Black Monday: two of Brum’s best-loved venues close

Dear readers — stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone: today is a mournful Monday. It is with great sadness that we lead our Briefing with the news of two major Brum venues closing. One, the Anchor in Digbeth, is a historic gem and old school boozer with a storied history. The other, Hockley Social Club, had made an outsized mark on the city’s events calendar since it opened five years ago. Raise a glass and read on for more details.

Elsewhere, we have news of bus fare rises, a three hour siege in Perry Barr and a blinding review for the CBSO. Plus, “a campaign of political attrition” over in Walsall. It’s all kicking off.

Catch up and coming up:

• Where do you get your pak choi? Read Samuel’s weekend story on the crossroads facing legendary Chinese superstore, Wing Yip. 
• On Friday, Kate delved into the battle for The Close in Selly Oak, where a cluster of historic cottages and a manor house are falling victim to vandals. They’re owned by the University of Birmingham and a group of determined local residents is demanding action.
• Are there any election experts in the house? Kate wants to hear from people who know all about campaign spending: the dos, the don’ts and the grey areas. Email her at kate@birminghamdispatch.co.uk
• Samuel is interested in the Workers Party, which is headquartered in Moseley. Hit him up at sam@birminghamdispatch.co.uk. 

Photo of the week

 In 1965, Birmingham Evening Mail reporter Roy Smith described the plans for the Gravelly Hill interchange as a “cross between a plate of spaghetti and an unsuccessful attempt at a Staffordshire knot.” The structure was opened in 1972, and according to your opinion about car culture, either blessed or cursed the world, with dozens of imitation ‘Spaghetti Junctions’ from China to California.  At the time, the BBC described it as “the missing link, the part of the jigsaw that we needed to make our motorway system make sense.”

An iconic piece of mid century engineering, or a relic of bygone car obsessed culture? Let us know in the comments. 

Brum in brief

🍺 An iconic Grade II listed pub, dating back to 1797, suddenly closed last week. The Anchor on Bradford Street in Digbeth, sits at the intersection of Birmingham's coach station and the road leading up to the Bull Ring markets. The pub is known for its slightly ramshackle bohemian interior, large beer garden and welcoming nature. The current building was constructed in 1901. The spot has won numerous CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) awards for ‘regional pub of the year.’ and was run by the Keane family for 43 years, before being taken over by Julian Rose-Gibbs in 2016. “Costs of everything rise and independents suffer,” Rose-Gibbs told Birmingham Live. “Nothing lasts forever. This age of the Anchor is over. It's been emotional." According to the Land Registry, the Anchor’s freehold is still owned by a member of the Keane family, Gerard Keane, (with an outstanding 2017 mortgage). The Anchor is part of a national trend of pub closures; Britain has gone from 60,800 watering holes in 2000 to 45,000 in 2024. This year has been no less bloody, with the Anchor joining Harborne’s King’s Head and town centre pub, the Grey Lantern, in closing its doors.

📣 Nightlife and food figures in Birmingham have been reacting to the news. Food blogger Laura McEwan told Birmingham Live that: "It goes without saying I'm absolutely devastated about the Anchor closing. I've had some of my favourite nights in Brum in this Digbeth institution.” Simon Carlo, who runs the food blog Meat & One Veg told The Dispatch that: “The city has lost one of its great boozers, one that never took itself too seriously and always had the true spirit of hospitality.” Lyle Bignon, PR consultant and Night Time Economy Ambassador for Birmingham, says that: “given the increasingly shaky and uncertain trading conditions — exacerbated by wilful ignorance of the plight of NTE businesses by central and local government — we are likely to see more closures in our industry in the coming weeks and months.” 

🕺Birmingham nightlife is having a rough two weeks, Hockley Social Club is also due to close its doors at the end of 2025, the directors have announced. The Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) owned venue was set up during the pandemic in 2020, when DDC lost its Digbeth home and pivoted to an events space in the Jewellery Quarter. The large converted warehouse hosted multiple food trucks, performing arts spaces and cameos from Birmingham Royal Ballet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The DDC have not revealed what prompted the closure of the venue, but they’ll be keeping the majority of Hockley Social Club staff on for fresh ventures, including: “a new venue in the Black Country.” 

🚨 Six people, including three police officers, were injured after a suspect barricaded themselves in a home in Perry Barr during a three hour siege on Thursday. Police, paramedics and specialist negotiators were dispatched to Aston Lane after a man made his way on to the roof of a property and the surrounding roads were closed as officers tried to deescalate the situation. Joshua Brivett, 24, has been charged with wounding, assault, aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and threats to kill. He appeared in Birmingham Magistrates Court on Saturday.

🏡 Solihull homeowners are literally weeping at the prospect of yet more home extensions being built in their neighbourhoods, councillor Alan Feeney has claimed. The Solihull Borough Council member for Castle Bromwich has urged the authority to pause all new planning applications to allow for a review of the system, describing how residents are coming to him "in tears" because they "feel powerless to stop the area they have lived in all their lives having the guts ripped out of it." According to Feeney, a plague of "hodgepodge" developments is turning modest homes into the bricks and mortar equivalent of Frankenstein’s monster — and developers are taking advantage of the council’s outdated guidelines to push them through the application process. He is especially concerned in case the north Birmingham town will lose its sense of identity and "becomes another faceless, soulless extension of Birmingham." Head of Planning at Solihull Borough Council, Mark Andrews, said he understood Feeney’s concern but that a moratorium on applications would be a difficult route to go down.

Quick Hits

🚌 Bus fares are due to rise across the West Midlands region from Sunday. A single adult fare will rise from £2.90 to £3.00, an increase of 10p. The 8.6% hike follows an independent review. 

🎀 A new Midlands consulate for Bosnia and Herzegovina has been opened in Birmingham. Bosnia House on Stratford Road "opens up new opportunities" for strengthening international relations for the country, said president Denis Bećirović at the launch on Sunday.

🤬 Outspoken Conservative councilor Mike Bird is back in the top job at Walsall Council. Bird stepped down as leader last year after he was suspended by his party and replaced by Garry Perry. Perry has now resigned, citing "a campaign of political attrition, deliberate undermining and personal hostility."

🎙️ The microphone and equipment that were used to make Black Sabbath’s first ever studio recordings have been rediscovered after 30 years. The items are owned by Johnny Haynes, who owned and ran Zella Studios and will be part of an exhibition at the BMAG to coincide with the band’s upcoming final gig.

✈️ A dancer from Birmingham was among those who died in the tragic Air India plane crash on Thursday. Jamie Greenlaw-Meek and his husband Fiongal — who ran a wellness business in Kent — were two of 241 people killed on the flight destined for Gatwick Airport.

Media picks

🎧 Is Dudley Town Centre becoming a ghost town? Two popular shops, Cronin’s Books and Bits and B D Price, have announced they’re closing. According to the interviewees in this snippet from the BBC, there’s little else drawing people in apart from the Wetherspoon’s. "When I was a kid this was booming. It’s a crying shame," says one gent. What do you think?

📰 The CBSO has received a rousing review for their rendition of Polish composer — and Holocaust survivor — Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s ‘Fifth Symphony’. The highlight of this dramatic performance, writes Richard Morrison, is a passage "where everything gets whittled away to the dull thumps of a drum — as if life and love has been almost extinguished and the only things left are the last beats of the heart." No biggie.

Our to do list

⛪ Always wanted to know the story behind those Edward Burne-Jones stained glass windows at St Philip’s Cathedral? Join this guided tour, hosted by expert Anne Amison, tonight.

🎭 V is for victory — head to the Rep tonight for the opening night of new play Spitfire Girls, based on the true stories of women who dared to fly during WWII.

👻 Creep to Quinborne on Tuesday to listen to two spine chilling ghost stories told by the mysterious Weeping Bank librarian. Not for the faint hearted. 

🎤 Add a touch of razzmatazz to your week on Thursday and join Jarvis and co for the Pulp gig at Utilita Arena. 

🎲 Bingo heads and music lovers unite — Hockley Social Club’s Singo Bingo on Friday is the game of chance you love but with songs instead of numbers.