrive. Personally, I live with chronic pain and mobility issues and this has changed my view on what is important in my life. I now value spending time with family and friends, nurturing these relationships.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

A strong memory I have is when I first met the CEO of the Mental Health Trust after I became CEO of Birmingham Mind. I couldn’t believe how far I had come as I was now meeting her as an equal, when 15 years before that I was a patient in that very same building. It was surreal, but it also helps me to keep my feet on the ground. Projects like grounded. make me proud to be involved in bringing support to people in their community, support that is normalising distress and normalising seeking help for distress.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

If I could do my career over again, I wouldn’t do anything different. On a personal basis I would have travelled more as this is something I can’t do now.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love the cultural richness of the city. It has so many wonderful parts and people that are truly focused on making life better for them and their neighbours.

DOWNTIME

Gardening. During Covid I had such a strong urge to tend seeds and plants through to them becoming beautiful flowers. I now have a garden that gives me great pleasure and relaxation – and is full of a lot of flowers!

FINALLY…

If I had a magic wand, I would want to address the structural inequalities and discrimination in services and life in general. Until we have a more equal and accepting society, we will continue to have a growing mountain of mental health problems.

Image credit: Apollo by Richard Battye

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire and attended the Royal Ballet School at age 14. After five years, I graduated and joined Birmingham Royal Ballet working through the ranks from artist to principal dancer. Working closely with Sir David Bintley and Carlos Acosta has been incredibly valuable as well as collaborating with a fine team of creatives that walk through the company doors each year. After 12 blessed seasons I’m moving to Ballet Zürich to build onto everything I’ve learnt from my time at BRB

IT’S WHAT I DO

As a principal dancer I dance the leading roles on many occasions, partnering the wonderful ballerinas and being a strong voice and ambassador for the company. From my first day up until now I’ve been given rewarding opportunities from dining with, dancing for and meeting Royalty to segments on Sunday Brunch and CBeebies. It’s hard being a performer as it’s physically challenging and mentally testing however being able to transport an audience and bring an emotion to a performance is satisfying on many levels.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I’ve always just wanted to be the best version of myself both in the studio, on stage and in my personal life. A dancer’s career is short but so is life, so I try to take the opportunities presented to me and saviour the experience. My ambition is to keep good health, work hard in all areas and to be happy.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

To date it’s probably becoming a principal dancer in a company that I love. It’s taken a lot of hard work with a good team around me, but it’s been an adventure which not everyone gets to experience. Every day I feel thankful to see where I am from where I was. I never thought this boy from Bradford would ever meet the King and Queen!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Not say ‘yes’ to everything. There came a point where I stretched myself with work so much that I had no ‘me’ time. I hardly saw family or friends and I was close to burning out. I’ve learnt to think wisely about what I commit my time to.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

When I arrived in Birmingham in 2011 my first impression was excitement. My first job and I was moving to the second city where there was such a buzz for culture and art. What has quickly become my favourite thing is the number of venues where you can watch shows, etc… one night at the Hippodrome, the other the Alex, then Symphony Hall onto the arena then the 02 venues. There’s so much on the doorstep. Sometimes I struggle to just have a night at home.

DOWNTIME

I love cooking, baking and making pasta. Spa days always go down well, as does afternoon tea and lots of walking around Birmingham. And good music – I’m a huge fan of Classic FM and Smooth Chill.

FINALLY…

There’s much I will miss when I leave Birmingham as I’ve spent all of my 20s here. Lots of memories wrapped up in this wonderful city and many people who’ve made it special. Birmingham and BRB will always be my spiritual home.

Twenty-five years ago this summer what has become the world’s biggest Par 3 golf tournament teed up in its beautiful new location in Warwickshire. Since the first ball was struck, the glorious short course at Nailcote Hall has seen some of golfing’s greats grace its greens, as well as a galaxy of stars from the world of sport, entertainment and the arts.

This year’s Farmfoods Par 3 British Championship will see the professional players competing for a record 150,000 Euro prize. At the same time, a pro-am will as always inject some extra fun and games and provide additional entertainment to the thousands of golf-loving spectators expected turn out and watch the event over its four days from 8 to 11 August.

Rick Cressman, owner of Nailcote Hall and the driving force behind the championship’s success, said: “I am truly proud of the event, it has been a real labour of love. If you would have told me 25 years ago that we would have pros and celebrities from around the world playing here at Nailcote, I wouldn’t have believed you.”

STAR-STUDDED

Golfing stars who have taken part include legends such as Ryder Cup captains Tony Jacklin, Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance, fellow Majors winners Dame Laura Davies, Paul Lawrie and Danny Willett, as well as the likes of young superstars such as Charley Hull. Celebrities have included Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Nigel Mansell, Mike Tindall, Jonny Bairstow and Jasper Carrott. Among the championship’s keenest supporters was Strictly Come Dancing’s legendary judge, the late, great Len Goodman who could always be counted on to cut a dashing figure in the golfing fashion stakes!

Rick explained that the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship is much like the Masters Par 3 with it being played in a relaxed yet competitive atmosphere. However, it holds a very special place in the history of British golf and was played long before it became tradition in the Masters. The championship had its origins in the old Short Course Professional Championship which was played at the Palace Hotel, Torquay from 1933 to 1973. Sid Mouland, who won at Torquay in the 1960s, was the inspiration behind the tournament’s resurgence. Rick said: “Sid was the professional attached to Nailcote Hall before his son Mark inherited his position and he would regale me with tales of the old Championship at the Palace Hotel. Once Sid thought that Nailcote Hall was in good enough shape to take over the championship, the rest, as they say, is history…”

GROW THE GAME

Rick added: “Par 3 golf is the sport that gives everyone the opportunity to play. We try hard to make sure people can see that golf isn’t exclusively the territory for the pros. You hear so much talk about growing the game and that’s what we have always tried to do by showing people who come to our course that golf is about the art of the short game and putting – it’s not just about whether you can drive the ball miles on a full-size course.

“Tony Jacklin who is a great friend and hosts the event each year has always said that the attraction of the course is all the little fiddly bits that you have to master. We’ve become a major sporting event in the West Midlands over the years which attracts a lot of people and is covered each year by Sky Sports on TV. We’re very proud of what we have achieved here.”

Spectators can expect the full golfing experience at Nailcote, complete with the Tented Village which is the entertainment and social hub of the championship. Visitors can enjoy food and drink, browse the stalls with clothing, golfing equipment and beauty products and test their golfing ability. Players and celebrities take to the village for exclusive Q&A sessions which are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many fans.

Rick said: “Our whole aim is to open up golf to as many people as possible in a competitive yet fun way.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

When I left school in early 2006, my only real passion was golf. That summer I worked at my local golf club, and I absolutely loved it. In October 2006, I was lucky enough to be offered a full-time job at the Belfry as a trainee greenkeeper and soon after, I became a qualified greenkeeper. In 2012, I left and travelled to Australia and New Zealand before returning to the Belfry in 2014. Over the next two years I was promoted through various positions before becoming golf courses manager. Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to travel across the world. This has included volunteering for world class events in France, America, Australia, and within the UK. In 2018, I volunteered at the Ryder cup in Paris to help with golf course set up.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I oversee a team of 45 which includes greenkeepers, mechanics, irrigation technicians, and gardeners. Day-to-day, I oversee the Belfry’s three golf courses, ensuring that we are providing a tournament standard course for all players. Our courses include the Brabazon and PGA National, which are recognised as world-class having hosted The Ryder Cup four times – more than any other venue in the world. We are also hosting this year’s Betfred British Masters for the third consecutive year.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I have recently become a dad and want to be the best I can be for my son, raising him with good personal values. I’m really happy at the Belfry and love where I work. It’s my ambition though, to work overseas in a managerial role overseeing another world-class golf tournament while also continuing to inspire and lead the next generation of greenkeepers.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

One of my biggest successes was moving to Australia and New Zealand when I was 23 to pursue my greenkeeping career. It helped me grow as a person and taught me so many personal skills. Another success was becoming head greenkeeper at only 27 and overseeing three world-renowned golf courses here at the Belfry. Seven years into in my current position and I feel so fortunate that I am able to help assist with planning and preparation for the British Masters each year.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Never fail to try more! Early in my career I was very passionate and wanted to progress, but I didn’t have the confidence and I didn’t always ask the right questions. I was scared to try new things because I didn’t want to fail.  Looking back now, I feel I could have got more out of the early days in my career if I’d been more confident.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The investment that Birmingham has received over recent years has been fantastic. The infrastructure and architecture have massively improved throughout the city.

DOWNTIME

I enjoy looking after my garden. Being a greenkeeper, I ensure my grass looks as pristine as it can be. I’m also a clean freak, so I’m always tidying something! I have a dog, named Cooper, who comes to work with me most days. I love going on long walks with him and finding new places to visit or see.

Birmingham-based Propel Dance is the UK’s first all-wheelchair professional dance company. And the dramatic images you see here feature Brum’s very own Rebecca Fowler in the company’s first-ever live performance of the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen brought together professional wheelchair dancers from across the country, including Rebecca, in a reimagined version of the classic fairytale after Propel Dance secured financial backing from Arts Council England. Led by an all-female leadership team, the company was founded by Helen Mason, a Birmingham-based dance artist with a track record of making dance for and with disabled people for more than 20 years.

CHAMPIONS

Helen has worked with many charities and organisations such as Midland Mencap, Cerebral Palsy Midlands, Spectrum Day Centre, Para Dance UK, and Whizz Kidz UK, and in 2017 she set up Freewheelin, Birmingham’s first wheelchair and inclusive dance group. Freewheelin are two-time National Para Dance Champions and have performed at the Birmingham International Dance Festival and the European Basketball Finals.

Helen said: “Freewheelin has gone from strength to strength but I was keen to see if any of our wheelchair dancers could go further and become professionals. I discovered that the opportunities were very limited, so I thought I could put together a scheme and training. But then a friend who is a disabled dancer said ‘yes’ but what would they then go on to do. There is nowhere for them to perform professionally. So, that’s why I set up the Propel Dance company exclusively for wheelchair users with an internship scheme.”

RESPONSE

Propel Dance is in its early days, with dancer Rebecca as the first intern placement. Last month’s short tour of the company’s premiere production of the Snow Queen was performed at Midlands Arts Centre and Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton with Helen encouraged by the response of the audiences. The plan now is for Propel Dance to go back to the Arts Council for funding to expand the company and its productions.

Helen who was Dance Captain for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, working with more than 1,500 volunteers, said: “We care deeply about equity and equality of opportunity. It’s why we exist. There are few professional opportunities for wheelchair dancers, and we want to see that change; to create something that enables progression and inspiration to the future generations.

INSPIRING

“We stand for compassion, inclusion, and representation throughout our dance projects and opportunities. Guided by our shared values, Propel Dance hopes to inspire, lead and propel change in professional wheelchair dance.”

Dancer Rebecca, who had a lead role in the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games added: “I’m very excited to work with Propel Dance and be part of this ground-breaking project. Wheelchair dancers have been part of inclusive dance companies before, but I am eager to work in an all-wheelchair-user dance company and learn together. I hope this will create many more opportunities for wheelchair dancers and be the first of many shows for the company.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

UB40 have had such a long, successful career that it means we have toured every continent and country, several times. We’ve toured Europe, east and west, which includes Russia – we were one of the first bands to tour there back in 1986, way before the raising of the Iron Curtain. It constantly amazes me that our music has travelled so far. We can go to somewhere like, say, Samoa, and 20,000 people turn up to see us. Just last year, we sold-out the famous Hollywood Bowl and we also played to 100,000 people on a Spanish beach. It’s amazing that we are still going strong after 45 years in the music business. 

IT’S WHAT I DO

As a drummer in the band it’s my job to keep the music moving in a straight line. Reggae music requires a lot of discipline. I have to refrain from too much embellishment because I don’t want too much clutter in the music. We are a big band, so I have to make sure I leave enough space for the other musicians to do their thing. 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

The band has been so successful that many of our dreams and ambitious have already been fulfilled. Personally, musically I’m still ambitious to make the perfect record and the perfect live show. There are always things that I wish I could do again. Nothing is ever 100 per cent perfect. 

BIGGEST SUCCESS

There aren’t many things that the band haven’t already achieved. We’ve never played mainland China, which I would love to do. For me personally it’s about family. I got together with my wife before the band started, so having four grown-up daughters, all with long-term partners, and grandchildren, all well-adjusted and happy in their lives, gives me an immense feeling of satisfaction.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

If I met my younger self, I would say ‘carry on what you’re doing, it will work out fine, so don’t change’.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Being born and raised in inner-city B’ham was an enormous privilege. It was a melting pot of Asian, black, Arab, Irish and working-class English. You could sit on your doorstep and see the four corners of the world go by. The coming together of different cultures has inspired creativity and has also had a profound effect on my personal life. My wife’s father came to Britain from the Caribbean in the Windrush convoy and her mother is from Ireland. Which makes it a very Brummie family.

DOWNTIME

Family and friends are number one on the list. My youngest daughter and her husband live with my wife and myself and they’ve gifted me a beautiful grandson who’s not quite two-years-old yet and who I love spending time with. I do have a couple of ‘hobbies’ – I’m politically-minded and very left-wing and I’m also a bit of a film buff. I love cult movies and foreign films, particularly Japanese and South Korean cult movies. When the band are touring we get through a lot of movies on those long journeys in the tour bus.

Veejay Lingiah knows all about the problems facing students who speak English as an additional language (EAL). As the child of two parents who immigrated into the UK, he was the only non-white student in his primary classroom. He remembers clearly how challenging that made school life and as he grew older he vowed to do something about it and to provide a way to help others.

Today, the UK welcomes more than 200,000 immigrants a year from a huge spread of countries and with an equally large range of languages spoken. However, with the majority of schooling in the UK being taught predominantly in English, EAL children are at a huge disadvantage in the classroom if their English language development is not properly supported and encouraged.

That’s where Veejay and his team at Birmingham-based FlashAcademy come in, providing students from all backgrounds with a digital platform that allows them to learn English and celebrate their home languages at the same time. FlashAcademy is an education technology company that reduces marking, supports independent learning and provides hundreds of free paper-based resources to save teachers time. The online language-learning tool allows schools across the country to help EAL students with their language skills and to interact with their classmates. Clear and accurate reporting on progress allows pupils to demonstrate their learning and identifies when a pupil has mastered the necessary skills.

PIONEERING

Founded in 2012 as FlashSticks using pre-printed language Post-it Notes, the company later evolved to FlashAcademy, a move away from the physical to a new digital solution to the EAL challenge. In September 2017, Claire Evans, then deputy head at Anderton Park School, Balsall Heath, sat down with Veejay and became the first school to pioneer the use of the online platform to support EAL pupils with their language development.

In November 2022, FlashAcademy partnered with its 1,000th school – and at the time of writing that had grown to more than 1,100 and rising fast! The small team at FlashAcademy has also grown over the years to a dedicated group of 40-plus passionate language-learning professionals.

Co-founder and CEO, Veejay, said: “We set out with a purpose to help as many EAL students as possible. Over the years, one school has somehow turned into 1,000 schools, and we’ve been able to provide language support to thousands more children than ever before. We’re really excited and optimistic about being able to help even more in the future, because it feels like we’re still just getting started and there are so many more schools and students left for us to help.”

The potential is indeed huge. There are more than 30,000 schools in the UK with primary schools having one in five EAL pupils and secondary schools with one in six. Veejay said: “Our platform works on any device, phones, iPads and so on. The whole aim is to try to accelerate the pace at which pupils can get English and to unlock the language barrier. So many EAL kids are treated as if they are behind in learning when it isn’t their fault.” This was particularly critical during the pandemic when all homework was being sent to pupils at home, and that homework was in English.

GLOBAL NEED

The need for greater help for students has only accelerated with growing numbers of immigrants coming from all parts of the globe. Veejay explained: “People are being displaced from around the world and as a result what used to be a city-based problem in the UK is now an issue all over the country, so all schools in all areas face the challenges of EAL students.” FlashAcademy teaches English across 48 languages and is so flexible that it is possible to have multiple pupils from different countries learning together under one teacher in one class.

It’s not just children whose language learning has been accelerated by the app. FlashAcademy has expanded to provide language education for adult (ESOL) students, alongside supporting international schools overseas. The platform has even become affiliated with a number of Strategic Migrant Partnerships, helping migrants such as those coming across from Hong Kong to develop their English language skills. And Staffordshire County Council partnered with the app to provide language and education assistance for Ukrainian refugees living in the county under the Homes For Ukraine scheme.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Originally from South Wales, I moved to Birmingham in 2001 to be part of the team re-opening Birmingham Hippodrome and stayed there for nearly nine years, working on some huge productions including Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, We Will Rock You – and my own wedding! In late 2009, I joined the management team at Midlands Arts Centre prior to its re-opening to the public in May 2010. The next stop was Birmingham Town Hall/Symphony Hall (now called B:Music). I then helped operate the Artrix in Bromsgrove, which is my hometown. It was a sad day when the pandemic caused the venue to close in 2020. Today, I am focused on being theatre director of the fabulous Alexandra, Birmingham.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m delighted to be leading the venue through an exciting period of resurgence. I’m an informal, positive and enthusiastic director which I hope the amazing team at the Alex appreciates. I’m involved in every aspect of the theatre, including programming, finances, marketing, sales, customer experience and technical services.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambitions for the Alex are simple – to programme the best productions possible while offering fantastic customer services. There are some fabulous venues in Birmingham and rather than seeing them as competition I like to see them as complementary to each other. As a venue and a team, we must ensure that the Alexandra continues to be a vital part of the Birmingham community, taking part in city-wide events such as Birmingham Pride.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Meeting my wife and having a daughter is high on the list – they keep me in check! Another success is calling myself a recovering stammerer – up until 2001 even saying my name was a struggle. I’ve never lacked in self-confidence, however my speech found it challenging! I was part of a course called the McGuire programme in the early Noughties and this changed my life.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Mistakes are an essential part of any career, so I don’t think I’d change anything. Of course, there are decisions I wouldn’t make today! Also, trust and respect your team – you can’t do everything and you’re not an expert in everything.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Birmingham is not a grey city – it’s full of colour, culture and diversity. The people are so friendly. The canals and green spaces are the things that most surprised me when I moved here, and I still enjoy a stroll along the canal.

DOWNTIME

I’m a great believer in having a good work/life balance. My 11-year-old daughter keeps me very busy as you’d expect! The great outdoors is my happy place – going to music festivals or the beach in our campervan is high on the agenda during the warmer months.

As a youngster, Christine Edwards was scared of swimming in the sea. She wouldn’t even venture to paddle. That fear grew into terror after she watched the legendary film Jaws about a Great White Shark that brought death to holiday beaches.

“The thought of what might be lurking under the surface of the water was too much for me,” she said. “The thought that sharks might be waiting to pounce. I was petrified, and as time went by my terror grew worse.”

Everything changed for Christine after she was dared by friends in to trying a scuba dive in 2006. More than 1,200 dives around the globe later, she now adores sharks. So much so, that she has written a new book, her first, about sharks. The book, titled Sharks Are Scary Aren’t They? is aimed primarily at teenagers as Christine looks to change the perception with a young audience of the sea creatures as marauding killers.

HUMAN IMPACT

Also a good read for adults, the book tackles themes such as the human impact on the environment and the protection of sharks and their habitats, as well as some of the ‘bad press’ that sharks have suffered over the years as a result of the original Jaws movie and follow-up sequels.

Christine said: “Conquering a deep-rooted fear of the sea and terrified of the sharks that roamed there, the decision to try a scuba dive changed my life. The moment I sank beneath the waves and glimpsed at the world below the surface, I was well and truly hooked. Whenever I would describe my shark encounters to friends or family they invariably expressed concern and questioned why anyone would dive with such a dangerous species. My book came out of the need to redress the balance for this wonderful fish.

“Sharks have existed for 450 million years, well before the dinosaurs, and still exist today. They are being hunted and cruelly killed for their fins and are probably one of the most misunderstood creatures on our planet. The knock-on effect of their demise will be catastrophic. Oceans without sharks will cause negative changes to other species – without this predator keeping other fish in check, our coastlines and reefs will ultimately suffer. The oceans need sharks!”

CAREER CHANGE

Born in Chester, Christine, who lives in Wythall, Worcestershire, read psychology at Warwick University before working as a teacher for 20 years. In 2004, she made the decision to change careers and trained at Birmingham Theatre School to become an actor. When we spoke she had just played Mrs Claus at Warwick Castle’s Christmas celebrations.

Her book follows the emotional journey of Charlie Parker, a fearful 12-year-old boy, and Jane Jones, a retired dentist and scuba diver, who meet by chance on a beach. Despite the years that separate them, they discover they have much in common.

Hearing about the struggles and dangers sharks face and how they are on the brink of extinction, brings the two friends closer together. There are stories of shark encounters, the majesty of the underwater world and how the impact of human activity and plastic pollution is affecting their habitat. Most of all, the two characters learn about the power of the human spirit to change in the face of adversity.

GREAT WHITE

“I started writing the book on a boat in 2017,” said Christine. “I’d been on a dive in Indonesia and as I wrote the first chapter, I could see the book and what I wanted to say in my mind. I eventually finished it in 2021.” Christine can dive to around 30 metres (120 feet) and has seen a huge variety of sharks. “They don’t want to attack at all,” she said. “If you think of sharks like dogs – most aren’t happy to bite at all.”

Christine hopes her book will go into schools as she would love to make that connection as an ex-head teacher herself. She’s also promoting the book on radio. Even for someone who adores sharks, Christine admits she stops short of wanting to meet a Great White.

“I’ve not encountered a Great White and frankly I don’t want to. They are just too unpredictable,” she admits.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I spent 10 years in London, studying history of art and working as a lecturer at the National Portrait Gallery. After my PhD, I moved to Leeds where I commissioned artists to create new work for heritage spaces, including a former cinema, music hall and TV studio. I relocated to Birmingham when I started working at Ikon in 2017.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I look after Ikon’s education work, placing artists in schools, community settings and a prison. We also run a programme for young people aged 16 to 21 to explore the arts and crafts heritage of the West Midlands via our canal boat. My team collaborates with universities, rights-based organisations and artists to respond to social issues. For example, in March we are presenting a new work by Birmingham artist Foka Wolf, entitled Why Are We Stuck in Hospital?

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

At Ikon our ambition is to showcase more contemporary art in Birmingham. This includes large-scale public art projects, like Hew Locke’s Foreign Exchange, which we produced for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and Osman Yousefzada’s Infinity Pattern, that covered the entire Selfridges building. Perhaps something that can be seen from space next time.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Getting married at 40. As someone who manages events for a living, a wedding always felt like a busman’s holiday. However, my husband Chas agreed to a very small event with only 10 guests. We got hitched in style at the Birmingham Register Office followed by real ales and pork pies at the Craven Arms. We returned to the scene of the crime for our first anniversary and will continue to do so.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

In my 20s, I was a fan of novelist JG Ballard. I didn’t have the courage to write to him, but I should have. I’ve since met his daughter, the artist Fay Ballard, and it has been wonderful learning about a writer who has inspired so much contemporary art. For example, Ikon’s current exhibition – Horror in the Modernist Block – is full of high rises and concrete islands.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

My favourite place in Birmingham (and probably the world) is the Midlands Art Centre. I like to cycle along the River Rea with my eight-year-old son, and pop into Mac to see an exhibition, watch a movie or take part in a family pottery workshop. They also sell Attic Brew’s Intuition, which is top of my local beer list.

DOWNTIME

I’m not green-fingered, but enjoy a National Trust garden, like Wightwick Manor and Packwood House. If I could have a cup of tea with anyone it would be Capability Brown. I do love a ha-ha.

They say we’re a nation of dog-lovers, and in many ways that’s true. Figures show that a third of UK households own at least one of man’s best friend – that’s around 10 million homes in total. And as most doting dog owners will tell you, when we love our dogs… we really love our dogs!

Sadly, the reverse is also true, with growing numbers of pets being abandoned and neglected post-pandemic and in the face of the cost of living crisis. “The numbers of unwanted dogs coming to us is rising and we expect the trend to continue to increase as people decide they can’t afford to feed their dogs and look after them anymore,” said Fi Harrison head of fund-raising and communication at Birmingham Dogs Home.

TO THE RESCUE

The charity, which has kennels on 12 acres just outside Solihull as well as in Wolverhampton, accepts all dogs and works with nine local authorities taking in lost, unwanted and abused animals. Fi said: “In October, which was a typical month, we rescued 121 dogs, reunited 32 with their worried owners, rehomed 97 and have a further 73 who have been reserved by potential adopters.”

Quick maths makes that around 1,500 pets rescued each year, with half in need of medical care as a result of neglect or abuse. Working that figure up even further, the numbers become simply mind-blowing when you consider that Birmingham Dogs Home has been celebrating its 130th anniversary!

It all sounds like a military-scale operation – with 120 heated kennels, an on-site veterinary surgery and an army of volunteers and staff on the Solihull site, plus the Wolverhampton base which houses a further 90 dogs.

What’s even more amazing is that the charity is totally self-funding, with no government backing to help towards the £2.5million-a-year it costs to run the home. Instead, the money comes from a mix of donations from individuals and businesses and grants from trusts. “Also hugely important are people who leave us gifts in their wills,” said Fi. “There is constant pressure to raise this money and it can be a worry, especially at times like this when the economic situation isn’t the best.”

BEST-LOVED

One of the region’s oldest and best-loved animal welfare charities, Birmingham Dogs Home was founded in 1892 on land in New Canal Street, where it remained until moving to its current, bigger location. In 2021, the charity launched a fund-raising appeal to provide an on-site veterinary clinic. “We were spending £250,000-a-year on outside vet fees which was just not sustainable,” explained Fi. “So, we needed to fund-raise to repurpose an existing space into the inhouse clinic which we successfully opened in 2022.”

The clinic was particularly busy after the Covid lockdown. “Initially when lockdown happened and people were at home, everyone wanted a dog,” said Fi. “Once the lockdowns were over, we had a real influx of dogs and many were very poorly due to being badly bred by unscrupulous breeders who had seen an opportunity to cash in. Now, with the economic worries we are experiencing there’s a real spike again in abandoned dogs coming to us via local authorities.”

Unsurprisingly, working at the home can often be an emotional job as dogs who have been discarded and neglected are looked after, brought back to health and taught to trust humans again. Fi describes the staff as ‘canine carers at the coalface’. We couldn’t agree more!

You might not know 2G Design & Build, but the chances are you’ve enjoyed its work. The team at the interior design and construction company has worked on many top Brummie restaurants including Carter’s of Moseley, The Wilderness, Land, Chakana and Loki among others.

The company doesn’t exclusively focus on hospitality, but its portfolio is currently weighted towards restaurants and bars. We caught up with one half of the husband-and-wife team behind the business, Nick Jones on the cusp of opening a second office in London.

Hospitality is in Nick’s blood. His parents ran restaurants and he worked as a chef at Opus in his youth. He says: “I came to cheffing late at 27 and couldn’t really earn enough money.” Nick went back to university to gain a masters in construction – he also has a degree in psychology and a WSET level 3 qualification. Catherine – the other half of the dynamic duo – studied interior design at KLC School of Design and Central St Martins as well as building a successful career in the wine industry, so together they’ve a lot to bring to the table.

GETTING THE BUZZ

Nick says: “I knew how to lay out a bar/restaurant. Growing up dad was in construction and mum ran the restaurants. In some ways, a project feels like a service. You get that buzz as you work towards getting it ready.” Opening a restaurant of their own is not on the cards for Catherine and Nick despite their skills seemingly well suited to it. Nick explains: “I like being involved on a design/construction level – you get the excitement levels, but I also want to spend time with the kids.”

The focus has been on independents so far. Nick says: “It’s the challenge of doing something different. With a chain, once you’ve done the first, the rest is a bit design by numbers. We have done chains – we’ve completed three Lokis for example but they’re all very different.” The dream client is one with a clear idea of what they want. Nick says: “It helps channel our ideas and makes it better for them.”

The restaurants they’ve completed are all very different – while the focus is always quality and creating strong lasting spaces, the designs are inventive and uniquely tailored to the client’s needs. Nick and Catherine have built up a trusted and established team of 20 who share their vision and commitment to quality.

There’s a core team of designers and project managers along with tradesmen as well as some trusted sub-contractors. A new designer has just been recruited to start this month which has been a lengthy process. Nick says: “It’s important to pick the right person.” Their reputation means clients now seek 2G out in contrast to the early days when the couple had to go out and sell themselves.

CAPITAL CHALLENGE

Word of mouth has spread beyond Brum with the company picking up work in Lichfield and Derby for instance. “Birmingham is a small community and once we’d done a couple of projects well, more work followed.” The London office means a bit more selling themselves although a body of impressive work helps. Catherine worked in London for years and has a network there, so she’ll be spending more time in the capital than Nick. He says: “It’s exciting and quite stressful. It’s important we can handle the extra capacity while keeping the quality. We don’t want to go too big too soon.”

Recent challenges have been plentiful, not least a global pandemic and rising costs. “People are cautious. Bills, food, energy costs have all gone up as well as inflation, but more than that the hospitality industry is struggling to recruit and retain staff. A lot of people left the industry during Covid and didn’t come back.” Staff retention as well as customer experience is a consideration for 2G when designing a restaurant.

Nick explains: “Good design is more than just about the customer. The better laid out a place is, the happier the staff which impacts on customer experience. If you go to a restaurant and the experience isn’t brilliant and you just can’t put your finger on why, the chances are the staff aren’t happy. You might not go back even if everything else was spot on.”

AWARDS SUCCESS

Covid meant that work on site stopped for three months but the design work continued. They worked through the pandemic on a large job on a heritage building in the Jewellery Quarter as well as two Lokis and Tropea in Harborne. Costs in a lot of areas of the business have gone up ranging from tradespeople day rates to plasterboard and timber which they’re hoping will level out soon.

Listed buildings present a challenge that Nick welcomes. “There are more things to consider like planners and conservationists. I enjoy mixing modern and traditional and putting old things back.” The Joint Works in the JQ is a great example of mixing old and new which has prompted industry accolades. The scheme made it to the final two projects in the Fit Out of the Year category at the Insider Awards.

Nick says: “The awards are a big thing in construction. There were multi-million-pound businesses and projects in the room with us. To be in the same arena as those people was great. It’s a different level that might lead to bigger projects.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I graduated from full-time contemporary dance training in 1998 from Trinity Laban, London and joined their resident dance company but suffered an injury which meant I had to consider my options. Teaching seemed a natural way forward. I started lecturing at London College of Dance and was an artist in residence at Impington Village College, Cambridge before my first teaching job as head of dance at a school in Islington. I received a call about the role of principal at Elmhurst and couldn’t believe my luck when I was offered it in 2010.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I love my job. The students, staff, the environment, the excitement of performance – there is never a dull moment. My role is to lead and manage the school, from learning, dance and academic and health, well-being and boarding. As a business we have 130 employees. Funding is a struggle and since the pandemic we’ve had even bigger issues to overcome but I am ready with my brilliant team to face them.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition for Elmhurst is to be known as one of the top 10 ballet and dance schools internationally. Not only to serve our students brilliantly but to offer something to our local community – sharing the love of dance as an art form and healthy activity, giving young people the opportunity to engage with dance who might not otherwise have been able to. I want us to be an influencer across the wider dance and education sectors.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Juggling my life! I have two gorgeous children aged three and four and I am a single mum, so working full-time and making sure they get enough ‘mummy time’ is a challenge. I was nominated in the Ladies First Awards’ Business Woman of the Year category 2020 and won the Excellence in Education Award – which was a lovely recognition for the school.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

My parents brought me up on the principle that ‘you make your own luck’ and that hard work and effort are important to carving out your future. I also remember mum saying to me ‘jump and the net will appear’, so I think taking risks can lead to exciting results.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I am a complete Brummie convert. The city has so much to offer – culturally, socially, food! The people are genuinely friendly, too.

DOWNTIME

I love to exercise and have to work hard to take the time to push through a short Joe Wicks or Shaun T session. I have two King Charles Cavaliers – Roxy and Ruby – so walking them with the kids is always great.

It’s Christmas and while we’re not trying to burst your festive bubble, it’s not Hallmark schmaltz for everyone. While numbers of homeless people on the streets of Brum have fallen since Covid, there’s work to do. Achieving a positive outcome involves pulling together homeless charities, enforcement and council services ensuring they work efficiently in synch. One charity in the city, Let’s Feed Brum recognises this need for collaboration as well as the power of befriending homeless people and building trust.

Let’s Feed Brum co-founder Tara Attfield-Tomes says the charity was born out of a desire to genuinely help – and not about being ‘do-gooders’. The volunteer-led charity works to befriend the homeless community as well as providing nourishment while working with other organisations in the city to find a solution and get a roof over the heads of rough sleepers.

Initially, there was a team of 10 to 12 volunteers. Tara used to bundle foldable tables in the back of her car, while Itihaas whose owner Raj Rana is one of LFB’s founders, provided the food. Now there are more than 100 volunteers and increasing support from the city’s restaurants – Dishoom, Yorks, Franco Manca and Syriana for example.

DEDICATED TEAM

There are dedicated, trained team leaders and volunteers out every night as well as twice weekly breakfasts at the Cathedral. There are also significant walkabout teams in rough sleeping hot spots, regular events at refuges and an LFB Friendship helpline. The breakfast events are often sponsored by local businesses who provide funds enabling the charity to buy food and drink while clothing and key supplies are handed out through partnerships with businesses such as Re:Sole and Socks & Crocs as well as public donations.

Tara explains that the misconception that the system is broken is not strictly true. When LFB began, there were a lot of organisations working to tackle rough sleeping but they weren’t necessarily joined up, so one organisation would do their bit then pass it on to the next. This has changed over time through increased collaboration and communication. LFB’s approach was to say to other services and authorities: ‘Use us. How can we help?’

Volunteers are trained not to promise to fix things but to reassure people they’ll look into it. It’s crucial not to let people down at this point – it’s likely they’ve been let down badly before. The mistrust of authority sometimes goes right back to school, so building trust is the number one priority. Tara says: “It’s a complex situation and can take a year to get the real story sometimes. We aim to build up trust – the biggest barrier to progress. Once we’re on the street we can engage with people, start a conversation and provide genuine support.”

MIX OF PEOPLE

She adds: “Homeless people are just people – some are horrible, some are amazing and some are completely ‘normal’. If you lose your job and you don’t have a support network around you, it would be easy to slip into homelessness. If you’ve been through the care system, if your parents are both dead and you’re an only child, if you’ve mental health issues and don’t have a network of friends, if you’re living on the edge of poverty with no support network and something goes wrong, what do you do?”

Covid changed the situation and the operation stopped temporarily due to lockdown. The Government’s Everyone In scheme meant that those on the city’s streets was offered a place in a hotel. Some of those people are now in accommodation and have jobs and but some chose not to go into the hotel.

While homeless figures are still lower than pre-Covid, they are set to rise. Tara says: “We’re starting to see people ending up on the streets because they can’t pay their bills. Foodbank access is on the up and let’s not forget that Covid was a wild time and mental health is on the decline.” There’s a misconception that LFB and charities like them are enabling homelessness, but that’s not so. Working with other services and charities is powerful and effective. For instance, if there’s someone new to the streets, there’s a 48-hour window to try and get them back home. Beyond then it’s unlikely you’ll get people to reverse. Engaging early and alerting and working with other services is crucial which is only possible through strong networks and understanding.

ROYAL AWARD

The charity which received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last year – the highest award given to local voluntary groups – is funded through donations and grants and Brum’s business community has been a generous contributor, but it wasn’t always the case. During the first three years there were many doors slammed in faces, but Tara, along with her co-founders weren’t deterred.

They used their networks and personal contacts to drum up support in the city. As well as the business community, Tara is amazed by the kindness and generosity of people, particularly people who don’t have much themselves. LFB is just one of a handful of charities doing wonderful things to tackle homelessness across the city and while we know times are hard, if you’re able to help by donating to or volunteering with any of the homeless charities in the city, it would be hugely appreciated and make a difference.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

You know the phrase ‘been round the block a few times’? Well, that pretty much sums me up beautifully. Born in Scotland and lucky enough to have worked at one of Glasgow finest restaurants at the start of my career, the Ubiquitous Chip, spurred me on to greater things! I’ve worked in boutique restaurants and managed some of the big beasts in London before making the move to Birmingham to open Bank in Brindleyplace in 1999. Having helped to kickstart the restaurant revolution in Birmingham it really was time to put your money where your mouth is, resulting in the birth of OPUS on Cornwall Street. I’m now a director and an owner of Chapter, the Edgbaston neighbourhood restaurant and bar which burst onto the scene in December 2021.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As restaurant director, my role encompasses pretty much everything other than cooking! My favourite part is being with customers who are the life blood of our restaurant. Well that and curating the wine list – I do love a glass of vino to boot! I love to organise and as such I deal directly with all private events enquiries and organise special dinners, such as our Burns Supper coming up next year.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I really do not have many ambitions left, with the exception of a legacy. I’d like to eventually quietly retire from Chapter leaving a magnificent restaurant in the hands of our more than capable senior management team. Those who know me well will know that me doing anything quietly is a big ask!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

The life-long friendship with my business partner Ann has to be right up there and helping to create three very successful restaurants in Birmingham which have been early champions of nature-led menus sourcing British produce

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Don’t open a restaurant when an incompetent government is in power…

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I have told this to many people. When I first came to Brum I walked along the canal and a stranger said good morning to me, I knew there and then that I was as close to home as I could possibly be.

DOWNTIME

I love a good movie and have been a regular visitor to the Electric Cinema for years. And as I previously mentioned, I like a glass of wine too – so special events by the Wine Events Company at the Electric are a must.

Bittersweet is how Georgie Moseley describes the 10th anniversary of Help Harry Help Others. The charity was launched by Georgie as a legacy to her son Harry who captured the hearts of the nation when he raised more than £750,000 for cancer research in the last two years of his life, before passing away on 8 October 2011, aged only 11-years-old.

In the 10 years since it became an official charity, Help Harry Help Others (HHHO) has lived up to Georgie’s promise to celebrate the life of her remarkable son by helping more than 1,000 families and giving over £2.6million in his name.

The charity runs Respite Renovations, its own ‘DIY SOS’ style makeover scheme, which to date has renovated four houses as well as the day-to-day running of its Drop In Cancer Support Centre opened in Birmingham in 2015. The centre which bridges the gap between hospital and hospice sees more than 150 people walk through the door every week to get emotional and practical support from a range of 20 services to support families in every aspect outside of treatment – from mental wellbeing to finances and housing.

LIGHT IN THE DARK

The charity marked its anniversary with a special ‘light in the dark’ campaign, producing limited edition glow-in-the-dark bracelets with 10 gold beads representing each year and asking famous faces and members of the public to wear and share the bracelets. Some of the city’s landmarks were also lit up to raise awareness, including the Bullring Bull, which was illuminated with specially made light up HHHO bracelets. The Library of Birmingham, Aston Villa Football Club, New Street’s line of trees and other businesses and organisations in the city, also shone their lights to support the charity.

George said: “The anniversary is really a bittersweet moment. It’s hard because we see Harry in everything we do, but it’s also wonderful to know all the people we have helped. It’s not very often you get the chance to look back and reflect.

“During our own journey with Harry we saw the lack of support there was when we needed advice and support. Your life literally changes completely. Apart from all the stress of the hospital appointments and treatments and juggling those with your emotions, there’s the realisation that you need to become a full-time carer and what about your job and how do you pay for your home? When we lost Harry, we lost everything.”

Georgie added:” Today there are three million people in the UK living with cancer and this is only predicted to rise substantially in the coming years. Research is important, but what are we doing as a community to help? The NHS is there but it is a health specialist and doesn’t offer the vital support beyond treatment that is needed.”

SUPER-LEAN TEAM

Since Georgie launched Help Harry Help Others her whole focus has been structured around where she knew more support was needed for families. The charity has access to experts offering advice and skills from mental and emotional support to financial, debt and benefit advice and even practical help such as bra fitting for those dealing with breast cancer.

Remarkably, the charity operates on a staff of just four employees. It’s a super-lean team with no room for the likes of an events or marketing team. “That’d be me!” says Georgie. “But of course we have access to lots of service providers who come in and charge us for the day and then will give us another day for free.”

More than £200,000 needs to be raised annually to keep HHHO going and unsurprisingly with the pandemic lockdowns and economic crisis that’s proving tougher than ever. “It’s very challenging,” said Georgie, “and that’s why it is so important to do all we can to keep awareness of what we do. We need to work harder, cleverer and continue to be innovative.”

The charity has a number of high-profile supporters, including TV presenter Ben Shepherd, who named Harry as one of his heroes in his Humble Heroes book which was published in September.

“There was no one quite like Harry and even now I feel so lucky to have spent even a short amount of time with such a unique and wonderfully inspiring young boy,” said Ben. “I’m so proud to be flying the HHHO flag in his name, knowing the difference this is making to people’s lives, and keeping his legacy alive is as important now as it ever was.” Oliver and James Phelps, best known as the Weasley twins in Harry Potter, are also ambassadors for HHHO, and said: “The level of support and services such a small team produces is incredible.”
Georgie, who had the honour of being one of the baton bearers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, added: “Reaching our 10th anniversary, I am so very proud of Harry’s charity and everything his legacy has achieved. It has been an unbelievable journey so far. We’ve created a wonderful community and while we have faced some very challenging times, there’s never a dull moment at HHHO – which is exactly how Harry would have wanted it.”

10 ANNIVERSARY FACTS 

Georgie and the team at Help Harry Help Others have achieved the following in the past 10 years:

1. Launched Birmingham’s first Drop In Cancer Support Centre in 2015.
2. Provided £240,000 to fund vital research via the charity’s HelpCURE fund.
3. Donated £400,000 to families suffering financial hardship via the HHHO HelpCOPE fund.
4. Given nearly £740,000 via the HelpCARE fund, including donations to other charities.
5. Helped more than 1,000 families via the Drop In Cancer centre.
6. Reached its £1million of giving in 2019, meaning over £2.6million has been given to date in Harry’s name.
7. Completed a 22-hour roller skating challenge to mark Harry’s 22nd birthday.
8. Completed the Three Peaks Challenge, twice in 10 days, and kayaked from London to Birmingham.
9. Received a Harry Honoured Star on Broad Street.
10. Broke the world record for world’s longest chain of beads (31,234,48 ft).

Iqbal Khan’s triumphant directorship of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is his ‘biggest success’ to date and certainly the most high profile. More than a billion people across the globe watched the spectacle which Iqbal describes as the ‘ultimate celebration of communities’ that represented the city so brilliantly.

He describes the experience as ‘stressful but a privilege’ as the city has a massive story to tell and that was his dilemma – how to tell the story. He explains: “It’s the youngest, punkest city in Europe. I wanted to change the way this place was seen and represent its communities properly.”

Of everyone’s favourite bovine (sorry Bullring) he adds: “The bull was an incredible piece of engineering and I suppose it was inevitable that people would care about it and take ownership of it. It was never conceived to be around this long, so we’ve had to get extra funding to make changes to keep him long term.” By the way, he could tell me where the bull will reappear, but he’d have to kill me so understandably I didn’t push it.

With just 18 months to pull the show together featuring 2,500 performers, a global pandemic in the run-up and tough restrictions that meant it was a challenge. Meetings were virtual, supply chains were affected, people came down with Covid periodically, but it all came together. There was a hiccup when the bull malfunctioned during the rehearsal which was akin to him ‘having a stroke’ but thankfully he performed on the night.

NEW WORK

Last month, Tartuffe at the Rep – where Iqbal is associate director – was also a triumph. Reviews of his adaptation of the Moliere comedy from the 1600s were glowing. Bringing the play to modern-day Pakistani community around Stratford Road was inventive, funny and fresh. The ambitious scale and range of work at the Rep gets Iqbal excited.

His role means he does a number of projects at the Rep while also having freedom to do other things. So, it’s a win-win. Interpreting classics, making work for audiences, broadening theatre’s appeal reaching younger people and developing Birmingham nationally is Iqbal’s goal. And bringing opera to the masses. He says: “I love opera and want to do a lot more. There’s always this perception that it’s elitist, but it shouldn’t be.”

It hasn’t all been plain sailing. Twenty years ago when Iqbal was starting out in theatre as an actor from an ethnic minority, he felt a pressure to give people what they wanted rather than who he was and what he wanted to do. He recalls: “The parts I wanted were classical which alienated agents as they just thought it was not practical. Thankfully, the world has changed and performers who want to, can. There are an enormous number of opportunities now.”

URGENT STORIES

Clearly Covid was tough for any sort of live performance with crippling lockdowns enforced on venues and Iqbal thinks it highlighted the importance of theatre. “It really showed us how fragile the industry is. It’s so important – there’s a holistic human need as well as an economic need.” He also feels it’s necessary to tell urgent stories of alliance in response to Brexit. He says: “It was a defensive decision that came from people feeling vulnerable. We were sort of turning in on ourselves.”

Born and bred in Brum, Iqbal lived away for 30 years. Of the city he says: “It’s not the Birmingham that I grew up in. I enjoy the joyous confusion of the city – its optimism and innocence. During the last 10 to 15 years the pace of change has been exponential, and the spirit is thrilling.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

After working in the Royal Air Force in Gibraltar for nearly three years, I came back to Birmingham in the early 1960s, working as a photographer and jazz musician. I got to photograph the likes of Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger and Nina Simone as well as bands that established Birmingham as the Rock and Roll capital of the UK. With my own band, Locomotive, I frequented a West Indian record store and discovered Rock Steady – the music from the Islands that preceded Ska and Reggae – resulting in Locomotive having a hit record with Rudi’s In Love. I quit playing trumpet to manage Locomotive and also a band called Earth. I hated that name and persuaded them to change it to Black Sabbath. In 1970, I took them to a hit single Paranoid. Since then I’ve been recording American Bluesmen, jazz musicians from all over and local bands.

We have organised numerous festivals, including 38 editions (so far) of Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival and six years of the Marbella Jazz Festival. We relaunched Henry’s Blueshouse in 2019, now at Velvet Music Rooms on Broad Street every Tuesday.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m good at coming up with ideas for projects but not so hot at putting them into action. Sometimes I over-estimate the capabilities of our small company – just five of us. I’m happiest in the recording studio but don’t always find it easy to effectively market our releases.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

To digitise and release our record catalogue of unreleased music. To continue to play our part in keeping those Blues alive. To do our best to continue presenting what we consider to be the real jazz.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Staying in what we laughingly call business for 54 years and counting, working with real musicians, no backing tracks, no DJs.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I’ve always believed that if you do a job properly, deliver on what you set out to do, then those up there, the decision-makers, will take notice. It’s taken a long time to finally accept that this does not work.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

How long have you got? The Birmingham audience for music, they never let you down. Their appetite and preparedness to listen to something new. Birmingham is the UK capital of Rock and Roll, it is also significant when it comes to jazz and blues – and Birmingham is only a 15-minute drive to that field of dreams, Halesowen Town Football Club.

DOWNTIME

What’s that? I enjoy writing and currently have two books published co-written with my brother Ron.

FINALLY…

The decade is chronicled like never before in our new book, Dirty Stop Out’s Guide to 1970s Birmingham. Duran Duran, UB40, Dexys Midnight Runners and many more found initial success in the 1970s and feature in the story.

If it wasn’t documented or filmed, you’d think Aaron Twitchen was a fantasist. Largely thanks to his strategy of saying ‘Yes’ to everything, along with a big injection of talent and energy, he has an eclectic CV.

A comedy gig while swinging 20 metres in the air on silks you say? No problem for Aaron. In his show, Curtains at Edinburgh Festival in 2017 he did just that – and he’s done it a few times since. We asked him if stand-up isn’t scary enough without the jeopardy of breaking a few limbs? Aaron explains: “Everyone assumes stand-up is scary, but people don’t understand how arrogant and self-obsessed comedians are! I just like talking about myself.” Aaron’s not sure whether it was the best, worst or stupidest idea he’s had, but he’s still looking for ways to combine silks with stand-up.

WANGING ON

Aaron is about to perform at Birmingham Comedy Festival which kicks off this month, but no circus stuff is planned. Or is it? When we spoke, he wasn’t sure which material he’d be performing, so who knows. He says he has loads of material, but he’s not 100 per cent decided and moots the idea of hanging the material on the wall of the venue and asking audience members to chuck a dart at it to decide which he’ll perform. We think he’s joking, but the organisers might want to check their insurance! Aaron says: “Basically it will be me just wanging on.”

Thanks to his yes mentality, Aaron ended up in an acting and writing workshop with Brum’s Barbara Nice which we imagine was hysterical and also landed a job in physical theatre as a circus performer by telling a little, well quite big actually, lie.

He says: “I did that thing in an audition where if someone asks you if you can do random things, just say yes. So, I said I had circus skills. I got the job and had six weeks to learn.” It turns out Birmingham is practically the capital of circus skills training – there’s Circus Mash in King’s Heath, Rogue Play in Digbeth, Diamonds, and so on. Who knew? It all came good and he’s a natural although he does confess, almost as though it’s a negative, that he is disciplined, so you can bet he put in the hard graft too.

ON THE ROAD

Weirdly, a skill from his childhood got Aaron through the toughest part of stand-up – the travelling. Aaron remembers: “As a county long distance runner I travelled the country and the biggest hurdle to stand-up in the beginning is the travelling. I was used to it. Schlepping four hours up the motorway to perform to 10 people and travel back again isn’t the dream.” It was fun though. Aaron says there was a bunch of comedians in Brum starting out together and they used to bundle in a car and head to Bristol for comedy night on a Thursday and he made some great mates.

When Covid lockdowns stopped live performance, stand-up came to a screeching halt. Aaron found he quite liked the glacial pace of life although no circus training for four months wasn’t great. “I spent a few months hanging from door frames and setting up equipment in a tree.” Lockdown also gave Aaron an opportunity to launch a podcast, Matter of Pride: A Comedy Education of Gay History which breaks down some of the modern issues affecting queer culture in a well-informed, thoughtful series with enough comedy to keep it typically light and bright.

Aaron’s long-term ambition is to ‘keep being funny’ – a decent goal for a comedian! Go see.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I started working in retail at All Saints head office in London. Following that, I decided to move agency side, just when social media had first been born. Back then, Instagram was nowhere to be seen and Twitter was the social media golden child. I then decided to launch Social Circle, a collaborative group of like-minded social media people, where we set up monthly social networking events and talk about all things social media. I am now at Cake where I’m the marketing director, and I also guest lecture at BCU on its Digital Marketing and Future Media course.

IT’S WHAT I DO

My work at Cake is focused on driving revenue through co-ordinated e-commerce, social media and digital strategy. In terms of my role as founder at Social Circle my favourite aspect of that role, similarly to the guest lecturing at BCU, is the nurturing of new talent.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Cake has had a successful year and I’m proud of everything the team has done to support clients throughout the pandemic. There is still room for us to grow and I want to be a part of leading that initiative. In terms of personal ambitions, I am hoping to set up a university programme at Cake to support students with tangible social media and digital skills, feeding them into other marketing agencies and businesses in and around Birmingham.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

My most recent success has been the growth of the Cake team and client base in my first 18 months of being marketing director. Another proud moment would be my involvement in the Social Day events. Back in 2017, I attended one of the many Social Day events that were hosted in Birmingham. I was so inspired that I quit my job agency side and decided to go freelance as a social media consultant. Within a year, I was invited to speak at the main stage of the Social Day event in London and have returned to speak there every year since.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Always stay true to your values, never stop learning and never forget to have fun.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I moved to Birmingham from Leeds, and when I first drove into Birmingham, I went through the Jewellery Quarter and remember how my eyes just lit up. I think some people really don’t understand what a fantastic city Birmingham is. It is such a melting pot of diverse culture and talent – and the food is unbelievable!

DOWNTIME

I love going for bike rides and walks in and around Digbeth. I also participate in yoga which allows me to unwind from work. I also have a passion for interiors and I’m currently renovating a Badge Factory in the Jewellery Quarter.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

How long have you got? I have been an actor, theatre director, writer, salesman, university lecturer, journalist, CEO of three SMEs, trainer, facilitator, consultant. I’m an adopted son of the West Midlands, arriving in the early Nineties to run a touring theatre company. I then set up my own theatre company, creating a series of quirky shows, including A Brief History of Time – the stage show which toured nationally with the blessing of the late Stephen Hawking. I struggle with staying still – perhaps I’ve just got a short attention span. I no longer call myself a jack-of-all-trades, but a rather more respectful term – a wide achiever.

IT’S WHAT I DO

With this particular hat on, I’m the director of the Birmingham Improv Festival. This year we have forged a partnership with the wonderful Midlands Arts Centre and pulled together a stunning five-day programme of 18 amazing improvised comedy shows from the top companies in the UK and beyond. It’s my job to make sure that everything is in place for the festival to run smoothly, and that everyone gets paid!

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

This is the fourth Birmingham Improv Festival, and we’ve got bigger and better every time. I would like Birmingham to become the Edinburgh Festival of Improv, making it every improv company’s burning ambition to come and play here. I’d also like to spread the joy and fun of performing improv as widely as possible around the city, and I’m thrilled that this year we have been awarded money by Arts Council England to offer free workshops throughout the area.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Building the improv scene in Birmingham from literally nothing 12 years ago to the thriving community we have now, with workshops, shows and classes happening every week. As a small festival we continually punch above our weight.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Performing and teaching improv has taught me that absolutely everyone is creative, whatever they think of themselves. People are amazing when they allow themselves to be and I adore watching newcomers discover how funny they can be without even trying.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I’ve been here 25 years, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else now. Brummies are so friendly, funny and down to earth. I love the melting pot that the city is – you can eat your way round the world and never venture beyond the Ring Road. And I love that dry Brummie sense of humour.

DOWNTIME

Sorry, remind me what that is? Maybe try asking me again when the festival is over!

FINALLY…

Get to Midlands Arts Centre from 28 September to 2 October to see an amazing variety of improv shows! Tickets at: https://birminghamimprovfestival.com/

Ruth Millington was advised by everyone except her art teacher not to study art as it wasn’t a ‘proper subject’, that she was a bright girl and if she wanted to go to a decent university and have good career prospects she should shun art as an A-Level.

Ruth did take art A-Level in her own time alongside her other subjects which must have been a tremendous feat and she then went on to study art history at Oxford. She says: “There was so much negativity and even later when I was working in a gallery, my dad told me it wasn’t a proper career.”

Now a published author, working at Sotheby’s Institute of Art with TV and radio appearances under her belt, Ruth is happy with what is most definitely her proper career. The publishing world is still fairly new – Muse launched in May. Since then, TIME magazine has featured excerpts, Ruth has instructed an agent, she’s been on primetime TV and radio multiple times, is writing a proposal for a new book and has a children’s book in the pipeline.

ART LEGENDS

Ruth initially wanted to write a book about Birmingham’s art story through the ages from Pre-Raphaelite to today. She explains: “In 2019, I pitched the idea to 40 agents and 50 publishers. A small local history publisher said yes, but when Covid hit, they put all their staff on furlough and announced they wouldn’t be publishing it. It was really disappointing, but I’m glad of it now.” The disappointment sent Ruth in a different direction.

A friend suggested thinking of an idea for a broader audience and the concept of a book focusing on muses as real people rather than passive beings began to take shape. Ruth says: “Muses have been written about lots before but not in a celebratory way. I wrote a proposal which took nine months and signed a deal with Penguin Randomhouse. They asked me to write the book in six months! That wasn’t possible as I had a job, but I managed it in a year.” Ruth explains that she tends not to use the term muse because of its passivity preferring art legend.

ANXIETY-INDUCING

Ruth says the last two months of writing were hard, particularly the Frida Kahlo section which was the last one she finished. “I think it was because there was so much written about her. I had to find a new angle.” Ruth examined Frida’s diaries and paintings and the way the artist constructed herself. “She was almost managing her image. The diary was like an outpouring of emotion while her paintings were very controlled.” As the launch of Muse got closer Ruth found it stressful. “It was anxiety-inducing. I’d spend a long time researching their worlds and just worried about what people would make of it.” Thankfully the reception has been positive and Muse is selling well.

When local artist and friend Danny Howes approached Ruth to be his muse, she jumped at the chance and is absolutely thrilled with the result (pictured). “He came to my flat and took a bunch of photos. It tells my writing journey really. I believed in him and he believed in me. He asked me which books I wanted in the background and Danny added Muse of his own accord. I’m an introvert and I think he captured that. He knows me well.”

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

TV work wasn’t a natural leap for Ruth the introvert and at the first time of asking, she immediately turned down BBC Breakfast. Ruth had written a small book on artist Eric Tucker dubbed Warrington’s Lowry and they wanted to chat to her about him. “I said ‘no way’. I didn’t want to go on TV but I spoke to the artist’s nephew about it. He said he’d do it and encouraged me. I called the BBC back and did the interview.” She says it was terrifying but Naga and Charlie were brilliant and it opened so many doors. ITV got in touch on the back of it and Ruth did a piece on Cold War Steve plus she’s now listed as an official BBC contributor, has been on Radio 4, Woman’s Hour and many more.

One of Ruth’s big irritations is the lack of funding for arts. “Arts are just not rated at all. The Government has cut funding for art education at university. With the progress of AI a lot of jobs will be automated but not creative industries, so surely we need more creativity not less.” She adds: “It’s so obvious that the arts are good for people that the NHS is prescribing arts for people with anxiety.” Part of Ruth’s role at Sotheby’s and previously at the University of Birmingham is to organise paid internships for art students. “Unpaid internships are only possible for the privileged and that’s not right. That’s so obvious to me.” The situation is changing only thanks to people like Ruth striving for change.

FULL OF PRIDE

Brum is thriving culturally in Ruth’s opinion. “When I moved to Birmingham from London people asked me ‘why are you moving to Birmingham?’ They are always amazed when they come here which I like.” Ruth’s arts highlights in the city include BMAG’s redesigned realms room, Ironhouse gallery and events space, Digbeth’s artist spaces, excellent programming at IKON including more local artists and the most impactful arts event recently, the launch of the Commonwealth Games Festival, Wondrous Stories.

She says: “The atmosphere was electric. It was so heart-warming. The Commonwealth Games and the Festival might look great outwardly, but I felt that on a local level that event brought people together and filled them with pride. That’s what I saw.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’ve always been into sport and played semi-professional football as a youngster, but in 1989 I had an injury that ended my playing career which is when I got into coaching. I was one of the very first black people to go through the premier coaching scheme. I started coaching local football teams and became a community steward which involves overseeing community venues among other things. I then progressed to managing West Brom ladies – the first manager of the team – and then became sports development officer in the Perry Barr district before moving to Warwickshire Cricket.

IT’S WHAT I DO

It’s a big role! I’m tasked with promoting recreational cricket to groups that might not ordinarily get to play. I manage the community participation through schemes like street cricket, glow in the dark cricket, indoor winter leagues and South Asian core cities programme. The initiatives are funded largely by the ECB along with some other organisations. It’s very rewarding.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I’d like to see the continuation of integration of communities coming together as one. There’s been a decline in cricket in black communities. I want to get cricket back at the forefront. I was brought up on cricket, the West Indies were the best and there were plenty of role models. Not so much for youngsters today. Football – yes. Cricket – less so, but we’ll get there. They’re not exposed to the sport as much, so changing that and getting cricket at the forefront is the goal.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Getting to the position I’m in where I’m able to make a real difference. There are development officers all over the country and I’m one of the only black ones.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I’ll use a coaching phrase, you only get out what you put in. Work hard, put in the effort and it may take a while, but just keep going and you’ll get the rewards. Whatever area of life you’re in it applies.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

My favourite thing about Birmingham is the multi-cultural and integrational nature of the city. You have loads of people just mixing together yet managing to keep their own cultural identities – almost like communities within communities in the best possible sense.

DOWNTIME

A couple of glasses of wine and some Jamaican rum. I also love live music – any club, any concert. Work hard and play hard!

FINALLY…

The Commonwealth Games is going to be massive. Women and girls’ cricket across the world has taken off and the Games will only add to that. The Hundred last summer pushed the women’s game into the spotlight and it continues to get better and better.

Protest. You can never have too much of it says Horace Panter, bass player with The Specials. “Protest is central to the whole ethos of The Specials,” he says. “As I’ve gotten older, I would have thought that I would have mellowed, but that’s not what’s happened at all!”

The Specials have been raising their voice against injustice for decades through a distinctive mix of ska, reggae and punk rock known as Two-Tone that has elevated the band to legend status. Formed in Coventry in 1977, the line-up has chopped and changed over the years but currently comprises Horace, guitarist Lynval Golding and vocalist Terry Hall. Long-time fans will be joined by those discovering The Specials music for the first time when the guys headline the main stage at Birmingham’s three-day Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival on Friday 8 July.

We caught up with Horace at his home just outside Warwick as the band prepared for the gig at Moseley Park as part of a 12-date series of summer shows. “While we’ve obviously played Birmingham before, we’ve never played Moseley Park and it’s something we’re really looking forward to,” he said. “After all the years, we still get a huge buzz out of performing live. There’s nothing like it.”

RACISM, WAR & DECAY

In the early days, The Specials multicultural make-up challenged far right prejudice and injustice. Critics described their 1979 debut album at the time as ‘tackling racism, war, unemployment and national decay, making them one of the most socially progressive bands of their age’. A succession of top 10 hits followed.

Their 2019 reunion album Encore was just as challenging, focusing on Black Lives Matter, Windrush, racial integration and gang violence. Encore went to number one in the UK Album Chart – the band’s first chart-topping album since 1980.

In September 2021, the band released an album of cover songs from the likes of Bob Marley and Talking Heads titled Protest Songs 1924-2012 to rave reviews. “It was a big risk doing Protests,” said Horace. “It was not what our hard-core fans would expect, but we were really pleased with it.” Horace calls the album an ‘interim product’. The band had been forced to axe a planned tour due to Covid lockdown, so made the album instead. “Because of Covid, the last few years seem to have just disappeared,” said Horace. “Now life is getting back to being a bit more normal, but there are still sections of concert-goers who don’t feel that comfortable with going out and being in a crowd listening to music. Hopefully that’ll change in time.”

WARHOL ON THE WALL

During lockdown the guys had an opportunity to do a bit more of their ‘own thing’. Horace said: “I know that Terry was writing a lot of music, though he’s always loath to admit to it! For me, it’s my art.” Painting is a serious passion for Horace, who graduated from Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University) with a BA in Fine Art in the 70s and has his own website where his pictures can be bought. His work has been exhibited throughout the UK and in New York, Los Angeles and Singapore.

He says he is influenced by the artists he first encountered as a child of the 60s – Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, Hopper, Blake, Rousseau. With Warhol’s famous picture of Marilyn Monroe selling recently for a record $195million recently, Horace said: “I’ve got a Warhol – an ‘official’ fake which I bought for £250 in New York!”

Horace and Terry were in the US as recently as February doing a charity event and visiting friends in Austin, Texas. The subject of protest was never far away. “It was clear talking to various people just how divided America is,” he said. “US politics is fascinating, especially all that second amendment stuff about the right to bear arms.”

PEAKY DRAMA

Back home, the Two Tone genre led by The Specials, is the subject of a new BBC drama by Peaky Blinders creator, Birmingham’s own Steven Knight. Filming is underway on the six-part series set in the West Midlands at a time of “real cultural and historical progression” which tells the story of an extended family and four young people drawn into the music scene which grew out of Coventry and Birmingham in the late 70s and early 80s.

If you want to see the real thing though, there’s no better way than dropping by on the legends themselves as The Specials let it rip at Moseley Park next month!

Despite the destruction caused by lockdown and the obvious trauma of the pandemic there are positive stories that have emerged. Not least people rethinking their careers and going it alone on projects and businesses they might have only dreamed about before. Gypsy Brew was one of them, born out of a chance conversation during lockdown that is now thriving.

Craft beer is what Gypsy Brew is about and as well as brewing, they’ve now launched a no-nonsense bar serving a brilliant collection of drinks and snacks called The Garrity in Barnt Green. We caught up with one of Gypsy Brew’s founders, Gary Meads who it seems was always destined for hospitality. He was born in the Coach and Horses, an 18th century coaching inn near Withall, grew up there which he says was ‘brilliant with unlimited Vimto and crisps’, tried to leave to forge an alternative career then bought the pub from his father and still runs it today.

During lockdown when the Coach and Horses was shut, Gary started brewing real ale and doing take-out delivery. Gary’s regular barber, Al Smith was also shut. (Stick with us this is going somewhere). While chatting to Gary during lockdown, Al revealed he was thinking about brewing a craft beer using a brewery in Gloucester. Gary said to Al: “Why are you doing that you prat? I’ve got a brewery.” Voila. A serendipitous moment that spawned a cracking business that’s now thriving.

CRAFT BEER NUT

Gary wasn’t brewing craft beer before the chat with Al, so they brought in head brewer Rob Walker who’s a ‘craft beer nut’. Gary says: “Although I hadn’t brewed craft beer, it’s the same principles and I had the kit.” They played around with a few recipes and came up with three ‘excellent’ beers they were happy with. The term craft beer is bandied about a lot and it’s very trendy, but what makes a beer a craft beer? It’s essentially a fruity IPA, handmade and natural, so it’s not clear like a mass-produced lager. Gary says: “We don’t add actual fruit, but the hops used have mango and grapefruit tones.”

The biggest hurdle was not being able to sell to pubs as they were shut, so they sold through the website – still do actually. Looking back, what seemed like a negative just gave them time to get it right. They’ve now launched their own bar called The Garrity in Barnt Green. They wanted something small and niche that felt very independent and that’s what they’ve achieved. They’ve teamed up with Midland’s 200 Degrees and Brighton based Bird & Blend to bring snacks and light bites alongside a fantastic drinks menu.

The top tipple in the bar so far is Gypsy Brew’s Garrity Mash. There’s been a slight issue with the food as the bar has the same landlord as the café next door and they’ve put a clause in the lease that restricts The Garrity to serving only cold food, so they don’t compete. Discussions are ongoing so that might change, but the bar is flying nonetheless.

DREAM TEAM

While there’s Al and Jules (Gary says they’re Mr and Mrs Trendy) smashing the branding – the Garrity logo is particularly brilliant – Gary brings his hospitality expertise. Jules has never worked in hospitality but has thrown herself into it too. They’ve recruited a top-quality management team as well as a crew of bright enthusiastic youngsters to bolster the team. In hospitality Gary says ‘you live or die’ by the people ,so getting that right was an absolute priority.

They’re already making noises about expanding and potentially opening more bars, but they’re keen to concentrate on The Garrity before opening a second site. Having said that, Gary has one eye on venues, so we reckon it might not be too long before The Garrity mark II pops up.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

My mum threw me into all sports but my passion for tennis came from my grandparents who played at Moseley Tennis Club. I eventually played on the professional circuit from age 16 to 20 and got to travel the world. I was diagnosed with skin cancer at 20 which made me appreciate tennis even more once I was fully recovered. I got into coaching while continuing to represent Team GB. I’m now head of racquets at Edgbaston Priory Club, home to the Rothesay Classic which brings the world’s best female tennis players to the city every summer. 

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am responsible for everything tennis at Edgbaston Priory Club, from grassroots community programmes in parks and schools to club tennis and our high-performance programme, nurturing future professionals. I am also an ambassador for She Rallies, a campaign spearheaded by Judy Murray to get more women into tennis. Tennis is a game for everyone – our members join the club, learn to play, fine-tune their skills, get fit and make friendships for life. We’re also developing new racquets sports such as Pickleball and Padel Tennis. 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

More people across our city playing tennis all year round – not just during Wimbledon! I’d like to see more competitive sport return to schools – it plays such a big role in making young people understand the importance of teamwork and building up resilience when things don’t always go as planned. I’d like to see the Birmingham Classic, featuring the world’s best female players, given the same primetime coverage as the men’s tournament at Queen’s Club in London. We need more girls in sport, more women in decision-making roles in sport, more women as role models. It’s so important for young girls – if you can see them you can be them! 

BIGGEST SUCCESS

When I was ranked World No 1 in Collegiate Tennis after recovery from skin cancer… oh, and getting up on a surfboard in Australia, too!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Everyone has their own journey through life, learn to love yours – the highs and lows, the winning and losing moments. The biggest piece of advice I would pass on to young players is to listen to your body conditioning coaches, nutritionists and physiotherapists. Look after the body and mind off the court – it’s as important as what happens on court.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Great restaurants, night life and a good city vibe, plus excellent transport links – and great sport on offer, of course! It’s going to be an exciting summer as we host the Commonwealth Games which will really put our city on the global sporting map. My favourite night out has to be a beer and burger in the Plough, Harborne or a good show at the Hippodrome!

DOWNTIME

I still enjoy playing, competing and seeing friends I made through sport. You just can’t beat enjoying a beer with mates after a match. I also love being outdoors and am a BIG adrenaline junkie. There aren’t many adrenaline sports I haven’t tried, so if anyone has a new one for me to have a go at, send it my way!

You might not think you know Motionhouse but if you witnessed Wondrous Stories in Centenary Square you’ve got Midlands-based Motionhouse to thank for the goosebump-inducing spectacle that kicked off the Birmingham 2022 cultural festival.

We put it to founder Kevin Finnan that on paper or spoken out loud, some of the show’s inventive concepts would have sounded bonkers. He agrees with a chuckle. Such is Motionhouse’s reputation and experience, a pitch situation never arose and they were approached to do the job – that’s not to say a proposal wasn’t required and budgets grappled with.

Founded in 1988, Motionhouse’s past events include the Olympics among other high profile shows across the globe, so I imagine they felt like a safe pair of hands at a time of uncertainty. Kevin says: “Very few people just give you a large amount of money whoever you are, however, what experience does is get you into the room more often.”

Motionhouse tour all over Europe which, with increased barriers has become more problematic. Kevin explains: “Brexit has made things unbelievably difficult. We’ve had to increase costs, so we’re more expensive for people. Because we are known, our work is still there as people are prepared to pay. For smaller companies starting out it’s impossible.”

EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY

With Wondrous Stories, the process started a year-and-a-half ago with the organisers making one big stipulation that the event would take place in Centenary Square. Kevin spent hours sitting in the square with a notebook looking at the space, watching how people use it and contemplating how to make the most of it.

He says: “On the content side of things I wanted an everything to everybody ethos. Everybody should have access to culture and the arts. Fundamentally Centenary Square is a square of stories – the Library, REP, Symphony Hall. The Shakespeare collection is owned by the people of Birmingham. So, I had a basic idea, but had to make it appeal to everyone.” Kevin adds: “I wanted to bring in threads from great stories written in this region. A mixture of personal stories plus a bit of Shakespeare as well as fresh young poets. At that point I thought ‘I know how to deliver this show’.”

LIVE CAMERA

With a mass cast made up of groups, volunteers, dancers and performers, the quandary was how to show them at their best. Most mass castings are in stadia – the audience high up looking down, but not so in Centenary Square. It was important to build high and bring the whole square to life which brought its own challenges. Kevin says: “Originally, we wanted mass dancers in the fountain, but realised we had people in electric wheelchairs so that wasn’t an option.

“We created aerial stuff, fly-ins, zip lines, innovative lighting. We commissioned a globe structure to come up out of the library well and used the whole square including the library balcony.” Kevin also used live camera which he’d used successfully before. “With the Olympics for example you’re making two shows in one – one for the live audience and one for TV. We did that with Wondrous Stories and I’m very pleased with the result.” Through the artistic process as the show was evolving, like all shows, Kevin says cracks began to appear and that’s when you work at turning problems into opportunities. An established team including producers, OPUS helps.

While the event was outdoors, rehearsal were indoors, so Covid restrictions provided an extra challenge. There were lots of health concerns to consider with some vulnerable cast members. Kevin says: “The country was isolating and we were trying to bring hundreds of people together to rehearse. Once allowed we brought smaller groups together in large studios with the doors open and closer to the time used a vast hall at the NEC to mark out the entire space and bring everyone together.”

FEEL GOOD

Kevin says the cast was amazing and just so thrilled to be taking part. “For two years it’s been a dark time in everybody’s life. Bring people together was amazing. The choir for example were nervous and worked so hard and at the end of the last show they just wanted to stay for a while.”

Reflecting on the pandemic Kevin says: “I think the pandemic has forced us to think about priorities. The first thing anybody wanted to do when restrictions were lifted was to hug friends and family. You can aspire to more – like a nice house, etc. but it’s how you live your life – your relationships that’s the point. You could die leaving a gigantic mansion but nobody cares.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’ve worked at some of Birmingham’s biggest and best cultural institutions, including Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet and now Birmingham Rep. I also worked on the launch of the Birmingham 2022 Festival – the huge cultural festival that will surround the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The wealth of world-class culture in the city has enabled me to forge a career working on exciting projects and productions – one highlight has to be touring to Japan with Birmingham Royal Ballet and taking the name of the company and Birmingham to the other side of the world! During my time at Birmingham Hippodrome I was involved in some brilliantly crazy PR stunts such as creating living windows in the Bullring with the cast of Kinky Boots, feeding camels at West Midland Safari Park with the cast of Joseph and doing some indoor skydiving with the cast of Peter Pan!

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am head of communications at Birmingham Rep, the city’s only producing theatre and the longest-established of Britain’s building-based theatre companies. In the same theatre building as my office, the huge stage sets are built, costumes are made and new productions rehearsed. It is my responsibility to oversee the PR and communications to spread the word about the wonderful work here both on and off stage.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Birmingham to grow more and more as a national and international powerhouse for culture, with the Rep being at the forefront. I would love to see more of the brilliant work devised here transfer into London’s West End, on to Broadway and beyond.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

It may sound a cheesy, but it’s the fact that I get to spend my working day in a theatre with a diverse range of colleagues with a huge variety of skills. I grew up going to the Hippodrome and the Rep with my parents, excitement would keep me awake the night before! Now, I have the pleasure of working in those environments.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Be confident in what you want to achieve and don’t be afraid to speak up. I believe in conversing with others to solve a problem. However, if something isn’t working for you – change it. We only live once and we have the right to enjoy every day.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

As mentioned, my first visits to Birmingham were to go to the theatre – I remember seeing The Wind in The Willows at the Rep and being totally mesmerised. It’s something I haven’t been able to get out my head ever since. We have amazing cultural institutions in our city, not just theatres but the likes of IKON and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and even the RSC just down the road.

DOWNTIME

I spend most of my free time at the theatre, locally and travelling into the West End. I also love treating myself to a meal at Harborne Kitchen or Simpsons. I also recently had an incredible meal at Chakana in Moseley.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I came to Birmingham in 1977 to work for the BBC at Pebble Mill as a secretary. My first step into the studio was as a ‘floor assistant’ on programmes with stars from Basil Brush to Oliver Reed. I moved on to be an assistant producer on Blue Peter (sounds grander than it was) which involved writing and film making. I ended up in the Midlands Today newsroom and began presenting when Breakfast Television started in 1983. I worked as a presenter for the next 20 years before training young broadcast journalists and presenters around the world. For the past seven years I’ve been on the National Lottery Heritage Fund committee in the Midlands.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m very excited to be taking over as chair of trustees at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. There are tremendous plans to build on the wonderful heritage of the gardens and restore and develop this gem for future generations.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I’m not great at ambitions – I always do whatever comes along as well as I possibly can. I’m focused on the Botanical Gardens and want as many people as possible to know them, love them, learn from them and be inspired by the diverse botanical world they explore.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I remember the excitement of getting my first job after a string of rejections (I still have the letters). I’m delighted to have been married for coming up to 45 years. I loved almost every moment of my time at the BBC. I’d also rate making it to the US for the first time in two years to see my son and his family without getting Covid and with properly filled in paperwork as a major success.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

If I was to offer my younger self any advice it would be not to be quite so scared of getting things wrong as you really do learn a lot from mistakes; and never under-estimate how much detail you need to plough through for something to work.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love its history, the fact that people from every corner of the globe have made their homes here, and its heritage as a manufacturing city. You can still get most things made here if you dig around, and along with plenty of new ventures, some of the older companies are still going strong, such as Hudson’s, the whistle makers in the Jewellery Quarter. I love walking the canals, poking around the host of great museums and archives. One place I make sure every visitor sees is the Shakespeare Memorial Room, now at the top of the library, and of course, the Botanical Gardens.

DOWNTIME

If I’m not doing anything else, I usually have a book in my hand. It’s always exciting to find a new author you like. I’ve always been a swimmer, too: a lifeguard in my teens and a synchro swimmer well before it became an Olympic sport.

Whereas the non-business owning spouse may worry that the court won’t include the value of the business in the settlement, meaning they won’t receive their fair share of the matrimonial pot.

So, where does the court start? If a business is involved, the court has two main aims:

1. To establish the value of the interests of the parties in the business.

2. Determine how that value ought to be considered in the overall financial settlement. 

ESTABLISHING THE VALUE

How or whether to obtain a valuation is not always straightforward. A valuation is unlikely to assist where, for example, the main value of the business is an income stream, where there is difference of opinion about the value, or if the value is theoretical. If there is any doubt about seeking a valuation, you should seek advice from an accountant, particularly if the non-business owning spouse is concerned that the accounts are not a true reflection of the business value.

If the court deems a valuation is appropriate, divorcing spouses will be expected to jointly instruct an expert to provide a valuation report. 

CONSIDERING THE VALUE IN THE OVERALL FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT

The court will use the valuation as a guide. The value is not the same as ‘cash in the bank’, so the court will try to distribute the risk of liquid and illiquid assets between the parties.

In a financial settlement the sharing principle applies to most cases. This means the court will share (more or less equally) all matrimonial assets accumulated during the marriage and will try not to dip into non-matrimonial assets (e.g. those built up before or after the marriage, or inherited). When a business forms part of the asset pot it is common for the court to hear arguments as to whether it is a matrimonial or non-matrimonial asset.

The court will acknowledge that divorcing spouses are unlikely to want to have ties in the same business, so while it has the power to transfer shares it is unlikely to leave such ties between the parties. It is also unlikely that a court will order the sale of a business if it is the source of the family’s wealth and income.

This is a complex subject, so it is vital that divorcing spouses with business interests obtain specialist legal advice.

According to Met Office statistics, the average summer maximum temperature in the West Midlands is 20.9C, which is 1C higher than the UK-wide figure. It’s a similar story with the West Midlands’ average number of sunshine hours through the summer, with an average of just over six hours of sunshine a day, compared to the UK figure of five-and-a-half hours.

However, the West Midlands gets its fair share of rain in the summer months, with an average of 195mm of rain falling in the region, often in the form of thundery downpours. With a typically British mix of weather for Birmingham, what can you do now to prepare for the summer weather?

Get ready to get active 

If you’re heading out and about to get active, make sure you have the equipment you need to stay safe in the weather. That could be a water bottle, sunscreen or even some wet weather gear.

Check your house and garden 

Summer doesn’t mean your house is immune from stormy weather. Think about checking things like gutters and the roof, to prepare them for any potential severe weather and ensure there are no blockages. If strong winds are forecast, remember to secure movable garden items including trampolines and garden furniture.

Be prepared for hot weather, pollen and UV 

The Met Office website or app can keep you up-to-date with the latest pollen and UV forecasts before heading out. In hot weather, try to avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day and make sure you have sunscreen, water and a hat.

Take the worry out of summer storms 

Put some basic supplies, including a torch and battery-powered charger, in a bag in case of severe weather. Make sure you keep key documents and essentials in an easy to access place in case there is a power cut.

Check your vehicle is ready for summer outings 

Vehicles are often prone to cooling-related faults in the summer months, so make sure to check your car is ready for the weather by checking the coolant and oil levels, as well as keeping an eye on your tyres and screen wash.

Look out for those around you 

Some people are more vulnerable in times of severe weather so take some time to look out for others in your community, especially older people, young children, babies and those with health risks.

Rachel Ollerenshaw has faced battles and heartbreak most of us can’t comprehend so a drop of Covid wasn’t about to cause her any problem – beyond being stuck in her bedroom self-isolating for a few days! And Rachel being Rachel, she used the enforced incarceration to good effect, working on her ongoing mission to help some of the UK’s sickest children.

As co-founder with husband Tim of the Warwickshire-based charity Molly Olly’s Wishes, Rachel and her small team have made a big impact on young lives to the tune of more than £3million raised in the past 10 years. That money has provided much-needed support to more than 16,000 children across the country, with more than 13,000 of the charity’s much-loved Olly books and toys reaching youngsters at over 70 hospitals.

“It’s true, we could never have imagined we would get to where we are now when we launched 10 years ago,” said Rachel, speaking from her personal, home ‘isolation cell’. The past two years with social restrictions and lockdowns have proved challenging, but through it all Rachel says helping terminally-ill children has never been more important. “Fund-raising has been a stretch because so much of what we do depends on being face-to-face and until recently that has not been possible. But I’m pleased to say that we found ways around the problem by being creative and now we’ve started going out again to the various networking groups and so on.”

PUNCHING BIG

Rachel and Tim set up the charity not long after their daughter Molly died, aged eight, from a rare kidney cancer after a five-year battle. As a small charity of only three staff and eight regular volunteers, it certainly punches above its weight, emotionally supporting children between 0 and 18 who have life-threatening illnesses. Key to this help is Olly The Brave, a therapeutic soft toy lion and award-winning books, as well as donating Wishes to children who are facing unimaginable challenges.

When we spoke to Rachel, the charity was about to undergo a bit of a rebranding with a slight name change from Molly Olly’s Wishes to just Molly Ollys (the apostrophe has been dropped as well as the Wishes). “Helping children realise their wishes is and always will be very important but what we do now as a charity covers a great deal more,” explained Rachel. In fact, more than 2,500 Wishes have been granted all over the UK since the charity began.

Each Wish the charity donates is unique to each child and there have been many weird and wonderful ones. One teenage boy who was a big fan of police interceptors asked to be arrested by police as his Wish. Rachel said: “We helped organise a 16th birthday party for him and the police turned up and arrested him in front of all his friends and family which he was delighted about.”

PROUD MOMENT

The average value of a Wish is £500. “We don’t do Florida holidays or that kind of thing,” Rachel explained, “rather things like shopping vouchers, a day’s out experience, some kind of entertainment event, or just something personal that gives the child a boost when they really need it.”

One of the charity’s proudest achievements has been funding a consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for three years. After demonstrating the effectiveness of the role and significantly changing the experience for all those who have benefitted from the service, it is now being funded centrally by the NHS.

Rachel said: “While working with Birmingham Children’s Hospital we learned that there was no consultant in paediatric palliative medicine for the area… the position just did not exist. There are only around 20 in the whole of the UK. We live in Warwickshire where there is one and so we knew the benefits and importance when we nursed Molly at home. We decided we would raise the funds and directly pay for a palliative consultant for Birmingham to help provide the best care for children with palliative care needs. It is fabulous to see what a real difference this role has made and is making to children’s lives.”

Due to that success, the hospital has taken on another palliative consultant and they have the opportunity to become a training hospital in the future, subject to funding. Also at the hospital, Magnolia House opened in February 2017 after the charity worked with health professionals to create and furnish the building at a cost of £45,000, providing a safe, non-clinical and comforting space where medical teams and families can have important discussions about diagnosis, treatment and end-of-life care.

GROWING PLACES

Supporting children and their families emotionally and financially is the key purpose of Molly Ollys and the charity’s motto – which still rings true 10 years after it started – is ‘making the dark days brighter.’ Over the years, Olly The Brave soft toy lion has helped support thousands of children, normalising the effects of chemotherapy and comforting them when they were afraid. Olly has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane in different colours. “This helps children to feel ok when they lose their hair and if it grows back differently, they can put a fun one on Olly,” said Rachel.

“Our 10-year anniversary is a good time to look at what we are doing and seeing what we need to do better and to grow and help more children and families,” added Rachel. “We are looking at expanding and adding to the Olly The Brave range and to support and increase the number of palliative carers across the UK.”

One visible sign of the ‘freshen up’ will be on the roads with a fleet of 40-foot trailers operated by Redditch food distribution company Oakland International carrying the new Molly Ollys branding loud and proud!

The latest production from Midlands-based masked theatre Vamos is called Dead Good, the theme of which is end of life. ‘Chirpy’ you might think, but actually after much research – literally years – the result is a wonderfully empathetic celebration of life and choice. The theatre’s founder, Rachael Savage has never shied away from tough topics previously tackling subjects such as PTSD and forced adoption along with many others.

During the pandemic a show titled Love Through Double Glazing was performed through 3mm of glass to ‘the most cruelly treated humans in our society’ by which Rachael means staff and residents in care homes. The work was full of engagement, love, tears and laughter and Rachael describes it as one of the most important shows she’s made in her decades-long career.

CULTURE IN QUARANTINE

Full mask theatre isn’t a new idea – in fact Rachael took her first steps into the genre 33 years ago at Trestle Theatre. Sixteen years ago, she launched her own company and Vamos was born. The shows are entirely wordless and highly visual, making them accessible to the deaf community as well as being truly global – there are no language barriers to consider, so Vamos performs all over the world.

Covid restrictions sent some productions online, performing to audiences in China via Zoom for example, but generally as a company Vamos has been lucky during the pandemic says Rachael. As well as being able to perform online, Rachael applied for a BBC Culture in Quarantine commission in 2020 which was successful.

Twenty-five projects in total were selected in the BBC’s mission to bring the arts to UK homes despite venue closures and strict lockdowns. Beating off 1,600 applicants, the Vamos project was based on a collection of shorts posted on social media at the beginning of lockdown titled Ryan In Isolation which were expanded to create a 21-part series.

TOP TALENT

I wrongly thought you wouldn’t necessary need top actors to perform fully masked. Rachael says quite the opposite is true: “If you’re a poor actor, the mask magnifies it. You need particularly strong naturalistic actors to get the message across. Mask technique such as economy, clarity of thought and sharing of thought are essential.” Despite being wordless there is a script, but the actors are running through it in their head. Rachael adds: “The audience works hard to interpret and meets the actors halfway. It’s intellectual and engaging.”

When Dr Maggie Keeble suggested end of life as a theme for a show which ultimately became Dead Good, Rachael’s initial reaction was ‘no way’. Having lost a friend aged 27, Rachael felt she didn’t want to go there and certainly didn’t need to research grief. But the more she explored the idea with Maggie the more she felt it was a story that needed to be told. Rather than a depressing tale of death and grief, Dead Good is about choice and love and relationships.

Rachael spent time in two local hospices – Mary Stevens and St Richard’s which were ‘hand on heart surprising and life changing’. Rachael recalls: “I walked in and it was noisy, there was laughter and a drinks cabinet with every kind of gin.” The nurses and doctors Rachael met were generous and genuine and there was a feeling of anything’s possible. For instance, one patient loved horses, so in his final days, horses were brought to his window. Another patient wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day and the staff made it happen.

ON A MISSION

At St Richard’s there was a group called Men’s Space – a bit like ante-natal classes where female friendship based on a shared situation blossom. Rachael met Nick and Pete who had bonded at the hospice and who became involved with the show. Nick helped with the script and they both came to rehearsals. “Nick and Pete had an outrageous sense of humour and wanted to be involved. They added warmth. It’s positive, funny and poignant.” Sadly, Nick and Pete died before seeing the final show, but they always asked if that happened could they have two empty chairs at a performance.

Vamos’s mission states ‘we aim to transform lives through the empathy and connection of full mask theatre’ and ‘mask theatre taps directly into the power of empathy and encourages awareness of our shared human experiences in an increasingly isolating world.’ It feels so relevant. In times of hardship the arts come into their own – we’ve seen that throughout the pandemic, and we need the escape and entertainment more than ever. If you get an opportunity to see Dead Good, well happy days.

An independent jeweller in Birmingham is sparkling in style on the national stage. Sonny’s based in Vyse Street, has just claimed one of the UK’s most coveted accolades after winning the Retail Sales Team of the Year title at the UK Jewellery Awards.

The honour is the latest high point for Manish ‘Sonny’ Jogia, who aged just 27-years-old, borrowed money from friends, family and any other finance available to open his first jewellery retail store in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter in 2015.

Sonny’s Jewellers started out as a brother and sister team and in six years they have grown to be a team of 25. Sonny says his dream, vision and passion has always been to be the best in the Jewellery Quarter – and now he has a UK Jewellery Award to prove it!

“My father and grandfather were jewellery manufacturers in the Jewellery Quarter, and I grew up playing in their small workshops,” said Sonny. “Back then it was a very different world, and we are allowed access to all areas. Health and safety would never allow that these days. This gave me my first buzz for the industry. Seeing designs sketched out, models made and heading out on the road selling these items during my holidays to retailers was incredible.”

DREAM

After graduating from university studying Business Economics, Sonny says he always had a dream of putting his life lessons into action. “This is how I started Sonny’s, as a jeweller that married together the manufacturing of fine jewellery direct to the public.”  With the support of a few suppliers, Sonny slowly filled his store with stock and then set up an in-house workshop. As the business developed and grew, Sonny’s opened a sister store, JQ Diamonds in the midst of the 2020 lockdown.

Sonny admits opening the new outlet during the worst of the pandemic restrictions was ‘a bit of a gamble’. He said: “When I first heard about the lockdown, I was terrified, Once I knew we could weather the storm we started planning our next steps. During the 2020 lockdown, between January and April, we refreshed the store at Sonny’s, made it safer for the customer during Covid and opened more floor space, increasing the amount of stock on display.”

Sonny says his businesses concentrate on delivering the three P’s – products, people and passion. “We carry one of the widest ranges of jewellery, available immediately in the Jewellery Quarter,” he explained. “Using the knowledge and expertise of our people – highly skilled diamond experts, gemmologists, designers and goldsmiths – Sonny’s offer a completely bespoke service that takes the clients ideas from concept to reality. And our passion is that everything we do is centred around the customer experience.”

BESPOKE

While the big chains have their place in the industry, Sonny says they don’t pose a big threat. “We pride ourselves on our customer service and being able to bring a wide variety of products direct to the customer. We also offer a bespoke service so if we don’t have what you want, we can make it or source it for you. By being independent, we are also able to pivot and alter our strategies when we are faced with challenges, such as the pandemic.”

Looking to the future, Sonny says: “In the short term I would like to see Sonny’s become the family jeweller for everyone in the Midlands and over time expand and grow to be the nation’s family jewellers. We are always looking for how we can improve and grow. We are aiming to continue our year-on-year growth from £500,000 four years ago to £2million last year which beat our 2019 figures. We achieved this despite being in a pandemic and losing three months of trading. Furthermore, we will continue to grow and expand in other areas of Birmingham in order to expand as a business.”

So, as we continue to experience difficult economic effects from the pandemic, what words of advice does Sonny have for others looking to set up in business? “Plan and look at the data,” he says. “I have made a lot of mistakes and I am sure I will make more, but over time I have learned that by using the data which is out there and by planning, the difficulties you face will be easier to overcome. Also, don’t be afraid to give it a go. What is the worst that could happen? You will just end up back where you started – and many entrepreneurs will tell you, they all failed once.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was a professional cricketer for nine years for Worcestershire CCC. After finishing playing in 2003, I went into sales of capital machinery which eventually took me to Caterpillar. I had various roles in sales and account management, ending up being responsible for Caterpillar distributors across the Middle East, North Africa and the CIS. I got my first managing director position in Evesham at Barnes Group, who specialise in the manufacturing of automotive, aerospace, and medical components, before becoming a group managing director with the same company, overseeing businesses in UK, France, Spain and Germany.

Then I got the call from Worcestershire CCC to go back to the club as CEO. It was great to be involved back in sport again and while we had some significant success it was time to move on in late 2020 and take up the position at Edgbaston Priory Club.  There have been challenges in the last two years in the shadow of the pandemic but being a members’ club has meant that loyalty has been very high and we are now at the stage of preparing our development plan for the future.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As chief executive I’m responsible for the delivery of the board strategy, while overseeing the day-to-day operations of the club. Our board is elected to serve the 3,300 members, working alongside the executive team. We have world class sports and racquets facilities on our 14-acre site and host international tennis, squash and racquetball tournaments.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

The club is seen as a prestigious venue but we need to do more to promote the impact we make in the community. That’s both in using sport to develop the younger generation through our schools and community outreach programmes and our work with the Heart of Birmingham Vocational College to provide workplace opportunities for young people with learning disabilities.   On a personal level, I really enjoy sports and to be a bit better at tennis would be great.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I’ve obviously got a few highlights from my cricket career but if I think back over the last decade or so, hosting an event with the British Ambassador to Russia at his residence opposite the Kremlin was pretty cool. Also, setting up an engineering company in Germany, when I don’t speak German and I’m not an engineer was also something that pushed me to my limit. I completed an Ironman triathlon in my 20’s and have no desire to ever do that again!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I think it’s good to be in a state of ‘positive paranoia’ when you’re leading an organisation. It means you’re aware of the opportunities and the risks and the capabilities of your team to deliver. Also, trust your gut. It’s likely that you’re right, so don’t delay in making decisions.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I grew up in Selly Oak and the city has changed a lot since the 80’s and 90’s. Birmingham has a big city appeal but in a more compact environment that larger cities like London.

DOWNTIME

I still play cricket at weekends, albeit slower and the recovery usually stretches to the middle of the following week! I’m a fan of never going somewhere twice. Travelling with work used to take me to the most wonderful places you would never go to on a traditional holiday, so I like to take my family to as many new places as much as possible – and that doesn’t have to be abroad.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

My previous roles have involved producing and programming theatre and performance, developing creative projects with children, young people and emerging artists, and leading strategic projects in areas such as outdoor arts, the case for diversity and community engagement. Prior to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Birmingham 2022 Festival, I was executive producer for Theatre Centre, one of the country’s leading producers of contemporary theatre in schools. I am a trustee for the Paperbirds Theatre Company, National Theatre Wales and on the board of Mem Morrison Company.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m the executive producer for the Birmingham 2022 Festival. Running from March through to beyond the conclusion of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in September 2022, the festival will feature hundreds of creative commissions across the region including art, photography, dance, theatre, digital art and more.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Right now, my ambition is to deliver the Birmingham 2022 Festival next year and for it to be a success! Success can be measured in reaching and achieving hard targets, outputs and outcomes, etc – but it’s also about working well with collaborating partners, inspiring more and better arts and culture in the West Midlands, having fun and learning from our mistakes. It’s these things that will create a tangible lasting legacy. On a more personal level I’ve always been grateful for my physical and mental health and don’t ever want to compromise this for any professional ambition.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I find it difficult to clarify single moments of success, as they’re all usually small things that lead to good/better things. I think still working in roles I love and with brilliant people is a huge marker of success. I’ve recently found out that I am being awarded an Honorary Fellowship from my university which hasn’t sunk in yet!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

It took me a while to accept my natural working habits and patterns – I’m a night owl, like my mum, and not a very good morning person. It might be the reason why I work in theatre – evenings are important! I think I understand my parents much more now than I did 20 years ago so if I could rewind I’d tell myself to be more patient with them and myself. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I lived and worked in Birmingham between 2008 and 2012, so coming back didn’t feel like a big deal and I don’t think I had any first impressions. There are things about the city that drive me up the wall – the amount of people that drive big cars, for example, and lack of cycle lanes. I know a green plan is unfolding but it’s long overdue. I think my favourite thing about Birmingham is Brummies – the warmth and time most people give you in a shop or in the street.

DOWNTIME

I used to swim before work, but have recently moved house where there’s no local pool, so I’ve just got back into yoga and it’s a lifesaver. I speak to my dad most mornings to do the crossword and this helps reset anything unhelpful working through my mind.

FINALLY…

I would love for everyone reading this to come to the Birmingham 2022 Festival next year – loads of it is free and in multiple locations – it should be hard to completely avoid it! If you’re only into sport and don’t think culture is for you, look and think again and consider taking a risk on something new. You can find out more at birmingham2022.com/festival.

When MG Rover ‘went bump’, we would wager not many former workers went into poetry. It’s quite the leap, but it’s just what Giovanni Esposito also known as Spoz did. He says: “I just started writing for fun. I was into punk and started writing in that ilk.”

Spoz then met someone at an event at Mac who was working in schools delivering workshops to kids. Having never considered that as a legitimate bill-paying job, Spoz thought ‘why not?’. With nothing to lose he began his surprising new career. Four books and thousands of inspired school kids later and here we are.

Despite being published by Verve Poetry Press, Spoz still prefers live events to books. He says: “At a live event you might hear something that really rings your bell – like live music really. You might not know what it is about that piece, but you just know.” He adds: “Academia gets in the way. A lot of people are poetry snobs and don’t like spoken word – they put it down, but you can’t beat it for the energy and authenticity when the poet reads to you.”

NEXT GENERATION

Spoz had been playing in bands for years before he started penning poetry and was used to performing, so open mic poetry events are his happy place. Starting out with workshops for young children aged 11 years, Spoz’s style has always been super positive as he thinks criticism just squashes a child’s spirit.

Moving up the year groups, Spoz isn’t a fan of the GCSE poetry curriculum either. From the beginning of year 10, kids have to memorise and learn how to analyse 15-ish poems which they may or may not be tested on at the end of year 11. When Spoz works with year 10 he makes it clear to teachers that that is not what he’ll be doing in his workshops. He says: “I get them to write and perform not learn someone else’s poems by heart. It’s much more engaging.”

Spoz recently worked with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity on a book to celebrate its 30th anniversary. It is essentially a set of poems and stories from people who have been touched by the charity, including people whose lives have been saved, volunteers, paramedics and more. Along with colleague Holly Hunter at not-for-profit organisation, the Word Association, Spoz began chatting to people unearthing some incredible stories compiled in the book titled On A Mission: 30 Years of Rapid Response.

Spoz says: “Poetry and writing generally is a lovely way of expressing oneself and can be a healthy release of emotion. Reading poems, stories and letters from people affected or involved with the charity, has been humbling yet uplifting.”

BRUM MASSIVE

Spoz says Birmingham is a huge hub of spoken word activity – better than London. Pre-Covid there were massive nights every day of the week. At the Dark Horse in Moseley for example you’d have to turn up early if you wanted a seat. The Bristol Pear’s Writers Block would regularly attract 60 to 70 people. Beatfreeks put on poetry jam events at various venues which are always lively. The Arts Council commissioned a research agency to find out where in the UK was most active and it found that 60 per cent of all youth poetry slam activity happens in the Midlands. Good vibes. Altruistic. Nice vibe.

Next month, as part of the Verve Festival of Poetry and Spoken Word at the Hippodrome, Spoz is hosting the Birmingham School Slam Final. Twelve local primary schools are bringing a team of their best budding poets to deliver a set of their work to three Young Poet Laureates and regional poetry champions, Poetry On Loan. It’s right up Spoz’s street and he can’t wait.

The oldest building-based theatre company in the country and the only one in the region producing new work, the Rep is pioneering and remarkable. Genuinely a forerunner of the RSC and the National, the Rep has led the way since its inception in 1913, producing and attracting the very best talent. Olivier made his debut on the Rep stage and the pull for emerging and established talent just gets stronger. Anyone catch Tom Hiddleston in The Play What I Wrote?

Moving to Centenary Square from Station Street in 1971, the Rep has produced more than 130 new plays, presented over 60 productions on its three stages each year and has built up an admirable outreach programme – one of the largest and most diverse of any arts organisation in the country with 70,000-plus contacts with young people and adults in the community on projects ranging from writing workshops to large scale productions. The theatre is also hot on nurturing new talent through youth theatre groups and training for writers, directors and artists starting out in their careers through the Rep Foundry theatre-makers programme.

SERIOUS TROUBLE

Sean Foley, pictured, joined the Rep as artistic director three weeks before the pandemic changed everything and says he’s spent much of that time fire-fighting: “Covid has been terrible for the theatre. Everything has its context, but it was genuinely close to bankruptcy. Were it not for the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund we’d have been in serious trouble. Even with that support there had to be redundancies.” The theatre reopened in September with East is East which was well received by audiences and critics, followed by new production What’s New Pussycat? and The Play What I Wrote directed by Sean.

Too many Rep productions to name here have gone on to tour nationally and internationally including festive favourite, The Snowman which is celebrating its 25th anniversary as well as Anita and Me, Lovely Bones, Nativity! The Musical, Of Mice and Men, The King’s Speech to name just a snapshot. The 2022 season features six world premieres as part of Sean’s aim to bring ambitious popular theatre to the city.

NEW MUSICALS

The programme includes brand new musicals and writing exploring issues of class and race, reinventions of classics, and combines work from both established and new talent. On being back in front of live audiences, Sean says: “Re-opening after such a long close-down has been an exhilarating, somewhat hair-raising, and occasionally genuinely electrifying experience. Now we toast the Rep’s 50th anniversary in its Centenary Square home with new shows that innovate, investigate and celebrate.”

There’s a lot of original work to get your teeth into in the extensive celebratory programme, including Birmingham’s Poet Laureate, Casey Bailey’s first play, Grimeboy plus Sky Comedy Rep – a series of inaugural short plays from the writers on the Rep and Sky Studios new comedy writer development scheme premiered in a short festival in March featuring Brum’s own Ryan Walker-Edwards. (Check out page 52 to find out more about Ryan’s involvement.) Also, Sean’s brainchild, Park Bench Plays which brought together the work of some of the country’s brightest writing talents to create a collection of 10-minute plays originally performed as pop-ups across public spaces in Brum which have now been filmed and are available on Sky Arts. Next month, The Covid-19 Variations – a world premiere one-off film and concert – features a collaboration between artist Alison Jackson and Rep artistic associate, composer Richard Thomas directed by Sean is a must-see. There’s so much more and in truth, the whole year looks brilliant.

GRAND ENTRANCE

Work to transform the foyer of the theatre’s iconic curved structure was due to finish at the end of 2021. Slightly delayed, the hoardings should be down by the time you read this. Sean says the biggest change will be having a front door! Referring to the subtle side entrance, Sean adds: “When I arrived at The Rep I thought, ‘well, how do I get in?’ The changes will be incredible.”

At the time of writing, there’s talk of mask wearing in theatres again and we’ll take that if it means the arts staying open. Bearing in mind the hardship of the last couple of years, we urge you to support the Rep and Brum’s other arts venues when you can. As well as experiencing some stunning work, you’ll be helping preserve the city’s rich and varied arts scene.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was born in Birmingham, brought up in Wolverhampton and travelled to school in Birmingham every day – so New Street Station was a feature of my school day! I’ve been very lucky to travel and work at the biggest sports events in the world. I’ve always loved seeing first-hand how sport can bring joy and distraction from the world around us and that has been particularly apparent during this challenging period of our lives. Working with Classic FM brings a similar sense of community, particularly around Christmas time, with those who might not have family or can’t get to see others and are feeling a little lonely, knowing they have some company when listening to us.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I have a huge amount of variety in my work. From hosting and reporting at global sports events to presenting on Classic FM and working with the United Nations Goals House project, I’m constantly learning about how far I can push myself out of my comfort zone.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

The last few years have been an eye-opener in so many ways! One of those has been realising I can use my skills in different ways and through my interviews, encourage people who might not ordinarily want to open up, to talk about their experiences in order to help others. I get asked about diversity and equality a lot and helping people understand more about these issues, and even to ask some of those questions they might have been nervous about voicing has been an important part of the time I spend away from my more traditional work. I’ve also been working with the Goals House project, hosting events that bring together influential figures that are behind achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

It might sound strange but having the confidence to do my job is something I’ve come to realise I should be more proud of. I’m not an extrovert, so hosting an event like a Royal Opera House live performance in front of 10,000 people in Trafalgar Square can be rather daunting but it’s also exhilarating.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I work in an industry where you get a lot of knock-backs. I think I would tell my younger self to keep believing in my abilities no matter which boss tells you that you might do better becoming a housewife than a sports presenter! Thankfully, I have been surrounded by brilliantly supportive colleagues who, whenever I’ve had those moments of being told I’m not good enough, have been the ones to tell me to keep working hard, keep improving and to keep going…

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The history and architecture of Birmingham is striking but it’s intrinsically linked with the people and their friendly openness and probably most importantly, their sense of humour!

DOWNTIME

I love cooking for big groups of family and friends, so when I’m travelling I get ridiculously excited about discovering the traditional dishes of different cultures. Tasting a country’s street food is a great way of understanding more about the history of a place you visit. As it’s almost Christmas, plans are in motion for our annual university dinner which involves cooking the full works, turkey and all the trimmings, for around 25 to 30 friends. It’s a lovely tradition, although it requires a big kitchen!

The 14-19 academy, specialising in Creative, Digital and Performing Arts, first opened its doors in 2011 and marked its tenth birthday with a celebration event for students, staff and industry partners.

For the past decade, the academy has been dedicated to supporting students from a wide range of backgrounds and academic abilities, with a passion and aptitude in creative, digital and performing arts, to reach their full potential.

Since opening, over 3,000 students have graduated from BOA Academy and forged successful careers across a diverse range of industries. BOA alumni include BRIT Award nominees, TV and West End stars, and work across a broad range of roles in the creative sector.

Gaynor Cheshire, CEO of the BOA Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to mark this special anniversary at BOA Academy and celebrate a decade of success with our students, staff and partners. When we opened BOA Academy 10 years ago, our vision was clear: to support, encourage and nurture the talent of young people with a passion and aptitude for the creative arts. I’m so proud to see the wonderful achievements of our talented students and the incredible dedication of our teaching staff, who work in collaboration with our industry partners to deliver an unrivalled learning experience.

“BOA Academy is truly unique in its approach to education, with performance, production, creativity and excellence placed at the very heart of the curriculum. We’re committed to ensuring that every learner leaves us fully equipped to pursue their ambition and I’ve no doubt that we’ll continue to see great things from our past, present and future students.”

BOA Academy is part of the BOA Group, a Multi Academy Trust of specialist academies in Birmingham city centre. Together with its founding partners – Maverick TV, the BRIT School and the Ormiston Trust – the BOA Group has a large number of creative and industry partners. BOA’s Board of Trustees includes the BBC, the British Record Industry and Birmingham City University.

Alongside the success of BOA Academy, the BOA Group has also seen exciting expansion in the past 10 years. As well as managing the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham, the Group has extended its family of academies to include BOA Stage & Screen Production and BOA Digital Technologies.

BOA Stage & Screen Production opened in September this year, specialising in technical theatre, film and broadcast production. A 16-19 academy, it takes an industry-led approach to developing the skills of young people in both existing and emerging production techniques and broadcast technologies.

BOA Digital Technologies, a 11-18 academy opening in September 2022, will deliver a digital-first curriculum – bringing all academic subjects to life through the use of cutting-edge technologies. Every student will benefit from unrivalled access to state-of-the-art resources and facilities, coupled with collaborative industry partnerships to create an educational experience where innovation is placed front and centre.

Gaynor Cheshire continued: “We are so excited by the ambition and aims of our new academies – both designed to deliver a pioneering curriculum in collaboration with leading industry and academic partners. We know that this method of teaching – where academic excellence and on-the-ground industry experience work hand-in-hand – can create unrivalled opportunities for young people, allowing them to excel in their chosen field and make an important contribution to the city’s thriving creative sector.”

Is there a greater performance venue in the UK, the world even, than Symphony Hall? We don’t think so. And what’s more neither do the stars who love coming to Birmingham and sampling the incredible atmosphere, acoustics and audiences. It’s big news then that during the pandemic lockdown that has crippled so much of the entertainment and hospitality industry, Symphony Hall was actually working at getting even better.

The last 18 months has seen more than £13million – money raised before Covid struck – spent on transforming Symphony Hall’s entrance and public spaces to make them exciting performance areas in their own right. The previous, rather soulless areas outside the main hall have given way to a sparkling new look with brighter, more welcoming bars and cafes, new seating and with entrances sited at each corner of the venue in addition to the access via the International Conference Centre.

ROYAL OPENING

The new Jennifer Blackwell performance space – named after one of Symphony Hall’s greatest patrons and supporters and officially opened by Prince Edward last month – gives local artists the chance to perform as part of daily programmes of free and affordable events and activities. To complete the revamp, Performance Birmingham, the charity that manages Symphony Hall and Town Hall, has been rebranded with a new name, B:Music.

Nick Reed, chief executive of B:Music, said: “Symphony Hall is recognised as one of the best concert halls in the world. What we didn’t have previously was the feeling of entering a great cultural building. Now people coming here can enter straight from our wonderful Centenary Square. The feedback to the changes from artists and from everyone has been incredible. We are very proud of what we have achieved.”

COMMUNITY FIRST

The project, titled Making an Entrance, targeted a number of key areas. First and foremost, to make a visit to Symphony Hall more welcoming for audiences, but also to create an environment and spaces for more informal programmes of performance, to encourage even greater development of music and talent, and to foster greater community involvement and participation. “Music will play a powerful role in reuniting communities after the isolation and hardship of the last 18 months,” said Nick. “We want Symphony Hall to be a leading light for that reconnection.”

While Making an Entrance improves the experience and makes Symphony Hall even more attractive to mainstream acts, B:Music hasn’t forgotten its crucial role in supporting the grass roots of the arts world. This includes helping disadvantaged people from the Midlands by offering music lessons and workshops, creating rehearsal spaces in its venues, providing paid opportunities to perform and supporting funding bid applications.

YOUTH APPEAL

Other community initiatives include the likes of Jazzlines, the free summer school course for local young people, and a recently launched collaboration with Neighbourhd to help celebrate up and coming artists from the West Midlands music scene. B:Music knows the importance of appealing to a younger, more diverse audience as there is still a misconception that Symphony Hall is for classical lovers and the privileged few. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth and the Making an Entrance project has reinforced the fact that the exciting Symphony Hall complex is for all the people, no matter what their background.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’m born and bred in Newtown, Birmingham and am proud to be of Jamaican heritage. Like many people from the inner city, I grew up in a council house. I didn’t see many positive examples of men when I was younger and I decided that I didn’t want to be like that. I gave up everything that I was doing, found faith and met my future wife, Sabrina, when I was 21. We now have four beautiful daughters together. Sabrina supported me in establishing a consultancy business and last year we launched our charity, First Class Foundation. We deal with issues such as youth violence, mental health resilience and connecting people to their purpose through employment and training opportunities. Our team is doing some amazing things in support of partners, including the West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit and Youth Offending Teams across the region.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m a consultant and trainer helping organisations to think differently about how they engage with black and minority ethnic communities. Typically, that involves the delivery of a range of consultancy services, including dynamic training programmes and engagement strategies. Recently, I’ve been working with HS2 to help bring a host of exciting jobs, skills and training opportunities to people across our region.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

In the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, I made a lifelong commitment that everything I do will be dedicated to working in partnership with those that want to make a lasting change in the areas of diversity and inclusion. I’m excited and intrigued to see how many of the businesses that made race and diversity statements in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, will develop those words into tangible delivery plans.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I’ve been fortunate enough to win regional and national awards which I am incredibly proud of but it’s the impact made on the lives of others that really matters to me. You may remember the tensions in the community following the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan in 2011. I was on the streets at that time, working to support our young people, and was also consulted by former Prime Minister, David Cameron. Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of people from diverse backgrounds and communities. It’s given me a good understanding of what is needed to help them to prosper. I’m keen to make sure their ambitions are represented in my new role as part of the Legacy and Benefits Committee of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

If I was speaking to my younger self, I would tell myself not to be fearful of anything. Where you come from and the labels attached to you, do not define you. It’s about the daily decisions you make.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The people. We’re such a youthful city and there is more talent and creativity here than we give ourselves credit for. Birmingham is a beautiful place.

DOWNTIME

It’s crucial to create time to spend with your family – going on walks or watching films together. My faith plays a critical role in everything I do, it allows me to rejuvenate.

As boss of global signage company Hollywood Monster, Tim Andrews, receives hundreds of random emails every day. “If they’re spam or email addresses I don’t recognise, I just delete them,” he says. Which is exactly what he did when one with an address starting with the prefix BD21 dropped into his inbox.

A few hours later, Tim was searching through his bin when as chance would have it he clicked on the message – and discovered it was the Cabinet Office informing him that he was to receive an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, and would he please complete the attached form as his acceptance!

“I don’t know what would have happened had I not come across that email again,” says Tim. “Maybe it would have been a bit like losing your lottery ticket and I would have lost the MBE?” Tim was awarded the Honour for his services to local charity LoveBrum which has a mission to raise awareness, support and make cash awards to Birmingham’s unsung local volunteers and causes.

The MBE was a bright spot in what has been an otherwise difficult 2021 for Tim as he has met the challenges to his business from the pandemic. Ironically, it should be a time of celebration for Hollywood Monster as it marks 30 years since Tim and his late father set up the business from the loft of the family home.

HIGH PROFILE CLIENTS

“I always wanted to have my own business,” says Tim. “And always wanted to go into some kind of printing. We started doing signage for building contractors. Back then, we used to have to physically paint signs. Then as the technology developed, it moved to vinyl and then digital printing. We are more of a digital printer now, having invested more than £4million in a state-of-the-art digital printer. We can produce anything from an exhibition stand to a huge wrap around a major construction site.”

High profile clients include the likes of Aston Villa and Birmingham City football clubs, McDonalds fast food restaurants, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, ProLogis Developments, IM Properties and Centrick Properties. During the pandemic, Hollywood Monster adapted by taking on projects such as signage for social distancing and the multi-coloured banners used to cover seating in football stadia. “They were all short-term projects,” said Tim, “not repeat work as we would normally hope to get.” Just keeping things ticking over has felt like an achievement in itself.

With exhibition and events as one of the core pillars of the business, Tim has had to take some tough decisions to streamline the business and get it leaner and fitter to capitalise on the much-awaited ‘bounce back’. “The rebound is beginning to happen,” he said when we spoke in late August. “But I believe that it is going to take at least two, maybe three, years to get back to the level we were at before Covid. The only thing you can say is that we are in a healthier state as we have had to take a long, hard look at our overheads.” Like everyone, Tim just hopes the worst is over – another lockdown would likely spell the end of not just his business but hundreds of others.

The charity sector has been hit especially hard during the pandemic with hard-pressed businesses being forced to rein back their support. This has made the role of LoveBrum, which Tim co-founded in 2014, all the more vital in trying to help ‘hidden gem’ community projects and volunteers keep going. “The idea for LoveBrum came out of a seven-countries-in-seven-days charity bike ride which I took part in,” said Tim. “We met up after talking about what the charity world looked like and what Birmingham needed. It felt like Birmingham lacked a bit of civic pride compared to other cities.”

REBUILDING PRIDE

Tim said the best way to help the city get that pride back was to help showcase the incredible people who run the huge number of small charities and organisations. “For years as I grew up, I was always being ridiculed by people because I’m from Birmingham,” he said. “It’s nowhere near as bad now as it was, but it’s still not where it needs to be. Maybe people have a down on the city because of the football teams! We want LoveBrum to help people celebrate our great city.”

All of LoveBrum’s giving is raised from membership fees and fund-raising, with 100 per cent of what is raised going to the good causes. Costs such as overheads and admin come from corporate sponsorship, and Tim says LoveBrum is always in desperate need of more support in that direction. LoveBrum picks three different causes each month, with the 7,000 members deciding which cause receives the most money.

Tim has raised well over £750,000 for local causes by organising and hosting charity events. “To receive a royal honour for my involvement with LoveBrum was a massive surprise,” said Tim. “When I received, deleted and retrieved the email, I thought it was a wind-up. I got my two lads, who know a thing or two about this kind of thing, to check it out for me – and I was amazed when they said it was genuine.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was raised in a working-class environment by my parents who came over to England in the early 70’s from Punjab, India. At primary school I was often in special classes where the kids who were slow starters were taught how to read and write properly. I remember being told by one teacher that I would never amount to much, but as those words echoed in my mind they spurred me on to work double hard and persevere to succeed in my life. My favourite subject at school was art and at college I decided to combine that with fashion design. At De Montfort University, I graduated with an honour’s degree in Fashion and Textile design. In Birmingham, like most other places outside of the capital, fashion design jobs were virtually non-existent and so I found myself moving to London to work but I disliked the move and after a year I was back in Birmingham and now on the scrap heap! I started working in retail and then sales or for anyone who would take me on but my creative side would not let me stop there and so DESIblitz.com was born in 2008.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I try and empower other people to tell their stories and try to create a fairer representation of British Asians within media, literature and many other sectors. Last year I launched DESIblitz Arts to provide a platform that supports and introduces new authors, spoken word artists and poets. Our literature festival is an annual event – this year it’s run from the middle of September until 1 October – with a series of online and in-person events. We have been working with emerging writers and also with more established authors and artists from British Asian backgrounds who act as role models. DESIblitz Jobs was formed four years ago to provide a service for employers to reach out and recruit from our audience, which mainly comprises of young British Asians and numbers in the hundreds of thousands each month. 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I would like to help as many people as I can achieve their dreams of working in the media sector or in the creative arts. Through our work with DESIblitz Literature Festival I aim to highlight the quality writing of authors from a South Asian background, bring them to the attention of a wider audience, and to support the publishing industry as it searches to diversify its catalogue of published authors.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Personally, it’s being the fittest version of myself. Professionally, it’s growing DESIblitz to be the largest online British Asian lifestyle magazine in the UK.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

What goes up must come down, so be kind to everyone you meet along the way!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Where do I start? The people, humour, diversity and how no other place I have visited or lived in gives me the same homely feeling.

DOWNTIME

To relax I like to go for long fast-paced walks, to the gym or listen to some good reggae or hip-hop music.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I am a former footballer who made over 450 appearances for Crystal Palace, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Crewe, Rochdale, Barnsley and Notts County. I was capped nine times for England. I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2003 and given just three months to live. Thanks to treatment from Cure Leukaemia co-founder professor Charlie Craddock CBE and a transplant from my sister Kay, I went into remission in early 2005 and rode my first Tour de France challenge later that year. After that challenge I was honoured to receive the Helen Rollason award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Since 2005, I have dedicated my life to raising funds to save the lives of blood cancer patients and in July 2021 completed my fifth Tour de France challenge. Our Tour 21 team of 18 amateur cyclists had raised over £1million for Cure Leukaemia by the time we arrived in Paris. I was very proud to be awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for my services to charity.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am a proud patron of Cure Leukaemia which has its roots here in the Midlands. I am heavily involved in driving the charity forward, raising awareness of the brilliant work it supports and searching for new opportunities for funding. My driving force will always be patients and those that lost their battles back when I was fighting for my life.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Since my cancer battle my ambitions have been very simple; to live as full and as happy a life as possible while also playing a part in eradicating blood cancer. I will not stop doing what I can to ensure we have effective treatments for all forms of the disease.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Many would expect I would choose a match from my footballing days but my proudest moment has to be riding into Paris this summer and seeing our fund-raising tick over the £1million mark.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

After being diagnosed with blood cancer it makes you re-evaluate what is important. My priorities became my family, looking after myself and the planet and making a lasting difference for others.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I was born in Manchester and everyone up there likes to make a lot of noise about the fact they are the Second City. Sorry, but Birmingham IS the Second City and it just gets on with it without all the noise! It is growing every year and is every inch a major UK city with huge businesses now making it their home.

DOWNTIME

Spending time with my family at home in Worcestershire is a big part of how I unwind. I love seeing the world and I hope we can travel to Japan later this year.

FINALLY…

I said before this year’s Tour event that it would be my last – but someone said they would ride next year but only if I did it as well and he agreed to raise £100,000 for Cure Leukaemia. So, I think I will be back in the saddle next summer and perhaps this time we could aim for £2million…

Cycling lovers need no introduction to the Tour de France, the most famous bike race in the world. But even the most ardent peloton follower may not know the Tour 21 quite so well. Tour 21 features a team of 18 amateur cyclists, led by local ex-England footballer and blood cancer survivor Geoff Thomas, who completed the full 2021 Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals. The cyclists pedaled more than 3,400 kilometres (2,100 miles) and battled extreme heat, battering winds, driving rain, fog, crashes, gruelling climbs, illness and fatigue to raise funds for Birmingham-based national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia. When they finally rode into Paris, past the Arc de Triomphe and along the Champs Elysee they had raised more than £1million.

Cure Leukaemia, which is the first ever official charity partner of the Tour de France in the UK for the next three years, recorded a £1.7million fund-raising shortfall in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tour 21 team’s efforts will help the charity make up some of the missing funding.

A delighted, but exhausted, Geoff said: “Six weeks earlier, it didn’t look like this event could take place and yet here we are in Paris having not only completed one of the toughest ever Tour de France routes but, more importantly, we have achieved our goal of raising £1million for the charity that helped save my life 18 years ago.

“I am immensely proud of the whole team. I would also like to thank Farr Vintners and all our sponsors and everyone that has donated to get us to our target. We will enjoy this moment but there is still so much to do to ensure blood cancer is eradicated.”

Among the hundreds of congratulatory messages received by the team was one from four-time Tour de France winner, Britain’s Chris Froome who was part of the Tour de France peloton which raced the route a week later.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’m an award-winning creative entrepreneur, publicity coach and personal branding strategist helping people to cultivate their personal brands. I also run the MBCC (Multicultural Business and Community Champion) Awards which celebrate individuals and organisations that make the world a better place.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I recently launched the Creative Entrepreneurs podcast which has been really well received. Guests so far have included Gym Shark’s Ben Francis and Jamelia with lots more inspirational people to come. The aim is to inspire the next generation to turn a passion into profit and monetise their talent. People tend to see a creative leaning as a hobby rather than a career, so I’d like to change that mindset.

The podcast was a difficult thing to do and I procrastinated a lot. I knew I wanted to do it, but I definitely felt the fear. I still fight with insecurity about my Brummie accent for example, but the more I talk on national platforms, the more I get used to it. I’ve also built a Creative Entrepreneurs community of more than 20,000 on audio platform Clubhouse which gave me confidence. I got over the fear and did it anyway and I’m so glad I did.

Working on the MBCC Awards is a joy. We’ve got some amazing ambassadors on board this year as well as nominations. We’ve added a category for Frontline Worker of the Year. From consultants to cleaners we’re looking for nominations for people who have gone the extra mile.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I know it’s a cliché, but genuinely just to be the best version of myself. I’d like to be an example to those from similar communities. Representation is really important and I’d like people to think ‘if he can do it, so can I’.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

My biggest achievements are my most rewarding, so working with young people at Aston Performing Arts Academy is up there. I may have met young people whose lives were on the verge of destruction, but then having worked with them for 10 years or so watching them grow and succeed is special.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

That I shouldn’t allow previous circumstances define me. Background doesn’t matter and once you embrace that life is limitless. For lots of people, growing up in the inner city with zero representation means that success doesn’t feel like an option. We need to silence those limiting beliefs and representation is crucial to achieving that.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The people! I love Birmingham. The Midlands is the beating heart of this country. It’s passionate and vibrant and full of community spirit whether that’s business or grass roots.

DOWNTIME

Three things – fitness, reading and family time.

We’re always blown away by the city’s rich mix of inventive businesses that make Birmingham sing that bit louder and not content with simply thriving in their own bubble, there’s a supportive, collaborative and generous vibe which benefits us all. Firmly in that camp is music inspired clothing brand, Disko Kids.

Launched by music lover and former DJ, Helen Dukes, the business has reached that pivotal moment of needing bigger premises and more people. About to move into a unit in Stirchley, Helen has taken on five people. At the last count there were 83 boxes piled high in Helen’s house, so it really is time to move!

A converted powder factory in Stirchley will be Disko Kids new home very soon hopefully. Helen says: “We should’ve been in by now, but the factory is being split into units and isn’t ready, so we’ve no address and can’t move until we do.” Five new part-time staff will be a change for Helen. Having built up Disko Kids on her own, the interaction with a team is both exciting and a shift in mindset.

Helen is acutely aware of how part-time work is viewed by many and is keen to get away from that. Part of her career pre-Disko Kids was in retail and while working part-time at Apple, Helen remembers how she felt as a mother of small children. “I had to leave work at 2.30pm and the younger members of the team would say, ‘ooh are you leaving already?’ They probably didn’t mean anything by it, but the attitude toward part-time or flexible working that somehow it’s just not as valuable needs to change and is changing I think thankfully. I’m really pleased to be able to give people the opportunity I didn’t have in an environment that’s free from that stigma.”

GIVING BACK

Helen has always been into music in a big way and it was that love that brought her to Brum initially. A weekly DJ gig at night club Wobble saw her travelling up and down the M1 every weekend until 20 years ago she thought she might as well make the move to the city. Retail jobs including managing a Next store alongside DJing were the norm until she gave up the day job and focused entirely on music, travelling all over the country and beyond gigging.

When Helen’s partner and father of her child was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she put her career on hold for a few years to care for him and their daughter. He sadly died in 2010. Helen supports bereavement charity, Winstons Wish through Disko Kids and fund-raises for Cancer Research through charitable runs. She says: “It’s really important to me to give back particularly now. Due to Covid charities are really struggling as events and runs just aren’t happening.”

KITCHEN DISCO

Helen met her partner in 2012 and they ran a business together producing dance music inspired men’s t-shirts called No Way Back. She says: “It’s quite niche. There have been collaborations with record labels and DJs and I just thought it would be cool to come up with some designs for kids.” Cue Disko Kids.

While Helen’s partner still runs No Way Back, Disko Kids is her baby. She learned Photoshop and came up with the distinctive font print, roller skate illustrated and cassette designs and has just sourced a designer to come on board. As well as tees there are retro-style prints too, one of which has been a hit during the pandemic – the Kitchen Disco print.

In fact, sales generally have grown through the pandemic. Helen says: “The product seemed to fit the mood, so the Kitchen Disco print and date sweaters as presents have sold well. The fact that shops were closed and online ordering was the only method helped us too.” Not that Covid was a doddle – Helen still had the familiar juggle of having kids at home while running a business.

NEXT STEPS

Social media, particularly Instagram, has been crucial in the growth of Disko Kids. “It’s a great place  – really supportive. We’ve raised our profile through collaborations with other businesses on the platform or through influencers sharing photos of them wearing our product. I’ve also met some really great people.”

Disko Kids has been nominated for a prestigious Junior Design Award in the Best Unisex Fashion Collection category which is a big deal and Helen’s beginning to feel like she ‘has her career back and feels fulfilled’. The next step is key – as well as freeing up space at home, the new premises will mean more wholesale and the ability to stock more product. “For example, I’ll be able to stock more of the date sweaters. Up until now I’ve had to do pre-sale on them as I didn’t have space to stock every year.”

Spending your 30th anniversary in jail… not what Rick Cressman could have envisaged when he bought historic Nailcote Hall three decades ago. But Rick is adamant that he would rather do time than cough up as a result of what he, and many others in the hospitality industry, say is unfair treatment over tax and business rates by the Government and Inland Revenue during the pandemic.

Despite only just being allowed to reopen from lockdown, Rick is facing big backdated bills that are due to be paid on VAT and National Insurance as well as business rates which will be due at the end of June. “After everything that the hospitality industry has been through – to hell and back – with being forced to be shut for the longest period and having now just opened and desperate to start earning income again, the Government and HMRC are expecting us to pay these massive bills right away,” said Rick.

PRESSURE

“I can tell you, if I receive a demand from HMRC, I will be refusing to pay it – and I am prepared to go to jail if needs be for not paying it. If enough like-minded people in our industry say enough is enough and take the same action, the Government will be forced by pressure to change its unfair stance.”

Rick is demanding the waiving of business rates and a new system to be introduced which is based on a business’s turnover rather than the value of the property it occupies. He also wants a Hospitalities Minister appointed who would be dedicated to looking into the huge anomalies across the business sector and to give the industry a proper voice in Government.

The battle for a fairer tax and rating system is the latest in what feels like a never-ending series of battles with local and national officialdom which Rick has faced since he bought Nailcote Hall out of administration in June 1991. The former Warwickshire stately home which dates back to the 17th century, houses a four-star hotel, restaurant and spa and is a top-rated wedding and party venue. It is also famously the long-time home of the British Par Three Championship – the par three equivalent of the Open.

BATTLES

Rick battled for more than a decade to win planning approval to build additional hotel rooms and a clubhouse after being denied by local planners and Government inspectors before the project, conceived in 2000, finally went ahead in 2014. “While the last year can be seen as the hardest with being forced to remain closed for 15 months,” said Rick, “2000 was actually the hardest year to take. First, we were stuffed by local council and Government as we tried to turn this into a successful business, and then later the same year my brother was murdered which was obviously devastating. So, 2000 was the most difficult year I have ever had to endure – but the past year has been hell for the business. But, we’re still here and fighting and we have a lot of business coming up on the tracks.”

Rick is demanding answers from the Government on two key questions. First, why is his, and businesses like his, being expected to pay a much higher business rate than other much bigger operations? The likes of Amazon, for example, pays a much lower rate than Rick.

Second, why is the Government refusing to give businesses more time to pay deferred VAT and National Insurance bills? “They are asking businesses which have been shut the longest to repay in the shortest time,” said Rick. “That can’t be right.”

REBALANCE

He added: “Hospitality and high street businesses have had to borrow, borrow, borrow to get through this and we all need more time to rebalance our finances. If not a lot of businesses and the jobs they support will be ruined. We have to make the Government listen and if it won’t, they will have to sue businesses and send people like me to prison. Is Government really prepared to take that step?”

It’s a scenario that Rick could well do without as he celebrates 30 years at Nailcote Hall, although he says ‘celebrate’ isn’t the right word. “We will mark 30 years, but after all that’s happened we won’t be actually celebrating. That will be for another time.”

Among the good news for Rick is that the Par Three tournament, sponsored by Farmfoods, will take place at Nailcote Hall with all the usual golfing and TV and entertainment stars in attendance from 3 to 6 August. While the event won’t be open to public spectators as in previous years, it will be filmed by Sky Sports for later screening.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was born in Wolverhampton but moved to Birmingham when I was four. I started dance classes at six and Kathak at seven. Kathak is a classical dance form like ballet. Sonia Sabri Company was launched in 2002. Our first production was Drishti, a digital dance collaboration involving projections, motion captures and light responsive technology. We were the first South Asian dance company to have done it within the South Asian sector. We tour nationally and internationally and are the resident company at Birmingham Hippodrome. I was recently appointed resident artist at Curve theatre, Leicester. I also sit on the board of Birmingham’s DanceXchange. I have worked with the likes of Sir Trevor Nunn, Arlene Philips, Marion Tait, Jonzi D, Richard Alston, Shobana Jeyasingh and Nitin Sawhney. I have been a mentor and choreographer for BBC 4’s Young Dancer.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I aim to empower others through the power of dance. I’ve worked with communities of different backgrounds and particularly women, especially from Asian, Arabian and Black communities. The Company has co-designed several projects with and for women, catering for health and wellbeing needs. We have worked with world-class artists and engaged with audiences of two million in this year alone.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

In some communities there is a mindset where the young Asian girl is to grow up with the ultimate goal of simply getting married and starting a family. I believe every woman is dynamic and strong and should have a choice to lead her life the way she wishes. My aim is to reach out to women and girls and give them confidence and mentorship. Professionally, one of my many ambitions is for the Company to collaborate with Birmingham Royal Ballet. Two classical artforms, Kathak and Ballet, coming together to create magic!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I have been learning about cognitive and neurological development in adults. This is a personal learning for me and will help support the way I teach dance. Professionally, the biggest success so far has been how the Company has transformed its work for the digital world, reaching a global audience in lockdown.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Stay calm, have faith and always listen to your gut. Do not wait on people, get on and do things that need doing.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love lots about our diverse city. I relish meeting people of all backgrounds. I enjoy the juxtaposition of new and old architecture, top quality world cuisine, the arts community – and all the greenery.

DOWNTIME

Sitting in the garden and observing nature or escaping into a romantic film from the golden era of Bollywood.

FINALLY…

I am excited to be working on several dance collaborations which we are looking at touring this year, here in the Midlands and across the country.

Apparently, according to the people who know about these things, an extra three million of us have taken up gardening during the pandemic, and as a someone who admits to being “obsessed with gardening” Alys Fowler sees that as a silver lining to what otherwise has been a very black cloud.

The broadcaster and writer, probably best known as a presenter of BBC Gardener’s World, says she wants as many of those people as possible to carry on planting, pruning and cultivating when life begins to return to how it used to be. “The upswell of interest in gardens over the past 12 months is a result of the fact that people haven’t been able to go anywhere or do the things they used to do,” says Alys. “I really, really hope that as many as possible stick with it and continue to love gardening as much as I do.”

The adopted Brummie, who moved to the city 15 years ago to join the Gardeners’ World team at the Beeb, has passed on her expertise in a number of best-selling books, such as The Thrifty Gardener, The Edible Garden, The Thrifty Forager, Abundance and The Modern Herbal. Now, she is turning her attention to young gardeners with her first book for children. KEW: Grow, Forage and Make – Fun Things To Do With Plants is aimed at children aged between five and nine with activities in that can take anything from less than an hour to a whole weekend. Beautifully illustrated by Heidi Griffiths, it’s a really involving book, full of ideas for kids to do on their own but also with parents and other family members.

NEON BEETROOT

“I’ve had quote strong ideas about wanting to do a children’s gardening book, a book that is about expanding their experiences,” Alys explains. “Traditional children’s books about gardening can be ludicrous. It’s important to understand the attention span for a child is very short unless you can really involve them. All kids love being outside and are inherently curious, so they can learn about all sorts of things in the book – from growing their own air plants to foraging for edible flowers. They don’t even need a garden or any fancy equipment – a homemade pot and watering can, seeds from the kitchen cupboard and a sunny windowsill will do.”

With Alys’s expert guidance kids can grow their own avocado tree, make wildflower seed paper, forage for tasty roots to add to favourite recipes and even grow neon pink beetroot in the dark! Alys’s own background is the perfect example of the fascination of young minds with the great outdoors, plants and flowers. Originally from rural Hampshire, Alys’s father was a doctor while her mother had various businesses – including keeping chickens and training gun dogs. Her love of gardening inspired daughter Alys who went on to study at the Royal Horticultural Society and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where she developed her interest in more organic and accessible landscape gardening. She also studied on a scholarship at New York’s Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.

ALLOT’ GOING ON

After beginning work as a gardening journalist, she became a researcher for Gardeners’ World before being head gardener at the BBC’s garden at Berryfield in Stratford-upon-Avon, and a regular presenter on the popular weekly TV show. Alys published her first book, The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing in 2007. She continues to write regularly as a contributor to the Guardian.

Alys welcomes the big surge in popularity of gardening. “People come to gardening for many different reasons,” she said. “More people are using our parks too – I see that in my own part of Birmingham.” Alys has her own allotment in Highbury Park and was straining to get back to the environment she loves best. “It feels like it’s been a very long, hard winter,” she said. “I can’t wait to get back to the allotment once I have finished speaking to you!”

Hint taken, Alys…

FLOATING POND: Alys is excited to be involved in two special local projects – working with Grand Union Gallery in Fazeley Street and the Canal and River Trust to create a floating pond in the canal, as well as a project at Coventry City of Culture’s festival site.

Over 240 years of trading, Birmingham jewellers Deakin & Francis has encountered more challenges than most, from wars to depressions. The pandemic is just the latest to be overcome by one of the city’s most historic companies.

Henry Deakin, who runs the seventh-generation business with brother James, said: “Let’s just say it’s been an interesting year! I live in the countryside, so personally being more at home has been great, but our 600 retailers around the world have all been shut at various times. So, online has been very important and we have managed to keep the factory open and taken the opportunity at the same time to look at some new systems and think about ideas and plans for the future.”

Among those plans is one to open up the factory more to visitors once the pandemic regulations allow. “The factory employs 26 people and because the building is so historic, it’s actually what you can call a proper working museum, so we’d like to turn the factory into an area that’s open to the public so they can come and see how the jewellery is made by our craftsmen.”

ENGLAND’S OLDEST

Founded in 1786, the company is England’s oldest family jewellers and was originally known as Deakin and Moore before becoming Deakin & Francis and then a limited company in 1902. The business has remained in the same Jewellery Quarter building in Regent Place that once had as its resident James Watt – father of the Industrial Revolution, namesake of the unit of power and revolutioniser of the steam engine. Today it is managed by Henry and James who carry on the tradition of designing and hand-making items which go into some of the world’s most famous shops, including the likes of Harrods, as well as creating bespoke commissioned pieces.

For much of its history Deakin & Francis only supplied jewellery to the industry – a strand of the business which they still do today. The company has made pieces for some of the world’s most famous brands which then have that designer brand’s moniker stamped on. “We do still manufacture for big brands, though I mustn’t say too much about who buys from us and then adds their own name,” said Henry, who went on: “Oh, to hell with it… I think I can tell you one of the people we manufacture for is Ralph Lauren!” So, now we know…

LOCAL COMMUNITY

Deakin & Francis launched its own website eight years ago, and three years ago opened its first store in London’s Mayfair. Sixty-five per cent of the firm’s business is now done in the UK (in the past 70 per cent was in the US) and 90 per cent is own brand, with 40 per cent of retail sales now direct.

The firm produces everything from fine ladies’ jewellery, rings and cufflinks to a wide range of lifestyle accessories for the individual and the home. “People really like quality things that are made in England,” said Henry. Bespoke jewellery, such as signet, engagement or wedding rings, are particularly popular with customers able to pick their own stones and designs and then visit the factory to watch their piece being made.

Remaining at the heart of Birmingham and the local economy is key to the business. That closeness to the community is perfectly illustrated by Deakin & Francis’s partnership with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity to celebrate the life-savers 30th anniversary. The jewellers exclusively crafted 100 sets of limited edition cufflinks and 100 lapel pins featuring the charity’s ‘pulse’ motif.

Henry said: “The pulse collection, made in the Midlands for the Midlands, is a design we are particularly proud of as the sale of every pair of cufflinks or lapel pin will directly help fund life-saving air ambulance and critical care car missions in our region. And I’m pleased to say that sales of these unique pieces have been going very well.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was born and bred in Edgbaston to a very loud Punjabi family. I was making samosas and helping my dad cater for family and friends’ weddings from the age of eight and got the bug. I didn’t actually taste British food until I started high school – it was macaroni cheese and steamed pudding and I loved it! Since training at Birmingham College of Food, where I was voted best student of the year, I’ve done some great things. I was a fine dining chef at French restaurant Le Biarritz, then a trouble-shooter for Compass, helping companies struggling with their contract catering. I was a cross between Gordon Ramsay and Nanny McPhee – I wouldn’t leave the place until it was running effectively. It was working at Aston University on the Youth Opportunities Programme that I discovered a passion for teaching and became a pastry and kitchen larder skills lecturer at the exact same place where I trained all those years before.   

IT’S WHAT I DO

For 10 years, I taught contemporary patisserie skills to students on the college of food’s bakery, food and hospitality degrees, as well as Level 3 students, who make the plated desserts for the award-winning Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food. 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

The main thing for me is bringing people along and identifying strengths. I can’t bear it when I hear a student say their teacher told them they would be nothing. One of our graduates and Michelin star chef Adam Smith did an online talk for students last week and said exactly this. I could’ve burst with pride. Personally, I would like to continue to support and fund the Sikh Temple communities in Northern India.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

One of my biggest successes professionally was achieving my Master’s in Education (MEd) at University of Birmingham while teaching full-time. And as a lecturer, I got to teach in Barbados, organise work placements for Erasmus students and present and demonstrate the university’s master’s courses in Mumbai to attract international students. Away from work, I’m a massive Liverpool Football Club supporter and one of my great highlights is getting to watch my team play at Anfield. Right up there is dining twice at three Michelin star restaurant Geranium in Denmark, which showcases organic and biodynamic ingredients using modern techniques, and meeting head chef Rasmus Kofoed. 

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

To seize every opportunity as nothing lasts forever. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love how cosmopolitan Birmingham is. The blend and mix of cultures and food is incredible.

DOWNTIME

I love going to shows at the theatre and watching football. I also really miss travelling. And I can’t wait to be able to dine out again in our great city.

Sam Olive launched Wine Freedom five years ago inspired by the idea of building a disruptive, inclusive and authentic wine business. The company supplies natural, organic wine to bars and restaurants across the UK, including local Michelin-starred eateries such as Carters and Simpsons.

Late last year, in what turned out to be an all-too-brief break between national lockdowns, Wine Freedom opened its first wine bar at Floodgate Street, Digbeth in what Sam describes as the ‘perfect location’ – a disused warehouse which also became home to a wine shop and tastings sessions. The restrictions have put the bar into semi-mothballs for now, though the off-licence section is still operating in line with the guidelines.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic to the food and drink industry, Sam is optimistic as we see light finally emerging at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. “I’ve always believed in being flexible to respond to changes in business,” he says. “And that has helped to stand us in good stead during this period.

EDUCATION KEY

“We took the decision to go-ahead with the opening of the bar despite the problems we would encounter and in the period before lockdown we were very encouraged and pleased with how it was going. It’s important to realise that we are not just a bar. Wine education and tastings are also key to what we aim to do.”

Last month, Wine Freedom launched a subscription service, House Wine. Available across the UK, the service delivers freshly bottled natural wine on a weekly or monthly basis and is designed to bring wine-lovers ‘closer to the vineyard’. Subscribers can drink and enjoy handmade, organic and sustainable wine at home.

Bottled from kegs, House Wine launched with four wines – Secateurs Chenin Blanc, Triennes Rose, Beaujolais ‘Kanon Keg’ and an orange wine, Frisach Lo Pateret. New wines will be introduced on a monthly basis.

Sam said: “Key kegs are a more stable vessel for transporting wine, minimising contact with oxygen for maximum freshness with little or no need for preservatives.” Being 100 per cent recyclable, Wine Freedom uses a state of the art greenline dispensing system with compressed air, removing the need for gas canisters. The wines are vegan and represent better value with a saving of roughly 20 pent for each bottle.

SUPER FRESH

Sam said: “House Wine is all about super fresh wine that brings people as close to the vineyard experience as possible. All our keg wines are made by small independent wineries and are handmade, organic and natural. In simple terms House Wine is fresher, cleaner and greener – while also being convenient.”

When Sam founded Wine Freedom, he says the plan was always to make it a multi-channel business. His background in the wine trade had been extensive before making the decision to start out on his own. Originally a graduate in interior architecture, Sam got into the drinks business after serving in a wine bar in Bristol. After joining a management training scheme and working in a number of Majestic wine stores, he then spent time working in vineyards in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the UK as an adviser for fine wines in part of the Laithwaites group. A job at Bibendum Wine saw him selling to restaurants and after identifying a gap in the market for natural organic wines he set up Wine Freedom. The move coincided with a general shift in consumer buying habits to better quality wines.

As well as the new House Wine initiative, Sam is also introducing Orange Wednesday, a monthly subscription service for those who enjoy orange wine – a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed – which is part of the overall plan to expand a suite of tailored customers offerings. More video footage on the company’s website and social media including interviews with producers and food and wine match-ups is also in the pipeline.

THE WINE MILKMAN

On the website, customers can order mixed cases, each wine bottled by Wine Freedom from the keg, and delivered within a 10-mile radius. They’ll even collect and recycle the used bottles. “We’re like your milkman, but with wine!” said Sam. On that point, and as an aside, Wine Freedom tried to introduce a scheme to help the NHS. “My wife works in A&E and other family members are also in the NHS,” said Sam. “We decided that for every bottle a customer put out for collection, to encourage recycling, we would donate £1 to the NHS. But told us they couldn’t take donations from us as we are in the booze business!”

With family so involved in the pandemic fight, Sam says he is erring on the side of caution with regards to a return to ‘normality’ in business. “I believe it will be June or July before we really start to see things changing and from a business perspective, we’ll be focussing hard on just getting things back to where they were pre-Covid although, of course, we have plenty of plans moving forward.”

The wine bar is ready and waiting to welcome back customers after a highly successful launch. “I guess you could say we got to test the bar for seven weeks between the lockdowns. We were able to give our customers a little taste of what is to come. We did lots of tastings and it all worked a treat.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I have always worked in the management and development of urban property for long-term landowners. I studied land management at university and intended to be countryside-focused but switched my attention to cities. I have worked primarily in London, but was also in Shanghai for a year, in sectors including offices, retail, residential, hotels and medical. In London, I was fortunate enough to be the Mayfair director for Grosvenor and was then responsible for the management of Sloane Street, Kings Road and Sloane Square for Cadogan Estates. I also had the privilege to advise the property companies for the Queen and Prince Charles.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I moved to the Midlands in the summer 2020 and am responsible for managing Calthorpe Estates in Edgbaston. We are long-term stewards and custodians of the 1,600-acre mixed-use Calthorpe Estate, a mile from the city centre, and seek to deliver a positive impact through our management and creating thriving communities. It is a hugely exciting opportunity to continue the transformation of this historic family-owned estate and work on its 50-year vision to create thriving communities and a prime destination within Birmingham and the UK.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My passion is placemaking – the process of making places enjoyable to live or work in, and where you want to visit time and again. It is a constant evolution. My ambition is to accelerate the attractiveness of Edgbaston through enhanced public realm, greater accessibility to new green open spaces and excellent places to live and work in.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Making a visible difference to the parts-of-cities I have been managing, so they can be enjoyed by people. This includes small things (like the appearance of buildings) and large (reinvigorating a high street or building a new café on a public piazza). In addition, there have been a few specific property transactions over the years.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I have two. First, follow your gut instinct. Progression through a business depends upon decision-making, and making the right decision is often not black and white. For the many that are grey, follow your gut. Second, know that you don’t know it all. Rely upon others who are cleverer and more experienced.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I moved to Birmingham during lockdown, so I haven’t yet had a chance to see the city in all its bustling glory. However, I love the sense of progress that you get when walking around and seeing the investment in the new Metro, major developments and public areas.

DOWNTIME

The countryside. Walking with my wife, sons and working cocker spaniel in the lovely Warwickshire countryside on our doorstep, and fly fishing when time permits.

Meet Noah Bear. He may be small, but he’s very special. He was conceived by Singing Medicine, an inspiring local group of professional and amateur singers who visit children in hospital, and then imagined and created by Joanna Harrison, the brilliant animator behind The Snowman. As well as being great to cuddle, Noah also plays the choir’s signature song, Music Inside, when his jacket is pressed, and the hope is that every sick child in Birmingham Children’s Hospital should have their own Noah – providing comfort and encouraging them to sing and play.

Singing Medicine has visited the hospital weekly for 16 years to sing with children and help combat feelings of isolation, as well as supporting improvement to patients’ mental health and wellbeing. The current pandemic has placed restrictions on hospital visits and the team have had to implement a new digital approach to keep their much-needed support in place. Interactive videos have allowed the team to keep engaging with the children as well as increasing the reach of their work beyond the West Midlands. Across the country children can sing and play with Noah Bear engaging in his series of short films and lullabies.

LIFTING SPIRITS

Rebecca Ledgard heads Singing Medicine and is director of education for Ex Cathedra, the Birmingham-based leading British choir and music ensemble. “There are 21 singers in the Singing Medicine team and in normal times eight at any one time would go in pairs from ward to ward at the children’s hospital, singing to the children in every ward,” explained Rebecca.

“Depending on how they are, they interact with us and will tell us what they’d like us to sing and will join in as it becomes not just about the music but also playing and lifting their spirits. Parents appreciate it too and will get involved. We have had instances where we have grown so close to children that in the most serious and saddest cases we have been asked to sing so that our music is the last thing they hear before life support is switched off. It becomes very emotional for everyone but we know that in that ultimate moment we are able to offer help and solace through music.”

Singing Medicine was formed from Ex Cathedra’s Singing Playgrounds project for primary schools. “One of Ex Cathedra’s choir, Sally Spencer, who was involved in Singing Playgrounds was, and still is, a nurse at Birmingham Children’s Hospital,” said Rebecca. “She said, ‘The children I work with need this too!’. We began to explore how we could include the children in the hospital in the Symphony Hall Singing Playgrounds workshops and soon decided actually we should create a special project where we took the singing play to them in their hospital beds.”

BEHIND THE SCENES

Prior to the pandemic, each child session in the hospital’s 20-plus wards would last around 20 minutes. Rebecca explained that the team does a lot of research and behind the scenes work to find out what each child likes and what parents and nurses believe is appropriate for them in their situation. “We think singing and singing-play is really important. Sally describes singing in Ex Cathedra choir as her own singing medicine. We are all really passionate that all children should play and develop through singing and have the chance to enjoy singing,” said Rebecca.

Health experts agree that singing reduces cortisol (stress) and feel-good hormones are released. It’s the body’s natural pain killer and all areas of the brain are stimulated. The deeper breathing required in singing helps healing and fights infection. “When we started Singing Medicine we just wanted not to leave out children in hospital from our education and participation work, but we soon realised how enormously beneficial it was for them for being distracted, soothed and calmed, or stimulated and having fun, and being able to use their imaginations and make decisions through the singing games we create,” said Rebecca. “Singing to the children not only brings joy to them, but also to us. There’s a real buzz in the team when we go to the hospital. It’s that feeling that we are doing something that really means something.

“One of the last sessions before lockdown was a little boy sat in his leather jacket on his bed. He was very sick. He was from Syria and neither of us spoke each other’s language, although I attempted thank you at the end. We played a singing game and played some percussion and we laughed together too. He grinned and waved when we left. This is just one of many special moments which mean so much.”

CREATING A BEAR

The idea of creating Noah Bear came after one of Singing Medicine’s charitable funders pulled out at a week’s notice as a result of the economic squeeze caused by Covid-19. Rebecca said: “For years we dreamed of having a singing teddy to leave with the children when we left them but this seemed an impossibility. During lockdown Joanna Harrison imagined and drew us a bear. Vada Recording Studios helped us with the recording to put inside and Louis Kennedy offered to make the singing bear in support of Singing Medicine. Noah Bear has been a real boost to us – we have also felt the impact of these difficult times – and he has inspired our creativity. He now even has his own YouTube playlist of singing games for little children.”

And Rebecca added: “You know what would be my dream? For someone to buy 500 Noah Bears to gift to every child in the hospital. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!”

FACTFILE 

• Singing Medicine is a project delivered by Ex Cathedra which started in 2004.

• Since it began, the team has delivered more than 40,000 Singing Medicine sessions at bedsides to sick children in hospitals.

• It has won an NHS Health and Social Care Award and most recently an award from the Royal Society for Public Health for outstanding contribution to the field of arts and health.

• As well as its home hospital, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the project has been delivered at Great Ormond Street, John Radcliffe, Warwick and Heartlands hospitals, as well as travelling to Auckland and Singapore.

• Ex Cathedra is based in Birmingham and is a leading UK choir. Founded by artistic director Jeffrey Skidmore OBE, it is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I began my career working for Carlton TV in Birmingham and got my first job at the BBC as a broadcast assistant for BBC Radio 4 at the Pebble Mill studios – when we still used tapes to record the programmes! After deciding I wanted to become a reporter, I spent six years in BBC local radio learning my trade, starting in Worcester, becoming a political reporter in Stoke-on-Trent before moving to Radio WM in 2012. I joined BBC Midlands Today as the main breakfast and lunch presenter in 2013, which meant two years of 4am starts and lots of under-eye concealer. In 2015, I became a national correspondent for BBC news in London, then a political reporter at BBC Westminster before moving to BBC Newsnight in 2019. I was also full-time presenter on BBC London’s Sunday Politics programme before being drawn home to relaunch Politics Midlands at the start of 2020.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As the BBC’s political editor in the region, I deal with lots of politicians, locally and nationally. I may be challenging them a lot of the time, but against perceptions I find most are hardworking and in it because they want to make a difference. The nature of the job is always changing, so no one day is ever the same. I could be filming on location, live in the studio or interviewing the PM. Politics affects almost every aspect of our lives and it’s my job to help people to understand what’s going on and challenge those who make the decisions. 

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition for the Midlands is that it gets the recognition it deserves. There is so much to be proud of, but I think sometimes we’re not as noisy or as confident as the North-West, which has done a fantastic job of re-branding itself over the last decade.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Gosh, that’s hard. House training our puppy during the first lockdown? I’m usually most proud of the work where I feel we’ve made a difference or drawn attention to a subject that otherwise would have gone under the radar. I’m proud of my colleagues and the way we work together in some tough conditions over the last year.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Always check. Names, figures, facts, whatever it is! Anytime you think ‘oh yeah I’m sure I know that’, you’re bound to be wrong. Accuracy is so important for trust, and that’s vital in my job.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I grew up in Staffordshire, but my mum’s a Brummie and so I always thought of it as the big exciting city where we went for special shopping trips or days out. I remember getting the bus into Birmingham city centre with my grandma as a child, and being awed by the size of everything. It’s been home for many years now, and I love it.

DOWNTIME

These days I enjoy walking the doggo and spending time with friends, when allowed! There’s a lot to be said for a flat white and a walk. I like to cook. My husband and I are both foodies, so under normal circumstances we love eating out and Birmingham has a fantastic food scene. If we’re pushing the boat out we love Carters in Moseley.

For any enterprise to be named Business of the Year in this year of all years has to be special. A recognition of success in the toughest of times in living memory, a testament to the ability to innovate in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. For that winner to be a charity is unprecedented.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has earned a reputation for being entrepreneurial. It has to be to raise the thousands of pounds needed each and every day to pay for its life-saving missions, either by helicopter or critical response car. While private supporters and donations are hugely important in helping fund the operation, business support is crucial – and we all know the devastating impact Covid has had on the Midlands commercial scene and, a result, its ability to help good causes.

But clever ideas, thinking outside the box and total commitment and hard work has helped MAAC weather the Covid storm in good shape and able to continue providing its vital, life-saving service. That achievement was honoured not once, but twice over when the charity was named Charity of the Year and then overall Business of the Year at the recent Asian Business Chamber of Commerce awards.

NEW DEMANDS

A delighted Hanna Sebright, the charity’s chief executive, said: “This would not have been possible without the ongoing resilience, hard work and dedication shown by all of the team. I would like to thank each and every one of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity family for making this award win possible. I would also like to say thank you to the public for their support throughout both lockdown periods and their kind donations which continue to make our daily missions possible.”

You might be forgiven for thinking that demand for the air ambulance service would have dropped substantially during the various restrictions and lockdowns – less people commuting, more working from home, fewer opportunities to get out and about and in harm’s way.

Not the case, said the charity’s head of communications and marketing, Helen Stevens, who added people working from home faced heightened risk from accidents in other ways. For a start, figures show that the number of cyclists on Midlands’ roads has gone up by more than 400 per cent. “We’ve experienced more cardiac arrests, more cases of self-harming, more accidents from DIY – so the demand for Midlands Air Ambulance has stayed at near the same level,” she said. In ‘normal’ times, MAA attends an average 13 calls a day – six for the air ambulance helicopters, costing £2,500 a flight, and seven critical cars, at £224 a time. During the pandemic the average number of calls has been 10 a day.

COVER STORY

The charity funds and operates three air ambulance helicopters and two critical care cars serving six Midlands counties, including the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Worcestershire, making up the largest air ambulance operating region in the UK. The charity also provides secondary cover to surrounding areas, such as Warwickshire and Mid Wales. Since 1991, MAA has responded to more than 60,000 missions, and each year it costs more than £10million to maintain the aircraft and the provision of the life-saving service. The charity doesn’t receive funding from the Government for its daily missions, relying entirely on the support and generosity of local people and businesses.

“The great thing about the award, other the excitement at winning, is that it helps to promote even further what we do to the business community,” said Helen. “We knew when the pandemic struck that we had to work on ways to remain in the hearts and minds of businesses and individuals. To that end, we’ve been doing a lot of media profiling with Sky and ITV.”

WINNING NUMBER

She added: “Then it was about adapting our fund-raising abilities to the new situation. Along with everyone else, we had to shut our charity shops and stop planned fund-raising events due to the pandemic restrictions, which meant a 50 per cent drop in fund-raising from our local communities.” To help make up some of the shortfall, the charity has been pushing even harder its successful online Lifesaving Lottery, which raises more than £3million a year. Helen said: “The fact is that we are always looking at developing and creating ideas to fund the service. While we are a charity, we take pride in the fact that we are run like a business.”

This business acumen was not lost on the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce awards judges. Mandy Canny, of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and head of the judging panel, said: “Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has shown exceptional work during the pandemic, continuing to deliver advanced pre-hospital patient care, while maintaining awareness of and support for the organisation.”

 
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

The events that probably gave my career its kick start was persuading famous actors including Dustin Hoffman, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Glenn Close and Richard Dreyfuss to let me interview them live on stage in the West End and on Broadway. They did it for nothing so I could put all the money towards staging The Seagull at Birmingham Rep in 1990, which was the springboard to everything that came after.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’m the actor/manager of Birmingham Stage Company which I created in 1992 and launched from the Old Rep. The company has been a big adventure which has taken us around the UK and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Malta, Syria and New York. We’ve staged more than 100 productions and had a fabulous time along the way. This year has been a little different, though!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I am one of those lucky people who’s been involved in something special almost every year, so it’s hard to narrow it down. Performing in the Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House was spectacular, as is performing in the West End and on Broadway. But I’m just as happy acting at the fabulous theatre in Bridlington Spa if the audience is up for it. It’s all down to the audience in the end – if you find a good one, it doesn’t matter where.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

My father was a great businessman who gave me some advice when I was a teenager. Never have a business partner, never let someone push you around and never give anyone a second chance. This last one sounded incredibly harsh, so I chose to ignore it, but then found in my professional life that whenever I did give someone a second chance it always came back to bite me. Except once – and I guess it’s those exceptions which make life interesting. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I was born in Birmingham, so my first impressions are difficult to remember! But my favourite thing is the Old Rep Theatre which provided me with the chance to fulfil all my dreams. It was built by Sir Barry Jackson as the first purpose-built theatre in the country and until 1971 housed Birmingham Repertory Theatre, until they moved to Broad Street. For 20 years it was used by amateur companies until I persuaded the city council to let me move my fledgling company into its walls and we never looked back.

DOWNTIME

I love reading a newspaper over a gin and tonic. I’m worried that by the time I retire all the newspapers will be online, which I is much less satisfying. I don’t even have a smart phone. I like the real world too much.

While much attention has, understandably, been on the struggles of businesses to survive the impacts of Covid-19, there have been some amazing and uplifting stories of entrepreneurship born out of the pandemic. Stories like husband and wife Dan and Lyndsey Ford who unexpectedly started a new business – from a length of copper pipe.

At the beginning of March, plumber Dan was furloughed by his employer as the country went into lockdown. Like many others, Dan found himself with time on his hands and, always being an active kind of guy, looked around for ways to keep himself busy.

In an attempt to create some positivity – and to prevent himself from going mad – he decided to play around and use up some copper pipe he had in stock. Together the couple fashioned their first Hearts For Hope and decided to see if they could sell them via social media as garden ornaments for charity.

EXPANDING RANGE

The hearts proved an instant success, and the range has since been expanded to include homeware items, such as copper heart wine racks, garden hooks and even house numbers. So far, their sales have raised a total of £10,000 for local charities fighting the Covid-19 crisis, including £500 donated to Midlands Air Ambulance which funded two critical care car missions.

Dan returned to his full-time job in July, meaning he only has evenings and weekends free to make orders, so there’s now a two-week lead time between ordering and delivery. Charity donations have become 10 per cent of profits from each purchase, instead of the original 100 per cent of proceeds. And Lyndsey has taken over the running of the business, looking after social media, answering enquiries and also learning to make the hearts herself!

She said: “We never imagined this idea would have made it this far and never had any original plans to turn it into a business venture, so we’d like to thank everyone for their support. More than six months on we are still going strong and have now got a variety of designs available on our website and are taking on bespoke designs as well. As long as people still want to buy our hearts, we will keep making them. Charity will always be at the heart of what we do and we have got a few exciting fund-raising ideas in the pipeline.”

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

From playing around with a length or two of spare copper, the couple now have to source considerable amounts of piping to meet the demand for their products. Lyndsey said: “We are now spending all of our spare time arranging supplies and creating the hearts. We weren’t expecting to have so much interest and for so many people to purchase our hearts. It’s amazing!”

With Christmas just around the corner, the couple have created some special gifts, including brilliant copper star tree toppers. Lyndsey said they are always open to new ideas. “We love to be challenged so if anyone wants to let us know if they have a design in mind we will try and make it!”

​CHARITY COPPERS

All products for sale have 10 per cent of the profits donated to charity. Organisations helped so far include: 

• St Richard’s, Shakespeare and Acorns Children’s hospices

• West Midlands Air Ambulance Charity

• Worcester Acute Hospital Charity

• Touchstones Child Bereavement Support;

• Evesham Adventure Playground Association

• Evesham & District Mental Health Support Services

• Marie Curie Solihull

• Heartstart Malvern

• Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust

Suzanne Virdee is known to millions as the face of TV news. The Solihull-born journalist who grew up in Edgbaston has covered many of the major local, national and international news stories during her time as a presenter, first with BBC and now with ITV. But, we wonder, is there more to reading the news than… well… just reading the news? Do any of the stories go deeper than merely being words to read off the autocue? For Suzanne, the answer is a big, firm “Yes!”

Five years ago, she went to cover an event set up by police to work with teenage gangs looking into the causes of street violence and how to reduce it. What Suzanne found surprising, intriguing and concerning was the police’s description of the relationship between violent young males and teenage girls who seemed to feel the need to attach themselves to the gang culture.

BLIND LOYALTY

Suzanne wanted to know more about the relationships that create such apparently blind loyalty – and what she discovered led her to write about the growing perils of social media pressure and cyber-bullying facing young girls, and how they should confront it in a book entitled A Girl’s Guide To Being Fabulous!

That was then, and this is now… because Suzanne has just released her second book, A Girl’s Guide To Being Awesome. The new book is billed as empowering girls not to just survive their teen years but to thrive by tackling all the tricky topics that growing up in the 21st Century brings – including how to deal with the 24/7 noise of social media, the impact of easily accessible online porn, relationships, body image and self-esteem, plus how to cope with the pressure of school work and working out what you want to achieve in life. “My book is a girl’s personal cheerleader – because it informs, inspires, and boosts confidence,” said Suzanne. “My message to all girls is that it doesn’t matter where you are now, it’s where you’re going that counts.”

OPPORTUNITY BRUM

Suzanne’s own journey has seen her progress from working on local papers at 18 to regional dailies and radio before a long period working at BBC News with the likes of Nick Owen and then onto ITV London and national news programmes. She lives in Redditch with her professional photographer husband Andrew and says she feels “privileged” that Birmingham has given many opportunities during her career, allowing her to meet everyone from Prime Ministers to pop stars as well as the public at large.

Of her books, she says: “The first one was self-published, but the new one has been produced by a proper publisher and the content is more interactive for the times. When I did the first book people wouldn’t talk much about the pressures on young girls, now everyone is more aware of it. Lots of things have come out in the past few years that had been hidden for so long – like the sexual assaults going on in our schools.”

LITTLE MIX

The huge rise in vicious trolling and cyber bullying on social media is well reported in the media these days and is particularly highlighted when the targets are high-profile celebrities such as Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson, who admitted on a recent TV documentary that fat-shaming from online trolls had made her want to die. Suzanne said: “Jesy talked about how she was bombarded on social media which had gotten to her to the point of desperation. She also explained how she had learned that she had to just block them.

“I love social media, but it’s about working out how it affects you as an individual. If girls are fearful, then just don’t look at it. If you feel you are addicted to it, don’t be. It’s so easy for young girls to get sucked into what they should be like when they see so many gorgeous-looking people on social media.”

Suzanne is talking to safe-guarding organisations such as Cherished Birmingham as well as reaching out to councils to get her book into the hands of vulnerable teenage girls and says she would also love to see her guide turned into a series of TV films or podcasts.

Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe with 40 per cent of the population under 25 and Suzanne said: “I want our next generation of girls to feel as happy here as I did growing up and inspired too to achieve their dreams.” To become awesome, in fact…

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was brought up in a boy’s boarding school by two teacher parents who told me that I could not be a high-flier. I actually achieved a lot by hard work and perseverance, getting a scholarship to Cambridge University. When I went to the University Careers Service they told me I should run a university. I laughed that off, until a few years later when I found myself working as a university administrator! I came to Birmingham in 1985 and joined Aston University. It’s 2020 and I am still there, having done most jobs in what is a wonderful place. It has helped me to gain a Masters, PhD, National Teaching Fellowship and an OBE.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I try to make sure that staff and students can perform to their best ability, that they are well looked after and feel part of our community. I also chair Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP Employability and Skills Board, which is an important catalyst for training, employment and skills. My membership of the IKON gallery board is also important in promoting the arts in Birmingham and encouraging national and international recognition for the city. Most recently I have become the Vice Lord-Lieutenant – a great honour and responsibility – supporting the Lord-Lieutenant, who is the Queen’s representative in the West Midlands.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

My biggest success personally is my running. Since the lockdown I have run almost every day, clocking up nearly 800km. It has been fantastic watching the changing seasons on my early morning runs and finding new areas around where I live. My biggest professional success has been to change so many lives of young people. A university education is one of the best investments that individuals, organisations and society can make. Going to university changes your life, helping you to become happier, healthier and wealthier.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Find yourself a role model or mentor to help you learn many lessons and connect you with the right people. Some of my mentors have been senior and experienced, but the best have been younger mentors – people who helped me stay current. One trained me up on social media… so, if you want to follow me, you can on Twitter @higsonhe

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I arrived in Birmingham 35 years ago from the south of England. My first, and lasting impression, is that it is a city of opportunity. Its diversity means that whoever you are, you can be yourself. This has certainly been the case for me as I have been enabled to thrive here.

DOWNTIME

Apart from running, my pride and joy is our Keetso cat – large, demonstrative and polydactyl (look up that word!!). I love reading, going to the theatre and I have just completed a qualification in coaching.

Who doesn’t like chocolate in their life? But there’s chocolate, and there’s chocolate – as Steve Russell and Giles Atwell are quick to point out. The duo with more than 30 years collective experience in chocolate started their new Birmingham-based business, Russell & Atwell, with a simple question: “Why are we still eating long-life chocolate if everything tastes better fresh?”

Of course, fresh chocolates can be bought at specialist boutiques, but you’re likely to pay a small fortune for one tiny piece made with Himalayan Goji Berries and other exotic flavours. Steve said: “We set ourselves the ambitious challenge of making restaurant quality chocolates for supermarket prices.” Restaurant quality means chocolate made with fresh, high quality and sustainable ingredients. Supermarket prices have been achieved by selling direct to customers – so, no spending on fancy boutiques or advertising campaigns. Last month saw the launch of three new lines from Russell & Atwell, with more promised on the way.

WORLD CLASS

Both men have backgrounds covered in chocolate! Steve was the global head of chocolate recipe design for Cadbury/Mondelez and Godiva (basically the Willy Wonka). Giles was on the commercial side, as marketing director of chocolate in Brazil, global head of candy at Mondelez.

“We knew of each other at Mondelez but met working on Godiva together where Giles was leading taking Godiva from boutiques into supermarkets around the world and I was leading the development of the chocolate recipes,” said Steve. “We hit it off immediately and the rest is history!” Founding Russell & Atwell has allowed both men to realise their life-long dream of creating the ultimate chocolate experience.

They set out by making hundreds of prototypes in search of their perfect chocolate recipe. Steve said: “We discovered unsurprisingly that the fresh products always tasted a whole lot better. It sounds simple but the chocolate bar was invented at the start of the 20th century and fridges didn’t appear in most people’s homes until the 1950s. So, for years chocolates have been ‘long life’.

“We went back to basics, building our recipes from scratch around five key ingredients. Shedloads of sustainable cocoa, a dollop of fresh organic cream and butter from the Cotswolds, just enough sugar, a drizzle of British wildflower honey and a pinch of Dorset sea salt.”

Russell and Atwell chose an artisan small-batch UK manufacturer to produce their chocolate. Steve said: “We picked them because of their expertise in making high quality chocolate and also a family connection – they were Giles’s grandfather’s very first customer when he started a chocolate company in 1921.”

NEW CATEGORY

Giles added: “Starting a business is never easy, especially it in the middle of a pandemic! We’ve strived to keep all our costs, beyond the chocolates, as low as possible. We’ve got this far by entirely self-funding. Moving forward we are selling direct to consumers, longer-term we’d like to appear in cafes, delis and quality food retailers. Our ambition is to create a new ‘fresh chilled chocolate’ category, but we know that this will take a while!”

The guys know only too well what a competitive market they are in. “We’ll never out-spend the big guys,” said Giles. “We prefer to let our product do the talking, so we will try to get as many samples into people’s homes as possible (challenging during Covid)! We are also relying on ‘word of mouth’ – this has really helped us with our Kickstarter campaign where we were fully-funded in 48 hours and the world’s No1 Food Project”

Crowd funding on Kickstarter provided the support to scale-up to the first 10,000 chocolate batch. Russell & Atwell is now developing a new salted caramel flavour in time for Christmas. Better watch those waistlines guys! “I think Steve and I both carry a bit of timber, from trying a lot of chocolate over the years,” says Giles, “but we equally also try to stay in-shape!”

It’s hard to believe, says UB40’s Robin Campbell with an audible sharp intake of breath. “Forty years… gone just like that, in a flash!” The founder-singer-guitarist with one of the UK’s most famous bands paused for a moment and added: “But we’ve never experienced a year quite like this one…”

The Birmingham boys had everything lined up for an amazing, show-stopping celebration of their milestone anniversary since releasing their iconic first album, Signing Off, back in 1980. A huge worldwide tour, spanning the UK, Europe, the US, Africa and more. New music on the way too to add to the occasion for their millions of fans. Then came Covid-19, and like everything else around the globe, time stopped still and lockdown arrived.

“We had so much booked up to do,” said Robin, “and then it was all cancelled. Luckily for us, we have managed to push it all into 2021 – assuming the dreaded virus doesn’t mess that up too.” Robin revealed that he had actually been tested for Covid. “I was feeling really rough for days and I didn’t know what it was, so I thought I’d better get it checked out. I’m glad to say I was given the all-clear!”

LIVE ZOOM SESSIONS

While the anniversary schedule may have been put back, the band has tried to keep busy, especially in regards to their huge fanbase. “We’ve finished off another album which we’ve done as a collaboration with reggae artists from around the world, which should be out at the end of the year,” explained Robin. And then there’s the new UB40 app, launched to give fans unrivalled, up-close personal contact with the boys.

“We needed a way to keep in touch with the fans during these times,” said Robin. “The app gives them direct access to us. We do live Zoom sessions with the fans, interaction sessions, all our back catalogue is available and there’s loads of other content. I even do wine reviews and Jimmy our drummer reviews movies. Our new album is yet to be released but we have played most of the tracks individually on the app. I think more bands will follow what we are doing, it’s the way to go to have control of your interaction with your fans.”

If you look at the pantheon of legendary bands, UB40 are right up there with the likes of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who, U2, etc. Their fusion of reggae beats with lyrical presentation has seen them have more than 50 UK hit singles and equally huge international success with the likes of Red Red Wine and (I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You to name but two. There have been four Best Album Grammy nominations along the way and two Billboard number ones.

SPLITS AND RIFTS

There have also been some much-publicised splits and rifts – in keeping with what you’d expect from a closely-knit group of family and friends who have known each other since their school days. “Most of the band went to school with my kid brothers, I was the older kid,” said Robin. “We hung out together as we grew up and went to the same pubs, clubs, youth clubs. When we formed the band it felt more like a social circle than a group if you know what I mean.”

Robin acknowledges that the band have had some good breaks along the way, the biggest being when they were playing a gig in London in the early days and Chrissie Hynde was in the audience. “She came to us afterwards and said: I love you guys! Would you come and support me?”

Robin puts down the band’s longevity down to having a unique sound and luck! “If you have an instantly recognisable sound, you have a career,” he said. “You can hear other reggae bands in the UK and you know immediately that they aren’t us. I go to clubs and bars which I have been going to for years and see some bands that have been playing there for 20 or 30 years and they just didn’t get the right break.”

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Forty years on from its release, Signing Off remains a pivotal album by a British band, tackling issues such as racial tensions, social inequality and politics head-on – subjects which, sadly, are as relevant today as they were in 1980. Considered to be the greatest reggae album ever released by a British band, those early themes are mirrored in UB40’s latest album, For the Many.

With all the racial tensions and political unrest still prevalent in 2020, Robin declares he is “disappointed” that so many issues addressed in that first album remain and, indeed, have actually worsened, as can be seen from the Black Lives Matter movement. “Twenty-seven albums and 40 years later and we are still going on about the same things,” he adds.

With 1.3million followers on Facebook as well as their new app, the band has a great profile for not just entertaining their fans but for getting their messages across more directly than ever before. Already thrilling fans with their Sunday Evening Sessions, the band continues to share exclusive, never-heard tracks, rare pictures and exclusive merchandise, stream live shows and, as Robin alluded to earlier in this interview, give a guided tour of their cellar filled with Red, Red Wine!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I began my career with a company called Graeae (pronounced grey-eye) on a course called the Missing Piece aimed at tackling the lack of deaf and disabled people training to work as actors. Over the last 20 years I’ve performed and directed shows across the UK and internationally. I recently directed a show called One Under by Winsome Pinnock which came to the REP last year and The Solid Life of Sugar Water by Jack Thorne which came to the DOOR before finishing its tour at the National Theatre. I’ve also co-directed a couple of large-scale outdoor productions with a company called La Fura Dels Baus, as part of the London 2012 Festival and the UK-India Year of Culture. There were 150 deaf, disabled and non-disabled performers flying through the air!

IT’S WHAT I DO

As the deputy artistic director at the REP, I support the artistic and creative work alongside artistic director Sean Foley and the team. My main responsibilities centre around our exceptional creative learning and participation team. I’m also responsible for artist development, especially early career artists. I also get to direct shows, support with programming the theatre’s three spaces as well as reading scripts.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

Working at the REP is a big ambition fulfilled! I’d really love to get back to the theatre as quickly as possible as I miss the hub of the building and the hive of activity. I think there is the opportunity to engage even more with the variety of communities in Birmingham and make theatre and culture a massive part of the ongoing regeneration of the city.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Walking away from university at 19 to pursue a career in theatre. I have had the wildest of rides. That single decision changed the course of my life and I look back on it with utmost pride.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Goodness – where do you start?! I think to have belief in myself and to trust the path ahead is the right one. To be kind to myself and others and make sure I have space then to make room for others.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The people! Right from the minute go, I’ve been so generously welcomed. This place has a buzz to it!

DOWNTIME

I wish! I have a three-year-old son… for those of you who know… you know!

FINALLY…      

We’re going through an unprecedented time at the moment. It’s important that we support each other as we navigate the rocky path ahead. I also feel that we have a duty to hear voices that haven’t been given the platform in the past. This doesn’t mean at the expense of anyone else. Rather, that we have a genuine sense of equality across the board so no one gets left behind.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was born and brought up in the West Midlands and went to school in Walsall. I went to university and trained to be a priest in Cambridge. I was ordained in Manchester Cathedral and spent 23 years serving in four different parishes in and around Greater Manchester. Serving God means signing up for a life of surprises and the biggest of all so far was the call in 2017 to come back to the Midlands and become Dean of Birmingham.

IT’S WHAT I DO

My role is to lead the cathedral in its mission and ministry to the city and region of Birmingham. This involves ministering to and alongside our vibrant cathedral community and working with a wonderful team of staff and volunteers. I work closely with the Bishop of Birmingham, David Urquhart, and on his behalf, I chair the Diocesan Board of Education and work with them to oversee the work of our 51 schools.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

One of my great joys is seeing others flourish and achieve their dreams. In the cathedral it’s wonderful to play a part in that in so many ways – whether it’s seeing our young musicians blossom or helping someone in need get to a better place. I’d love to see our city flourish too as a place where all can feel welcomed and share in the blessings of living in an integrated, cohesive community.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I am always delighted when a team I am part of achieves its goals. Working with a very talented group of people is very exciting. I have also been proud to be part of teams which have revitalised schools and parishes.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Education is a vital part of building a fair and just society. Every moment in life is an opportunity to learn and develop and working together with others is the only way to achieve the truly worthwhile things in life.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Living in Birmingham is wonderful. The city has been transformed from the place I remember from my childhood. As a boy, my favourite thing about Birmingham was Hudson’s bookshop which I remember as a palace of delights! Gazing each day at our beautiful Burne-Jones windows in the cathedral is a gift which keeps giving.

DOWNTIME

I am happily married with a daughter and love being at home with my family. I enjoy reading, watching films, going on long walks and running. Once a year I make an annual retreat for a time of silent prayer. I always return full of life and ready for more of God’s surprises.

FINALLY…

It felt awful to have to close the cathedral this year due to the pandemic. After 104 days, Bishop David and I reopened it in the company of our friends, Archbishop Bernard Longley and Monsignor Tim Menezes from St Chad’s Cathedral. We prayed in each other’s cathedrals and gave thanks together – a small moment of hope for a better future.

 Images by Paul Ward

A holiday back in 2006 triggered Ed King’s love affair with India. “That first taxi ride from the airport,” says the Moseley-born writer. “I remember being hit by the vast similarities and yet the differences from where I grew up. I felt at home, yet alien at the same time. I was immediately fascinated and captivated.”

Perfectly summing up the strange mix was the plethora of British-inspired architecture all around – yet with dozens of monkeys hanging from the masonry. Ed also recalls: “We passed a funeral procession that was familiar in so many ways, except that the body was being carried high above people’s heads.”

In the intervening years, India has become an intricate part of Ed’s life – he has his own house in south Goa. Now he has put his experiences and interactions with the Indian people down in writing in the first of a series of five books. Snapshots of Mumbai was published last month, 73 years on to the day from India’s independence from British colonial rule. The book proves even more timely with the current moral and political focus on India’s torrid history under the British Empire.

MIGHT AND MAJESTY

Ed describes the 204-page coffee table book as “a love letter to the modern-day megacity which encapsulates the might and majesty of India while following the roots of British imperialism”. The anthology of essays and interviews from Mumbai starts with South City, a walking tour through the historical blueprint behind the sprawling metropolis.

Places Behind goes deeper under the surface of prominent areas in Mumbai, such as Dhobi Ghats – the world’s largest outdoor laundromat – and Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum where the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire was set. Modern Gods, meanwhile, explores three major driving forces behind Mumbai – religion, entertainment and trade.

Interviews sees Ed talk to people about their first-hand experiences of living and working in Mumbai. Interviewees include Saami, a street hawker in Colaba; Ashwin Merchant, deputy director of the Swiss Business Hub, and Naresh Fernandes, a prominent Mumbai-based journalist and writer, who edited Time Out Mumbai when interviewed.

PICTURE SHOWCASE

Supporting the text are a series of original images from Birmingham-based photographer Paul Ward, who won the Fashion Photographer category at the 2020 British Photography Awards. The final chapter in Snapshots of Mumbai, titled The Gallery, showcases a series of 12 photographs by Paul which have been on display as stand-alone exhibitions at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Bilston Art Gallery.

Ed, who initially worked in arts and entertainment before going into journalism and copywriting, said: “Since 2006, I have been back to India virtually every year. I am 42 years old and the Empire and India was never taught in history lessons when I was at school. It has been left to fade away as part of our forgotten history. I wrote Snapshots of Mumbai because I wanted to learn myself about the relationship between Britain and India. Something I hope to pass on in an engaging narrative surrounded by Paul’s beautiful pictures.”

The remaining books in the series will follow Britain’s involvement with India from the trade of the East India Company to the military occupation enforced by the British Crown and cover Kochi, Chennai, Kolkata and Kashmir.

We’ve all been there. Turning up for a job interview hoping to make a good impression and look the part. It’s a fact that most interviewees feel anything but confident as they prepare to face the ‘moment of truth’, even if outwardly they look ice cool and ready to go. The lack of confidence is magnified if you haven’t worked in a while or if you’ve suddenly lost what you thought was a secure job through no fault of your own by redundancy. You can multiply these fears many times over if you’re so strapped for cash that you can’t even afford to buy that outfit you need for your interview.

The good news is that help is at hand. Suited for Success is an award-winning, not-for-profit organisation that does what it says on the tin by providing job-seekers in Birmingham and the West Midlands with the clothing and styling they need to impress at their interviews. As Suited for Success has developed it has grown from much more than a free out-fitters.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The charity now provides full bespoke coaching and preparation for the jobless using a wide network of experts in different strands of business and industry who act as advisers and mentors. This expertise is particularly valuable to those who have to re-skill for new jobs with new challenges.

Suited for Success is run by managing director Patricia White, who herself decided to pursue a different path in life when she quit her journalist job after 10 years at the BBC. “I decided that I really wanted to work in the community and make a difference,” she explains. “I started off by running a food bank in Birmingham and I began to see that beyond help with food, many people needed help in getting back into work but they didn’t have the resources to do so.”

At around the same time a group of young professionals from some of Birmingham’s leading businesses had got together with the idea of giving back to the community. When they heard about Patricia’s successful foodbank project they approached her to see if they could work together to help the city’s unemployed. Patricia started Suited for Success in Ladywood in 2015 and the charity has since provided hundreds of men and women with free high-quality interview clothes, styling and interview preparation skills. Lightly worn suits and smart workwear is donated by professionals in corporate companies, law firms, banks, offices and businesses across the city.

FRONTLINE SUPPORT

The only criteria Suited for Success insists on is that those they help with clothing are currently unemployed and have confirmation of a guaranteed job interview. “All our clients are given a one-to-one appointment to receive interview coaching and are dressed and styled by our volunteers ready to give a great first impression in their job interview,” said Patricia.

Suited for Success operates with a variety of frontline support agencies that work with unemployed men and women of all ages and backgrounds who are experiencing significant personal barriers and complex issues to gaining employment. To further its mission to support unemployed people who are the furthest away from employment, the charity has developed several work strands as part of its More Than Just a Suit programme with a focus on working with the ex-forces, ex-offenders and back-to-work mums.

Patricia also facilitates training workshops supporting third sector organisations, charities and churches to set-up job clubs and employability projects in their local communities and regularly speaks at events, workshops and presentations about the work at Suited for Success and the social challenges of unemployment.

ROYAL RECOGNITION

The charity’s role in helping the city’s unemployed was recognised by the Queen in October 2019 with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. In July this year, Suited for Success was also crowned winners of the Excellence in the Third Sector in the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Awards. Patricia said: “It is lovely to win these awards but the most important aspect is that the profile they give puts us out there and brings us to the attention of more and more businesses who can help.”

Pre-lockdown Suited for Success was giving bespoke help to about 40 people every week. Patricia is expecting that number to double to nearer to 100 a week from this month as the full impact of the pandemic on jobs becomes clear. Around one-third of UK firms have reported that they will be making substantial redundancies as they get to grips with surviving through the pandemic.

The picture is mirrored in the West Midlands where Patricia said: “We have been experiencing the calm before the storm. We are having conversations with lots of businesses in the city to help support those who will be out of work. I’ve been talking with the likes of Barclays, HS2 and PWc as well as many other companies.

“We know we are going to get really busy from this month once the sticking plaster of the furlough schemes is removed. Many people who never thought they would see this kind of crisis are going to need help navigating their way through it. Together with our partners in business we will help them in every way we can to get back into work and get their life back on track.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

A born and bred Stokie, I started my working life in business in customer service. After working in Wales, I moved back to Stoke in 2005 as operations manager for Creative Partnerships Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, delivering creative learning programmes to more than 55 schools across the county. In 2009, we set up Partners in Creative Learning (PICL), where we continued to deliver the Creative Partnerships Programme. In 2012, Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme was launched and we worked with the New Vic Theatre (and others) as a consortium partner to apply for Appetite Stoke, a programme to put communities at the heart of the art in the city. Last year I was asked to cover maternity for the project director role at Appetite. I then applied for the job as director of Culture Central, starting in December 2019, and it’s been a wild ride since then.

IT’S WHAT I DO

Culture Central is a membership-based cultural sector support organisation, representing the voice of the cultural organisations and individuals, initially in Birmingham. As director my first job was to re-position the organisation, ensuring it was delivering on member priorities, understand Birmingham and how we can feed into all the other city wide priorities. Covid-19 really took the rug out from the sector however, with venues and activity stopping overnight. We set up the West Midlands Culture Response Unit to bring together people who work in all areas of arts and culture to make sure we have a voice at the regional and national level, provide support and advice and work together to share the fantastic stuff the artists and organisations in our region do, as well as inspire and provide hope to the people in our region.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My professional ambition is to see this sense of collaboration, community and connectivity stay long after life has got back to ‘normal’ and see Birmingham and the region recognise and shout loudly about the unbelievable talent we have here and that the powers-that-be truly value the contribution we make to both or economy and our quality of life. For me personally, I would like to continue to develop my leadership practice and share what I have learnt along the way, get my MBA and maybe one day be invited to do a Ted Talk.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally, it was taking on the being the director of PICL and making it a really successful and well-respected organisation outside of a big national programme. Personally, I would want to be cheesy and say my daughter because she probably is, but outside of that is the fitness journey I have embarked on over the last four years, and so far, completing a standard distance triathlon – next up marathon.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

To believe in myself a bit more.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love the eclectic nature of Birmingham, the sense of city but also green space, the breadth of things you can do on a Friday night under normal circumstances. I also love food and wine, and Birmingham is pretty epic for those things. The list of new things to try and places to go will keep me going for a lifetime,

DOWNTIME

Running and exercise is my church, along with netball, a space where the only thing that matters is that moment in time. I also love a good board game.

If, like us, you know Mohammed Ali as @AliAerosol on Twitter and have followed the shambles of Birmingham City Council removing the artwork he created in response to George Floyd’s murder, you might be surprised to learn he’s also engaged in a number of strategic roles in shaping the city’s cultural offering.

“It’s complicated,” he says, “I wear many different hats.” A trustee of BMAG, associate artist at the REP, curator of festivals, global multimedia artist and champion of engaging, enriching art, he’s a creative force to be reckoned with.

Mohammed is focused on making Birmingham world class and is excited about where the city could be heading, but accepts there are many challenges. He’s convinced that the way to boost engagement with the arts is to get out into communities and bring quality arts and culture into people’s lives. The belittling of community art and the negative connotations of ‘it’s more face painting than meaningful art’ is a stumbling block. His dilemma is how to change that perception and big-up the value of art.

NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

He explains: “I’m continuously pushing the social benefit of art. All of society does not value it. We don’t see art in a tangible form that people can engage with. It’s squeezed into the curriculum in schools and certainly when I was at school, art was seen as a subject on the fringes. We need to get out and reach people. It’s not rocket science.”

Mohammed has lived in King’s Heath for more than 30 years and uses the High Street as an example. He says: “There is nothing on the High Street that isn’t a commercial offer. If I want to stay local, what can I do? Where’s the art? Where’s the culture?”

As we come out of lockdown, which, as we know has been catastrophic certainly for theatres, we need the arts like never before. Mohammed says: “People have been through a trauma – there’s less space for congregation, no space to just come and sit together. We need to see art as fundamental. We need to re-engage, be vocal. The world has exploded and museums and theatres are breaking. This should wake us up.”

A CITY DIVIDED

Mohammed used to run an arts centre above a charity shop in Spark Brook before the council took the building away and what was remarkable was that people travelled out of their area to get there. People would thank him for giving them a reason to come to Spark Brook. He explains: “Black Lives Matter has us questioning ourselves and realising that a city like Birmingham that celebrates diversity is actually a city divided. We tend to stick to our own pockets of the city and it’s only when you go to somewhere like the Bullring you see the huge diversity of people rubbing shoulders.”

Mohammed’s I Can’t Breathe artwork was painted over by Birmingham City Council within 24 hours of it being completed despite the rest of King’s Heath’s street art remaining. The council did one of those corporate-style apologies on Twitter along the lines of, it was an honest mistake by an operative. Mohammed says: “The stink that was caused! It’s easy to say sorry when everyone’s looking. I accept the apology, but I don’t accept it was an honest mistake.

“Either someone didn’t like the sentiment and ordered it to be taken down or it was someone ignorant who doesn’t understand the situation. The council said they would investigate, but I’ve heard nothing. They are taking me for a mug that listens to corporate nonsense.” As well as repainting the artwork, Mohammed had it projected onto a building around 20 times its original size and a meeting with the council is on the cards.

Having travelled extensively working all over the world, people say to Mohammed, ‘why the hell are you still in Birmingham?’ He says: “I could be in Chicago, Melbourne, Malaysia, but I was born here, my late father is buried here and I’m really excited for my children. The city has changed in the last 10 to 15 years more than ever and I’m committed to making sure it becomes world class.”

Two days before lockdown Phil Innes was in Tenerife doing what he does best, sourcing and tasting wine. “When I returned it was chaos, no one knew what was going on,” he says. The founder of Birmingham wine merchant Loki Wine found himself thrust into the same position as thousands of other businesses: “It was sudden and confused, we had to try and work out in a completely new environment what we thought we could do – and then just see what happened!”

While nothing could replace the buzz – or the revenue – from Phil’s wine bars, lockdown did indeed throw up opportunities which moving forward the business will look to develop further. It goes without saying that online took off. Not unexpected with pretty much everything closed down, but the increase in the volume of sales was “massive” and a surprise, says Phil. “It’s an area which we definitely will pay an even greater focus on in the business moving forward,” he adds.

VIRTUAL SUCCESS

What really caught him out though was the popularity in virtual wine tasting which he floated instead of the tradition sessions which Loki runs so successfully. The virtual group started out with just under 80 couples online and within four weeks had increased to more than 250 couples. “Having 500 people in one tasting was amazing,” said Phil. “We had plenty of couples with children who would normally struggle to make wine tasting but who were able to join us online from the comfort of their own homes and relax and really enjoy the experience.”

Like many businesses, Loki furloughed staff during lockdown with only a couple remaining to work online. As we spoke Phil was starting to bring back staff in readiness of re-opening. “There is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “We’re making a couple of changes. With online being a large chunk of business now, we’re running that out of our Edgbaston operation which will open up first. Then a couple of weeks later, we’ll re-open at Great Western Arcade which will be purely a bar.

NEW REALITY

“We’re expecting people will gradually come back – they’ll be a bit nervous at first because of the virus. We will be putting in place all the necessary safety conditions, like social distancing and so on. While being fantastic, home delivery doesn’t replace shops and bars but we’ve adapted really well and it has shown us a new reality that’s great moving forward.”

Before the pandemic, the business was looking to expand to a third site and Phil says that’s still very much the plan. “We want to be a social place where people come to meet and enjoy wine,” he said. “The online side has given us a new dimension and which is really positive but I want to expand further once we have found the right location. We have several places in mind.”

Phil who developed his knowledge of wine while working for the likes of Wine Rack and Oddbins set up Loki Wine in 2012 after a chance visit to a Florence wine bar while on a break. He spotted a wine sampling machine which at the time was a rare sight in the UK and decided to introduce them as a major feature to wine lovers here in Brum. Loki Wine has since gone on to win more awards than any other merchant in the UK.

VIBRANT AND DIVERSE

He said: “ I worked my way up in one of the bleakest, dogma-dominated industries. Loki purposefully flies in the face of industry tradition by encouraging people to try, sample and discover before purchasing. I am also keen that Loki stays a young collective, which means that the wines on tasting will stay interesting, vibrant and diverse in flavour-profile and budget. All our staff love wine, and they love sharing their opinions and recommendations with the wonderful, inquisitive folk that walk in.”

Phil says that in addition to online sales and wine tastings, the lockdown has given consumers the chance to spend more time exploring different buying options away from the supermarkets and large national chain wine merchants. “In our business, and in many others, the pandemic has seen many people identify the great independents who offer a different level of choice and customer service,” he explained.

Phil is now looking forward, not back, to the new norm and the gradual return of life as we knew it. “Whatever happens, we don’t want to see business having to lockdown again,” he said. “We take a third of our income in the traditional pre-Christmas time of November and December. It would be desperate for bars and restaurants if that period was taken away from us. As it stands right now, we’re looking ahead with huge optimism from what has been a really tough time for everyone.”

From bags made entirely out of recycled material to the softest organic tees stitched in factories that guarantee a living wage, local brand Punks and Chancers seems to have captured the mood of the city where quality, ethics and independence are king. If you follow Punks and Chancers on Instagram you’ll know a lot already. If you don’t, well, where have you been? Sharing snapshots of family life, new launches, a bucketload of love for Brum and feel good collaborations, there’s much to celebrate.

Zoe describes Punks and Chancers as: “A fun bus travelling at speed strewing bold garments and accessories in its wake. It’s an imperfectly formed small team of one which I run with a DIY punk ethic that’s embedded into my daily life.”

CORPORATE ARSE

Working life hasn’t always been so feel good mind you. There was a time pre-Punks and Chancers when Zoe worked as a fashion buyer for high street stores which she describes as ‘bloody awful’. She says: “If anyone’s reading this and thinks, ‘ooh that sounds exciting’ it’s not. It’s a corporate arse.”

Zoe then set up a small interiors company making hand-stitched lighting. She was commissioned by some top interior designers and worked on incredible projects, including one on a yacht moored in Monaco. She designed collaborative ranges for Toast and Anthropologie and taught lampshade-making at the weekend. Zoe recalls: “For several years, I really loved it, but after eight years I began to find the work less enticing and I wanted a change. I’m a big believer in changing stuff up when you get the itch.”

Zoe started Punks and Chancers small to minimise risks. She explains: “It freed me up to be able to think. Financial constraints are the enemy of creativity. I wanted to use my skills in product design, sewing, fabric knowledgeable and I knew I needed to build a brand that could be embedded in my life, so that my life could cross over into my work and vice-versa.”

ECO CREDENTIALS

Company ethics have always been top of the agenda. As well as being organic and stitched in Fairwear factories, the tees are screen printed with eco-inks in Birmingham and all packaging is recyclable – zero plastic is used. Zoe says: “We don’t bang on about our sustainability as much as we should really; we think it’s just the way things should be anyway.”

Instagram has been incredibly important in getting the brand out, but not all social media has been valuable. Zoe says: “I love Instagram which I find inclusive and positive. I can’t be arsed with Facebook due to finding it the exact opposite. I have a Twitter account which I’d like to use more but honestly, there are only so many hours in the day!”

Rewarding collaborations with local charities have been among the highlights of the first two years. The No Bab tee – a collaboration with The Wilderness – raised £2,000 for SIFA Fireside which provides crucial support for the city’s homeless. A collaborative tee with local independent shopkeepers, the Hedge raised more than £1,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital as well as ongoing projects raising funds for Action for Refugees and University Hospital Birmingham.

COMING SOON

Having settled in Birmingham 13 years ago, Zoe loves how the city has developed its independent scene over the past few years and says: “As a relative newbie, I feel privileged to be a part of it and to have been embraced by it.” Zoe developed a soft spot for Brum spending most weekends here as a teen shopping vintage in the rag market and being turned away from clubs for wearing the wrong shoes and says: “To see other people realise what a beauty Birmingham is, is a thing to behold. I’m very proud of my city.”

There’s much in the pipeline to get excited about over the next few months. Zoe says: “New stuff comes all the time. When I feel it, it happens! There’s something on its way in an awesome colour for summer as well as a new yoga range due out in the next couple of months.” It’s also Punks and Chancers second birthday in the first week of July of which Zoe says: “Last year we celebrated spectacularly for a week so this year should be good. Keep your eyes on Instagram!”

Very un-rock and roll. That’s how Jonn Penney describes his life in lockdown. The frontman of Nineties’ alternative rock band, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, is known for his all-action stage performances. And – pandemic willing – he’ll be strutting his stuff again with the rest of the guys before their adoring fans in four very special anniversary live gigs later this year in November and December.

Right now, though, Jonn is doing what thousands of other parents are doing – lots of home schooling in Stourbridge with his eight and 12-year-olds, as well as carrying on with songwriting lecturing duties (online, of course) at Kidderminster College.

“Fingers crossed for our dates later in the year,” he says. “We ummed and ahhed about whether we should announce the gigs in the current climate, but then we thought, yeah let’s do it because people want something to look forward in the current climate.” And look forward to it the fans certainly are, with tickets ‘flying out’, says Jonn.

THE INGREDIENTS

The December dates, on the 4th and 5th, are at Stourbridge Town Hall, a week after the first two gigs at Dingwalls in London. The performances mark the thirtieth anniversary of The Ingredients EP, featuring the tracks Aim, Plug Me In, Grey Cell Green and Terminally Groovie.

“We’ve been trying to come back to Stourbridge since 1988,” Jonn explains. “The last time we played in Stourbridge it was very early days and at the time we still had a female backing vocalist in the band – that’s a line-up that most people never would have seen and wouldn’t even know about. The five original members haven’t been able to get back and play since then, so this is the first time the five of us are going to get back on a stage in Stourbridge since 1988, which is just amazing really.”

The Ingredients EP was released in April 1990, and Jonn describes it being “a turning point in our career. It was the point we realised we were going to have a career because up until that point, until that record was released, we had no idea really what the future might be. There could not have been much of a future, things could have ground to a halt after that.

SUCCESS

“So I suppose what sort of happened with Ingredients is that we put it out there, it did way better than we ever imagined it was going to do, and because of that success we were just out and about everywhere else, everywhere but Stourbridge. So we didn’t get the opportunity, I guess, to play the songs from that EP to a Stourbridge audience, and we never have had that opportunity, so that’ll be quite special to come back. We recorded it only a few hundred yards away from the venue. So it’s a celebration of coming full circle.”

The EP was recorded in Enville Street, down the road from Stourbridge Town Hall, in a studio called Wrekless. Jonn explains: “We’d done a previous demo there, but we were so skint when we did that that we had to paint the studios to pay for it, because we didn’t have any money to pay them!

Once recorded, the band ended up taking it to London to remix. “So, it’s kind of funny that it was sort of representative of the fact that we’ve got our roots in Stourbridge, that we’d written these songs around here, but the next step was always going to be moving away from here. We ended up going to the Greenhouse studio in London and getting it remixed.”

THE SMOKE

The two shows at Dingwalls revisit where the band played around the release of the EP. “That moment represented that point in our lives where everything took off and we went from being Stourbridge lads to taking that leap into the big bad world and the smoke,” says Jonn. But it’s the return to their roots in Stourbridge which the band is especially looking forward to.

Ticket sales reveal that the audiences will be a mix of people from across the Midands, the UK and from around the world. “There are going to be people who have been with us from the very start, so that will make it a massive nostalgia trip,” said John. “People who he saw the band performing in the local pub when we were snotty nobodies!”

The band has been touring together for the past couple of years and pride themselves on their live performances. Jonn says they’ll need only five or six rehearsals just to fine tune everything, plus he’s running and work out lots because of his high-energy stage presence. “I’m nearly 52 years of age and you have to accept that things do slow down, but I can’t stand or sit still when I perform. So I need to make sure I am fit enough to have all the stamina I need.”

POT BOILER

Jonn and the guys say they are looking forward to getting the feeling of coming home which they’ve never really had. He says: “Our adopted hometown became Wolverhampton, I guess, and the shows we used to do at the end of each touring year, at the Civil Hall at Christmas, they would represent our homecoming show. Those gigs turned into a bit of a pilgrimage for people from all over the world that we’d been to see that year flying into this country to see us on home turf.

“I want to give a little bit back to Stourbridge now as it’s my hometown, it’s the place I’ve lived for 28 years. It’s a place that has done a lot for the culture of the Black Country, it was a real proper pot boiler of artistic creation in the Nineties, and a lot of that has disappeared over time – there isn’t even an art college anymore. I want people to celebrate Stourbridge a bit.”

There’s some incredible fundraising going on in the region as well as people and organisations stepping up to the mark donating food for frontline workers and making crucial PPE. Bravo Brum!

This series of images of essential workers taken by Birmingham photographer, Kris Askey before lockdown feels very relevant. The series incorporates the breadth of NHS workers including hospital porters and volunteers as well as doctors, nurses and ambulance crew and captures the warmth.

You’re all proper heroes in our book.

Thank you so much.

You are appreciated.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I’ve just directed Upstart Crow in the West End – the stage adaptation of the sitcom – and it’s been nominated for an Olivier Award. It’s the fifth show that has been nominated for the British theatre’s ‘Oscars’ since I started to direct 10 years ago. Before that I had my own theatre company and co-wrote and performed in many original shows, touring nationally and internationally and also playing in the West End – where I also won a couple of Olivier Awards. I’ve always concentrated on comedies and have directed everyone from Sir Kenneth Branagh to Joan Rivers, worked with writers as diverse as Harold Pinter and Ben Elton and performed on stage with the likes of Glenn Close, Sir Mark Rylance, Tom Hiddleston and Dawn French.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’ve recently become artistic director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Like many Birmingham institutions, the Rep has been a pioneering presence in its field for a long time. It was the first purpose-built repertory theatre in the UK in 1913, (the old Rep on Station Street), and is actually the forerunner of both the National Theatre and the RSC. My job, alongside a brilliant staff of more than 120, is to plan and produce great new shows and revivals of classic plays, comedies and musicals in our three auditoria. We also do an amazing amount of work with schools, community groups, local artists and writers.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

I want the Rep to be seen as a truly great civic theatre – one that the people of Birmingham are proud of, giving them excellent theatre that is the epitome of a great night out. I also want the theatre to be nationally and internationally recognised as a hub of theatrical creativity. Birmingham is the nation’s second city, but can be first in so many ways – one of which is to foreground the great cultural heritage and achievements of the city and use that to inspire us to create a popular and pioneering theatrical future.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I hope it’s in the future… but so far I’ve been lucky enough to work with many talented people to make successful shows. I’ve been able to create work in different mediums as a writer, actor and director. I think the challenge of doing personal ‘firsts’ is what I love. I directed my first feature film, Mindhorn, a few years ago and I’d love to make another. I’m looking forward to working on the comedy-musical Something Rotten! as my first show at the Rep.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Always have a back up plan! So many things in our industry don’t happen, or fall apart, or are subject to unplanned events. Also, try and be straightforward.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

My mum’s a Brummie and my dad was an immigrant Irish guy; they met at the Locarno on Hurst Street in 1962. I didn’t grow up in the city but my primary school years were in Dorridge before we moved away from the area. My impression now coming back is that there is a renaissance in the air. It’s an amazing city that can show leadership for the whole UK in terms of how its diverse population can work together to create something truly unique.

DOWNTIME

Running (slowly, badly), all things Netflix, the Friday drink and – once the current lockdown crisis is over – body boarding in Cornwall.

A Facebook group has been set up to connect NHS workers with property owners willing to offer up a place to stay. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2012953175502128/about

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m James Wheeler, chief executive and curator of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I run an independent educational charity which first opened its doors in 1832. We have been welcoming the citizens of Birmingham and visitors from across the world to see our amazing collection of plants ever since.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

I’m already here – I live in a lovely house on the Calthorpe Estate in leafy Edgbaston, just a 10-minute walk from the Gardens. I have the greenest commute possible!

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

Healthy, walking keeps me fit and chases away any winter blues. I love being outdoors.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Brum is brilliant, especially if you run the Botanical Gardens as I do. You get the best of both worlds – the stunning greenery of our garden and all the excitement of the city on the doorstep. Having one of the best-loved green spaces in Birmingham with an audience of more than a million residents living right next door means we are never short of visitors.

COFFEE BREAK?

We have a great cafe on site here at the Gardens with the best view and some of the best coffee and cakes in town – I just take a wander through our beautiful Tropical Glasshouses and invite our guests to take a seat in our ‘room with a view’.

LUNCHTIME?

I’m a big fan of Loki in Edgbaston – it’s a really original and innovative business where you get to taste the best wines for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy a whole bottle. I get to go home for lunch but if I want to push the boat out, then Simpsons round the corner makes a wonderful staff canteen!

POWERWALKING?

Round our 15 acres of beautiful gardens, of course! Where else?

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

I love the old industrial buildings now coming back to life across Birmingham – they make the Jewellery Quarter one of the most atmospheric places I’ve ever been to, especially at night. You can feel history there.

AFTERWORK PINT?

The Physician in Edgbaston, botanical gin and tonic for choice.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

More green space to give the residents of all the new apartment blocks springing up across town somewhere to chill and play, especially the children, who love coming to the Botanical Gardens. There are so many post-industrial unused spaces in Birmingham just crying out to be brought back to life – a greener life!

Gary Lindsay-Moore has been going about his craft for 35 years starting long before the rise of Photoshop or the smart phone and still maintains traditional methods are best. Although Gary has photographed Birmingham over the years publishing six books featuring the city’s urban landscape, portraiture is what gets him going.

We don’t mean white background in a soulless studio sort of portraiture, but proper creative shots that reflect the subject’s personality and vibe. Gary spends time getting to know clients and goes the extra mile literally in some cases. Take the merman image (see page XX). This entailed hand making the tail that incorporated a fin piece that lit up and a six-hour round trip to a beach in Somerset to get the perfect shot.

PRESSURE

Of the pressure men are currently under thanks to the chiselled jaws and wash board stomachs in the media, Gary says: “There’s so much studio photography of men that’s hard, black and white, muscular. Not every guy is an Insta muscle toned man.” He adds: “I’m 60 this year. I’ve a dad bod, a belly, wrinkles, scars. I want my photographs to reflect real beauty.”

Inspired by the cheeky sexiness of the 1920s trend for the female ‘boudoir’ where women would pose for photographs to be sent to their other halves, Gary has launched a service called the Dudeoir Experience – do you see what he did there? Dudeoir feels like the antidote to the pressures of social media. It’s inclusive, creative, fun – a place where anything goes. Gary says: “I know from first-hand experience what it is like to be trolled on social media and called ‘fat and ugly’ by a total stranger, it can really erode your confidence.” He adds: “As an actor and mature model I have experienced what it is like on both sides of the camera. I want to break down barriers and give something that is completely individual to the client.”

TYPECAST

Gary has worked with terminally ill clients and their families capturing treasured shots. He has also donated his services free of charge to a local hospice. Gary also loves event photography, but you can bet your bottom dollar it’s not your average set of shots. He somehow discreetly gets right in the thick of it capturing the moments that matter. “You need to have your antenna out at events ready to spot people reacting.”

Film stills photography is something he loves too, but it’s particularly tricky. Gary explains: “You need to know what’s going on all the time. You have to stay out of the way, but be ready to jump in when appropriate. I love the process of watching a film being made. The amount of people involved in 30 seconds of filming is incredible.” Gary is also an extra currently playing a prisoner in BBC drama Doctors. “I’m a bit typecast and generally either play a convict or a security guard!” Keep your eyes peeled.

Gary’s motivation is to be ‘creatively satisfied’ rather to make a wad of cash, so the results are infinitely more atmospheric and pleasing than pursuing the big bucks. He sums up his approach when he says: “To not be thrilled would feel like something was missing.”

Fate. It plays a part in all our lives, but none more so than that of West Midlands mayor Andy Street. For more than 20 years from his school days, Andy was involved in voluntary work running adventure camps to Wales for underprivileged Birmingham kids. After graduating from university at Oxford, a career in social work in his home city appeared a shoe-in. Only it was that simple.

He was interviewed and then offered a job as a social worker in Brum, but Andy was informed at the eleventh hour that the authority had run out of money – they didn’t have any budget left to hire him! Frustrated, he decided to direct his talents in the commercial sector instead – he studied economics and politics at uni.

He applied for a position at the biggest name in the high street, Marks and Spencer, but they turned him down. An interview with another retail biggie, John Lewis, proved more successful and he was hired. The rest is history!

GAMBLE

Working his way up through department stores and head office, Andy became John Lewis’s managing director in 2007 and during his tenure oversaw a 50 per cent increase in sales to more than £4.4billion, a doubling in the number of stores and the growth of the company’s online sales presence. He became one of the highest profile retailers in the UK.

Then after 10 years at the company, he opted to change direction completely, quitting the business for what he readily admits was a “huge gamble” running as a candidate to become the region’s first-ever mayor. The risk paid off when he was elected by voters to lead Birmingham and the West Midlands in what is one of the most important periods of change in our modern history.

Born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, Andy was just 10 months old when his parents decided to move back to Birmingham after the briefest of times away. Andy grew up in the family homes in Northfield and then Solihull and went to Green Meadow Infants School, Langley Junior School and King Edward’s School, Edgbaston.

“My great grandparents and grandparents came from Castle Bromwich and Northfield and were traders in the city, so I have generations of Brummie blood running through me,” said Andy. “And now I live in the Cube, so I am well and truly right in the heart of the city, seeing and feeling everything that goes on.”

ALL-ACTION

Being in the thick of the action is important to Andy not just because this is a particularly exciting time in the development of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands as a centre of world-class excellence in business, education, technology, the arts and more. Regardless of your personal political persuasion, it’s hard not to be won over by the man’s sheer enthusiasm and ‘can do’ attitude.

“This is such an exciting and vibrant time for the city and region,” he said, citing the ever-growing numbers of young people choosing to move from London to work here. “When I was 18 in the early eighties, I remember clearly how people wanted to leave Birmingham,” he explained. “Now we have completely turned that around, statistically with more young achievers moving from the capital to Brum than going the other way.” The same figures show that 16,000 more young Londoners choose to come to Birmingham than opt to go and work in Manchester.

Andy says this picture promises to get even better with major infrastructure projects such as HS2 which already directly employs more than 6,000 people. In his true ‘Mr Motivator’ style, he also argues that the West Midlands could get a boost from Brexit – even though he campaigned as a Remainer during the referendum campaign. “Remainers have to accept we lost the argument and now we move on and it’s all about securing the all-important trade deals,” he says.

CHALLENGES

Andy says the biggest challenges facing decision-makers will come as a result of the region’s success. A growing population will require more and better housing and transport. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in life is to be brave and bet big. There’s no doubt in my mind that Birmingham has got its mojo back and we have to set our horizons really high.

“For 40 years we went backwards and that has been reversed. I want to see Birmingham in the list of the top international cities and I am very optimistic we can achieve this. The feedback about the city, particularly in the US but around the world too, is very positive.”

When he’s not championing all-things Birmingham, Andy likes to get up early, relax and recharge with a run along the city’s canals. “It’s my favourite part of the city, not just the bits that we all get to see and are familiar with, but also the quiet, unloved parts of the canals. They are a part of the uniqueness of the place.”

Singing is good for the soul, so the saying goes. And science certainly agrees that breaking into song helps improve our mood. The research is conclusive – singing relieves stress, is a natural anti-depressant and boosts mental alertness and well-being.

Maybe that’s why Rock Choir is so popular, with more then 350 choirs and 30,000 members. A national organisation broken down into local choirs across the country, Rock Choir was established 15 years ago by musician and singer Caroline Redman Lusher. What started with an ad in a coffee shop for singers and a group of just 70 people has expanded into a highly rewarding experience for the singers and a highly successful business.

CONTEMPORARY

Described in the media as a “community singing phenomenon that is sweeping the country” and “the world’s largest contemporary choir”, the Rock Choir bug has bitten here in Birmingham and the West Midlands, too.

Local Rock Choir leader Sonia Eyre looks after the choirs in Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Dorridge, Aldridge and Lichfield. Sonia is a classically trained singer who gained her Masters in Early Music Performance from Trinity College of Music, London. Starting at the age of six, she learned piano, violin and saxophone to grade 8 standard. She has performed vocal solos in venues such as Birmingham Symphony Hall and Notre Dame, Paris.

After gaining her Masters in London, Walsall-born Sonia started looking for work and says she saw details for a job heading Rock Choir “in my home town”. She adds: “It was too good a chance turn down and now nine years later I am blessed with doing the job that I truly love.”

UNIQUE FORMULA

The key to Rock Choir seems rather odd at first. You don’t have to be able to sing to join. Or read music. “Everyone can sing, regardless of ability or age,” said Sonia. “No matter how bad you think you might be, we can teach you to become a singer. We say that the only exception is if someone is truly tone deaf – and the number of people who are tone deaf is very, very small.”

The Rock Choir formula is unique. Singing is learned by repetition, not from reading a music score, so anyone can sing harmonies. The first Rock Choir sessions in the Midlands started with 40 people and that number had grown to just under 600. All managed and led by hard-working Sonia who brings everyone together singing everything from pop and Motown to gospel classics.

Members have experiences unlike any other choirs and with many exciting opportunities. Local members joined other Rock Choir groups and took part in the BBC Proms in the Park at London’s Hyde Park appearing with the likes of Barry Mannilow, Chrissie Hynde and Jack Savoretti.

ABBEY ROAD

Sonia said: “The great thing is, if you can talk you can sing. I remember as a child I was told I couldn’t sing in the school choir! Some people will find it harder to sing than others, but that’s only natural. The main aim of Rock Choir is to improve everyone who joins in their signing but importantly in their health and well-being, too. We do take part in concerts – we have performed at the likes of Birmingham Symphony Hall, as well as in London – but no one is pressured to take part unless they want to.”

As well as taking part in the BBC Proms in the Park, other experiences range from recording at Abbey Road to appearing on national TV and radio shows and releasing a Christmas single – Happy Xmas (War is Over). “The experiences are all part of being part of something exciting and enjoyable and forging new friendships while pursuing a passion for singing, regardless of age and ability,” said Sonia. The youngest members can join Rock Choir at 14 as long as they are accompanied by an adult. The eldest members in Sonia’s groups are in their eighties.

“Some people have been with us since day one while others are newcomers. We do have more women than men, and we would really love it for more men to come along and join us,” said Sonia. So, come on guys! After all, who doesn’t like to sing…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m Jamil Shabir, more commonly known as Jimi. I’m the founder and CEO of Bootcamp Media, a multi-award-winning digital marketing agency that specialises in results driven marketing projects that cover SEO, Social Media and Pay Per Click advertising. We also offer our clients website design and e-commerce solutions. Now in our eighth year, Bootcamp Media is based in Birmingham and Exeter and we are now expanding as a business and opening in London this summer.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

We’re based in the vibrant Jewellery Quarter and I live not far from there in Handsworth Wood. I do drive into work but I’m starting to use the bus every now and again to do my bit to reduce pollution in the city.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

It’s pretty easy as I live 10 minutes away and have a good bus route when I need to jump on public transport.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

One hundred per cent – there is nowhere else I’d rather be. I love Birmingham and everything about it. It’s an exciting time to be living and working here right now with all the exciting developments going on.

COFFEE BREAK?

I’m quite lucky being based in the Jewellery Quarter as I have a number of great coffee shops and bars nearby. I have to admit that I really like Saint Pauls House for a meeting outside my office. I also like a cheeky coffee at Tim Hortons if I’m passing through town.

LUNCHTIME?

Most lunch times you can find me grabbing a quick sandwich at Deli Heaven.

POWERWALKING?

I usually take a walk around the beautiful Jewellery Quarter and St Paul’s Square, leave my mobile in the office and just take in the sights and sounds.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

In the summer I love Moseley because of all the restaurants and bars – it has a big community feel, especially with the local farmers’ market. Birmingham Rum Festival at the Cuban Embassy was brilliant – it was held on such a hot weekend, giving it a perfect holiday vibe!

AFTERWORK PINT?

There are so many great places to hang out in Birmingham right now but if I had to choose one it would be the Gentleman and Scholar at the Hyatt with a nice whiskey.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

Isn’t Birmingham already perfect? OK seriously, I think we do need to improve public transportation around Birmingham. When the council brings in the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) we will need better access to public transport.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I graduated from Birmingham School of Music in 1991 and became a freelance tuba player working with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Big Band, British Tuba Quartet and Royal Ballet Sinfonia. I started a teaching career with Birmingham Music Service and various other Midlands music services. I went on to teach tuba at Birmingham Conservatoire for 12 years and teaching then took over my life – I became an advanced skills teacher followed by head of whole class instrumental teaching for the Music Service. I became head of the Music Service in 2018. I’m passionate about the children of Birmingham having access to the best musical opportunities.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I am in a very lucky position to meet regularly with many of our fantastic head teachers from around the city. We have 218 instrumental and vocal staff teaching 38,000 children every week and offer more than 60 ensembles/choirs for children to access completely free of charge. We aim to offer all pupils the opportunity to perform in authentic venues and work closely with Symphony Hall, Elgar Hall (University of Birmingham), Bradshaw Hall (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and other local venues. We have a fund-raising and marketing department and a lot of my time is taken up with meetings and writing bids for specific work in settings across Birmingham. We fund raise to help deliver work in lots of new areas – special schools, community outreach choirs and nursery schools with our fantastic Soundtots programme. I sit on many boards including the Cultural Education Partnership with other arts leads from around the city. We have a vibrant working group of hub partners in Birmingham – CBSO, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Quench Arts, MAC Makes Music, BCMG, Ex Cathedra and the BCU. We are also part of West Midlands Music, a collective of all 14 of the region’s Music Services and together we’re about to deliver our first major project, Big Month of Music in March. It will celebrate children’s musical achievements through region-wide events like the Big Sing at Symphony Hall and a virtual celebration called Big Play, as well as concerts and gigs locally.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

To reach an even wider population and provide music education for those who are not lucky enough to have it. One area that the Music Service is developing is inclusion and working with those who have additional needs – both children and adults.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Starting my teaching career as a brass teacher for Birmingham Music Service fresh out of college and now heading up the service under its current name, Services For Education. A personal success was performing at the Musikverein concert hall in Vienna with the CBSO under Sir Simon Rattle in the Towards the Millennium tour.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

To never expect that everyone in my team knows what I know. Therefore I should share my thoughts more and communicate clearly my vision.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Its people and communities along with the wealth of performance spaces.

DOWNTIME

Walking in the countryside with those who are close to me.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am executive director of Birmingham charity, LoveBrum which aims to support local people to help to make a positive change in their local areas. We support small, hidden gem projects that are mostly volunteer-led. Every penny we receive gets distributed – we don’t take any running costs from the fund and our lean overheads are covered by companies that support us or from grants we receive. In 2019, we provided funding and support to more than 40 Birmingham-based organisations and charities.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

We are based in the Zellig building in Digbeth, so whenever possible I cycle to work – I am lucky it’s not far!

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Birmingham is a fantastic place to live and work – it has so much going for it! It is diverse in every way, forever developing and changing, but also has a terrific amount of pride and sense of community.

COFFEE BREAK?

If I am close to home, Bloom in Kings Heath is my go-to. If I am in town, it’s Faculty in Piccadilly Arcade. If I want to hide away and work on the laptop, I love the atmosphere of the newer 200 Degrees Coffee in Lower Temple Street.

LUNCHTIME?

I tend to make all my meals at home (I am a keen cook). However, being in Digbeth, we are lucky to have so many great food options, so I always make time for a weekly treat!

POWERWALKING?

I tend to get my fresh air during my daily commute, which also takes in Cannon Hill Park, which is a great space to sit back and watch the world go by.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

I love Digbeth – it’s creative and vibrant, with a mix of cutting-edge ideas and old industry; the building scape alone never gets tiring or looks the same. I also really like Moseley and Kings Heath.

AFTERWORK PINT?

We’re totally spoilt for choice in Digbeth – we seem to be getting new bars/pubs almost weekly, so still many to try! Another firm favourite is the Good Intent in Great Western Arcade – the UK’s first not-for-profit bar. It’s a fantastic drinking spot – and LoveBrum is very fortunate to receive a percentage of the bar’s takings. Closer to home, a pint in the local or a fancy glass of wine in Grace + James in York Road, Kings Heath.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

I think Brummies notoriously play down how great the city is, but they are also so proud. As an adopted Brummie, I think it really is the best city in the UK; it had its issues as all cities do, but investment and growth is happening. We do need some improved infrastructure, but it is getting there. My biggest bugbear is possibly litter – it drives me mad and is something that everyone can do something about.

A lot has happened to Deana Uppal since we last interviewed her in 2013. Seven years ago our front covergirl entered the Big Brother house as a Miss India beauty queen with a promising acting career on the cards. Today she has featured in a number of Bollywood movies, been on more celebrity shows and directed and hosted a documentary which will soon be screened on TV.

As if that wasn’t enough, she recently set up her own charity to help nomadic tribal children in India, directed and acted in a number of music videos and was the main lead in Punjabi cinema’s first female-led film. So, there was much to talk about when we had the chance for a catch-up chat with Deana when she returned home to Brum.

“I always love coming back to my home town,” she said. “It’s amazing to see how the city is changing every time I return. I did a winter lifestyle photoshoot in Solihull with local fashion photographer Naveen Zarub. There is so much talent here in the Midlands from photography, to make-up artists and stylists.”

TORRID TIME

Deana first hit the headlines during a torrid time on Big Brother when she set a record for the number of potential evictions she faced. Her 10 weeks in the BB house was marked by jealously from other housemates who seemed to resent both her beauty and brains.

“When I was in high school I was bullied. So my tolerance level is quite high and my character is quite strong,” said Deana who came to the Midlands with her family when she was 12. She began modelling at 16 which led to two years in India being photographed for magazines, fashion and videos before returning home and entering and winning the Miss India UK competition.

Focusing on acting, she has developed her career in Bollywood and British Asian films, culminating in the lead role in Punjabi cinema’s ground-breaking first female-led film. “The movie was named Hard Kaur and I played the lead character named Seerat from a small village in India,” she said.

“The film was highlighting the issues Indian females sometimes have to go through living in India, such as harassment by men, how society looks on females that speak up and how to deal with these kind of issues. The role I played was completely different to any other I’ve played as I portrayed a very shy and quiet girl from a small Indian village, whereas usually I get categorised to play an outspoken foreigner living in India.”

CRITICS PRAISE

The film was praised by the critics, and Deana added: “As it was Punjabi cinema’s first without a male lead and the audiences liked the film, it is showing that Indian cinema is slowly progressing now and changing from the typical stereotypes.”

Deana’s directing kicked in after she studied a filmmaking course at London Film Academy two years ago. “Since then I had been searching for an interesting subject to make a film on,” she explained. “While travelling in India in a city named Rajasthan, I saw the Gadia Lohars, nomadic people travelling on carts.

“After a lot of research I found these people had an amazing history, so I filmed their community and lived with them for a whole year. It was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have ever had. I ended up being the director, the host and the producer. The film is set to release mid this year on TV and online platform.”

After spending so much time with the Gadia Lohar community Deana decided that she wanted to try to help them in any way she could. “They were known as one of the poorest communities in India, but to me they where the kindest and most welcoming,” she explained.

SOCIAL ISSUES

“I could see that they were smart and had potential but the problem was their lack off access to education. So, I decided to form a charity and raise funds to provide the adults work to support themselves and the children access to education.”

Deana’s directing includes music videos and she says: “I am really enjoying being on the other side of the camera and plan to continue to direct more. My focus is now changing more towards social issues that need attention.” Deana says she has “a few ideas in mind” for the next project which she plans to make in England.

Modelling, acting, documentary-making and charity fund-raising – we wonder if there is no end to her talents. “Well, I always have had a keen interest in investigation work,” she says. “I feel if I could re-choose my career I would have loved to have worked in the investigation department in the police force – the CID. But I know that’s just a dream now, I’ve got too many other things I want to do first!”

For anyone who shopped for wedding shoes a decade ago or more, you’ll be all too familiar with the cream satin block heel that was wheeled out as standard by bridal boutiques across the land. Thankfully current brides don’t need to suffer the same fate as the choice is vastly more varied. The likes of Jimmy Choo and Emma Hope cottoned on to the bridal market at the top end and at the other end of the price spectrum, the high street got on board. A gap in the market somewhere in between still existed, where brides hankered after a beautifully-made shoe that made them feel super special, but cost less than the dress.

Cue local shoe designer and ‘accidental businesswoman’ Rachel Simpson who, after designing for other people, launched her own collection in 2008. Rachel has been designing shoes since 2001 and worked with brands such as TopShop and Wallis on a freelance basis for seven years before going it alone, all the while making her own beautiful shoes on a leather sewing machine in her shed.

FIRST COLLECTION

When Rachel received identical briefs from three different freelance clients, it pushed her to launch her own well-thought out, well-made collection. At the time Primark had entered the scene and copycat fast fashion was on the rise. Rachel recalls: “It was a catalyst for me. I thought, no. I don’t want to do this. I make proper beautifully-made shoes. I launched in 2008 just as the recession hit and everyone said I was crazy!”

Rachel designed the first collection of her now signature original vintage shoes. She says: “I didn’t look at anything in terms of trends and just designed what I loved, inspired by the shoes of the 1920s and 30s which had a timeless elegance and were beautifully made.” Rachel took her sketches to a large trade fair in Milan to show potential factories. She trawled the aisles, talking to people until she found a factory in Spain she liked.

“We created samples in spring 2008 and launched at the National Wedding Show in October of the same year. Consumer shows were great. We did Earl’s Court, the NEC and Harrogate, meeting people, handing out flyers and running competitions in order to build a mailing list.” With 12 samples, Rachel began phoning bridal shops, setting up meetings and putting in the hard yards to get her designs to market.

CHALLENGING

The business side has been more challenging than designing. Rachel explains: “Learning to define my own role has been hard. I started designing shoes and became an accidental businesswoman. I learned things like HR, marketing and managing people as I went along. It’s all grown very organically.” She adds: “Deciding which bits to delegate was hard. At first you don’t want to delegate, then you delegate and then you spend time monitoring. As the business grows the challenges just get bigger rather than running completely smoothly.”

The team of seven is based at the brand’s King’s Norton office, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing. “We have such a lovely team now, but we’ve had to kiss a few frogs before finding the right fit. It’s taken time.” Rachel is often out of the office meeting people and selling so it’s important to have the right people back at base. “People say to me, ‘oh you shouldn’t be selling,’ but actually it works. No one is more passionate about the brand than me, so the meetings I have tend to reap the best rewards.”

REPEAT BUSINESS

The choice, as with all wedding purchases is about more than just style, it’s emotional and as well as consumer shows which still work really well, social media has been key in reaching potential and existing customers. “Instagram allows us to chat to customers and also to gauge the success of new ideas. We sneak peaked a deep forest green shoe on Instagram and it became one of our most liked posts and sold out. It also allows customers to suggest things. If enough people ask for something we’ll give it a whirl.”

Colour is one of the signatures of the collection and has evolved over the years since the first samples were created. As you’d expect, ivory and metallics feature heavily but there’s also teal, lilac and ice blue among others. Customers buy Rachel Simpson Shoes outside of the bridal arena and rather than being a one-hit wonder very few fall off the mailing list once married. “While we don’t want to split the collection into bridal and non-bridal, the collection can be worn day-to-day. We’ve just done a photo shoot focusing on day wear to highlight that.”

As for being based in Birmingham, Rachel wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m a passionate Brummie. We started out in the Custard Factory before moving to King’s Norton. Birmingham is an exciting place to have a business, it’s cool and there’s so much investment coming into the city.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I was born and bred in Birmingham (Solihull). My ambition in life from the age of 10 was always to become a chef.  I completed five years of intense classical cookery at Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies (BCFTCS, now known as UCB). My forté was Larder & Butchery (not something you’d expect a young lady to do!) I was lucky enough to work at many hotels in the city centre, working my way up to the top, cooking for the likes of the Roux Brothers and Gordon Ramsay. My career began at the Midland Hotel (now the Burlington), before working for Intercontinental Hotels Group and Lake Vyrnwy Hotel in Wales. To me personally, you can only call yourself a chef if you have been classically trained! I changed direction after 10 years, still working in hospitality to understand and explore the operational side of the industry, as a conference and events sales manager.

IT’S WHAT I DO

My mantra is: “Nothing you wear is more important than your smile.” As head of guest services at Resorts World, I have now stepped into my dream job. I am known for my enthusiastic and outgoing nature – I aim to place a smile on everyone’s face that I come into contact with. I adore my job – it’s a fabulous, happy place to work and is my second home! I am able to always be myself and truly demonstrate what true, exceptional guest service is.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

To blow away our competitors! There is nothing around the city that offers a destination with so much fun under one roof and outstanding service for our guests. It’s the place to go!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Being awarded Resorts World Birmingham’s employee of the year at our in-house Awesome Awards this year meant the world to me. My second biggest success was winning chef of the year at BCFTCS. I like to think that any job I am given, I commit 100 per cent to the task in hand. I am truly humbled that I have landed on my feet and been able to excel at being me!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

To always be myself, try and avoid being around negative people and surround myself with positivity. Manners cost nothing, I thank my parents for a my strict upbringing and guidance that nothing in life is perfect but if you work hard at whatever comes your way, you can never say you’ve failed.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love the mix of old and new, it’s a vibrant and exciting city.

DOWNTIME

Being a wife and mom to two boys, making memories is a priority as life is too short and they grow up so fast! Cooking/baking is my second passion. My eldest son rates every meal prepared out of 10 – I’m sure he’ll be a food critic in the future! I love baking for friends, family and work colleagues. Placing a smile on someone’s face from something that is homemade means everything to me – I suppose you could call me a people pleaser.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am a BBC WM presenter with my own show every Tuesday evening from 7pm to 9pm.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

I live in north Birmingham so there is a variety of public transportation that easily gets me into town. Once I have arrived it’s just a quick walk into the Mailbox to get to BBC Birmingham.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Birmingham is amazing to live and work in. It’s a large city but not too big, so it’s easy to commute into and move around in. It’s a diverse place too with nearly half the population represented by those from an ethnic minority background. We also have one of the youngest populations in the nation. There are lots of green spaces, canals and we have great food from various communities. Why wouldn’t you want to work here? Brum is where it’s at!

COFFEE BREAK?

I’m a big fan of small and independent coffee shops. There are so many to choose from in the city whether you’re having an off-site meeting or catching up with friends. 200 Degrees tops the list currently for me.

LUNCHTIME?

I’m probably just cheap but I like to cook the majority of my lunches at home first. I have been a pescetarian for more than two years now and sometimes going out for an inexpensive lunch with options can be difficult. So I’ve resulted to stashing those coins and cooking a few meals here or there. But some great places to eat include Mexican-inspired Tortilla and Caribbean restaurant Aunt Sally’s. Both have great options for those who aren’t meat-eaters.

POWERWALKING?

Sandwell Valley Country Park holds a lot of memories for me growing up. You’re surrounded by woodlands, streams, ponds and a farm. I’ve gone back there a few times just to think and be still. It’s a beautiful place.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

I love north Birmingham. There are so many green spaces. Sometimes living in a city can feel congested and these are great in allowing for a sense of escape. Completely opposite is industrial Digbeth, which I also love. There are always so many great events hosted here like TRPHSE, Caribbean vegan restaurant Earth’s Kitchen and the creative heart of the city, the Impact Hub.

AFTERWORK PINT?

There are so many to choose from… but Mellow’s bar and the Alchemist are great options.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

Currently Birmingham is going through a massive redevelopment. Areas and communities are seeing change they have never witnessed before. One of the things that Birmingham needs is better infrastructure. So many young creative people passionate about the arts believe that they have to go to the likes of London or Manchester to thrive. One of the major reasons for this is the difference in organisational structures and support. I just want other young people like myself and the next generations to continue to see themselves shine in the city that made them.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

I graduated from Oxford in 1994 and have been in education ever since. There simply isn’t a better career. Every child has their hopes and dreams as well as obstacles to overcome and to be part of that journey is very special.

IT’S WHAT I DO

My role is first and foremost an educator and guide. I recently heard Floyd Woodrow, the renowned leadership and performance coaching expert, speak at a conference and he wanted us to think about our statement of intent that draws us forward and where our internal compass is directed, because if we do not know where we are going and why we are going there we cannot possibly guide the students in our schools. He called this driving force our Super North Star and I believe that my role is to help children identify their Super North Star.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My ambition is to ensure all pupils who leave Edgbaston High School appreciate the impact that they have on others and particularly the responsibility that they have to give of their time, talents and charity to the wider community. Children should be empowered, inspired and challenged throughout their education so that they leave school fully equipped to succeed in whatever they decide to pursue.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I am not the most athletic of people, so my biggest success was completing a marathon 18 months ago. I have enjoyed running recreationally for the last 25 years but did not think that I would have the time or willpower to train for a marathon. After watching on TV Eddie Izzard run 27 marathons in 27 days I was inspired, and I set myself a goal of running one before I turned 45. On the day I ran the MK marathon the temperature peaked at 27 degrees and I literally crawled over the finish line. However, the satisfaction of completing it was immense and it was very emotional.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Our biggest critics are ourselves and the person most likely to hold you back is yourself. Believing in yourself allows others to believe in you. I posted on Instagram recently a Dr Seuss quote that I think sums up the biggest lesson I have learned: “Always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and twice as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined.”

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Having only lived in Birmingham for a short time, I know that there is still plenty to discover. Prior to starting work at Edgbaston High School, my only other encounter with Birmingham was Cadbury World and the association isn’t great as I managed to lose my three-year-old daughter in the attraction for a few heart-stopping moments. I have been surprised by the leafiness and green spaces of Birmingham and the rich heritage that is so prevalent has also been fascinating to learn about.

DOWNTIME

I still like to run and will perhaps contemplate a second marathon before I am 50 (just to see if I can run it faster). I also love walking and am looking forward to hiking some of the beautiful hills and countryside surrounding Birmingham. I always have plenty of books on the go, but more often than not end up sinking in front of the television with my family and watching shows like Killing Eve, The Capture and Strictly Come Dancing. I also love to watch cricket and am thrilled that my school is so close to Edgbaston Cricket ground.

Adam Stokes’ dream as a young lad was to have a 20-seater restaurant by the sea but as he grew older he realised that, wonderful as that idea might be, it would never pay the mortgage and the bills.

Growing up in a family that enjoyed their food and with a father that produced all the veg they could eat and more from his allotment – none of that pre-packaged supermarket nonsense – it’s not surprising that Adam wanted to make a career in the kitchen.

“Actually, the family kitchen was out of bounds to me as my dad produced good quality food while enjoying a beer and listening to music,” says Adam. Despite the lack of ‘hands-on’ action in the kitchen, his love of food took him to college for a couple of years before spending seven years learning all he could at Hambleton Hall in Leicestershire before taking a head chef role at Glenapp Castle in the Scottish lowlands.

AWARD-WINNING

Fast forward to 2020, and Adam is – with his wife Natasha – the owner of two of the Midlands finest restaurants – Adam’s and the Oyster Club in Birmingham. And not just the Midlands either! Adam’s has been named the tenth best restaurant in the world and the number one in the UK in the prestigious TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Restaurants Awards. The awards are a big thing in the restaurant world because they are decided by analysis of millions of reviews and opinions collected over a single year from travellers around the globe. Adam’s ranks in the world top 10 with premier eateries in Beijing, Paris, Thailand, Buenos Aires and Girona in Spain. Impressive. And a nice addition to the restaurant’s Michelin star which it retained in the new 2020 guide.

Adam and Natasha’s success feels like a bit of whirlwind. They launched Adam’s as a pop-up in sandwich shop in Bennetts Hill in 2013 and earned a Michelin star within six months before moving to Waterloo Street in 2016, where they have held the star ever since. The couple opened the Oyster Club earlier this year on 1 April. “We’re not superstitious types,” Adam confirmed.

FISH CHOICE

“I’ve always thought to myself that’s I love to have a fish and chip shop – nine times out of 10 when I go out to eat I will order fish,” said Adam. “With the Oyster Club we identified a gap in the market in Birmingham that no one had focussed on. Oysters are actually a small part of the offering – there’s plenty else to eat.”

With the Midlands now holding six Michelin stars – the most in the UK outside of London – and with the likes of the Ivy and the new Gino’s opening up close by, Adam says there has never been a more exciting time to be a foodie in Brum. “The food scene here is incredible,” he said. “It has changed massively just in the short time we have been here. Birmingham is such a vibrant and interesting city. We could see the potential which is why we chose to come here.”

WINE IDEA

With Adam looking after the food and Natasha concentrating on the management side, the couple have plenty of ideas to expand over the coming years. “We will continue to push and strive for more,” said Adam. “We are currently investing in wine at Adam’s. People get awkward about the cost of wine in a restaurant. They don’t understand the ins and outs of buying the wine, the tax you pay and the storage and so on.”

To give the customer long-term better value, Adam is stocking up with good quality wine now with the help of a wine advisor. “The aim is to buy the wine at today’s prices, store it and then later we can serve it to the customer at the original cost and that way pass on the saving,” he said.

Making lives beautiful is the mission of CC Kat and her team at Kat & Co Aesthetics in Edgbaston. The skin, laser and cosmetic surgery clinic on the Calthorpe Estate offers a wide range of aesthetic treatments including both surgical and non-surgical procedures. And as more women, and men, seek out the clinic’s expertise, CC has seen her business grow to become a major force in the industry – so much so that there are big plans to expand the services offered in 2020 with further state-of-the-art treatments and more specialist additions to the staff.

For many the image of the industry is coloured by the excesses of celebrity culture (big boobs, bums, lips… and so on) and sobering reality TV shows like Botched, which reveal the problems when surgery by unscrupulous practitioners goes horribly wrong.

Even CC herself says: “The industry is a exploding and very lucrative and this can invite a lot of practitioners who are not – let me chose my words carefully here – as honest about what they do.” Reputation, quality and care are the bywords of her clinic.

WELL-BEING

“My motivation and that of my team is to make a life beautiful – and that isn’t necessarily about physical beauty. Often very minor things can impact a person’s self-esteem and confidence. Something as small as removing a small mole on someone’s nose makes a huge difference to that person’s well-being and quality of life.”

Kat & Co is a real Birmingham success story located in the heart of the city’s hugely important, world-class Medical Quarter. It has been listed in Tatler’s Beauty and Cosmetic Surgery Guide – the cosmetic surgery power list –in 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Times has also listed CC as one of the top breast surgeons in the UK. “It’s nice to get the recognition,” she said, “but success for me is not measured in awards but the fact that what I do touches and improves people’s lives.”

After a number of years as a consultant specialising in breast reconstruction at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, CC took the plunge and set up her own clinic in just two rooms in Sherbourne Street in 2008 in a move that she says was ‘unusual’ at the time for being outside of London. “Within four years, the clinic needed more space and we added a unit across the road which became our first operating theatre,” said CC. A year later, an old GP’s clinic 50 yards away was added “primarily because it had a large car park and we desperately needed somewhere where our growing number of clients could park”.

BIG MOVE

In 2018, CC and her husband made the decision that they needed bigger, purpose-made premises and the deal was done to move to 20 Calthorpe Road. During all of this time, CC’s team was also expanding with the range of services and procedures being offered.

She says: I have been very lucky, I’ve had a few good breaks. I had really good training, word got out that I was a perfectionist and being a woman it was easier for women who needed help to relate to a female plastic surgeon when at the time the industry was completely dominated by men.”

The four-storey Edwardian building in Calthorpe Road houses a team of medical aesthetics practitioners, skin therapists, consultant dermatologist and consultant gynaecologist. Facilities include operating theatre, laser treatment room, skin therapy rooms, recovery areas and consultation rooms. The clinic also forms the administrative hub of the practice.

DIFFERENT NEEDS

CC provides a full range of plastic surgical treatments that includes breast surgeries, facial rejuvenation and body contouring. Her interest in breast reconstruction has led to her refinement of related procedures like breast augmentation. CC provides a full range of plastic surgical treatments that includes breast surgeries, facial rejuvenation and body contouring. Her interest in breast reconstruction has led to her refinement of related procedures like breast augmentation.

“People have different needs in different phases of their lives,” said CC “By providing the full spectrum of therapies and treatments from non-surgical to surgical we can cater to younger patients who want to keep on top of their maintenance and more mature patients who need more of a nip and tuck.”

“Our holistic approach means we can provide what is best for the patient, from basic skin care to complex surgical procedures. Our patients love to come to a place where they can see a team of dedicated professionals who work cohesively together and who are committed to being the best in their field.”

DENTAL PLANS

Plans for 2020 include launching cosmetic dental clinics, expanding the operating theatre and anaesthesia team to allow for the introduction of new, less invasive forms of sedation and additional plastic surgeons specialising in specific areas of surgery.

A well woman clinic is a further addition and CC revealed that this has been exclusively selected by ProFaM, founded by a group of clinicians to enable women to preserve fertility and provide the option to postpone naturally the menopause and its symptoms. “ProFaM is incredibly exciting, imagine being able to postpone the menopause for a number of years,” said CC.

CC says the practice’s biggest challenges moving forward are “how to maintain the success of something that is successful, continuing to have strong quality control checks in place and expanding the infrastructure as the business continues to grow”. She adds: “We have proved that quality medicine does not have to be situated in Harley Street – we have women from London, from all over the UK and from all over the world coming right here to Birmingham.”

Luke Tipping is way too modest to admit that his kitchen is where Brum’s explosion onto the world-class dining scene began. Together with owner Andreas Antona, he propelled Simpsons to its first Michelin star back in the late Nineties. Last month, the super duo celebrated retaining that precious star for an astonishing 20th year in a row when the new 2020 Michelin guide was published.

In the guide’s latest edition, Birmingham now boasts six star restaurants – the most outside of London. The chances are that you’ll be familiar with the likes of starred chef Glynn Purnell, the Yummy Brummie of Purnell’s fame, who pops up on TV pretty regularly. Glynn is just one of the great chefs who were mentored by Luke and worked in his kitchen and now run their own highly-regarded, successful restaurants.

THE PROFESSOR

The legacy of chef director Luke and Simpsons lives on in the West Midlands and beyond, with other former chefs, including Adam Bennett, Andy Waters, James Cross, Marcus Eaves and Matt Cheal to name but a few. Luke, however, plays down his impact on our food scene. “Bringing through promising young chefs is really what it is all about,” he says. “It’s very important to me that they are given the opportunity and the right avenues if they have the potential and are good enough.” This passion to develop the next generation earned Luke a professorship of culinary arts at University College Birmingham where he places the utmost importance on training and mentoring young chefs.

Growing up as a child Luke was always around food, living above restaurants where his father Ted was a chef and his mother was also in the industry. But it wasn’t until he was in his twenties that he was bitten by the cooking bug. He describes his teenage years as ‘misspent’ and eventually his frustrated father got him a placement in a kitchen which led to enrolment in Halesowen catering college.

PERFECT PARTNERS

He formed his enduring partnership with Andreas Antona after they worked together at Birmingham’s Plough and Barrow restaurant before Andreas set up Simpsons in Kenilworth. They earned their first Michelin star in 1999 before the restaurant moved to its current home in Edgbaston. Luke became chef director in 2011.

“It’s just amazing where those years have gone,” said Luke. “In our business, it’s incredible for a restaurant to have been around this long and to have progressed, and continue to progress, like this.” He added: “I’ve always enjoyed working here. Andreas is such a great guy to work for and the beauty of it is that he owns it and I just run it for him. Of course, over the years I’ve had offers to go elsewhere but I’ve never wanted to leave.

“While it is every young chef’s dream to want his own restaurant, the reality is that it can be a bloody nightmare, from the financing to stuff like having to choose what knives and forks to buy and from where. Anyone who opens a restaurant in this day and age is a brave man, or woman. And anyway, I treat Simpsons as my own because that is the sort of relationship we have here.”

STARRING ROLE

True to character, Luke doesn’t make a huge fuss about the Michelin star. “We didn’t go seeking the star,” he said. “We did what we want which is believe in quality. The star just came.” That modesty teamed with a superb talent for creating wonderful food means that Luke is hugely respected and admired by his fellow chefs. In what is an ultra-competitive, high-pressure industry, we can tell you – fact – that no one has anything but good words to say about Luke.

Always looking to explore new challenges and collaborations, it wasn’t a surprise when Simpsons won the accolade of being one of the top 50 vegan restaurants in the world by a panel of leading food experts. This followed being placed in the top 10 UK vegan eateries by animal rights organisation PETA. “We’re always looking to find new challenges, to improve, expand our horizons and offer the customer more,” said Luke.

The last couple of years have been especially memorable for Luke. This year’s 20th Michelin star was preceded last year by Simpsons celebrating its 25th anniversary. To mark that landmark, Luke teamed up with his namesake Birmingham-based clothing brand Luke 1977 in a collaboration that saw the seasonal worlds of food and fashion come together. He first came across Luke1977 when he purchased a shirt several years ago and began to use the brand’s logo as his Twitter icon. He was later introduced to the man behind the brand, Luke Roper by Roper’s cousin Matt who runs the Birmingham store.

YOUNG GUNS

Did we mention Luke’s modesty already? He’s never one to duck an issue if things don’t always go quite according to plan. He admits “we made a few mistakes” when talking about Simpsons high-publicised refurb a few years ago. “Changes to the menu and the setting didn’t go down well in some quarters so we quickly accepted it and went back. No problem,” said Luke.

Always up for trying different things, Luke has appeared as a guest on BBC’s Saturday Morning Kitchen and Yes Chef shows, but says (modestly, again!): “Sure I enjoy TV, but really I think it’s the kind of thing where they are looking for younger chefs.” Now, far be it for us to question Luke’s premise… all we would say is that at 54 he’s precisely one year older than a certain Gordon Ramsay!

Truth is, Luke is far happier flying under the radar, discovering and developing the young chefs that will carry Brum’s food scene on to even greater heights while also having time to visit vineyards and go truffle-hunting in Italy (a first!) – which is where he was heading shortly after talking to us…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m a first soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet, the UK’s premier touring classical ballet company. We perform a broad range of productions, from famous classical ballets like The Nutcracker to new innovative ballets by some of the most exciting choreographers in the world. All of our performances feature live music played by our own orchestra, the wonderful Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

Our studios are behind the Hippodrome Theatre, so easy to reach by public transport. My wife also works in the city centre so if we are on the same schedule we will drive in together. If not, we commute by train or bike.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

The migration of major businesses to Birmingham reflects the view of our city as a great place to be. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the cultural sector to life here. Since the development of Symphony Hall and the relocation of our ballet company to the city in 1990, the opportunities to engage with world-class culture have continued to grow. The recent Birmingham Weekender free arts festival highlighted how the cultural sector is thriving. Happily, 41 per cent of visitors said they were attracted by the city’s dance programme.

COFFEE BREAK?

Medicine Bakery, New Street has great coffee and even better freshly baked goods. With an ever-changing line-up of cronuts and cruffins there is always something delectable – and Instagram worthy!

LUNCHTIME?

Quarter Horse Coffee is just around the corner from our studios and is part of a row of great little shops on this re-developed stretch of Bristol Road. A special mention to the Hippodrome Theatre’s own backstage canteen which provides quality food.

POWERWALKING?

The Museum and Art Gallery in Victoria Square is an oasis of calm in the city. It’s really convenient just to dip in during a lunch break and re-charge the batteries. The ever-changing line-up of exhibitions means that there is always something to explore. I went to the exhibition celebrating 50 years of Black Sabbath several times…

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

There’s nowhere I’d rather be on a Saturday afternoon than at Villa Park with 40,000 or so of my closest friends!

AFTERWORK PINT?

Cherry Red’s in John Bright Street is cosy, independent and friendly and does great food – pancakes are a particular favourite. The Red Lion, Warstone Lane is not only a great boozer for watching live football on TV, but is also in the Sunday Times’ list for the UK’s best Sunday roasts.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

Improved cycle lanes! The network is far from comprehensive. If people could feel safer cycling then more commuters would leave their cars at home, improving congestion and air quality in our city.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Four years ago my family and I moved from West Yorkshire to pioneer and lead Cedar Church, Birmingham, where I currently minister in the visionary role of Senior Pastor. Prior to this, I was fully employed by Huddersfield Christian Fellowship as creative co-ordinator and as well as aiding the usual ‘hatch, match and dispatch’ – births, weddings and funerals – activities, I served as a trustee and elder.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I act as a bridge between where people are and where they need to go, helping them to make the necessary connections beyond themselves and with others. This year we have been asked by the West Midlands’ Mayor’s Office to arrange a community sing over this seasonal period. We have put new words to Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory and recorded an up-tempo version entitled Christmas Hope And Glory. We hope it will bring people together from all walks to celebrate this special time.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE

My greatest satisfaction has always been connected to others so my deepest ambition is to enable and see people, myself included, discover the reason why they were born and reach their full potential. Church is the perfect place for that to happen. My dad was killed two days before Christmas in the year a horrific regime ended in the country of my birth. Years later, I was invited to a film night at a local church and I made peace with that tragedy when I wholeheartedly embraced the unconditional love of my Heavenly Father. Church is where I met my beautiful wife, raised my family and met all my closest friends. My dream is that Cedar Church will grow in divine purpose to meet the deepest needs in our society. I long for one of my songs to add real value to the soundtrack of our world. Perhaps even have Kanye West’s Sunday Service Collective do a rendition of one of them. I also have a secret desire to one day swim with dolphins!

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I remember once getting eight per cent in an A-Level mathematics exam! After making a lifestyle change that involved 5am starts, I ended up with the best maths results in the entire school (second best in the whole country). This led to a scholarship studying architecture at Huddersfield University, where a talented young lady was also destined to study music. Next year my wife and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage and our two girls are now 18 and 16. They are people I am most fond and proud of and we have shared an incredible journey.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

People are your greatest source of joy, and pain, so understanding and maintaining good relationships is a major key to success in life. True wealth is found in genuine friendships.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The views of the city from the top terraces of Birmingham Library are wonderful but my favourite place is the Birmingham Botanical Gardens where we have made so many memories, including a life celebration for my late mother, Catherine. I love the youthful, vibrant cultural and economic scene in Birmingham.

DOWNTIME

I want to get back into watching lots of films, as I used to BC (Before Children). Every now and then I like the idea of being able to turn my phone off to temporarily escape to other worlds.

Making people laugh for 25 years sounds like a business we’d all love to be in. And for sure, running the Glee Club has had plenty of highs for founder and CEO, Mark Tughan. But it’s also had some tough times. Pardon the pun, but comedy can be a funny business.

Mark set up Glee Club in Birmingham after taking “the massive gamble” to quit his city of London investment banking job to strike out as an entrepreneur with a mission to deliver stand-up comedy to ‘the regions’. As a ‘massive fan’ of the Comedy Store, he believed there was a gap in the market for transferring the blueprint outside the capital.

He says he was warned by plenty of people that the comedy club format just wouldn’t work in places like Birmingham. “I thought that thinking was a myth,” he recalls. And as Glee celebrates its 25th birthday, Mark was proved right.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Birmingham Glee opened in 1994, with Cardiff following in 2001, Oxford and Nottingham in 2010 and Glasgow in February this year. (A sixth Glee Club is on the cards before too long in an as-yet undefined location.) The dates prove the progression in the business has been steady and carefully planned. As Mark says there are no prizes for going at it with all guns blazing, only to be firing a load of blanks.

“There is no doubt about it, there was a bit of luck involved in the Glee’s success along the way,” he adds. “We were definitely in the right place at the right time – in the late 90s the comedy circuit had really come about and developed, and today there now seems to be an incredible appetite to see comics live.”

FAMOUS NAMES

Since becoming the UK’s first dedicated comedy club outside of London, Glee has hosted acts including Jack Whitehall, Jack Dee, Jimmy Carr, Katherine Ryan and Sarah Millican. Comedians who cut their teeth at Glee include Peter Kay and Lee Mack. The Birmingham venue has also played an invaluable role in supporting Midlands comics such as Joe Lycett, and Guz Khan.

Over the years, Glee has widened its brief to be as inclusive as possible of all genres of comedy and added live music to the mix. It has also played a growing role in comedy and music festivals in Birmingham and at its other venues.

Mark likes to describe the history of the business as ‘The Four Epochs of the Glee’. “The first was the pioneer years and learning on the job,” he explains. “The business was far from an instant success. It took years for Birmingham to get going.” The second epoch Mark labels ‘The Jongleurs Years’ when fierce competition from the rival chain drove him to “sit round for 10 years and think ‘that’s it!’” When Jongleurs collapsed in 2009, Mark picked up their clubs in Nottingham and Oxford.

SKY BATTLE

Epoch three involved six years of litigation with Rupert Murdoch over Sky’s hugely successful Glee TV show. “The final fourth epoch was when we won the litigation and we opened the Glee Club in Glasgow this year,” said Mark. “It all feels a bit like the tortoise and the hare – it has ‘only’ taken 25 years to become the leading brand in the medium-size comedy market!” Mark is always on the look-out to keep Glee fresh, which is why he is involved with Birmingham Comedy Festival and its Breaking Talent Award and why he travels around the country and buys a ticket to see ‘some hot comedian I’ve been tipped off about’. And if there’s any rough, undiscovered comedian out there in the general public, Glee also gives them a shot at its Friday night ‘open mic’ slot. “We have a six-month waiting list,” said Mark.

GLEE FOR LIFE, MATE

He added: “I don’t know where the 25 years have gone. I’m just delighted I have made so many people laugh over the years, and hopefully, in my small way, made a contribution to both the local entertainment scene as well as the live comedy and music businesses”.

We’ll leave the last word on Glee to Guz Khan who said: “Just two years ago, Joe Lycett and the gang at the Glee Club in Birmingham invited me in to perform at a comedy club for the first time. I have now learned that I was lucky enough to start at the very best comedy club in the land. All other comedy clubs can suck their mums as far as I’m concerned. Glee Club Brum Town for life mate!”

Picture credit IDIL SUKAN

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

Where to begin! The Jonathan Ross Show, Loose Women, the Late Late Show, Top Gear, the Graham Norton Show, Celebrity the Island – Bear Grylls. The Kardashians Made Me Do It has been a sell-out success in the UK, US, Sweden, Ireland and Paris and completed three sell-out runs at London’s Soho Theatre with the tour being extended for six months. I have toured all over the world and also met the Queen three times!

IT’S WHAT I DO

My role is to make people laugh, to convey my thoughts, opinions and feelings about whatever I like. Mainly I talk about things I feel strongly about, that anger me, confuse me or irritate me. I have to feel something about what I’m saying otherwise I can’t say it and make it funny. The attitude is more important than the material. You make anything funny if you have a great attitude behind the material.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

I always have ambition. I feel that I need to be doing things, changing things, be aware of things, learn new things and put a stop to other things. I always want my comedy to develop and I want to write better and better jokes about things that you probably can’t joke about in real life. I would like to work with Quentin Tarantino and Larry David, would like a Netflix Special and do some movies, get my sitcom made and write loads more stuff. Also I’d like to be in a Bond film.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Doing a UK tour with nine points on my licence! I had to drive from venue to venue, the slowest I’ve ever driven in my life because this was my last chance before getting banged up. Every time I saw a camera I’d be driving at 10mph. I’m sure other drivers thought I was drunk because the only people who drive that slowly are drunk people or my mum.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Never listen to anyone. They are all wrong. What do they know anyway? In your work, always say what you want to say. Don’t be dictated to by the audience, critics, your friends or colleagues. Everyone will try and sway you, thinking they know what you need to say, but only you know what you need to say and, if you don’t, then you need to take some time away and find out who you really are.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The people. Get on a bus – the number 50 ¬– and listen to people’s conversations. I can get hours of material from a ride just from the Maypole to the city centre. Once I heard one woman tell her friend how she was planning on ‘getting rid’ of her husband to get her hands on his life insurance. Everyone on the top deck heard it but they went all British and pretended to read their papers. I thought it was hilarious and wrote it down straight away.

DOWNTIME?

I travel a lot and always explore wherever I am. If there is water, I swim in it. I can swim for hours – it’s the only place where no one can get you…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am co-proprietor of Nailcote Hall Hotel, a four-star country house hotel with 49 bedrooms, picturesque views, a championship Par 3 golf course, leisure club and fine dining restaurant. Last month I released my first solo single named Survive for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have survived breast cancer twice and I hope this song will inspire and give hope and encouragement to people who are fighting breast cancer or any type of life-threatening problem.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

When I come into the city centre to meet clients, it’s usually by train from Solihull. It’s a pretty good service straight into Moor Street or Snow Hill stations

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

The city and the region as a whole are full of people who want to support one another. There are several really good networking groups for business people – I believe that introduction and word of mouth recommendations from people you trust is a great way to conduct business.

COFFEE BREAK?

I enjoy meeting clients at Caffe Concerto in Grand Central Station – the coffee is lovely and the cakes are delicious!

LUNCHTIME?

I tend to eat on the go, but if in the city with friends or clients I like to go somewhere unusual. I recently visited Chaophraya Thai restaurant near the Bullring, which I can recommend.

POWERWALKING?

The music video for Survive was filmed at Nailcote Hall on our beautiful Cromwell Course which is a wonderful walk. In the city itself, I like to walk in the area around St Philip’s Cathedral.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

I can often be seen in the Bullring or market looking around the stalls for fabric for my hobby of dressmaking. My favourite stores are Fancy Silks and Barry’s Fabrics. I also love the wonderful shopping areas in the city – Grand Central shops, the Mailbox and of course the Bullring. These are all great meeting points for my friends to enjoy whenever we have a girlie shopping trip.

AFTERWORK DRINK?

Although I am a hotelier, I am completely teetotal, so I am happy with a glass of still mineral water or, if I am being extravagant, a mocktail in Harvey Nichols bar and brasserie

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

I wish the road systems were more user-friendly. Only a couple of days ago I attempted to visit the city in my car to get to BBC Radio WM. I was completely confused by a one-way diversion, so much so that I had to park my car on a meter and jump in a taxi due to the lateness the traffic had caused me. After this experience, I am definitely going to keep to using the train!

The intensity of two shows a day at Edinburgh Festival may have been taking its toll when we chatted to Rob Kemp, but despite a cold (absolutely not man flu because it’s 2019 and we’re not going there) he was as chipper as ever.

Edinburgh 2017 is the place Rob credits with his ‘big hurricane’ where comedy horror musical, the Elvis Dead – a retelling of cult horror movie Evil Dead II in the style of Elvis Presley – was one of the hits of the festival. Rave reviews, a best newcomer nomination and a bucket load of opportunities followed.

MOONRAKER 2

The following year, not so great. Wheel of Shows in 2018 didn’t connect with audiences in the same way and Rob says he felt ‘the pressure and fear of failure’. He explains: “I didn’t know what people expected. I wasn’t happy writing it or doing it.” This year, he wilfully wrote a show that was ‘silly and just had a lot of fun’.

Cue Moonraker 2 which focuses on that ‘thin veil between sleep and awake, where your mind wanders unimpeded’. It’s a collection of those thoughts including some stuff on Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte and a song full of penis synonyms about the Icelandic Phallological Society. Standard.

At the time of writing, we’re not sure if we’ll see this or an entirely different show at Birmingham Comedy Festival, but there’ll be belly laughs for sure. Rob tries to avoid reviews. He says: “You get good reviews and then just one off-colour one can throw your whole day out. Then there’s a temptation to change the show. No, I don’t bother.”

NOODLING AWAY

Rob’s route into comedy came via Birmingham’s electro rock scene and exam invigilation quite randomly. The camaraderie of being in a band ‘jumping the van’ was enjoyable. Rob recalls: “Everyone’s noodling away in a practice room. It was a lot of fun, but they weren’t my gang. It wasn’t my home.”

When the drummer took time out for ‘nefarious reasons’ and Rob started to struggle financially he began invigilating exams. “It’s an important job, but it’s not thrilling. While I was there, the exam officer suffered a mental breakdown which was lucky for me. I stepped into the role. She’s alright now.”

Despite always being a fan of jokes, Rob says he really wasn’t the funny kid at school. “I had a severe side parting, thick glasses and looked like a bank manager, yet friends say now, ‘I always knew you were funny’ and aren’t surprised by my career choice.” The decision to go into stand-up came when Rob thought up a joke he’d never heard before and turned it into an eight-page Word document.

He recalls: “I thought ‘why am I doing this?’ so I went along to an open mic night. I just didn’t want to be an old man with regrets.” Rob says there’s an element of ego and kudos associated with the stand-up scene and that it’s easy to forget it’s all just silliness really.

“When you die on your arse it doesn’t feel like that, but really the worse thing that can happen is they might forget who you are or never come again. I obviously want approval. Hug your kids or they’ll end up like me!” He adds: “Mum, don’t worry, you hugged me enough.”

Speaking of family, the performing gene perhaps came from Rob’s dad who was into amateur dramatics. “He’s a grand presence at 6ft 3in with a deep booming voice and always smiling, so there was no surprise I ended up performing. My mum’s a bit quieter, more contemplative.”

GUESSING GAME

Rob’s fond of Birmingham and recalls many a night at Foundry and Excel. “I’m proud of it and I love how it’s changed. The comedy scene’s not as big as in other cities, but it’s a really nice place to be.” He’s excited to be heading back for Birmingham Comedy Festival this month even if he’s keeping us guessing with the content. “The blurb I’ve written is vague. Am I going to be doing Moonraker or have I got time to do something else? I’ll do my best.”

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am the founder and CEO of the Glee Clubs, five venues hosting live comedy, music, cabaret and spoken word events. Prior to this I was an investment banker and would regularly visit venues like the Comedy Store and travel to the Edinburgh Fringe. The initial plan was to give myself five years to see if I could make it as an entrepreneur.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

It’s the train today as I’m raising a glass or two at the Glee’s 25th birthday show. Our offices are in Southside and my usual morning is the school run and into the office by eight. Sadly, it’s usually a car, all along the Bristol Road from Rubery to Southside.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

It’s not bad actually as I have the company of an eight-year-old and a seven-year-old most of the way! The way home is ok too, as I frequently stop at the Edgbaston Priory Club for a game of squash after work.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Brum and the Glee saved me from a life where I could have ended up spending 30 years in high finance. That could have been rewarding in one sense but not in a meaningful sense. I love it here, Birmingham, it’s people, but especially its sense of humour. Everyone has always been kind to me and my staff.

COFFEE BREAK?

Quarter Horse Coffee for a break and meetings when I want to get out of the office.

LUNCHTIME?

Sometimes I bring my own, other times a toastie in EAT. We’re all big Café Soya fans at the Glee, so that’s our go to choice for a working lunch. We’ve also been known to do a breakfast run to Wetherspoons on a Friday!

POWERWALKING?

It’s not for me. I try and play squash three times a week and no matter how bad a day I’ve had, hitting that court does tune me out of work, albeit for 45 minutes or so. If there’s time I’ll sit in a sauna afterwards, I’ve done some of my best thinking at high temperatures!

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

Got to be Southside. It’s evolved so much over 25 years, but in a good way. I do like Digbeth and the whole dining club vibe there.

AFTERWORK PINT?

Recently we’ve done the Distillery and also Digbeth’s Old Crown.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

It would be great if it was more joined up with an enlarged tram system, connecting the various hubs of activity and even extending out to the closer suburbs. Many more EV charging points would encourage EV use. I think the Smithfield revamp could be transformational to Birmingham, but it needs to have plenty of green space built into it.

The kitchen business is a crowded place. With more homeowners than ever deciding to improve rather than move, leading market research published earlier this year showed the industry is worth a staggering £3billion with sales predicted to rise by more than £50million in 2019 in what is generally accepted as a ‘slow’ year due to UK economic uncertainty. To succeed in a market this competitive a company has to have the right strategy, products and service.

Step forward brothers Gareth and Max Davies. The directors of Classic Interiors have built the company into a real force on the local kitchen scene with showrooms in Redditch, Solihull, Worcester and most recently a sharp, modern flagship opened in Edgbaston, with plans to expand further into the Warwick and Leamington Spa area in future.

PUSHING FORWARD

Classic was established in 1987 by the brothers’ father as a very small kitchen replacement service called Classic Kitchens based in Lakeside, Redditch. It was mostly about supplying replacement doors and units. Gareth joined the business 17 years ago straight out of university and Max gave up his solicitor’s job to hop on board in 2012.

Together they have really pushed the company on in recent years – and their success can be seen by the number of top industry awards Classic and its 25-strong team have won. The most recent was a double triumph being named Kitchen Retailer of the Year at the prestigious national BKU Awards in London as well as being honoured in the Best Customer Service category. They have also been nominated as Showroom of the Year for their new Edgbaston centre at this month’s elite Designer Kitchen magazine awards. And Kirstie Smith has also been nominated for the KBSA’s Young Designer of the Year

STYLE STATEMENT

Max said: “I know it’s a bit of a cliché but the kitchen is the heart of a home and that’s true more than ever. It’s the hub. It always has been, but now there is a realisation with people about how much time they really spend in this one room in the home. So, the demand to have a kitchen that reflects your lifestyle and how you want to use the room is greater than ever.”

Classic has two clear parts to the business, both targeted at the quality end of the market. “We sell modern, cutting edge German kitchens because the demand for this product is so big,” explained Max. “And we also concentrate on traditional top quality British-made kitchens.” Locally-made is important and the company has had a close relationship for many years with elite kitchen manufacturers Mereway which has a large factory in Birmingham.

This strategy of choosing the right products for the market and then delivering excellent service has seen Classic come through tough economic times where others have failed. “The kitchen business is a crowded space,” said Max.

STAYING POWER

“Lots of people set up and are around for a short time but then fall away when the economic climate dips. We’ve been through three recessions now and come through each time. We believe that’s because of what we offer and the service we give.”

The new Birmingham showroom at Harborne Road has proved to be everything Max and Gareth hoped. “The feedback has been incredibly positive,” said Max. “We believed in taking our time to find the exact right place the new showroom – it took us three years to find the site. We will follow the same strategy with our plans for another showroom in Warwickshire, either around Warwick or Leamington Spa. These decisions are vital to get right.”

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

I started my career straight out of university as an administrator with Women and Theatre in Highgate, Birmingham. I worked with three incredibly talented women there – Janice Connolly, Polly Wright and Jo Broadwood and this gave me the foundations of my work to date. From there, I was freelance for a long time working in London and Birmingham for organisations including Queerfest (the precursor for Fierce Festival), Moving Hands Theatre Company, Warwick Arts Centre, world renowned dancer Nahid Siddiqui, Town Hall Symphony Hall and ACE Dance and Music.

IT’S WHAT I DO

Alongside my day job of executive director of SAMPAD South Asian Arts, I’m the producer of BEDLAM Arts and Mental Health Festival for Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust. I pull the programme together with our partners and make sure the festival is on course and on budget with my very small team! At a time when awareness of mental health is increasing, BEDLAM is one of a handful of festivals focussing on creativity and mental health and we are fortunate to have the support of the Arts Council, those have who have mental health experiences and a range of partners.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

I’m doing some very exciting work both as part of my day job at SAMPAD, where I’ve produced the new BEDLAM theatre commission for this year’s festival, No Bond So Strong, by local playwright Olivia Winteringham and at BEDLAM itself. I’d love to see BEDLAM continue to become established as a leader in this area, both regionally and nationally, increasing awareness of mental health issues and reducing stigma.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I’m very proud to have done lots of learning as an adult. Learning to swim and learning to play piano, both of which I love. Professionally, I’m delighted to continue to work on festivals as I enjoy the momentum and teamwork involved. From co-ordinating Birmingham Artsfest for a number of years, producing the outdoor spectacular Bollywood Steps (part of the Town Hall’s 175th celebrations), to ArtSoak, a very small arts festival in Selly Oak and BEDLAM.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

I’d allow myself more lead-in times for festivals or projects to secure funding and artists. However, it’s not always possible and I’ve learnt that it will come together. After many years of working in Birmingham I know if I come across something that I need to call on help or support for – I’ll find someone who knows someone who can do it.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

My favourite thing about Birmingham is the collaborative nature of the industry I’m in. I’ve found that large organisations, small companies and independent creatives work well together and are generally supportive of initiatives such as BEDLAM. There is such diverse talent in Birmingham and I’m very proud of that.

DOWNTIME?

Right now, I’m working my way through Derry Girls and Stranger Things 3! After BEDLAM I plan to get back to improving my piano playing.

The art world can be a challenging and daunting place for us mere mortals. Our experience is likely limited to visiting some of the best-known galleries and looking at works by great masters, while trying to give the impression that we actually know something about the subject!

Apologies if we have insulted your knowledge here, no slight intended. But even experts who ‘know their stuff’ – such as Ian Weatherby-Blythe – admit art people can act in a way that is “pretentious and superior”. Ian is committed to changing all that. And he’s been very successful at it through Castle Fine Art, the Birmingham-based business he founded more than 24 years ago.

Since its launch in 1995, the company has experienced rapid growth, developing from one outlet in Stratford-upon-Avon to a nationwide network of 40 galleries with avid collectors all over the world. What makes Castle Fine Art unique is Ian’s ethos to open up great art to everyone, whether with a small spending budget or a larger one.

AFFORDABLE

Founder and managing director Ian said: “Before Castle opened, I felt there was nowhere that ordinary people could get access to great art – so often confined to the homes of private collectors, never to be enjoyed by the public. So I decided to open an art gallery that delivered quality art works at affordable prices. Our aim is to give everyone the opportunity to own beautiful art – and over the last 24 years we have succeeded in bringing the art world’s contemporary talents to the high street.” These include works by some famous names who you might not readily associate at first with art – such as Bob Dylan, Billy Connolly and Ronnie Wood.

“Contemporary art means to me, living artists,” said Ian. “All of our editions are hand signed by the artists. Branded art is massive. People like Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood and Marvel attract people to a gallery who probably wouldn’t otherwise go in. We have also worked incredibly hard to ensure that we make all our galleries warm, welcoming, friendly places that you want to be in. We spend a lot of time so that our staff are trained to be expert.

OPPORTUNITIES

“Our presence in shopping centres and malls is very important so people get the chance to come in an browse, even if they then choose to buy from us online. Because the high street has been struggling in general over the past couple of years, we have had an opportunity to take advantage of that.”

The business has seen growth of more than 10 per cent in the last 12 months, with more than 300 people now working for it at the 40 galleries spread across the UK – from Glasgow to Brighton and Norwich to Cardiff – and boasting the very smart, chic new flagship gallery opened recently in the Mailbox by Birmingham’s Lord Mayor. Castle is also at the forefront of the online art market with on-going, significant growth in traffic to its website.

Ian is keen to keep the business expanding moving forward but says: “Depending on Brexit and how that works out. We buy in US dollars and every time the pound takes a pummelling that effects what we do.”

WINNING TEAM

Intrinsic to the business is Washington Green fine art publishers who Ian teamed up with 15 years ago to source the art needed for his galleries. The successful relationship led to Castle and Washington Green merging with Ian heading both.

Ian said: “First and foremost, I am a retailer and I want to make art accessible to all. Art can be so pretentious, but actually good art is just what you like as an individual. Opening up art to people has meant bringing our galleries to places where they shop. No one did art on the high street, other than the John Lewis-type of thing, before we did it.

“Our art starts from a couple of hundred pounds and can go up to a couple of hundred thousand if that’s what you want. Most importantly, you get the same level of service and care whatever you spend.”

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

I moved to Birmingham from Rugby almost 10 years ago for university. It wasn’t until I took part in the UpRising Leadership programme that I fell in love with the place. The programme teaches potential young leaders how to develop the skills to transform communities for the better. I was introduced to the Chamber of Commerce and in three years I went from being a part-time intern to director of policy & strategic relationships. In September 2018, I was appointed to the GBCC Board as an executive director. This year I was listed as one of Birmingham Live’s Brum 30 Under 30.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I try and make Greater Birmingham the best possible place to do business. With my team, I find out challenges facing businesses and help them overcome them – through briefing on how to get their business ready for policy changes (from IR35 to Brexit) or lobbying stakeholders on their behalf. We also help connect businesses to opportunities through major projects such as HS2 or Commonwealth Games and help spread best practice on everything from leadership and people management to business resilience. We also do a lot of research on what the business community think about the local economy or changes on the horizon. It’s spectacularly diverse and I love it – it’s like having a finger on the pulse of the city.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

I can really see the value in better connecting businesses and stakeholders and in helping businesses inspire and inform each other through sharing best practice. As a not-for-profit, at the Chamber we look for innovative ways to fund a lot of our campaign work. We’ve recently developed Insight & Intelligence services (commercial research and communications packages for businesses and the public sector). I’m aiming to keep growing this commercial activity so that we can keep growing our support for businesses.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

I was desperately shy growing up. Going to a networking event and talking to strangers would have literally been torture for me right up to my early 20s. I am genuinely proud of how my confidence has grown over the years.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Getting over-excited about the potential of a project and forgetting that I’ve got to put the same care into looking after myself too. Something I’m pleased to say I’ve got (am getting) a whole lot better at!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

Where else can you take in a Black Sabbath exhibition down the hall from the Staffordshire Hoard, eat far too much at Colmore Food festival and learn salsa at the Latin American festival all in one weekend? It’s a complicated, occasionally confusing to navigate, fun, colourful, sprawling beauty of a place packed full of delicious food, hidden gems and lovely welcoming people.

DOWNTIME?

I love to travel – so far I’ve visited more than 30 countries (so only 160-odd to go…). Columbia and Cuba have been the standouts. I enjoy hiking with my partner in the Peak District, Clent Hills and Malvern Hills and cooking. I’ve also got very into podcasts lately.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I present the Sunday Breakfast show at BBC WM. I’m also a part-time lecturer at Staffordshire University and chairman of Birmingham Press Club. I’ve worked in journalism for nearly 40 years, most of it in TV, and feel very lucky to have had so much fun. I live in Kings Heath with my daughter Jess, and my grandson George. My other three children are nearby, so my home life is far from secluded!

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

On a Sunday, my day begins with a 4.30am alarm call. I am at the Mailbox by 6am for a pre-programme chat with my producer. I drive in along blissfully empty Bristol Road and the centre is like a ghost town. On the days I’m teaching I get the train from Yardley Wood and then on to Stoke-on-Trent via Grand Central.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

In the summer, the drive to the BBC is problem-free. In winter, what should be a 15-minute journey needs planning with military precision. On one occasion, I got hit by another car in a blizzard, dug the wheels out and still made it live for the 7 o’clock pips.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

The difference in Birmingham since I first arrived to work at ITV Central in 1989 is remarkable. There was very little to do outside the office, and a lunchtime trip to the shops meant just popping to Rackhams. Now it’s buzzing.

COFFEE BREAK?

At work it’s chat over a Costa with producer Alex. When I get together with the Press Club team, we’re partial to Hotel du Vin. I like the Java Lounge in Moseley and often use the Mac Centre in Cannon Hill for meetings.

LUNCHTIME?

If I meet people for lunch to discuss Press Club matters, first it’s Bank in Brindleyplace or Bistro Pierre in Gas Street. I’ll often meet my boys at their Digbeth office where Baked in Brick is a favourite lunchtime venue. My son Jack founded Digbeth Dining Club and now my other son Harry works with him, so they know all the hidden culinary gems!

POWERWALKING?

A brisk hike with the dogs or, depending on my mood, a saunter through one of the nearby parks. The thought of a gym fills me with dread, which can be attributed to my one and only go at running. I completed the London Marathon in 2011 and vowed I’d never wear lycra again!

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

The centre of Birmingham is always worth a walkabout. From the Council House, along Colmore Row and into St Philip’s Square. If you have time, take a moment inside the cathedral and just gaze at the decor.

AND HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER?

Birmingham, my adopted city, is wonderful and the regeneration has made it a place I’m fiercely proud of. My only moan is the need for all-night transport. At the moment getting out of the town centre means a costly taxi ride…

If you’re into your cars, the name Westfield will need no introduction. The company based in Kingswinford has been making specialist sports cars since 1982 – either as complete vehicles or ‘kits’ that buyers can build up themselves.

What will come as a surprise to most is that Westfield is also the UK’s leading provider of autonomous vehicles – cars, or rather PODs – that drive themselves. Looking at the company’s high performance, traditional sports cars and then its rounded, sci-fi-looking PODs, it’s hard to conceive that they are part of the same business. But thanks to the company’s vision of catering for the traditional driving enthusiast while developing into cutting edge transport solutions for now and the future, Westfield Technology Group is proving hugely successful.

MIDLANDS POWERHOUSE

What’s more, the success is truly home-grown, with 86 per cent of the supply chain located in the Midlands, rising to 99 per cent in the UK. “Being clearly British, and especially from the heart of the traditional motor manufacturing region that is the Midlands, is extremely important to us,” said CEO Julian Turner. “As we have grown and developed, we have worked extremely hard to bring all the people with us from the car side of the business. So they have grown and developed with us.”

The POD was first developed eight years ago in conjunction with Heathrow Airport and has completed more than five million kilometres in the live commercial environment serving Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 POD Parking. PODs have featured on national TV news when trials were successfully run on a 3.4km route around London’s Greenwich Peninsular using advanced sensors and state-of-the-art autonomy software to detect and avoid obstacles as they picked up and dropped off passengers at designated stops.

GLOBAL REACH

PODs are also in use in Birmingham, Manchester, the Lake District National Park, West of England University and across the world in Australia, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Dubai. There are also plans to run vehicles in China and Taiwan. The rate of growth meant that last year the company split its business under the Westfield Technology Group umbrella into Westfield Sportscars Limited and Westfield Autonomous Vehicles. “Both are doing very well,” said Julian, revealing a 35 per cent increase in Westfield car sales so far this year – bucking the general decline across the motor industry.

Westfield’s performance saw Julian named West Midlands Director of the Year 2019 by the Institute of Directors. The IoD praised the company’s modern development, aided by its ‘acceleration towards electrification and autonomous technology’. The Institute added: “A genuine disruptor, Julian has taken a traditional manufacturing business and shown real entrepreneurship by transforming a kit car producer into the UK’s leading POD manufacturer, directly targeting clients from across the globe.”

CUTTING-EDGE TECH

Westfield is continuing to push the technology boundaries with the likes of its Project Synergy which aims to accelerate the deployment of ‘platooning’ technology – two or more PODs following each other in controlled formation – for road transport in the UK. Platooning has the potential to increase the efficiency of road use and improve safety and the environmental performance of vehicles.

Since 2015, Westfield has been researching the application of graphene supercapacitors in vehicle tests to enable faster charging while also extending battery life. The work has been conducted with Zapgo Ltd (Zap&Go), Heathrow Enterprises, Hyperdrive Innovation, Potenza Technology and the University of Warwick. Westfield is also currently collaborating with companies and universities in the UK, US and China on the use of metallic Microlattice – an ultra strong and light synthetic metallic material developed by Boeing – in its future vehicles.

“The state of the market and the general climate is to be more sustainable,” said Julian. “This is reflected in the work we are doing in our business. We are developing new software, control systems, the use of new materials and new battery systems. We are working on a new rotary hybrid engine for our sports cars, as well as pure electric power.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE

It’s all a far cry from the day in spring of 1982 when historic grand prix competitor and engineer, Chris Smith decided to design and build a replica of one of his all-time favourite race cars, the 1956 Lotus XI Le Mans car.

Such was the accuracy and beauty of the car he produced in his home garage at Westfield House, Armitage he was inundated with requests from enthusiasts wanting one for themselves. By the following Easter, the company Westfield Sportscars had been created. Demand for the new Westfield XI replica kit meant bigger premises and staff were required and the fledgling sports car company was under way.

With changing times have come new challenges for Westfield, but thanks to brilliant invention and business skills, the company has managed to sustain and grow its traditional business while developing exciting new transport propositions that will ultimately impact all our lives and the environment for the better.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

I grew up in an RAF family in Cyprus, so gained a life-long interest in flying and travel. After university, I joined British Airways cabin crew on long haul 747s. I left to start a family and then joined Capio Healthcare Hospital Group as business development director. In 2004, I founded my own company which developed a network of hospital screens across the UK. In 2008, I sold the business and joined Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As well as chief executive for MAAC, I am a board member of Air Ambulances UK and former chair of the Association of Air Ambulances. I proudly lead a dedicated team who raise more than £9million each year with generous support from our volunteers and the communities we serve, as well as local businesses. This enables us to deliver advanced patient care via our three air ambulance helicopters, three rapid response vehicles and critical care car.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

With changing patient needs and a year-on-year four per cent increase in demand for our service, it is imperative we don’t stand still. I am committed to tailoring our service to meet demand – for example, to cope with the rising number of stabbings we are called to and the increase in ‘silver trauma’ as the over-50s become more active. To achieve this, we will continue to reinvest donations into clinical care and build resilience to future-proof our charity.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

In 2011, I oversaw the charity’s demerger from the NHS which has allowed us to recruit the right people and then develop a clear set of values and culture that we all aspire to achieve. This in turn has created a team culture enabling innovation and development. We have great people working at MAAC. This is my tenth year and in this time I am proud that we have purchased two of our three helicopters, renovated all three of our airbases and invested heavily in state of the art specialist medical equipment.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Never forget your roots, personally and professionally. We are a regional charity funded by our donors, volunteers and supporters in the communities we serve. I remain humbled by the selflessness of these people who give to us without having a huge amount themselves. I have also learned that when there is a problem, deal with it head on and don’t to push it down the road hoping it will go away – it never does!

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

It’s wonderful to have all the city has to offer on your doorstep, yet within 15 minutes you can find yourself in the peace and beauty of the countryside.

DOWNTIME?

Exercise is the best way to wind down – I love my spin classes and body pump. My sons have left home now, but my greatest joy is when my husband and sons are all together. I also enjoy canal walks and cycling outside – it’s good for the soul!

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m general manager of Genting Hotel at Resorts World, having developed into my current role since being part of our opening team in 2015. I have called Birmingham my home my whole life and I cannot speak highly enough of this city and its amazing people.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

Resorts World is just a few minutes walk from Birmingham International train station so this is my route of choice when I have meetings in the city and for those coming to visit us here.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

As a proud Brummie, I live in Birmingham and commute via the A45. Depending on my mood, I spend my commute listening to talkSPORT or practising my karaoke voice!

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Absolutely! I’m a massive advocate of our beautiful, multi-cultural city and all it has to offer. Development across the city as well as plans for the future over this side of town with the UK Central Hub, makes Birmingham and the West Midlands one of the UK’s most exciting regions to work in.

COFFEE BREAK?

I love El Borracho de Oro on Harborne Road ¬– just far away enough from the hustle and bustle of Birmingham to be a quiet retreat, with great drink and tapas-style food.

LUNCHTIME?

Usually I eat within Resorts World as there is so much choice but when I do venture further afield I am a big fan of Fumo. Great service and the quality of food is always brilliant, but still quick enough to get in and out again when in a rush.

POWERWALKING?

If I have a spare 30 minutes, I take a quiet walk around the beautiful lake on our doorstep offering me a moment of calm from, what can be, a very fast-paced business. We have a variety of wildlife on and around the lake through the seasons.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

The rejuvenation of the Eastside has been brilliant to see, but my favourite area has to be Brindleyplace and the surrounding canals. There is nowhere better to have a chilled pint on a summer’s day.

AFTERWORK PINT?

Depending on who I am with, I do enjoy some pork crackling and apple sauce washed down with a craft beer at Purecraft on Waterloo Street, but I equally enjoy a night out in Bierkeller!

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

Birmingham is becoming a real destination city for both business and leisure and I’m excited to see what the future holds. We have HS2 (hopefully) transforming the transport infrastructure in what is already a well-connected region. If there is one hope for me, it would be that the arterial A-roads that feed the heart of Birmingham can cope with the increase in traffic.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

This year I celebrated my 40th year with the company. I qualified as a solicitor in 1981, became a partner five years later and effectively ran the firm’s Stourport office for 25 years. My role as managing partner began in 2008. The traditional law partnership structure didn’t in my view lend itself well to the running of a law firm. I preferred a corporate structure with a small executive board to lead the business forward. So, in 2014, we incorporated into a company and my new role as managing director was created. Five years later Thursfields has grown revenues by more than 140 per cent and our total revenue for the last financial year topped £8.9million.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As managing director, I no longer undertake legal work although I do still have plenty of contact with our clients. I lead and manage the business and am the face of Thursfields in the marketplace. It seems to work! We now employ 155 staff across seven offices.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

My driving ambition is to lead Thursfields into the Top 200 list of law firms across the UK. We don’t have far to go and I am confident the team will achieve this goal in the next 18 months. In my personal life, my ambitions are all around my family. My wife, Michelle is also a director at Thursfields and the support she provides to me in my role is invaluable. Between us we have five children (from previous marriages) aged between 15 and 23.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

My biggest professional success was the moment when I was voted to become managing partner. But it isn’t all about success in business – I was heavily involved in Round Table in my 30s and in my personal life, the renovation of the farmhouse where we live was a significant achievement.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

As a leader you need to be very clear in your communications but you must listen to your staff and partners. I also believe hard work will get you a long way in life and, to some extent, we make our own luck.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

There’s just so much going on in Birmingham – which is why it’s so important that Thursfields has one of its offices in the heart of the city. Some development is linked to specific events, like the Commonwealth Games. But there is also lots of regeneration going on enabling Birmingham to grow on the national and international scene. If I can just focus on one area, it would always be the food and the exceptional number of top quality restaurants operating in Birmingham. I also love Symphony Hall and feel we’re so lucky to have theatres like Birmingham Hippodrome and Birmingham REP.

DOWNTIME

As a youngster I was a keen tennis player. My wife has recently taken up tennis and persuaded me to put my shorts back on and join her on court! We’re now involved in a mixed tennis team and it’s great, sociable fun as well as being good exercise.

Take a tennis coach with a competitive nature mixed with a cracking idea, a can-do attitude and a gauntlet laid down by his pals and you’ve got a business that’s revolutionising new parents holidays across the globe and we’re not exaggerating.

Having been one of those parents dragging a buggy across the sand and going nowhere fast, I appreciate the difference Sandsliders would have made to a beach break. You know the scenario, the harder you pull a buggy with a child in it, the deeper the wheels go until you’re forced to give up and carry both the child and the pram clumsily down the beach.

PROTECTION

Lee Cowan, the brains behind Sandsliders, came up with the idea three years ago which is so simple it’s incredible no one thought of it before. He noticed multiple sets of parents struggling on the beach in Gran Canaria and told his pals he was going to invent something that would solve the problem.

They poo-pooed his proclamation, but not one to be defeated, Lee came home and got cracking on his idea initially with cardboard, Sellotape and string! Once he’d perfected the idea and got a proper prototype made, he looked for help bringing it to market. The best friend of Lee’s late father, Dean Mortimer came on board to offer some sound business nouse.

Initially, protecting the product from being copied was the priority. Lee presented Sandsliders to the Baby Product Association in London in a nerve-racking Dragon’s Den style pitch. They loved the product and his enthusiasm and agreed it needed protection straight away. Dean knew a patent lawyer and they were able to get all the protection they needed.

FEEL GOOD

Made from fully recyclable polypropylene, the Sandslider fits all pushchairs under 50cm and attaches in seconds via two simple hooks resulting in the pram gliding across the beach rather than sinking. It also works on snow, pebble beaches, pea gravel and muddy grass. The fully recyclable element was really important to Lee and Dean who is a keen scuba diver, and a percentage of the company’s profits are donated to the Plastic Oceans Foundation, a charity committed to ending plastic pollution.

A percentage of profits is also donated to Cancer Research UK, the disease that Lee’s father died from. The feel-good aspect of the business that Lee’s so proud of is also evident in their choice of manufacturer. Better Pathways in Digbeth which employs people with mental health issues who otherwise wouldn’t have a job makes the product from start to finish. Dean had worked in mental health while living in Australia, so it was a cause close to his heart.

AWARDS

Lee is super positive and even with the challenges of Brexit looming which has delayed a couple of larger European companies stocking Sandsliders, he’s focused on the good stuff. Sales through the website are healthy and growing at a good pace plus Amazon, Mothercare and US juggernaut Walmart now stock the product.

Trade shows have proved successful in the UK and beyond with Sandsliders picking up awards as well as making valuable business contacts. At the International Nursery Fair held in Harrogate Sandsliders won the Baby Product Association’s Concept Innovation Award and at top European trade fair, Kind + Jugend in Cologne, the product was voted top three in the Innovation category.

Lee was surprised by fellow exhibitors at shows and found them to be thoroughly supportive happy to share contacts and give advice which he hadn’t expected.

WHAT’S NEXT

The focus is still the baby side of the business, but there’s a natural progression into adapting the design to suit wheelchairs. The challenges are different – the weight and size of wheelchairs is greater than a pram, but Lee has had a lot of e-mails from wheelchair users and parents of wheelchair users saying it is actually impossible to get onto a beach. A prototype is being trialled currently for a child’s wheelchair first with a view to an adult version to follow.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m the general manager at Three Church Road restaurant in Edgbaston and have been working for the company for more than five years now. After moving up from London seven years ago my first introduction to Birmingham was as deputy general manager at Hotel du Vin, which was a great place to start my love affair with Birmingham.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

I live in Leamington Spa, which has great connections by rail into New Street, so most of the time I get the train in and then walk over to Edgbaston. It’s a good way to keep fit and take in all the sights of Birmingham.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

It’s good. Just 30 minutes on the train and then a brief 20-minute walk over to leafy Edgbaston.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Brum is amazing. When I moved from London I was not sure if I could find the same energy and passion for the food industry, but how wrong I was. Birmingham is a fantastic city with so much to offer.

COFFEE BREAK?

Has to be Urban cafe on Church Street, great service and brilliant coffee.

LUNCHTIME?

This is tough one. I mainly pop out to the Village Kitchen on Greenfield Crescent for a quick lunch. However, if I have more time I like to visit El Borracho De Oro for the best tapas in the city.

POWERWALKING?

My daily commute includes a good powerwalk – I always seem to take a different route from New Street to Edgbaston to see what’s new in the city. However, if it’s green space I’m looking for, the Botanical Gardens are right on our doorstep. I quite like to hold team meetings walking over the grounds as it gets the creative juices flowing.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

I have to be slightly biased and say Edgbaston. With so many quality eateries within a small area it’s easy to spend an afternoon drifting from place to place. With a world-class cricket ground, quality golf course and an abundance of independent shops and restaurants, Edgbaston really has it all.

AFTERWORK PINT?

The Highfield is a great place to meet for a drink after work. Just stumbling distance from our restaurant, it’s a lively, friendly place with a great garden for the summer months.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

It’s hard to say, as the city is so unique in many ways. Although, I’m sure easing up on the traffic congestions would help improve the city overall as it tends to be one of the first things people talk about when describing Birmingham.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am general manager at Simpsons Restaurant, Edgbaston. Simpsons was one of the first restaurants to be awarded a Michelin star in Birmingham, 19 years ago. We are known for providing outstanding food and service in a more informal and relaxed dining experience. I am in the Midlands due to love bringing me here and I have made this home with my wife Laura, who was born and raised in Malvern.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

I commute every day by train from Great Malvern to Five Ways and take a 15-minute walk to Simpsons. Most nights I manage to get the last train home. When that’s not possible I call Falcon & Crown, a local Birmingham taxi company, who kindly drive me home at anytime of the day or night – they really look after me, especially Mr Abid.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

The commute is the time I dedicate to myself and either use it to prepare for the day ahead or to relax after a long day at work before getting home.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

It definitely is! It’s a lively, buzzing city. If you live in the Midlands then Birmingham is THE place to work. It has changed lot in just the last 10 years and with the amount of investment going into the city it’s getting better and better all the time too! Many new businesses are finding that Birmingham is the place to be!

COFFEE BREAK?

There are not many of those! When I do have time to treat myself to a break in the working day I like to go to Laghi’s, a small Italian deli with true Italian flavours.

LUNCHTIME?

Well of course, usually I like to eat and entertain clients or customers here at Simpsons but if I feel like something different and escaping the work environment I would go to Pure Bar in Waterloo Street for one of their perfect burgers and a cold beer.

POWERWALKING?

During a busy day, to take five minutes to chill out, I quite often will sit in the gardens of Simpsons near the fountain… the relaxing sound of the water really does the trick. You wouldn’t know you are really in a city centre! I am still exploring Brum so any suggestions of where I should go, let me know!

AFTERWORK PINT?

Considering I have a long journey back home after each shift it doesn’t happen every day, but when the chance is there I like to visit our neighbours at either the Edgbaston Hotel or the Highfield.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

A lot of improvements are taking place in Birmingham at the moment so we just need to wait, be patient and see how things take shape…

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

I’m a born and bred Brummie and have been lucky to have worked in the creative industries in the city all of my life. I’ve worked at BRMB and the BBC where I started as a phone answerer! I worked my way up across radio, television, press office, live events and finally in the online digital world. I use this experience in my full-time role as lecturer in media production at Birmingham School of Media, BCU. I’ve also worked a lot in the arts – mainly with Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage. I’ve been heading up the Birmingham Indian Film Festival since it arrived in the city in 2015 and am excited to mark our fifth anniversary in 2019!

IT’S WHAT I DO

As head of cinema, I’m part of a wider team that curates and oversees the festival. The Birmingham Indian Film Festival is a strand of the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, Europe’s largest South Asian film festival which has been running since 2010 and will continue to expand to Manchester and Bradford this year. I help curate by watching and selecting films, building relationships with partners and sponsors in the city, talent management and generally making sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible across the 10-day festival.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

I want to see the festival continue to grow and reach out beyond the centre of Birmingham, maybe have a year-round programme of events, possibly in unusual or non-cinema spaces. As an academic and it would be great to bring my two roles together and dip my toes into some form of practice-based research.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Marking five years with the film festival in Birmingham. Personally, I’m always grateful that I keep landing on my feet – whenever circumstances change – and I love new challenges, for example being a chair of governors at a primary school.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Trusting yourself and not listening to the voices in your head that say you can’t. It’s ok to make mistakes, not everything has to be perfect. And always remember, most things in life are about people and relationships.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

The arts and culture – there is so much going on! I have a soft spot for everything at Mac Birmingham and Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage as they’ve provided so many opportunities for me to perform as an actor and continue to support me with the film festival. Plus the Birmingham Festivals calendar – you don’t have to miss a thing!

DOWNTIME

I love to cook. My boys often have interesting requests which challenge me, most recently cooking crab claws. And I love gardening – we’ve got a herb garden that is great to pick from when cooking.

There’s something awe-inspiring about a steam train. Maybe it’s the sight of the most glorious piece of engineering fully on show for all to see, not hidden away behind plastic covers like so much modern, hi-tech machinery. Or maybe it’s the sound, resounding metallic clanking, steam hissing, whistle blowing. Or the smell from coal blazing in the firebox, assaulting the nostrils with the pungent aroma of history and nostalgia.

Whatever it is – and it’s probably all these things put together – we all love steam. Oh, for the return of the great locos to our mainlines to put those soulless Pendolinos in their place. Vintage Trains Limited (VTL) is doing just that after winning the right to operate services all over the country on the UK mainlines. After officially becoming a Train Operating Company at the end of 2018, VTL now joins the likes of Virgin Trains, Great Western Railway and Chiltern Railways on the Network Rail tracks. The award of TOC status by the Office of Rail and Road came after VTL passed the same stringent operating and safety criteria as required by the ‘big boys’ like Virgin.

MILLION MARK

It also marked the first TOC to run on the mainline as a publicly owned and charitably controlled business – shares in the company closed at the end of April, raising more than £1.1million to invest in development projects. Moreover, VTL is one of only four mainline heritage operators in the UK. Of the other three, two are run privately by billionaires and the other by the German government.

The Vintage Trains Charitable Trust operates out of the original 100-year-old Great Western Railway depot at Tyseley and preserves important express steam locomotives, Pullman cars and other items. It also manages the Tyseley Collection of heritage locomotives, carriages and workshop machinery at the Tyseley Locomotive Works on behalf of 7029 Clun Castle Limited (also a registered charity).

This year, VTL – best known for its hugely popular Shakespeare Express – is expanding its service to 58 charter trains, rising to 82 in 2020. While any member of the public can book to travel on its mainline services, the company is particularly looking to grow its highly lucrative events and corporate offering.

STEAM TEAM

Driving the business forward is managing director Cath Bellamy, a senior figure in the UK rail industry for the last 25 years and previously the boss of Chiltern Railways and Hull Trains as well as having various senior roles at the Department of Transport. She heads a small management team of half-a-dozen full-time staff, plus a pool of mostly part-time drivers and guards who work full-time on mainline railways, 25 full-time staff at the Tyseley Works and a highly enthusiastic and knowledgeable group of volunteers who are united by their love of steam.

Cath said: “We are the youngest Train Operating Company in the country having only received our licence last year. Since then we have been and continue to be very busy recruiting staff from Birmingham and developing their expertise. Our objectives are to keep steam on the UK’s mainline, to be successful as a company and to raise awareness so more people want to, and can, travel by steam.”

The market potential for VTL can be seen by the rush to book its services ¬– for example, more than 23,500 people travelled on its Polar Express service from Moor Street in the four-week run-up to last Christmas after the company was granted the franchise to use the name by film giant Warner Brothers.

“Our services for 2109 feature longer distance return charter services, such as from Birmingham to Chester which feature standard class travel but also the most popular premium silver service fine dining.” The dining trains, featuring luncheon or ‘posh’ evening dinner, are especially popular with business professionals and these have been identified as major areas of growth for the business.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT

As an official Train Operating Company, VTL has to act like any other mainline operator and apply and pay Network Rail to gain and approve paths and its timetable. “We have to meet all the operational requirements just like the other train companies,” explained Cath. “We have had to show that our locos and rolling stock are safe to operate on the mainline, and we have to negotiate our services and timings with Network Rail. “You have to remember, our trains run at a maximum of 75mph, while non-steam operators services using the track such as Chiltern and Virgin will be travelling at considerably higher speeds.”

There is huge support for VTL within the rail industry and government. Supporters include the chief inspector of railways Ian Prosser and chairman of Network Rail Sir Peter Hendy, as well as senior figures at the Department of Transport. “And most importantly, the city of Birmingham is behind us,” said Cath. “Steam not only represents an era of the city’s past to be proud of, it is also a great tourist attraction of the present and the future.”

The process of ending a relationship is emotionally charged and can feel overwhelming for those involved.

Below are some helpful tips to consider when it is clear your relationship has come to an end.

1. Couples who are married or in a civil partnership have different legal rights to cohabitees. The myth of ‘common-law marriage’ is just that – a myth. There is different legislation for cohabitees, no matter how long you may have lived together. It is important to obtain advice as to what you, and your children, may be entitled to.

2. If you have children, put them first throughout the relationship breakdown as you have during the relationship. Consider how best to tell the children of your decision to separate and ensure they are receiving support. Establishing a new routine for term-time and holiday arrangements will provide stability for the children, and minimise misunderstandings later on. It is the on-going conflict between parents which has a greater impact on children than the breakdown of a relationship. Try to protect the children from unnecessary conflict.

3. Obtain legal advice. Arranging a meeting with a Family Lawyer should answer many of the questions surrounding the relationship breakdown. The old adage ‘knowledge is power’ is true. Gaining an understanding of how the process works and what separation of any assets might look like will help you prepare for the end of the relationship, both emotionally and financially.

4. Consider other support. A Family Lawyer can provide legal advice and practical support. Seeking assistance from counsellors or other therapists will provide emotional support which can make the process easier to navigate. Some therapists will also work with the family as a whole.

5. Obtain a Financial Order. If you are married or in a civil partnership, as part of the divorce process your financial order will set out the division of any marital assets, such as the family home, pensions, savings and family business. More importantly, a financial order dismisses each of your financial claims against the other in life and in death. This does not automatically occur on divorce.

6. Be fair and realistic. There are different ways to reach a financial settlement, which your lawyer will guide you through. It is a better use of your time and money to focus on what you need to take care of your future, rather than as retribution against your former partner.

Folk music and Birmingham aren’t words you’d necessarily put together in the same sentence. We all know our city has produced some of the greatest names in classical, rock, pop and jazz music, as well as more recently hip-hop and rap. But folk?

The time to reassess Brum’s importance in producing and performing great folk music is long overdue. For starters, we boast the UK’s biggest folk band – the 80-strong Conservatoire Folk Ensemble which plays live sets that are a sight to behold, featuring an 18-piece horn section, five cellists, seven percussionists and five electric guitarists, plus fiddles, flutes, clarinets, euphonium, and accordions! They also all sing, too.

FESTIVALS

Formed in 1997 at Birmingham’s prestigious Conservatoire (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) by fiddle player, arranger and tutor Joe Broughton, the Ensemble has established a reputation for creating energetic and powerful shows. Their increasingly popular live appearances include several dates at the Royal Albert Hall as well as at a host of leading folk festivals such as Shambala, Cropredy and Kendal Calling.

This summer’s schedule featured the Ensemble staging a special two-set show at their Conservatoire HQ. Due to the logistical challenges of performing with such a large company, this was the first time the entire ensemble has played a complete live set on home turf in several years. Other highlights include a debut appearance in a cathedral at Lichfield and the prestigious Festival Finale spot at Towersey Festival, one of the UK’s oldest music festivals.

Though rooted in traditional folk tunes, the personal influences of each individual member of the Ensemble steers the set, pulling in everything from full-on rock grooves, to funk, jazz, hip-hop and reggae, to sounds from Eastern Europe and Asia. It’s a sound that’s been dubbed ‘Power Folk’. The group has also released a number of albums.

GROWING

Joe recalls the early days of the Ensemble when he says the number of members rose rapidly from just seven, to 15, then 35, then in no time at all to 90. “It all got out of hand and we decided to start doing some gigs so we could develop as well as grow.” Normally, the Ensemble is capped at 50 at any one performance, though the personnel is constantly switching around.

Everyone in the group is studying at the Conservatoire – but not necessarily folk music! “We have everything from technology students to opera singers, composers and harpists, some on classical courses, or the jazz degree – they come from everywhere,” said Joe, who directs the whole thing. “It’s one of the reasons it works so well. Birmingham Conservatoire attracts an inventive and original type of musician who often has an interest in all kinds of music making.

“Without that bedrock of talent, keeping such a large line-up together for so many years just wouldn’t be possible. And the music has really developed as we’ve gone along – we’re folk music people based in Birmingham and we feed off the influences of the city. Folk, rock, funk… it’s all in there somewhere and when it comes together it produces a colossal amount of energy.”

IMPACT

The personal influences of each member shape the set-list, as traditional English and Celtic reels slide into full-on rock grooves, funk, jazz, hip-hop, ska and reggae. Members come together for two hours a week, on a Tuesday. “I normally bring in a melody and a riff and teach it to everyone by ear then ask for suggestions on the arrangement where everyone gets involved in developing, evolving and rehearsing the piece, “ said Joe. “Our music is entirely unique, you won’t see or hear anything like it anywhere in the world. We know from the feedback we get that our music has real impact on people.”

The group stages up to 20 performances a year, but Rob is keen to expand further if possible. “Looking further ahead we have plans for another full album – but I really want to do a live album, because I love live albums. There’s also a rumour that we’ll be making our first trip abroad…”

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am a singer, songwriter and producer. I perform across the UK, Europe and internationally with my super-talented wife Sugary Staple and the Neville Staple Band. We perform hit punky 2Tone, Ska, and Reggae songs from my 40-year music career, plus classic party favourites and new tunes from Rude Rebels and Return of Judge Roughneck Albums. We also promote our new single #PutAwayYourKnives. We regularly perform in Birmingham.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

We mostly use the A45 and sometimes the M6 to get into Birmingham from Coventry, where I live. It depends on if we are on the tour bus with our driver heading in to perform at a show, or if I am visiting family and friends when Sugary Staple usually drives.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

Can we be honest here? It’s become quite a chore in the last few years, with roadworks everywhere, traffic chaos and lots of general lack of road manners, too.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Our last few shows have been brilliant. The crowd love to let their hair down and dance and sing along. However, I keep hearing that many places are closing down, so there are less places for bands to perform. I hope that’s not true, as music, dancing and singing along are a great way for a hardworking city to let off steam in a positive way.

LUNCHTIME?

Sugary and I love sushi, so we would most likely eat at the Shogun Teppan-Yaki sushi restaurant in the Cube, though we also love most of the other restaurants in the Cube too.

POWERWALKING?

I wish I had more time for that. I’d walk in Cannon Hill Park, as the wife loves it there and says it reminds her of Victoria Park in Hackney East London, where she was born.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

Handsworth, because my brother Franklyn lives there, and Bournville because my buddy, the late Ranking Roger, who recently passed away, lived by there.

AFTERWORK PINT?

I don’t drink so tend to go to carvery pubs on a Sunday afternoon with people who do. They can drink and I can eat! Sugary is a foodie like me and friends have recommended we try the Bistro du Vin or Piccolino as they’re both pretty good.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

More live music venues (of course!) and get the big roadwork contracts finished, or not so many at once. I would also like someone to have a good look at the city skyline of old-meets-new buildings and just see what we all see. It’s a great city, so let’s look after its finest heritage features without swamping them with in cheap modernisation!

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

Over the past 25 years I’ve managed health clubs, family entertainment centres and hotels, including three years at the Village Hotel in Solihull which brought me to the region and, most recently, a six-year stint at Hotel du Vin, where most people will know me from. Twelve months ago, I joined Touchwood and it’s been a fantastic first year.

IT’S WHAT I DO

People regularly ask how I’m finding the adjustment from hotel manager to shopping centre manager. As a general manager of any business the common thread and most important element is the interaction with people – employees, guests, clients, tenants, suppliers, members, peers, etc. I identify the key performance indicators to that business as quickly as possible and then work with the people in and around it to drive success by taking an interest in them, driving engagement in what we’re trying to achieve and helping them be the best they can be.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

My ambition is to consolidate Touchwood and Solihull as the premier shopping destination for the region by increasing the leisure provision within the centre, making sure everyone feels welcome and by collaborating with all of the local key stakeholders in Solihull – the BID, council, chamber of commerce, community groups and residents. It is crucial that the whole of Solihull prospers, not just Touchwood. We have a symbiotic relationship with the rest of the town and one cannot enjoy success without the other, so this is critical. With the investment and opportunity that HS2 will bring to the borough we are on the brink of something huge and we need to be ready for it.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Highlights have been representing Great Britain at under 21 level at American Football, beating leukaemia at the age of 21 (that helps you appreciate every moment), getting my wine qualifications (more to come there) and getting to spend more time with my family over the past year since leaving the madness of hospitality.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Pay it forward. Do the right thing in the right way. Give and never expect anything in return. That’s my basic code and it’s served me pretty well.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I love Birmingham and the West Midlands. I’ve lived in Shirley, Solihull for the past nine years and my family and I are completely settled. I haven’t missed working in the city centre because I still get the chance to visit so often through work, the chamber, the civic society, and to socialise. Shirley and Solihull are improving exponentially as leisure destinations and that is great too.

DOWNTIME

I love my work, always have done, but for downtime it’s family and friends, wine, West Ham, in that order. (My wife says don’t forget Star Wars… haha!)

After being rebranded four years ago and with a steady stream of exciting and vibrant ideas ever since, the British Motor Museum has become a real gem of the Midlands. Now it has been recognised as one of the best three museums in the UK in 2019 – and could be about to be named the best in Europe.

The museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire is in exulted company, joining Brunel’s SS Great Britain in Bristol and the D-Day Story in Portsmouth as the British trio shortlisted for the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award. If the Motor Museum were to claim the title at a ceremony in Sarajevo later this month it will follow on from last year’s winner, London’s Design Museum. Impressive to say the least.

TICKS THE BOXES

The award promotes innovative approaches in the museum sector, particularly in the public quality of exhibitions and new developments. This being the criteria, there’s no doubt that the Motor Museum ticks all the boxes – and some.

Being a museum about cars in the Midlands and their history and place in modern society presents its own unique challenges. After all, for decades the Midlands was the British car industry with legendary names and badges rolling off production lines manned by tens of thousands of workers. For the older generation it’s a case of looking back on what they remember as a golden age – but for youngsters growing up in a hi-tech, social media crammed, rapidly-moving world, the museum has to provide much more than nostalgic badges, bonnets and bootlids.

The fact that the museum has adapted so well can be seen in the numbers. Visitors have increased to 300,000 – this includes museum and conference visitors – with museum footfall up 50 per cent since the £1.1million refurbishment and rebrand from the Heritage Motor Centre to the British Motor Museum in 2015.

YOUTH APPEAL

School visits have also grown steadily largely due to curriculum-led programmes and a travel support grant, with the museum welcoming nearly 16,000 pupils. It’s innovative Mini Motorists under 5s activity sessions are free and take place on the third Monday of every month. Designed specifically for children aged under five, the sessions have a different theme each month such as Fire Engines, Racing Cars, Jaguars, and celebrating the Mini’s 60th birthday and includes a mix of activities such as crafts, story-telling and playtime.

An outreach programme sees the museum team take objects related to the collection to community groups who are unable to visit, mainly nursing homes and dementia units. Museum managing director Julie Tew said: “There’s been a massive shift in what people expect from a museum. They were once seen as rather dusty places intended solely for people who were seriously into a subject. We took a brave decision and changed things and at the core is delivering a family offering which is much more engaging and makes learning and experiencing fun and exciting for all ages.”

MINI MADNESS

Those experiences are delivered by a relatively small team of 80 permanent members of staff and a further 50 volunteers who undertake roles and projects including guiding in the Collections Centre, vehicle restoration, community outreach and school holiday activities.

The museum’s programme of events for 2019 reflects its mission to inform and entertain. Highlights include the 60th anniversary of the legendary Mini with the museum holding three weeks of Mini Madness family activities over the Easter school holidays, followed by events including a Classic Mini Mosaic World Record Attempt in August with more than 600 classic Minis spelling out ‘Mini 60’.

The successful Gaydon Land Rover Show and National BMW Festival with Europe’s largest gathering of BMWs also feature, as well as the UK Slot Car Festival this month, the Vintage Motor Cycle Club Banbury Run and the Buses Festival, Retro Truck and Large Model Aircraft Shows. In July, an exciting new exhibition, The Car. The Future. Me, will open and explore futuristic car design and how we will interact with the cars of tomorrow. “It’s an opportunity to spark curiosity and see how we may travel in generations to come,” said MD Julie.

Such is the breadth of the museum’s offering, it was awarded a VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Welcome Accolade in February, one of only a very small number of venues each year recognised by the tourist organisation’s Quality Scheme. The museum was also awarded Full Accreditation by Arts Council England and has even appeared on Channel 4 TV.

FOODIE AWARDS

For the second year running, the museum’s food offerings have also been rewarded, its gluten-free kitchens winning a gold in Focus on Gluten and silver in the Cafes and Teashops category at the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards.

The museum also boasts impressive refurbished conference and events facilities which are going back to the market from July after a four-year exclusive use deal with next-door neighbours Jaguar Land Rover. Like we said at the beginning of this piece, there’s a lot more to being a successful museum in 2019. Julie summed it up perfectly: “We shout loud and proud.” Hear, hear, we say…

Dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging UK talent, Young British Designers (YBD) was spawned in 2010 by Debra Hepburn and Julian Whitehead out of a love of fashion and a desire to create an online retail space allowing fresh designers to bring their collections to market – a massive struggle for young creatives.

It takes roughly five years to make any money as a fashion designer, so inclusion on YBD is a big deal. Such is its track record at providing a launch pad for the brightest British talent, once a designer is part of YBD, large brands like Liberty and Matches take notice. High profile designers such as Rejino Pyo, Eudon Choi and JW Anderson have flourished having launched collections on the platform.

PASSIONATE

As well as the exposure it brings, the numbers stack up too as YBD buys a designer’s entire collection which is unusual in the fashion world and it also rejects the notion that designers should be asked to rent space on retail fashion platforms. Debra is fiercely passionate about mentoring young talent in addition to stocking their creations. She explains: “These young creatives have to be business people as well as designers working out branding, pricing structures, managing cashflow, chasing payment. It’s a lot to take on.”

Around 15 hopeful designers send in look books every day. Debra considers every one and gives feedback to each. Even if it’s a no for now, Debra offers her advice. The designers are chosen because collectively they represent the broad range of talent from within the UK fashion industry. Debra says: “We can’t buy everybody. The budget’s not infinite but it’s important to give some guidance.”

FASHION BUG

In truth, as a youngster Debra would have loved to have been the one designing, but a stint at Moseley Art College studying fashion design made her realise she wasn’t cut out for it. She recalls: “I couldn’t sew a garment to save my life!” The episode did little to quell the fashion bug and as a founding partner of PR agency RBH, Debra worked with a lot of retail and fashion brands which fuelled the fire.

The inception of online fashion brought consumers things they couldn’t find on their doorstep with Net-a-porter and Matches Fashion leading the way. The decision to champion British designers in this arena was a simple one for Debra. She explains: “I think British designers are the best in the world capable of ripping up the rule book. They take risks and push boundaries with an energy that’s unique to them. A sort of ‘sod it and do your own thing’ attitude.”

With customers across the globe and now a dedicated fulfilment team, Debra’s still keen on the personal touch. For instance, each order goes out with a handwritten note. Debra’s a proud Brummie and I wonder if being based outside the capital in rural Warwickshire has been a hindrance.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE

She thinks the opposite. “When you’re in London there’s a lot of noise and it’s hard to step outside of that and see anything else. Being away from London means we’re not blinded by brands.” In the early days getting products where they needed to be for photoshoots quickly was an issue, but they have the system nailed which means that’s no longer a problem.

The biggest challenge to British designers right now is Brexit. Speaking days before we were due to leave, Debra explained that for young designers, the uncertainty of leaving the EU is having an awful effect. “Designers set their pricing strategy a season in advance which is impossible right now. The cost of materials and customs duties are complete unknowns.” Worse than that designers have lost valuable people and partners like pattern cutters who have given up on the UK and gone home because they feel under threat or just don’t like the atmosphere.

Currently YBD is purely womenswear and accessories, but discussions are underway to expand to include menswear possibly childrenswear and even ceramics and art. Debra’s energy for finding and nurturing talent and providing a global shopping experience that’s unique, independent and inspiring is hugely impressive and one of the reasons she is increasingly asked to comment on the homegrown fashion industry in the media and to judge emerging talent.

Beauty therapist to some serious A-listers including a gaggle of Royals and Hollywood stars, Deborah Mitchell has carved out a niche range of luxury products and beauty treatments, Heaven Skincare that deliver what they promise – a novel idea in the industry.

Working out of an idyllic setting in Shifnal as well as a salon in Covent Garden and more recently Harvey Nichols Birmingham, Deborah’s brand has had glowing reviews from high profile names ranging from the Beckhams to the Windsors. We caught up with the lady herself to find out where it all began.

As a teenager Deborah developed acne and quickly became frustrated that none of the products on the market worked, so rather than suck it up and accept her skin she made her own formulas. Her college course in Telford provided ingredients and encouraged students to mix their own creations. It was trial and error of course and there were a few bus journeys home from college with a rather pink complexion, but she got there in the end. Once she had the acne under control she added in another ingredient – Roman Chamomile to stop the redness. Success.

SUPER LOO

In Deborah’s first job in a beauty salon, there were only five products to work with, so again she developed her own and the clients loved them. A disused disabled loo at Deborah’s gym provided her with the ideal opportunity to branch out on her own. She convinced the manager to let her have the space and with a bit of TLC and a couch she had her first beauty room. Once it was established, Deborah moved up in the world, graduating out of the former loo and into the gym’s sunbed room. Thanks to word of mouth her popularity grew. Deborah recalls: “I had five girls working around the clock 8am to 10pm!”

Then, bizarrely Duran Duran came knocking and Deborah found herself travelling with them treating the band and their other halves. She met lots of other celebs while touring particularly in LA and ended up treating many of them including Jack Nicholson, which was ‘exciting’. It was a pretty exhausting time too as Deborah was working extraordinarily hard. She’d fly home, fall asleep in her car at 2am and be back in the salon at 7am.

BECKHAM CALL

Clients started asking if they could buy the products, so Deborah began contemplating packaging designs and contacted companies who could make the products in larger quantities. Having found a company she liked she expectantly handed over her formulas and designs which was a big mistake. Delivery day came and went and when Deborah chased the supplier she was told there wouldn’t be a delivery. She hadn’t signed a contract. Devastated, significantly out of pocket and with her precious formulas in someone else’s hands, Deborah decided to fight back and vowed to make her products even better.

Cue Age Defiance which is still one of the best sellers today. As well as making skin look younger, it also stops spots and Deborah recalls Victoria Beckham calling her personally to thank her for fixing her skin having struggled with blemishes for years. Deborah remembers: “I was surprised it was actually Victoria rather than her agent!” The press got wind of it and positive stories about Heaven began circulating which boosted the brand’s growing reputation.

Department stores wanted to stock the range, turnover increased and interest from overseas was taking shape. A large shipment to Dubai sold out in a week, so they began buying more and more. Product development was full steam ahead and further treatments were added. Asia became a big market for Deborah with an initial tussle between a Taiwanese distributor and a large US conglomerate offering big bucks.

POP TO PRINCESSES

Different salons bought the products and more famous faces were chatting publicly about their skincare regimes such as Kylie and Danni Minogue. At the time Danni was a judge on the X Factor so there was a lot of interest. Simon Cowell pops up to Shifnal in his helicopter for treatments too. When the palace got in touch about a ‘very Royal person’ wanting to have a treatment, Deborah had to pinch herself. The Duchess of Cornwall has been one of her clients ever since and has recommended her to other Royals too although we’re not naming names.

One of the ingredients Deborah utilises which sets the products apart is bee venom which she says ‘is better than Botox’. Bees are milked of their venom, but Deborah’s quick to point out they’re not harmed. A small electric current is sent through a pane of glass which the bees are set upon causing the bees to ‘sting’ the glass depositing their venom which can then be scraped off and used.

Deborah explains: “Although the venom is released, the stinger can’t be released as the glass is too hard, so the bees live.” Patented as Abeetoxin which is a complex mix of bee venom, honey and botulinum, it’s unique to Heaven. Although the products are expensive Deborah says: “they are unusual in that they make the skin look immediately better – you don’t get that with most skincare products.”

SAND BLASTING

Deborah has avoided being stocked in department stores after a bad experience with House of Fraser years ago, but was convinced by the fit of Harvey Nichols at the Mailbox where she has a full medi-spa offering various treatments including Oxy-hydrate which is like sand blasting for your skin such is its smoothing effect as well as laser therapy and of course the famous Bee Venom facial.

Deborah is never still and a real worker, so there’s more development on the cards as well splitting herself between London, Birmingham and Shifnal. This down to earth Midlands girl did good.

Any competitive and forward-thinking business is constantly looking for ways to improve its work patterns, becoming more productive and efficient while enhancing the safety and well-being of the people ‘on the job’. A young Birmingham company has developed a unique, intelligent work study tool that helps achieve all this, and more!

Sentry is a partnership between Brummie, Ewen Rankin, a photographer and videographer of 35 years and Andy Vaughan, a developer and friend from Bristol. Together with support from the Government’s R&D development funding scheme they developed and built a camera-based product that can truly be described as an ‘orange magic box’.

TOP ACCOLADE

In less than two years Sentry has gone from a simple test at a London Underground site to covering three major sites over last Christmas for Colas Rail and Network Rail with 12 Sentry units on site. All the cameras were designed and built in Birmingham and so impressive has Sentry proved that the company won a top award for innovation at the 2018 National Rail Awards.

Sentry has three main functions – process efficiency, environment monitoring and as a safety camera. It helps businesses in manufacturing, construction and the office environments to improve their processes, accurately measure performance and make the workplace and personnel safer. And all this is achieved in a unit that is the size of the average lunchbox.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

Ewen explained how Sentry came about. “As a photographer, I was thinking around ways of how I could make a time lapse camera last longer. Andy and I got to working on it and we went through a process to develop the idea with our own software and building our own box. There’s always been CCTV or time lapse cameras around commercially but they are big and cumbersome, often the size of a dining room table. Ours is small and more advanced and accurate.”

The Sentry unit takes the metrics from a site with the camera capturing an image every minute. It then takes the metrics and puts them onto the images. Sentry accurately measures noise, temperature, pressure, humidity and dust levels. It can provide a safety cam mode to provide greater quality, all with a verifiable chain of custody.

And Sentry can track vehicles within a mile radius and monitor work personnel, counting them in an out of an active site, providing a project with a versatile and creative safety tool. It can also overlay all its highly accurate measurements of a site onto the footage.

JAW-DROPPING

“This is why we call it the most sophisticated work study tool in the world,” said Ewen. “It is unique, there is nothing else like it on the market. When we demonstrate the system to people their jaws drop and the reaction is ‘wow’.” The system’s versatility and flexibility can be seen through its adoption by the rail industry where it is vital to maximise the time on a project due to lines or stations having to close for work. In the past monitoring systems would have been unwieldy and time consuming to set up, but Sentry can have four cameras ready to go in less than 30 minutes.

Sentry saved four hours on a 52-hour programme for London Underground at Paddington and produced a cost saving of a fifth, or £40,000, on HS2 enabling works at Euston station.

Away from the rail industry Sentry has led to a reduction in production time at three major manufacturing lines.

Ewen added: “Sentry is not about time lapse – it is about efficiency and monitoring processes that deliver real benefits to business.” Moving forward, Sentry is looking to be employed by a growing number of businesses while the development process looks at complementary devices for work studies and remote monitoring.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’ve worked in the hospitality industry in the Midlands since leaving school, initially helping launch the Living Room in Birmingham followed by stints at various other places including Hotel Du Vin and Bank. In 2013, I had a stroke aged just 29 which paralysed my right side, so I had to learn to walk and talk again. I still have weakness on my right side and do a lot of fund-raising for the Stroke Association including an 88-mile charity walk this month as well as lending support to charities such as LoveBrum and Let’s Feed Brum.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

I had to surrender my driving licence after my stroke and live in Bournville, so I tend to get the train.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

The walk to the station through the village green is just lovely and the train’s pretty regular, so no complaints.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

Birmingham is an amazing place to network. I was living in Nottingham when I had my stroke but I moved back to Brum to be near family and since doing that I’ve met so many people who I now work with. I’m on the judging panel for the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards and Curry King in aid of LoveBrum among others.

COFFEE BREAK?

I spend a lot of time around Colmore Row and for coffee it would have to be 200 Degrees. I also love the independents around the Jewellery Quarter.

LUNCHTIME?

I’m a huge fan of dim sum and went to school with William Wong of Chung Ying, so I like to support them. I also love Laghi’s Deli, Simpsons and Hotel Du Vin.

POWERWALKING?

I exercise a lot and am a member of the Priory in Edgbaston. I love to swim and it’s great for my recovery. The canal walks are great too and in Bournville I’m spoilt for choice. I’m training for a charity walk from Nottingham to Skegness to help raise funds for the Stroke Association.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

It has to be Brindleyplace. The vibe of the place coming off the canal where old meets new is really interesting.

AFTERWORK PINT?

That’s a tough one, but probably the Edgbaston or El Borracho for a relaxing glass of wine.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

It’s a continuing battle isn’t it? What I’ve learned from being involved with LoveBrum is that there’s a lot of networking that could be opened up to all. It’s all a bit specific; female networking, media networking, etc. It’s great to get people from different backgrounds and different pay scales together.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

I retired from West Midlands Police in 2017 after 31 years of service, initially as a uniformed detective constable, then with the West Midlands Regional Counter Terrorism Unit before ending my career as deputy to the West Midlands Police Business Crime Lead, developing a force-wide business crime strategy. I have spent the last year working as the business crime and community liaison lead for Soho Road BID before joining Colmore BID in January.

IT’S WHAT I DO

I’ve taken up a new strategic role as their part-time special projects officer for the Safe and Sound work stream. Safe and Sound is one of seven key themes for the BID and it focuses on delivering a safe and secure Colmore Business District for everyone who works, visits or passes through. We also work with a host of partners to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities who are homeless, street sleeping and begging.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

I’d like to see my BID projects really thrive and make a positive impact. It’s really rewarding to know you are making a real difference to people and localities that need your support. I’m overwhelmed by the energy and interest of community volunteers who are looking to do some outreach work within the district. They really are the unsung heroes.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally, it’s being recognised and commended by the UK’s highest ranking police officer (then Commissioner of the Metropolis, Sir Ian Blair) for my part in the investigation of the 7/7 London bombings – I was one of many regional police officers seconded to the Metropolitan Police Service to support this enquiry at a time of national crisis. Personally, it’s being married to my wife Wendy for nearly 27 years and being blessed with two great sons.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Being tolerant of people who have different personal styles to mine. When I was younger, I had little time for others who didn’t think or act like me. Over the years I’ve matured to realise and celebrate how these different styles often complement each other and deliver better outcomes.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I’m a born-and-bred Brummie so I’m biased and very proud of our city. Brummies are the salt of the earth with a great sense of humour but not necessarily a great local accent. Wherever I’ve travelled around the UK people have always told me they think Brummies are some of the friendliest people in the world, and they’re not wrong!

DOWNTIME

What downtime? Some of my spare time is spent as a trustee for a locally-based children’s road safety charity called The Conies, a family of traffic cone-shaped characters offering a fun and interactive way for primary school aged children to learn about road and personal safety. Unfortunately too many children up to the age of 15 years are seriously injured or killed on Birmingham roads. Our charity aims to increase road safety awareness in both children and adults and reduce child casualty rates.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am executive director of Dance Consortium based at Birmingham Hippodrome. The Consortium of 20 large-scale theatres was set up in 2000 to tour the best international contemporary dance across the UK and Ireland. Birmingham Hippodrome takes a lead role in the Consortium.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

I have lived in Bournville for 25 years and take the train into the city. I also travel internationally and on a good day I can leave home, travel by train via New Street to Birmingham International and get through security at the airport within the hour.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

Occasionally I drive into work if I am going to see a show and will be coming home late but always regret it. I welcome the creation of the cycle lanes and proposed congestion charge. I would never risk cycling down Bristol Road – but with the lanes in place maybe I will try it!

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

I was a student at Birmingham University in the late 70s but left the city after graduating. I returned 13 years later for an interview and couldn’t believe my eyes. It had become a modern, ambitious European city – I loved it! I’ve been fortunate to have lived and worked here when there has been great support for cultural organisations.

COFFEE BREAK?

The Hippodrome is opening up its front of house areas during the day and the new cafe on the second floor serves a great cup of coffee.

LUNCHTIME?

I am a big fan of Grand Central and New Street Station and the restaurants and cafes housed under the glass roof. I particularly like Pho and Leon.

POWERWALKING?

If I have a day working at home then I have various walking (and very occasionally jogging) routes. There are so many great parks and canals in the city.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

Brindleyplace, particularly the pools and fountains and the beautiful Ikon building. The planners did a great job combining offices, restaurants and cafes with beautiful recreational areas. Digbeth still has lots of potential and it’s been great to see art galleries and performance spaces created in the factories and warehouses around the Custard Factory. Rico Libre Tapas is one of my favourite restaurants.

AFTERWORK PINT?

It’s usually the foyer of an arts building before the show so the Hippodrome, the Rep or Midlands Arts Centre for a vodka and tonic please…

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

I am particularly excited by what has been happening outside of the city centre. The developments in Stirchley have been great to see with new bars, cafes and restaurants opening along Pershore Road – I love Alicia’s Bakehouse, Wildcat, the P Cafe, JoJo Wood and now we have our own fudge shop… all very exciting!

Birmingham-based Newman Gauge has been delivering award-winning creative interior design for more than two decades. And if you want proof of the cutting edge ethos behind the Jewellery Quarter team, look no further than Grand Central’s dramatic Holy Moly Macaroni mac and cheese eatery.

The restaurant, which opened last summer, boasts dramatic New York Harlem street style and American soul and funk with exposed reclaimed brickwork, graffiti and makeshift materials, alongside American basketball fences and disco neon.

Holy Moly is just one of a diverse portfolio of top clients who Newman Gauge have worked with. The firm, headed by directors Brian Gauge, Sam Stokoe and Scott Parker, has used an adaptability in fusing the needs of the client with the desires of the end user to forge long-standing relationships with prestigious brands across a variety of sectors. These include hotel and spa operators, retailers, publicans, national restaurant chains, hospitality, leisure and healthcare. Newman Gauge has worked for the likes of Warner Leisure Hotels, Marston’s, Butlin’s, Holiday Inn, Aldi, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Center Parcs, Fuller’s and Las Iguanas to name but a few…

Design director Sam Stoke said: “We understand how design can influence people’s emotions and how you can maximise the commercial opportunities by directing the customer experience. We are proud to have a reputation as true partners who support the client and professional team throughout every step of a development. Our collective experience spans over 100 years in commercial interior design and project management, where we have forged a reputation for turning big ideas into real results.”

The team at Newman Gauge currently numbers 12 – small enough, says Sam, to retain a really close working bond across the business but big enough to handle major briefs and develop original ideas for leading clients. “I know I am biased,” said Sam, “but we get amazing feedback from the people we work with. We are in a competitive business but we are extremely creative and have great talent in using the latest technology.”

Sam cites one client Newman Gauge worked with in the pub/drinks market. The client wanted something ‘cool’ and suggested a large digital wall in their outlet. “We thought, oh noooo,” said Sam. “It wasn’t an original idea and it wasn’t the right environment either. We got thinking about creating something different and interesting around using current and conductivity.” The team came up with ‘gadget info’ panels in each booth – backlit stylish wood panels, each with a sheet of ultra thin metal behind, which customers could touch to display a variety of messages and requests to pub staff. The walls also allowed customised colouration and lighting. Original, dramatic, practical – and a great conversation piece!

As much as 80 per cent comes via repeat business with some clients remaining with Newman Gauge for 20 years. “They trust us and know that we will also push the boundaries while knowing what they want,” said Sam. Developing relationships, both existing and new ones, is key and can be seen in the likes of work carried out for big names such as Center Parcs. Newman Gauge was responsible for completing two projects for the leisure giant at its popular Woburn and Longford Forest sites.

“At any one time we have 20 or 30 projects, a mix of smaller and larger briefs,” said Sam. At the time of writing, the larger projects included the 229-bedroom Curio Hotel for Hilton in London’s Kensington and work at Studley Castle Hotel, Warwickshire for Warner Leisure Hotels.

Sam said: “Moving forward, we intend to keep doing what we are doing with a great mix of hotels and restaurants, leisure and spas and retail. We have a fantastic team who always look to push the boundaries beyond current trends. Our awards and national acclaim are a testament to the team’s commitment and experience.”

BEEN THERE DONE THAT

I started as a performer/actress in London doing film, TV and theatre. I moved to Brum in 1990 to join Geese Theatre Company, using drama to confront offending behaviour in 120-plus prisons. This work changed my understanding of how arts can impact society. Once I’d met Lee, my partner, we started making work together in non-traditional spaces, raves, the street, allotments.. making projects with and for people. We’ve worked across the world in places often perceived as dangerous, making useful and beautiful projects with people living and working in very difficult circumstances.

IT’S WHAT I DO

As founder members of Friction Arts, Lee and I are very ‘google earth’ about our roles. We’re directors but also get our hands dirty –working the bar, delivering workshops, fund-raising, project design, producing and more. Following a successful inaugural event last year, Birmingham’s Sunday Share bootsale, organised by Friction Arts and the Active Well Being Society, is back on a permanent basis in Digbeth, featuring professional cultural, social and arts activities.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE?

I want to continue to make relevant work, be part of making the city for everyone and to welcome recently arrived economic migrants, particularly from London, and through sub-cultural safaris show them we have a vibrant, surprising culture that they are welcome to join.

BIGGEST SUCCESS

Professionally – we’ve spent the last three years marking the closure of the Wholesale Market, birthplace of the city 1,000 years ago through a range of projects. This culminated in a large-scale show, Everything Must Go, last summer, which was attended by many of the traders who were visibly moved. We’re proud of our international work, too – we left lasting legacies of activism and art in the likes of South Africa and Brazil. We’ve also managed to buy our venue/workshop, The Edge in Digbeth.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED

Listen carefully to all advice and disregard that which your gut tells you to. Never believe something is impossible – give it a go, you never know. We wouldn’t be re-starting the bootsale if it wasn’t for militant optimism and great support.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRUM

I came here in 1990 and reckon I was a Brummie within six months. You’re welcomed in other cities in the UK though often reminded you’re not from there ¬– that doesn’t happen here. I love Birmingham, particularly the people; straight-talking, authentic and understated humour – which is also why the re-booting of the bootsale is really important – a historic working class market built by and for people across the city… a regular meeting place.

DOWNTIME

When we’re not working we tend to be researching! Going to markets, of course, wherever we may be in the world. I’m in a jazz combo with Bethan (four-years-old) and Adam (seven), my neighbours. We meet once a week for ‘jazz club’ (specialising in improv). I grow 60 sunflowers every year as annual gifts for friends and to create a corner of joy in my garden where I can fall asleep and wake to nodding flowers. And I like a pint…

As a pianist and a singer, husband-and-wife duo Benjamin and Chloe-Jean Grey dreamed of creating a business out of their passions. Envisaging a musical collective where each member felt part of a family, they wanted to give talented musicians a chance to grow their talents, while earning money in a notoriously hard-to-break industry.

Not only did they want to showcase these talents to the masses, but they wanted to demonstrate the wealth of talent both from and to Birmingham. From this, Elegant Entertainment was born – and since then it has grown over the last six years to perform close to 5,000 sets. What’s more, the group has started to offer services beyond performing, planning parties, weddings and other memorable occasions as part of its repertoire.

TOP RESIDENCIES

Launching with just two performers in 2012, Elegant Entertainment has just celebrated the signing of its 42nd musician. With residencies in some of the region’s best-loved hotels, bars and restaurants, including Malmaison, Radisson, Clayton Hotel and Marco Pierre White, the Birmingham-based group is proving it’s more than a one-hit wonder for the city.

EE has also just launched its newest act, Keep Off The Brass. They’ve enjoyed a hugely successful month-long residency over Christmas, playing at Be At One and MPW, among others, and they are looking to tour them in Ibiza this summer.

Even with this rapid rise to the top, co-founder Benjamin is focussed on ensuring that the community-feel remains front and centre. He said: “We are a huge musical family and, in that respect, we all sing from the same song sheet – excuse the pun! Every member of Elegant Entertainment is integral to maintaining this ethos and we always recruit with this in mind. As a result, not only do we all enjoy coming to work each day, but we’ve attracted and retained the most talented musicians in the city!

BRUM IS BUZZING

“We’re totally biased being Brummies, but the truth is Birmingham’s entertainment scene has got everything. Wonderful theatres, a vibrant classical music scene, comedy clubs, and – of course – fantastic live music venues.”

EE’s aims over the next year are to provide its musicians with regular work at the most iconic venues in the city, while growing to have a team of more than 50. Chloe-Jean said: “Last year was a stand-out one for us having won contracts with the likes of Hotel du Vin, as well as having more than 350 performances booked over Christmas alone! We also performed at the BBC’s annual Christmas party, which was really exciting. We can’t wait to keep up the musical-momentum for both our clients and our performers in 2019!

GOING INTERNATIONAL

“EE is going international this year. We’ve had a property in Italy for 10 years now and speak the language. Last year, we were approached a number of times to do weddings over there so we’re focusing on “Britalian” weddings – for people who want their big day in a stunning place like Italy, but also quality live music from English musicians.”

So, just out of interest, what’s it like working so closely with your other half? Benjamin says: “Really fun actually! We’ve spoken to so many people who say : ‘God, I couldn’t work with my partner; we’d end up killing each other’.”

Chloe-Jean adds: “To be fair, there are days when we want to push each other into the canal but for the most part we get along really well.”