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The Dispatch

@birminghamdispatch.bsky.social
946 followers 14 following 727 posts

Birmingham's new quality newspaper: sending local stories to your inbox. Always looking for new writers & new stories.

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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 18h
Last 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”.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Huge 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Just 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.uk
Avanti West Ghost: Burnham nationalises company with most cancelled trains in Britain
Plus, are the Birmingham arts missing money due to racism?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
On 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Last 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We're only 16 members away from our goal of 2,000 by Sunday! Make the most of these offers before time runs out.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Joe Lycett's EVERYTHING MUST GO, on at BMAG until next Feb, is "a palette of bold, lurid colours and jaunty millennial sass" writes @danielcave_
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Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Dispatch and it's Mill Media siblings are doing a fantastic job and are well worth supporting
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Daz @dazwright.com · 21/09/2026
If 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
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The Dispatch is turning 3! To celebrate, we want to get to more then 2,000 paying members by Sunday night.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We 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.uk
Let’s hit 2000 members for our birthday
You have one week…
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Jim Hawkins @jimallthetime.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Jordan 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.uk
Jordan 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
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Art.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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Incase 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.uk
Not fast but furious: popping the bonnet on the 20mph row
‘It’s f***ing insane’
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Incase 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.uk
The ale king of England
Yards from the castle where Offa once conquered these lands, George Greenaway has made Tamworth great again
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
In July, a tweet sent panic waves through Digbeth. It included the first visualisations of a multi-million pound rail do-up.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What do you reckon? Is it time we rebranded and made the West Midlands...Greater Birmingham?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Why does this pub in Tamworth keep winning pub of the year?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Why did plans to lower the speed limit in Birmingham cause a media firestorm?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Shaun 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.uk
From Villa Park to the Village Green
As the Midlands’ footballing elites compete in Europe and build £3 billion stadiums, we meet the fans keeping it local... hyperlocal
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Nearly 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.uk
The Americans want to build an Etihad in East Birmingham. Will it work?
'To not pursue this would be a crime against the city'
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
In 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.uk
Keiran 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'
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Turns 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.uk
Meet the men who bought a police station — straight after donating to Labour
Two property developers with ties to the party are the proud new owners of a local cop shop
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Laurence Cooley @lpcooley.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
As 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.uk
Where is Birmingham’s buzz?
The suburbs appear to have stolen the crown from town
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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?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Nineteen 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.uk
Investigations begin into the cause of devastating Stourbridge wildfires
Plus: leading Birmingham academic slams Cambridge professor’s death as a “public lynching”
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Spirit 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.uk
Spirit 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
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Flag 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?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
NEW: 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Flag 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
A 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.uk
Raised in Weoley Castle
A year ago, locals went wild for flags. Today they’re flying at half mast
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
What, if anything, has changed since the flags went up in Weoley Castle year ago? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raised-in-we...
birminghamdispatch.co.uk
Raised in Weoley Castle
A year ago, locals went wild for flags. Today they’re flying at half mast
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Who 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.uk
Green party councillor suspended after ‘assaulting’ three police officers
Plus, mango meltdown in Handsworth over a fruit festival
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
We had a big debate in the Dispatch office this week: where is Birmingham’s buzz?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
According 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...
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
According 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.uk
Reddit thinks Birmingham’s food scene is over; they’re wrong
Plus, Jude Bellingham, the city’s favourite son, returns
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
He 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Built 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...
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
BIG 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Local ‘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.uk
Raise the cutters!
The local flaggers have been getting creative with their edits as the council considers an injunction
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
It’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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Calling 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
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Andy 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?
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Andy 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. 📰
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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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Rubbish 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.uk
Who cares about Selly Oak?
To-let boards, rubbish, and rodents: for some, the South Brum neighbourhood has lost its soul
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Don'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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
NEW: 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.uk
Raddlebarn’s headteacher bids farewell
Angela Lowry has departed the Selly Oak school, seven months after our investigation
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Notjarvis @notjarvis.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
There 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.
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The Dispatch @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
The 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.
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