Dear readers — the bells are ringing, the mistletoe is hung, Mariah Carey is continuing to do everyone’s heads in: it is, in the words of Cliff Richard, Christmas time! To all of our readers who are still at work — and those who will work through the holidays — we salute you. And to everyone else, we raise a metaphorical mince pie.
With the festivities in mind, we’ve aimed to keep today’s news round-up light and digestible. At the top of your Brum in Brief, the city council’s new lead commissioner has high hopes that Brum can be the Barcelona of Britain — if not in weather, then at least in status. We also have a touching story of a very sweet looking cat who was put up for sale on shopping app Vinted, before being swept up by a local rescue centre. Elsewhere, Richard Parker claims investment into Brum will not suffer due to the bin strikes, and railway experts explain why trains on the HS2 line will (initially) be small and slow.
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Catch up and coming up:
- Rachel Segal Hamilton’s joyful Saturday read, revealing the secrets of the Brummies who become Santa every year was a big hit. “Loved this Rachel,” wrote Anne, in the comments. “Brought back memories of my visits to Father Christmas at Lewis's in Manchester. The black and white photo I have of my 4 year old self, one of my most treasured keepsakes, looking quite unbothered and this particular Santa having such a kind face”. Go behind the scenes of Brum’s grottos here.
- Kate and Sam will be on leave over the Christmas period but fret not – you’ll still receive editions on Wednesday and Saturday this week and next. And it’s back to our usual schedule from 3 January. See you on the other side!
- Got a tip-off you’re itching to tell us? Send it in to editor@birminghamdispatch.co.uk and we will pick it up in 2026.
Photo of the week
This shot of the Floozie by Diji Aderogba has Birmingham looking like a French New Wave film. (Instagram).
Brum in Brief
🥘 Birmingham should mimic Barcelona, according to the city’s latest lead commissioner. Tony McArdle, who replaced Max ‘The Axe’ Caller in July, following the latter’s retirement, now leads a team of seven executives appointed by the government to fix Birmingham city council’s finances. The former chief executive of Lincolnshire country council McArdle admits he had barely visited Brum until this year, but says he has always had the impression that the city wasn’t 'punching the weight that you expected it to'. According to him, we could learn a lot from Spain’s coastal second city: “[Barcelona] is a fantastic place, and everybody recognises that it's a major force, on a par with Madrid,” he said in his first interview since taking the job. We look forward to sipping sangria in the rain outside Barbara’s Bier House on Broad Street. (Birmingham Live).
🚨 Christmas crime updates: West Midlands Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was stabbed to death on Swanage Road in Small Heath on Saturday evening. A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody (ITV). Elsewhere, a second person has been charged in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Yassin Alama, who was stabbed on Hutton Road in Handsworth on 16 November. A 17-year-old boy was last month charged with his murder and remains in custody, while on Friday, 20-year-old Oliver Gibbins was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. (West Midlands Police).
🐈⬛ A three-year-old, “very scared” cat has been rescued after he was put up for sale on Vinted. Abi Left, who runs Left Paw Cat Rescue in Kings Heath spotted the advert posted by a woman on the second hand shopping app and stepped in to give the poor puss a new home. “I didn't even say I was from a rescue [centre], she didn't do any checks she was just very very happy to hand her cat over to me,” revealed Left, who confirmed the cat was now safe. The incident has prompted Vinted to put out a statement, asserting the company does not condone the selling of animals through their platform. (BBC).
Quick Hits
🚮 The ongoing bin strike won’t hurt investment in Birmingham, claims Richard Parker. (BBC).
🚆 Industry insiders have warned that trains running between London and Scotland on the new HS2 line will be smaller and slower due to project delays. (The Times).
📆 Bin collection timetables are skew whiff over Christmas — make sure to check when your rubbish will be picked up. (Birmingham Live).
🎯 Young darts player Matt Dennant from Walsall was “chuffed to bits” to have made it to the world championships on Friday. (BBC).
Media picks
📱 Top TikTok food account, Only Scrans, has returned to the region to try a Black Country staple: orange chips. “Why this hasn’t made it out of the Midlands and isn’t all over the UK, I will never know the answer to that,” says Jono Yates, Only Scrans founder. We couldn’t agree more. For the full video featuring Wolverhampton spots like The Desi Yew Tree and the Ocean Fryer, head to YouTube.
📰 It’s the “world’s most expensive, heavily delayed railway line” according to Patrick Barkham and, yes, he’s talking about HS2. For this Guardian long read, the reporter returns to walk the route, retracing the same steps he took for his first article on the subject, ten years ago. Then, the project was expected to be finished in 2026. Now, we’ll be lucky if it’s done by 2033. Barkham finds out what’s changed for the landscape and inhabitants of this ill-fated line.
Our to do list
🎶 On Tuesday, listen to Radiohead’s The Bends played in full by the house band at the Hare and Hounds, 30 years after the iconic album’s release. Tickets £14.41 or two for £20.
📽️ On Christmas Eve, marvel at modern classic The Nightmare Before Christmas accompanied by a full orchestra at Symphony Hall. Tickets from £36.50.
🎞️ On Saturday, take restless kids to see Disney favourite Up at the Highbury Theatre in Sutton Coldfield. Tickets from £5.
🎻 Also on Saturday, hear Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, in full and by candlelight at St Phillip’s Cathedral. Tickets from £22.38.
🎁 You're running out of time to buy a heavily discounted Christmas gift subscription! Every week, your chosen recipient will receive insightful journalism that keeps them connected to Birmingham — a gift that keeps on giving all year round.
You can get 38% off a normal annual subscription, or you can buy six month (£39.90) or three month (£19.90) versions too. Just set it up to start on Christmas Day (or whenever you prefer) and we'll do the rest.
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