Good morning — welcome to your Thursday briefing.
Road safety is back on the agenda following two more deaths on the region’s roads in the last week. Yesterday, campaigners and BirminghamLive reflected on the protests of one year ago that demanded action for safer streets. Demonstrator Sarah Chaundler wrote this useful thread explaining what steps have been taken since — and what more needs to be done.
Elsewhere, there is news of a new urgent treatment centre in Smethwick set to reduce waiting times for emergency patients, a sizzling summer rom-com by a Brummie author and The Guardian covers a controversial podcast appearance by a high profile election candidate. Plus, we have two recommendations for things to do: one for this weekend and one to book ahead for next month.
Have a good one and we’ll be back tomorrow.
Brum in brief
More road deaths: Two recent deaths have brought the issue of road safety back to the top of the news agenda. 12-year-old Keaton Slater died after being hit by a car on Radford Road, Coventry at around 4.30pm last Friday and, on Tuesday night, a 48-year-old cyclist died after a collision on a Yardley roundabout. Slater’s family made an emotional plea for information yesterday as part of West Midlands Police’s efforts to locate Dolars Aleksanders, 21, who is wanted on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. A 56-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. Listen to the Slater family here and read more from the police here. Anyone with further information is urged to call 999 immediately quoting log 3407 of 14 June. You can also email FL_COLLISION_INVEST@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk.
Summer romance: Rufaro Faith Mazarura, the British Zimbabwean writer who grew up in Birmingham, has a new rom-com novel out next month. Let the Games Begin is set in Athens during the Olympics and follows the tempestuous relationship between an athlete and a member of the games’ committee. Elle magazine recommended the book in their summer reads shortlist.
New Smethwick treatment centre: A centre for non-emergency treatment to cut A&E waiting times is set to open in Smethwick. Designed to accommodate on average 230 patients and 40 staff, the urgent treatment centre will ease pressure on the new £988m Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) — due to open in October — and is set to open in the summer of 2025. The Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust issued a statement, saying: “The urgent treatment centre will initially provide urgent care only but will have both the capability and capacity to serve patients with minor injuries at a later date.” More from the BBC.
Just banter? The Guardian has published a story about Ladywood independent general election candidate Akhmed Yakoob appearing on a podcast in which jokes were made about domestic violence. When The Dispatch wrote about this in April, Yakoob — who hopes to take the seat from Labour’s Shabana Mahmood next month— told us it was “simply a bit of banter”. Read more from The Guardian here.
What a load of tat: Tickets are available now for surrealist charity-shop-digger, artist and comedian Tat Vision’s stand-up show at the Glee Club next month. Buy one here and read our interview with the prince of papier mâché from last year here.
Summer in Sutton: Kate spent yesterday in Sutton Coldfield on election coverage duty and learnt about this local event, the Boldmere Summer Festival, which takes place on Sunday at 1pm. Expect artisan bites, street food and live music.
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