Posts Tagged ‘Birmingham Post’:
Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, February 1st, 2010 ( Start discussion )
Tags: bbc, birmingham mail, Birmingham Post, Cheapside, D&P textile, digpuss, express and star, fire, rea street
I took a stroll down Cheapside today to take a look at what was left of the D&P Textiles warehouse after the massive fire yesterday. As you can see from the photos, quite a bit of damage has been done – the roof of the storage area has completely gone.
One of the guys clearing up said, “It’s made a lot of mess. But it’s made the news, it’s made this area famous.” Although I’d like to think Digbeth can be famous for a bit more than a fire, he’s not wrong:
- BBC News reported on the ’suspicious’ nature of the fire and the building’s asbestos roof, which apparently ‘poses no risk to the public’. Good to know.
- The Birmingham Post quoted a lot of numbers – ‘45 firemen tackled the blaze…ten engines, three main jets and a hydraulic platform had been used to douse the fire.’
- The Express and Star disagreed with the Birmingham Post and said there were 60 firemen. They’ve got a picture of three of them squirting hosepipes at the blaze.
- The Birmingham Mail predicted Monday morning ‘commuter misery’ due to resulting road closures, which I was surprised by as the Bradford Street entrance to Rea Street was open by the end of Sunday and Cheapside is not a major route road. Did anyone experience any problems this morning?
According to an update report on BBC News today, Managing Director of D&P Textiles Phil King has promised the factory will reopen soon, and ‘he hoped his workforce of 35 women would be back at their machines within the next couple of weeks.’ Let’s hope the mammouth clean-up operation he faces goes as smoothly as possible.
Thank God the only casualties were clothes. However, I did manage to find one surviving item – a lone piece red and gold ribbon. This now has a new home in the DiGpuss Shop of found items.
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Written by Nicky Getgood on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 ( Start discussion )
Tags: big city plan, birmingham coach station, Birmingham Post, digital district, Fazeley Studios, shameless self promotion, south birmingham college, The Bond
If you buy a copy of this week’s Birmingham Post you’ll find inside a supplement all about Digbeth: Soul of the City, with articles about that Big City Plan, Digital District things and places like South Birmingham College, The Bond, Fazeley Studios and the new Birmingham Coach Station. You’ll find some spectacular photos from yesteryear on pages 4 and 5 and on page 16 there’s an article by yours truly, all about a few if my favourite Digbeth things. In a newsagent near you until Wednesday.
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Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, November 30th, 2009 ( 6 responses )
Tags: andy munro, anna blackaby, Birmingham Post, dave harte, digbeth study, Fazeley Studios, microsoft, rare games
So all of Birmingham’s buzzing with the news that Microsoft subsidiary Rare Games are set to move into the remaining vacant Fazeley Studios. Martin Mullaney thinks it’s ‘awesome’. The Birmingham Post have visually interpreted the big news in an interesting way – a massive, Microsoft bat-signal emanating from Digbeth. I’m liking this. I’m liking this so much I want it to be first of my three wishes to Andy Munro, in response to the the genie-style last question of his Digbeth Study:
- What are the top three things you feel should be done for Digbeth?
My second wish is for many local loud-speakers to play the Intel sound logo to accompany the Microsoft bat-signal. Both can go off whenever one of the many Digbeth websites gets updated. It could be a bit like Twitter blog updates for those not on Twitter. Or something. My third and final wish is for the following not to happen:
For some reason I imagine these Rare Games people to be big-shot Yanks. I’m sure they’re not, but it placed a picture in my head – I’m walking through the Fazeley Studios corridors and meet a dashing American, who flashes me a bright-white smile. He says Hey There and tells me he’s new in town, and asks if I can help. I say Of Course (anything for you). Then he asks, Where’s the nearest cashpoint, decent parking, supermarket, mobile phone signal? I look uncomfortably on whilst realisation dawns – he has traded in his land of milk and honey for a place with None Of The Above.
According to Dave Harte, the best way to prevent this is to take Anna Blackaby’s advice of developing a Digbeth Business Improvement District (BID). I honestly don’t know if this is the answer, I just know I don’t want to disappoint the dashing American. Can you fix that for me Andy Munro? Pretty please?
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Written by Nicky Getgood on Sunday, July 27th, 2008 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Birmingham Back to Backs, Birmingham Post, Friction Arts, Lombard St, National Trust, Power 50, Sandra Hall
Last night I got chatting to Friction Arts’ Sandra Hall (recently no. 43 in the Birmingham Post’s Power 50). She is mightilly upset that this pre-1950’s back-to-back on Lombard St is soon to be flattened. I had a sneaky look this morning but got caught mid-trespass by some builders preparing it for demolition, so didn’t get much further than the courtyard:
The builders weren’t sure what will be replacing it. “Probably a hotel.” Whatever it is, I doubt it’ll be as beautiful as this building. It’s a crying shame it couldn’t be preserved. The National Trust Birmingham Back to Backs on Hurst St show how lovely these houses can be.
Sandra and others from Friction Arts took some much better photos, which I’m trying to get my paws on.
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Written by Nicky Getgood on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Abstract Edge, Anthony Collier, Birmingham Post, Custard Factory, Terry Grimley
This evening The Bond kicked off a series of exhibitions in their Boardrooms by launching a show of paintings by Abstract Edge, a group of artists from the Shropshire, Herefordshire and the Marches area. The Bond’s Director Anthony Collier said he hopes this will be the first of many exhibitions showing off talent from the West Midlands and surrounding areas.
The exhibition was enthusiastically launched by the Birmingham Post’s Arts Editor Terry Grimley (“I do love a man who goes on,” said the lady next to me). He reminisced that Digbeth was being labelled a ‘creative quarter’ back in 1998. Finally, after 10 years, “with The Bond and The Custard Factory lapping at each others heels”, he feels we’re getting there.
Abstract Edge’s easy-on-the-eye paintings are on display (and on sale, if you’re feeling flush) until 27th August. Please confirm a viewing with The Bond’s reception beforehand to avoid your visit clashing with their Boardroom bookings.
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