A four year old girl has died. Will the West Midlands ‘tackle the scourge’ of dangerous driving?
A four year old girl has died. Will the West Midlands ‘tackle the scourge’ of dangerous driving?
‘We have so much more to do’ – Andy Street
Dear Patchers — welcome to your Monday briefing.
Our weekend read was a heartwarming one — Dan Cave had an almost spiritual response to seeing the Blues beat Preston on Easter Monday while learning from UB40 all about why the band is “inseparable” from Birmingham. Check it out here if you haven’t already (and yes, we will be doing some Villa content soon…):
The week is off to a tragic start with the news that a four-year-old girl died yesterday in a collision involving two cars in Birmingham city centre. We’ve broken down the details in our big story and linked to a survey where you can have your say on road safety in the region. It’s a big strategy that aims to halve road deaths by 2030, so well worth your time.
Elsewhere, we were sent an atmospheric and slightly spooky photo of the week by the landlord of one of our favourite pubs, The Craven Arms in the city centre. We’ve followed that up with a few upbeat news stories including my experience meeting Danny Dyer at Late Night Lycett on Friday and footie wins for both of the city’s major clubs. Our home of the week is an exceptionally designed and spacious period flat, plus we have two culture-themed media picks for you (it was hard to pick as there is plenty to choose from about Brum in the national press this week).
A reminder that we are always keen to hear from you if you have any tips for potential stories. What’s the latest gossip in the corridors of power? Have you heard about a new bar opening or a Birmingham boss who isn’t treating their staff very well and think we should look into it? Whatever the subject, if it’s interesting, do get in touch at editor@birminghamdispatch.co.uk
On a similar note, we put a call out for more freelance writers on Sunday. If you or anyone you know is a journalist with a fascinating pitch for a story, please send them our way.
Finally, we’ve hit our target and now have 601 paying subscribers! Huge thanks to all of those supporting our work. That big target of 1000 doesn’t seem too far away at all now so if you have been enjoying what we do, please consider joining up for £8 per month — or pay for a year and get two months free. You’ll get access to all of our stories, and help secure a future for quality journalism in Birmingham.
This week’s stories include a fascinating interview with the man who uncovered the truth about the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974, so keep an eye on your inboxes for that one.
Weather
🌥️Tuesday: Can’t have yin without yang. Sunny spells but a tad nippier than last week. Max 12°C.
🌦️Wednesday: Sunny spells mixed with off-and-on light rain all day. Max 11°C.
🌦️Thursday: Another changeable 24 hours. Showers, sun, drizzle, cloud. Max 13°C.
☁️Friday: Constant cloud all day with no rain expected. Max 14°C.
🌥️Weekend: A drier, sunnier weekend is on the cards: sunny spells with cloud cover all weekend. Max 16°C.
We get our weather from the Met Office and the BBC.
Big story: A four-year-old girl has died. Will the West Midlands ‘tackle the scourge’ of dangerous driving?
Top line: A four-year-old girl died on Sunday evening after being hit by a car near a children’s playground in Birmingham city centre.
What happened? At 9.45pm, a silver Corsa struck two women and a girl who were walking by a children’s play area on Upper Highgate Street, Birmingham. The girl was given advanced life support but died at the scene. The two women suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries and were taken to hospital.
A police matter: Two men, aged 21 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving while unfit due to alcohol or drugs. Police said the Corsa was driving “in close proximity” to a grey Mercedes and they are treating the incident as a collision involving two cars. They are keen to speak to anyone with dash cam footage. Det Sgt Paul Hughes said:
"A young girl has tragically lost her life and I can only imagine the pain her loved ones are going through at this awful time.”
Speak up: West Midlands Police has urged anyone with information about the incident to contact them quoting reference number 4120 of 14/4/24.
Context: This is the latest tragedy in a roll call of road deaths — it wasn’t even the only incident of the day. Another life was lost on West Midlands roads when a car flipped over on Stone Street in Oldbury. A woman died and a man, believed to be the driver, has serious, potentially life-changing injuries.
A ‘systemic issue’: In response to the girl’s death, Andy Street said “we have a systemic problem of dangerous driving in this region” and that police, councils, government and the mayor have “so much more to do to tackle this scourge”.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) refreshed its road safety strategy last year, speeding up the launch due to calls for action following a series of deaths. The data-led approach aims to eliminate all road deaths under the title of ‘vision zero’.
Data check:
57 people lost their lives on West Midlands roads in 2022 (2023 data is due next month)
Each year, about 950 people suffer from serious, sometimes life-changing injuries, because of road collisions in the region.
The average number of 20-29 year olds killed or seriously injured every year in road traffic accidents almost doubled between 2015-17 and 2018-2022.
60% of those killed or seriously injured on West Midlands roads are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists
Bottom line: Last year was a turning point for road safety in the region, with protests like those organised by campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham forcing a response by politicians. Another death, especially that of a child pedestrian, will likely produce an angry response from the public. There is a public consultation on the region’s road safety plan that is open now until May 10 – you can read about it and give your opinion here.
Photo of the week
John Brabbins, landlord at The Craven Arms in central Birmingham, sent us this haunting picture of the ongoing development on Upper Gough St. With the moonlight peeking through the skeleton of a crane and multi-story yet-to-be-completed, it could be a scene out of a crime noir.
Brum in brief
📺Late Night Lycett is back on Friday nights on Channel 4 beaming Birmingham into homes across the country every week. The Dispatch went along to the filming of the first episode at the Bond in Digbeth, where Danny Dyer, Kate Garraway and Big Zu collaborated in Lycett’s bonkers brand of comedy. We can confirm Dyer is exactly the same in person as he is on screen and a little overwhelmed by the raucousness. During an ad break he turned to your correspondent, and between puffs of his vape said: “This is f****** mental innit?”
🏚️Moving house, crooked style: The owners of the former Crooked House have suggested rebuilding the pub dubbed ‘Britain’s wonkiest inn’... but on a different site. ATE Farms Ltd are currently appealing against a Staffordshire council order to rebuild the pub in the same location after it burnt down and was demolished in a suspected arson attack last year. Appeal documents show that they have suggested rebuilding the pub on another plot of land owned by the business. That case will be heard in July.
⚽Brummie football boosted: Aston Villa and Birmingham City football clubs displayed their mettle on the weekend, both winning to boost respective Champions League and Championship survival hopes. Villa took on Arsenal in North London, coming away with a crucial two-goal victory which could see them play in Europe’s top-tier competition next season. Earlier in the weekend, Blues had beaten Coventry 3-0 to move out of the relegation zone as their season goes to the wire. More here.
Home of the week
This beautiful two-bedroom flat is in a 1930s mansion-style development in Edgbaston. It’s available for £300,000.
Media picks
📰It’s a bumper week for Brummie media picks because Joe Lycett guest edited Sunday’s Observer and another of our restaurants has been reviewed by a national (this time it’s Opheem in The Times). For a good laugh — and to learn about an 18 ft fibreglass King Kong statue that used to live in Manzoni Gardens in town — read Stewart Lee’s opinion piece on Brummie art. In it he contrasts endearing, self-effacing Birmingham with swaggering Manchester: “The city equivalent of an endlessly farting dog that expects nauseated passersby to applaud."
🎹Mike Skinner, the brain behind The Streets, recently took listeners through Birmingham’s diverse sonic output as part of his ongoing artist residency on BBC Radio 6. “This episode I'm playing music from Birmingham, where I grew up,” Skinner begins, before choosing selections from Steel Pulse, The Editors, Hannah Wants and The Moody Blues. The Dispatch favourite? “Dry Your Eyes” by Skinner himself. The sound of our youth.
Things to do
Tuesday
🖼️If you’re either a fan of The Specials or of the North American every day — think grocery stores, liquor stores, diners and bars — then catch the pop-art paintings of bassist Horace Panter at the Collen Ison Gallery on Colmore Row from this week.
🚶♀️Free on Tuesday afternoon? Want to know more about our shared home? Then head down to the Bullring Starbucks for a two-hour walking tour covering the main sites of Brum and learn more about the medieval origins of the city. Booking information at a click.
Wednesday
😆Fancy a midweek chuckle that won’t cost and arm and a leg? Sommar Bar in Harborne is debuting new material from four stand-up comedians. Suggested arrival is from 7pm to nab the best seats. More here.
🤘For those that still think they’ve got what it takes to be a rockstar, Northfield Arts Forum, on Bristol Road South, is hosting a free rock music workshop for adults on Wednesday morning. Further details here.
Thursday
📖If experimental prose in a live setting is your thing, the next instalment of STORIE is on from 7pm in Kilder Bar, Digbeth. Local writers, as well as a singer-songwriter, will give attendees performances showcasing what’s hot in Brummie writing. Free tickets here.
🎤⚽Footballing great Eric Cantona takes his live musical self to Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun Hall this week. Footballer, actor, singer: the man can do it all. Tickets via Ticketmaster.
The issue with road safety is one of a lack of enforcement. We can have as many 20mph signs as we like, as many speed limiters as we like, but unless there is enforcement, some people will always drive dangerously. The pathetic bleatings of Mayor Street and the inaction of WM Police simply don't cut the mustard.
Road deaths data check. So how does that compare to other comparable urban areas?