Dear readers — we hope you had a great weekend. Welcome back, and an especially warm hello to the new members who joined our ranks over the past seven days. Thanks to you, we not only reached our goal of hitting 2,000 paying subscribers by Sunday, but far surpassed it. There are now 2,040 of you — a brilliant leap on our journey to world domination. Or, failing that, a sustainable newspaper that will be read by Brummies for years to come.
This influx of new members led to this lovely little exchange in the comments section of Saturday’s read which is a great illustration of what a subscription gets you:
So, if fascinating writing about unexpected topics is your thing and you’re yet to join us, consider doing so today:
Catch up and coming up:
- Our weekend read by Jessica Berry took you inside the International Day of Birmingham celebrations to meet the man responsible for its unstoppable rise. You guessed it: Randell H. Spackman. “I love this!” commented one reader. Catch up here.
- On Friday, we ended the working week with a bit of fun: a definitive ranking of all the desi pubs in the city centre (except there aren’t that many, so we threw a couple of restaurants in too). Read it here and let us know what you think of our takes in the comments.
- And on Wednesday, Dan Cave cast a critical eye over Joe Lycett’s art show, making the case that we ought to be demanding more from BMAG than “David Shrigley-derivative” art. Look out for a rebuttal to his argument by Birmingham Music Archive founder Jez Collins in this Wednesday’s Dispatch. It’s a bit like the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake but about municipal venues for culture. Or something.
Brum in Brief
🚆 Andy Burnham has announced that Avanti West Coast trains will be nationalised in March, promising “a railway that actually works for the people who use it”. The prime minister took to social media last night to declare an end to people having to put up with “a service that has failed them time and time again”. This summer, Avanti West Coast recorded the highest proportion of cancellations (12.6%) and the least punctual trains (32% arrived on time) in Britain. It will be the second-to-last of ten trainlines to come into public ownership by the end of 2027. (The Telegraph).
🥈In more Burnham news, the prime minister has refused to weigh in on the one question that will probably haunt Brummies for years to come: Manchester or Birmingham — which is the second city? Pressed by BBC West Midlands political editor Elizabeth Glinka on the long-time rivalry, his response was almost tediously diplomatic: “I think I love all the cities of England now in my new job.” He did, however, concede that Birmingham could be “nudging ahead” of Manchester, citing HS2 as a key factor. The gap between overseas investment into the two cities narrowed in 2025, however Manchester still had the edge, attracting 31 foreign investment projects compared to 26 in Birmingham. (BBC)
🎭 The artistic director of a local theatre company has suggested that the lack of investment into Birmingham's arts and culture sector is driven by negative bias and racism. Speaking at the Birmingham Hippodrome on the panel of The Stage: On Tour, Adaya Henry, who runs the drama company Women and Theatre, said the lack of public funding could be associated with the negative perception of Birmingham in the media, that is perpetuated by politicians: “It’s all political, and we need to not ignore that. There is a clear bias and prejudice against our region.” (The Stage)
🧑🏫The University of Birmingham was recently crowned as the 14th top university in the country by the Guardian — the highest position it has ever achieved. The ranking is all the more triumphant given the university was previously plunged into a pandemic-triggered “turmoil”, which saw student ratings drop to “alarmingly low levels.” Birmingham’s Vice Chancellor, Adam Tickell, credits the turnaround to an emphasis on teaching employable skills within academic courses. (The Guardian)
Photo of the Week
Sunrise over Moor Street Station in autumn, captured by Stacey Barnfield. Instagram: @stacey_barnfield.
Media Picks
📰 A Birmingham clinic run by Doctors Without Borders, has been lauded as a lifeline for refugees and asylum seekers. So far, the clinic has held 521 consultations for patients – many of whom have survived conflict, persecution, torture and other forms of violence. “It was the only person who didn’t see me as a number, listened like I’m a human,” Azad, a Kurdish-Iranian civil engineer, who arrived in the UK on a small boat, said of a clinician in an interview with the Guardian. (The Guardian).
🎧 In the latest episode of Our Lives, Our stories, resident Birmingham historian Carl Chinn interviews the woman who set up Birmingham's first Trussell Trust food bank in Ladywood, Patricia White MBE. White went on to found Suited for Success, a charity helping people into work. (Our lives, Our stories).
💻 Our sister title in Leeds, The Exchange, had a major investigation out over the weekend about SystmOne, the medical records software used by thousands of GP practices and in every prison. They've discovered it keeps cropping up in inquests, with coroners and GPs expressing serious concerns over its safety. (The Exchange).
A few ways to spend your time this week
🖼️The work of over 160 artists and groups will be displayed across 84 homes and venues as part of the Birmingham Open Studios Art Trail this weekend. Download the free app “Birmingham Open Studios” to check out the map.
🎶 On Friday, 10 Midlands performers will take to the stage at the MAC for And Still I Rise, a show of poetry, spoken word, rap and music for Black History Month.
🎤 New York stand-up Gianmarco Soresi is bringing his Misery Loves tour to the Town Hall on Wednesday. Expect doomer takes, but funny ones.
🎨Paint, drink, and groove to Afrobeats at Sector 57 in Digbeth this Saturday afternoon to celebrate Nigerian Independence Day.
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