Alexandra Taylor: Writer

“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...

Fed up with cavernous multiplexes showing big budget blockbusters? Fancy a timeless classic or a thought-provoking independent film in a traditional setting? Then Kings Heath Community Cinema is for you! In 2012, Kings Heath Village Square (KHVS) consulted with people in the area and discovered a demand for a local film club. A 2.5m screen was set up in All Saints church and the first film shown, just before Christmas 2012, was festive favourite ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. Since then, there’s been a different feature every month, drawing between 50 and 100 people each time, and audiences are continuing to grow. “Some people were wary at first,” explains Tessa Burwood, who was employed by KHVS to get the cinema project off the ground. “They thought that, because it was in a church, it was in some way connected to religion, but it really isn’t. I love that we’ve shown irreverent films like ‘Some Like It Hot’ in this big, old fashioned space. We always have an interval with a l...

If it’s a bit of drama and escapism you’re after this festive season, then there’s no need to go too far afield, with a whole variety of theatre for all ages on your doorstep. If you fancy yourself as an amateur sleuth, don your trench coat and grab your magnifying glass for a Murder Mystery Dinner and Christmas disco at Highbury Hall on 6th December. Hunt for clues and interrogate the witnesses to see if you can solve the crime. Afterwards, with the murderer safely behind bars, you can bust some arresting moves on the dance floor. The £38.50 ticket includes a three course meal. For more family-friendly festive fantasy, the MAC is playing host to two Christmas shows this season. ‘The Snow Dragon’ is for ages 3 and over, and takes you into a magical, mysterious world of comedy and song from 26th November to 8th December. ‘Hansel and Gretel’ adapts the classic fairytale with live music and clowning, for ages 5 and over, from 3rd to 14th December. Both also have accompanying work...

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...

You may not realise it, but the magazine you are holding in your hands is very different to the edition you read two months ago. Chief amongst the changes that have taken place is the brave decision taken by editor Amy Watson to play UN Ambassador for our two rival areas, uniting ‘My Moseley’ and ‘My Kings Heath’ into one magazine. “People are rightly very proud of their local identities,” explains Amy, “but there is a great deal of crossover. People from Moseley shop in Kings Heath, Kings Heath residents go out in Moseley. I found I was sharing so much content between the two magazines, it no longer made sense to treat them separately.” And before the good people of Kings Heath ask why their neighbourhood has been relegated to second place in the title, it’s purely to do with the length of the words, so that they fit better on the cover. “It’s definitely only a typography decision,” insists Amy, “there’s no favouritism! I live equidistant from both high streets and spe...

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...

Despite the recession, business along the Alcester Road is booming and, among the old stalwarts, a number of bright young things have recently appeared.  ‘Cafephilia’ in Moseley opened in June after local residents Anthony, his partner Ian and their friend Julie spotted an empty shop and turned it into their dream cafe. Getting acquainted with the espresso machine is Tracy, who owns the hair salon in the basement, another debut venture. “My four o’clock cancelled,” she says, “so I’m just doing the coffees.”  This spirit of mutual support is also important to haberdashery ‘Guthrie & Ghani’, which opened in April. BBC ‘Sewing Bee’ finalist Lauren and husband Ayaz capitalised on Lauren’s high profile by bringing their successful online business to the high street. “We’ve been amazed by the enthusiastic welcome”, explains Ayaz, “It’s so helpful to chat to other businesses and share advice.” York Road in Kings Heath has nurtured a number of new ventures this year...

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...

It’s 5.30pm on a sunny Monday evening and I’ve arrived at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre on Park Road for my weekly yoga class. But today I’m not here just to give my muscles a stretch. I’m on a mission to find out the story behind the renovations that have recently transformed the building. Gone is the imposing and rather intimidating heavy wooden side entrance; instead visitors are now welcomed through a large, central glass doorway into a glazed atrium at the heart of the centre. The changing rooms that once evoked visions of school games lessons from the 1950s now feel fresh and modern with colourful mosaic mirrors and natural stone tiles. I ask Prabhakara, the centre’s resident yoga teacher and the bendiest person I have ever met, who I should talk to about the refurbishments, and he takes me to find Dharmashura, the Director of the centre. We discover him standing on tiptoes and wrestling with a tape measure in a slightly fraught discussion about light fittings. Although the bu...