Brace for Storm Ciarán

Our second edition features bad weather, Jude Bellingham and £5 tickets at the Electric Cinema

Dear readers — it’s me again, with your second edition of The Dispatch. I was so pleased with the reception to yesterday’s first-ever issue — lots of great comments and emails from readers. It’s really encouraging to see such an appetite for a new publication in Birmingham and I’m excited to share all of our upcoming stories with you. 

Today’s edition is a Brum in Brief — your morning guide to what’s happening in the West Midlands. Our next big piece of writing is coming up on the weekend— make time in your busy Saturday morning schedule for that.

This edition of The Dispatch goes out to 1,373 readers, up from 1,227 when we dropped into your inbox yesterday. I can barely believe how quickly we’re growing. Huge thanks to everyone who has been sharing us around — please continue via that button below (or by forwarding this email).

You can look forward to a wide range of topics and voices in our pages — and if there’s anything you’re burning for us to look into, do get in touch. I also really enjoyed reading your comments and learning a bit about the community of readers we’ve already begun to build here. More of that please!

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Goslings along the canal side - the calm before the storm.

Brum in Brief

🌧️ Gusty winds and heavy showers are expected for much of today as Storm Ciarán moves through the region. Winds will be especially strong in the afternoon and evening.

📋 Birmingham City Council’s head of HR Darren Hockaday and City Solicitor Janie Berry are leaving the local authority, Jane Haynes reveals in BirminghamLive. Hockaday was the interim HR chief and has not had his contract extended. Berry is reportedly leaving by mutual agreement. The senior officers are departing as the council continues to prepare an emergency budget following the issuing of a Section 114 in September.

⚽ Jude Bellingham’s former coach has given an interview about the star player following his Kopa trophy win on Monday. Mike Dodds worked for the Birmingham City Academy where Bellingham trained as a teenager before going on to be the club’s youngest first-team player at 16. Dodds said: "Literally the world is at his feet at the moment. It's amazing to see and is also quite scary, but long may we all enjoy Jude Bellingham."

🐁 A 32-year old man has been arrested in connection with several incidents of live mice being released in branches of McDonalds in Birmingham on Monday and Tuesday. The incidents appear to be in protest of the Israel Defence League.

⚖️ Rapper Lady Leshurr from Kingshurst in Solihull has been found not-guilty of assault but says her “career has been ruined”. The accusation was brought against her by her ex-girlfriend Sidnee Hussein and Hussein’s then partner Chante Boyea. 

📽️ This Sunday the Electric Cinema is showing off its new makeover with pastel-coloured seats by selling £5 tickets all day. There are several films to choose from including The Matrix and Taylor Swift The Eras Tour.

📺 Channel 4 has produced a documentary exploring Birmingham’s inner city estates. This episode covers a tower block in Ladywood where residents are struggling to feed their families.