For once tabloid shock horror over a film might be justified, but not for quite the reasons you may think. Danny Smith attempts to get the the truth of Birmingham's gang culture, and it aint a cosy picture. [link]
Reaching out from beyond the grave…… Sorry, that’s a rubbish intro!
But have you heard what has come to town?! It’s the controversial Bodies Revealed exhibition and it’s being held at the Custard Factory in Digbeth.
Using real human specimens, painstakingly prepared and respectfully displayed
The Bodies Revealed exhibition lets visitors of all ages explore deep within the human body in a way that informs but doesn’t overwhelm.
It opens today and is running until January, maybe longer if the demand is there.
I got a sneak preview of the exhibition at the press day on Wednesday, and it really is a unique way to view and learn more about the human body. I found it fascinating and a bit surreal. If you would like to see more photos, pop over to my blog. It’s was very interesting subject to photograph, if not a little unnerving when I found myself getting a little too close to one of the bodies…..!
Have a fab Halloween weekend! See you next week 
Birmingham timelapse from 7inch cinema on Vimeo.
“a selection of images taken by amateur photographer Derek Fairbrother from the same spot in Birmingham’s Chamberlain square between 1963 and 1986. We’ve [7 inch cinema] just compiled them for a new exhibition called Birmingham Seen which opens at BM&AG this weekend; other sequences include the Post Office tower and the Rotunda.”
Here’s Duncan and then Robin Campbell with their take on music in Brum. What’s yours?
Andrew Brightwell plans to visit every pool in Brum to asses their state — have a swim — and find out whether the council is meeting its commitments.
Also includes a link to Saturday's Moseley Road Baths, Memories and Memorabilia event — which should be good. [link]
Which way do you like to go round? Don’t forget we want a circuit off you on the 11th November.
Either way you’ll want one of these badges, or both, or a number of both. 50p each (plus p+p, should be no more than 50p for small numbers) is what they’ll cost ‘ya. Email us with your order & we’ll send you an secure paypal payment link
Paul Dale with a gloomy outlook on the Council's "Business Transformation". [link]
UB40 are playing a gig at the tiny (for them) Rainbow in Digbeth on the third of November. The idea is to raise awareness, and some dosh for a sound-deadening roof, of the noise problems the pub have been having.
It’s part of a wider debate about how music is something more than just a business, I’ll let the guys from BCU explain, they’ve been thinking about this for a long time:
“Music is a business. But it’s not only a business. It’s part of who we are and how we express ourselves. It’s not just about money. It’s about people. A vibrant and active musical environment is part of what makes life rich, exciting, interesting and meaningful.”
Here’s Brian Travers on why music plays an important part of the city, and why UB40 are getting involved:
You can get Tickets and make donations here, but if you’re not a ‘B40 fan there’s still something you can do.
BiNS would like you to tell us about how music has shaped your city — email us, comment here, anything. Why is YOUR music important to Brum?
If you're an anal sort and want to know every time anyone "consults" on anything in Birmingham (we're talking official bodies here, not just asking "do you fancy a pint?") then you could do worse than try this site. Not the easiest to navigate or search (no results for "Big City Plan" for example), I'd subscribe to the RSS feed and sit back and see if anything interesting pops up. [link]
KateGoes have released their first single “All We Wanna Do Is OH’ which is a sharp slice of bouncy pop. All very well, but what’s especially nice is that they’d like you to make sock puppet monkeys to “star” in the video.
Remember to write your name and email address on a bit of card, in with the monkey.
The deadline for submitting your monkeys is JANUARY 31st 2010, and here’s the address:
FILM FICCIONES
31 MAYFIELD ROAD
MOSELEY
BIRMINGHAM
B13 9HJ
UNITED KINGDOM
