How David Lodge invented Rummidge to explain Birmingham
The late author was the city’s quiet chronicler
Latest
Return of the bin strikes — Birmingham faces second of 13 days of action by refuse workers
Plus, Council chief to face trial for alleged antisemitism
Cancel culture on campus? Inside the fight for freedom of speech at the University of Birmingham
Two students may not be allowed to graduate because they participated in pro-Palestine protests
The rise and fall of Gatecrasher
The brand was born in Birmingham, made its name in Sheffield, and divides opinion across the country
Seeking Scrooge-like epiphanies from one of Birmingham’s foremost clairvoyants
Everything she told me resonated as a true event that you just couldn’t explain’
A town ringed by blossom
Birmingham's 19th Century 'guinea gardens' gave the city a split personality that it has to this day
The Battle for Brockmoor and Pensnett
Amidst declining living standards, an unpopular Labour government and scandal in Dudley Council, do the forces of populism have an inroad? Or will the two-party system hold?
Give The Dispatch 🎁
Looking for a thoughtful, unusual and actually useful present? Look no further
A tower block fire exposes Birmingham’s council housing problem
‘You just think of Grenfell. The first thing you think is you’re not going to get out of here alive’
Fancy a squirrel sandwich? Head to Stirchley
‘Squirrel? No, I shouldn’t like to eat that… Is it nice?'
When was Snobs’ golden age?
The beloved, and somewhat infamous, Birmingham club is on its third location since 1972. Is Snobs still the unofficial jewel in the Brum nightlife crown?
Arrested Development? The West Midlands Growth Company was supposed to make us rich: now it’s getting downsized
Facing restructuring, redundancies, and the potential loss of a key partner: is the organisation a vital economic engine or a waste of taxpayers' money?
