Travel to School

On Thursday 26th November I ran a special assembly with Year 5 children - the first of a series of workshops at Kings Heath Primary about 'Travel to School'.  It's objective is similar to 'Car Culture' workshops at KHP three years ago - to document how children felt about the way they got to school.

Plan for Safer routes to Swanshurst

 As part of 'Safer routes to school' there are significant plans to improve access to and from Swan Corner roundabout outside Swanshurst School.

Safer routes to school is part of a wider Birmingham City Council strategy.  Swan Corner roundabout is an accident blackspot, it's great that it is getting proposed for improvements, but the consultation and the changes need to be right.

Please take part in our survey before 8th December to raise concerns or show your support for changes being suggested.  We are also hosting a Swan Corner meeting 7pm on 8th December either at the Billesley Pub or in the Sixth Form room, Swanshurst School (TBC)

Swan Corner News update

SWCG Next MEETING Tues 10th November 7:30-8:30 pm The Billesley Pub - All welcome!

Roads resurfaced overnight

Roadwork signs joined our Swan on the roundabout as Amey completed maintenance work on the roundabout and along Brook Lane throughout October.

Chris Upton, local hero & legend

At Chris's memorial service, Newman College, it became clear how little I knew about Chris's life, but no surprises how many lives he had touched.  In the short time I knew him it seemed he was able to easily read and understand me, and had an uncanny ability to lighten and inspire with the right story, or the wrong pun.

I've included some film clips - Chris opening Paganel Archives, at Paganel School presenting his 'local heroes', the famous rotunda legend, a clip by 'Astro Ignition', and the quote from the Venerable Bede from the reading given by Noel Williams at his memorial service at Newman University.

'He opened Hearts and Minds' @distinctlybc

My school, parking, myths & excuses

We're always told change takes time, but when road safety outside Kings Heath Primary school continues to deteriorate over a matter of years, it's hard to believe it'll ever happen.  Here's some of the feeble myths and excuses I've been given:

The Localisation agenda

Mark Thomas, thanks Who's laughing now

In the last couple of weeks I've heard, read, seen and been inspired by the unholy alliance of Mark Thomas, George Osborne and James McKay - all very different political animals, but all identifying the need for 'localisation', albeit for different reasons.

Cornwall lights Birmingham hearts

Among the missing -
Scene in a Cornish Fishing Village 1884
Walter Langley

'Cornish Lights' exhibition at Penlee House, Penzance, has just ended.  I didn't know about the 'Birmingham Boys' who came to dominate The Newlyn School Art Colony'. Boulton & Watt we knew about, providing the power for most Cornish mines driving deeper during the mining heydays of the nineteenth century, but the Birmingham Boys brushing scenes of social realism in fishing villages?  Nope.