The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 18hLast week, we published a critical article about Joe Lycett’s BMAG exhibition EVERYTHING MUST GO. The writer argued that BMAG is neglecting its more “serious” artworks in favour of work that might have been a “series of Instagram posts”. 121
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Huge news. We’re always banging on about how important it is that local journalism is paid for, but we know younger people often struggle to afford a news subscription. 114
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Just over 30% of Avanti West Coast trains arrived on time this summer. Will nationalisation deliver"a railway that actually works"? That's the top story in today's Brum in Brief 🚆 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/avanti-west-...birminghamdispatch.co.ukAvanti West Ghost: Burnham nationalises company with most cancelled trains in BritainPlus, are the Birmingham arts missing money due to racism? 160
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026On Thursday, hundreds of cityfolk on their lunch breaks stormed the council building like insurgents. Why? The answer is simple. It’s the most culturally significant day of the year: International Day of Birmingham. 140
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Last year, we wrote about the desi pub and its unstoppable rise. That article included the history, the politics, the culture, and even the role of the desi pub as a place of “multicultural intersection”. We won't be bothering with any of that today. 040
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026We're only 16 members away from our goal of 2,000 by Sunday! Make the most of these offers before time runs out. 160
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Joe Lycett's EVERYTHING MUST GO, on at BMAG until next Feb, is "a palette of bold, lurid colours and jaunty millennial sass" writes @danielcave_ 010
Reposted by The DispatchLukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 21/09/2026The Dispatch and it's Mill Media siblings are doing a fantastic job and are well worth supporting 211
Reposted by The DispatchDaz @dazwright.com · 21/09/2026If you live in Birmingham you have to subscribe to the Dispatch. It's our last bit of functioning news. You use it or lose it 142
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The Dispatch is turning 3! To celebrate, we want to get to more then 2,000 paying members by Sunday night. 110
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 21/09/2026We are aiming to hit at least 2,000 paying members in time for our birthday next month. The deadline is Sunday. That means, for the rest of this week, you can get a full Dispatch subscription for £4 for the first two months, or, just £60 for a full year. www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/lets-hit-200...birminghamdispatch.co.ukLet’s hit 2000 members for our birthdayYou have one week… 142
Reposted by The DispatchJim Hawkins @jimallthetime.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Jordan Patel saw his life’s work go up in flames. Then his real problems started The Art.Quarter founder has been accused of ‘threatening’ and ‘inappropriate’ behaviour (the brilliant @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social is *so good* at this sort of thing) www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/jordan-patel...birminghamdispatch.co.ukJordan Patel saw his life’s work go up in flames. Then his real problems startedThe Art.Quarter founder has been accused of ‘threatening’ and ‘inappropriate’ behaviour 021
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Art.Quarter was an exciting creative hub in Digbeth and the UK’s first, fully-halal food hall. Two Thursdays ago, the business went up in flames. Now concerning allegations by former staff members have emerged about Jordan Patel, the 48-year-old entrepreneur who founded the organisaion. 120
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Incase you missed 👀 The 20mph speed limit caused a firestorm in Brum. For some, it's a sensible move. For others it's a disgraceful "war on drivers", that could prove economically devastating. Where do you land? 🚗 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/not-fast-but...birminghamdispatch.co.ukNot fast but furious: popping the bonnet on the 20mph row‘It’s f***ing insane’ 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Incase you missed 👀 The Tamworth Tap has just won best pub of the year THREE out of the last four years. What makes the pub deserving of such prestige? Is there a case of "favouritism and bias" going on... www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-ale-king...birminghamdispatch.co.ukThe ale king of EnglandYards from the castle where Offa once conquered these lands, George Greenaway has made Tamworth great again 020
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026In July, a tweet sent panic waves through Digbeth. It included the first visualisations of a multi-million pound rail do-up. 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 14/09/2026What do you reckon? Is it time we rebranded and made the West Midlands...Greater Birmingham? 431
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Why does this pub in Tamworth keep winning pub of the year? 120
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Why did plans to lower the speed limit in Birmingham cause a media firestorm? 120
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Shaun Patrick Hand takes readers on a journey into the world of non-league football. He heads to a Sutton Coldfield Town away game, costing a mere £11. But who are the fans, and do we need to spend £800 on a season ticket to get our football fix? www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/from-villa-p...birminghamdispatch.co.ukFrom Villa Park to the Village GreenAs the Midlands’ footballing elites compete in Europe and build £3 billion stadiums, we meet the fans keeping it local... hyperlocal 220
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Nearly 40% of children in East Birmingham are living in absolute poverty. Could the new Sports Quarter transform the prospects for a community that has long felt forgotten? www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-american...birminghamdispatch.co.ukThe Americans want to build an Etihad in East Birmingham. Will it work?'To not pursue this would be a crime against the city' 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026In today's fantastic read, Shard End-born novelist Keiran Goddard explores why he feels uneasy claiming the city that shaped him. www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/i-see-buildi...birminghamdispatch.co.ukKeiran Goddard on how Birmingham shaped Antony Boyle film'Fuck it; it's not like I'm taking the place of someone else who’d otherwise be on the radio talking about Shard End' 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026Turns out the proud new owners of Ladywood Police Station have made some hefty donations to the Labour Party... 🤨 That's todays top story: www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/meet-the-men...birminghamdispatch.co.ukMeet the men who bought a police station — straight after donating to LabourTwo property developers with ties to the party are the proud new owners of a local cop shop 111
Reposted by The DispatchLaurence Cooley @lpcooley.bsky.social · 17/08/2026As it happens, there was a @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social article on the emptiness or otherwise of town just the other week. www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/where-is-bir...birminghamdispatch.co.ukWhere is Birmingham’s buzz?The suburbs appear to have stolen the crown from town 132
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 19/08/2026"People didn't understand why they needed to leave their homes". The fires in Stourbridge this week, which have left 19 homes gutted, have become a major national story. Kate Knowles reports on a reeling town and asks: what comes next? 120
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026Nineteen houses were destroyed in the fire that tore through Stourbridge. Labour MP, Cat Eccles, tells us residents who did not understand the severity of the situation were dragged away by police. More on the wildfires in today's briefing 👨🚒 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/investigatio...birminghamdispatch.co.ukInvestigations begin into the cause of devastating Stourbridge wildfiresPlus: leading Birmingham academic slams Cambridge professor’s death as a “public lynching” 100
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Spirit of Pakistan closes today, after two weeks of packed-out events highlighting the cultural contributions of British Pakistanis. But a bitter row has erupted over £30,000 of council funding and how involved Pakistan should be in a festival about… Pakistan.birminghamdispatch.co.ukSpirit of Pakistan celebrates British Pakistanis. Why do some of them want it cancelled?A row has erupted over £30,000 of council funding and how involved Pakistan should be in a festival about… Pakistan 100
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Flag raising last summer was dissected from every angle; national flags mean very different things to different people. But what about the place where it all began: Weoley Castle? What do the flags mean there, a year on? And has it changed the place, for good, bad or... at all? 231
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026NEW: Suspended Green Party councillor Siobhan Harper-Nunes was arrested this morning on suspicion of harassment. The news comes just days after she was charged with assaulting five people. 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Flag raising has changed British politics. But what about the lives of the people who started it all? We headed to Weoley, to talk to the Birmingham suburb that kickstarted one of the most hotly debated political movements of the 2020s. 111
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026A year ago, the UK's flag-raising moment began in Birmingham. In the suburb of Weoley, flags began to rise. Since then, they've spread all over the nation and not really stopped. 'Flag wars' are now rampant. But what's happening at flag ground zero?birminghamdispatch.co.ukRaised in Weoley CastleA year ago, locals went wild for flags. Today they’re flying at half mast 120
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026What, if anything, has changed since the flags went up in Weoley Castle year ago? 🏴 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raised-in-we...birminghamdispatch.co.ukRaised in Weoley CastleA year ago, locals went wild for flags. Today they’re flying at half mast 150
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Who doesn't love a mango-themed street party? Reform apparently, while Labour can't make up their mind. The drama surrounding Soho Road's Mango Mela and more in today's briefing 🥭 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/green-party-...birminghamdispatch.co.ukGreen party councillor suspended after ‘assaulting’ three police officersPlus, mango meltdown in Handsworth over a fruit festival 100
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 08/08/2026We had a big debate in the Dispatch office this week: where is Birmingham’s buzz? 231
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 03/08/2026According to one redditor, Birmingham's food scene has lost its spark of late. We found the spots to prove them wrong. More on Brum's thriving new eateries in our Monday briefing 🥘 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/reddit-think... 110
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 03/08/2026According to one redditor, Birmingham's food scene has lost its spark of late. We found the spots to prove them wrong. More on Brum's thriving new eateries in our Monday briefing🥘 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/reddit-think...birminghamdispatch.co.ukReddit thinks Birmingham’s food scene is over; they’re wrongPlus, Jude Bellingham, the city’s favourite son, returns 010
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 02/08/2026He is known for his cinematic shots of 1980s and 90s Manchester - and of course for capturing 'Madchester' on camera. But it was in the squats of Birmingham where Richard Davis got his start. 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Built to Rents are booming in Birmingham. 🏠 Is this a housing revolution in progress, or another precarious stopgap for those desperately seeking a stable home? Check out our latest article here👇 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/a-new-type-o... 231
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 29/07/2026BIG news about the Methodist Central Hall. The future wasn't looking great for this Victorian beauty. Not only was it growing more dilapidated by the day, but it was stuck in limbo because its former owner ran out of money. 171
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Local ‘patriot’ flagging group Raise the Colours have been getting rather creative with their video edits 🤨 ✂️. But there days could well be numbered... Find out more in today's Monday Briefing 📖 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raise-the-cu...birminghamdispatch.co.ukRaise the cutters!The local flaggers have been getting creative with their edits as the council considers an injunction 173
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 25/07/2026It’s 2013 and Digbeth is suddenly, unironically, one of the coolest places in the UK. The NME has dubbed it “the Shoreditch of Birmingham”, largely because, for the first time since the 1960s, multiple local bands are hitting the big time at once. 151
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Calling all millenial brummies! We have a bumper read about 2010s indie music scene B-Town coming out this weekend and we want photos. Dust off your Facebook (or even MySpace) logins and send us your best pics from: 📸gigs 📸house parties 📸club nights at the Rainbow + more 111
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Andy Burnham is prime minister. And it only took 25 years, two failed Labour leadership contests, and some viral paparazzi shots of him running in very short shorts to get here. What could his premiership mean for the West Midlands? 130
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 20/07/2026Andy Burnham is prime minister. Is he going to promote Shabana Mahmood to chancellor? And does she even want the job? 💼 That's the top story in today's Monday Briefing. 📰 110
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 18/07/2026'It’s kind of dreary, it’s kind of rainy, everyone’s kind of depressed' That's the impression a lot of ppl, like the artist Laisul Hoque, have of Birmingham before they come here. 100
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Rubbish bins and rodents have long plagued the streets of Selly Oak during the summer months. Is the community loosing its spirit as a result? www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/who-cares-ab...birminghamdispatch.co.ukWho cares about Selly Oak?To-let boards, rubbish, and rodents: for some, the South Brum neighbourhood has lost its soul 251
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 15/07/2026Don't forget: The Dispatch is hiring! We're looking for a brilliant staff writer to join Kate and Olivia covering all things Birmingham and the West Midlands. 211
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026NEW: Raddlebarn Primary School headteacher Angela Lowry has left the building. The former head departed at Easter - seven months after The Dispatch published an investigation that revealed she had mismanaged school funds. Read all about it here: www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raddlebarns-...birminghamdispatch.co.ukRaddlebarn’s headteacher bids farewellAngela Lowry has departed the Selly Oak school, seven months after our investigation 120
Reposted by The DispatchNotjarvis @notjarvis.bsky.social · 11/07/2026There does seem to be a trend of more professionalised newsletters/blogs taking up some of the slack caused by the deterioration of local news media. The @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social has been doing some sterling work in my area wrt investigative reporting, too. 011
The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 11/07/2026The Ikon Gallery is among Birmingham's finest buildings. But this landmark was not originally a civic icon. It was, in fact, originally Oozells Street Board School, and its history is a testament to the city’s decisive role in fighting for free universal education. 173