Blooming heck
Blooming heck
A Chilean plant just did something very rare
Dear Patchers — welcome to your Wednesday briefing.
With the mayoral race heating up, today’s briefing includes a link to the latest all-candidate hustings which took place yesterday afternoon. Candidates were grilled on everything from cultural plans to views on Palestine and their favourite Brummie musicians.
Elsewhere, we also have a sad note on a well-liked Birmingham-based Windrush scandal victim and more uplifting links on the Botancial Gardens and the Birmingham cultural heritage on display in a recent Netflix hit show. There are also foodie and cultural highlights that should have seafood and opera fans pleased.
Enjoy the spring sun. Dan.
Brum in Brief
🗣️Mayoral husting latest: Yesterday Kate gave us the lowdown on the “biggest clash since Godzilla vs King Kong”, the Monday night head-to-head debate between Labour and Conservative mayoral candidates Richard Parker and incumbent Andy Street. Less than 24 hours later, they were joined by ReformUK, Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent candidates for a BirminghamLive-hosted hustings. There they were grilled on HS2 support, bus franchising, protection of cultural assets and the candidates favourite Brummie musicians. You can read the full answers and find out more about the candidates, here.
🕯️Rest in peace: Long-time Birmingham resident, Windrush scandal victim and campaigner Anthony Williams has died in Jamaica. He moved back to his country of birth to seek a better life after living in destitution for years in Brum, the result of being disenfranchised and denied benefits by a government decision to destroy crucial immigration documents. He previously told ITV Central: "I just couldn't work out why this was happening to me. If anyone knocked on my door, I wouldn’t open it because I was afraid.” Tributes to Mr Williams have since poured in. Read more at a click.
🚗Quirky car cameo: Brummie fans of streaming binges or David Nichols novels — or, indeed, both — might’ve spied a Birmingham link in the recent Netflix hit One Day. A Rover Metro 1994 Model can be spied at the start of Episode 10, which was set in 1997. It’s owned by car enthusiast Gary Weston, who bought it from an associate who told him about the Longbridge-made vehicle's starry past. However, the car will soon become MOT exempt which Weston says is a shame. “We’re surrounded by modern cars that haven’t got that quirky feel about them,” he said. Watch the car in action here.
🪴Botanical bloom: With Spring seemingly well and truly in the air — I’m writing this with the sunlight streaming through the window next to my laptop — a rare Chilean plant in the Botancial Garden glasshouses has got into the mood by flowering for first time in a decade. The ‘otherwordly’ Puya alpestris will only bloom for up to two weeks with staff facing a race against time to pollinate it by hand in time. The plant is native the mountainous regions of the South American country and is a distant relative of the pineapple. More here.
🍽️High seas cuisine: Next week, us Midlands landlubbers can explore the high seas from the safety of Colmore Row, thanks to a new dining menu at Fazenda. There are scallops from Scotland, flame grilled prawns and treats from Brazil, all delivered in an immersive dining experience. Wine, of course, is also available. Book now to avoid disappointment.
♯Opera masterclass: If you’ve ever wondered if you could make it in the world of L’Orfeo, Dido and Aeneas, and Serse, then head over to Handsworth on Friday night for a masterclass with Wagnerian soprano Susan Bullock CBE. The opera star will give audiences a window into the world of opera singing at the highest level and offer coaching, too. It’s on at St. Mary’s Church on Hamstead Rd and there are more details at a click.