Alexandra Taylor: Writer

Present your sweetheart with a bunch of fascinating facts about our favourite Valentine’s Day flowers. 1. Tale as old as time… The oldest fossilised remains of a rose were found in Florissant, Colorado and have been estimated to date from 35 million years ago. 2. Ancient associations Roses have been associated with romance for thousands of years since being linked to Aphrodite and Venus, the goddesses of love in ancient Greece and Rome. 3. Growing old The oldest living rose bush grows up the wall of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany and is believed to be up to 1000 years old. 4. National symbol The rose was adopted as the national flower of England by new Tudor king Henry VII in the 15th century. He combined the red rose of Lancaster with the white rose of York to symbolise the country’s unity after the Wars of the Roses. 5. A thorny issue Technically, roses don’t have thorns, they have prickles. Thorns have deeper roots in a plant’s stem, but prickl...

From the outside, 11 Packenham Road in Edgbaston looks like any other traditional Edgbaston town house. But step through the front door and your senses will be captivated by the sights and smells of the Brazilian rain forest. Over twenty indigenous tribes of the Amazon basin have contributed to Xapiri, which is part gallery, part museum, part classroom and part shop. Owners Jack and Gareth are seasoned travellers who have trekked extensively through northern Brazil. In April 2015 they returned to the UK for the first time in five years, on a mission to spread awareness of the peoples they met and the issues faced by them, such as deforestation and a lack of respect from modern Brazilian society. The rooms are packed with beautifully displayed ceramics, jewellery, baskets and carvings. “Eighty per cent of the items here have been made to sell,” explains Jack. “There’s little appreciation for the art in Brazil, but we pay a fair price and it’s a major source of income for the tr...

It would be easy to assume that in this age of ebooks, wifi and online gaming that our Victorian public libraries may have outlived their usefulness. But far from being left behind, these fantastic resources are as relevant to our modern communities as they ever have been. “Where else can you find a friendly, open space with free access to information with expert staff who can help you find exactly what you want?” asks Elaine, who works at Kings Heath Library. “We have a huge mix of people through the door, of all ages and ethnicities,” adds colleague Sam. “Many come in to use the computers, as well as to borrow books, and we’ve got an extensive local history collection including photos scanned from originals brought in by local people.” You won’t be able to find those on the internet. Other assets include piano music, audio books, maps and a community room, available to hire at reasonable rates, for anyone who would like to put on an event. On Mondays it’s used by the Cit...