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Iron Angle: The write stuff for Brum

Philistines in the Birmingham council planning department have dropped an almighty clanger.
A map accompanying the infamous application for a beach at Chamberlain Square refers to a statue of J B Priestly (sic), handily placed close to the proposed juice bar and the deckchair shed.

They presumably mean the statue of Joseph Priestley, the radical 18th century writer and scientist who lived for a while in Birmingham and will be chiefly remembered for discovering oxygen.
J B Priestley, on the other hand, was the Yorkshire author and playwright whose radio fireside chats were popular during the Second World War and has absolutely no connection with Birmingham.
A ludicrous mistake, unless of course there is a hidden agenda. Perhaps the council is intent on dumbing down even further to the extent of replacing boring old Joseph with JB? I mean, who gives a fig for the discovery of oxygen when you can have the author of An Inspector Calls gazing down at the people's beach?
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An interesting change is proposed Birmingham City Council's constitution.
This week's annual meeting will be asked to approve a new clause stating that the Lord Mayor must not be "seen to be taking a lead or civic role in matters that are in the lawful domain of the leader of the council or any other cabinet member's portfolio".
This has infuriated Labour, and several former Lord Mayors, who regard the change as unwarranted interference and a thinly disguised attempt to beef up the image of Tory council leader Mike Whitby.
Why, they are asking, is the new clause felt necessary? The division of responsibility, with the Lord Mayor acting as Birmingham's civic head and the council leader as the political head, has worked perfectly well for more than 100 years.
Is this all part of the rise and rise of President Whitby?
Not if Labour gets its way. There is talk of a legal challenge, based on the fact that the charter setting out the powers of the Lord Mayor was granted by the Privy Council. Only the Queen can approve changes.
Could be a job for Whitby factotum James North to persuade Her Maj.
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The Birmingham cabinet, always easily impressed, was suitably enthused by a Powerpoint presentation on the council's new Culture Strategy.
There's so much to celebrate and be proud of, apparently.
Unfortunately, more than half of the famous Birmingham residents listed in the strategy document are dead.
Some of the deceased "Brummies" spent little time here when they were alive.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for example, worked in Aston for three years from 1879 to 1882. His best known work, the Sherlock Holmes stories, are not renowned for being set in Birmingham.
Another famous Brummie, Barbara Cartland, was born in Edgbaston but got out as soon as she could.
Chris Tarrant, the presenter of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, went to school in Worcester and worked for Central Television in Birmingham for a while. But a Brummie? I don't think so.
And on the subject of famous Birmingham products listed in the strategy, is it really wise to continue claiming HP Sauce as one of our own?

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on May 19, 2007 5:56 PM.

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