Alexandra Taylor: Writer

Do you recognise Andy? Until recently he was a familiar face around Moseley, but not a particularly welcome one. Perhaps you hurried past him with a frown, or handed over your change with a look of pity, because for nine months Andy was a rough sleeper in the area, begging for money which he used to buy alcohol. But now, thanks to support from housing and care organisation Midland Heart, he’s off the streets and turning his life around. Like many rough sleepers, Andy had a rocky start in life. A family break down meant he ended up in care. This disrupted childhood, followed by a long term drink problem, left Andy with no support network. After stints in various hostels, Andy began sleeping rough in 2012 when he was evicted for not paying the rent - he’d spent all his money on alcohol. It was winter and he had nowhere to go. Armed with just a sleeping bag and a blanket, Andy spent nine months living on the streets around Moseley and Kings Heath. He spent some nights in the dis...

From Black Sabbath to Laura Mvula, the Birmingham music scene is no stranger to international attention. But for every success story, there are many more struggling to make their mark. ‘Impact’ is a group dedicated to providing a platform for local musicians, to help them reach a wider audience.  Since 'Impact' began in 2008, their gig nights have hosted twenty two local bands across a range of musical styles, including folk/electronic trio ‘Malpas’; electronic performer ‘Arc Vel’, whose shows include mesmerising video projection; loud post-rock group ‘Sunrise Over Europe’ and folk quartet ‘Oh Stockholm!’. Founder members Mike Blaber and Ben Kyte told me how it all began. “It sprung out of the Oasis Church, which meets at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.” explains Mike. “We wanted to do something which celebrated Birmingham, give something back to the city and create a platform for creativity. As Christians, we believe that God loves music and that all creativity comes from Go...

There are few municipal swimming pools as magnificent as Moseley Road Baths. Stepping off a crowded number fifty bus and through its doors is like taking a step back in time, to a more elegant era of stained glass, polished brass and gleaming tiles.  Opened in 1907, the building Grade II* Listed. The larger of its two pools is still surrounded by rows of individual changing cubicles, built for prudish Edwardians. There are also washing rooms, where, in an era of shared outdoor taps, generations of local people came to keep themselves clean.  However, in recent years the building has suffered from a lack of investment - windows are cracked, the roof leaks and the visually stunning First Class pool had to be closed in 2003 due to structural issues with the spectator gallery. Owners Birmingham City Council have declared that when the dilapidated Victorian boilers finally give up, the remaining pool will be drained and swimming at Moseley Road Baths will cease. It s...

Hampton, Middlesex. 1980. Seven year old Alexandra Taylor is praised for her excellent classwork and awarded a small, wooden pencil sharpener in the shape of a frog playing the flute. An innocuous event in itself, but little was teacher Mrs Allcock to realise that this minor event would alter the course of little Alexandra's life. So pleased was I with this gift that, when I saw a similar frog on a shop shelf, this time clutching a tiny baton, rigidly conducting a silent frog orchestra, I knew it had to be mine. Soon a drummer was also added to the small band of brothers, and my collection began. I often wonder if my obsession with frogs is based on some kind of irrational belief that one day one of them will turn into a handsome prince. On reflection I usually reject this theory - I don't recall ever kissing any of them, and it's more likely that I just have an obsessional personality. If it hadn't been frogs it could have been spiders, snakes, or even earwigs. B...

Yesterday I had veggie burgers for dinner. With chips and peas. Because that’s what the serving suggestion suggested. I felt comforted and secure - I only had to settle on the burgers and the rest of the meal was already decided for me. Today I determined to have some lovely mushroom grills, but in seeking the comfort of the serving suggestion on the packet I found myself plunged into confusion - a confusion that has forced me to re-evaluate the nature of the world today.  The serving suggestion on the packet of mushroom grills showed the succulent delicacy surrounded by a colourful array of vegetables - baby corn-on-the-cobs, finely diced carrots, peas and courgettes. But I don’t like courgettes!  At first the answer seemed simple - just have the meal without the courgettes. But there was more to it than that. One question kept asserting itself in my head and refused to go away. If I wasn’t going to follow the serving suggestion exactly, then why follow it at all? A h...

Because I commute, because my job takes me all over the country and because I don't have a car I spend a lot of time on trains. I spend almost as much time waiting at stations. This experience has led me to the inevitable conclusion that Milton Keynes Central is the most evil place on earth.  Initial impressions are deceptive - like most things in Milton Keynes the building is a massive, shiny, sqare edifice with an enormous, triumphant, swastika of a rail symbol dominating its front. It proclaims modernity, status, efficiency. But like many things with an appealing appearance, what lies behind is cold, empty and without soul.  There are two types of rail passenger, and MKC lets them both down. Sometimes I am Type Number One, racing to catch a train in the nick of time.There is panic in my mind - it's the last train, I'll miss my connection, the shops will be closed, I'll be too late for the play/dinner/cinema/that film on Channel 4 I've been waiting months to s...