Alexandra Taylor: Writer

Bassist John Dalton played his first live gig with The Kinks on York Road in Kings Heath in 1966. Fifty years later he’s returning with The Kast Off Kinks to bring the band’s hits back to Birmingham. But this time round it’ll be a very different experience for John. “Back then it happened so quickly,” he explains. “I met the band on Thursday, had Friday to learn the music and then played with them on Saturday night. I didn’t know any Kinks songs before that, but the set was only about thirty minutes so I just about got through it! Nowadays we normally play for around two hours and we obviously know the numbers really well.” John is also no stranger to Birmingham. “My dad’s family lived in Balsall Heath and I used to spend my summer holidays there. We went to the Lickey Hills, Cannon Hill Park and saw the cricket at Edgbaston. It was really nice to be coming back to play.” John toured the world with the Kinks for seven years at the height of their fame and, after a long and...

Winterbourne House and Garden is a haven of tranquility, tucked away between the Bristol Road and Birmingham University, where you can escape the stress of city life to take a leisurely stroll around the Edwardian villa and its grounds. The estate was bequeathed to Birmingham University in 1944 and students still come down to collect samples from the extensive botanical collections. As well as the 1903 Arts and Crafts house packed full of antiques, a botanic garden with over 6000 plant species, a woodland walk, a hazelnut tunnel and a 1930s Japanese bridge, there are a wide range of activities for the inquisitive and adventurous of all ages. Inside the house are interactive exhibitions which tell the fascinating story of the estate and the people who lived there, including Margaret Nettlefold, who designed the Grade II listed garden. The family firm, GKN, was once the largest screw, nut and bolt manufacturer in the world. Occasional free tours (check in advance for days an...

“Parks for Play started over ten years ago,” explains Laura Watts. “I was involved with Dens of Equality, which promotes inclusion through leisure, learning and play. A group of local parents with children on the autism spectrum were having problems accessing existing leisure services and asked us to set something up with them. We began with play schemes in the community and within two years we were running sessions in Kings Heath Park.” Inclusivity is at the heart of what they do. “Everyone is on wheels at some point in their life. If you design something around those with the greatest need, it works for everyone. It’s about making sure no one is excluded.” Laura tells me that 40% of parents with disabled children are single, compared to the national average for all children of 25%. They need reliable, consistent support services to enable them to go to work. As well as holiday play schemes and outreach programmes, Parks for Play runs the only specialised after school club in...

Nestled amongst the trees of Kings Heath Park is The House. Built in 1832, it still features the tiled hallway and stained glass windows of an impressive private residence. Many local strollers, joggers and dog walkers regularly visit the Victorian Tea Rooms on the ground floor, but do they know what else goes on in the erstwhile bedrooms, drawing rooms and parlours, now owned by the city council? Regular readers of My Moseley and Kings Heath will already be familiar with Kings Heath Shed and Thrive, community organisations that operate from The House as paying tenants. But it’s council services that occupy the majority of the rooms. On the ground floor is the Park Ranger service, whose dedicated team oversee the health and wellbeing of our local parks. They monitor wildlife, ensure the park is a safe for all visitors, organise school visits, deliver training to park volunteers and put on a wide variety of public events. Feel free to pop in to report problems, ask questions or...