Birmingham: It's Not Shit

Earlier in the year I said that Councilor Martin Mullaney's YouTubing and pub frequenting articles deserved a nomination, so that's mine.

Second bounder.

Pete Ashton.

Good shout Russ, but would you care to elaborate for those not au fait with the man's work?

I'd like to nominate John Tighe for Brummie of the year because of his tireless efforts to Keep Digbeth Noisy, despite the attempts of many to stop him.

For anyone who hasn't heard about this, John owns the Spotted Dog pub in Digbeth (the Irish one, not the other one), and has recently been hit with a Noise Abatement Notice due to the amount of fun being had in his pub. The 3 complaints that have led to this have been made by residents of some flats built after his late licence was granted and... I won't go into the rest of the details, if you're interested check out the site http://www.keepdigbethvibrant.co.uk/dog.html for more info. This website's been set up for free by a resident of said flats who represents the majority and loves the pub.

John should also be commended for consistently keeping attractive ladies of Birmingham in employment (if you don't believe me, pop in and see: I dare you to not ogle).

I'll second Pete Ashton.

Writer of Created in Birmingham (http://createdinbirmingham.com), curator of the Custard Factory website (http://custardfactory.co.uk/), author of the Brum Blog (http://brumblog.co.uk/), random collector of web clippings (http://peteashton.tumblr.com/) and photographer of this fair city and its inhabitants (http://flickr.com/photos/peteashton/).

Smart man - and a damn fine Brummie.

I'll second (no hang on, third!) Pete Ashton.

No finer example of the future of Birmingham is there to be found embodied in blog author form.

Id like to nominate radio WM late night presenter Danny Kelly, funny Guy.

Also 'Polymath' and 'Explainer of Complicated Things (Such As How Teh Internets Work) To Thick People Who Wouldn't Normally Understand Them (Such As Me) In A Very Effective Fashion".

Over on the badlands that are the BiNS forum:

from m8e...

My vote goes to Richard Pawley - the guy who wants to build a 650ft tall bungee jump tower next to Millennium Point.

He grew up in Birmingham, and then spent nearly 30 years working at Drayton Manor Park, where he introduced the Apocalypse and Shockwave rides.
A self-confessed adrenaline-junkie, he says he wants to be the first person to jump off the tower when it's finished, which will hopefully be sometime in 2010.
That should show the world what us Brummies are made of!!
(Quite literally if the rope snaps)

(Anyone but me, please...)

Okay, I'll nominate Clare Edwards, brains behind Gigbeth, for taking a very dull job description (supporting skills development in the music industry or some shit) and transforming it into a massive music festival that brings together all manner of promoters from across the city. Gigbeth II hasn't happened yet but for sheer vision, guts and passionate belief in Birmingham I think she deserves a nomination.

Oh, and I'll second John Tighe.

Can I second Clare Edwards for Pete's reasons above and third or fourth Pete Ashton, even if he doesn't want it. Both of them have been great sources of info and inspiration for me as a newbie to the area trying to run 4Talent WM, as has Antonio Gould - has he had a mention yet? I should probably be nominating folk at Maverick too, but how to pick just one of 'em, plus nominating co-workers is kind of icky...

Don't stop, keep going. How about people who aren't in the 'creative' sector?

I love the singing Evein Mail seller on New St.

My reticence isn't just modesty - I figure Brummie of the Year should go to people who were born and bred here. While my paternal family is 100% Birmingham I've only lived here for a cumulative nine years, three of which as a student which doesn't count. I consider myself a Brummie but the award should go to those who's had a lifetime of service, as it were.

if we're taking this seriously of course!

Local B'ham author, Joel Lane.

I would have fourthed those votes for Pete, but also very deserving and a local lad to boot:

Rich Batsford

Musician, recent solo work and performances with ProjectX, music teacher, concerned local citizen and all round nice bloke.

How about local author Cath O'Flynn, whose debut novel "What Was Lost" is thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, after making the Booker longlist, she didn't make it to the shortlist. Maybe a B:iNS Brummie of the Year Award would make up for it ;-)

O’Flynn is still up for a Guardian First Book award. I'd second her nomination.

Pete Ashton is far too reticent. His 9 years is worth many more of someone else's

Enough with the Pete Ashton nominations already. ;) He should make the shortlist, let's hear about some other people.

I'd like to nominate Jean Nicholson.

Who? She's quietly run the Birmingham Opera Company for ever, brilliantly. She's regularly surprised the heck out of a lot of us.

She knows a lot of very cool people yet drinks in some of the establishments on the 'hardest pubs in brum' list.

Sound

I hate Birmingham. It's rubbish. I'd rather live in Portsmouth than here. (And that's saying something. Have you ever been to Portsmouth?) Manchester is great. I should never have left London.



I'd nominate my old mate Dr Andy Green for his work on the Connecting Histories project at the library, specifically on Abolitionists and Slavery. In fact maybe I'll nominate the whole Connecting Histories team who've been taking the massive archive at the library and turning it into useful, comprehendable resources for local communities. Knowing some of them I'm aware of how important what they've been doing is and think it should be shouted about a bit more.

http://www.connectinghistories.org.uk/

And here's Dr Green's Sturge Trail:

http://www.connectinghistories.org.uk/exhibitio...

The boxer Wayne Elcock. On Friday he became Birmingham's first British champion for (I think) over a decade, and has won three titles in as many fights.

Can Danny Reddington have another shot? He's got a musical about himself now - not bad for a record shop owner, even Richard Branston hasn't got that.

John Tighe AND Fred Grove for sticking their necks out and having the numpty to take on the insane decisions of assorted bureaucrats. Add Joe Holyoak and Stephen Hartland for their courage as well. Make it a four-way toast to four men who care about Birmingham.

Well, since Pete doesn't want it and I can't vote for him anyway, being family, I nominate Steve Bruce in the hope that he gets fired before he can claim the award. A double whammy for all us long-suffering bluenoses.

I like Steve as a manager, but I'd still like to see him sacked - as I've got a sitcom proposal that stars him and Peter Schmiecel living next door to each other (as they did in the nineties), if he's out of work he might just do it.

I don't think the award has been any kind of albatross to the winners over the years - although we don't hear so much about Charlie Mitton these days.


Just to throw another hat into the sack - what about my favourite Redskin busker - Big Chief Busks With Recorder?

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/313127730_aaa3c2ffab_m.jpg" width="174" height="240" alt="Big Chief Busks-with-recorder"></img>

I'd like to nominate a brummie of the year. I work as a furnace operator with a group of metalagists at a place called wallwork and it is exactly that. Solid graft. Some of the people I work with I feel are legends in their own right and I feel at least one of them should be picked out for a reward for the work they do that largely goes unspoken. We've got a great team supporting what is a dieng industry and an industry that defines Birmingham as a city "heavy metal", in the true sinister war mongering, hate filled sense of the words. These are truely the real legends of Birmingham.

Pete Mc Caulley, Scots/Irish who has been Production Supervisor for 20 years in probably one of the most hellish work environments you can imagine and is someone I admire and respect and personifies to me everything to be feared and respected about the true nature of Birmingham's industrial working class history. He is a fair boss and quite often quite literally looks like a zombie because the hours he works are so long which is quite entertaining. I certainly feel he deserves some kind of recognition for someone who I feel could have done anything with his life and decided to stick it out in this place.

It's not just Pete.all the staff collectively make a great team, from oxford graduates to ex-professional rugby players they're all winners in their own right. But considering Pete's position he could sit back and let people get on with it but he can't help but get stuck in and his enthusiasm is contagious.

Big up Pete Mac!

Wayne Elcock, boxer, beat Howard Eastman in the British Middleweight Title Fight

How about Carl Chinn, I was lucky enough to meet him and share a few cool beverages this summer.
Now theres a down to earth fella who genuinly loves birmingham its people its culture its history.
Hes also doing all he can for the citys heritage, by promoting its historic buildings and markets etc.
Also the way he is on the radio is the way he is in real life, he'll talk to anyone for as long as they want about what ever they want,and he really does call everyone "mucker".
Hes a properly nice guy and a great Brummie, im glad I was lucky enough to meet him.
Carl Chin Great Call.

What about that guy who's always out and about busking with his saxophone in the city centre? He always used to stand by the Copthorne, but I've seen him on New Street too. He's been around for years and always makes a walk through the centre slightly more pleasant. Because let's face it - city centre regeneration has been good, though very commercial. This feels like an antidote to me...

Has anyone nominated Capsule yet? Can I?

I would like to nominate Mick AIR BISCUIT Stokes for Brummy of the Year for romping home first in the annual pantomime horse grand national .And the idiot is doing it again this year .So if anybody would like to sponsor Mick please get in touch.

I think we'd have to declare an interest in Mick. But if anyone does want to sponsor Airbiscuit for the race (and it is for charidee you know) email us and we'll sort something out.

---------------Nominations Closed ---------------------------

Even in a freewheeling modern online democracy we have to have some rules in order to pare down the nominations, so one we've gone for is that people have to be doing stuff over and above 'work' - otherwise you get into the realms of wondering whether a DJ is doing as valuable work as a fire-fighter or nurse. So for that reason people, like WM late night presenter Danny Kelly, who have been nominated for basically doing their jobs (however well) haven't made the cut.

We've picked 'Big Chief Busks-with-recorder' as a kind of representative of Brum's buskers and street entertainers - those that brighten up a trek up New Street, past the chuggers and scientology girls - even the bloke I caught today not plucking his violin despite the sound coming out of his amp.

So that's it - we've picked nine - go vote...

Please keep discussing the vote here, or on our forums.

There can only be one candidate, Graham Webb,cyclist extrodinair, google him to find out what being a brummie is all about

Sorry Postie, too late for this year - nominations closed on the 1st of the month. Love to hear about Gramham tho' - why not tell us in your own words what he's been doing?

JOHN TIGHE FOR PRIME MINISTER!!!

no contest.... Brummie of the year should go to Johnny Doom!

How the hell do I vote? I vote Mr Jonny Doom !

Erm, you could try the page for this year's voting. At the mo, the vote is also on the home page.