Shaun Patrick Hand takes readers on a journey into the world of non-league football. He heads to a Sutton Coldfield Town away game, costing a mere £11. But who are the fans, and do we need to spend £800 on a season ticket to get our football fix? www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/from-villa-p...

From Villa Park to the Village Green

As the Midlands’ footballing elites compete in Europe and build £3 billion stadiums, we meet the fans keeping it local... hyperlocal

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Nearly 40% of children in East Birmingham are living in absolute poverty. Could the new Sports Quarter transform the prospects for a community that has long felt forgotten? www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-american...

The Americans want to build an Etihad in East Birmingham. Will it work?

'To not pursue this would be a crime against the city'

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In today's fantastic read, Shard End-born novelist Keiran Goddard explores why he feels uneasy claiming the city that shaped him. www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/i-see-buildi...

Keiran Goddard on how Birmingham shaped Antony Boyle film

'Fuck it; it's not like I'm taking the place of someone else who’d otherwise be on the radio talking about Shard End'

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Turns out the proud new owners of Ladywood Police Station have made some hefty donations to the Labour Party... 🤨 That's todays top story: www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/meet-the-men...

Meet the men who bought a police station — straight after donating to Labour

Two property developers with ties to the party are the proud new owners of a local cop shop

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As it happens, there was a @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social article on the emptiness or otherwise of town just the other week. www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/where-is-bir...

Where is Birmingham’s buzz?

The suburbs appear to have stolen the crown from town

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"People didn't understand why they needed to leave their homes". The fires in Stourbridge this week, which have left 19 homes gutted, have become a major national story. Kate Knowles reports on a reeling town and asks: what comes next?

Nineteen houses were destroyed in the fire that tore through Stourbridge. Labour MP, Cat Eccles, tells us residents who did not understand the severity of the situation were dragged away by police. More on the wildfires in today's briefing 👨‍🚒 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/investigatio...

Investigations begin into the cause of devastating Stourbridge wildfires

Plus: leading Birmingham academic slams Cambridge professor’s death as a “public lynching”

birminghamdispatch.co.uk

Spirit of Pakistan closes today, after two weeks of packed-out events highlighting the cultural contributions of British Pakistanis. But a bitter row has erupted over £30,000 of council funding and how involved Pakistan should be in a festival about… Pakistan.

Spirit of Pakistan celebrates British Pakistanis. Why do some of them want it cancelled?

A row has erupted over £30,000 of council funding and how involved Pakistan should be in a festival about… Pakistan

birminghamdispatch.co.uk

Flag raising last summer was dissected from every angle; national flags mean very different things to different people. But what about the place where it all began: Weoley Castle? What do the flags mean there, a year on? And has it changed the place, for good, bad or... at all?

NEW: Suspended Green Party councillor Siobhan Harper-Nunes was arrested this morning on suspicion of harassment. The news comes just days after she was charged with assaulting five people.

Flag raising has changed British politics. But what about the lives of the people who started it all? We headed to Weoley, to talk to the Birmingham suburb that kickstarted one of the most hotly debated political movements of the 2020s.

A year ago, the UK's flag-raising moment began in Birmingham. In the suburb of Weoley, flags began to rise. Since then, they've spread all over the nation and not really stopped. 'Flag wars' are now rampant. But what's happening at flag ground zero?

Raised in Weoley Castle

A year ago, locals went wild for flags. Today they’re flying at half mast

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What, if anything, has changed since the flags went up in Weoley Castle year ago? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raised-in-we...

Raised in Weoley Castle

A year ago, locals went wild for flags. Today they’re flying at half mast

birminghamdispatch.co.uk

Who doesn't love a mango-themed street party? Reform apparently, while Labour can't make up their mind. The drama surrounding Soho Road's Mango Mela and more in today's briefing 🥭 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/green-party-...

Green party councillor suspended after ‘assaulting’ three police officers

Plus, mango meltdown in Handsworth over a fruit festival

birminghamdispatch.co.uk

We had a big debate in the Dispatch office this week: where is Birmingham’s buzz?

According to one redditor, Birmingham's food scene has lost its spark of late. We found the spots to prove them wrong. More on Brum's thriving new eateries in our Monday briefing 🥘 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/reddit-think...

According to one redditor, Birmingham's food scene has lost its spark of late. We found the spots to prove them wrong. More on Brum's thriving new eateries in our Monday briefing🥘 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/reddit-think...

Reddit thinks Birmingham’s food scene is over; they’re wrong

Plus, Jude Bellingham, the city’s favourite son, returns

birminghamdispatch.co.uk

He is known for his cinematic shots of 1980s and 90s Manchester - and of course for capturing 'Madchester' on camera. But it was in the squats of Birmingham where Richard Davis got his start.

Built to Rents are booming in Birmingham. 🏠 Is this a housing revolution in progress, or another precarious stopgap for those desperately seeking a stable home? Check out our latest article here👇 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/a-new-type-o...

BIG news about the Methodist Central Hall. The future wasn't looking great for this Victorian beauty. Not only was it growing more dilapidated by the day, but it was stuck in limbo because its former owner ran out of money.

Local ‘patriot’ flagging group Raise the Colours have been getting rather creative with their video edits 🤨 ✂️. But there days could well be numbered... Find out more in today's Monday Briefing 📖 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raise-the-cu...

Raise the cutters!

The local flaggers have been getting creative with their edits as the council considers an injunction

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It’s 2013 and Digbeth is suddenly, unironically, one of the coolest places in the UK. The NME has dubbed it “the Shoreditch of Birmingham”, largely because, for the first time since the 1960s, multiple local bands are hitting the big time at once.

Calling all millenial brummies! We have a bumper read about 2010s indie music scene B-Town coming out this weekend and we want photos. Dust off your Facebook (or even MySpace) logins and send us your best pics from: 📸gigs 📸house parties 📸club nights at the Rainbow + more

Andy Burnham is prime minister. And it only took 25 years, two failed Labour leadership contests, and some viral paparazzi shots of him running in very short shorts to get here. What could his premiership mean for the West Midlands?

Andy Burnham is prime minister. Is he going to promote Shabana Mahmood to chancellor? And does she even want the job? 💼 That's the top story in today's Monday Briefing. 📰

'It’s kind of dreary, it’s kind of rainy, everyone’s kind of depressed' That's the impression a lot of ppl, like the artist Laisul Hoque, have of Birmingham before they come here.

Rubbish bins and rodents have long plagued the streets of Selly Oak during the summer months. Is the community loosing its spirit as a result? www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/who-cares-ab...

Who cares about Selly Oak?

To-let boards, rubbish, and rodents: for some, the South Brum neighbourhood has lost its soul

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Don't forget: The Dispatch is hiring! We're looking for a brilliant staff writer to join Kate and Olivia covering all things Birmingham and the West Midlands.

NEW: Raddlebarn Primary School headteacher Angela Lowry has left the building. The former head departed at Easter - seven months after The Dispatch published an investigation that revealed she had mismanaged school funds. Read all about it here: www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raddlebarns-...

Raddlebarn’s headteacher bids farewell

Angela Lowry has departed the Selly Oak school, seven months after our investigation

birminghamdispatch.co.uk

There does seem to be a trend of more professionalised newsletters/blogs taking up some of the slack caused by the deterioration of local news media. The @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social has been doing some sterling work in my area wrt investigative reporting, too.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The true sign of whether you're a Londoner is if you know that you need to give every Standard article a close reading, which would tell you that Andy Burnham has not, in fact, said this. (Don't know why Andy is giving his exclusive London articles to the Standard not LondonCentric TBH)