'Absolute dross'
Dear Patchers — Welcome to your Wednesday briefing.
Today we share the latest on Midlands infrastructure, including a change of boss at HS2 and where is going to get a boost to their broadband. There’s also news on a new scholarship for low-income students and why a LEGO exhibition has been compared to the viral Willy Wonka experience debacle in Glasgow.
Elsewhere, for fans of the Malvern Hills and Birmingham’s waterways, a new exhibition in the city centre opens this week, inspired by those locations. Plus, for any disillusioned English grads, there is a lecture about the decline of the humanities in UK universities — and how the situation can be improved.
Take care. Dan.
Brum in Brief
😭LEGO no go: Brick Fest, the NEC event hailed as “the world’s largest hands-on” LEGO experience, has been branded bleak and compared to the disappointing Willy Wonka Live Experience in Glasgow. Ally Williams, an attendee who got in touch with The Dispatch, said she paid £40 for a ticket expecting traders and displays but there was “pretty much nothing” there. She added: “The highlight is a lego pit where you get to stand on thousands of lego bricks in socked feet.” Lego-collecting YouTuber Kevin Chapman who hosts the Block Party channel, was also disappointed. He said it was “absolute dross” and advised viewers not to bother going. Watch his review here.
🗳️Labour candidate bows out: Labour’s general election candidate for Northfield has stepped down in a shock announcement. Alex Aitken, who is currently a Birmingham City Councillor for Kings Norton, posted on X yesterday evening to say he is stepping out of the race due to personal circumstances. “Northfield is, and has always been, my home — and I have always wanted to be able to represent my community to the best of my ability,” he said. It isn’t yet clear who will take his place but Labour will be keen to find someone as soon as possible to attempt to win the seat back from the Conservatives who have held it for the first time in 27 years since 2019.
🎶Grammy scholarship: BIMM Music Institute Birmingham has launched a new scholarship with Grammy-nominated singer Joan Armatrading. The performer grew up in the city before achieving international success and is now backing the scholarship to keep young people involved in music. Her scholarship will provide full tuition fees for students from a low household income, or a group that is under-represented in higher education. James Maiden, dean of BIMM Music Institute Birmingham Campus, said: "Joan’s achievements and the substantial impact her career has had on the music industry make her the perfect figurehead for our scholarship.” Full story.
🚆HS2 coup: The beleaguered HS2 project is set to get a new boss at a critical moment in its delivery. Mark Wild was ex-boss at the Crossrail project in London, largely credited for steering the project through difficult patches. Currently, HS2 is battling issues with how to re-route and fund the engineering works after the Manchester leg was cancelled. Sir Jon Thompson, presently acting as executive chair covering the CEO role, said hiring Wild was a coup. “It is a mark of the scale and ambition of HS2 that we can attract a leader of his calibre,” said Sir Thompson. Full story.
🖥️Broadband boost: More than 30 towns across the West Midlands are set to get a boost from a full-fibre broadband upgrade delivered by Openreach. Beneficiary towns include Halesowen, Stourbridge, and Warwick with 1.25m homes set to be included in the upgrade. This effort is part of Openreach’s £15bn initiative to improve the UK’s broadband infrastructure, aiming to provide gigabit-capable technology to 25m homes and businesses by the end of 2026. All the details.
👩🏫Humanities hits back: In the University of Birmingham’s latest Transformative Humanities lecture series, Professor Julia Black explores the decline of humanities subjects and how practitioners might better articulate its value in a changing world. Black is the President of the British Academy and also Strategic Director of Innovation and Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. Register for the Wednesday evening event, here.
🎨Natural beauty: From 28th May it is possible to see works by the late sculptor Tom Millard alongside those from artist Melanie Keevil at the RBSA. Tom was inspired by the hills and waterways of the Midlands and on Saturday his widow will be at the gallery to speak about his work. Themes in the show include nature and nurture, as well as where humans connect with the natural world. Find out more about the exhibition, the talk, and Tom’s work here.
Just for an alternative viewpoint, I took my 9yo to Brick Fest on the Sunday (£20 each, non-VIP). We arrived around 11.30am and left when it closed at 4pm. I don’t know what some people, such as people not taking any children and buying VIP tickets (to gain access an hour early), might have been expecting. Sure, there were certainly things that could have been better (the shop was poor – so we went to the Lego shop in Birmingham after – and there was a distinct lack of stalls/other traders like there were at Bricklive back in 2019), but nevertheless we had a great time playing with the glow in the dark Lego, the architecture Lego (some very impressive creations there), helping build the floor mosaic, racing Lego cars, and quite a lot of time in the obstacle bouncy castle (whilst I read a book, win win). I've put our photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewsomerville/albums/72177720317403893
am i the only one who thinks why was hs2 ever started? Given hs1 never makes money. !! But as it was built is it fiscal prudence or incompetence to stop it now such that it still doesnt run to Euston?... err why did it ever run to euston?Why didnt it avoid london altogether and join hs1 and onto the continent, Is this just another example of london ripping off the rest of the country? Good luck to the new bloke what a cock up!! meanwhile our MP visioneries that supported it walk off and leave us all paying the debt for their ego project... ps i am a rail fan and user.