IT SAYS much for the stature of Duncan Edwards and the other Busby Babes who died in the Munich air crash that, 50 years after the tragedy, they are still remembered with such sadness and reverence.
These were extravagantly talented young players, a truly golden generation taken from us before they had realised their full potential.
RIP, lads. You are still sorely missed.
AS DRIVERS sit tapping their steering wheels in frustration while they sit in jams on Birmingham's congested roads, it is clear that something must be done to get our city moving again.
Year after year more cars pour on to roads whose capacity is not infinite.
DO NOT disregard Jaguar's glitzy launch of its new XF model in Monte Carlo merely as a junket.
Hundreds of influential motoring journalists from around the world are being invited there over the next six weeks.
TRAFFIC cop Gavin Blease dismisses suggestions that he acted heroically as he wrestled with a gunman who had already opened fire.
"I don't think it was anything exceptional," says Pc Blease, describing how the drama began after a routine decision to question a man acting suspiciously.
IF THIS country is serious about reducing the damage it causes to our world, the government's plans for a generation of eco-towns must proceed.
We need to build homes, schools and workplaces that are environmentally friendly and encourage people to travel less or to use public transport.
HARD work, goodwill and common sense have averted a strike by Travel West Midlands bus drivers.
Thank heavens for that because such a stoppage would have caused mayhem – snarling up roads with extra cars and leading to widespread absenteeism at workplaces across the region.
THEIR music could hardly be more different.
Rhydian Roberts, just 24, is the new X-Factor singing sensation and Andy Hamilton, aged 89, is a jazz saxophonist with a pedigree stretching back many decades.
FOR eight years its peace officers have patrolled Birmingham's troubled streets.
The Haile Selassie Peace Foundation has calmed community tension, built bridges with the police and helped persuade jailed offenders to live law-abiding and valuable lives.
GRAFFITI blights neighbourhoods.
Those daubings on walls, fences, bus shelters and park benches speak of an area in which youths roam after dark, free to deface and damage without fear of challenge.
DO NOT be surprised that Birmingham author RJ Ellory has shot to fame with his book A Quiet Belief of Angels chosen by the Richard and Judy Book Club.
This city has a fine and distinguished literary tradition which – in typically Brummie fashion – has remained largely hidden.
IT IS too early to start celebrating success as Midlands hospitals battle against those dreadful infections MRSA and Clostridium difficule.
But let us at least recognise the efforts of health managers, doctors, nurses and other staff in driving down the number of cases over the past six months.
THERE but for the grace of God go all of us.
Yesterday's narrowly averted disaster at Heathrow is a stark reminder of how often our lives are in the hands of others.
THE confirmation that 375 Midland jobs, which were once part of the proud Britannic empire, are being lost to India and Scotland marks yet another nail in the coffin for the region's business base.
OLDER readers will remember the bleak days that came in a cloud of dust in the middle years of the last century as much of Birmingham's architectural heritage was bulldozed.
Now we are more enlightened and have realised that fine old buildings add interest and character to our city.
IF BIRMINGHAM has real ambition to become an international city then it needs an airport to match that aspiration.
Ryanair's plan to massively increase its services from Birmingham International Airport is a step in that direction. And it is a welcome one.
BIRMINGHAM lost many of its architectural gems in the barbaric redevelopments of the the 1950s-70s.
A whole lot more would have been flattened and replaced had it not been for the efforts of the city's Victorian Society, this year celebrating its 40th anniversary.
NO-ONE can sensibly argue that the badly needed upgrade of the West Coast line can be achieved without disruption.
Such major projects inevitably mean rail closures and with that comes inconvenience for passengers.
VISION and courage were qualities that made Benazir Bhutto a major and charismatic figure on the world's political stage.
And they were, of course, the very qualities that made her a target for forces of hatred and intolerance intent on destabilising Pakistan.
HEALTH Secretary Alan Johnson shoulders a huge weight now that he has made a decision vehemently opposed by many medics and patients.
He has approved hugely controversial proposals to move emergency surgery services from Birmingham's City Hospital to Sandwell despite warnings by one campaigner that it will cost lives.
THE fleet-footed have long complained that while places such as London and Newcastle have high-profile runs, Birmingham has nothing.
But, just like buses, you wait for ages then two turn up together.
IT IS probably too early for families in Kitts Green to pop open the champagne just yet, but there is good reason for them to be hopeful that a controversial probation centre might be moved.
Justice Minister David Hanson met campaigners and head teachers yesterday and was sympathetic to their arguments.
WE ARE delighted to have brought a little Christmas cheer to classrooms across the West Midlands.
Fourteen schools are sharing a slice of £20,000 from our Top Class Cash promotion.
TODAY there can be no disguising the depth of disquiet surrounding Birmingham City Council's
Seventy per cent of the workers offered new contracts connected with the pay plans have not signed them.
MINISTERS and civil servants should think long and hard before deciding where to site this region's new super-prison.
They must also be open about their plans and consult the residents near whose homes the jail will be sited.
THERE is solid good sense in Immigration Minister Liam Byrne's call for new arrivals to be introduced to truly British traditions such as the BBC, countryside walks, darts and a good old cuppa.
These are things that help create our country's unique identity, comfortingly recognisable, soothingly enjoyable.
THIS area has got a long and distinguished history of producing high-class athletes.
So it is fitting that next year's Olympic trials should be returning to Birmingham after a four year absence.
PASSIONS are invariably raised when the rights and wrongs of abortion are debated. It is an issue which continues to polarise opinions.
But even those who support the right of women to terminate an unwanted pregnancy should consider carefully the reservations of doctors about plans to make the procedure available in GP surgeries.
TODAY this city is gripped by a pay dispute that probably impacts on more families than any that has ever come before.
Birmingham City Council's radical review of salaries will inflate the wage packets of some of its staff and mean losses for others.
HOW ridiculous that a British teacher has been jailed in Sudan for naming a teddy bear Mohammed.
No offence was meant by Gillian Gibbons.
IT IS one of Birmingham's most famous landmarks. A vital artery which supplies lifeblood to the West Midlands.
Spaghetti Junction also has a strategic importance which stretches far beyond our region.
So the revelation that part of the ageing structure is crumbling so badly that engineers are having to monitor part of 'underbelly' 24 hours a day are extremely worrying.
Continue reading "Why We Must Act Over Spaghetti Junction" »
HARD work, determination and imagination have ensured that Birmingham's adult care service is at last performing well.
We send our congratulations to staff and the officials and councillors who oversee them on the two star rating the service has been awarded by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
JUST one hurdle remains to be cleared for Birmingham finally to get the money it needs to replace ramshackle New Street Station.
Government sources insist that only a few more details are needed from the city council and then the go-ahead can be given in mid-January. Let us hope that is the case.
THESE have been worrying days for Birmingham City fans.
A run of bad results in the league, the recent defeat by Aston Villa, uncertainty over Carson Yeung's planned takeover and the resignation of manager Steve Bruce to join lowly Wigan had combined to cast dark clouds over the club.
TRAGEDY could have visited when Victoria McKenna went into labour while alone and gave birth to a baby who was not breathing.
But calmness, strength of character, know-how and a little bit of luck ensured that Victoria can now cuddle a healthy baby boy called Lewis.
THEY are the lifeblood of our communities, the countless voluntary and charity groups that work quietly in the background.
Usually they are low profile. Always they make a real difference to the lives of people around them.
A SEASON that promised so much for Blues is threatening to end in chaos and disappointment.
The team, newly back in the Premier League, had not set the world alight with their results so far this campaign.
PITY our poor farmers as they come to terms with yet another threat to their livelihoods.
A year that had already seen outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, bluetongue and flooding has now witnessed an outbreak of a deadly form of bird flu.
TUNE into television to watch proceedings in the House of Commons and you see benches predominantly occupied by white, male MPs.
A few women are dotted here and there, some occupying front bench seats. Likewise a few dark faces.
NO-ONE other than Lynton Fletcher will know just why he walked back from his getaway car so he could take the life of a man who posed no threat to him.
This was the sort of cold, calculating crime that would be beyond our comprehension were it not for the grainy images that captured this terrible, tragic incident on February 9, 2004.
THE might of foreign armies did not defeat them yet the threat of a few numbskulls who purport to be Blues or Villa fans is set to leave their plans in tatters.
How shameful that the Firs branch of the Royal British Legion has been forced to cancel its Remembrance Day parade because the police needed to provide roadblocks will instead be busy ensuring that afternoon's local derby passes free of trouble.
THERE will be a great deal of sympathy for Lesley Wallace, the Birmingham grandmother so frustrated by the service her street receives from the city's binmen that she took drastic action.
Lesley bagged up the rubbish that had been spilled or ignored by the collection team in Yew Tree Avenue, Yardley, jumped on a bus to the city centre and then emptied it defiantly on the Council House doorstep.
NO-ONE was attacked or even threatened by the nine-year-old boy found to be hiding a knife at a Birmingham primary school.
But the very fact that he was carrying a blade will fill every right-thinking person with alarm.
AT THE age of 14, Ryan Pettigrew and Jade Scarrott should have had their whole lives ahead of them.
But they never got the chance to realise their potential. Never got the chance to follow a career or raise families of their own.
DOESN'T it gladden your heart to hear about people like Steve Ford, who despite crippling arthritis has spent the past two decades making dreams come true for sick youngsters in local hospitals?
We are delighted that the 49-year-old ex-postman has been named our latest Local Hero.
IN THE jargon of officialdom, they are known as NEETs - standing for "not in education, employing or training".
Those of us who work hard at our jobs or studies have a different description for this hard-core of teenagers happy to do nothing - wasters.
THERE is a momentum growing in our campaign for a referendum to allow Birmingham's voters to decide if they want an elected mayor.
Names came in their thousands again when an action day was held last month and even more are expected to be added to the petition on a second day of action on Saturday, November 10.
THE cause of social harmony is done no service if Government ministers refuse to dip deep into Treasury coffers to provide the funds needed by councils and other public bodies to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Pressure mounts on crucial services such as schools, housing, hospitals and transport unless they are financed to handle the greater burden that an increase in population inevitably brings about.
AS TEEN heroes go, Vivaldi and Chopin probably aren't up there with Kanye West and The Twang.
And it would be hard to imagine the average hoodie playing Mozart or Tchaikovsky through his earphones rather than 50 Cent or the Kaiser Chiefs.
IT WOULD be laughable were it not so serious.
The number of complaints to Severn Trent Water soared from 36,239 in 2005-6 to 68,874 in the the following 12 months – with a third of that total made up of people complaining that they could not get through on the complaint line.
CRITICISM is often flung at Royal Mail, sometimes with good reason.
But the efforts of postman Pete Armitage illustrate just what a cracking service they frequently provide.
A LONG wait at a bus stop for a service that is late is one of life's irritations – worse if a clock-watching boss is fuming at the other end of the journey or a hospital appointment is missed.
And at this time of year, as temperatures fall and the nights get longer, the discomfort of standing in the cold and dark is especially frustrating.
WE ARE very disappointed with the way Heartlands Hospital does not feel able to provide clarity over the death of a teenager in its care.
The Birmingham Mail is a responsible newspaper of record. We do not seek to cause problems or embarrassment for no good reason.
MOTORISTS are set to get their own express lane on one of the busiest commuter routes into Birmingham. But only if they have at least one passenger and travel in the morning.
Critics may question how much impact such a scheme will have on congestion.
IT IS shaping up to be the most nailbiting televised bout since Muhammed Ali and George Foreman's Rumble in the Jungle.
At least if you live in the Midlands.
BIRMINGHAM'S reputation as a truly international city has been given another boost by news that passengers will soon be able to catch a train to Paris and Brussels.
Virgin Trains will link up with Eurostar on November 14 when London's famous St Pancras station reopens after a multi-million pound facelift.
IT was the day football in this country changed forever.
When 96 fans set off to watch their beloved team battle it out in an FA Cup semi-final and never came home. The victims of the Hillsborough disaster.
Continue reading "Should Football Fans Be Allowed To Stand?" »
IN an age when even the police have complained about the time they spend filling in forms rather than fighting crime it is refreshing to hear that for the next two weeks, at least, many of them will not be chained to their desks.
Instead, hundreds of officers and council staff are set to hit the streets to work with local people on a crackdown on 'crime and grime'.
IT is 40 years since the law which made abortion in the UK legal at up to 28 weeks was passed.
But the debate over whether it is right or wrong continues to rage.
IT is more than 200 years since Britain's greatest seaman Lord Admiral Nelson made his fabled visit to Birmingham.
But it has never been forgotten.
PEER group pressure is a potent thing.
How many kids end up in trouble, not because they are inherently bad, but because they feel the need to 'fit in' and impress their friends?
Continue reading "Police officers could soon be getting even younger" »
FEW tears will be shed for the seven thugs who have been jailed for their involvement with dog fighting in Birmingham.
Indeed, many people will think the four and six month sentences should have been a whole lot longer.
THE echo from the horrific bomb attack on Benazir Bhutto will reverberate around the world.
For make no mistake: this was an attack on democracy and tolerance by hate-filled fanatics who are opposed to such values.
IF YOU need reminding, Christmas is well and truly on the horizon. And it looks like it's going to be a cracking one here in Birmingham.
The Sugababes have been lined up to switch on the city's festive lights at Millennium Point on November 10 after a fivehour free concert featuring McFly, Leonna Lewis and Scouting For Girls.
HOSPITALS are in the spotlight today – and it's a case of the good, the bad and the very, very ugly.
Good because three local health trusts – Birmingham Children's Hospital, the Heart of England and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Mental Healthcare – have been revealed by official figures to be among the best in the country.
THE nation's eyes will be on Birmingham in December when the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event heads back to the NEC.
It is a major feather in this city's cap that we have been chosen to host these prestigious awards – especially in a year when the English rugby team and racing driver Lewis Hamilton have achieved so much.
WE IGNORE at our peril the challenges created by massive immigration.
Waiting in the shadows are ill-intentioned extremists ready to exploit the concerns of ordinary, decent people who feel they are being neglected by mainstream politicians.
OUR leafy suburbs are one of the glories of England. And central to their verdant appeal are extensive gardens that allow plants and wildlife to flourish.
Yet more and more gardens are being developed to make way for new housing.
ONCE a humble bag of cheese and onion crisps reigned supreme in our pubs, but times have changed.
Their menus now boast dishes that wouldn't be out of place in a fancy restaurant. And, inevitably, the prices reflect this.
NO PRIZES for guessing who would eventually pick up the bill if Birmingham City Council continues to let its spending soar out of control – us.
Today comes the alarming news that just four months into the financial year, the authority is heading towards a £10 million overspend.
WE make snap judgments on the wannabe celebrities who strut their stuff on television programmes such as The X Factor.
Yet we seldom see behind the glitzy image and manufactured personalities that they, as performers, adopt.
THERE will be tears on Monday as friends and relatives gather to mourn the loss of Katy Rose, who died at the age of 21 just two weeks after giving birth.
But let us hope there are smiles, too, as members of the congregation remember a kind-hearted, happy woman who was loved by those around her and returned that affection.
OPEN your eyes and ears to the city around you before growing too alarmed by a report which suggests that Birmingham's status as a great place to do business is dwindling.
According to the Cushman and Wakefield European Monitor, Birmingham is no longer a top twenty city.
WHATEVER happens to Niki Evans in the X Factor final, her story is extraordinary.
Here is a mother-of-two who works as a school catering manager and whose teenage dreams of showbiz stardom appeared to have evaporated.
THE noises emerging from government circle suggest that money has finally been made available to transform Birmingham's ramshackle New Street Station.
Now it is up to all those involved in this process to work diligently but swiftly to tie up any loose ends so this long-awaited scheme can finally go ahead.
AMID the hurly-burly of a suburban shopping street, St Barnabas Church has stood with quiet solidity for generations.
It is one of those solid, old churches that remind us of values that have remained constant and comforting while the world around has changed.
CLAD in masks and bizarre outfits, the trick-or-treaters who appear on doorsteps at Halloween unintentionally frighten many people, especially the elderly.
They also put themselves at risk of injury or worse by wandering the streets after dark.
JOHN Cadbury, the man who set up a coffee shop in Bull Street, Birmingham, in 1824 which grew into a global empire, must be turning in his grave.
The world-famous Cadbury chocolate-making process, for nearly 200 years a proud byword for Birmingham's enduring presence on the global manufacturing stage, is being part-franchised to Poland.
BIG-hearted Maisie Gabriel-Allison, who has spent nearly two decades providing love and comfort to other people's children, is a remarkable woman.
Maisie opens her Weoley Castle home to offer respite care at weekends and evenings to youngsters with special needs.
AS THE able-bodied go about their lives, they barely notice the steps, narrow doorways and tight corners they encounter daily.
But to those who are less mobile, these can be hurdles that are insurmountable.
THOSE of us who slump on our sofas in front of the television, can of beer at hand, half-eaten pizza nearby, will find it hard to believe the achievement of Birmingham policeman Steve Haywood.
He has just run 87 miles from London's Marble Arch to Dover, spent 16 hours swimming 22 miles across the English Channel and then cycled 180 miles to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
PITY the shopkeepers whose trade is said to have slumped by 40 per cent since tough new parking restrictions were introduced.
But pity, too, the motorists, delivery drivers and bus passengers who were caught up in traffic jams on the notorious Stratford Road before it was designated a red route.
THE £11,344 that went into benefit cheat June McIntyre's purse was our money.
It was money that the State had collected for those genuinely in need.
WHEN a society is too scared or unconcerned to intervene when wrong is being done, it is in trouble.
For then the balance has tipped in favour of criminals and thugs who know they can behave appallingly with little risk of being challenged. And in such circumstances savagery rules.
BROAD Street's legions of fun-seekers could soon be rubbing scantily-clad shoulders with an altogether more serious set...bookworms.
An area just off Centenary Square has been earmarked as the site for Birmingham's long-awaited new Central Library.
LIKE hangovers and the sort of fleeting romances forged on dance floors, bars and nightclubs come and go.
So perhaps there should not be too much alarm that so many "To Let" signs have appeared above vacant units on Broad Street, long regarded as Birmingham's premier bright lights zone.
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown's tough talk on gun crime – with the promise of mini-metal detectors, increased police powers and minimum five year sentences – was welcome and timely.
Over the weekend this city witnessed three shooting incidents and, in recent years, has witnessed a wave of tragedies.
IT IS easy to despair at the fate of this region's manufacturing industry, but not all is doom at gloom.
Take Solihull-based Land Rover and the way it has broken into the Russian market.
BULLIES once struck in playgrounds and on street corners, but today they are more inventive.
They use text messages, websites and emails to make life miserable for their victims.
WITH his shaven head, flowing robes and peaceful demeanour, Ashin Rathapala has that unworldly air that we associate with Buddhist monks.
But it would be wrong to imagine that Ashin – or anyone of faith – does not inhabit the same flawed world as the rest of us.
THE exclusion zone around the Solihull farm at the centre of a foot and mouth alert will cause disruption for many people and businesses, but it is necessary.
The disease, if unchecked, can spread rapidly and devastate livestock. The impact on the agricultural economy can be catastrophic.
MIKE Whitby is getting stick for making his third visit to China since he took over leadership of Birmingham City Council.
We have no gripe with Labour leader Sir Albert Bore for raising the issue: an important role of the opposition is to hold the controlling group to account.
THIEVES do not necessarily wear hoods or grunt threats as they help themselves to their victims' belongings.
Some, like the White Collar Bandit, dress smartly and speak pleasantly.
HUDDLED in their home in Moseley is an elderly, frail couple whose security has been shattered.
Bert and Iris Reynolds, both in their 90s and incapable of properly caring for themselves, have grown used to the kindness and support they have received from Olivia Senaratne.
THE reborn splendour of the Town Hall fits well with the elegance of Victoria Square.
Pity the same cannot be said about the enormous new television screen that is about to installed alongside.
WHAT nonsense to suggest that there is nowhere suitable in south Birmingham to stage a major fireworks show.
There can be no argument against the decision to move the annual display from the Edgbaston cricket ground – it caused damage to the wicket, there was a shortage of parking space and a lack of cover for spectators.
SPORTSFEST, that annual event that gives Birmingham youngsters the chance to try out a range of activities, is a great idea.
Too many youngsters spend too much of their spare time in front of computer or television screens and not enough getting the sort of exercise their mums and dads took for granted.
POLITICIANS and financial experts have been swift to urge Northern Rock's savers to leave their cash there, not to panic.
They are undoubtedly right when they say there is little danger that the bank's customers will lose their money.
WHILE most of us would regard the 7/7 bombings as a time to mourn the spilling of innocent blood, vile Priya Ragan saw it as an opportunity to extort money.
Ragan claimed her cousin had been killed in the blasts – one of the lies she told to con a besotten admirer into handing over almost £10,000 to her.
BIRMINGHAM must not let slip through its grasp the golden opportunity presented by plans to build a 200 metre tall vertical theme park in the heart of the city.
The blueprint – first revealed in yesterday's Birmingham Mail – has already excited ordinary Brummies and the city's decision-makers alike.
Kenneth George Edward Hardeman, January 21 1936-July 16 2007
FEW politicians earn the tide of respect and admiration which swept Birmingham Cathedral yesterday as hundreds of people gathered to honour the memory of Ken Hardeman.
EXTREMISM flourishes where divisions and ignorance create mistrust between communities.
Thus two new initiatives centred on Birmingham should be welcomed.
MANY hearts will skip a beat at today's revelation that cars are once again rolling off the production line at Longbridge.
Up to 60 two-seater MGs have already been manufactured at the site by Nanjing – the first cars produced there since MG Rover so tragically collapsed in April 2005.
IT IS perhaps difficult to make a fortune without compromising principles you hold dear.
Yet Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop who died yesterday at the age of 64, managed to balance her commitment to the environment and human rights with a fierce business acumen.
IN EXTRAORDINARY circumstances, ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things.
So it was that 28 ordinary Brummies – "average blokes" in the words of historian Chris Sutton – showed remarkable bravery when confronted by the dangers and horrors of war.
HE WAS the larger-than-life Italian who loved football almost as much as he adored pasta and did more than anyone else in recent years to popularise opera.
Luciano Pavarotti was – culturally as well as physically – a huge figure on the world's cultural stage.
POLICE dramas on television may still paint a picture of gritty detectives prowling the underworld looking for clues as they solve baffling crimes and, no doubt, that still happens.
But the truth is that modern crime-fighting now depends on hi-tech methods such as DNA matches, CCTV pictures and the sort of minuscule clues that are identified by boffins at the national forensic science headquarters in Birmingham.
DISTRICT Judge Kal Qureshi is right to be concerned that he could impose only puny fines on the low-lives involved in a dog fighting in Birmingham.
This was savage behaviour that caused terrible suffering for the animals set against each other and which outraged all decent-minded people.
WHEN the school bell rings on that last day of the summer term, the holiday that stretches ahead seems for youngsters endless.
But this week grey trousers and skirts have been pressed, school shirts ironed and pens placed in blazer pockets.
THE controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine is abating.
The overwhelming majority of experts say there is no link between the jab and autism and the weight of scientific evidence appears to support their view.
JUST when the last grains of hope are trickling away, the unexpected can happen.
Thus it was that Colin and Debbie Moran-Simmonds's thwarted dreams of having a child finally came to fruition,
TEN long years might have dulled the sense of loss, but today's anniversary of the death of Diana will rekindle some of the emotions that swept through the country in 1997.
For a few weeks the country was bound like never before as people shared their grief and bewilderment that a life so full of promise and glamour should end so suddenly, so tragically, so needlessly.
THE spectre of bags of rotting rubbish lying uncollected on Birmingham's streets will focus minds as the city council and trades unions sit down to discuss a new pay structure.
There is no doubt that the new system will hit some employees hard, with unions claiming that their wages will drop by £12,000 a year.
THE bravado and inexperience often found among young drivers is a dangerous combination. Add alcohol or drugs and it can be a lethal mix.
Twenty-two per cent of 17 and 18 year old motorists in this region have driven while under the influence of drink or drugs, according to a survey.
SOME cannot pay. Others simply will not pay. But one thing is clear. The £80 million council tax that is owed in Birmingham is unacceptable.
And it is even more unacceptable that some of the arrears date back a decade.
WE ARE delighted that the arthritic collie Grace is recovering after becoming the first dog in the country to have knee transplant surgery.
No pet should have to suffer pain needlessly and owners should, of course, be free to spend their money as they see fit.
THE civil rights activist Jesse Jackson is right to say that equality, prosperity and a strong sense of right and wrong are needed if we are to break the destructive cycle of crime and drug abuse that threatens to engulf our cities.
The Rev Jackson's words seem all the more potent in the wake of the death of Rhys Jones, the 11-year-old schoolboy shot dead as he played near his Liverpool home.
IT'S a question that perplexes rock fans. When is a legendary band not the legendary band it purports to be?
All sorts of groups have gone on tour bearing the names that were massive back in their heydays, but with line-ups that differ drastically from those that took to the stage originally.
CONGRATULATIONS to all those teenagers who today got the GCSE grades for which they had hoped and commiserations to those who did not.
More than 600,000 youngsters across the country received their results today – helping them plot their future path in life.
BRUM'S really bouncing.
We are developing a reputation for hosting successful events – whether they are sporting tussles, shows, exhibitions, conferences or political gatherings.
THEY prey on the most vulnerable in society – the desperate, the poor and the foolish.
Loan sharks are parasites who feed off the misfortune of those who are struggling for a foothold on the ladder to survival.
EACH year there are tears and smiles among the audience at the event to honour the winners of the Local Heroes awards that this newspaper runs with the Pallasades.
Their stories of courage and selflessness, often in the face of the most challenging circumstances, are inspirational.
IT IS a row that refuses to go away.
The proposals to downgrade City Hospital while increasing facilities at Sandwell Hospital has caused unease among patients, medics and politicians.
AS DRIVERS and bus passengers endure yet more delays in their journeys along the congested roads of the West Midlands, there seems little room for optimism.
Lynne Jones, MP for Selly Oak, is right to criticism what she perceives as a lack of leadership among local councils over measures to get this region's roads moving.
LEE Hughes has served his time. He has a right to earn a living.
But there is understandable unease that while those who were victims of his appalling behaviour continue to bear the consequences, Hughes will enjoy high wages and adulation by reviving his football career with Oldham.
THOUGH Brum's famous for its parks, it isn't well known for its beaches. That may well change.
Two specially created beaches in the city centre this summer have already – when the weather pernits – been attracting visitors.
CANNON Hill is Birmingham's emerald jewel and should be cherished as such.
Claims that it is being neglected while the city council concentrates its efforts on plans for a new multi-million pound park at Eastside are disturbing.
WELL done, Wetherspoons, for listening to local concerns over plans to sell booze and play live music until 3.30am at the national pub chain's premises in Birmingham's Hurst Street.
The company sought compromise rather than trying to trample over the views of the Gay Village Association, residents in nearby apartments and the National Trust, who own the historic back-to-back houses near the bar.
THOUSANDS of A-level students are celebrating their success and, inevitably, the party poopers are glowering in the background.
The examinations, they complain, are easier. No where near as tough as they were in our time, they add.
HEED the words of Cheshire Chief Constable Peter Fahy when he says that parents must strive to stop under-age drinking.
Drinks companies have a responsibility not to make strong booze that appeals to the young.
FROM one end of the country to the other – and often abroad, too – shopping malls have the same names above their shiny doors.
Giant retailers, able to afford high rents and rates and with the bargaining power to demand the keenest prices from suppliers, dominate.
THE terrible bloodshed and turmoil that followed the partition of India and Pakistan 60 years ago is long past.
Today these are two independent countries that, despite their differences, largely co-exist in peace and which play important parts on the world stage.
DO NOT be too alarmed by West Midlands Police's declaration that it would be happy to recruit support officers as young as 16.
Not all mature people are wise and not all teenagers are callow creatures prone to make foolish decisions.
WE CAN only truly know who we are if we know where we come from.
In a multi-cultural city such as this, that can mean understanding the countries which shaped the thoughts and beliefs of our parents or grandparents.
ONLY numbskulls would argue that police should hurry their investigations into major crimes.
Forensic experts must, of course, be given plenty of time to comb the scene for clues, even when it causes inconvenience and irritation to others.
TRADERS warn that Birmingham's historic Indoor Market is under threat because of rising rents.
REMEMBER the bad old days?
When Birmingham had an international reputation as a bleak, industrial city strangled by its own concrete collar?
YOU may think it impossible to put a price on life. Surely it is priceless?
But in the case of smiling Birmingham tot Mohammed Hasnin it was just £1,400.
IT is an illness which strikes fear into us all.
But Steve Faulkner has proved in the best way possible that cancer doesn't automatically mean a death sentence.
AS a second suspected outbreak of foot and mouth is investigated our thoughts go out not just to this region's farmers.
But to all the other businesses whose livelihoods are at risk from this devastating disease.
JUST when we'd almost given up hope, summer finally arrived.
And what a weekend for it to get hot, hot, hot!
IF YOU think you're generous when it comes to tipping taxi drivers think again.
Those extra couple of pounds handed over after a good night out are nothing compared to the generosity of Birmingham City Council.
THERE must be a whole new section in careers libraries these days.
One dedicated to workers who spend their time coming up with barmy rules and regulations.
IT could be a day in the life of Posh and Becks.
Rubbing shoulders with the stars at the Cannes Film Festival and jetting off to far-flung destinations like San Francisco and Tokyo.
NEW STREET Station is rapidly collecting more titles than Blues and Villa put together.
LET'S make one thing clear.
The whole point of the investigation into the blunders which allowed cop killer Glaister Butler to murder detective Mick Swindells is to prevent it happening again.
IF you have any doubts about recent calls for everyone to be considered an organ donor unless they opt out just look at today's picture of little Erin Nicks.
Continue reading "Should we all agree to be organ donors?" »
BIRMINGHAM'S election system could not have received more damning condemnation than when a High Court judge announced he'd found vote-rigging in the city which would "disgrace a banana republic".
BIRMINGHAM moves a step closer to the return of its famous Super Prix today.
THE MURDER of 21 innocent people enjoying a night out with friends in Birmingham on November 21 1974 is seared into this city's collective memory.
For years the sheer horror of the Birmingham pub bombings made it almost impossible to see how the conflict in Northern Ireland could ever be resolved.
THE WORLD of showbusiness is in mourning following the unexpected death of comic Mike Reid.
SOARING house prices allied to a shortage of supply means many families and young people have given up hope of finding somewhere to call their own.
The Government has announced plans to build three million new homes to tackle the crisis. But will it really solve the problem?
PATIENTS are unlikely to be reassured by the one-month suspension imposed by the General Medical Council on a consultant anaesthetist who fell asleep during one operation and watched an action movie during another.
Lay people have long suspected that professional bodies such as the GMC are cosy organisations all too ready to close ranks than truly protect the interests of the public.
TWO contrasting sides of Birmingham are revealed today on Page 5 of the Birmingham Mail.
The first is the behaviour of four yobs who caused mayhem on Erdington's Court Oak Estate.
THE government has asked some detailed questions about plans to rebuild Birmingham's ramshackle, overcrowded New Street Station.
And the man in charge Coun Mike Whitby must now do what good leaders should – shoulder responsibility and answer the probes, however petty he feels they are.
T IS not an easy job being a teacher.
The pressures of ensuring pupils achieve their potential. The discipline problems that are encountered.
THERE are times when we disagree strongly with Birmingham's council leaders and we are never afraid to speak out loudly when that is the case. But today we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them over an issue that is crucial to the future of this city.
New Street Station must be rebuilt so that it is no longer a dingy, overcrowded and depressing hell-hole but a facility more suited to thrusting, welcoming 21st century Birmingham.
PITY those families who today huddle in temporary accommodation as filthy water laps round their homes, destroying their treasured possessions.
Spare a thought, too, for shops, pubs, hotels and other businesses that will struggle to recover from the impact of the incredible weather that is afflicted Britain over recent months.
CYNICS might think they have worked out the real purpose of the beach that lies damply outside Birmingham Council House.
Is it there to provide sand in which the council's Tory leader Mike Whitby can bury his head?
LAST night's Big Debate did not end with a solution to the row surrounding the opening of a probation centre in Kitts Green, but it did provide a chance for listening.
Residents were able to tell police, politicians and probation service officials of the very real fears that have led to their fierce opposition to a centre that is close to schools and homes and which deals with dangerous offenders.
AMID the fog of confusion over whether the government is or is not ready to stump up cash for the rebuilding of New Street Station, one thing shines clear.
The station is unacceptable and must be replaced.
DOCTORS, patients and politicians have voiced their disquiet at plans to downgrade Birmingham's busy City Hospital.
Yet the health trust's number-crunchers have been keen to push through proposals to reduce the number of emergency operations at City Hospital, sending the vast majority of patients to Sandwell instead.
WHATEVER your political persuasion, it is hard not to be perturbed by today's revelation that the gap between Britain's rich and poor is at its highest level for more than 40 years.
While the rich have got richer, the number of families living below the poverty line has increased.
THE seeds of the violence that tore through Lozells during two nights of rioting were scattered by careless words and a readiness to believe the worst.
Tension mounted after rumours spread that a black girl had been raped by a gang of Asian men.
THE bitter row that erupted several months ago over the opening of a probation service centre in Kitts Green refuses to go away.
Opinions have become entrenched, a 8,500-name petition has been collected, numerous protests have been staged and the centre, built at a cost of £1 million, has been vandalised.
CITIES are not just dormitories, there to provide shelter for their inhabitants when they are not working.
They are living places that should provide a wide range of leisure activities so that people can take time out from their busy lives to relax.
THE spotlight this newspaper shone on the case of church-going refugee Olivia Senaratne, who provides round-the-clock care for an elderly Birmingham couple, helped persuade the Home Office to defer her deportation.
Now Olivia, who fled her homeland after suffering domestic violence, has been told to report to immigration offices in Solihull next week so fresh deportation papers can be served.
BIRMINGHAM City Council and West Midlands Fire Service have been quick to defend themselves after residents' complaints of inaction following floods that engulfed the Witton area.
But one simple truth remains.
BOY or girl, babies are a blessing and should be regarded as such.
The idea that couples should be free to choose the gender of the child they are about to conceive is repugnant.
POLICE walk a tightrope as they attempt to tackle the terrorism that haunts Britain.
Crack down too hard and they risk inflaming passions. Adopt a more relaxed approach and they risk failing to prevent bloodshed and mayhem.
"BORDESLEY Green isn't the right place for these people to be rehabilitated," says a resident fighting plans to open a psychiatric unit which opponents claim will house dangerous patients.
Without wishing to appear unsympathetic to the concerns of people who live nearby, where, then, would be a suitable location? In some else's neighbourhood?
OKAY, we may never see Bruce Willis or Julia Roberts sauntering through the Bullring in their Ray Bans.
The word "Brummiewood" will probably never be spelled out in giant letters alongside the M6.
NO-ONE should doubt that this country faces a grave threat from terrorists intent on spilling innocent blood.
But there is no room for alarmist stories that exaggerate the risk.
THE tide has turned in the debate about the rights and wrongs of letting Birmingham's voters decide whether they want an elected mayor.
A increasing number of influential figures, from politics, business and the voluntary sector, have spoken out in favour of a referendum.
IN THE space of a few yards, you will be able to sample curries, posh nosh, Italian food and Oriental dishes.
The second Taste of Birmingham festival, which opens at Cannon Hill Park tonight and runs until Sunday, provides a unique opportunity to sample cuisine from some of this city's best eateries.
BIRMINGHAM'S council leaders are throwing their arms up in alarm as they struggle to find ways to solve the crisis that surrounds this city's ageing swimming pools.
They face a bill of up to £90 million to modernise ramshackle Moseley Road, Harborne and Wyndley pools. More money will be needed to repair the city's other sites.
TODAY'S release of the British hostage Alan Johnston from captivity in Lebanon is a cause for celebration.
For him, for his family, for his friends, for colleagues and for all of us.
A CRITICISM often levelled at the West Midlands' movers and shakers is that they fail to provide the strong political leadership this region needs to prosper, that they do not shout loud enough and fight hard enough on our behalf.
This is a deficit that has - we hope - been addressed by the appointment of Liam Byrne, to the new post of West Midlands Minister.
THEY are cute. They are charming. Their smiles gladden the heart.
We send our congratulations to Regan Smith, Inaaya Khalifa-Morgan and Jay-Jay Boyce, three bundles of fun who are today named the winners of our Baby of Year competition.
IN A world that has grown increasingly unfazed by images of violence, today's pictures showing the murder of Lozells shopkeeper Mohammed Basharat retain a chilling power.
Few readers will be unmoved by the photographs we publish showing the killer, sinister a dark hood, striding into the store and cold-heartedly opening fire with a sawn-off shotgun. Some may be offended.
THE German bombs that pounded Birmingham during the bleakest days of the Blitz nor the IRA explosions that brought bloodshed three decades ago achieved their aim of intimidating the people of this city.
Nor will the current wave of terrorist attacks. We are too resilient, steadfast and courageous to be so readily cowed.
CONGRATULATIONS to Jacqui Smith, the former Midlands teacher who has rapidly climbed the political ladder to become, at the age of 44, the first ever female Home Secretary.
She will be tackling some of the thorniest political issues that face the country. Issues such as terrorism, crime, anti-social behaviour and immigration.
IT IS a decision that could shape Birmingham for generations to come.
It is a decision that YOU, the voters, service-users and tax-payers of Birmingham, have eve