tag:,2008:/140 2008-02-17T21:09:47Z Movable Type 3.31 tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.38839 2008-02-17T21:07:50Z 2008-02-17T21:09:47Z

The distinguished career of John Matthews, from Hyder Consulting, is being celebrated next Friday at a "long lunch" at Villa Park....

John Bright The distinguished career of John Matthews, from Hyder Consulting, is being celebrated next Friday at a "long lunch" at Villa Park. Not surprisingly the lad has attracted an audience of more than 300 guests to the event already with a promise that they can get their own back on being the subject of his sometimes hard hitting wit. One of the most famous put-downs being back in 1993 when Richard Graves took the helm of Francis C Graves from his father and Matthews greeted him with the straightfaced comment - "that just proves that blood is thicker than talent". ------ Property guru Harvey Williams has been telling me how he nearly came off worse in a Villa-Blues confrontation. He'd just been to a meeting on behalf of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Birmingham city centre when an old ankle injury he attributes to too much soccer and cricket in his youth began to flare up. So much so that he couldn't keep his shoe on, such was the pain. And all they could find to help him was some old Aston Villa sock. So there he is hobbling across St Philip's Square in the direction of Snow Hill and his car - appropriate because it was snowing. He has one shoe on and one shoe off, and the sock standing out prominently through the murk. Just at the point a group of Birmingham City fans appear. "We'll kick the other one away if you don't hurry up," quips the lead wag, but takes pity on the veteran. Talk about Long John Silver - what will Harvey be up to next? ------- More tales from the slopes - this time from Birmingham businessman Glyn Pitchford in Davos. He writes: "I met Simon Eccleston - well known in CBI circles - over there for a noggin or three in a mountain restaurant. As there was a blizzard stopping us skiing I decided I'd buy him a bottle of red vino to help digest his rather formidable lunch. "It could only improve his skiing, which to be honest was a bit embarrassing! "Anyway, when the waitress presented me with the damage I took one look at it and having picked myself up from the floor told Simon that I hadn't got nearly enough money on me and asked him to settle the bill which he did. "The mistake I made was not having Maggie my wife with me - I always rely on her for bailing me out of such situations. "Somehow I'm sure Simon will not let me forget that one." That's a certainty. But there is more from Pitchford ... He continues: "On one of the days I went skiing with a guide from Ski Club of Great Britain along with a rep from Swiss Travel. "We decided to lose the crowds and took a track from Davos to Klosters and way beyond, well off piste. "A 15km run which was unmarked, and inevitably, we got lost. We ended up skiing over private fields into a hamlet, with no-one in sight who could speak English - funny, that. "Finding ourselves in an impenetrable forest we removed our skis and arrived at the bottom of the valley only to find a raging river which we had to cross. Very tricky wearing ski boots stepping over the boulders. "Our objective was a remote railway station which we knew had trains getting us back to Klosters. "Next problem we encountered was an even wider river, totally impassable, so I went on a recce to find a bridge which I eventually did. "Once on the other side we finally arrived at the railway station where we were told we had to stick out our hand when a train came along, as it was a request stop! Didn't know they had request stops for trains, but I do now! "Eventually having pulled over a train we reached civilisation just as dusk was falling. "Can't wait to get back." Lost and broke in Switzerland. How does Pitchford manage it? ------- Panic in Brierley Hill last week after it was shut down by a "bomb". Actually it turned out to be some sort of gas canister, dug up in the course of new roadworks aptly under the direction of the Keeping Brierley Hill Moving project. Caught up in the scare were lawyers Higgs & Sons. Now, solicitors sometimes felt the need to reach for their tin hats in cases of extreme intensity, but this was ridiculous. And in the ensuing chaos, the firm's emails also went down. So any plans to email loved ones that the end of the world was nigh were scuppered. Now Brierley Hill has its detractors. Some do like to label the town as a no-go-area. But thankfully once the turmoil had subsided and police tape was removed, all was quickly back to normal. Still, Higgs & Sons senior partner Ian Shovlin went into Churchillian mode just in case. "We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead," he declared. Words which I am sure will go down in history. -------- A little later than usual I bring you the results of the 2007 predictions contest. This is where Bright, alias his vicar on earth John Duckers, business editor of this great newspaper, and businessmen John James, Brian Chapplehow, Tim Doyle, Peter Bache, Mark Bevan and James Retallack, get together in early January or February to predict how the future will turn out. You will be comforted to know that apparently Duckers does know something about the financial world, coming closest on where the FTSE would end 2007. He had gone for 6412 with everybody else much higher. The question of how much Heather Mills would pocket from her divorce settlement proved a little premature - the case is only now being heard. So that was declared void. Big dispute over when the first car would roll off the production lines at Longbridge - has it really happened yet? It was eventually deemed to have taken place on May 25, which gave Doyle a point. The other questions revolved around the price of Severn Trent shares, the combined points at the end of the season for Villa, Birmingham City, West Brom and Wolves, the best performing countries in the rugby and cricket world cups and the month The Birmingham Post and Mail would be sold - it wasn't. Anyway, the outcome was a 2-2 draw between Bevan and Doyle. James and Duckers claimed one point each and not quite as many as one point for Chap-pelhow, Bache and Retallack. So on to 2008. There's the usual what will the FTSE stand at by the end of the year; the team that will come third in this year's European football championships; Britain's medal tally in the Olympics; the day that Carson Yeung either sells out of Birmingham City or buys it all; the number of bankruptcies in the first three quarters; best performing share; and Duckers weight at the next meeting. Duckers is pleased to see most estimates are on the thin side. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.36871 2008-01-26T18:25:30Z 2008-01-26T18:41:04Z

Sukhdev Singh Bhomra, president of Birmingham Law Society, nearly stole the show this week. Speaking at the President's Dinner in the Town Hall he fell to reminiscing....

John Bright Sukhdev Singh Bhomra, president of Birmingham Law Society, nearly stole the show this week. Speaking at the President's Dinner in the Town Hall he fell to reminiscing. He recalled: "Many famous personalities have spoken here including Charles Dickens. "In the fifties and sixties many famous rock and pop stars played here including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. "In the seventies I remember attending a concert by a famous Indian folk singer. "The renovated organ is internationally recognised instrument. It now has the latest acoustic technology. "Earlier I tested the sound system and I was amazed how well I sounded when I sang a song. "In fact, I am almost tempted to sing my speech." And then the let down. "Do not worry I will not do so," he remarked. "My wife is here and I can clearly see her holding her head in her hands." Very wise! ------- Bright has always enjoyed the occasional breakfast fry-up. But one breakfast supervisor has served nearly 400,000 breakfasts to guests at a leading hotel near Stratford. Now she has retired. On her last day the tables were turned as Mary Anderson was treated to a cooked breakfast by general manager Nigel Mann at the Charlecote Pheasant Hotel in Charlecote. The 67-year-old also met up with several familiar faces as old colleagues returned to the hotel, which is currently undergoing a £2 million refurbishment. Mary, who lives in Hampton Lucy with her husband, Bruce, and has two daughters, Deborah and Michelle, said it had been lovely to have been served breakfast on her final day. "I have absolutely loved working at the hotel," she said. "It has been a big part of my life for 26 years." "Many of our regular guests have become friends over the years as I have served their breakfast. "I have been breakfast supervisor for the last 12 years so I am looking forward to not having to get up at 5am!" She still travels around by scooter and has had a gym built at her home to keep herself fit. Proving that fry-ups are good for you! ------- Bright's vicar on earth John Duckers, business editor of this august organ, is clearly losing his marbles. Having mislaid his umbrella - yet again - he detoured over to Simpsons on route into the office having becoming convinced he must have left it there after a boozy Institute of Directors media bash. Naturally, there was no sign of the article and by the time he reached his desk Duckers had resigned himself to having to get another. But what should be leaning against the wall looking at him but the missing brolly. Brolly good show, I say. Keep up to speed, Duckers. -------- News of marketing girl Joy Stefanicki who recently exchanged Birmingham for New York. Birmingham businesswoman Diane Benussi tells me she looked the gal up while on a recent holiday in the Big Apple. Indeed they had a meal together. Which naturally turned into mayhem - to do with the drunk on the next table taking offence at something or other. And how is Joy faring? She is now "much quieter", claims Diane. Hang on - Stefanicki and quiet are words which just don't go together. Indeed given both Stefanicki and New York are what you might better describe as loud it seems like a marriage made in heaven. But I guess she is still finding her feet in a strange city. Quiet! Can't get my head around that one. -------- When insults had class ... And there's even one from a certain John Bright! "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway) "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend .... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill. Followed by Churchill's response: "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second, if there is one." "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop "He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde Lady Astor once remarked to Winston Churchill at a dinner party, "Winston, if you were my husband, I would poison your coffee!" Winston replied: "Madam if I were your husband I would drink it!" ------- Have you got the "balls" to enter PricewaterhouseCoopers' 2008 Charity Quiz And Auction? It takes place on February 21, is in support of Birmingham Children's Hospital and host is Midlands man Alan Dedicoat, Wogan's sidekick on BBC Radio 2 and the Lottery's 'Voice of the Balls'. Now in its third year, it raised £11,510 last time. The event will also include a team trophy which last year was won by swots Bevan Brittan. Bright is pondering just how much of a fool he wants to make of himself ... but you should have no doubts! Time to sign up. -------- tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.36509 2008-01-22T13:30:45Z 2008-01-22T13:34:42Z

Opposition Tories and MPs within Labour's own ranks have been making political capital out of the Home Secretary's admission that she would not feel safe walking the streets of London at night. Jacqui Smith does not discriminate on the basis...

Richard McComb Opposition Tories and MPs within Labour's own ranks have been making political capital out of the Home Secretary's admission that she would not feel safe walking the streets of London at night. Jacqui Smith does not discriminate on the basis of class and she is nothing if not consistent. So, although she won't set foot in Hackney, where the bad/poor people live, neither will she take a moonlight stroll in Kensington or Chelsea, where the posh/nice people live. The Tories and some MPs say this is a damning indictment of the Government's failure to tackle lawlessness. They also claim that Ms Smith's reluctance, metaphorically, to take Ralph McTell's hand and be led through the streets of London unfairly stigmatises those areas of the capital inhabited by chirpy Pearly Kings, chimney sweeps and that nice Mary Poppins. Ms Smith concedes she used to walk around her constituency in Redditch, although quite what she found there to merit an excursion remains a mystery (suggestions on a postcard, please). The facts are that the Home Secretary's reluctance to expose herself to a street attack is completely unremarkable, and completely understandable. Putting aside her elevated status, which puts her in the crosshairs of global terrorists, everyone knows that it is not a terribly good idea for lone women to walk out at night. This is not a new concept and has existed since, oh, I don't know, way before Jack the Ripper. A woman who chooses to walk along seemingly deserted inner-city streets, or rural lanes, is not asking for it. They are, however, putting themselves in jeopardy. It's appalling, but it is a fact of life. The same goes for chaps, too. There is a body of statistical data that suggests a lone man is more likely to get attacked than a lone woman. And for this reason there are many parts of our own city of Birmingham where I would not walk alone at night. These areas, unsurprisingly, include those neighbourhoods favoured by armed criminality, as well as districts quaintly titled "entertainment hotspots," where entertainment is a byword for binge-drinking, petty theft, robbery and alcohol-fuelled violence. If Ms Smith had proclaimed that she regularly takes off on her own for night-time rambles across Wimbledon Common, and, furthermore, that she would encourage lone women to follow her example, she rightly would be castigated as a nutter. The inescapable truth, here, is that some people - both men and women - have a problem not only with a female home secretary, but with women per se in positions of authority. For these people, there is a credibility issue that is wrapped up in their own prejudices. The same flak, inevitably, is going Hillary Clinton's way in the race to win the Democratic nomination in the US presidential race. Some critics think Hillary is too feminine, some don't think she is feminine enough. When she blubbed during the Iowa caucus, in a very visible sign of good old-fashioned conviction politics, some interpreted the tears as an insight into female frailty. Do we really want a weeping girl with her finger on the button of the United States' nuclear arsenal? Now it appears that Hillary has pulled out of a photo-shoot with US Vogue because her campaign team fear she might come across as being too feminine. Personally, I see no reason why stylistic elegance and political authority have to be mutually exclusive. A woman can have a neat hairstyle, don lipstick, wear a skirt - or a trouser suit - hell, she can even look sexy - and still be taken seriously. And Hillary, it must be said, scrubs up well. Being taken seriously doesn't mean acting pseudo-tough and walking the dark streets alone. Crimes of violence may indeed have increased under Labour, but violent criminals existed long before Ms Smith took up her post. The real shock is that Ms Smith popped out (with her police minder) for a doner kebab in Peckham - at tea time! Presumably she wasn't even lagered up. Now, that's positively heroic. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.36265 2008-01-20T23:57:44Z 2008-01-21T00:05:03Z

Bond girl Britt Ekland - at the Hotel du Vin for a Birmingham Press Club event - left the hacks shaken and stirred. She was in Birmingham to help the Press Club's sponsors, Royal Mail, launch their new set of...

John Bright Bond girl Britt Ekland - at the Hotel du Vin for a Birmingham Press Club event - left the hacks shaken and stirred. She was in Birmingham to help the Press Club's sponsors, Royal Mail, launch their new set of James Bond stamps based on the Ian Fleming book covers. But Britt left an impression all round - ITV Central anchorman Bob Warman was given a lesson in kissing and Heart fm breakfast show host Ed James was given a dressing down. Bob, vice-president of the Press Club, was sharp enough to ask Britt for a demonstration in the art of stage kissing - and he received the full treatment leaving him somewhat dishevelled. Britt, however, was not happy with James's dress code. The Press Club board member had black jacket, black shirt, black tie - and jeans. "Darling," Britt gushed. "You really must learn to dress properly. All men only look at their best in evening wear." However, Britt, who married Peter Sellars and had a highly publicised relationship with Rod Stewart, did approve of the James footwear and hoisted up his jeans so she could get a better look. Britt, who starred with Roger Moore in The Man with the Golden Gun, was thrilled with her evening with the Press Club. In a note to the Press Club, her agent Gareth Owen said: "Britt really did thoroughly enjoy herself. She said she very much appreciated meeting so many interesting people." Britt was made a Life Member of the Press Club and was delighted to receive the much-celebrated and inscribed commemorative hunting horn provided by Simon Topman's Acme Whistles company in Birmingham. "I will treasure it," she said, as she tooted her way out of Birmingham. Press Club chairman John Lamb said: "Everyone was delighted to meet Britt and she took time to press the flesh with almost everyone present." Next up for members is an exercise in getting their faces in the trough - a practice many are well seasoned at. For TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson is guest at the next Celebrity Lunch at Opus on January 31. Ticket details from Jane Robbins at jane@jrpromotions.biz; 01926 409266. -------- Dale le Vack, veteran newsman of print, TV and radio, is now carving out a career in PR as Andy Skinner's wingman, but ASAP PR's Astwood Bank office has had to adapt to Dale's somewhat pre-1950s ways. He likes his life just so, and that includes his lunchtime. Staff have watched bemused as he approaches the fridge as the clock nears 1pm every weekday and starts to prepare his daily repast. Unfortunately Dale's appetite and his knowledge of kitchen apparatus are not quite in gear. On the only day when the man with the key wasn't around, Dale manages to set off the fire alarm system for the whole building, including two other businesses. Dale, mate - learn to use a toaster! ------------ A leading rescue and insolvency specialist has changed its name - much to the relief of stranded motorists. Cranfield Business Recovery has just celebrated its first year in Coventry after moving from Warwick. The company, which employs 10 people and was established in Warwick in 2001, found itself a first port of call from people stuck on the regions motorways. Managing director Tony Mitchell said the anniversary was the perfect time to change the name. "We had always been known as Cranfield Recovery and while our line of business is very clear to our clients, it had clearly not filtered through to motorists or the various directory enquiry agencies. "We had endless calls asking us to pop out and recover their vehicles when they had broken down or encountered problems of various sorts. "It was not helpful to them as they just had to make more calls, and not brilliant for us either. "We do specialise in recovery but of the commercial nature and it is usually a little more long term!" So Cranfield, which is based in the office of Coventry Cathedral in the city centre, added the word Business to its name and the calls have dried up. Tony added: "Hopefully it makes it plainer what we do so we can avoid taking calls, and people can have their motoring misery ended a little quicker." Relief all round. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.35919 2008-01-15T17:33:59Z 2008-01-15T17:39:48Z

Sometimes you have to read an announcement a couple of times to make sure you have not misunderstood its meaning. The Prime Minister's musings on knife crime, made yesterday in the wake of unprecedented savagery on the nation's streets and...

Richard McComb Sometimes you have to read an announcement a couple of times to make sure you have not misunderstood its meaning. The Prime Minister's musings on knife crime, made yesterday in the wake of unprecedented savagery on the nation's streets and housing estates, is one such case. Gordon Brown declared anyone caught carrying a blade ("anyone," in this context, being an alternative description for "mindless thug") will be prosecuted. Brown said: "It is completely unacceptable to carry a knife or a gun. We are to step up action. Where the police have previously been cautioning people there now has to be a presumption of prosecution. We will charge, not caution." Let me run that past you again: "We will charge, not caution." Yes, stunning, isn't it? At the moment, a disaffected hoodie or aspiring gangster crew member can be nabbed with a knife, whisked off to the local nick, given a cup of tea, a jammy dodger and a "stern talking to" before being sent packing with nothing more than a slap on the wrists. If he or she is a juvenile, and mummy or daddy can't be bothered to leave the pub, the Old Bill will probably arrange for the trainee lout to be taken home after receiving his child-friendly caution, which is branded a "reprimand" or "final warning" and is commonly known in the criminal fraternity as a "right old earful". All this is going to change, however. Or at least it is in those areas of the country, including Birmingham, where the war on knife crime, for that is what it is, isn't going awfully well. Officially, cities such as Birmingham are to be newly designated as knife hotspots. It's a delightful label. I feel so proud to live in a stigmatised knife hotspot and look forward to receiving a corresponding cut in my local taxes because of the collective failure of the authorities to deal with the problem. Overseas visitor: "Excuse me. Am I right in thinking Birmingham didn't win the contest to be Capital of Culture, and Liverpool did?" Brum tourism official: "Yes, that's right. But we are a knife hotspot. And when it comes to stabbings and armed hold-ups, we're right up there with those cheeky Scousers." Now police officers, and by implication Labour, are going to give the impression of being tough on knife crime by doing what they should have been doing all along - and throwing the book at violent offenders. Next month, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will announce details of a Violent Crime Action Plan, following that tried and tested Labour spin policy of announcing you are going to announce a "get tough on ..." policy, announcing a "get tough on ..." policy, and announcing you have announced a "get tough on ..." policy. The cautioning of criminals, rather than formally charging them with offences, has long been a discredited arm of this country's namby-pamby law enforcement policy. The argument in favour of cautioning is that some reprobates are so terrified by the mere experience of being hauled before a police inspector that they immediately learn the error of their ways and henceforth will walk the path of righteousness. This might work in the case of young scallywags caught scrumping apples or shoplifting sherbet fountains. But the idea that cautioning works in some altruistic, socialising way, and deters offenders from becoming habitual criminals, comes from the same school of thought that believes Dixon of Dock Green really was Britain's first fly-on-the-wall crime documentary. Cautioning has long been used as a quasi-judicial brush to sweep what would otherwise be awkward, time-consuming prosecutions under the carpet. All too frequently offences for which cautions have been issued have included sexual crimes and crimes of violence, the warped reasoning being that it has been in the "public interest" not to prosecute. The Government, then, should not be applauded then for suspending cautioning for knife offences in cities such as Birmingham. It could, and should, have done this years ago when the carrying of knives first emerged as a cultural trend. The bigger issue here is the use of cautioning across the board; and if the suspicion persists that cautioning represents an easy option for crooks and law enforcers, that is because it is. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.35615 2008-01-13T18:52:43Z 2008-01-13T18:58:09Z

Has Mike Whitby taken a vow of silence, or more worryingly is he the victim of a conspiracy of silence? Not much has been heard from the Birmingham City Council leader since the triumph of his Christmas "podcast" on something...

Paul Dale Has Mike Whitby taken a vow of silence, or more worryingly is he the victim of a conspiracy of silence? Not much has been heard from the Birmingham City Council leader since the triumph of his Christmas "podcast" on something called Stirrer TV, in which he managed helpfully to remind the audience that David Cameron has come up with a lot of mad ideas over the years, elected mayors among them. I expect they'll be chuckling at Conservative Central Office over that one. If only Dave had asked Mike's advice first before announcing the findings of Tory policy thinktanks. No one could be bothered to ask Whitby a question at this week's full council meeting, although he almost managed to hijack a question aimed at the absent education cabinet member Les Lawrence until the Lord Mayor ruled him out of order. Iron Angle attempted earlier in the week to elicit the great man's views (Whitby, not the Lord Mayor) on the latest state of play with regard to the redevelopment of New Street Station. According to West Midlands Minister Liam Byrne, the saviour of the New Street project, there are no problems whatsoever apart from one teeny thing. If the redevelopment turns out to be a "sandcastle that falls over when the tide comes in", who picks up the bill? Who indeed? Might Mike be left writing a hefty cheque to cover Network Rail's shortcomings? I spoke to a charming new girl in the council press office, by the name of Deborah Harris, who has come from Telford Council to be Birmingham's head of news. It is rumoured that Deborah once worked for John Prescott, so she knows all about the smack of firm leadership. Deborah promised to speak to Mike and report back. Four hours later...... council chief executive Stephen Hughes rang offering a "briefing" on New Street. That was fine, for one is always happy to pass the time of day with Mr Hughes. But was it really wise, or ethical, for Mr Hughes to suggest that his comments could be attributed to Coun Whitby? After all, we know from long experience that Mike Whitby is quite capable of speaking for himself. Are you out there, Mike? Have they gagged you and locked you in the umbrella cupboard? Try to send a signal and I will arrange a rescue. ------ ------ Government approval for the £550 million redevelopment of New Street Station may or may not be forthcoming by the end of this month, but even if the go-ahead is given there remains a substantial minority of critics who fear the much-hyped scheme amounts to little more than a new shopping centre and cosmetic improvements to passenger waiting areas. The 150 per cent increase in capacity that is regularly boasted about refers in fact to an increase in passenger capacity in the new waiting areas, not to additional train services. An interesting letter in this newspaper on Tuesday from a certain Charles Barwell, of Edgbaston, making the point that only by building an entirely new station at Eastside will Birmingham ever be able to solve the track capacity problems at New Street. As Mr Barwell puts it: "Curzon Street has to be the site for an iconic design." What makes the letter even more interesting is that the author is none other than Charles Barwell, the Vice-President of the National Convention of the Conservative Party. When it comes to Tory grandees outside of Parliament, you don't get much grander. While Barwell was undoubtedly writing in a personal capacity, his sniffy attitude to the New Street plan and his enthusiastic support for a "Grand Central" station at Eastside is likely to infuriate Mike Whitby, the Conservative leader of Birmingham City Council. Barwell has close connections with Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell and Tory Party leader David Cameron - the two have been known to lunch together - and will no doubt be keeping Dave informed of city council matters in Birmingham. Whitby, it will be remembered, chairs the New Street Gateway steering group and was largely responsible for pushing through with the project after becoming council leader in 2004. He is unlikely to take kindly to criticism from within his own party. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.35612 2008-01-13T18:37:36Z 2008-01-13T18:51:29Z

Charles Barwell, of Barclays, nearly got caught "sloping off" from our top share tipping competition. He came second with a 148 per cent profit on Vestas Wind. And, unamazingly, after all this is The Birmingham Post, news reached him while...

John Bright Charles Barwell, of Barclays, nearly got caught "sloping off" from our top share tipping competition. He came second with a 148 per cent profit on Vestas Wind. And, unamazingly, after all this is The Birmingham Post, news reached him while on a skiing holiday in France. He tells me: "Was in Courchevel where the snow was amazing." Except half his kit was still in Birmingham. He went on: "Unfortunately my ski kit was still at BHX so I had the most expensive afternoon of my life buying new goggles, gloves and even underwear in Europe's most expensive resort. "At Christmas I could however console myself that my goddaughter's father, who's chalet I was staying at, had a private plane direct from the altiport here to get us back for Arsenal v Spurs. "So I didn't have to face the prospect of Flybe losing my kit a second time!" Bah humbug. What about Villa and the Blues? Still, many congratulations. --------- Indefatigable networker and all-round good egg Neil Pountney has never been a man afraid of a gadget. So his little eyes must have lit up when - ver the recent festive period - found that Santa had left him a brand new iPod. The two (Pountney and the iPod, not Santa) have become inseparable. Knowing the boy's predilection for a bit of Celine Dion (and we all know which bit), his work colleagues were quick to set some rules. "I told him in no uncertain terms that we were not going to stand him wandering round with that Canadian songstress warbling away in the background," says Renee Lamb, Pountney's executive assistant at his Solihull firm of construction experts, Emprima. So when he appeared a couple of days later with the strains of female singing clearly audible from the iPod, he had some explaining to do. So he did. "It's not Celine Dion, it's a Girls Aloud video I've downloaded purely to test out the audio quality and the graphics," he said. Yes Neil; audio quality and graphics, two of Girls Aloud's biggest assets! --- Young bloods are still romantics at heart, Bright can reveal. It follows two uplifting tales of today's lovers. Birmingham businessman and Selly Oak rugby club scrum half Ciaran Nolan has just got engaged to long term girlfriend Emma Turner. Took her to New York,no less,and went down on one knee in front of the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller centre. What girl could resist? And, I am told, the 'rock' he has bought her is seriously impressive. So congratulations to those two. Stuart Mair, local director at James Lang LaSalle, stayed in good old Brum when proposing to his girlfriend, Alison Hill. The Hill family have been Moseley rugby club supporters almost as long as Moseley has existed. So Stuart chose the half way line on the club's main pitch to go down on one knee. Popped the question at 12.30pm on the day of the recent big game against Northampton. Pity it couldn't have been at half time - dung the game would have been even more interesting. But the lad was never going to get kicked into touch and the two are now officially engaged. So isn't that nice. They may have been written off as the "hoodie generation" but when it comes to the crunch these kids are just as soppy as their predecessors. ------- According to the wags, some things should never appear in the same sentence - John Duckers and new media being two of them. The business editor of this august organ is someone who until only recently believed that an attachment merely meant an affinity to someone or something. Old hacks on a recent course he was forced on were advised that the latest "experts' report" predicts the demise of the print media by 2043 or some such date. "I'll be retired but he'll be dead!" crows Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson, gleefully pointing at Duckers. So he doesn't see it as all bad news then. ------ Colourful Brummie MP John Hemming has been telling me how he can legitimately vote in membership ballots for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Liberals, yes; he is a Liberal. But Labour? From my dodgy memory deep into a lengthy day on the sauce it was something, I think, to do with his membership of some trade union affiliated to the party. Had he ever done so? No. Oh come on, John, where's your sense of mischief? ------ Online shopping is clearly the thing but is it possible that some people are taking it just a little bit too far? PR consultant Andy Skinner arrived home wearily one evening recently thinking that the next item on his To Do list was to drag himself round Tesco with his partner Angela - not something that appealed on a wet and windy evening. "It's all right, darling," said Angela. "I got everything we need delivered by Tesco Direct this afternoon." They live just 200 yards from Tesco in Stratford-upon-Avon! Meanwhile, spotting something that didn't make sense on the company bank account, John Teece, accountant to ASAP PR and long term business partner in Andy's various commercial interests, picked up the phone to speak to the bank. He launched into the poor unfortunate who answered the phone who was somewhat bemused to be berated in such a fashion. "That is Lloyds in Bromsgrove, isn't it?" he thundered. "Yes, sir, Lloyds Pharmacy." tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.35231 2008-01-08T18:28:06Z 2008-01-08T18:31:27Z

One week down, only another 51 to go. The long haul lies ahead like, well, a really long haul, with no stop-overs for cocktails or shopping. The question is: how are you going to stay motivated, or (and this may...

Richard McComb One week down, only another 51 to go. The long haul lies ahead like, well, a really long haul, with no stop-overs for cocktails or shopping. The question is: how are you going to stay motivated, or (and this may be more relevant) find motivation in the first place? The second week of a new year is always the hardest. T S Eliot was bang off target when he labelled April the cruellest month. The real human wasteland must be negotiated just seven days after the revelry of New Year's Eve. January's first week is clouded by the emotional and physical hangover of the Christmas period. One can be forgiven for being down in the dumps, shedding a quiet tear as the tinsel is packed away and the pine needles are vacuumed up, but by week two, it is "buck up your ideas" time. It is time to snap out of it and get the show on the road. Have you, though, got it in you to face up to the trials and tribulations that lie ahead, which, based on past experience, will bare striking similarities to those of the previous year? The list of challenges might include: mortgage arrears, income tax demands, car payments, council tax rises, worries about your children's development (are they reading enough/binge drinking/cutting/shoplifting/having sex/having safe sex/smoking pot/chasing the dragon . . .?), health concerns (is that headache really a headache, or could it be Norovirus, or early-stage CJD?), workplace paranoia (why do junior colleagues know more about company machinations than you do?), and matrimonial/civil partnership concerns (are you giving enough/loving enough/sexy enough/sexy at all?). Are you, in short, fit for purpose, or are you Network Rail-made flesh and blood? The good news is that the answer to all your problems is not as intractable as one might think. In fact, it's as easy as cracking a smile. Positive psychology is the way to go. The boffins are all agreed. You will find happiness if you do what your granny did - and count your blessings. Unless, of course, you granny happened to be a domineering, bunny-boiling witch, in which case you are in a whole lot of trouble, should stop reading this column and seek urgent pharmaceutical intervention. Harvard University's happiness guru, Tal Ben-Shahar, makes some pertinent observations concerning inner contentment, suggesting we make our lives far too complicated and try to cram too much into them. Such an approach, it is argued, can only lead to overload and an impending sense of depression and failure. Professor Prozac invokes the scenario of listening to your favourite song, and then rating it out of 10. Now listen to your second favourite song, and rate it in the same way. The chances are that you gave both songs a perfect 10, or a 10 and a 9.99. "What, though, if you played the two pieces together? How would you rate your experience? Certainly not even close to a 10. There can be too much of a good thing, and when it comes to happiness, less is often more," contends Ben-Shahar. This is definitely the case if you share Karren Brady's taste in music. The Birmingham City MD shared her favourite recordings with the nation on Desert Island Discs. Kazza's top tracks included Bonnie "Give me a Strepsil" Tyler's Total Eclipse Of The Heart and Puff Daddy's mawkish I'll Be Missing You, proving that while there can be too much of a good thing, there can also be too much of a bad thing. Just imagine playing Bonnie and Mr Daddy's hits at the same time. That's got to be a straight red card for Ms Brady. Happiness, then, is about savouring individual experiences, those events and interactions that boost the flow of the brain's joy-enhancing neurotransmitters, which are nature's own Ritalin. It is possible, apparently, and quiet legal, to get high with a little help from one's friends. You just need to appreciate that you've got them in the first place. Newly-emboldened with this philosophy, I called a chum with the intention of meeting for dinner. He told me he had the mother of all lurgies. "The wife's been choking on her own phlegm," he confided too readily. "Ooo, Christ, I don't want that," I said, and hung up swiftly. Because when push comes to happiness's shove, I'd rather be miserable than sick. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.34952 2008-01-05T10:35:50Z 2008-01-05T10:48:41Z

Apologies for the delay in announcing Iron Angle's 2007 Birmingham City Council Awards. The postal voting system used this year has experienced some teething troubles. We continue to examine the unfortunate disparity between the number of ballot papers issued and...

Paul Dale Apologies for the delay in announcing Iron Angle's 2007 Birmingham City Council Awards. The postal voting system used this year has experienced some teething troubles. We continue to examine the unfortunate disparity between the number of ballot papers issued and the rather larger number counted, but remain satisfied that the results are entirely fair. * Conservative Councillor of the Year: Len Gregory. Another splendid year for Gregory, whose understated approach to running transportation, combined with a pathological hatred of spending money, so aptly sums up the Tory half of the Progressive Partnership. Still no sign of a decision on the Tyburn Road bus lanes, or anything else much for that matter. We are reminded of Dorothy Parker's riposte upon being told that American President Calvin Coolidge had died: "How can they tell?" * Liberal Democrat Councillor of the Year: Martin Mullaney. Mullaney, unlike many of his colleagues, has no intention of kow-towing to the Tories. He will keep wanting to do things, like pushing for Lib Dem policies to be implemented – such as comprehensive recycling facilities, wheelie bins and the full restoration of Moseley Road swimming baths. He may pay for such insolence, by being sacked as transportation scrutiny committee chairman, but if that happens, he will be an even more effective force from the backbenches. * Labour Councillor of the Year: Steve Bedser. Not much in the way of competition here, since most of Bedser's colleagues are content to turn up at meetings, say nothing, go home and collect their expenses. However, Bedser has had a productive year, single-handedly exposing the spin and lack of substance behind the council's sustainability push and daring to question how business transformation can save £1 billion without slashing jobs. * Backbencher of the Year: Mick Wilkes. The Hall Green intellectual colossus has become a one-man opposition party. Having exposed the barm-pot split site library scheme, causing the idea to be dropped, Wilkes now has his teeth into the Centenary Square Rep-Library plan, not to mention his tirade against the Chamber of Commerce's bizarre support for outsourcing. His forensic scrutiny examination of the library business case promises to be one of the highlights of 2008. * Leon Trotsky Award for Airbrushing: Cushman & Wakefield. There they were, C&W, proudly mentioned in every speech by council leader Mike Whitby. And then, suddenly, cast into outer darkness never to be heard of again. And all because Manchester had the temerity to beat Birmingham as the best UK city outside of London in which to do business. * Political Foot-Shooting Award: Mike Whitby. The council leader's very public falling out with Conservative Party leader David Cameron over the issue of directly elected mayors is as entertaining as it is inevitable. Cameron thinks mayors are a good idea. Whitby doesn't. Cameron thinks the people of Birmingham ought to vote on whether they want a mayor. Whitby described the debate as puerile, adding for good measure that Cameron had come up with other mad ideas which were then quietly dropped. This year's Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, when the two great leaders will come face to face, should be a cracker. Sadly, for Mike, there will be only one winner – and it's not him. * Achiever of the Year Award: Paul Tilsley. Quite how the deputy council leader manages to persuade his Lib Dem group to remain junior partners to the Tories in the Progressive Partnership is indeed a mystery. Could be something to do with all those scrutiny committee and regulatory committee salaries. Or perhaps it's just down to Tilsley's charm and tact. * Iron Angle Award for Endeavour: Anonymous. The identity of the person with the most important job in the Council House is unknown, but whoever re-writes all press releases to make the first three words "Councillor Mike Whitby" is doing a sterling job.]]> tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2008://140.34663 2008-01-01T12:29:03Z 2008-01-01T12:34:34Z

It was a "where were you when you heard Kennedy was shot" moment. In fact, I wasn't anywhere when JFK was gunned down, as I hadn't been born. However, the nature of the weaponry used for the presidential assassination is...

Richard McComb It was a "where were you when you heard Kennedy was shot" moment. In fact, I wasn't anywhere when JFK was gunned down, as I hadn't been born. However, the nature of the weaponry used for the presidential assassination is pertinent. (Don't worry, I'll get to the point. Christmas has been tough. I've had food poisoning, a two-week headache that is immune to painkillers, and it's the start of the New Year. So cut me some slack.) The Kennedy-esque moment I have in mind happened at 2.31pm on December 20, 2007, in the Hamleys toy shop concession on the top-floor of House of Fraser in Birmingham city centre. A till assistant broke the grim news. She gave it to me straight, too straight for my liking: "Action Man has bitten the dust." Action Man is dead? Why weren't people rushing around in panic? Man down! Man down! How could Action Man be a goner? When did it happen - and how could it happen? The flock-headed, scar-faced military hero was unkillable. God knows how many times I threw my Commando-clad warrior out of the bedroom window - sometimes with a parachute attached - and his expression never changed, not once, not a trace of emotion as his gripping hands fought for purchase in the flower bed. Yet he's gone, apparently, and in the end it wasn't the Nazis that got him, or the Russian counter-intelligence network. Action Man was killed off by Nancy Boy Harry Potter, big girl's blouse Transformers and "Ooh, I'm really scared" Doctor Who figurines. The forces of trash consumerism have done what the mass ranks of the world's most evil military complexes failed to achieve. You just can't buy an Action Man these days. I had set my purple heart on one as a special Christmas surprise but failed at every turn. The coiffeured Hamleys executioner explained the combat ace's demise by saying he didn't have a movie out. What a ridiculous excuse. "There's not the brand there, is there?" she said, metaphorically increasing the voltage to the electrodes attached to my testicles. I also, however, detect other darker forces at play here, emanating from the same school of thought that condemns the notion of boys playing with toy guns. Followers of this precious faith think it is fine for young tearaways to slay monsters in faraway galaxies but blanch at the thought of them blacking up their faces and re-enacting moonlit ambushes with semi-automatic toy rifles that are the size of, but less dangerous than, toothpicks. Could it be that these people, who set themselves up as the moral guardians of our children, find it "inappropriate" to have toy soldiers popularised at a time when British troops are fighting valiantly on two fronts in Afghanistan and Iraq? They don't like the war, you see (as if any sane person does). The same facile arguments were whipped up at the fag-end of the old year when teaching unions got in a tizzy over the Government's eminently sensible advice to nursery schools to let boys be boys - and let them play with toy guns. The Department for Children, Schools and Families believes under-performing three to five-year-old boys might pull their socks up if they are allowed to act out their fantasies. It is thought they may improve their sums and spelling - what the experts call "educational engagement" - if they are allowed to pursue their chosen method of play, rather than being lumped with an abacus and Tiny Tears. Unions believe toy guns are symbols of aggression and that the Government is stereotyping boys by condoning games of cops and robbers and cowboys and Native American Indians. Girls, some girls, like pretending to be ballerinas and love playing High School Musical. Boys, generally, like pretending to shoot people. It's a fact of life. It's in their DNA. Acting out gun raids doesn't mean little boys are going to turn into armed robbers, tooled-up gangsters or playground spree killers. Such outrages against society have nothing to do with lads who once played with spud guns and have everything to do with the warped minds of sociopaths, mindless gun laws, and human frailty. Incidentally, the Action Man I failed to buy was intended as a gift for a little girl. How's that for stereotyping? ]]> tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2007://140.34288 2007-12-24T12:20:20Z 2007-12-27T12:23:18Z

Someone must have stiffened Alistair Dow's backbone. The head of Birmingham city council's scrutiny section has hand-picked members of the awkward squad for his review group examining the business case for the £193 million new library....

Paul Dale Someone must have stiffened Alistair Dow's backbone. The head of Birmingham city council's scrutiny section has hand-picked members of the awkward squad for his review group examining the business case for the £193 million new library. Mick Wilkes, the Lib Dem who brilliantly exposed the folly of the split site library scheme, is on board along with former Tory leisure cabinet member John Alden, who has no reason to be too loyal to his old chums on the executive. Labour deputy leader Ian Ward and rising star Penny Holbrook are also there. You would have needed a heart of stone not to feel sorry for Brian Gambles, the head of library services. He had plenty of the vision-stuff, but unfortunately the committee wanted facts – which were about as thin on the ground as Shakespeare first folios. Wilkes grumbled about "flowery language" and "slippery words" in the business case, which in his view were being used to disguise an inferior product. A production area, grandly described as a dedicated space where live performances could take place, turned out to be the building's foyer, he pointed out. A 350-seat theatre might have only 250 seats, or it might not. Ward said the whole project was being driven by accountants rather than librarians. And even the gentle Dow took the view that, frankly, things were not entirely unsatisfactory. The new library would be significantly smaller than first planned, there were no signs that the city was getting the best it possibly could, and Birmingham seemed to be losing its way, he feared. The appropriately named Mr Gambles ended with a flourish. The size of the library may have been reduced, but there is no shrinkage in the vision, he said. Size doesn't matter. Mark my words. They'll be selling tickets to get in before this scrutiny ends. ------ Is there anything remaining of the consultants' report into the future of Moseley Road Baths that has not been leaked to the media? But council cabinet leisure member Ray Hassall still refuses to release the document publicly. Attempts by senior Liberal Democrat councillors to persuade Hassall to see sense appear to have failed. Hassall can expect support from the Conservative side of the progressive partnership, where obsessive secrecy is a way of life. We have witnessed the emergence of what looks like a deliberate policy to treat the electorate with contempt. In particular, non-co-operation with Freedom of Information Act requests. Hassall refused to release the Moseley Road baths report, while a separate request to say how many council employees had used FoI legislation to uncover personal details about the new pay and grading system was also rejected. But the most ludicrous decision of all – and a real two-fingers to MPs who drafted the Freedom of Information legislation – was the refusal to release officers' recommendations about the future (or lack of future) of the Tyburn Road bus lanes. In drawing up the legislation, Parliament made it clear that there would be occasions when advice given by civil servants, or indeed council officers, would have to remain confidential. But surely the legislators had in mind sensitive subjects, issues involving security and the defence of the realm for instance. Whether there should be bus lanes along the Tyburn Road hardly comes under the category of state secrecy. ------ It is probably an extraordinary coincidence, but the proposed route for next year's Birmingham half marathon takes in mainly Liberal Democrat and Conservative wards. Starting at the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, safe Lib Dem territory, the race will snake its way through marginal Aston, where the Lib Dems face a tough fight to save council seats, and through the city centre before heading out in a magisterial procession through Tory Edgbaston. It is true that the race finishes in Centenary Square, in Labour-held Ladywood, but the runners will be kept well away from the tower blocks and council estates. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2007://140.34281 2007-12-23T12:14:18Z 2007-12-27T12:19:49Z

Not content with gentle post-Christmas liquid recovery, the aptly named MAD Club at The Meynell Arms are once again inviting those of a deranged or suicidal disposition to attempt the Hoar Cross Soap Box Downhill on December 29....

John Bright Not content with gentle post-Christmas liquid recovery, the aptly named MAD Club at The Meynell Arms are once again inviting those of a deranged or suicidal disposition to attempt the Hoar Cross Soap Box Downhill on December 29. Various projectiles of dubious origin and dodgy construction are piloted downhill to the pub at Hoar Cross where the fastest time of the day will win the coveted trophy. This colourful celebration of rural eccentricity raised over £50,000 last year for the Children's Hospital and this time round the Acorn Children's Hospice will be receiving the proceeds with over £60,000 as the target. Such dedicated tomfoolery must be applauded and Bright awaits good news of a successful event. However I blame the Pedigree Ale in Staffordshire for this seasonal aberration and will be checking with the brewery to see what extra ingredients they insert into the foaming brew at this time of the year. Perhaps we could send some to No 10? ------- Martyn Richardson, son of the legendary Black Country developer Roy, has got himself married. And of course this was no low key wedding. He wed Lucy Bomford, of the Bomford engineering family, and is now the proud possessor of one of the rarest motorbikes in the world. Martyn works in the property world, Lucy runs a cookery training company, but both have a touch of the grease monkey about them. The brother of Lee and Carl likes nothing better than to mess around with tractors, motorbikes and Land Rovers. Lucy too likes tinkering. Now she has given her man a restored Norton 4 which dates back to the Second World War. It is a motorcycle and sidecar used by infantrymen and as a bren gun carrier. There are supposed to be only ten left in existence and this one was found in Limoges in France. It was driven into the reception at the Bomford mansion at Salford Priors half way through the evening to the strains of The Great Escape. Then Martyn took his bride for a spin around the farmyard ... as you do! Having got hitched at the nearby St Matthews Church, the couple are now on honeymoon in Corsica. They drove there, but not on the Norton 4. Meanwhile, Roy and his wife, Sandy, are off on their annual QE II trip around the world. They left on the Sunday – some suggest Cunard held the vessel for them so they could get Saturday's wedding in first, but even I am not sure I believe that. Wouldn't put it past the old fox though. Naturally, they are in the liner's Richardson suite, named after them. Bright's vicar on earth, Post business editor John Duckers is wondering whether there will be a QE II T-shirt winging its way into the office. It used to be a regular occurrence, but clearly Roy has more recently decided Duckers has become far too fat! --------- Enjoying a drink with Handelsbanken's Pat Hanlon at KPMG's excellent cocktail party I was amused to hear of his great familiarity with the A14. In mid-November while planning a skiing trip over Christmas, wife Kath advised the lad to obtain a first passport for 16-year-old daughter Emily. Before applying (at a cost of £72), however, he had to attend Peterborough Passport Office to have her name removed from his passport. The following week, aware of his intention to travel to Poland with clients, Mrs H advised him that he would need a new passport as his would expire in February 08 and the rule is six months unexpired. Nonsense, he declared, Poland is in the EU and they will allow you in even on the last day of your passport. However, having learned some painful lessons over the years and rather than allow Mrs H yet another "I knew I was right" moment, our hero checked and sure enough a second trip to Peterborough ensued. A same day application, £114 thank you very much. Back home from Warsaw, Kath enquired if they had put 14-year--old Rebecca's name on his new passport. Aghh. You've guessed, another trip to Peterborough and a fee of £84 for the guaranteed one week service. "The passports, petrol and time have cost nearly as much as the holiday," moaned Pat. The good news is that the final passport arrived just in time for the family jaunt. ------- ------- I hear that John Barrowman, currently playing in Aladdin at the Hippodrome in Birmingham, has been having a few sleepless nights. It seems the star of TV series Torchwood has had to replace his bed. He's been staying in one of those furnished apartments in town and found the bed there so uncomfortable he went off to Ikea and bought a replacement. Sadly he apparently couldn't get it into his car. But hopefully the problem is now solved and the lad is finally getting a bit of shut-eye. ------- Lawyer and general good egg Charles Flint is taking issue with an unwanted title bestowed on him by Bright. It follows a talk on contaminated land which was voted the dullest in the 25 years of Birmingham Business Breakfast Club. Now semi-retired – rumour has it he is in line to chair the board at Birmingham City University – he still buys The Birmingham Post. "Imagine my joy at seeing my name in print again in JB's column – but horror at the title ascribed to me!" He says he does not recall ever giving such an oration and points out there are a few Charles Flints dotted around the Midlands – though surely none so distinguished. "I could not go to my grave (incidentally no current plans) with friends and colleagues associating me with the register of contaminated land," he wails. "The 1982 vintage in Bordeaux, politics of a law firm, shooting in Warwickshire, maybe!" Bravo. -------- It appears that staff at CB Richard Ellis' Birmingham office have fallen on hard times, with word reaching Bright that managing director Martin Guest and regional chief Julian Shellard can no longer afford the price of a Bic razor. The pair, along with four other staff from the office – Will Ventham, Theo Holmes, Oli Whele and Andrew Meikle – have been spotted around town looking like they have had one late night too many. So could their unshaven appearances be a sign that things are getting a little strained at CBRE and that the wheels are about to come off the commercial property market? Well, not exactly! The boys from CBRE were actually taking part in "Movember", a charity initiative to raise money and awareness of prostate cancer in the UK. For the whole of November participants had to grow a moustache, or '"mo" as they are also called, while raising money at the same time. In total, the CBRE mo growers managed to raise more than £3,000 for the Prostate Cancer Charity. Not bad for a month's worth of not shaving and looking like an extra from the Village People. But while the beards and moustaches will be easily removed, unfortunately Julian's new nickname –"Desperate Dan" Shellard – won't be as easy to get rid of. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2007://140.33640 2007-12-18T13:21:23Z 2007-12-18T13:28:23Z

I got in the mood for Christmas by unbuttoning the top of my trousers, bending forward and having a needle inserted into the top of my buttock cleft. It was an invigorating experience and one that brought a grimace, if...

Richard McComb I got in the mood for Christmas by unbuttoning the top of my trousers, bending forward and having a needle inserted into the top of my buttock cleft. It was an invigorating experience and one that brought a grimace, if not a smile, to my face. I have tried other methods of preparing for Christmas before, including, in the days before it became trendy, binge drinking. But middle age, and a new affiliation with the joys of lower back pain, persuaded me that the time was right for a more holistic approach to the coming festivities. I decided to go under the acupuncturist's needle. I have tried ancient Chinese medicine in the past. The results were positive, if unspectacular, but I was then in such an dark place that the administration of class A drugs would have had negligible impact. A reinvigorated outlook, and my bruised tailbone, took me back to the acupuncturist. I did so after consulting my GP. I told her about my coccyx (which must hold the title of the world's most ridiculously spelt word), she ran some tests and concluded that, turkey-like, I was stuffed. The needles, or a floatation tank, were my last hope. So there I was, entrusting my lower spine, not to mention my upper bum cheeks, to the healing hands and expertise of Wendy. Apparently, there is an area somewhere between the scrotum and rectum where a needle can be placed in order to alleviate coccyx pain. I think the access point was raised for information purposes rather than a suggestion for a treatment programme. In any case, we settled for a needle to the lower back. Then things got weird. Wendy said she had an intern, Laura, shadowing her. Would I mind if she sat in? I was more than happy to further Laura's study of my chi (energy flows) and meridians (the channels of the body through which chi should flow). After all, it was Christmas - the more the merrier. So, I found myself lying on a couch, my shirt and winter vest removed, flashing my nipples like a tart, as Wendy and Laura lined up on opposite sides of the table, holding my tremulous hands. My therapists then endeavoured to track down my chi and identify why it appeared to be charging through my body with the measured elegance of a one-legged chicken. The talk, inevitably, turned to Christmas, and the buying of presents; and, crucially, the buying of presents for one's wife. It is a position I have never found myself in before, being stripped half-naked, lying horizontal and holding the hands of two women I barely know, engaging in relaxed conversation as if this was something we met up to do every week, like going to a whist drive or an embroidery class. For the price of an hour's acupuncture treatment, I had some extremely useful personal shopping advice thrown in by my spiritual healers. Laura's top tip was "avoid anything electronic, anything that could be described as a household appliance." Similarly, a gift likely to elicit the response, "That will come in really useful" meant Christmas goodwill was at risk of flatlining. Laura put forward the idea of "smellies" but said my suggestion of Impulse bodyspray wasn't what she had in mind. Wendy got me thinking when she said: "Red leather gloves." Umm, kinky. Wendy reckons women love leather gloves - her personal preference is for red - but they never get round to buying them. Like men and Ferraris. "So what have you thought of getting her, Richard?" asked Wendy. I thought hard. "Err ... rollerskates? Do you think she's too old?" There was general agreement among the therapists that yes, quite possibly, I had missed the boat on the rollerskates. "A whip?" I added. "Oooo, Richard!" Oddly, they thought I was kidding. Red leather gloves, rollerskates and a whip, on Christmas morning. As a set, it works for me, the antithesis of the shirt-and-tie-in-a-box gift set. Moreover, such a present could never be described as "useful." After all this discussion, my chi was back from the dead, pulsating around my meridians like a wild thing. But the more my heart said rollerskates, the more my mind said bath salts. At least Wendy and Laura stopped me thinking about my coccyx. And that may be the best Christmas present I've ever had. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2007://140.33498 2007-12-17T12:09:36Z 2007-12-17T12:13:10Z

The second eleven were out in force at this week's Birmingham cabinet. No show from city council leader Mike Whitby, who was perhaps enjoying another one of those cosy setting-the-record-straight chats with senior Tories in London. No show either from...

Paul Dale The second eleven were out in force at this week's Birmingham cabinet. No show from city council leader Mike Whitby, who was perhaps enjoying another one of those cosy setting-the-record-straight chats with senior Tories in London. No show either from opposition Labour leader Sir Albert Bore, who had better things to attend to in Europe. If it's not Brussels for Albert, it's the Birmingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, where he is the chairman. There is talk once more of organising a successor as Labour group leader. On this occasion, however, it would appear matters are being taken seriously. A senior party figure, who has in the past allied himself closely to Sir Albert, has been taking "soundings" about who might be best placed to assume the leadership. This person, who I shall refer to as Mr X, made the mistake of consulting me. Then again, perhaps it was a deliberate attempt to get the matter out into the open. There have been many attempts since 1999 to oust Albert, but what makes this very different is the fact that Mr X has in the past been instrumental in making sure Bore keeps his job and on this occasion would appear to be talking with the support of leading Boreites. We agreed fairly quickly that the shortlist of suitable candidates will be a very short list indeed. Ian Ward, the deputy leader, known in some circles as Son of Albert, would be a safe pair of hands, but deputies rarely get the top job. Kingstanding councillor Cath Grundy certainly has the intelligence, and can put it about verbally in the council chamber, but surely the chauvinistic Birmingham Labour group is not ready to vote for Coun Grundy. Carl Rice, a Ladywood councillor and apologist-in-chief for Sir Albert, is a good speaker when he can be bothered to make the effort, but any ambition he once had disappeared a long time ago. That brings us to Longbridge councillor Steve Bedser, who led for Labour in Albert's absence at Monday's cabinet. A confident performer and clever, but some might say too clever by half. Bedser succeeds brilliantly in getting under the skin of cabinet members, deputy council leader Paul Tilsley in particular. Well, OK, annoying Tilsley is hardly a challenge. But even so, Bedser is a consummate politician who would make an effective Labour leader. He needs to stop being a two-issue politician – gay rights and global warming – and develop an all-encompassing approach. He will also have to work hard at cultivating political allies and drop a tendency towards sarcasm. But Bedser could do it. Labour will have to hope someone with the ability and passion required to be leader comes through because these are difficult times for the official opposition and largest group on the council. Even Coun Bedser was glumly silent when a cabinet report was tabled noting that the Tory-Lib Dem led council has managed to meet or improve on 80 per cent of Government performance indicators. The improvement since 2004, when Labour last ran the council, is across the board. No wonder Albert prefers the rarefied air of Brussels to the rancid atmosphere in Birmingham. --------  More problems for Birmingham Liberal Democrats, this time over Moseley Road Baths. Getting the Edwardian swimming pools fully restored and re-open was a key element of the council power-sharing agreement between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives. But only a fool would now suppose there is the slightest chance of this happening. Judging by the comments this week from leisure cabinet member Ray Hassall, a Lib Dem councillor, there is little enthusiasm for spending a lot of money restoring one of the few Edwardian baths left in Britain. Hassall would rather have fun-pools with saunas and jacuzzis, apparently. As time passes by it is becoming more and more obvious why Hassall will not publicly release a consultants' report into the possibility of restoring the baths. It's not because the report says the project is too expensive to contemplate. Quite the reverse. It points out how the council could restore Moseley Baths – but that is not to the liking of Coun Hassall and his dreary leisure officials. tag:birminghampost.midlandsblogs.co.uk,2007://140.33496 2007-12-17T12:03:08Z 2007-12-17T12:08:25Z

Reports of the annual St Basil's Sleep-Out are slowly reaching the Bright secret intelligence desk and my spooks tell me that the great and the good bedded down in record numbers this year; some 450 people I'm told....

John Bright Reports of the annual St Basil's Sleep-Out are slowly reaching the Bright secret intelligence desk and my spooks tell me that the great and the good bedded down in record numbers this year; some 450 people I'm told. Star appearances included our esteemed Lord Mayor and Llewella Bailey of Central TV fame. But most impressive was David Urquhart sporting sweatshirt embellished on back with "The Bish" ...so no doubts there! Our Rt Rev friend also bounced up to give the midnight address – in a manner very reminiscent of Zeberdee from the Magic Roundabout. David is of course not the first member of the House of Bishops to do the Sleep-Out and certain irreverent parties are now bragging that they have slept with two bishops! Others of our community partaking of the rain included ever-young Charles Barwell and the truly-young Graham Nicholl of Barclays Wealth Management. And PR guru Mark Triggs who was never more than four feet from the brazier all night. Messrs Maskell and Chapman among the BHSF contingent were seen moseying around as if sun was shinning in middle of the night, but then it's five or six years running for this bunch. However, the dedication award goes to Hammonds trainee lawyer Harj Samra who turned out hot from closing a deal at 2am, served tea all night and departed the scene at 5.30am to prepare for the Santa Fun Run later that morning. But what of the elusive, St Basil's chief cash raker-in Nick Venning, I hear you ask? Having lambasted him for mismanaging his Caribbean holiday to coincide with last year's Sleep-Out, Bright spies and character assassins were on the look out. A Venning in the soup kitchen, I hear! Nope; that's young Imogen V up from Linklaters to lend a hand. Serving bacon butties then? Nope; that's Mrs V. Ah, there's our man snoring away and keeping dry under a neatly constructed poly-tunnel. Get ya next time my friend! - - - - - I feel for my old mucker Brian Roberts – you have these two daughters, you wait for years for an engagement... and then two come along at the same time. First it was Dawn, part of Birmingham PR firm Headline, who announced earlier this year that she was finally going to marry long time partner Chris Tomlinson. They intend tying the knot in Las Vegas. And now Kay, who works for Core Marketing, also in Birmingham, has got engaged to telecoms guru Richard Gregory after a two year romance. Whisper it, but it will coincide with Kay's Big 40, so it is congratulations all round to the soon-to-become Gregory's Girl. Actually, there's a third sister, Kim, an architect living in Northern Ireland, who got married a few years back... but that doesn't fit in with the theme of this dubious collection of tittle-tattle! So, Brian, a Moseley rugby club stalwart, hope you've been saving up, mate. - - - - - You wander around the Christmas functions and come up with most extraordinary stories. Who knew that Al Thorne, of Core Marketing, once came second in the Miss Gran Canaria contest. "My lycra skirt split," he moans! - - - - - I gather that Sally Beavan, of accountants PKF, got inundated with emails after the recent story of her promotion to partner. You know the sort – offering congratulations but also taking the mick. Naturally the girl is delighted, but Bright can reveal why particularly. For the pay rise? Nice to have but not that. For the glory? Nice to have but not that. It seems that after getting three tickets at £30-a-piece on the same day not so long ago, the titian-haired trailblazer is savouring finally getting her own car parking space! - - - - - Bright is grateful to celebrity snapper Tony Flanagan for once and for all laying to rest a dreadful calumny that crops up every Christmas. Steve and Abby White, parents of his grandson Oliver, took their offspring to Lapland to see Father Christmas. On his return, Oliver, aged six, tells Flan: “I used to think that Father Christmas was just someone dressed up, but now I have seen him I know that he is real.” Meanwhile media guru Andy Skinner has been on the phone to the Little People – his partner’s four grand daughters. It seems that Phoebe has rather been passed over when the best parts were handed out at the Christmas play. “So what part have you got then, Pheebs?” enthuses Skinner. “I’m a donkey,” comes the reply. “Well done!” says Skinner, trying to inject as much enthusiasm as he can muster into his voice. “So what do you have to do, do you have any lines?” he asks brightly. The ether is silent for a moment. Then, with all the contempt and resignation that a five-year-old can muster for the dull and ignorant such as Granddad, comes the reply. “Granddad…..I’m a donkey!” -------- David Richardson of Lloyds TSB in Birmingham has a Christmas invitation that must be the envy of us all. This weekend he is the guest of the hotelier who is hosting Dame Shirley Bassey’s private party for just 300 or so intimate friends. The venue is a state secret but Bright has some words of advice that he hopes reaches David’s ear before he tries “get this party started” to quote the Dame. Give the karaoke a miss, mate. Don’t try and do what the Dame does best! ------ It was off to Birmingham Business Breakfast Club for the farewell of Birmingham lawyer Andrew Sparrow. It attracts a huge turnout – about 50 people – which may mean everyone is glad to see the back of him or, rather more likely, a tribute to the very significant contribution he has made to Birmingham down the years. Done lots for Birmingham Forward, saved the Press Club, ran the BBBC for nine years, and done his best to drive this city forward, telling it as it is. Which has won him a few enemies but also lots of friends. Richard Brennan, chief executive of Birmingham Forward, was there doing a very good impression of being a wine waiter – well they tell me the organisation is supposed to be about serving the business community. PR doyen David Clarke gave a ramble down memory lane about luminaries like Sir Digby Jones and Sir Michael Lyons who have either been club members or speakers. Incidentally speech of the decade has apparently gone to Charles Flint for "How The Register Of Contaminated Land Will Affect All Our Lives". Sparrow, now working in London, claims to have "seen off" five editors of The Birmingham Post and four city council leaders. Only once in those nine years was there a club crisis – where a misunderstanding saw the Botanical Gardens venue shut up and locked. A frantic ring round – can you serve breakfast for 50, now, please – saw the Eton Hotel on Hagley Road bravely step into the breach. Meanwhile business editor John Duckers drivelled on about how sparrows had become something of an endangered species in Britain, particularly now in Birmingham. Anyway, I am told a satellite branch of the Birmingham Business Breakfast Club has been found alive and well meeting at the world famous Ivy Restaurant in London ... at lunchtime. ------ Congratulations to Ben Browning and wife Georgina whose number two youngster is on the way – they already have a son, Rupert. John Duckers, business editor of this newspaper, purchases a turkey every Christmas off Browning who sources them out in the sticks where he lives. A shocked Duckers remarked: "I only wanted the turkey, Ben, you can keep the child!"