Posts Tagged ‘ book ’

Back in Fàshiön

Back in Fàshiön

(Self)-Published by the brilliantly named Brummie Git Press Luke James’s Stairway To Nowhere is out now. He says it’s “the true, unexpurgated, and twisted story (with pictures) of the original line-up of Fàshiön (1978-80)” and who are we to argue — the singer should know. It’s available for just under a tenner as a book and at £3.19 as a download, both from lulu.com If you’re not aware of them, the blurb might well sell it to you: “Stairway To Nowhere is the true story of late 1970’s, Birmingham, UK band Fàshiön. In the brief spotlight of their fifteen minutes of fame, Fàshiön toured both the USA and UK as opening band for The Police, did a UK club tour with a then unknown band from Ireland called U2, opened for The B52’S on their first ever UK tour, and had a new band called Duran Duran open shows for them.The book tells the story of how four young, unemployed working class gits from the gutters of Brum donned make-up, attitude, weird clothes and swaggered forth to escape the dreaded clutches Birmingham’s car factory mentality by conquering the music business. On their voyage of escape and discovery, Fàshiön encounter...

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Collection of Prix

Collection of Prix

The story of Superprix is told in many ways: hushed whisperings in council cloisters whenever anyone comes up with something monumentally odd, in flowers along Bristol St every spring, and now in a book, Superprix: The Story of Birmingham’s Motor Race. “The idea of a motor race in the heart of England’s motor city (to emulate the Monaco circuit) had been mooted as early as 1966. In the end, the city’s arterial roads round the Bull Ring and the city centre provided one of the most exciting racing events ever staged in the UK.” Sample pages are available on the publisher’s website.

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The development of Birmingham

Pretty much an 1918 version of the Big CIty Plan — including ideas for improving New Street station.

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Reading Festival

Despite the odd titling “Will Self with Heather Child” for example that lead a stupid person (er, me) to think that the rapcious wordsmith was appearing at South Birmingham College at half two of an afternoon (primetime!), there’s normally something for most readers of books on during the Birmingham Book Festival. Going on from the 6th to the 29th of October it includes footy-middleclassing baldy Nick Hornby, George Monbiot and even manages to shoehorn in The Archers.

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Round objects

Round objects

Birmingham Corporation Tramways & Omnibus Department – Outer Circle bus guide, c1925, originally uploaded by mikeyashworth. Birmingham Corporation Tramways & Omnibus Department – Outer Circle bus guide ‘see Birmingham’s charming suburbs by ‘bus – 25 miles for fifteen pence’ I’ve been after one of these for ages.

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It’s all Self, Self, Self with the Birmingham Book Festival

The charming Russ L, points us to the line-up of this years Birmingham Book festival via a post on the BiNS talk boards. There’s the usual opening quiz, David Lodge, Mark Thomas and the godlike Will Self amongst others. Full programme is now on the site.

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Not this morning with Richard and Judy

Catherine O’Flynn won the Newcomer of the Year award we asked you to vote for. The award cermony that will be shown this Sunday on Channel 4 at a quarter to five presented by Richard and Judy.

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Itchy for a guide to Brum?

Itchy for a guide to Brum?

Just released, an 1820s Rough Guide – A Description of Modern Birmingham (via)

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Vote O’Flynn

We interrupt usual cynicism about awards to bring you this plea from the lovely Luke at Tindal St Press: Vote for Catherine O’Flynn as Newcomer of the Year! Tindal Street Press is very proud that Catherine O’Flynn has been shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards, for her novel What Was Lost. (You may have seen her on Richard and Judy last Friday.) What Was Lost is a novel growing strongly through word-of-mouth, and so we’re delighted that there is public voting for Newcomer of the Year. It would mean a lot to us if you would log on to the Galaxy British Book Awards website http://www.bookmarketing.co.uk/surveys/awardsvote2008.htm to vote for Catherine O’Flynn (and enter a competition to win £200 of book tokens). This is a great opportunity to register a vote for a proud and very gifted Brummie! The Award ceremony, presented by Richard & Judy, will be shown on Channel 4 at 4.45pm on Sunday 13 April. To that we would add, don’t vote for Clarkson.

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