Good morning Patchers — welcome to your Friday briefing.
Today we lead on a development in The Crooked House pub saga, in which an inquiry to decide the fate of the much missed watering hold has been set. More tram lines are set to be laid in the city centre as part of long-running expansion plans with bus diversions kicking in from Sunday, and a new piece of street art in the Gay Village has everyone talking.
In more serious news, the council’s highly controversial library closure proposals are out for public consultation — there’s a link to the survey below. Plus, Benjamin Zephaniah’s wife Qian has made a touching public statement and I Choose Birmingham has published a captivating slice of Brum history in pictures.
Finally, we hope you have a great weekend and look forward to bringing you your usual bumper briefing on Monday to start the week off well. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend read and if you haven’t yet, do consider becoming a paying member of The Dispatch to have access to all of our quality journalism. You’ll be in good company — there are now 584 lovely paying readers.
Brum in brief
🏗️More from Britain’s wonkiest pub: A date has been set for the appeal against the enforcement order to rebuild The Crooked House pub which was demolished following a suspected arson attack last year. The owners were served the order by South Staffordshire Council in February but an inquiry into the future of the pub will begin on July 23.
🚌Bus diversion details: From Sunday April 7 until the autumn, some bus routes through Birmingham City Centre will be diverted while new tram tracks are laid on Moor Street Queensway. The works are part of the much delayed Birmingham Eastside metro extension, which have been underway since 2020. Breathe a sigh of relief if you are a regular user of the existing tram — your journey won’t be affected. But for the changes to the buses, check this page to make sure you aren’t caught stranded.
🩰Friend of Dorothy: Sidewalk in the Gay Village has been adorned with a piece of street art thought to be a tribute to the LGBT community. The stencil features Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz reaching towards a pair of real ruby red slippers hung on a nearby telephone cable. Rumours were swirling that it could be a Banksy but, alas, a spokesperson for the elusive artist has confirmed it is not.
📖Have your say: A public consultation into the proposed library cuts across the city has been opened. To reduce costs, Birmingham City Council is considering axeing ten of its 35 community libraries and introducing a network of hubs. The proposals would see the service run by a mixture of council staff and community groups. To see the full plans and give your opinion, click here.
🗣️Poet’s corner: Qian Zephaniah, wife of the late Benjamin Zephaniah has shared a message of thanks on Twitter/X for all of the support she has received since he passed away in December. The moving statement also revealed that she herself was seriously ill last year. “Benjamin stood beside me and helped me fight my illness. I stood beside him to fight his,” she wrote. The post also revealed that there are future plans to honour the poet’s memory in the pipeline, so watch this space for more info.
📷Photo feature: The latest edition of I Choose Birmingham is out now, featuring cultural updates plus some fascinating historical photos of Birmingham landmarks courtesy of Mark Norton. His father Dennis, who was born in Birmingham in 1930, left behind several hundred photos from the 1950s and 60s. Our favourite is the shot of the Ringway Centre during construction — but all of them are worth a look.
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