Birmingham Post

An invitation to sleep with Nick Venning in a cardboard box on the streets of Birmingham, of course. Before anyone gets too many ideas, I refer to the annual St Basils Sleep-Out taking place at the end of November to raise money for some of the less fortunate young citizens of Birmingham.
Bright's memory is long and unforgiving; may I remind my loyal readers that last year Nick did his sleeping out on a beach in St Lucia! I'm also slightly confused by a photo from Bright's New York correspondent that seems to suggest that he is actually planning to sleep-in on the other side of the Pond yet again! Nick assures me that he really will be found under the bright lights of Digbeth this year.
But, be warned my friend, Bright's spies will be on the lookout!
Anyone interested in taking part should contact Rebecca Cheesman at St Basils (rebecca.cheesman@stbasils.org.uk) . . . sounds a better prospect than Nick Venning, that's for sure!

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Woe is me – the "banger" is no more.
The vehicle, a battered Vauxhall Cavalier, has been the runaround of Moseley rugby club supremo Alan Adam for longer than anyone cares to remember.
The lad's got a bob or two – indeed, as they say in Yorkshire, once a pound is in his pocket it's a prisoner – but never likes to waste it.
And, having done the flash motor bit in his youth some several centuries ago, he says he sees no point any more in wasting dosh on lumps of metal.
Hence the battered banger – a vehicle which has been hauled out of ditches at the Henley Regatta and pushed from a swamp at Halifax rugby club – was his preferred mode of transport. But age catches up with all of us, and it has with the banger.
Adam has given it away and "bought a Mondeo with 30,000 miles on the clock".
Indeed, with real sorrow in his heart (yes, he is believed to possess one), he tells me: "The banger started first time all the time and was mechanically sound."
Indeed it has carried such luminaries as Councillor Ian Ward, deputy leader of the Labour group on Birmingham City Council.
Now it is no more.
Bye, bye, banger. It was good fun.

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Advantage West Midlands spin doctor Matt Danks has been getting dirty again.
No, not smutty, mucking in among country folk, I mean.
Actually, he was helping out old buddy, Pete Brookes, once of Manchester United television channel fame.
He tells me: "Am recovering from a week looking after Pete’s house in Stourton while he was off on his holidays.
"Actually, house is probably a bit of an understatement, estate would probably be more appropriate.
"Naturally, my duties have included feeding his cat, hens and – rather worryingly – his geese. Absolutely horrible creatures, even more hostile and aggressive than the beggars in New Street. I think, however, they have finally got the message, just as I’m leaving, that I’m the one running the show.
"Mind, the sight of me charging around Pete’s paddock in my suit trying to shoo the geese back into their pen was one I’m glad not too many people saw!"
Not a pretty sight.

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Given England's glorious defeat in the World Cup, I was going to make this a World Cup-free zone.
But then not everyone bothered even to watch.
PR guru Phil Parking spent the time viewing Woody Allen films.
Claims he was "molested" in the scrum when forced to play the game at school.
So he went out and bought a box set of 11 DVDs for £65.
And which one did he watch during the epic encounter with South Africa?
Annie Wilkinson of course!
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I always look forward to a good old-fashioned post strike because it means they at last get round to cleaning out all the mail bags lying around the place.
So what a surprise to find my tickets for the August 27 England v India One Day International at Warwickshire's Edgbaston ground finally come through the door last week.
Presumably the Royal Mail think cricket is played in winter.
Thankfully I did get the tickets replaced at the time and so managed to get to the game.
No thanks to the post however. They were left for me on the gate.
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The award for the first freebie diary of 2008 reaching The Birmingham Post goes to law firm Mazars.
It arrived on the same day as my spies on the outside report getting their first diary of the season – the honours go to TBK Wealth Management of Oldbury.
And, talking of freebies, they are getting ever more bizarre.
In comes a long-life light bulb plugging HSBC's new Climate Change fund to be launched on November 5, and a bottle of Polish vodka pushing a Pitcher & Piano promotion involving a free trip to Kracow.
Yes, folks, Christmas is here.
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Stoford director Chris Lea is swapping his business suit for a running vest to take part in this year's New York Marathon.
The commercial property expert is preparing to pound the streets of the Big Apple with 30,000 other runners in what will be his first full marathon attempt.
He is hoping to raise £10,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the Prostate Cancer Charity, after two of his friends were diagnosed with the disease last year.
Chris completed the Stratford Half Marathon in April in 2hr 11min and the recent Wolverhampton Half Marathon in an even quicker time of 1hr 58min, having only taken up serious running five years ago.
The 54-year-old has been running more than 20 miles a week to train for the 26-mile challenge, which takes in five boroughs including Brooklyn and Manhattan.