Lightning Bolt To Strike Birmingham
On the day Usain Bolt obliterated his world record to confirm his status as the fastest man alive, his nation signed a deal to bring their training camp to Birmingham in 2012.
From the Jamaica Observer:
"Birmingham is a city that has always been close to Jamaica. There are many Jamaicans living in Birmingham and they have sold Jamaica well. We'll be working closely with the leaders in Birmingham to build our base there and to improve tourist arrivals from that city. I expect to meet with them soon to explore the possibilities" - Edmund Bartlett, Jamaican Minister of Tourism
"This means so much for the city of Birmingham. Our Jamaican community will be ecstatic because this guarantees them their place in the 2012 Games. While the competition will be based in London, this will definitely bring the Olympic fever to Birmingham - Mike Whitby, Leader, Birmingham City Council
More Designs for New Street Revealed
The Network Rail website has a flythrough video of the exterior concept of the redesigned Birmingham New Street station.
(Hat-tip Birmingham Central blog)
Post People: Blair Kesseler
Today's Birmingham Post carries a feature on Blair Kesseler, the former chair of the Birmingham Liberal Party, now chief executive of the city's youth homelessness charity St Basils. Definitely worth a read.
"Meanwhile, his interest in politics started while he was still at school and led him to a life-long association with liberalism."
"Asked if he misses the buzz of the political arena, Blair said: “I miss hearing all the gossip first and knowing what was going on before anyone else.”
“One of the best elements of St Basils is being given the opportunity to witness the young people building themselves a platform for the rest of their lives. They have been a constant source of inspiration for me,” Blair said. “It does sound corny but it is like a family. Everyone is so passionate that you can’t help but get caught up in the emotion. In fact, some of the stories you hear from the young people are incredible. If I had hair it would have been permanently stood on end for the last fifteen years.”
City Centre Neighbourhood Forum
On Monday evening I was invited along to a committee meeting of the City Centre Neighbourhood Forum. The group have trouble communicating on a regular basis with residents of the city centre, because the vast majority live in private developments with door entry codes. I joined them for the first portion of the meeting, where I presented a few tips and tricks on getting the local community engaged via the internet and specifically blogging.
Before I left we discussed a number of other issues including the Broad Street BID.
If you live within the city centre boundary (as defined by the map below), I'd encourage you to bookmark the Neighbourhood Forum Blog.
Ed Miliband Interviewed by Ladywood Kids
Climate Change minister Ed Miliband was in Ladywood recently to visit the Summerfield Eco-Village project. Local news project TNT News were on hand to interview him. Click here to view the video.
What's interesting for me is how uncomfortable he seems when being questioned by the children (should he look at the camera or the kids!?) but also the following comments on the TNT website:
It was interesting for us to see the minister’s public relations team. I think there were at least four of them and they all seemed scared stiff at the thought of us interviewing him, perhaps incase we asked awkward questions! They wanted us to go into a separate room and wait for him to finish his tour before allowing us to interview him.
Birmingham Job Centres Need Investment
The Government has been accused of failing to invest in Birmingham's Job Centres despite unemployment heading for a 15-year high.
From the Birmingham Post:
"Nearly 50 job centres across the West Midlands need expanding as they struggle to cope with soaring unemployment and a rapid increase in the number of people seeking work, managers have admitted. But the comments came in the wake of a series of job centre closures. In the West Midlands, 53 job centres have closed their doors since 2002."
In recent times unemployment in Ladywood constituency has consistently been the highest in the entire UK. According to the latest June 2009 figures published by the BBC, Ladywood still leads the way with 11.1%. Take a closer look though, and you'll see the next three constituencies with the highest unemployment are ALL in Birmingham.
Over the past few years, this supposed Labour government slashed job centres in Aston, Sparkbrook, Northfield, Selly Oak, Small Heath, Erdington and Handsworth - right across the city - and most in the areas that now have the highest unemployment. The two job centres in Ladywood ward operating at full capacity are on Broad Street and Summer Row.
If we are to effectively get people into relevant training or back to employment, we cannot skimp on the facilities - especially not in the city with the worst unemployment problem.
Summer Walkabout in Ladywood
It was such a beautiful morning yesterday that I decided upon an impromptu walkabout the estates of Ladywood with a friend. We spent over two hours wandering from the Jewellery Quarter to Summer Hill Road, King Edwards Road, St Marks Crescent, Ledsam Street, Rodney Close, Guild Close, St Vincent St West and along Ladywood Middleway to Five Ways. We then stopped for breakfast on Broad Street before cutting through Brindley Place and back to the Jewellery Quarter.
It was a gorgeous day and we weren't the only ones strolling around - there was a real friendly atmosphere wherever we went. I took down several pieces of casework and along with my friend, we took the opportunity to take some snaps...
The walk got me thinking. Ladywood ward isn't the first place many people think of going for a walk when the sun is shining, but there are some wonderful sights to see. Over the next few months I'll create a few walks and post them up here - hopefully residents and visitors alike will find them useful.
Trouble Erupts in Birmingham City Centre
We'd been expecting it all week (see coverage on The Stirrer) and today trouble did indeed erupt in Birmingham City Centre.
Details are sketchy at present and currently only reported via Twitter. My thanks to @adambc82 who let me reproduce his photo here, taken from his city centre apartment. He tweeted "Riots in Birmingham City Centre, right outside my flat. Smashed windows, bottles flying, riot police everywhere. No idea what's going on."
It would appear the violence is in response to today's planned anti-Islamic extremism protest in the city centre. This was a follow-up to the events of 4th July which I've blogged about previously (the videos are worth watching. I'm told a counter anti-fascism protest was also held earlier today. Exactly who was involved or why things escalated is not clear at present.
I'm told from numerous sources things have calmed down now, but I can still hear the police helicopters watching over the city. More when I know it.
UPDATE 1:
Video of riots - this does not look good
UPDATE 2:
Video of protest earlier in the day
UPDATE 3:
Mainstream press start reporting - Birmingham Post and Daily Mail - both with disturbing images
UPDATE 4:
The story hit the BBC amongst others on Sunday. All reports seem to indicate the police handled the situation well. There were 33 arrests and 2 injuries.
Burnt Out Car on Attwood Green
For part of today's mammoth FOCUS delivery day, we were in Attwood Green - always a great place to be when the sun is shining.
It was a shame then to discover this burnt out car on Rickman Drive, right outside the Etap hotel. Within a few seconds the local police arrived after being alerted by a hotel employee. From chatting to them it seems the car wasn't stolen, so it's likely to either belong to a local resident or someone staying at the hotel, or abandoned. As it was parked on double yellow lines, I suspect the latter.
Crime on Attwood Green has fallen by 9% over the last 12 months, but there are still issues with antisocial behaviour as there are across the ward.
If anyone has any information, please contact West Midlands Police on 0845 113 5000.
Work Underway at St Georges
Work is underway on the new St Georges development on the fringes of the Jewellery Quarter. The mixed use development covering 2.75 hectares will be built in 5 phases, eventually resulting in new office space, apartments, retail, bars, restaurants and 2 new hotels. It will be built around the Icknield Street, Carver Street and Pope Street area, which is mostly composed of vacant warehouse and factory buildings.
Preparatory work has started on the first phase, The Kettleworks, which will provide 236,176 sq ft of office space and a multi-storey car park. The first phase should be complete by late next year.
I'm very keen on this development not only for the job creation, but also because it opens out the Jewellery Quarter and creates a new gateway on the Ladywood side - something desperately needed.
There are still a number of developments - "The Quarter" on Warstone Lane and the Birmingham Mint - where work has stalled. Hopefully St Georges will not suffer a similar fate.
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