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...

October 31st. Halloween. You’re walking home. It’s dark. You hear a noise behind you and spin round, heart thumping. There’s nothing but the empty street, a crisp packet blowing along the gutter. You pick it up and stuff it in a nearby bin, laughing at your own jumpiness. Halloween is just an excuse for a party, a cultural tradition born out of Pagan superstition and modified by Christian mythology. It’s not real. It’s just another night. But then you catch a movement out of the corner of your eye. Something dark and shadowy which disappears down a side road before you get a proper look. Your first instinct is to run, to seek the warmth and security of home. But, no! You refuse to give in to irrational fear. Humming your favourite tune under your breath for comfort you decide to follow. You find yourself at the entrance to Martineau Gardens, a large sign announcing their Halloween Story Night. Did the creature head in here? Paying the £5 adult entry fee you slip inside, lookin...

For two months this summer Birmingham was invaded by dozens of owls, spreading their wings as far afield as Sutton Coldfield, Winson Green and Bournville. ‘The Big Hoot’ involved 89 fibreglass sculptures, each one decorated by a different artist, and placed all over the city for everyone to discover and enjoy. Three of the owls flew all the way to Kings Heath. One landed in Kings Heath Park, one in the Village Square and one outside the library. The latter was painted by local artist Karoline Rerrie, who lives just down the road in Selly Park. She was delighted that her owl ended up so close to home. “It took me two weeks to paint him,” she says, over tea and cake at Maison Mayci. “I did feel quite attached to him by the time I’d finished. I don’t know how they decided which owls went where, but I didn’t find out where he was until the map went up online.” Originally from Northamptonshire, Karoline settled in Birmingham after completing a degree in Graphic Design at what w...

If you’re a fan of fireworks, then November is the month for you. The pops, bangs and lights in the sky usually start well before Bonfire Night, often featuring at Halloween events from the end of October. But it’s another festival that will keep them going long after Guy Fawkes has been reduced to ashes - Diwali, the festival of lights. Diwali is a five-day religious celebration enjoyed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, of whom there are over 50 thousand in Birmingham. It coincides with the Hindu new year, and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. The date is linked to the Hindu lunar calendar, so changes from year to year. This year it starts on 11th November. The festival is one of the most significant in Indian culture and is celebrated for slightly different reasons by each religion. One of the most popular stories told is the legendary return of King Rama and his wife Sita from exile and imprisonment in the 15th century. On their arrival in their kingd...

It’s inspired a film, a television series, a musical, a game show and a play, as well as numerous books and computer games. But did you know that internationally renowned board game ‘Cluedo’ was invented right here in our little corner of Birmingham? Anthony Ernest Pratt was born on Brighton Road in Balsall Heath in 1903. He worked as a professional musician, travelling all over the world giving piano recitals on cruise ships and in country hotels. He would often have been present at popular ‘murder mystery’ evenings, which were all the rage amongst the landed elite. Dinner guests at sprawling country houses would be entertained by finding a ‘body’ in one of the rooms, and would spend the evening solving clues to discover which one of them was the ‘murderer’. During the Second World War Anthony was living in Kings Heath, and worked in a factory making parts for tanks. "I was leaning on the fence of our King's Heath home and it dawned on me that this wretched war was k...

It’s many a child’s dream to tiptoe downstairs on Christmas morning to find that Santa’s wheeled a shiny new bicycle into the front room. But if, unlike Santa, you have no idea what to look for when choosing a bike for your little angel, fear not! My Moseley and Kings Heath is here to help. Firstly, the frame. Kids are attracted to bright colours, but Sean from Moseley Mechanix on Moseley High Street warns against being dazzled by a funky paint job. “Look at quality not shininess,” he advises. “Some poorer quality, cheaper bikes are made to look attractive, and parents think they’re getting a good deal, but they spend more than they’ve saved having to replace parts over and over again. Kids don’t look after bikes, they chuck them around, so quality and durability are important.” Better quality models will also maintain their resale value, helping you save money as Junior grows. Secondly, safety. “Kids should never use hand-me-down helmets,” says Arif from Bike Pro on Kings Hea...

If you’ve ever had to explain Bonfire Night to someone from another country, then you’ll be familiar with the bewildered expression that can accompany the description of how children are encouraged to make and burn effigies of a Catholic man who failed to blow up parliament over 400 years ago. Mention other related rituals, such as asking for ‘a penny for the guy’, eating toffee apples and setting off fireworks, and it gets even more bemusing.  Like many traditions, our modern day customs are the result of decades of evolution and bear little connection to the events of 1605 that sparked them. The vast majority of people waving sparklers and tucking into baked potatoes are more concerned about whether it’s going to rain than about the religious tensions of 17th century Britain that prompted Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators to plan an attack on James I’s government.  So, to celebrate this uniquely British festival and indulge in everything a modern Bonfire Night has ...

Armistice Day on 11th November will mark 96 years since the end of the First World War. Red poppies will abound in the run up to Remembrance Sunday, but how many of us know how the tradition began and that other colours are available? In 1915, John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Canadian armed forces, was so deeply moved by what he saw on the front line that he wrote the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. It begins: “In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row,” Three years later, Moina Michael, an American academic, wrote a poem in reply, ‘We Shall Keep the Faith’, in which she promised to always wear a poppy as a symbol of remembrance. She went on to promote the idea of selling silk poppies to raise funds to assist disabled veterans, a practice taken up by the American Legion Auxiliary in 1921. Red poppies sold in the UK today raise money for the Royal British Legion, which offers support to current and former military personnel and their families. ...

I've lived in Birmingham for over twenty years, and in Kings Heath for sixteen. I've passed the turning to Moseley Hall Hospital hundreds of times but it wasn't until a friend of mine recently ended up in a ward there that I ventured down the hill and found to my surprise that the 18th century hall is still standing. This unexpected discovery prompted me to find out more about it. There's been a grand house on the site since the early 1600s, but the present hall, a Grade II listed stone building with four pairs of columns, dates from 1795. It was rebuilt after riots broke out across Birmingham in 1791, mainly targeting religious dissenters, such as high profile scientist Joseph Priestley. Moseley Hall was just one of the many hotels, chapels, businesses and houses burned in the 'Priestley Riots'. Since its restoration, illustrious owners have included the High Sheriff of Worcestershire and Richard Cadbury MP. It was the Cadbury family that, in a typical show...

It’s Valentine’s Day and you’re on your own. But this is no reason to feel down. This is an opportunity to spoil and indulge the most important person in your life - YOU! While others are running around desperately trying to guess which romantic cliche will persuade their partner to put up with them for another year, you can spend time and effort pleasing yourself, indulging and spoiling the one person guaranteed never to leave you. One option is to take yourself on a classy date. Get dressed up in your smartest outfit and admire yourself in the mirror. Perhaps even pay yourself a compliment or two. Set the table with the good crockery and prepare that exotic dish you’ve been wanting to try. Who better to experiment on? You won’t hold it against yourself if it doesn’t come out quite right. Buy yourself some flowers and chocolates, and even write yourself a card listing all the wonderful things about you. After all, you know yourself better than anybody. Forget modesty and self cr...

Anyone familiar with the local music scene will almost certainly have heard of Steve Ajao. As well as performing with his band The Blues Giants for over three decades, he’s played with trumpet legend Red Rodney, supported Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and once took blues giant BB King for chips down the Ladypool Road.  However, what many people don’t know is that Steve’s creative talents don’t end with music - the visual arts have also played a huge part in his life. As a child he was asked to paint the school hall with murals, secured a place at Moseley School of Arts and Crafts and went on to study graphic design at Art College in Coventry. Over the years he’s worked as an illustrator and printer. He’s also produced drawings and portraits to commission and has two workshops at his home where he makes and repairs guitars.  It’s a miracle that Steve’s still here to tell us about his fascinating life. Ten years ago, he was hit by a car which put him in a coma for three week...

Hardev Singh Ruprai was just thirteen when he started working in his parents’ shop. He learnt every aspect of the business from the ground up and it’s why winning the title of ‘Convenience Retailer of the Year’ means so much to him and his family. “Over the last thirty six years there have been good days and bad days, we’ve been open through sun and snow and everything in between. I’m so proud that what my parents started and what we’ve achieved has been officially recognised. No one can ever take that away.” After being nominated for the award by one of their suppliers, three judges from the English Asian Business Awards spent over an hour in the shop, talking to staff and customers, before awarding the title. What helped Ruprai Food and Wine stand out from the crowd was their wide range of alcohol, their charity work and their contribution to the local area. “Our aim is to be a place where people can do a quick shop for the essentials. All our staff live locally, and we wan...

On 26th March 2013 fire ripped through Cash Converters on York Road in Kings Heath, destroying a building that, in its heyday as the Ritz Ballroom, played host to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, the Who, and many other world famous bands. For over eighteen months the burnt out shell has stood neglected, nothing but charred and twisted remains, now partially hidden by colourful murals telling the history of the building. But out of the ashes a phoenix is finally beginning to rise. Plans are underway to turn the historical site into a community arts centre, celebrating and commemorating Kings Heath’s illustrious music history, as well as providing a venue to nurture the stars of the future. Bob Prew is one of the chief figures in pushing the project forward. “Everybody who became anything in the 1960s played here, on this little back street in Kings Heath,” he says. “It would be great to be able to mark its significance. But it’s also important to look to the future. A...

Every year, on 1st January, millions of us pledge to put the festive indulgences behind us and change our lives for the better. Yet every year nearly 80 per cent of us fail to stick to our New Year’s resolutions. Why? Most people aim too high, pledging to eat healthier, get more exercise, stop smoking. But these laudable goals are long term commitments that require fundamental lifestyle changes that are hard to maintain once the New Year hangover has dissipated. Perhaps the answer is to choose something that requires a one-off burst of energy. For example, book all those appointments you’ve been putting off - visit your GP for a check up; have the nurse take your weight, height and blood pressure; research how to properly self-examine your breasts or testicles; go to the optician for a sight and hearing tests. And while you’re there, make a follow-up appointment. Get all that done in January and you can sit back smugly for the rest of the year, mission accomplished. Another ap...

Carters of Moseley has been named the Good Food Guide ‘Readers’ Restaurant of the Year’. It’s a national accolade which will undoubtedly bring more diners to St Mary’s Row, but for co-founder Holly Jackson it’s about so much more than bolstering business. “It’s particularly special because this award is voted for by our customers, and we were told that it wasn’t only the quantity, but the quality of the comments that were submitted. It’s amazing that people went out of their way to write in and say such nice things about us.” Their loyal customer base is testament to the restaurant’s strong local roots. Chefs Brad (Holly’s fiance) and Peter (Holly’s brother) both trained at the College of Food (since renamed University College Birmingham). Holly first fell in love with the area when she got to know it through her dad, who worked as a painter and decorator around Mosley and Kings Heath.  “I love the music scene, the vibrancy, the independent shops. I also love the mix of pe...

Once upon a time, a teenage boy ran away to join the circus. It sounds like the start of a fairy story, but that’s pretty much what happened to Joe Fearn. He landed a summer job in a circus aged eighteen and discovered a magical place where unique people come from all over the world to share their skills and become part of a strange and eclectic family. He lived the circus lifestyle for the next eleven years, attending circus school, travelling the globe and honing his skills.  However, Joe never lost touch with his Birmingham roots and three years ago decided to return and put his talent to good use by establishing a circus community in his home city. From a few informal classes, CircusMASH quickly grew and expanded. Now run by him and his partner, it has brought circus skills to over eight thousand people, and is now involved in a huge range of activities, such as youth programmes, workshops, classes and school visits. They are also working with Solihull College to develop uni...

When I was born, Nelson Mandela had already been in prison for eleven years and South Africa was a country in which 80% of the population were excluded from political representation. As I was growing up, that country was increasingly synonymous with inequality and lawlessness, boycotts and embargoes. When I was thirteen, the satirical TV show ‘Spitting Image’ released the record ‘I’ve Never Met A Nice South African’, a song vitriolic in its condemnation of South Africa’s political system. I read Tom Sharpe’s novel ‘Riotous Assembly’ and was shocked at the racism, incompetence and casual violence attributed to the South African police. When I was fifteen years old, I watched the world’s biggest musical stars celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday, while the man himself continued to endure incarceration. It seemed extraordinary to me that South Africa’s politicians could persist with their discriminatory policies in the face of such widespread international outrage. The situation see...