Birmingham Dispatch
@brumdispatch
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Birmingham's new quality newspaper. Join our free mailing list to get proper local journalism in your email inbox every week. Edited by @pennycenturyy .
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Lovely to have encouragement from
@iburrell
for our new, quality paper for the West Midlands! We can't wait to begin sharing stories with you.
'A new local publishing model is giving regional titles the wake-up call they need'
3
18
49
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi: “Cities all over the UK are protecting their musical heritage, Birmingham shouldn’t be left behind."
The Crown is now Grade II listed! Brilliant news!✨
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8
75
Getting the truth about the future of Station Street out of most of the various players involved is like drawing blood from a stone.
And trust us — there are a lot of players involved. A pen and paper might come in handy.
5
31
57
A narrative has emerged about how Birmingham went bankrupt. Is it true?
For months, we have been speaking to key figures across the city - and there's more to the story than meets the eye.
Let us take you back to the summer of 2017...
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Twice we asked a developer rumoured to be planning a tower on Station Street about a meeting in which they showed off their plans.
Twice they denied it. "No meeting has taken place,"
@Glenbrookprop
told us.
Then we found an email thanking attendees of that meeting for "making
3
25
48
Huge news! Thanks to a very successful first few months of publishing we are now ready to hire our second staff writer! Please share widely and encourage any keen journalists in Brum to apply ✍️✨
6
23
46
200 years ago, this grand row of 19th-century townhouses in Walsall was built for the town's wealthiest citizens.
Now it is linked to a scandal involving unsafe housing for vulnerable people, huge profits for property developers and a £2.4m investment from
@WestMids_CA
. 🧵
3
17
44
Are cars still holding Birmingham back? For our weekend read, data journalist
@djstimms
crunches the numbers and speaks to Brummie author
@dlknowles
, whose new book says traffic is ruining our cities.
0
21
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🚨 It's official: Labour's Richard Parker has BEATEN Andy Street to become mayor of the West Midlands, winning an incredibly tight race. The result is a major blow for the Conservatives, who hoped Street would provide a rare bright spot in these local elections.
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9
40
Mill Media West Mids division in action!
@abi_whist
is a staff writer at
@liverpoolpost
but hails from Wolves and has some stories from her old stomping ground to share with Dispatch readers.
Look our for them ✨
1
6
34
Special report: How secretive leadership and warring staff led Birmingham to the abyss.
By
@pennycenturyy
,
@EdKing2210
and
@joshi
.
3
18
28
What a week it's been already! Thanks to everyone who has already subscribed, messaged, emailed and phoned to give your encouragement for what we are doing. It's hugely appreciated. 🗞️🙌🥳
If you haven't signed up yet, you can do here:
1
7
27
Ahead of a crucial vote at
@BhamCityCouncil
tomorrow,
@pennycenturyy
delved into the intense division surrounding an iconic but neglected building. Will the Ringway Centre share the fate of the old library and be torn down?
1
8
25
When rumours of plans for a 50-storey tower on Station Street came to light, there was uproar. With the Electric Cinema’s future in doubt, a petition was launched and the Mayor pledged to investigate.
But the funny thing was, no-one was willing to admit to proposing the tower in
3
9
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Today is a very exciting day in The Dispatch history - the day we launch our paid memberships! Today the real test begins - will people pay for local journalism?
The early signs were good - we had 108 people signed up to pay even before today - but we've had 53 new signups and
1
8
25
🚨Breaking:
@andy4wm
has responded to a letter of no confidence brought by
@BrumLeader
and 3 other Labour councils on the
@WestMids_CA
:
A spokesperson for Andy Street said: “The reaction of the public tells you all you need to know about this desperate attempt at gutter
9
9
25
In far-flung Transylvania,
@joshi
bumped into some Dispatch-reading Brummies in a pub.
They invited him to come and see what they were doing there: helping to rebuild an old railway which used to lead from Sibiu to Sighișoara, a picturesque town once inhabited by Vlad Dracul,
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5
24
A woman dying alone in her flat. A former lettings agent who said he was going to end homelessness. Non-profit companies that collapsed owing £13m.
For months, we've been investigating the story of Gurpaal Judge. Last week, we met him. By
@joshi
.
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19
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Our first tweet 🔔
The Dispatch is coming... Join our mailing list
1
9
22
Birmingham’s gay scene was just kicking off. Then AIDS tore through the community.
This is the story of how its members fought back against a hostile society - and the importance of having a place to party, in both good times and bad.
0
5
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We've had more than 500 subscribers since launching on Monday! 🙌
Brilliant result which shows people are looking for quality reporting on the West Mids - sin up at the link below if you haven't already ⬇️
1
9
19
Interesting read on the decline of local news using Birmingham Mail as a case study. Thanks to
@Psythor
for the shout out - we'll try to keep the Naga Munchetty's wardrobe content to a minimum!
1
5
18
What makes people leave Birmingham? And what makes them want to stay? For our first ever piece
@pennycenturyy
caught up with schoolfriends she hasn't seen in years to find out. 🐂
1
2
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We have surpassed the 2,500 subscriber mark and there are now 2,619 of you! 🥳
We also have 25 pledges from readers to pay £8 a month when we launch paid subs in early December. Here's some lovely words from one of our pledgers:
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Will the Kings Heath community be able to come back together after four years of warring over the Low Traffic Neighbourhood?
Phase 2 is underway now and the whole scheme should be finished by the end of the year. It's been very fraught.
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2
17
1 week in and 1000 subscribers already! 🥳
Thanks to everyone who has signed up so far, what a whirlwind ✨
Our first issue will be winging its way to your inboxes on Wednesday morning so look out for it 🙌
0
5
15
🚨 It's official - the government has confirmed it is axeing the PFI contract to improve Brum's roads.
@BrumLeader
said: “The government has betrayed Birmingham to the tune of over £500 million. This will have a negative impact on every single person in our city."
1
9
16
He’s the mayor who transformed Birmingham from a sleepy and ignorant city into something great – but is there more to the myth?
0
6
15
Just spent a lovely couple of hours in Handsworth, finding a few stories and, of course, delicious snacks and masala tea. Look out for articles in upcoming dispatches 👀
Also, I've never tried the non-samosa item pictured here before - can anyone tell me what it is called?
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We are thrilled to have reached another milestone - we now have more than 5,000 subscribers!
Thank you to everyone who has shared The Dispatch with friends or followers🥳
If you've not read any of our reporting yet, check out some of our stories linked below 👇
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2
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The rumours are true - the excellent Dan Cave will be picking up Wed-Fri Brum in Briefs following the hugely positive reception to his debut last week. 🥳
Pass any tips/news/gossip his way - we want to make the mini briefings as useful as possible. You can still send things to
🚨BIRMINGHAM MEDIA KLAXON🚨
From this week onwards I'll be helping the wonderful
@pennycenturyy
with
@brumdispatch
newsletter updates.
PRs, comms teams, politicos, wonks, media heads -- you know what that means. dancavejournalism
@gmail
.com for updates, news, gossip, stories.
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0
2
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Digbeth owes much of its creative reputation to the Custard Factory, so why are so many people fleeing?
In today's member only edition,
@pennycenturyy
speaks to small business owners who were 'sold the dream' and left disappointed.
0
1
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Your Monday briefing is out now, ft:
🎞️The
@ElectricBham
rumours
⛅️The week's weather
📸Photo of the week
🔗Media picks
@ichoosemag
&
@GerryPoetry
🎭Things to do incl.
@TheRSC
,
@TheCBSO
,
@hareandhounds
+ more!
0
5
12
🚨Finally, a poll on the West Midlands Mayoral Election. Judging by this, the outlook is good for Labour's Richard Parker.
Richard Parker leads Andy Street by 14%.
West Midlands Mayoral Election VI (10-14 April):
Richard Parker (Lab) 42%
Andy Street (Cons) 28%
Elaine Williams (Ref) 13%
Siobhan Harper-Nunes (Green) 7%
Sunny Virk (Lib Dem) 7%
Other 2%
111
213
715
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1
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Thrilled and overwhelmed to announce that The Dispatch has reached 10k subscribers since we started publishing just 14 weeks ago!
Thanks to everyone for reading and sharing our stories; what a wonderful way to start the week.
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📈 We've just passed 6,000 readers on our free list. Welcome to all our newbies who joined over 🎄
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1
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So happy to reveal our weekend read is by the unbeatable
@Bozzers
!
For our first ever Saturday edition, Kirsty has delved into the history of a Wolves institution which has meant the world to her. But it's future is uncertain...
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2
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Readers of our phantom tower of Station St article will be happy to hear a feasability study on the Electric cinema has been launched.
And there's a public consultation tomorrow from 11am-7pm at
@BOMlab
with
@Glenbrookprop
- pop in and have a look!
1
7
12
Joseph Chamberlain, hailed as "father figure of modern Birmingham,"transformed the city.
But is it time to rethink this narrative?
@JonNeale
urges a deeper look. 🧵
2
5
11
🚨 We're hiring a Staff Writer for The Dispatch!
🖊️ We need a great writer who loves delving deep into stories and can cover everything from crime to culture in the West Midlands, working with
@pennycenturyy
.
🕰️ Apply by Sunday, 10 March.
🙏 Please share this post so we can
2
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🥳
Our new title
@brumdispatch
launched exactly a month ago via a great article by
@iburrell
in
@theipaper
.
In that time, more than 4,000 people have joined the email list, way more than we expected at this point. Congrats to
@pennycenturyy
and our writers.
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⏰ Where's The Dispatch this morning? Apologies that our edition is late. But don't worry, it will be worth the wait.
We have Part 3 of our investigation into Gurpaal Judge almost ready - it will drop into your inboxes at 9am.
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Our Brum in brief goes out every Tues-Fri at 7am ✨
Today's Brum in Brief covers:
🏚️ A brighter future for the Golden Lion Inn
🔎 Police appeal for Terence Potts
🦙 Alpacas in Handsworth
+ call out for info on crime, schools + Bham Council
0
1
10
Who is behind those mysterious social media ads about our roads? ⁉️
It looks like a grassroots campaign but the website isn't very clear...
We asked this question in Wednesday's story and today we can confirm who it is. You can read it here:
2
1
9
Remember when Voi's West Mids e-scooter contract was mysteriously paused earlier this year but no one knew exactly why?
The Dispatch can reveal that Voi withheld information from Transport for West Midlands about a key fault on its fleet.
2
4
9
Thank you to all members of The Dispatch — we hugely appreciate your support 🙌
0
0
9
Today's Brum in Brief is out now:
🌦️ Cloudy and windy weather
🏫 Brum council votes to
@savebirmingham
💵
@CentreforCities
new report calls for fiscal devolution
🐷 Black Sabbath get new fans
🪩 Old SNOBS remembered in photos
0
5
9
💵 So who was bankrolling Fundamentum, the fund that bought 30A Bradford Street and leased it to Gurpaal Judge?
We can reveal that
@WestMids_CA
invested £2.4m of taxpayer's money into the fund in June 2021. Last year, the WMCA was the third largest shareholder in Fundamentum.
1
6
9
In June 1964 an innovative and startling documentary aired on BBC1 about West Indian citizens in Birmingham. What can it tell us about our complicated relationship with newcomers and race?
0
3
8
Friday's Brum in Brief is out, incl:
♥️ Benjamin Zephaniah
✊
@BrumCJC
fight for climate action
🏗️ Major potential new Wolves development
🎟️ Godiva fest tix price hikes
🕯️ A queer carol service
✍️
@writingwestmids
applications open
0
3
7
During Birmingham's financial crisis, councillors considered cost-saving ideas. At a council meeting, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives suggested postponing the £2.2 billion Ladywood Estate Regeneration Scheme until 2026, prioritizing the current crisis.
3
4
8
Today's Brum in Brief features yesterday's sit-in at New Street Station for 🇵🇸 and responses from
@andy4wm
to our Qs about his call for policing powers.
There's also a hint about our weekend read - it's by a much-loved local writer. Any guesses?
0
5
8
Thank you Birmingham, for putting your faith in us so early on!
0
1
8
@AlexValk
explores the challenges and implications of transferring libraries to community ownership, where the unpaid work of traditional librarians is often replaced by community fundraising and grant applications and raising concerns about the potential loss of vital services.
0
1
7
"Our city needs a news service that shines a light and holds organisations to account" - one of our new supporters.
Please join our free list if you haven't yet - or pledge to become a paying member.
0
0
7
"Birmingham needs high quality independent investigative journalism".
If you agree, please join Simon and pledge to join us as a paying member. It will will allow us to take on more investigations like today's.
1
4
7
The looming tower: Did a Coventry factory poison my family?
Thousands of people grew up in the shadow of ‘the tall, skinny Courtaulds chimney’. Now they can’t help wondering about its legacy.
0
2
7
Our second Brum in Brief is out with weather, links to local stories and a couple of recommendations for things to do. 🌧️
Look out for our next big piece of writing on Saturday.🗞️
1
0
7
Read it here, share, subscribe - and have a great weekend.
0
1
7
Freezing flats and tenants ‘treated like animals’: Counting the human cost of a social housing empire.
In the second part of our investigation into Gurpaal Judge,
@pennycentury
visits some of the homes he rented to vulnerable tenants.
0
3
7
We’d been tipped off that Manchester developer Glenbrook had put forward the proposal at a meeting with Birmingham Open Media. They twice denied it to us.
Which is not the best strategy if the meeting did actually happen… (2/4)
1
0
7
You can subscribe here - our first issue is out on November 1st:
0
4
7
Charlie Sihota thought a life in the Post Office was all 'licking stamps'. It turned out to be rather more than that.
If you haven't yet, read this lovely piece by
@Bozzers
. 'A love letter from a postmaster' 💌
1
2
7
Our weekly briefing is out now incl:
☔️Weather
⚠️
@dudleymbc
expected to issue S114 by end of month
💰Food banks struggling to afford premises
🏠A gorgeous 2-bed Erdington home for sale
+ More. Read it here:
0
0
7
A reminder that we are hiring a full time staff writer! There are two weeks left to apply for this varied and fun-filled role reporting on our wonderful city of Birmingham.
0
3
7
Yesterday, while the nation was beginning its bank holiday weekend in gardens and on beaches, we set up camp in the ICC. ✍️
It turned out to be a nail-biting nine hours. Here's what happened:
A day of high drama: Inside the toppling of Andy Street
0
2
7
Exclusive: Huge profits, unsafe housing - and funded by £2.4m of taxpayers' money.
Why did
@WestMids_CA
invest in a property fund that went into business with Gurpaal Judge?
Today's investigation by
@pennycenturyy
and
@joshi
.
1
4
6
Women like Marie Bethell Beauclerc and Catherine Osler were instrumental in Birmingham's rise, challenging conventions and reshaping its social fabric, often overlooked in Chamberlain's shadow.
1
0
6
Your Monday briefing is out now, inc:
💉Measles outbreak
💰New
@CentreforCities
report
🔗Our media picks
🎭Things to do inc.
@HockleySocialCl
,
@highburytheatre
,
@THSHBirmingham
+ lots more!
0
3
6
Our region used to have some of the most successful newspapers in the land. What happened?
@iburrell
explores the lost world of West Midlands media
1
4
6
Parker gives his first interview to the BBC. "There is some work to do with the Muslim community and some of our inner-city communities," the newly elected mayor tells
@BBCRajiniV
.
2
1
6
🪩Did anyone go to a gig at the Mermaid pub in the 80s and 90s? It + loads more venues and voices feature in a brand new Birmingham chapter of a bestselling book about UK rave culture. We had a sneak peek and chatted with author
@itsajimting
0
2
6
“The influence of a daily newspaper ought to be one of the heartbeats of a city and in Birmingham it has not been the case for many years,”
Written by
@iburrell
0
3
6
Friday's Brum in Brief is out featuring:
🌤️Dry and sunny weather
🛶Travel writing by
@richardpfranks
🚨Worrying story about harassment
🪔Diwali celebrations
🎻Traditional Irish music
0
2
6
Extraordinarily, that means that when Kripalani sold 30A Bradford Street in December 2020 for four times more than he had paid for it, it was West Midlands taxpayers and the authority that governs the entire region that helped to fund the purchase.
1
2
6
Our first ever Monday briefing is out now! Featuring:
🚨 The battle to solve the region's crime problem
🎧 What to read and listen to this week
🌦️ The week in weather
🎭 Things to do incl
@thealexbham
,
@NTBirmingham
+
@SommarBrewCo
0
3
6
"I think good journalism is the backbone of participatory democracies".
Big thanks to
@adam_matthews
, who has pledged to join us as a paying member when we turn on our paid subs next month.
0
0
6
How does the creation of an order of warrior Sikhs in Anandpur in 1699 relate to a boxing club in Wolverhampton today?🪯
1
1
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"Birmingham needs and deserves quality independent journalism of its own" - James Yarker, one of our new readers and supporters.
Please join our list if you haven't yet - or pledge to become a member.
0
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Birmingham deserves better local news. Here's why:
0
2
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In his own speech,
@andy4wm
wishes Parker "all strength and wisdom" as he takes on the role of mayor.
Street goes on to say: "It has been my honour to serve and lead this place for the last seven years. I hope I have done it with dignity and integrity."
1
0
5
Because the future of Station Street is still up for grabs. It’s a story of government inaction, listed pubs, and the bigger question at the heart of it all: what kind of a city does Birmingham want to be?
Read it all in The Dispatch:
(4/4)
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0
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A narrative has emerged about how this city went bankrupt.
Is it true? For months, we have been speaking to senior figures across the city, and today, two of them speak out on the record
0
2
5
@thedancingflea
@pennycenturyy
@EdKing2210
@joshi
Thanks for engaging Claire. There is so much to cover here which is why we are going to break it up into further stories. We're rounding up the feedback too and will include responses in tomorrow's edition.
0
0
5
In today's Dispatch, chef and writer Gurpreet Mann takes us on a delicious journey through some of Birmingham's best plant-based Caribbean dishes, and reflects on the spiritual roots of the I-tal diet. 🌱🧑🍳
0
0
5
A big storyline tonight is the very strong performance of Akhmed Yakoob, an independent candidate backed by
@georgegalloway
. He got 69,621 votes, more than Reform and the Greens combined.
0
0
5
Naturally, everyone wants someone to blame. But the truth of this city’s calamity is as messy — and hard to pick through — as a pile of rotting bins on a Birmingham street corner.
Read our long read - and join us as a paying member so we can do more of this kind of in-depth
1
0
5
@WestMids_CA
But there's more. Just down the road, Kripalani found another investment opportunity. This property also links to Judge. And it's where we heard a deeply alarming story.
Read our investigation by
@pennycenturyy
and
@joshi
with a 7-day free trial.
0
1
5
📨Our Monday briefing is out, featuring:
💸 New levelling up money coming to Brum, Sandwell, Dudley, Stafford, and Wolves
🪩 Que Club exhibition in London
@brummusicpics
📰 V funny musings by Brum writer Charlie Hill
🎧 The Dispatch chatting to
@GoldbergRadio
+ much more
1
2
5
The same day that Kripalani’s company sold the property, Fundamentum signed a lease with an organisation that agreed to pay a fixed level of rent for the next 20 years.
This organisation’s name will be familiar to Dispatch readers: Lotus Sanctuary CIC, run by Gurpaal Judge.
1
0
5
Ever seen a queue outside a funeral home?
That's exactly where
@ophiragottlieb
found herself during Birmingham's A Matter of Life and Death festival.
With glasses of white wine and handfuls of M&S crisps, a diverse group gathered to break the taboo around death. 🧵
1
0
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@WestMids_CA
30A Bradford Street, the rightmost property in the row, was the birthplace of Jerome K Jerome, a celebrated author of the comic 1889 travelogue 'Three Men in a Boat'.
Even if no one reads Jerome much these days, he was once one of the most popular writers in England.
1
1
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Read
@joshi
's story in today's Dispatch: The Brummie railwaymen of Transylvania.
As one reader has commented: "What a jewel of a piece. Where else, in the otherwise highly commercialised and largely London-centric (or internationally owned) media would you find such an
1
0
5
What does this formerly grand Georgian building tell us about the provision of housing in the 21st century?
In recent years, 30A has been bought and sold several times as part of investment schemes that feel emblematic of how Britain looks after its most vulnerable citizens.
1
0
5
The strained relationship between the City Council and residents of Ladywood is explored by
@pennycenturyy
Several miscommunications have occurred since a £2.2 billion regeneration scheme was announced last summer and we’ve got some behind-the-scenes details on the most recent
0
1
5
At the age of 24, a property agent in Wolverhampton had an awakening at a Buddhist retreat and decided to solve homelessness.
Last year, his companies collapsed owing £13m. What went wrong? Our special investigation by
@joshi
.
1
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"Late last night I was sitting in a Scottish-themed pub on the edge of Sibiu’s main square when I met a group of men drinking at the next table. When they said that most of them were West Midlanders, I started telling them about The Dispatch, a new publication I had helped to
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✨Just to let you know, our weekend read is going out on Sunday this week.
📨It will be in your inbox at the usual time of 7am.
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