A new home for... alpacas
The future's looking up for a historic pub and an ACDC tribute band takes to the stage
Dear readers — welcome back. I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s bumper Monday briefing, which I sent late in the afternoon because it takes most of the day to compile. Apart from Mondays, we will always (well, almost always) be in your inbox at this time, 7am, so we can become a part of your morning schedule.
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As always, do let me know in the comments or by email if there are stories you think we should be covering. I’m loving all of the interactions in the comments and really want The Dispatch to make the most of the strong connection we have with readers already.
Your daily Brum in Brief is below with the weather and a round-up of interesting stories, plus a couple of things to do. Our next in-depth story will be out on Wednesday, so look out for that…
Open newsroom
As you probably know, a big part of our journalistic process involves drawing on the knowledge and expertise (not to mention idle gossip and hearsay) of our readers. Can you help us with the stories below? Please drop me a line — I’m always happy to speak to people in confidence.
We’re working on stories about the state of Birmingham City Council’s finances and its relationships with local unions. If you’re a political insider or you know something that hasn’t come out, please get in touch.
An upcoming piece is going to examing how local schools are dealing with the pressures of inflation and restricted budgets. Are you a teacher willing to chat to us off the record about your experiences trying to balance the books?
We’re hoping to speak to people who work in the police in the West Midlands or have some knowledge about law enforcement locally - do you have a friend you could introduce us to?
Brum in Brief
🌦️ The day starts off sunny but in the afternoon patchy cloud will move in with scattered showers.
🏚️ The future looks a little brighter for an abandoned historic pub which was set on fire by Suffragettes in 1912. The Golden Lion Inn in Cannon Hill Park is a Grade II listed building and Historic England has received £32,000 to establish the extent of decay and cost of repairs. Historic England regional director, Louise Brennan, said: "These works are a vital first step in securing the future of this storied landmark for the people of Birmingham and bringing it back into use.”
💰 Hundreds of local councils in England have failed to meet the deadline to publish their audited accounts. The process is meant to enable scrutiny of public spending and the failure to file on time removes any “early warning system” for local authorities in financial difficulty. Birmingham City Council announced de facto bankruptcy in September and its accounts for the last three years are yet to be signed off.
🔎 The police have put out a fresh appeal for any information relating to a man who was last seen 24 years ago. Terence Potts is five feet four inches tall, has several tattoos, and by now would be 78 years old. He was last seen on 10 November 1999 in Digbeth.
🦙 An inner-city school in one of Birmingham’s most deprived wards now has a farm to inspire pupils and teach them responsibility and to care for others. St Michael's C of E Primary School in Handsworth is now home to alpacas, goats, chickens and lambs.
🧠 An interesting talk about psychopaths is taking place at The Glee Club tonight. NHS psychiatrist Dr Jonathan Illiff will explain the characteristics and behaviours associated with the misunderstood disorder. Tickets cost from £12.69 and the event starts at 7pm.
🎸 Hells Bells, an ACDC tribute band takes to the stage this Saturday at Joe Joe Jim’s Bar at the foot of the Lickey Hills. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are £14 - but hurry as there’s only a few left.
Dear Kate - I don't know what email to use so please accept this method of registering my interest to become a writer for TD.
I have a blog running since 2007 - https://theylaughedatnoah.blogspot.com/ - and my own Substack account - https://rolfnorfolk.substack.com/.
I also write for The Conservative Woman https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/author/rolf-norfolk/ and the Bruges Group https://www.brugesgroup.com/blog/blogger/rolf .
For now I should like to offer a story tip. On Sunday we were with friends near Barnt Green - a fairly well-to-do area - and they told us of an epidemic of shoplifting. One small fashion shop recently lost £2,500 of goods in a week. They know who it is, and showed evidence to the police, who failed to do anything. The thief is local and gives the CCTV camera a cheeky wave as he passes. So it's not just poor kids 'steaming' through Oxford Street stores. Perhaps you can put out your feelers about the breakdown of law and order in middle-class areas?