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...

Brothers Remi and David Faveau have put Moseley firmly on the culinary map with their top three finish on the ITV series ‘Britain’s Best Bakery’, which aired across the country throughout January and February.  Despite being pipped to the title by The Cake Shop Bakery from Woodbridge in Suffolk, the Michelin trained chefs have no regrets about taking part. “We’re always getting approached by television cookery shows,” explains Remi, “and we always say no. I am very far from wanting to be a TV personality. But David thought this one would be perfect publicity, because it’s not a reality show, it’s all about the baking. I’m glad we said yes, because we would definitely have missed out on an enjoyable experience if we hadn’t.” Although praised throughout the series for their technical expertise and creative flair, it wasn’t an easy ride to the final. The brothers soon discovered that cooking for the cameras is very different to cooking for their customers. “It was ve...

This month spades hit the ground in the latest ambitious construction project at Mosley School. It’s the final stage of what has been a long and expensive plan to drag time-worn buildings up to modern educational standards. Three years ago, the school facilities were quite different - a beautiful, well used, listed grammar school building from 1856 and a dilapidated 1960s secondary modern that were united as one school, but whose separate buildings gave children a great excuse to be late for class as they dawdled on the walk between the two. With the help of £20 million from the government’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme, the crumbling 1960s construction was finally replaced by a new state-of-the-art school with up-to-date IT facilities, big, bright classrooms and with a much shorter walk to the listed part, which also received a facelift and some interior re-design. It opened for business in October 2012 and staff and pupils alike have been delighted with t...

Moseley band Big Tent and the Gypsy Lantern are preparing a Christmas gift with a twist this December. Fresh from their UK tour, the boys will be back in Brum to round off the year with a special festive gig. It will be a Big Tent event like no other. Many of their original foot-stomping folk-inspired songs will be left at home in favour of a host of traditional Christmas classics. “One of our friends suggested it as a joke,” says percussionist George, “but we took the idea and ran with it.” “We’ve never done covers before,” explains guitarist Paul, “but we loved the idea of taking all those cheesy Christmas songs that you hear in the supermarket and making them our own.” On the provisional set list are favourites such as Band Aid’s charity anthem ‘Let Them Know It’s Christmas’, Wham’s cheesy pop ballad ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘Christmas Time’ by rock band The Darkness. The group will also be taking requests from fans via Twitter and Facebook. “It’s going to be a cha...

Queensbridge School has just been declared ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. It’s an achievement, that Head Teacher Tim Boyes is rightly very proud of, particularly given the challenging situation that he faced when he first arrived at the school ten years ago. “If we’d been inspected in 2003,” he explains, “we would have failed and gone into special measures. As it was, we were inspected in 2004, a term after I arrived, and just scraped through as ‘satisfactory’.”  Despite it’s location, nestled comfortably between the cosy, middle class boroughs of Moseley and Kings Heath, Queensbridge School is surprisingly mixed. It has a large proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds, many of whom speak English as a second language. A high number of the students qualify for free school meals, and there are an above average number of students with disabilities and special educational needs. Taking the school from a C- to an A+ has been a long process involving radical change acros...

From the Jug of Ale to jugs of lassi, it’s hard to imagine a transformation more complete than the one that has taken place at the top of Park Road. The former bar and live music venue has been reborn as Tipu Sultan, home of Indian fine dining, and the differences are stark. Firstly, and perhaps most bravely, Tipu Sultan is dry - there is no alcohol served and you cannot bring your own. Clearly aimed at the Muslim community, this is not the place to go for a late night beer-and-balti. As a result, there is a more serene atmosphere than your average curry house, and a drinks menu which boasts an impressive range of juices, lassis and tasty mocktails. Secondly, the decor. The opulent splendour that greets you is a very far cry from the Jug’s dingy rooms and sticky floors. Stone lions guard the entrance to a waiting area lined with bejewelled sofas, beyond which is a vast dining area hung with glittering chandeliers, where smart, attentive waiters glide effortlessly amongst the or...

“I’m doing nothing wrong, I’m not harming anyone and I wish to be judged on the kind of person I am, not the clothes I wear.” Starting a new life at the age of seventy six would be a daunting step for anyone, but particularly when you’ve just come out to your family and friends as a cross dresser. Dee can’t thank Moseley enough for the welcome he’s received since moving here just over a year ago. It’s not every community that would be as accepting. Dee contacted Moseley B13 after reading our story about Daniela, the Romanian Big Issue seller . "The positive way it was presented was important in helping the community accept and value her," he explained, “I saw something of a parallel with my own position as an outsider in society.” “Coming to a place like Mosley, I only expected to be tolerated, maybe even liked by a couple of people. I thought I’d be spending most of my time within the transgender community, but I haven’t needed to. People here haven’t just acce...

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...

Moseley village, Saturday afternoon. It’s a sunny day, and the pavements are busy with shoppers popping in and out of doorways, clutching bags, window shopping and meeting friends. But one figure isn’t going anywhere. She stands in the same place every weekend, whatever the weather. Some people ignore her, some say hello, some stop and chat, but eventually they all move on, leaving her where they found her, ready to talk to the next passer by. Romanian-born Daniela Pueka has been selling the Big Issue outside the Co-op in Moseley for over five years now, and has become one of the village’s most familiar faces. But how many people actually stop to get to know her? As it turns out, quite a lot. When I arrive she is talking to someone and our subsequent conversation is constantly punctuated by people calling out ‘Hi Daniela!’ and ‘Morning!’ as they come and go.  Daniela’s English is quite basic, and my Romanian is non-existent, so our ability to communicate was fairly limited....

Moseley band Big Tent and the Gypsy Lantern launch their debut album ‘Richest Man Today’ We’re at the Ort cafe on the Moseley Road and preparations are in full swing for tonight’s event. It’s just two and a half hours before the launch of Big Tent and the Gypsy Lantern’s debut album. Tensions should be rising, tempers fraying, cracks appearing, but they’re not. The atmosphere is one of good natured, polite professionalism, interspersed with ‘What do you think?’, ‘Is that OK?’ and lots of thank yous. In fact, they even have time to sit down and eat some of Ort’s tasty butternut squash curry together. In between moving furniture, plugging in amps and tweaking lighting controls, they fill me in on how tonight’s event has come about. Big Tent and the Gypsy Lantern are Paul (guitar), George (percussion), Danny (trumpet) and Tom (‘everything else’), and were recently shortlisted for this year’s Glastonbury Festival ‘Emerging Talent’ competition. Although originally hailing from...