Blues gives Rooney the boot

Plus an evening at the Birmingham death cafe

Good morning readers — welcome to Tuesday’s Dispatch.

And a very happy new year to you all! I hope you managed to indulge in a bit of what you needed over the Christmas break, whether that was partying or succumbing to the allure of a duvet day or two. My Christmas started out great, right up until I fell ill on Boxing Day and had to cancel all of my plans until New Year’s Eve. Still, I did make it out to the cinema to see Priscilla yesterday which I highly recommend.

Welcome to the flurry of new subscribers we’ve gained over the last week and a half, bringing us to 7,058 (the big 10,000 is very much in sight). Since many of you will be new to The Dispatch, here’s a brief overview of what to expect. My name is Kate Knowles and I’m the editor who started this publication in October, which brings quality reporting on Birmingham and the surrounding areas to your inbox every week. We are a little bit different from typical news sites in that we don’t try to cover everything but to bring you well-researched and written stories on a variety of subjects.

You can expect three big stories a week — one on Monday, one mid-week, and a weekend read. On Mondays, we will provide you with a big news briefing which is also packed with recommendations for things to do, read, watch, and listen to. Tuesday to Friday, I collate a daily mini briefing with links to the most interesting recent news stories and a couple of recommendations for you to wake up to. Your first Brum in Brief is below.

One key thing I should highlight is that members are central to how The Dispatch works. The reason my editors and I started The Dispatch was to try and avoid the pitfalls so much of local media has fallen into — the chase for clicks that sees sites covered in adverts and pop-ups that make reading a pain. We also wanted a place to publish longer pieces, those that take care and creativity and are responsibly written — not clickbait.

This type of journalism takes time and costs money which is why we believe it is essential for readers to start paying for local journalism, just like they did before the digital revolution changed everything. Much of what we produce will always be free, but for £8 a month, you will get access to everything, including an extra four long stories a month to keep you informed and entertained. You will also have access to our lively comments section and access to events when we begin to host them. If quality local journalism is something you want to be a part of, go ahead and click that green button below. I’m very happy you’re here.

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Brum in Brief

⚽ Wayne Rooney has been sacked by Birmingham City FC following poor performance by the team which won just two of 15 matches since he became manager in October. In a statement published by the Metro, Rooney said 13 weeks was not “sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed” to improve the club.

🎭 A pantomime for grown-ups ended its run following just one show after complaints it was “too adult”. Bewdley and the Beast at The Civic in Stourport was written and performed by troupe Bewdley Town Criers. They issued a statement, insisting the nature of their scripts is “risqué, but never too vulgar”, BirminghamLive reports.

🚘 Residents living near a Walsall M6 junction undergoing £78m improvements to ease congestion have complained it is a waste of money. Engineer and local Ian Leadsam also raised safety concerns for pedestrians crossing the junction. He told the BBC: "I truly believe someone will get badly injured.” National Highways has insisted the project is safe.

🏗️ The question of whether to demolish the Ringway Centre has resurfaced following Birmingham City Council’s decision to reconsider. The BBC has heard from those for and against bulldozing this mid-century building.

🧑‍🏫 The history of Birmingham’s brass industry will be brought to life in a talk by local lecturer Dr Duncan Frankis at the Thinktank museum tomorrow night. Tickets are free and the event begins at 7pm.

☕ There are limited spaces for tomorrow night’s death cafe at Tilt. The session provides a welcoming space to have “interesting, thought provoking and life-affirming conversations” related to death. It’s free and starts at 6.30pm.