Michael Wilkes' Blog

A Bank for all Seasons

2012-01-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

As we enter the season of bankers' bonuses isn't it heart-warming to see leading bankers settling for a modest million or so? How public spirited of them! And how characteristically useless of government to allow this when the state - our state - has such a huge stake following the bail-outs. But I for one do not want to hear any more spoutings from ministers about this. Will we get action? I doubt it. I fancy I know the real reasons. They are not flattering to our political system or to our economy - such as it now is - but this is a topic for another time.

But there is something that even laggardly leaders could do quite easily and that is to allow the revival of municipal banks. Not only would trustworthy and simple services be offered as they once were but in taking business from the commercial predators they would act as 'exemplar institutions'.

'Security with Interest' was the motto of the late lamented Birmingham Municipal Bank from its foundation around 1916 right up to its closure on 31 March 1976. Many people recall the MB (and still cherish their ageing passbooks) and the security that it offered with the City Council guaranteeing deposits.

As readers of this blog will be aware, I’ve been campaigning for the re-establishment of the Birmingham Municipal Bank for some years. Never was it needed more than now. There is a desperate need for a real alternative operating on near-forgotten principles of service with fairness and responsibility and without profiteering and exploitation.

The idea would be to offer complete security to small savers and fair and consistent interest rates for saving, to encouraging thrift – even explaining what this is to some younger people today. As well as security with interest (note the order) there are other mottoes inside the old headquarters building on Broad Street reflecting virtues worth re-adopting today such as: “Saving is the Mother of Riches” and “Thrift radiates Happiness”. In other words real prosperity comes through saving in a trustworthy institution and satisfaction as well as wealth results.

The Council no longer owns this building, but there are plenty of alternatives, especially as the Council is reducing the number of buildings it occupies. Furthermore, a Birmingham Municipal Bank could keep both money and jobs in the city and be the means through which the oft-suggested ‘Brummie Bonds’ could be issued to allow ordinary folk to support civic projects (the new Central Library would have been a good example) while offering a secure return.

There will be some way to travel however since Government legislation since 1976 makes the establishment of civic banks difficult and restricts the services they could offer. But a start could be made with a savings bank (as was done in 1916) with the scope broadening later if lobbying of the Government to restore former powers proved successful. This would be complementary to existing Credit Unions, which perform valuable if small-scale services but which are not everybody's cup of tea. And while it is true that the commercial banks could attempt to stifle such an initiative (as they tried to do in 1916) any such resistance could be overcome with a bit of political will.

Birmingham could lead the way again – just as it did in 1916 and indeed in the earliest days of commercial banking. We are often told that the City should distinguish itself. What better way than by knocking aside the obstacles and putting people first with the renaissance of our own Birmingham Municipal Bank? A bank for all people and, striking the right moral tone, for all seasons. Perhaps if the Government's bribing and propaganda result in an American style executive Mayor in Birmingham they could get this underway as an early initiative. One can live in hope!

That Essential Difference

2012-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Western societies including our own are becoming increasingly dysfunctional - and I'm not talking about soap opera families. It is not just the mutant version of capitalism with which we are afflicted and which functions for the benefit of speculators, bankers, other disloyal outfits and the top few percent of the population, but our political system too.

One absolutely vital ingredient of a democratic political system is having the right amount of difference - i.e. that the options placed before the electorate represent real alternatives that would lead to different trajectories and outcomes for society. But these days in this country you can hardly get a tissue paper between the major policies of the main parties. There is a sense in which they work together too much - rather as an informal political cartel forever looking over their shoulders and using the same focus group approach equally devoid of principle, courage or even a sense of economic history.

What does it matter who gets elected if the policy choices are austerity, austerity or austerity? And of course it will not work. Cuts push the domestic economy down and as countries, being each other's export markets, pile on the misery it is no use looking abroad. That only works if the others have different, more sensible and effective policies on which we can take a free ride. That isn't going to happen. Instead we have national and international economic prescriptions equivalent to the 18th century medical 'cures' of leaches and bleeding. If the patient isn't recovering - then bleed some more.

For our distant cousins in the United States of course the political situation is the reverse. Their political system has been rendered dysfunctional by the capture of the Republican Party and much of the media by elements holding extreme right wing views and fat wallets. Checks and balances built into the constitution produce policy deadlock when faced with idiotic policies and a relentless refusal to compromise. Their Founding Fathers did not like the idea of political parties - you can now see why - and did not foresee the blight of doctrinaire intransigence with which their system is now afflicted.

The big worry is that short of a catastrophic upheaval here and elsewhere there is no evident solution to all this - not even in the medium term. Elections need to matter, the common good should be to the fore and loyalty to community and country should permeate our economic as well as our social life. That's the essential difference we need today. Can it really be too much to ask or has the mutation taken that deep a grip?

Wildfowl Food for Thought

2012-01-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

In cold snaps such as the one we've been having recently many of us like to ‘do our bit’ for wildlife by feeding the ducks and geese who of course are very enthusiastic about this as shown in our photograph of the pool at Priory Fields in The Shire Country Park.

Quite naturally, most of us feed the birds with bread - which they soon gobble up - but in excess this may not do them too much good. In fact, if all that the ducks got to eat was bread, they could starve! One reason for this is that bread swells in their stomachs making the birds feel full and therefore stopping them from eating the healthy, natural food that they need for proper nutrition.

The feeding of white bread also upsets their diet leading to a Vitamin E deficiency and a protein excess causing a condition known as ‘Angel Wing’. In this ailment one or both of the birds’ wings droop and turn outwards with an excessive growth of flight feathers, thus crippling the bird and stopping it from flying.

Rotting bread can also cause other deadly diseases and encourage parasites, particularly a duck enteritis that, with a single outbreak, can kill all the birds in the area. Bread can also cause potentially serious impactions of the bird’s crop (the pouch in the bird’s gullet).

So whenever you can, feed the ducks instead on waterfowl seed (which also has the benefit of floating) or corn, pearl barley, sunflower seeds or, best of all, worms and slugs from your own garden!

Commemorating Tolkien

2012-01-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

Today is the 120th anniversary of the birth of JRR Tolkien. Each year JRRT's birthday is marked by enthusiasts in a simple way. If you would like to join in, then at 9pm by your local time, face West, raise a glass (contents up to you!) and make the simple toast to 'The Professor'. Tolkien, ever modest, would probably have been surprised by this and the efforts that are made by local communities to commemorate and mark his legacy. Here in Hall green of course we have the famous Middle-earth Weekend in May and the Museum and volunteers are working steadily to enhance the visitor experience at Sarehole Mill which was so important to Tolkien in his early years when he lived nearby.

Work has been completed on the extension of the path by the side of the millpond and quotation requests have been made to millwrights regarding the repair of the sluice gate. The main issue here is silt and a possible breach would mean major internal flooding. A heritage Lottery bid regarding de-silting of the pool will be made after April when it is expected that the Mill will be part of the intended city-wide Museums Trust.

As presently understood, the transfer would relate to the museum area, mill and pool and not the recreation ground. Attention will need to be paid to the (dormant) Sarehole Trust which technically held the mill and all of the land including the recreation ground. There would also need to be approval by the Council's Trusts and Charities Committee (which has oversight of all such trusts) for the transfer.

The former Rangers area that had been used for storage is now being cleared and alternative use could be made of this. In the medium term the building could be used as a shop and for visitor reception. Such a use would be volunteer dependent and that there were management and staff related issues to be resolved.

Work is also well advanced on the reconfiguration of the third floor regarding the enhanced Tolkien display area. Environmentally sympathetic 'earth paint' had been used for the attractive painting that forms part of the greatly revised display - the picture alongside gives an impression. The Tolkien panels are being completely re-written and discussions with the Tolkien Estate and Harper Collins as regards permissions are in hand. A newly produced short film on the Mill would also be on display here.
Reconfiguration of the middle floor is underway with a focus mainly on the history and people of the Mill (including the Miller and Matthew Boulton as well as Tolkien) with two or three panels on this subject. There would also be maps and a natural history feature.

On the ground floor the film would again be available for those for whom access to the third floor is too difficult. There will be four panels on Tolkien, two of which will give a timeline and two will relate to Tolkien and the wider Birmingham area.

The Bankers' Tale

2012-01-01T04:03:00.000-08:00

I wrote the piece below three years ago and it needed very little modification to suit the start of 2012 rather than 2009.

Definitions from the Birmingham-compiled Cobuild dictionary:

Hangover:

1 If someone wakes up with a hangover, they feel sick and have a headache because they have drunk a lot of alcohol the night before.

2 Something that is a hangover from the past is an idea or way of behaving which people used to have in the past but which people no longer generally have

As the grey dawn of another New Year broke I recalled, while progressing towards Canterbury some years ago, finding an apparently centuries-old but timeless manuscript. Taking the form of a coarse lament and dedicated to a friend named Geoffrey, it seems that the writer is still disinclined to mend his errant ways in the New Year:

Abed at noon,
ill-slept and indisposed
to rising yet.
And yet ten hours have passed
since last
my reddened eyes saw light.
Pulsating head indeed exceeds the beat of racing heart.
Oh me! And how
my troubled bowels
do vent their airs of grace devoid
(and needs must I avoid their pungent path!)
And as to work,
upon my soul I shall not shirk
one day of toil,
lest I forfeit a quenching cup
of grape’s intoxicating oil.

My researches suggest that this verse may have been written by someone in a much reduced, distinctly sub-prime condition, used to extravagant living on ill-gotten bonuses from casino capitalism and reckless money lending. In the spirit of a New Year let’s hope nonetheless that he completed his journey and, however reluctantly, gained enlightenment and reset his moral compass in a Damascene transformation from which the other 99% of society would benefit.
And let’s hope as well that in 2012 we shall all suffer fewer economic headaches and live in times of declining austerity.

The Lunar Society and the City

2011-12-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

There is a close and longstanding working relationship between the Lunar Society and the City of Birmingham both in the sense of the City Council and its wider meaning of our industry, commerce, heritage and culture and all that Birmingham stands for in the world.

Since its welcome re-incarnation in the 1980s, the Lunar Society has played a key role as an independent and productive forum for debate, bringing together people from a wide range of industrial, professional and scientific backgrounds to address important issues of today and tomorrow that are relevant to the present and future of our City, our Region and the world.

The global aspect is there because, true to its origins, the Lunar Society has made a major input and raised the profile here on matters concerning the wider world as, for example, the memorable focus on climate change and sustainable living amply demonstrated.

The Lunarmen - and the 'Lunar mindset' - matter every bit as much today as they did over two centuries ago when the society was originally formed.

That we have such a Society in Birmingham is very important to the country's premier city outside of the capital. It acts as a dynamic forum for its membership to asses the current complex situation with which the economy and our society are faced, and to influence both change and those things of lasting importance.

The seminar with Professor David Bailey on the state of industry and the economy, which I had the pleasure of attending, was a very good example of this. The Society's debates succeed in linking scientific, economic, social and cultural thinking and can help to catalyse actions to the benefit of the common good.

I believe that it is very important to sustain the close relationship between the Lunar Society and the City Council particularly in the current economic situation. There is considerable scope for working together to find ways to address some of the critical issues and to improve the economic prospects of the city and its people and sustain our civic future both for Birmingham and for the region.

Compliments of the Season

2011-12-25T05:02:00.000-08:00

A light unto all the worlds...

2011-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Here's another stunningly beautiful picture from Mars - this time, of the planet's morning.

I suppose I risk giving the impression that there could be a bit of escapism going on here!
But this image makes an inspiring change from some of the things going on back on 'Planet Austerity'.
There are times when art and astronomy can match poetry for magnificent consolation!
Seasonally, perhaps it signifies 'a light unto all the worlds'.

Austerity Isn't Working

2011-12-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

In more senses than one - as an economic 'policy' in terms of the size of Gross Domestic Product and, even more importantly, in terms of the growing legions of the unemployed - young people and younger adults included. This is a really tragic waste. The mystery to me is that anyone could ever have thought that swinging the axe in a recession could possibly work - or that they could continue to think that it still will.

But this, I'm afraid, is what the Government appears to think - and the official opposition, such as it is, is not distancing itself sufficiently from the policies of draconian cuts which may, in part, account for its indifferent showing in the opinion polls to date.

Technical note: time travel is not possible either, but the government is doing its best to send us all back to the 1930s anyway.

But I guess we're all getting tired of the unsurprising slew of bad news on the economic front - so what's good recently? Well, the good news is that (a) the solar system has not been sucked into a super-massive black hole and (b) the Higgs boson might or might not have been found and (c) Tracey Emin is now a professor of drawing.

Er, on reflection maybe there should be just two items on this list...

Space Sunset?

2011-12-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

In fact, sunset on Mars! The beautiful photo in the previous posting was taken by one of the Mars Rovers. Sunset colours on Mars appear the opposite of those typically seen on Earth. The central blue glow appears when the Martian atmosphere scatters the sunlight, the same phenomenon that makes the Earth’s sky blue. Powdery dust suspended in the atmosphere gives the rest of the sky a copper colour. The Sun appears only about two-thirds the size that it does on the Earth. The New York Times has more great photos in a recent feature.

Alas, the sunset could signify the space programme itself, principally the United States but more widely around the world too. The US programme is in decline notwithstanding the successful launch of the highly complex Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). Over the years NASA has done a truly great job - as have all the planetary astronomers and scientists and engineers associated with it. Not always the cheapest way but always the very highest quality which has given inspiration to millions across the world.

We recently saw the last of the space shuttle, leaving the US without the ability to put a man into earth orbit let alone on the Moon or Mars. The astronauts of the Apollo era would never have believed that this position could have been reached - they were talking about a manned mission to Mars by the 1980s! Let us hope that the projected heavy lift launcher actually does make it off the ground at some point and is not also cancelled like its predecessor. Incidentally, contrary to press impressions, in its original incarnation it will not be as powerful as the Saturn 5 (the plans for which, incredibly, were destroyed).

The Mars programme has been dropped (as was the plan for a return to the Moon) and there is now no coherent or consistent vision for manned spaceflight. The suggested visit to an 'asteroid' does not mean a trip to the asteroid belt but trying to get on to a near-earth object passing by. While manned spaceflight is expensive it is a mere fraction of the colossal sums spent on weaponry year in and year out - much of which is useless.

It is very disappointing that the most intelligent US President we've ever seen has not managed to re-ignite the vision - although he does have the dire, cuts-obsessed Tea Party fundamentalists to contend with. It does not have to be this way but I see little hope of re-inspiration and a consistent programme that is adhered to.

In terms of robotic exploration there will also be at least a long and significant gap. There's nothing big on the blocks for launching after MSL although we await the images from the New Horizons probe (NASA's mission to Pluto and beyond with closest Pluto approach in July 2015) and the Dawn mission's approach to Ceres in February 2015. These really will be something special. Thank you NASA.

There's a danger of the engineering and scientific skills and can-do capacity being lost and along with it the chance of much closer study and possible landing on the Jovian satellite Europa - the best prospect for life in the Solar System in my view including Mars. The SETI (search for extra terrestrial intelligence) programme was only recently saved from cutbacks by a vigorous voluntary campaign of fundraising (which included actress Jodie Foster the star of 'Contact').

The European Space Agency's Programme offers some mild encouragement including the Mars sample return mission pencilled in for 2020/2022 although missions here too must be vulnerable to the chronic financial crisis faced by many European economies. But I would say it's an ideal time to invest and stimulate not 'carry on cutting'. It's a bit worrying because if you check the ESA website you'll find that much of the 'news' is out of date.

Russia has retained a good, reliable capacity to put humans into earth orbit but the recent loss of its Mars / Phobos probe in Earth orbit suggests that their testing is still not rigorous enough - a problem dating back to the long lamented Saturn-class N1 rocket. The website of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, has a lot of official prose but is low on inspiring projects.

In the long run the best hope for a revitalised manned space programme is China. They see the significance of this and they think long. having been allowed to acquire our industry and technology they have the industrial and growing scientific base. They will definitely go to the Moon in the 2020s (as long as their country remains stable) and they will not stop there. In terms of space and, as with industry, of our own doing, the sun sets in the West - but it rises again in the East.

Sunset

2011-12-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

A beautiful and unusual sunset photograph - but where was the picture taken and what could it be taken to signify?
The answer and more in the next posting.

Please Mind the Gaps!

2011-12-07T03:24:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed the not so subtle differences between the claims made by the Chancellor about who got hit in the Autumn Statement (not to mention the other austerity measures) and the truth of the matter.

There's a lot of this about! If you travel into the city by train you'll be familiar with the ever-repeated health and safety / insurance recording played as stations are neared: "We are now approaching (name of station). Please mind the gap between the platform and the train."

While hearing this again for the umpteenth time it occurred to me that there is in fact potential for much wider application in other walks of life - for instance politics and economics as well as budget statements: "We are now approaching a budget. Please mind the gap between the rich and the rest."

Perhaps there should be a similar warning at election times when we appear to enter one of the late Steve Jobs' 'Reality Distortion Fields': "We are now approaching an election. Please mind the gap between promises and delivery." And how about this one: "We are now approaching a recession. Please mind the gap between forecasts and reality."

Plenty of scope here I think!

Imminent Recession? Now there's a Surprise!

2011-11-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Various agencies are now 'forecasting' a return to recession for our economy either in this quarter or the first quarter of 2012. How very profound. Government ministers seem shocked and set to pin the blame on Europe this time. The 'blame their predecessors' tactic is past its sell-by date and, if you are into blame, there's an odd reluctance to pin most of the blame where it truly belonged in the first place - with the banks.

But would a further recession be so surprising? Not a bit of it! As I and many others have been saying all along, if you are already in or near a recession and you introduce deep cuts just what do you expect? The economy will be bouncing along the bottom - or worse - for years.

Well, the government expected the private sector to leap in and not only replace all the lost jobs and more but to produce overall growth in the climate of cutting. The least uncomplimentary way I can think of to describe this view is 'wishful thinking'. More likely paid advisors have been telling ministers what they wanted to hear - Tea Party level Reaganomics MkII.

There are three important factors in determining industrial expansion - demand, demand and demand. So what happens to consumer demand when you generate massive job losses and put those employees who survive the chop this time in fear of their jobs? Could there just possibly be a bit of a dip in domestic consumer demand? Could the reduced requirements for goods and services by national and local government, the health service etc possibly take the edge off business demand? And what about international demand?

Hey! How about this for a strategy: cut the domestic component and have an 'export-lead' recovery. So dazzlingly brilliant a wheeze that every other struggling economy to whom we export does the same! Result? Refer to Mr Micawber on an income of £19 - 19 - 6.

So what do we need to do? First stop the latest blame game - these are useless distractions. Second, increase the buying power of those on lower incomes. This could be done at no net cost to the exchequer by redistribution (more below) and would, as well as righting injustices, be stimulating through the Keynesian balanced budget multiplier (see previous postings). Third, scale back the cuts on the local government, health service and defence budgets.

Fourth, start a major programme of capital investment with incentives for firms and, most important of all, government led projects (such as a Severn barrage discussed elsewhere on this blog). HSII if you must - but don't believe those jobs figures and alternative transport projects including conventional upgrades would give a better result. Make sure that the contracts go to British companies (you can do this if you really want to), that employment is maximised and the opportunity to train young people taken up.

How to pay for this? The first thing to note is that the total net expenditure will be less than the apparent cost in economic stasis. The government seems to be realising that as the economy shrinks they miss their financial targets. The other side of this coin is that as the economy grows tax revenues increase and benefit payments reduce. But this process shouldn't be relied on to cover it all. There's no economic magic and we have our friends in 'the financial markets' to take into account. Oh what nice people they are (another story).

So, where's the money coming from? If you read most of the newspapers we're blessed with, experts are scratching their heads having considered all options. But wait! What's that elephant there in the corner? Could we just have overlooked the possibility of taxing the rich a bit more? OMG, think of all those directors who might up-stumps! But let's say we've heard 'wolf!' before and see if we could struggle along with a few less of the over-indulged variety anyway. I'm old enough to recall that when Mrs T's chancellor reduced the top rate of tax on the rich to 60% they thought they'd gone to heaven rather than just Switzerland. I'm not suggesting 60% again - I'm too kindly for that. So how about a total top deduction of around 55% inclusive of a flat rate NI over all income levels?

So there could be a Plan B after all! But will we see something like this? No more chance of this I fear than an Xmas time-warp, again a la Dickens, taking the government back to the 1930s for a refresher course on all that they have so clearly and so conveniently forgotten.

The Hungry Hobbit

2011-11-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

How utterly pathetic and how absolutely typical of corporate anti-social attitudes these days. A local cafe a stone's throw from Sarehole Mill near to where JRR Tolkien grew up, has been threatened with legal action by lawyers working for a US film company. Wouldn't they be better employed chasing ambulances?

The Hungry Hobbit at the corner of Wake Green Road and Swanshurst Lane has been accused of copyright infringement by lawyers representing an outfit calling itself the Saul Zaentz Company (SZC). A household name if ever there wasn't one.

The company apparently owns the worldwide rights to several Tolkien 'brands' including The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. How on earth did this come to pass?

The cafe has traded responsibly under this name for the last six years and changing signs, menus, etc would be very costly for them. How unreasonable and how silly that they should be required to do so.

As a child JRR Tolkien lived in what is now Wake Green Road in what was then the village of Sarehole. Sarehole Mill across the way and Moseley Bog provided the inspiration for Tolkien's Shire and many of the places and people described in The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.

SZC's lawyers stated that "Only those who qualify for a trademark licence may use Hobbit and other marks registered by SZC". The letter states that use of the name Hobbit "is likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception among prospective purchasers, who are likely to believe that your business is licensed, authorised, sponsored or endorsed by SZC". Confusion? What utter rubbish! Who cares about SZC? Who has even heard of SZC before this? Things Hobbity are part of our local heritage and our national literary tradition. JRRT would have been disgusted.

I suggest that as many of us as possible now patronise The Hungry Hobbit by taking our 'second breakfast' there in true Hobbit style. Perhaps we should get hundreds of useful lawyers to see if a name change to The 'Ungry 'Obbit would pass muster! Meanwhile, pass the mustard!

The Age of Impatience

2011-11-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

We are said to live in an age of austerity - as indeed we do and shall continue to do for many years. And there is much about today's society that is a lot less good than it was a few decades ago. Here, for example, I refer to values and conduct rather than technology and medicine.

We also inhabit an Age of Impatience. This is often reflected in the use and setup of technical devices and worsened by adverse management practices that treat customers as punters to be dealt with (rather than served) quicker than is reasonably possible even when face to face.

We come across chronic impatience frequently on the phone (if we can contact a human being at all) and also in person at 'service' counters, for example in banks where staff do not seem to have the time or even the ability to concentrate in between distractions from their colleagues.

Incoming business landline calls, a high percentage of which are the detested robotic financial services plugs, often only give four or five rings which is never really enough if the phone is not directly to hand. Some personal callers have adopted this practice too, alas. Most mobile phones automatically end a call unless answered in a few rings.

Why do we do this? In some cases it's about money, in others it's a practice that has spread, unconsciously for many people, producing nervous and twitchy ways of living in as it were a personal 'short-now'. We do not need to do this and of course we can adjust as individuals when we become conscious of this habit.

There's been a campaign for some time (the Slow Movement) which seeks many ways of regaining a more human and civilised tempo. And if you'd like to find out about a project to give a really long term perspective, then there's a great book of essays entitled 'The Clock of the Long Now' and a website for the Long Now foundation - if we can find the time to visit it of course!

The Cure of Souls

2011-10-29T04:31:00.001-07:00

Having attended absorbing ceremonies for the licensing of ministers to a life of religious and community service, I was intrigued by the inspirational concept of ‘the cure of souls’. This daunting responsibility was part of each installation and was a task with which all of the new priests were charged.

Coming across the concept of the cure of souls for the first time - despite its long standing - I was struck by the thought that if 'cure of souls' was broadly understood it would resonate with the needs of society today - both at a personal level and in our social and economic interactions.

This country, along with others in the western world, faces a profound spiritual as well as an economic malaise. The problems that have taken root run deep and our society has, devoid of an essential moral foundation, been turned into the worst version of itself.

We have individually and severally been beset by the emotional and spiritual shallowness of the modern world with its deceptions, disloyalty and increasing instability sometimes referred to in reverential tones as 'change'. But it is indisputable that the world is in an unsettled state and so are its people.

There is a doctrinal interpretation to 'cure of souls' in a religious context - along with an injunction when a newly appointed minister is so charged. But there is a possible wider meaning in that many of the needs of discontented, distressed or neglected spirits in our society may be satisfied in kindred ways also of value.

In this context I interpret 'soul' in the sense of being the fundamental self and including the basic nature, beliefs and conscience of an individual. This interpretation can be extended to the common ground of a community or a nation. And while the translation of 'cura' in cura animarum as ‘cure’ rather than as ‘care’ is possibly archaic, its time may have come again. In any case, caring and curing go hand in hand.

All this is so since there is much in the modern world that points to the need for healing rather than care-taking and the routine, frequently self-centred, maintenance of our spiritual nature. This is so however widely or narrowly we choose to define the terms ‘cure’ and ‘soul’ – should such definitions, possibly missing important essence, prove to be of value.

The subtle process of the healing of the spirit in general terms can take place outside a purely religious context - and it can have many down-to-earth forms. One example is the work of charities such as St. Basil's, based in Birmingham, who work with young people at high risk of becoming homeless. Many of these youngsters have, in the worst possible start in life, been rejected by their parents.

At an event held by this charity I was impressed by the remarks of youngsters who had been helped - indeed cured. What they said was moving, poignant and revealing. Examples of their are: 'I can now forgive', 'I can now accept myself', 'It is possible for me to love', 'I can now live.' Such honest and telling expressions emanating from the hearts of these once-troubled younger people surely represent soul-cure.

With a narrow focus the ‘cure of souls’ takes it as given that we have an understanding of what is meant by 'soul' - and that all human beings possess one. The soul as a permanent but physically undetectable entity within a person was accepted without question by most people for centuries.

But in today's enriched and diminished society this has been lost sight of - along with the self-moderating and much-to-be-desired concept of 'conscience'. But it is something that most people have at a deeper level remained aware - although the understanding of 'soul' may vary and be more diffuse.

The title of C. G. Jung’s work: ‘Modern Man in Search of a Soul’ reflects this view. In the book Jung suggests that there is a need in people to discover or rediscover that they have a soul, thought of as the very essence of themselves, the heart of their personality. According to Jung, mankind needs general ideas and convictions that give real meaning to lives and enable people to find places for themselves in the Cosmos.

Eugene Marais' reflective and wistful book ‘The Soul of the White Ant’ also suggests that the broader concept of ‘soul’ may be extended to collectives. In his study these were colonies of social insects - and we note that it is not only termites that live together in a social structure with productive but unequal and exploitative relationships.

Jung also envisaged a soul-like entity existing beyond the individual in his concept of the ‘collective unconscious’. He believed that all human beings were connected to the collective unconscious. What is said of individuals regarding cure of soul may also apply collectively. Our society has become a soulless one with the idolatry of and unquestioned subservience to 'the market' - whatever that may mean.

Concern for the welfare of ailing and malnourished souls is not new. The concept has existed in some form or other for over two thousand years. As one illustration, scholars tell us that above the shelves in the great and lamentably long destroyed Library of Alexandria there was written this legend: “The place of the cure of the soul”. In both literal and metaphorical senses this inscription says much about how this culture viewed the human condition.

The concept of the cure of souls, at its most broad interpretation, could also extend to the Platonic notion of the ‘world-soul’ seen to be inherent in all things. This also relates to today's environmental movements and the concept of Gaia - the hypothesis that organisms and their environs form a complex, self-regulating entity - although the consequences of natural 'regulation' under stress may not all be desirable.

We read and hear a good deal about physical well-being these days. There are clear connections with healthy minds and this may reflect the 'in corpore sanem' dimension but may also, in excess, represent merely physical self-indulgence. Genuine physical well-being is desirable, but there is an even greater need for what Seneca referred to as ‘euthymia’ - the well-being of the soul. Euthymia will surely be the condition of the soul that has received its cure by one means or another.

In modern times Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey system of book classification, took the view that libraries had to be instruments of easy use “for every soul”. Note that Dewey chose to say 'every soul' rather than every mind or everybody.

There is common ground between libraries and places of worship in the cure of souls. These establishments provide - or should I say in these all-but-forsaken times 'have provided' - inspiring places of reflection with subtle cues and aids to that desirable end. There is also the commonality of the reverence of silence and in addressing, in largely compatible ways, what many people feel that they lack in the modern world.

This is not simply knowledge - and it is certainly not what is passed off as ‘information’ with which we are deluged - but meaning. It is a point of great concern that libraries and churches have been placed under severe financial pressures at a time when what they both can provide is most needed.

The agencies of modern business and commerce generate enormous quantities of this dross, trivial, self-serving and often misleading 'information'. We are wise to set aside the meaningless language of sales promotion paraded before us. There is an anaesthesia of meaning that is induced by today's saturated media environment.

Distinct from all this is the method of scientific enquiry in gaining understanding. Science generates the most reliable knowledge humanity can obtain for itself, some of it profound. So it is not surprising that many scientists acquire a devout disposition when investigating nature. All knowledge gained by 'natural philosophy' is testable and is subject to critical appraisal and the possibility of revision.

The insights of science in the realms of the very small and the very large are inspiring but can also be perplexing. But while science stimulates wonder, enquiry and a measure of meaning, it has not as yet been able to supply the depth and personalisation of meaning that many people seek. I do not believe that it is simply a question of time - complementary approaches are also needed.

Our supposedly 'connected' world is one where people are cut off from their inner selves by fashionable gadgets and the unconscious escapism of 'keeping busy'. It is a world of voguish modernity that has increasingly disconnected human beings from the essence of themselves, from each other and from wider spiritual considerations.

In all of this we cannot look to consumerism for the cure of ailing souls. Nothing could be further from what is needed than this vain quest in shrines of shopping for emotional wellbeing via personal consumption. Consumerism has the characteristics of a social disease - one much in need of a cure - and it will lead, inevitably, to a condition of deep disappointment. (For further thoughts in this connection refer to my blog posting on 'The Virtuous Economy').

‘Consumption’, it is interesting to note, is a word that was once used to describe a state of serious ‘ill-being’ - tuberculosis, a wasting illness. The subjects of waste and degeneration ironically are still appropriate in a different sense today. The cure for the restless dissatisfaction of advertising-driven consumption lies in the healthy and harmonious life centred in the common good.

To establish the essential reconnection, one with another, we should look beyond that which is empiric and testable and incorporate that which is ineffable. We must look to a realm beyond dry rationality that includes intuition and transmitted (but not unquestioned) wisdom to rediscover the reverence for the world and for self and the sense of worth that resides at the heart of the great religions.

The depths are unfathomable, and there is a proper place for the contemplative as well as the cognitive process in the progression of human understanding. This oftentimes unquiet relationship can, with open minds, be a productive tension leading to the convergence of the mental processes for gathering understanding.

These approaches can, taken together, discern meaning, purpose, value and responsible self awareness in these days of conscience dimmed. Such understandings should be consistent with the lasting conclusions of science (which are not always as currently understood). These will, in rebuilding personal an collective identity, begin to displace the soulless and dissatisfying void lurking in the hearts of so many people. As Jung pointed out, meaning makes a great many things endurable - perhaps everything.

But this searching aspect of the cure of souls may involve a journey with no recognisable ending - meaning itself may also be provisional, but cure is ongoing too. There is no reason why we should expect to know when this most profound of quests has ended - or indeed to expect it to terminate at all. In the words of the poet Alejandra Pizarnik: "If the soul were to ask, ‘Is it still far?’ you must answer: ‘On the other side of the river, not this one, the one just beyond.’"

Protect against Influenza

2011-10-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

As winter draws nearer, Age Concern Birmingham have launched a timely campaign aimed at reducing avoidable and potentially serious illness in the coming months. Up till early November they will be working to promote the anti-flu jab to:

Anyone aged over 65

Anyone who lives in a residential or nursing home

Anyone who cares for or works with older or disabled persons

All pregnant women

Anyone with a long term health problem [including babies aged 6 months or over]

This winter’s jab protects against the same three strains of influenza as last year’s vaccines. These include the H1N1 strain of the virus. H1N1 is the same strain of flu that caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

It is worrying that less than seven out of ten of those aged 65 and over in some parts of the city got the jab last year. Age Concern Birmingham’s campaign team aims to increase this figure during this year's influenza season, particularly amongst those people with long term health problems - and anyone who cares for or works with older or disabled persons.

So if you are in one of the target groups please get your anti-flu jab. And if you are talking to friends or relatives who meet the criteria, please also encourage them to get the jab before the winter arrives.

Tolkien and the Peril of War

2011-10-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

Birmingham is proud of its very close connections with world renowned author JRR Tolkien. The Birmingham Tolkien Group has as one of its members RS Blackham who has written a number of illustrated books on Tolkien. Bob has recently published his latest book 'Tolkien and the Peril of War'.

I have read this excellent work and there is much new and interesting material therein. Bob is also giving an illustrated talk under the auspices of the Kings Heath Local History Society entitled 'JRR Tolkien: The War Years 1914 - 1918'. The talk is on Wednesday October 19th at 7-30 at Kings Heath Community Centre, Heathfield Road. The admission charge to non-members is £1. Well worth hearing.

Sarehole Mill Volunteers

2011-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Mill Volunteers are meeting on Saturday the 22nd of October at 10.30am at Sarehole Mill Museum, Cole Bank Road, Hall Green.

Willing help is needed to move several (small but sturdy) millstones at Sarehole Mill round to the Fernery at the rear.

There will also be a general end of season tidying up for those less inclined to move the millstones! Using a strong axle to roll the stones is one suggestion. Other ideas are welcome!

If you are able to make the volunteer morning, please contact Viv Wilkes via email as VWi8327963@aol.com

Thank you.

New £50 note next month

2011-10-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Bank of England has finally announced that the new-style £50 note will go into circulation on November 2nd. This will hopefully reinforce such efforts as are being made to 'rebalance' the economy towards manufacturing and returning the country to where its strength once lay.

The design of the new note was unveiled in Birmingham in May 2009 at the opening of the Matthew Boulton Bicentenary exhibition.
The £50 note features the industrialist Matthew Boulton (at left on the note) and the engineer James Watt, who pioneered the commercial use of efficient steam engines in manufacturing industry. It will be the first time that two portraits will appear together on the reverse of one its banknotes.

There are 210 million £50 notes currently in circulation to a total value of £10.5bn and the Bank has said that the note will have a range of enhanced security features. As ATM users will all too readily confirm, the most common Bank of England note is the £20, with 1.55 billion notes in circulation worth £31bn. While the BoE prints sufficient fivers, it is our friends in the commercial banks that do not like them.

The new Boulton and Watt note will initially be circulated concurrently with the existing £50 note featuring Sir John Houblon, the first governor of the Bank of England. The Houblon note will eventually be withdrawn at a date to be announced by the Bank in due course. The design was rarely changed since it was first introduced in 1725. In fact, a white £50 note was in use for more than 200 years until 1943.

For previous entries on the £50 note on this blog see May 2009 (Matthew Boulton Exhibition) and March 2011 (When will the new £50 note be issued?)

The 24 Dispositions

2011-09-28T03:23:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the 24 Dispositions in an earlier posting. These were drawn together by an inter-faith group in Birmingham as a basis for religious education. Here they are.

Being Imaginative and Explorative

This disposition requires lateral thinking, the capacity to see things differently, together with the capacity to see the promise and potential of the world about us

Appreciating Beauty

This disposition requires a deep sensitivity for the world about us, an awareness of the nature of human responses, and the capacity to make qualitative distinctions.

Expressing Joy

This disposition requires an awareness of human affective responses and certain expressive capacities, for example, in music, in language, in body language.

Being Thankful

This disposition requires an awareness of relationships of dependence and of not being wholly self-sufficient and in control of our own well-being. It requires a willingness and expressive capacity to acknowledge the relationship of dependence and the good that flows from it.

Caring for Others, Animals and the Environment

This disposition requires an awareness of the needs of others (and other things) together with a feeling that these needs matter, and the will to do something about them.

Sharing and Being Generous

This disposition arises out of an awareness that others may be dependent on us, the sense of wholeness that may come from our relationships with others, and the will to please others.

Being Regardful of Suffering

This disposition arises out of the affective capacity for pity, as well as out of an attention to the situation and condition of the other and the will to help or to maintain one’s solidarity with the other.

Being Merciful and Forgiving

This disposition presupposes the recognition that the unity and solidarity that exists between all people and all things is readily broken through aesthetic and moral offence. It also presupposes an acknowledgement of offence, the desire for unity and the will to bring it about despite the cost it may entail.

Being Fair and Just

This disposition depends on a recognition of the claims of equity and consistent reasoning, together with the will to restore and to maintain the state of equity.

Living by Rules

This disposition presupposes that the world behaves in law-like ways and that the society on which we depend requires rules for its very functioning. Whilst it is acknowledged that the rules of nature are given (heteronomous), it is supposed that: A] The rules of society are collectively agreed and therefore binding, and B] The rules of personal behaviour are self-imposed (autonomous). A law-abiding disposition depends on the will to live the ordered life.

Being Accountable and Living with Integrity

This disposition is the capacity and willingness to be answerable for one’s actions, formally and informally, to others and to oneself. Integrity presupposes that one would always act in such a responsible way even if one could or would not be held publicly to account.

Being Temperate, Exercising Self-Discipline and Cultivating Serene Contentment

This disposition requires a good deal of self-knowledge and a mastery of the affections to ensure these affections are proportionate and subject to reason.

Being Modest and Listening to Others

This disposition presupposes self-knowledge and an understanding of others together with a capacity to evaluate what each one can contribute to cultural life. As such, it avoids

false modesty on the one hand, and boastfulness on the other.

Cultivating Inclusion, Identity and Belonging

This disposition recognises that human beings are never isolated selves but exist and can thrive only in relation to others. This relationship ranges from the intimate relation of two people to the relationships that constitute families, groups, communities, nations and world. Deliberate exclusion prevents others from developing relationships through which they can thrive.

Creating Unity and Harmony

This disposition recognises that different people/creatures have different interests, needs and capacities, and as such they can also frustrate one another and cause aesthetic, moral and religious offence. The disposition also requires the desire and skill to restore relationships.

Participating and Willingness to Lead

This disposition presupposes a self-knowledge and an appreciation of what one can contribute to collective life, together with a willingness to be proactive.

Remembering Roots

This disposition recognises how the past can shape the present and the future through its promise and obligations. It notes what the possibilities of human life are and hence what defines human life.

Being Loyal and Steadfast

This disposition presupposes an understanding of the needs of others and a willingness to offer them support in the face of opposition and destructive powers.

Being Hopeful and Visionary

This disposition might reasonably be linked to being imaginative and explorative. The attitudes of expectation and anticipation are fundamental to some forms of religious life and contrasts sharply with the mood of despair. The disposition of being hopeful should be distinguished from being fatalistic in which everything is determined and from a reliance on ‘luck’ in which people depend on chance.

Being Courageous and Confident

This disposition should be contrasted with foolhardiness on the one hand and with cowardice on the other. It requires a good understanding of situations, coupled with selflessness and a commitment to the well being of others.

Being Curious and Valuing Knowledge

This disposition arises out of a fundamental human interest in which knowledge is valued for its own sake. Affectively, it involves a love for others and other things, just as they are, and in all their complexity. This should be linked to a determined will to discover this strange complexity.

Being Open, Honest and Truthful

This disposition presupposes an understanding of others as ends in themselves and therefore not to be manipulated or used without their agreement. An affection for the truth and for the well-being of others underwrites the integrity of any communication and the clarity of its meaning.

Being Reflective and Self-Critical

This disposition presupposes an awareness of the confusions of motives and the comforts of fictions. It requires a will to eschew such comforts as false consolations and a determination to be clear about what is the case and to evaluate rightly.

Being Silent and Attentive to, and Cultivating a Sense for, the Sacred and Transcendence

This disposition understands that through language and concepts, human beings impose their own structures on the realities that confront them. This imposition secularises the realities and renders them amenable to human domination. Attentive silence is enabling the realities to ‘speak’ for themselves.

Getting There

2011-09-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

Being the final part of an eight part series on the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

This is no small task indeed given the state that we're in. For a full realisation of a virtuous economy a timescale of a generation or more may be required. Just as it took several generations to throw away the values of centuries and the manufacturing industry that we had built up over more than a century and a half it may take a comparably long time to restore them.

What we are now left with is an economic system and philosophy which is the worst version of itself, but it is one that it is not incapable of redemption - in the longer term - given the will to do so and a policy that is sufficiently firm, direct, consistent and well advised. Closely connected to this is the widely noted moral decline on which we have commented. So what should the government do in response to the mess that has been allowed insidiously to develop?

The government must operate a comprehensive economic policy that commands the support of manufacturing, engineering, the industrial sector more generally, agriculture, mining, fishing and genuinely productive areas related to these. There will also need to be sustained and unthreatened investment in scientific research, engineering and medical technology and research. Once established, the fulfilment of this policy should be an unambiguous resourcing priority.

It must be unafraid to establish virtuous exemplar institutions wherever needed. There must be exemplary conduct by national leaders, both political and business and the government should set up appropriate bodies to bring this re-education about. In these days of conscience dimmed, there should be increased recognition of the role of the Churches and religious organisations through expanded informal outreach.

Secular and voluntary organisations with the common good at heart need encouragement rather than cutbacks. Home and family life should be more clearly valued by society. Political systems should be less tribalistic so allowing more consensus building. Citizenship programmes should be expanded and recast in terms of virtuous conduct and the common good. All this and more, to be sustained for many years.

The macro foundation of economic policy should be a genuinely Keynesian approach - not one in name only. This means major projects established and where necessary delivered by government. I take the view that it should also involve the setting up of public sector exemplar institutions such as municipal banks as previously discussed. In the reduction of the fiscal deficit, timescales should be revised and more emphasis should be placed on taxation and less on cutting expenditure leaving room for investment. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly there is the obvious fact that reducing public expenditure on projects and services directly reduces employment, income tax and VAT receipts and increases expenditure on other heads of account such as unemployment benefit. There is still an overall net reduction of course - providing a low enough weight is attached to the depressing effects of lowered expectations of employment and income in the wider population and consequent reductions in expenditure and VAT receipts on this account. In Keynesian terms there will also be a reverse multiplier effect - the knock on consequences of people having less to spend.

It is well recognised that the greater part of the burden of present policies is born by those who are less well off. This is entirely wrong both morally and in economic terms. It need not be so. Those who can afford to pay more in tax should do so - indeed some notable figures both here and abroad have declared their willingness to contribute more. This in contrast to the picture that has been painted of a mass exodus and a decline in entrepreneurial activity. Let us test this blatant cry of 'wolf!'. Let us see if we can scrape along with a few less executives on bloated salaries, bonuses and padded out remuneration packages.

At the same time let us encourage public spirited attitudes and the beginnings of a return to loyalty. There is in fact little or no historic correlation between entrepreneurial activity and taxation of income at higher levels. Initial attitudes depend to some extent on the direction of travel. For example, there was much joy at the introduction of a 60% top income tax rate when this was reduced from 83% by the conservative government of Mrs Thatcher. Most of those paying the highest rate are internal promotions in large companies and not entrepreneurs, whose motivation is not driven solely by money.

The government should lead the way to a revised international approach to the basis of trade. Globalisation is not free trade - far from it. There should be an inter-governmental push to rein in globalised corporations and their owners and there should be less willingness to accept excuses from them or from countries with unfair and unsavoury economic and social practices.

Fiscal and monetary policy should aim for sustainably expanding and balanced demand and related wider policies and practices should, as we have mentioned, involve capital projects and ensuring that, pressing the boundaries as far as possible, the demand is met from domestic sources and that in capital projects employment and on the job training of younger people is to the fore. An example of a large capital project would be the construction of a Severn barrage that would contribute 7% or more of total electricity demand. This should have been done long ago of course, in place of earlier tax cuts.

The Keynesian concept of the balanced budget multiplier should also not be overlooked. If the taxation of more affluent people is increased and there is a corresponding reduction in taxes and deductions from the pay of less well off people then demand increases (because of a higher marginal propensity to consume at lower income levels) giving a stimulus with no initial budgetary consequences and indeed a positive benefit in revenues as the positive knock-on consequences work through.

Furthermore, as we have seen Quantitative Easing is of limited value in getting funds to productive sectors of the economy. It is not so effective as infrastructure projects in which governments have become frightened directly to engage. High speed rail (and its rather pumped up benefits) is a partial exception but one can think of much more productive ways to spend this colossal sum either within the transport sector or beyond it.

The age of one club golf are well and truly over. In any case, the direct effects on manufacturing investment of low interest rates have in the past been damped and lagged at best. Eventually however lower rates should result in lower required yields and increased long-term investment if the conditions of lending are appropriate. But as smaller firms know to their cost this is not always the case.

To this can be added appropriate levels and forms of taxation and public spending - I say appropriate rather than low (neither term being uniquely defined) although levels are a matter for debate. For example in the case of deductions from income, the irrational structure of national insurance contributions could be replaced with a flat rate covering all income levels. This would mean a top rate of deductions of maybe 56% - below the euphorically greeted 60% of previous mention and resulting in a mild balanced budget multiplier effect. The tax structure also affects payout pressure and should reward longer-term outlooks.

A pro-active environmental policy far from hobbling industry should be constructed to provide stimulation. Environmental standards achieved in advance of other countries but, crucially, which are likely to be followed, should give domestic suppliers a competitive edge.

Government should help to make winners and widen support where we still have a current edge. I hesitate to say 'comparative advantage', a dubious concept that has provided a rationalization for retreat from manufacturing. The view that the winners we're left with should determine our future is inherently passive and dangerously vulnerable.

Traditionally one thinks of the concept of comparative advantage in terms of tangibles such as natural resources, but it is now linked to less tangible or persistent things such as exchange rates, regulatory regimes, skills, language, time zones and for manufacturing, commitment to long term investment.

Trade in manufactures is far from free, a fact from which our rivals gain more than ourselves. There is a distinction to be made between globalisation and its attendant ills and the dream, for some, of free trade. Government also means local government. For example, Birmingham does business in the billions and has extensive local knowledge and should be resourced for pro-action complementary to existing initiatives.

It should be said though that the advent of relative (and for some people absolute) austerity may have an upside. This is because the unwelcome change gives people the opportunity to reflect on the 'disvalue' of consumerism and the chance to adopt simpler and more worthwhile ways of living.

But beginnings can be particularly productive when the curve rises quickly and some of the most fruitful gains can be achieved first. But it is also as well to be aware of what will not work. For example reliance on services and in terms of production the strategy of trying to shift the economy ever more towards 'higher value added' activities - as if these were somehow protected areas and inaccessible to the countries that have acquired so much of the rest of our industry.

This may appear briefly to work, but unless action is taken we should be sure that these activities will eventually go the same way as their 'lower value added' predecessors. To imagine otherwise is at best wishful thinking or at worst smacks of a type of an unsavoury and ignorant superiority.

Furthermore, the proponents of this approach of keeping ahead of those who have taken so much of our industry by moving up a line seem to assume that there is an ever rising and straight line. In contrast, I take the view that what is involved here is a rising curve but of declining slope - and also which is likely to be finite in length. If this is the case, the future consequences of this attempted 'moving up the curve' approach - which is in all essentials a retreat - is all too clear.

I have stated in an earlier section that steps need to be taken nationally and internationally to retrieve the industry already lost. The country's manufacturing and engineering sectors must be rebuilt - they, along with agriculture and mining represent the economy's productive base. In the discussion about the future of the Euro, it is notable that the countries which are struggling most are those, as was recently said of Greece in particular, that don't produce anything.

In macroeconomic policy the simple truths must be realised that in the absence of demand, there will not be production and that in the absence of production there will not be job creation. In this it should also be understood that the true meaning of the oft used word 'economise' is not to make minimum use of a scarce resource but to make the best use of it.

The advancement of the common good requires the provision of good public services and simple and trustworthy services now associated exclusively with the private sector - such as banking. There are many who take the view that there is a role - indeed an enhanced one rather than the continuously diminishing one we have seen in recent decades - for these services to be provided by the public sector - or at least by organisations that operate with public service values.

All this stands in stark contrast to the ethos prevailing in certain sectors such as the banks, specific companies and, regrettably, in a good deal of the private sector. Economic actions on a robustly Keynesian and direct basis will help enormously in the medium term. Psychological and moral changes will take longer but they are equally important if we are not to encounter the same near catastrophic circumstances once again.

Is all of this impossible? Certainly not. It is just very different from what we have been doing these decades past. It is difficult and in some respects not unlike the situation with climate change where we are surrounded by scientific evidence with a sprinkling of influential, self interested deniers.

The measures involved will take a long time to have effect but they are non the less urgent and the consequences of not taking action are no less severe. We are faced with choices we do not want but if, in the longer term, we want out of austerity, anxiety and lost esteem then this is the path we must take. We must not return to the state that we're now in.

The Virtuous Economy and The Good Society

2011-09-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Being the seventh of an eight part series on the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

The Good Society is one with a vision that is shared by all citizens and in which all are participants and is one that is founded on longstanding social and moral values that are endorsed both individually and collectively.

It is a society that operates through a virtuous economy, enhancing the common wealth and the common good for all of its citizens, present and future. And in their turn, each generation, individually and severally considers anew - and acts upon - the question: “What is required of us to contribute to the common good and to sustain the good society?”

At a more local level, the good city within a virtuous economy can be described in the following way: it is a city which has restored values - the values and principles upon which its success was built - that enable it to enhance the common wealth and the common good and to seek the harmonious common and sustainable life - and where there is a citizenry of good intent.

The good society is a cohesive society in which all see themselves as participants and having a spirit of mutual respect and openness. People work together for understanding, respect, justice and peace, for a clean environment and sustainable communities.

The good society is one which succeeds in valuing all people, both their innermost aspects and their relationships one with another. The good society is one in which it is realised that: 'No man is an island', it being understood that people are mutually interdependent - all are responsible for all.

The good society is one where each individual can, if so disposed, make a difference (a positive contribution to the common good) through their own abilities and personality and is encouraged - and enabled - so to do.

It sees that everyone, can make a difference every day by the way that they live, recognising personal responsibility and the ability to affect beneficial change through their relationships both professional and personal, through their conduct as consumers, through lifestyle changes, through being active and engaged in their communities and in society as a whole.

Within an accepted context, a spirit of good citizenship sufficiently imbued and accepted on the foundation of common values, will bring forward the offers of time, energy and resources that will make these differences possible.

Beyond the individual, clear roles exist for the family - nuclear and extended - mainstream religious organisations and educational institutions in sustaining this process.

People may think that what they can do as individuals is but a drop in the ocean of need. But in terms of this often used and uninspiring metaphor, it should be remembered that without the drops there would be no ocean.

Therefore in putting service before self, it is also recognised that small service is true service and that what matters most in solving the problems faced today is what individual people do in their communities and in their daily lives.

An action is said to be virtuous if it has characteristics that will unambiguously enhance the common good. There are many virtuous characteristics, but in this context they will certainly include the following:

Living with integrity and being honest and truthful in both private and public conduct.

Seeking harmony and consensus, striving to unite rather than to prevail over or to partition.

Being loyal and respecting loyalty in everyday life, business and government.

Showing respect for all individuals in society and recognising their worth and their unique personal and moral qualities and potential.

Acting, where possible, to give meaning and purposefulness to the lives of individual people and enhancing the possibilities for fulfilment.

The good society should be concerned, wherever possible, with the conservation - or indeed where possible with the generation of - natural resources rather than the current, failing, exhaustive focus on their exploitation and depletion regardless of the impact on and the requirements of future generations and the human and environmental costs.

In this it is vitally important to recognise that the earth is not a possession that belongs to us. Rather, we belong to the earth.

For their part, the great religions should interpret religious tradition to create an ‘autonomous space’ for the common values of our society. Secularists (here meaning the benign, civilised and more traditional variant of secularism) for their part should appreciate that religious sensibilities could give much needed moral depth to enterprise and direct it away from perilous private adventures and towards the common good.

Good governance is a necessary virtue, aiding and abetting the achievement of common goals and involving itself actively in this process. It would aid the replenishment of social capital, but this also requires the relearning of personal responsibility and the principle of service before self.

The more difficult times get, the more we hear talk about leadership (usually by those privileged or otherwise self-interested individuals who see in themselves the requisite qualities) and its claimed merits. This notwithstanding the fact that 'leadership' of similar ilk in both business and political spheres presided over the road to the present austerity.

But now more than ever new foundations for the concept of leadership are needed. This in order to bring about a type of leadership that realises that it assumes its authority from other people and which changes, or preserves things on their behalf rather than for their own aggrandisement or the private enrichment of themselves or their advisers and acolytes.

It is a leadership that seeks to work with, rather than act upon, citizens. It realises that its power is temporary and that it is a trust that is not to be used purely for sectional, let alone personal interests. And it is a leadership that has as its driving energy the vision shared by society as a whole.

But given the regrettable experience that we and other countries have had in recent decades in both business and government, it is clear that stewardship is a far more urgently needed and important quality than what has been presented as leadership. The two are not mutually exclusive of course, but seem rarely to be combined these days.

Stewardship is something in which we can all engage every day, for example by taking care of our local environment, looking out for and not seeking to exploit each other, safeguarding what is left of our industry and commercial assets and preserving the values on which have served our society so well.

A citizenry of good intent, the virtuous economy, the concept of stewardship, commonly held moral values and, with due consent, the many areas of leadership, are the foundations of the good society and the basis on which its aims are realised.

The Virtuous Economy and The Common Good

2011-09-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Being the sixth of an eight part series of postings on the subjects of the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

The Common Good is viewed as the wellbeing of all citizens. This will include social, psychological and moral components as well as material goods and services. In its purely material aspects it will refer to what ought to belong to everyone by virtue of their common humanity. Any form of economic organisation may in some of its aspects inadvertently promote the common good. The virtuous economy has this as its primary objective.

But the realm of the common good goes well beyond materialism and questions of ownership as narrowly defined. For example, it will include non-possessive attachments such as that which was felt by the community for a long respected company such as Cadbury's or even long respected products.

The common good therefore has as important elements both local and national pride and collective endeavours to which groups or society as a whole subscribe. It therefore relates to both individual and social fulfilment.

The common good includes together people and the environment, and the present and future generations. It takes account of their temporal and spiritual needs, the legacy that one will leave for the other and the well-being of the body, spirit and planet.

In terms of policies or behaviour, an action unambiguously enhances the common good when at least one of these elements, as decided by judgement rather than targets, improves with none being diminished.

Clearly, as with traditional measures of social welfare, the common good is unambiguously degraded when one person is diminished with none being improved. But also, for example, partisan monetary gains made at the expense of other citizens will usually degrade the common good - the outcome will depend upon whether the redistribution is from poor people to rich or vice-versa.

Society should be founded upon the common good – the common wealth as it were - enhancing the well-being of everyone, with none excluded and where well-being is defined in a broad way to include all aspects of quality of life.

Our political system should be at the service of the common good - in this respect it most certainly should be 'fit for purpose'. So also, ultimately, should businesses, not-for-profit organisations and other major social institutions such as schools, colleges and universities and the faith communities.

All of these are valuable and honourable institutions, professions or vocations if operated in this way - pursuing their endeavours, their social engagement and their quest for knowledge and understanding and making their decisions in 'the reasonableness of the common good'.

Any attempt to enforce decent behaviour on financial institutions, globalised corporations or some other companies through compliance with external rules is doomed to failure and procrastination. It is impossible to supervise or regulate all activity and an effective approach must include the cultivation of moral character throughout economic activity, there must be a renewal of both social and individual conscience and the formation of character that willingly adopts internal rules.

A profound cultural renewal is essential to achieve this in a society and a world that needs to rediscover basic, acceptable values on which to build a better future. Such a renewal will not be easy since a great deal of damage has been done to the moral fabric of both the economy and society as a whole.

However, this can be done, and a start should be made. People are increasingly alienated by a ruthlessly selfish society, they want to belong to a world in which people have a decent regard for one another and so are valued themselves.

Instinctive habits of behaviour need to be developed that reflect genuine respect for individuals and society. A desire to do good - in other words behaving virtuously - should become second nature. This is the basis of the virtuous economy and the enhancement of the common good.

Virtuous Exemplar Institutions

2011-09-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Being the fifth of an eight part series of postings on the subjects of the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

The state that western capitalism has been allowed to drift into is such that much talked about and often postponed regulatory and structural reforms cannot address all of the deep seated issues. This is because the spots on the financial and other leopards run so deep and because of the extent of their influence one way and another. Dates are put back, ways will be found round and, after a time, pressures reapplied for relaxation of conditions on the need to remain 'competitive' and the promise that 'competition' would provide what customers really want.

This latter is, of course, not so outside of the entirely theoretical context of 'perfect' competition. The 'competition' within the all too common loosely cartelised situations such as banking provides what the financial institutions and not their customers - particularly the smaller ones - want.

Outside of the narrow financial context there are the deep seated issues of the abandonment of manufacture and a widespread unwillingness to see the long term interests of the nation and local communities at the very least alongside 'shareholder value' and executive bonuses.

As a result other ways need to be sought to provide ordinary people with the simple and trustworthy services, particularly related to saving, that they so earnestly desire and which need to be provided in their interest and that of the common good. One way of achieving this would be the establishment of what I term Exemplar Institutions set up by the public sector (or conceivably by the third sector) that provide just such services.

A start could be made in terms of banking services with the re-establishment of municipal banks. 'Security with Interest' was the worthy motto of the late lamented Birmingham Municipal Bank from its foundation around 1916 right up to its closure on 31st March 1976. I have been campaigning for the re-establishment of a Municipal Bank based in Birmingham for several years. Never was it needed more than now - and indeed the City Council accepted (with support from all parties) my resolution that consideration be given to setting this up. Alas to date there has been insufficient resolve to follow through on the resolution.

There is a desperate need for a real alternative operating on near-forgotten principles of service with fairness and responsibility. Many people recall the Municipal Bank (and still cherish their ageing passbooks) and the security that it offered with the council guaranteeing deposits. The idea would be to offer complete security to small savers and fair and consistent interest rates for saving, to encouraging thrift - even explaining what this is to some younger people today. There would be no sales pressure and harassment to move to 'better', and for the banks more profitable, financial 'products'.

As well as “Security with Interest” (note the order) there are mottoes inside the former headquarters building on Broad Street reflecting virtues worth re-adopting today such as: "Saving is the Mother of Riches" and "Thrift radiates Happiness". In other words real prosperity comes through saving in a trustworthy institution and you don’t have to be miserable while you’re doing it! The mottoes are couched in language that is heavily Victorian/Edwardian but the underlying message would be real news today.

The Council no longer owns that building but there are plenty of alternatives, especially as the Council plans to reduce the number of buildings it occupies. Furthermore, a Birmingham Municipal Bank could keep both money and jobs in the city and be the means through which the oft-suggested ‘Brummie Bonds’ could be issued to allow ordinary folk to support civic projects (the Town Hall restoration would have been a good example) while offering a secure return. There will be some way to travel however since Government legislation has made the establishment of civic banks difficult and restricts the services they offer.

But a start could be made with a savings bank (as was done in 1916) with the scope broadening later if lobbying of the Government to restore former powers proved successful. This would be complementary to existing Credit Unions, which perform valuable if small-scale services. And while it is true that the commercial banks could attempt to stifle such an initiative (as they tried to do in 1916) such resistance could be overcome.

Birmingham could lead the way again - just as it did back in 1916 and indeed in the earliest days of commercial banking. We are often told that the City should distinguish itself. What better way than by knocking aside the obstacles and putting people first with the renaissance of our own Birmingham Municipal Bank?

This is all very much to be desired in the interests of ordinary people, and of course it would apply to other cities and surrounding areas throughout the country. Since they got their snouts severely bitten by something nasty in the sub-prime trough, the commercial banks have been finding ways to pass on the punishment for their greedy and imprudent conduct to ordinary people. So many of the nefarious things that they do are ‘industry wide’ moves. In effect the banks act as an informal cartel.

There is, admittedly, cut throat competition - to see who can get the most money from people like you and me. This avaricious and profit-bloated ‘industry’ competes only to the extent of how longstanding customers can be denied fair rates of interest on their savings, can be hit with imaginative and often outrageous charges and are provided with low quality services including opening hours that suit the bankers, lunchtime queues in deliberately understaffed branches, the absence of receipts when making deposits, high and unwarranted charges for currency exchange, compulsory use of call centres and much else besides.

Municipal Banks would keep both money and jobs local and be the means through which local bonds could be issued to allow ordinary folk to support civic projects (the restoration of Birmingham Town Hall would have been a good example - that was how its building was financed) while offering a secure return.

There are flies in this healing ointment. Government legislation in 2000 made the establishment of civic banks more difficult (Municipal Banks still exist in name in a few other local authorities but they offer only very limited services to their own staff). Governments have had an almost exclusive focus on access to credit and such like ‘financial services’. What we are considering here is saving and fair, and comprehensible rates of interest rather than shifty packages (where loyalty is penalised with craftily cut rates and spurious ‘tracking’).

In terms of services that put ordinary people first, my view is that direct intervention of this kind is essential and that there is no better way to start to do this than with Municipal Banks. It is sometimes asserted that such a move should be opposed because competition from a publicly owned bank would be unfair to the rest. But an effect on the rest is precisely what is needed and long overdue. The rest have not been afraid to be unfair to the public.

Creeping cartelisation is also a feature of other so-called competitive industries - witness the power companies and their outrageous leapfrogging price hikes. Regulators range from inadequate to useless, and toothless consumer groups are simply ignored. Unmitigated ‘competition’, meaning little more than a profit-grabbing free-for-all, is past its sell by date.

Going beyond banks, if such sectors had a publicly owned firm acting as an exemplar, treating people in a fair, respectful, honest and straightforward fashion this would introduce competition that is socially worthwhile. It would offer security and fairness to ordinary people, presently abused by commercial predators pedalling complex and confusing ‘products’ frequently designed to deceive. Commerce should not be a morality free zone, nor need it be if there was confident, principled intervention.

In a compelling novel, The Historian, a surprising number of librarians turn out to be vampires. Few would turn to this mild profession to find bloodsuckers, there being a richly populated necropolis of bankers, power companies, fuel firms and telecomm providers. BT clearly has the contagion with its hikes in charges for those, typically thrifty and older people, who do not wish to be drawn into direct debit.

The corporate ethics and social responsibilities of yesteryear are but a fading memory and national government similarly usurps its citizens - security of vital data about individuals being discarded for petty cost cutting. So where are we to find the vampire slayers? Enter the unlikely (potential) heroes in the form of local Government.

We need not resort to garlic or even Christian icons and, in taking the brakes off devolution, we could avoid a stake through our global city’s innocent local heart. We must ensure that our services put the ordinary people first, bemused and exploited as they are, and we should restore former services such as a Municipal Bank that would offer a simple and trustworthy alternative to the financial creatures of the night.

Oh for the days when the City of Birmingham also had its own water, gas and bus companies and a highly visible and locally accountable police force. Surely a line-up that would ward off the bloodsuckers and remove the 'need' for savage cuts in local government.

The spread of moral contagion in the financial sector went beyond the banks of long standing as evidenced by the sorry saga of former building societies that ill advisedly threw away their trusted mutual status. If only it would also bring to an end the intemperate behaviour and worthless values that riddle the financial sector today.

We hear much too much about ‘creation of value’, usually for institutional owners and bonus besotted managers and operatives. We don’t hear half enough about the destruction of values that is the core reason for the whole financial and economic crisis. This latest tale of woe is symptomatic of finance as a value-free zone. We now see the breathtaking extent of the pushing of deceptively cheap mortgages in the United States to those who manifestly could not afford them.

But similar things had been going on here. For example ‘self certification’ - where often desperate people seeking a home were offered the tempting chance to lie about their incomes - was almost equally devilish.

In the United States the resulting financial ‘assets’ were mixed up with others in what were deliberately complex and obscure packages which were hawked to lazy, greedy and incompetent bankers abroad.

And how could we as a nation have produced leaders who have over decades allowed - and indeed encouraged - the loss of ownership and the evisceration of the real economy that make us so dependent on such dubious ‘services’?

In 1986 the government allowed building societies to cast caution to the winds, throw away their mutual status and cave in to carpetbaggers. Behaviour contradicting the principles of thrift on which ordinary people are brought up was thus rewarded. But a hopeful fact is that a majority of ordinary people still hold firmly to these values. Indeed these are the very people on whom the greatest cost of the financial turmoil will fall.

What is needed is more opportunity for them to put the principles into practice. This is one of the reasons for the re-establishment of trusted and trustworthy Municipal Banks and other exemplar institutions. I am convinced that there is a major role for the public sector as well as the voluntary sector in the realm of savings and loans.

It should not be confined to clearing up private sector messes, picking up liabilities and organising fire sales. The Government was right to intervene, if only there was a prospect of continuing public involvement in good times as well as bad.

One reason for this, apart from the value of co-operation as well as competition, is that it will take far longer to infuse values rather than value into the financial sector. And please don’t tell me you can’t change ‘human nature’, whatever you might mean by that. If you take this view, expand the company you keep, get out a bit more and speak to ordinary decent people who would never dream of acting like feckless financiers.

It is the nature of such people that is inspiringly human and whose example should be followed. We also need to ensure that remaining Building Societies stay mutual and return fully to their traditional values and approaches. There are continuing signs of unprincipled contagion from the banking sector - particularly taking advantage of, rather than respecting, the loyalty of their savers when it comes to interest rates.

All of this could be done and extended to other sectors if the commitment was there. An economy is not an abstract entity to be worshipped - it is what we choose to make it. The common good can be enhanced with or without economic growth if we choose to do so. Exemplar institutions could be created and moral re-education begun, but I fear it will take more than a long weekend or two to put together.

Overall Well-being in the Virtuous Economy

2011-09-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

Being the fourth of an eight part series of postings on the subjects of the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

It is a debatable point as to whether broad based measures of wellbeing are or could be useful. Even the Benthamite concept of 'the greatest good of the greatest number' adopted by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson rather begs the question of what constitutes 'good' or indeed 'happiness' in 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...'.

Indeed, shades of meaning have changed considerably over the years, more recently referring to a state of transient euphoria more than a stable contentment in the longer term and a legitimate pride in the real accomplishments of individuals, communities and society as a whole.

Having a job has an enormous impact on people's self regard and well-being. Therefore in any measures employment and wellbeing should be prominent and be policy objectives over and above GDP. Furthermore, as we have seen to our cost, GDP can incorporate unreal and undesirable activities.

Happiness itself however is very hard to quantify adequately - in fact it is probably easier to measure discontent. Happiness is also hard to sustain which is why the deeper seated rather than euphoric aspects should be emphasised.

Happiness can mean a great many things - from the bliss of the moment through the satisfaction of increasing achievements in the prime of life to a value judgement on one's life (and that of one's family) as a whole. In terms of happiness, what are the characteristics that we should value most? Personal satisfaction? The common good? Virtue? Liberty? Life itself? Pride in community and nation?

And equally importantly, society should consider those things that should not be valued? For example, people are not defined by what they own and unvalued items would certainly include those gains that result from unvirtuous qualities such as deceit, violence, exploitation, excessive self-reward and the degradation of the environment.

The more even and measured quality of contentment may give a better guide to overall well-being and the common good, overcoming variations of mood and short term fluctuations of fortune. Contentment, sustainability and the common good must be central to future social and economic assessments and underpin policy formation.

If numerical measures are to be sought beyond the simplest yardstick of life expectancy, while all societal measures are imperfect and can be open to misinterpretation and manipulation, any measure of the level of achievement, ‘satisfaction’ or 'utility' of the population in a virtuous economy should have properties that encourage respect for every member of society.

Therefore measures should certainly not be additive and in fact should take a multiplicative form, the better to reflect the detrimental impact on the common good of individual impoverishment. As an example, consider the simplest model:

V = abc

where V is the overall societal value for wellbeing and a, b and c are the levels of wellbeing for the three particular individuals that make up this modest society.

Thus, for example, if one person is totally neglected (so that one of these components takes a value of zero) the whole then also takes a value of zero.

Furthermore, the formula has the quality that if a particular action concentrates its benefit in one individual, then the gain for society will be less than if that same benefit were more evenly distributed amongst the population.

Consider an example, starting from a position in which the levels for the three individuals are a = 3, b = 3 and c = 3, we would then have an overall measure of 27 since:

V = 3X3X3 = 27

From this starting point, if the result of policy action (or inaction) produced three units of gain which were exclusively concentrated in one person only - say person 'a' - the society would then have reached the overall position of:

V = 6X3X3 = 54

In contrast to this, if the economy was organised so that the three extra units were distributed equally between all three citizens the position of society as a whole would then be:

V = 4X4X4 = 64

and a greater level of overall benefit for society will be indicated and policy measures to bring the about the more even spread would be prompted.

Of course, these are just very simple illustrations of one of the underlying principles only. But one further telling point at least is well worth re-iterating.

This is that if any one individual in the society has a well-being score of zero, that will necessarily result in a value of zero overall for the measure regardless of the levels achieved by other more fortunate members and will indicate necessary policy action and a direction in which to move.

The zero state, and positions near to it, are situations that should of course be eschewed and its avoidance is an absolutely essential factor in the proper workings of a virtuous economy and in any consideration of the common good. The construction of future measures of socio-economic performance should bear these considerations firmly in mind.

Investing for the Future

2011-09-12T03:27:00.000-07:00

Being the third of an eight part series of postings on the subjects of the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

In the various reviews of spending reductions we have seen the greatest emphasis placed on government revenue and capital cuts, a much lower emphasis on taxation and a still lower emphasis - to the extent that it was significant at all - on direct stimuli to production and the 'rebalancing' of the economy.

This latter we must surely do. As a nation we must become more future oriented at individual, business and government levels in order to regain our former strength in engineering and manufacture, retain or regain our dwindling influence in world affairs, promote the common good and rebuild national morale.

This need to think long (a need which exists at personal as well as business and governmental levels) requires a proactive approach at national level and the bringing about of benign change - technological, organisational and, most importantly, cultural and moral - in the interest of the common good.

Change, elevated by some to the status of a cardinal virtue, is preached by politicians of every ilk - alas - but not with much success in reforming the City nor applied much to themselves or towards economic rebalancing. Change is an unequal and uneven process for people, firms and industries and some, not far from the square mile, will endeavour to remain untouched and forever in the denial stage.

The relative perform¬ance of manufac¬turing in this country raises questions about goals, ownership, decision making and questions of government policy - or the lack of it - towards industry, economic management and the balance of trade. The balance of payments depends on all internationally tradable goods and services, but while most services are not bought and sold abroad, the majority of manufactures are available for export and, no less important, import substitution.

Twenty-five years ago the country's balance of trade in manufactures went into deficit for the first time since the Industrial Revolution. And just a decade earlier than that, manufactured exports had exceeded imports by over half.

Sixty years ago Britain had a quarter of world trade in manufactures. We are not alone in this, but our decline has been more marked than most. This need not have been so. But we do have remaining strengths on which to build in both large firms and smaller enterprises.

Financial centralisation ran parallel to these adverse changes, with power piling up in London for decisions on which firms should be financed - the wrong sort of 'Capital-ism' as it were.

The City's craving to pile up money any old how has created a financial rather than a constructive industrial culture with immense social and political implications and as a consequence there developed a relentless press for ever more profit, boardroom excess and bigger bonuses.

Perhaps that is why we have a Financial Times rather than an Industrial Times. But year on year, surpluses on services and overseas income will fail to close the gap since the growth required is too great.

More than this, it's a matter of national self respect. Manufacturing rather than military might (now also cut back of course) is the acid test of whether you can cut it as a country. In all of this, wise investment directed at economic rebalancing towards a manufacturing revival is essential to construct capital rather than merely to bolster balance sheets. It is vitally important to ensure that investment decisions take a longer view and are made in the interests of the common good.

But first it is worth considering the question of the charging of interest and the implications of high rates. This is a question that is relevant at all levels in the economy from the individual citizen upwards. Of course, there are moral issues here aplenty and the taking of interest has long been a contentious subject. But Maimonides, writing in 1200 saw a connection between interest bearing loans and economic growth.

In the Industrial Revolution, interest was seen simply as one of many prices, as was the view in Roman times, although Roman law held that debt was personal and consequently did not allow it to be transferred. But there have been less detached attitudes. The Medieval Christian Church saw banking as usurious regardless of the rate of interest applied, and the Old Testament (Deuteronomy, 23: 19 & 20) allowed interest charges to be made only to foreigners! And Islamic opinion includes the view that overt charges made for the use of money can be sinful in some circumstances and Islamic banking principles eschew the charging of interest - and indeed excessive risk taking, a point well worth noting today.

In Victorian times thrift, saving and so the receiving of interest were hailed as virtues. But over a century later, there have been periods when the individual consumer has risked ridicule if they don't have to pay interest - supporting the view that interest rate reductions stimulate demand.

Since the 1970s governments have attached great weight to interest rates as an economic regulator, in some cases as the overt regulator, although since the latest financial crisis it is now recognised that a broader range of tools is needed though there is precious little discussion of worthwhile major capital investment projects.

Demonised by some and idolised by others, interest is simply important for economies, companies and individ¬uals. But it is not just the rate of interest that is important. It is the method of its calculation - the compounding of interest - that can add remorselessly to national, corporate or personal debt when prudence is lacking or circumstance overwhelming.

In his book The Sleeper Awakes H G Wells showed the dramatic effect of compound interest applied over very long periods. In the story, an investor wakes from a sleep of two centuries to find that the value of his assets, with compounding and no withdrawals, has made him the owner of the world! This Wellsian futurology is yet to be realized, but it speaks volumes for the presumed stability of Victorian financial institutions!

In the compounding process, interest attracts in¬terest. Think, for simplicity, of an account that pays 10% in which you deposit ,l00. After one year you will have ,110, all of which earns interest in year two since you and a new depositor investing ,110 should be treated equally. So the total at two years is ,121, and after three years with no withdrawals your account will stand at ,133.1. These multiples of the ,100 principal: 1.1, 1.21 and 1.331 are future value factors.

With borrowing at a rate of 15% compound, in the absence of repayments, the debt will double over five years, quadruple over ten years and increase sixteen fold over twenty, so breaks in interest payments should be viewed with extreme caution. The ¬effects of interest rate changes over long periods can be enormous too - a doubling of the interest rate from 15% to 30% increases liability nearly twelve times.

Putting off the evil day can cause enormous increases in the sum due. At 30% ,1 becomes over ,190 after 20 years and an astonishing ,2,620 after 30 years. The lesson here is that debt rescheduling must be carefully constructed to tame the tiger of exponential growth.

The positive side of all this shows the value of early pension fund contributions (now in jeopardy as people postpone austerity to old age) and the value of a policy of reducing interest charges for struggling firms. While 30% may seem high¬, such returns are often looked for by venture capital firms.

The very nature of investment of course means outlay before income. But to add costs and returns separated in time and ignoring interest doesn't compare like with like. So for each cost or return an equivalent present value is obtained by dividing by the future value factor and then summing up.

This principle has a first recorded reference in a book published in 1582. Before that, there were manuscript compound interest tables in the fourteenth century, and an understanding of the principles of compounding can be inferred from Babylonian tablets.

The higher the rate of interest or the greater the number of years, the less weight is given to a future cost or return. At 15% a five year return has a present value less than half that of an immediate return. A firm discounting at 30% gives only one eighth of the ¬weight to tenth year returns compared to one discounting at 5%, so discounting at high rates biases against projects where the high returns come later.

Excessive discount rates are a potent force for short-termism (broadly defined as a culture of high dividends and low investment). In contrast, patient money reaps long term reward in both strategic and political terms.

Over-discounting can be critical for future generations - as for example in the future decommissioning costs of nuclear power stations or the failure to maintain other capital assets. At 15% a cost 30 years ahead is given only a quarter the weight of the same cost at 10% discounting. And at 30%, the weight of a 30 year cost is zero to three decimal places.

In personal finance charges of 20% or greater annual rates are common even when bank rate is at its lowest possible level - and far more is charged quite legally. A survey by Birmingham City Council showed that annual interest rates of over 100% were commonly charged quite legally. At 100% interest, debt doubles yearly and it is not just 'loan sharks' who are a menace to society, it is legal lenders too.

In fact the Birmingham survey found loans with equivalent annual interest rates of over 1,000% - with debt increasing tenfold in a year. There was one case of loans being charged at 4,822% - at which rate the liability from borrowing ,1 now, would in the absence of repayment, in eight years exceed the entire gross national product of the United Kingdom! Unpleasant dreams for a Wellsian sleeping borrower!

The main influence on decisions to invest in manufacturing is profitability rather than interest rate levels, but higher profits don't always feed through quickly to investment. Profitability also depends on the demand for the firm's product. So an environment of deep national cutting, with many other countries adopting, or being pressed to adopt, the same flawed strategy will not produce demand, and hence neither profits nor investment or the associated employment.

Historically in this country we have paid ourselves in dividends a much higher proportion of company profits than have many other countries and there have been long periods where dividends grew many times faster than investment - a totally unsustainable difference.

Lower interest rates should give a companies a lower cost of capital. How much so depends on the nature of funding and how other things have changed, but lower it should be. But interest rate reductions don’t always feed through in full to target yields required by companies or to charges for mortgages. The market fails to value future cash flows properly.

Why is it that high discount rates and short term thinking have been so prevalent in this country? There are two things of particular note. Other countries have short-term pressures, but they may be better able to manage short and long term together, through previous high quality investment.

Borrowed funds are often used for 'financial engineering' rather than manufacturing engineering. Stock market ‘efficiency’ is usually taken to mean ef¬ficiency with information, the view that news should be quickly and fully reflected in share prices.

But the market does not reflect all information equally well. Another problem is with long term expenditure - such as research and development - that raises fundamental value, but if this doesn't show up in share price, the investment may well not be made under a short-termist outlook.

And efficiency doesn't mean that a firm's assets are valued for all possible uses or users, which is one reason for takeovers, although more compelling reasons can be found in the remuneration and psychology of the managers involved.

Takeovers distract firms from productive changes in the way that they work. Mere haggling in a corporate bazaar, sometimes encouraged in the past by appropriate accounting, is no more likely to improve the quality of businesses than horse trading will improve the quality of horses.

On staffing and the persistence of rampant executive remuneration, performance related pay may base staff rewards on short run results rather than long term goals. If targets can't include quality and wider value, then don't set them.

There are also of course political motives in economic management with the effect of required returns being raised to reflect the consequent increased risk. Policy stability is a desirable objective, though the gains must feed through to discount rates.

But it is not just interest rates that matter, it is the burdensome and off-putting conditions of lending - such as the imposition of a requirement to repay on demand, the imposition of demands for personal property as collateral in loans to small companies and the use by banks of a narrow range of financial criteria. Venture capital is by no means always adventure capital. There is little genuine risk capital here, with much "venture" capital going to low risk firms in the South-East.

We have had a much higher proportion of accountants than engineers in company management here than in Germany, though whether this is a cause of short term financial preoccupations or an effect of them is unclear. Balance sheet profits are not the best measure of long-term benefit - for the company, for the country or for the common good.

On the subject of 'leadership' there have been more self-serving theories promoted than sense rooted in the common good. But wildly disparate treatment of people with its attendant high social cost must come to an end. In its place there should be a stress on openness, empowerment and trust.

Employees should be seen as problem-solvers not problem-causers and within a strategic framework, leadership can let employees find solutions. Management must learn to fully use employee intelligence, maximise morale and minimize obligatory routine, and add value, broadly defined, for all involved.

For their part, large firms should review their appraisal methods, required returns, time horizons and intangible benefits. Strategy should refocus away from take-overs towards more productive links and into growing underlying businesses. Lending institutions - private or public - should be made to ensure more reasonable conditions for loans to smaller firms.

A remedial dish to address these deep seated inadequacies has both conventional (if currently unfashionable) ingredients discussed in section eight and some less orthodox psychological elements - including a dash of sauce, a hint of Jung or Freud to taste and, by way of grace, some ethics by implication.

Analysis takes many forms. A little time on the chaise-longue could be well spent to ease the profits grasping and risk taking neuroses in Markets, Banks and the Treasury and avoid anxious reactions that restrict recovery. The psychoanalytic metaphor has some useful mileage as neurosis often springs from unstable relationships. The cure involves confidence, which in turn calls for consistency. Investment consistency should displace dividend consistency.

Confidence involves lasting understandings and a willingness to share proprietary knowledge that can be seen as appropriate self-revelation. Many neurotics exhibit dependency traits, and financial dependency on present markets needs easing. Neurosis also involves anxiety. The threat of takeover and the defensive, short-term decisions it breeds, needs to be reduced. And the lack of self restraint - greed in particular - is an infantile trait found in some neurotics and more than a few boardrooms.

By analysis or otherwise this must cease, and corporate stakeholders should mature to mutual confidence, determination and patience in a culture of commonality that includes the many individuals with little power who are their customers. Qualities such as fairness, trust, commitment and loyalty define a healthy frame of mind for people and for industry itself - bonds of a different ilk as it were.

The country needs a new industrial psychology as well as an effective industrial strategy to curb the prodigal coarseness of the 'loadsamoney' culture that has infected the economy for so long and which has brought us to the state that we are now in.

The gains from such a Quality Capitalism, against the alternative of still meaner, grasping and morally barren variants, go well beyond an improved manufacturing industry. They will enable the rebuilding of national morale, and the personal and mutual self respect and security that contribute to the real feel good factor. In these ways, Wells' sleeper could wake to a confident and united nation that sees a virtuous economy bringing about the full promotion of the common good.

The Virtuous Economy

2011-09-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Being the second of an eight part series of postings on the subjects of the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good.

The economy should be a benignly competitive one where the form that competition takes is in the interests of ordinary citizens and the common good. But more than this - much more - the economy should be an honour system. Trust, respect and regard for the common good are the foundations of a virtuous economy. A foundation of trust is also a highly efficient and non-bureaucratic way to operate.

The operation of a virtuous economy is an essential factor in ensuring the achievement of the common good. It is one in which individuals, private companies, the public sector, charitable and religious institutions and government have developed a shared vision of the good of the nation and its citizens - present and future - and the care of the environment. And acting upon this foundation in their public, business and private lives they seek to operate with the common good firmly in mind.

It is important to note that this need not be to the exclusion of other, compatible interests of which there would be a wide range - including strictly personal benefit. No particular form of economic organisation is implied although wastefulness (as in a consumption driven society), rank inefficiency (as in over centralised economies) and gross imbalance (as with our present economy) are inferior models.

The key to a contented future is a shared vision and a 'citizenry of good intent' in all their doings. This and a perception of how the values of good intent are imbued and sustained. Clearly, given the point we have now reached, it will be no small task to bring this change about - and these changes will need to start from the top. But one very encouraging sign is the evident realisation of ordinary people that true contentment involves the rediscovery of older values.

The virtuous economy will have mechanisms to ensure that the 'external effects' of major corporate decisions (such as factory closures and the impact on supply chains, the off-shoring of business, tax avoidance and the sending abroad of engineering machine tools) are always taken properly into account. But there is no mere effective mechanism that the moral principles of the decision makers involved.

In contrast to current arrangements, the virtuous economy seeks to operate on a basis of greater self-sufficiency where this is possible and reasonable. In this it recognises that the accountants' current 'bottom line' and the common good may not always be in full accord. This is so since the common good will attach positive value to the pride and sustainability of self reliance and the command of resources.

In the country's present situation there has been a struggle between social and moral values and a rampant, advertising driven market where commercial sales and the extraction of more and more profit dominate all other considerations. We have become a debt laden and wasteful society - and it should be no surprise that we are unhappy and dissatisfied as a result.

Indeed, advertisements are designed to create in people a mood of restless dissatisfaction with the material goods that we have already got. Therefore we need a completely different vision of what constitutes ‘the good life’ where values and relationships rather than commodities are at the heart and where, as one example, public places are free of commercial advertisements.

The concept of never-ending geometric economic growth cannot be sustained - as we should have known. We are not above the natural order of things - there are economic ‘seasons’. And it should be clearly understood that 'the ‘market’ is not a part of the natural order - it is an entirely human concept.

The virtuous economy is one where individuals or groups (for example companies, public bodies or charities) act in manners such that satisfactory answers are given to these questions throughout commercial life, the life of individuals and families and the provision of public services:

What is the effect of corporate or governmental actions and policies on individuals as people and not merely as exploitable economic units?

What are the possible effects of economic conduct on the natural environment?

What are the effects of policies and decisions on future generations?

What are the effects, positive and negative, on community and country?

What is the effect on the quality of life and the common good?

The agents within a virtuous economy do not engage in excessive risk taking. The virtuous economy does not support the usurious conduct that has become so rife in technically legal financial dealings as well as in loan shark transactions.

Rather, it emphasises balance, respect and fairness. It takes the longer view and the broader view (of humanity's place in the world) and seeks self-reliance both in terms of individuals, the things we depend upon and fundamentally important sectors such as manufacturing, mining, agriculture and fishing.

In accordance with both fairness and long term efficiency, a virtuous economy will have relatively flat pay structures and an absence of the privileged and outrageous executive payment schemes that continue to be so prevalent today. Equality of opportunity amongst citizens and the benefits arising from this cannot be achieved where there are, as at present, extremely large differences between the resources available to individuals.

Thus for example, all employees of a profit making company should be paid according to the same scheme, including profit sharing, and pensions, differing only in the scale of remuneration. In all of this, the value of co-operatives and not-for-profit enterprises should also be underlined.

The virtuous economy is one which operates in a manner more consistent with the twenty four dispositions rather than the oft referred to 'twenty four / seven' lifestyle of often pointless work and sometimes dissolute leisure.

The virtuous economy is one where the concept of the common good as well as that of the current driver of private gain (since the two will not always be inconsistent) is embedded in economic activity.

The virtuous economy is one where there is an pervasive economic morality and where respect is afforded to individuals not just within organisations but also to those interacting from outside as customers and traders.

A virtuous economy is one where there is not pressure to create unnecessary needs to make people dissatisfied with their present stock of material goods or even with the appearance of their own bodies.

The virtuous economy is one that is not dependent on personal greed as the overwhelming driver in economic behaviour. There is a fundamental distinction to be made between selfishness and self-interest. Genuine self-interest is a much wider concept than economic power and the mere possession of objects and embraces respect for others, self respect and the benefits of living within the realm of the common good.

And the virtuous economy is one where there is also concern for the national interest in the longer term - for example by having industry, agriculture and jobs that are available at all levels and for all ages and where the practice of sending abroad jobs, machinery and equipment is eschewed.

The virtuous economy will also give more weight to achieving a greater degree of agricultural self-sufficiency and the interests of rural communities. For example, it has been estimated that there is a potential extra contribution of some £200 billion that could be made to the national economy if rural communities were sufficiently well connected.

In the virtuous economy it would be measures of public wellbeing and employment levels rather than measures of national output such as GDP (Gross Domestic Product) that are directly targeted by government. There is no doubt that such measures or indicators would be difficult to construct but so also is GDP and it should be noted that there are many oddities in the construction of GDP (for example flooding or mass illness are likely to increase GDP due to the activities undertaken to combat them) which have not prevented its virtually universal use.

For example, by ensuring that infrastructure work is intensive in labour rather than machinery and that self-respect (both individual and national) and other desirable qualities of the human spirit are evaluated with at least equal weight to the transient and noisome glow from consumerism.

Furthermore, measures of natural wealth would stand alongside financial measures. Natural capital and population well-being would be emphasised. Failure to do this, in particular in developing countries will further impoverish the poor and lose substantial current and future benefits.

The effort should be towards creating inside, between and with companies a joint understanding to secure the common good and the best interests of the nation as a whole.

National economic policy should reflect these objectives and take steps internationally to make sure that rival countries such as China observe basic rules of fairness in competition and respect for people, environment and law. Equally important is the necessity of private corporations ceasing to make such ready use of the unrestricted reign that has been allowed to China to further increase their own profits.

For example this would require exchange rates being set on the same basis as other countries, comparable anti-pollution requirements, similar work safety regulations, respect for copyright and international trade agreements and the withdrawal of export subsidies.

In material terms there is a case for supporting a refreshed ideal of a genuine free and fair trade system – a balanced and reciprocal free trade that is. This is something that is sharply distinguished from the current excesses of laissez-faire globalisation with its plundering of natural resources and associated human exploitation and profiteering.

However, the virtuous economy would certainly not be bound to a doctrine of free trade fundamentalism such as we see today. Being doctrinally holier than the rest in this regard does not always serve the interests of the country well, as we have seen to our cost, nor does it serve the common good.

The 'market' should operate as a social market and it should be understood that while capitalism can serve a country well, it is by no means to be regarded as an end in itself. A capitalist model will only operate in the general interest if, as John Maynard Keynes pointed out, it is governed by 'gentlemanly codes of behaviour' rather than the dog eat dog culture - which manifestly in important sectors in recent times it has not.

The pursuit of wealth should not be an end in itself. The end, as Keynes expressed it, being to live 'wisely, agreeably and well' - qualities which, if not wholly describing it, are at least consistent with the common good.

It is very important that full appreciation is given to those institutions in our society which encourage the spiritual life and support, maintain and strengthen the ethical conduct of people, businesses and government. Their role is vital in both social and economic renewal and in the righting of the ship of state that has come so close to foundering.

While it has become taken for granted in recent times that 'The Market' must be bowed down to, in fact market forces are not sovereign unless we choose to make them so. They can reflect incomplete information and the transient, self-seeking and short-termist views of the herd. But the escape from their embrace and threats will not be easy or quick.

And much of what are passed off as 'market forces' - for example in the attempted justification of grossly excessive executive pay and bonus awards - are nothing of the kind. The contexts that are involved here are nowhere near truly competitive. They have the properties of informal cartels and they can bear more resemblance to an exclusive club than even an economic bazaar.

In the restoration of trust, people need to be confident that they are being served rather than constantly under threat of exploitation by the economic system. The virtuous economy would have this goal as a priority.

The commercial banks provide a good - or rather an extremely bad - example of a defective 'market'. Competition between the banks exists to the extent of how much money they can extract from ordinary customers who have, in the absence of public service alternatives, no recourse but to make use of one or other such profit seeking bank.

This is because the 'industry' - if that it can be called - has, at best, an unreformed oligopolistic structure or, more realistically, it is an informally cartelised situation - a 'cartel by convention' as it were, one which ensures that whatever penalties are meted out or whatever speculative losses are made, it will be the ordinary customer, the taxpayer and the junior employees who will pay the price in the end.

Even if there existed the will to implement it, statutory regulation on its own has no chance whatever of changing this anti-social behaviour, it has become far too deeply ingrained. One possibility that would bring genuine and valuable change and offer real choice and security to ordinary people would be to create 'exemplar institutions' with public service values that would break the cartel and force changes in corporate behaviour.

One example of an exemplar institution would be the re-establishment of municipal banks. In Birmingham there were branches of the Birmingham Municipal Bank in every ward of the city and a culture of thrift, beginning at school level and lasting throughout life was encouraged.

Mottoes such as: 'Thrift radiates happiness' and 'Saving is the mother of riches' expressed the ethos of the Birmingham Municipal Bank - an ethos so very distant from that of commercial banks today - and its overall watchwords were 'Security with Interest' - in which we note the ordering.

While it is the prime candidate, there is scope for exemplar institutions beyond the financial sector for example in utilities where exploitative abuse of consumers has also been unchecked or in manufacture where the failure to invest or otherwise provide for the future is apparent.

The State We're In

2011-09-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Being the first of an eight part series of postings on the subjects of the Virtuous Economy and the Common Good. The topic headings are:

The State We're In
The Virtuous Economy
Investing for the Future
Overall Wellbeing in the Virtuous Economy
Virtuous Exemplar Institutions
The Virtuous Economy and The Common Good
The Virtuous Economy and the Good Society
Getting There

This was the title of an insightful book that was written over a decade ago by Will Hutton and both book and title are still highly relevant to the economic and social situations that the country finds itself in today - times of austerity and uncertainty induced by greed and supported by fantasies about what constitutes a viable economy.

It has become increasingly clear that our society has surrendered the stable and proven values on which it was based for so long. It has also forsaken its leading role in manufacturing. As a result of this dual abandonment it has lost its way both in economic and societal terms.

As a consequence of this, the contentment, and in large measure, the legitimate pride and self respect of the people, their expectations for the future and the perceptions of our country have also diminished. National pride is not a sin, loyalty is a virtue and confidence is a fruit of a virtuous economy.

This, regrettably, is the state that we now find ourselves in. It is the state that we have allowed ourselves to be gotten into - and it is the state in which we are likely to remain or return to so long as the underlying issues of the ethical foundations for both individual and corporate behaviour are not addressed. There is a state of diminished resource - or rather the realisation of the true level - rather than the misrepresented level - of resources at the disposal of the nation.

This is because there is no wishfully thought eighteenth century 'invisible hand' that will guide us through this distressed condition as it was thought to do 250 years ago. The 21st century future will be what we ourselves make it on the basis of this simple realisation of our present state, the way to restore a secure foundation and an awareness of the common good.

The state of the economy in recent times has become as much a moral problem as an economic one - although the economics alone are dire enough. Unless issues related to the absence of worthwhile values are resolved, the present circumstances are certain to be revisited and the wellbeing of the population will continue to be neglected.

The values that are now regrettably lacking in society were once internalised by organisations as well as individuals. They were taken for granted and were largely unspoken. Not only are citizens now regarded as profits fodder rather than people to whom a genuine, valuable and above all trustworthy service is provided, but the number of organisations that can be regarded as ethical by consumers is rapidly diminishing.

Companies, including household names once respected, regularly 'discover' that child labour or appalling working conditions underlie their brands and their profits. And corporate tax avoidance, the disgraceful extent of which is now being revealed - and the consequent avoidance of social responsibility and the common good - continues to grow apace.

There has been much talk in the past few years of the consequences of financial de-regulation. But more important than this is the rampant moral de-regulation that has spread throughout so much financial and commercial activity, resulting in a lack of sense of service, loyalty, honesty, integrity - and indeed any sense of the public interest and the common good.

What is more, the burdens of the recovery will not be evenly distributed throughout the population and are likely to be borne in greatest measure by those who had least to do with the banking crisis and who gained least before the situation came to a head and by the bulk of honest, hardworking ordinary people.

However, those who through their avaricious, unprincipled and incompetent actions brought the economic crisis about will suffer least of all. They will complain about the damage not being forgotten, continue to take their grossly offensive bonuses or further inflated salaries and threaten to move their companies out of the country. So much for the hand that fed them.

To avoid such circumstances and the chosen consequences, we need to re-found our economy and our society as a whole on core values. In such an endeavour, the recently produced 'Twenty Four Dispositions' and what follows from them should receive a prominent place.

For many years there has been a continuous obsession with economic growth - growth as measured by numbers that is, regardless of what it consists, if anything, the burden on the environment and heedless of the distribution of well-being. This continues to be so.

It is not at all clear that further increases in the scale of economic activity, before we have learnt how to do this with proper sustainability (in a national as well as an environmental sense) or with reference to population wellbeing, are desirable.

If yet more growth is to occur at all it must be with reference to how the increase bears on the common good and what the associated costs are in human terms for present and future generations. It is better to think of the country and the world as being borrowed from our children rather than inherited from our forebears.

It has been apparent for some time that, at least beyond a certain level, increases in material wealth do not produce a sense of greater wellbeing in the population. Belief fades in bric-a-brac as a generator of contentment. The overt - and sometimes hidden - costs of immoderate economic growth are human, environmental and societal and are reflected in the stresses on individuals, families and communities.

The remorseless and obsessive quest for economic growth is based on the questionable assumption that such growth is desirable in its own right. Alongside this has been the relentless corporate drive for ever increasing profits - or so called ‘shareholder value’ - regardless of the consequences for the people whose work produces the wealth, the communities in which they were once founded and the nation that has nurtured them.

In all of this we have as a population been unduly compliant in the deceit and as a consequence the people have become prey to the conduct of a rootless, asocial plutocracy and the slippery wealth of which they are forever in pursuit.

Rampant selfish materialism not only ravages the natural environment but it breaks down social bonds and stultifies the human spirit. Not all growth is good and not everyone would agree as to what, if any, is sustainable.

The relentless drive for ever greater profit with which corporate management and ownership has become obsessed suppresses a deeper, more considerate and more responsible side of human nature that we need to rediscover. There has been a decline in solidarity, as well as trust, with one another.

Essential social structures weaken and eventually break down as a result. Confidence and trust have been severely eroded - between individuals, between people as customers with companies and between people as citizens and the government - and in fact between the state and its people.

There is increasing awareness that the unquestioned push for high statistical measures of economic growth can be inimical to the quality of people's lives and vital social structures such as the family. This in addition to the pressures placed on the environment. It is therefore not a case of the Clintonesque slogan: ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ so much as ‘It’s the stupid economy’ that we have unfortunately inherited.

There is a vain quest amongst some who can afford it for emotional well-being gained through extravagant, even downright dissipated consumption. Excessive consumerism has the characteristics of a social disease - one in urgent need of cure - and it leads inevitably to a condition of disappointment. ‘Consumption’, it is worth noting, is a word that was once used to describe a state of serious ‘ill-being’ - tuberculosis, a wasting illness - with the concept of waste ironically still appropriate in the different context of today.

Sales pressure is part and parcel of consumerism, and as long as the associated tide of advertisements and unsolicited approaches succeed in generating wants that we did not even know we had, we will be tempted to borrow more and waste more.

As a nation we have become loaded with worldly goods at the price of dependency on other countries with governments having very different and long range ambitions. The casting aside of self-sufficiency runs in parallel with increasing self-centredness and being self interested, self absorbed and self regarding. Debt financed purchasing, 'casino capitalism' and a permissive and defeatist attitude towards globalisation are rotting the links within communities.

Some large companies, instead of being the sources of national and local pride as they once were have, in the hands of rootless and unprincipled management become profit monsters and creatures of the globalisation process.

In this country no sectors have suffered more from this negligent attitude than manufacturing and engineering. This decline reveals the most appalling lack of grasp and vision for not only is there no more creative activity than that of making things, manufacturing is also an important cultural activity and a source of national and regional pride.

In fact manufacturing reveals whether or not you can 'cut it as a country' and the long decline is a sign of cultural as well as economic malaise. It is telling that we not only don’t - but appear no longer to want - to make things.

However, there are some positive signs that this is at long last being recognised in some political circles, but there are no short term fixes and strategic policies and their associated investment (rather than exhortations and wishful thinking) are thin on the ground.

It is tragic that as a country we are ceasing much of our historic role in manufacturing. Our machine tools (mostly foreign made these days) are sent overseas and loyal employees, who are soon to be made redundant are, to add insult to injury, obliged to train the foreign staff who will be taking their jobs. The country needs to relearn how to create again instead of trying to live off the buying and selling of others.

In allowing globalised companies to do these things that our forebears would have regarded not just as disloyal but as insane, we as a country also lose our self respect as well as our self sufficiency and a sustaining part of our national culture goes by the board. All of these things are sacrificed on the altar of private shareholder short term profit.

The trust that is so much needed in society today is undermined by selfishness in this and other forms. We need service before self, loyalty to friends and family of course, but also to colleagues, compatriots and country.

Not only do we as a society now lack a common code of core values, there is no longer a universal standard for honesty - nor are there norms of respect. This is evident in many ways including the push by banks for sales of unnecessary financial 'products' and unsought loans to consumers.

In the leery eyes of the media, government is too easily equated with incompetence and even vice. In fact good government is a necessary virtue, aiding and abetting the achievement of common goals and involving itself actively in this process and the search for the good society.

The economy is not a series of balance sheets on which everyone should, in that deplorable phrase, ‘do the math’, it is a joint endeavour, it is the combined effort of millions of people and the asset strippers and bonus builders need this inserted firmly into their selfish heads. A reconstituted National Service should start at the top.

Prosperity is by no means an ignoble goal, but it is important to bear in mind that affluence is a condition and not a value. The true worth of an economy is found not in the numbers themselves nor in league tables but in the social and moral values that underlie these numbers and which are so important in determining public wellbeing.

So in this frightened and litigious age when, as individuals, good people are rendered fearful of the tamest everyday risk and in these trade-crazed times where overly empowered companies and their agents take actions contrary to the common good and also take enormous risks to the ultimate detriment of the common wealth, we should step aside from the ever-anxious drive and consider the makeup of a virtuous economy.

Cheques to stay

2011-07-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

I very much welcome the news that the UK Payments Council has reversed its foolish and self-interested decision to scrap cheques. It is to be hoped that this decision is adhered to in spirit as well as letter and that the role of the cheque is not further eroded.

Being able to pay by cheque is especially important for older people, community groups and small businesses as they would have known had they been in touch - or cared.
Cheques, originating some 350 years ago, remain a popular and reliable way to pay bills or receive sums of money for tens of thousands of people in Birmingham and millions more throughout the country. In fact around 1.1 billion transactions were made by cheque last year alone.
The U turn by the Payments Council marks a step in the right direction but there is so much more that needs to be done - or undone - before many people, especially the elderly and small savers, can begin to trust the banks again in the way that they did for the late lamented Birmingham Municipal Bank.

The Brum Reapers!

2011-07-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes peeled for the ‘Brum Reapers’ in the Hall Green area. If you spot a group of folks with scythes, it is not the apocalypse; but the volunteers from SEAT (Sarehole Environmental Acton Team) who were awarded funding to buy scythes and a days training in their use and maintenance.
They are helping to help maintain the meadows in the area in a more environmentally friendly way while getting some Tai Chi like exercise at the same time. Recently a mowing session was held at Greet Mill Meadows and there will be further sessions throughout the summer so look out for them on your travels. And meanwhile, if you would like to join in some volunteer activities in July:

Friday July 15th: Sarehole Mill workday – Can you volunteer a couple of hours of your time to help with some light garden work and to help tidy up the Millpond area behind Sarehole Mill? Meet at 10.30am on the car park of the Mill, Cole Bank Road.
Sunday July 17th: Hall Green Mela – from 12 - 5pm Sarehole Recreation Ground. Family fun – music, entertainment, children’s activities, stalls and good food.
Saturday July 23rd: Balsam Bash – The Dingles 1pm - 3pm Meet at the Coleside Avenue entrance to the site off Brook Lane. An opportunity to take your tension out on this invasive plant; Himalayan balsam. Cut it or pull it up and stamp on it – get 'it' out of your system as well as the environment!
Sunday July 31st: Balsam attack at Greet Mill Meadows 10am - 1pm. Meet at the ford at Green Road, and get your tension out on that plant again! Successive attacks are really working on this site to eradicate this invasive plant but we have to catch it before it seeds.

Mela 2011

2011-07-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

This year’s Hall Green Mela and Festival takes place at Sarehole Mill recreation ground on Sunday July 11th from 12-00 until 5-00. This is another family occasion following on from the now world-renowned Middle-earth Weekend held at the same venue in May.

There are performances by local entertainers and lots of stalls run by local groups. And there are plenty of refreshments and seating for this very pleasant and relaxed family occasion. For further information or if you would like to be a volunteer, please call 675-7930 or 778-6679.

Merton House

2011-06-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

At this time of the year there must be many elderly people as well as those who are frail or who have a physical disability who long for a break in a comfortable and friendly hotel with understanding staff, pleasantly located and not too far from Birmingham.

A week’s holiday at the beautiful Georgian Merton House located in Ross on Wye could well be the answer. As a result of sponsorship by Rotary, prices for full or half board are extremely reasonable. I have visited Merton House myself and taken tea with those on holiday there - very pleasant indeed. And if transport is needed to get you there, this can be provided for a supplementary charge.

Merton House is a not-for-profit community service project and the helpful and caring staff and the ambience of the house reflect this. If you are interested in a stay, you can contact the hotel direct on: 01989 563252 or if you are on the internet you can go to the Merton House website at:

http://www.mertonhouse.org/

Middle-earth Weekend 2011

2011-06-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

This year as ever I had the pleasure of attending the Middle-earth Weekend at Sarehole Mill. As local residents and Tolkien enthusiasts Vivienne and I are there every year and Vivienne, as the Chair of the organising committee, is the driving force behind the arrangements for this unique event and was there for the whole of the two days - and more.

This year’s weekend was another great success. As you can see, a very large dragon was rushing around! The Middle-earth Weekend is now known throughout the world via Tolkien related sites and was rated one of the country's top ten family events by The Independent newspaper. This is a great tribute to the organisers, to Hall green and to Birmingham. Official attendance figures are not yet available but should once again be well above 10,000.

This traditional family festival, provided free of charge and with old-fashioned entertainments as well of course as the Tolkien dimension takes a great deal of putting on and every year the volunteers work harder and get older and fewer.

Birmingham has a great deal to be proud of with the landscapes of Tolkien's Shire reflecting the Sarehole Area. Birmingham should make much more of this close connection. Perhaps when the next two Tolkien inspired films based on The Hobbit are released in December 2012 and December 2013 The Hobbit there will again be a further surge in public interest.

Transition

2011-06-04T01:33:00.000-07:00

As mentioned at the end of the previous posting on this blog, my term of office as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham has been completed and therefore there will be no further entries under this civic heading. This means however that I will now be at liberty to resume postings on the wider range of topical issues that were featured on this blog until May 2009.
I hope that you have enjoyed the brief glimpses of the mayoral life that have been provided here. For my own part I know that I enjoyed my time in that capacity immensely having met so many really good people and hopefully I managed to do a bit of good here and there as well.

A Flying Visit

2011-05-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Deputy Lord Mayor’s Blog 43
On Monday I accompanied Rotarians from Birmingham on a visit to Dublin to mark the centenary of the Dublin club. The agenda included a reception by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, at the Mansion House.

I brought civic greetings and the gift of a picture from the City of Birmingham. We were very warmly received indeed and the occasion was full of good humour. Our photograph shows the group on the steps of the Mansion House.
We were given a tour in which we saw the room – the Oak Room – in which Irish statesman Dr Garrett Fitzgerald had lain in state prior to his state funeral on Sunday.
Our visit also coincided with that of US President Obama and as a result we had the opportunity to do a good deal of walking from on venue to another with Dublin Rotarian colleagues and had an exceptional chance to see the architecture of the city at close range due to the street closures and resulting traffic chaos!
It was however very interesting to pick up on the excitement that surrounded the presidential visit. This followed on from the more extensive visit of Her Majesty the Queen that had been such a tremendous success and which done so much good – a view reiterated not only officially but also by dozens of ordinary citizens that we met.
On the way home we had to contend with airport disruption at both ends, high winds and the possible threat from the volcanic ash cloud. All in all a memorable way to conclude my term as Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham!

A Good Congregation!

2011-05-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

Deputy Lord Mayor’s Blog 42

I recently had the pleasure of offering a Civic welcome to representatives of the Congregational Assembly that took place in Birmingham. This is an extract from my speech:
‘First and foremost I would like to offer a warm welcome to the City of Birmingham and I hope that you have had, or will get a chance to see something of the city and its many cultural attractions either on this occasion or your next visit – which I hope will be soon! These of course include world class Ballet, Music and Theatre, our Cathedrals and Universities and much else including the Midlands Arts Centre.
I am delighted to have the opportunity to join you today for your 40th Annual Assembly with what seems to me to be an impressive level of attendance and a detectable vibrancy.
Birmingham is a city with thriving faith communities and inter-faith relationships are very good. We have worked at these in the light of the many opportunities presented and also the challenges that we face today.
We enter an age of austerity with all the difficulties that brings for individuals, families and organisations. We also live in times of change – too much of it in my view and too much of that ill-wrought. Constancy has great merit, and a better balance is needed. Thank you for all that you do in emphasising timeless values - we need them so much in society today.’
I went on to wish the Congregationalists a most successful Assembly – which indeed it was.

A Fashionable Hotel!

2011-05-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Deputy Lord Mayor's Blog 41
I recently had the opportunity to open the new Birmingham Central Bull Ring Travel Lodge hotel with over 200 rooms.
This is a welcome addition to Birmingham’s Hotel offer, particularly in the current economic climate, and the investment of almost £10m is both a vote of confidence and an encouraging sign of the City's resilience. It is important both in terms of visitors wishing to stay here and for local employment. The opening of the hotel has created 30 jobs in partnership with the local Job Centre Plus scheme, helping people who are long term unemployed get back into work.
And It was pleasing to see the new hotel setting up in the most historic part of the city. Birmingham has a very nice 'foundation myth' that our population began some 1200 years ago - not very far from the new hotel - when a group of Anglo-Saxons led by a man called Beorma first settled here. Indeed the name Birmingham means ‘Home of the people of Beorma’.
And right through the Industrial Revolution and the explosive commercial and financial development that followed, there has been the accompanying need for places to stay and this continues to the present day.

A remarkable feature of the opening was an unusual fashion competition. Students from Birmingham Metropolitan College took up the challenge of making an evening dress from a bed sheet in two hours! The results were stunning and the judges, myself included were hard pressed to pick a winner. In the end I prevailed on Travel lodge to offer a second prize as well. All of the young students can be proud of their work and the contribution they made to an unusually interesting opening.

Middle-earth Weekend 2011

2011-05-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Deputy Lord Mayor's Blog 40

One of the events that Vivienne and I always enjoy attending either in a civic or private capacity - and take an active part in each year - is Birmingham's unique Middle-earth Weekend.

Indeed Vivienne, the Deputy Lady Mayoress, chairs the 'MEWE' Organising Committee, writes the scripts for the playlets, raises money and is the 'buck stops here' organiser - as you can see!

This year's event, as ever, has a traditional family format and celebrates the work and cultural legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien, his many close connections with Birmingham and how the local landscape influenced his vision of Middle-earth. There has been a big international response to the photography competition and the winning entries will go into a downloadable calendar to be released later in the year.

Once again the organisation of the weekend is volunteer led, but as with many organisations these days we could do with more. If you or a family member or friend have even a couple of hours to spare on either day and would like to help, please email Viv as VWi8327963@aol.com - a task can be found to suit your interests and availability and you'd find it fun! In a rather timely manner given recent controversies, this year there is a theme of trees, woodlands and wild areas - of which Tolkien was particularly fond.

The Middle-earth Weekend 2011 will be a truly family occasion (with no charge for admission) and has an old-fashioned air that many people find refreshing. It is held in and around Sarehole Mill on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of May. Further details of this very special event can be found on the Middle-earth Weekend website at:

http://www.middleeathweekend.org.uk

We hope to see you there!

Workers' Memorial Day

2011-04-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

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On April 28th I was pleased to have the opportunity again to take part in the Workers' Memorial Day Ceremony that was held in St Philip's Churchyard in Birmingham. The ceremony is held by a memorial to two workmen who were killed during the construction of the Town Hall.
Workers' memorial day reminds us that the scale of death and injury through industrial accidents and illness is much larger than most people realise - comparable to a sizeable war in fact. Most of these workers do not die from mystery ailments or in tragic accidents. They die because their safety wasn't a high enough priority.
The day commemorates those workers who have died and is also an event emphasising the need to campaign for the living. There is a focus on both these areas, through memorials to all those killed through their employment and at the same time working to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated.
All over the world workers and their representatives hold events, vigils and conduct many other activities to mark the day and to recognize those who have been killed or injured on the job.
At the Cathedral, I had the chance in particular to speak again to the campaigners for mesothelioma research and support who were present at the ceremony. The number of people dying from asbestos-related cancer continues to increase with over 2,000 people dying in Britain each year as a result of their exposure to asbestos. For more information on asbestos related cancer support and treatment, the Mesothelioma UK website can be found at: http://www.mesothelioma.uk.com

International Fencing in Birmingham

2011-04-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

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I recently had the opportunity to show civic support for the Birmingham International Fencing Tournament held at the Munro Sports Centre at The University of Birmingham. I was delighted to do this as it is one of the top 5 open competitions in the country and because Birmingham is proud to be the chosen city for this fine competition and premier competitions in many sports. Birmingham has a very strong sporting tradition and world class venues such as the National Indoor Arena. In fact the city has staged more World and European sporting events than any other city in the country. And we are very proud of our international reputation for our sports events programme.

I was at the fencing tournament for some of the finals with the competitors using foil and sabre (separately!) at lightning speed. And we have some excellent fencers here in Birmingham. In particular I would like to mention Rhys Melia, with whom I am pictured here, who was runner up in the foil final and who has done much to bring this excellent sport to wider communities and I would like to see him have the opportunity to do more and see the sport available in more schools. Fencing is highly skilful of course and discipline and respect are also much to the fore and highly desirable in today’s world. There is a very friendly atmosphere and family traditions in the sport too. Recommended!

A Peal Appeal!

2011-04-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

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Visitors will recall an earlier item in this blog singing the praises of Birmingham’s bellringers and the St Martin’s Guild of Church Bell Ringers. They are now looking for 100 new recruits to man the ropes at churches across the Diocese. An attempt to ring all the bells on Easter Sunday has highlighted the shortage of ringers in the region. Over 300 bells and only 200 bellringers means that some will be ringing at up to five different towers on Sunday morning!

It’s not a lack of quality though, just quantity. Birmingham’s bellringers are among the best in the country. Guild Master Simon Linford explains the problem: “We regularly win the most prestigious competition in bellringing, but we didn’t field a team in the National Young Person’s competition last month. Next year I don’t just want us to enter – I want us to win that too.”

The Guild recently ran a training course at the Birmingham School of Ringing to train more bellringing teachers – including young teachers. The School’s home is St Paul’s Church in the Jewellery Quarter which has modern facilities for church towers including silenced bells and computer simulation. It is now hoped that the school can teach next year’s competition winners.

But it is not just new young ringers who are sought. Simon explains: “Anyone can learn to ring – it is just a bit easier when you are young. Ringing is an excellent hobby at any age and can take you around the country and even around the world.”

If you would like to learn to ring, please contact Simon Linford as:

Simonhippo@hotmail.com

or ring him on 07747 866688

Birmingham Tinnitus Group

2011-04-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

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I was very glad of the opportunity recently to find out more about the Tinnitus Group in Birmingham and the progress of research into this distressing condition.

Tinnitus is the name given to any kind of noise heard in the ears or head and sounds can include banging, whistling, humming, buzzing, cracking and ringing to name but a few.

I joined in on the occasion of the group's thirtieth anniversary - a real achievement for this the largest and best-organised self-help group in the country.

The group does immensely valuable work and contributes to public wellbeing, providing much needed support and counselling not provided by the NHS.

I am a very strong supporter of the self-help approach working alongside scientific medicine and, in a very wide range of contexts, I know that it works.

Thanks also go to those clinicians with a keen professional interest in the treatment and research of tinnitus – with the best research being conducted in Birmingham and London. Although there is as yet no cure, the future is promising and there is good reason to be optimistic.

So if you are one of the many thousands suffering from this condition, joining the group will help them to help you and will also make your voice heard.

For more information you can visit the Birmingham and District Tinnitus Group's website at:

http://www.tinnitusbham.org.uk/

Chimney Sweeps Show!

2011-04-16T03:09:00.000-07:00

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I recently had the pleasure of opening a rather unusual and very interesting event – the National Association of Chimney Sweeps trade show, held at the Ramada Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.

The organisers and exhibitors were a very lively group and there were interesting products on display including a new, very green, type of fuel – straw logs.

Of course, things have moved on a lot from the days of my childhood when my father (a plumber and solid fuel installer) let me have a go with his rods and brushes and showed me how to light a fire with a cold chimney.

Good maintenance is essential and reduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from choked chimneys. The sweeps also help preserve important aspects of our architectural heritage – ornate chimneys - of which there are some very good examples in Birmingham and my home ward of Hall Green.

Sound City Showcase

2011-03-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

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The Deputy Lady Mayoress and I opened a superb event at the CBSO Centre recently. Soundcity 10 is a wonderful showcase of the gifted and talented young people in the world of music from Birmingham schools from throughout the city.

We very much enjoyed seeing and hearing the outstanding musicians, singers and performers from 23 schools who lined up to entertain. There were some stunning performances across a huge range and which were a tribute to the performers, our fine Music Service and the CBSO.

So I would like to thank everyone involved including the City Council’s Arts Education and Music Service, The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Blue Whale Studios and all of the gifted and talented co-ordinators in Birmingham Schools.

And we must certainly not forget to mention and thank all of the equally committed young people who worked as apprentice lighting, sound and stage crew, at front of house and as very professional comperes. We are proud of them all.

Neither professional nor amateur performances are possible without their most valuable contribution - it takes a whole team of dedicated and capable people to make any performance work well.

We had a wonderful evening of music that inspired, impressed and moved us and we wish everyone involved all the best for the future. Do get along next year if you can.

When will the new £50 note be issued?

2011-03-27T03:48:00.000-07:00

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Readers of this blog may recall a mention of the new £50 note that was announced by the Governor of the Bank of England at the time of the opening of the Matthew Boulton exhibition in the summer of 2009 when I was Lord Mayor. The question naturally arises as to when the note will be launched. The current position is that the redesigned note is undergoing production trials and the Bank of England will provide an update on the timelines once these trials are complete.

The new £50 note will be the second in the Series F family which began with the introduction of the Adam Smith £20 note in 2007 so its overall appearance will be similar. But, of particular interest to us here in Birmingham, for the first time two portraits will appear together on the reverse of the note, those of Boulton and Watt, along with the image of a steam engine and the historic Soho (Birmingham) Manufactory – a great tribute to our city.

As with the Adam Smith £20 banknote however, continuity will be provided with the current portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, which was first used in 1990 and which will be retained on the front of the note. Further details of the design and the range of security features to be included on the new note will be revealed when the new note is launched, within a full promotion and awareness campaign. Let’s hope it’s not too long delayed.

Birmingham Choral Union

2011-03-24T02:48:00.000-07:00

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I recently had the pleasure of being a guest at a splendid concert at the Town Hall given by the Birmingham Choral Union and including well over 50 Blue Coat School choir members. The programme comprised two pieces touching upon a common theme; that of peace.

In the first half of the concert was Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and in the second half was the Birmingham premiere of Paul MacCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum. The performances were outstanding and very moving with excellent solo performances too. The choirs were, as ever, very well supported by the impressive Birmingham Choral Union Orchestra.

We are indeed fortunate in the city of Birmingham to have such a rich and deep cultural life - so very well exemplified by this concert. Our thanks to the Birmingham Choral Union for all that they do.

Birmingham Royal Ballet

2011-03-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

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The Deputy Lady Mayoress and I recently had the opportunity to attend the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s performance of ‘La Fille mal Gardee’. The BRB performance of this light-hearted piece was outstanding and the full house enjoyed it immensely.
The principals on the night, Nao Sakuma as Lise, Iain Mackay as Colas and Robert Gravenor as Alain were excellent - as was our friend Valentin Olovyannikov in the role of Thomas – who we recognised immediately, outrageous costume or no!

In Birmingham we are extremely fortunate to have our own resident world-class ballet company, one that has international renown. They are recently returned from Hong Kong, and will be off to perform in Japan in May. And of course there was the memorable Virginia Arts Festival highlight performance of Swan Lake last summer at which we joined them for a few days.

The BRB introduce new works such as the recent success Cinderella with its refreshing take on the tale, striking scenery and all new choreography by David Bintley. And do go to see their classic production of Swan Lake as soon as you get the chance. BRB have been in Birmingham for over twenty years now and in that time they have contributed enormously to the cultural life and international standing of the city.

Young People Speak Out!

2011-03-06T04:58:00.000-08:00

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This weekend I have had the opportunity to take part in two inspiring events involving young students. The first was at Joseph Chamberlain College who had organised a Model United Nations Conference. This major initiative involved over 300 sixth form students from all over the country and was the first such event of its kind in the UK. There was a formal opening session, students having been allocated to countries. They would take up issues related to those countries, frame resolutions and gather support from other 'countries' both in committees and as a General Assembly. The picture shows some of the flags of the 'participating' nations.

The model United Nations programme provides an inspiring opportunity for young people - and other age groups! - to understand the complexities of global politics in a non-threatening way. The United Nations is an organisation of ideals - although admittedly at times it is not an ideal organisation - but then, what is? And it is assuredly a vitally important one in a world facing so many major challenges. And, as its basis, to quote from the charter: "...to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small..."

The second event was the regional final of the English Speaking Union's public speaking competition which was held at the Council House where teams from schools all over the Midlands compete - in a very demanding format involving speaking to a topic, questioning other speakers and chairing sessions. The standard was extremely high - up to national standard in fact - and the winners now go on to the national finals.

The event was won by Cheltenham Ladies College but the teams were so very closely matched that any one of them would have been a worthy winner. The judges, including Professor David Roberts, Head of English at Birmingham City University, had a real headache and kept us all in suspense for quite a while.

Vivienne and I were Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress on the occasion of the re-launch of the branch when we donated the Birmingham Cup to be presented to the winners of the English Speaking Union's Birmingham Branch final. So we were delighted to welcome to this event King Edward's School as the inaugural winners of the Birmingham Cup - and the school came very close in this regional contest.

Two events then that pay tribute both to young people and to the initiative and commitment of the organisations - Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College and the English Speaking Union. Very well done to both and to all who took part.

Let the Bells Ring Out!

2011-02-27T04:25:00.000-08:00

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On Saturday evening I attended one of the most interesting dinners during my time as Lord Mayor or Deputy Lord Mayor. This was the annual Henry Johnson Commemoration Dinner of the St Martin's Guild of Church Bell Ringers.

The Guild is a voluntary association of bell-ringers in the Birmingham diocese with the objectives of maintaining ringing for church services; practising, encouraging and advancing the art of change-ringing; and providing a fund to support belfry restoration and improvement projects within its area. Henry Johnson was a renowned bell ringer born in the early 19th century.

Church bell ringing is a quintessentially English tradition and it was good to see that this historic heritage is being actively carried forward by such committed and energetic a body as Birmingham's own Guild. It is no wonder that Birmingham is so widely regarded as a centre of excellence.

During the evening there was a beautiful performance of hand bell ringing and a good opportunity for me to learn more about the practice (which is known as 'The Exercise' - no-one using the term campanology).

Some of those present had rung a fantastic number of changes - one person at my table had rung over 1700 sets of 5,040 changes (all possible orderings of 7 bells) and this was by no means a record! Others were well known 'Tower Grabbers' trying to ring at as many bell towers as possible. Some had travelled widely and had rung at Christchurch Cathedral to tower of which was destroyed in the recent earthquake. St Martin's was the first set of church bells to be rung live on the radio.

If you are young(ish) co-ordinated and a bit musical you would be very welcome to be trained up. For more information you can email Simon Linford at simonhippo@hotmail.com Bell ringing has something of a family tradition and there is also a children's section. The St Martin's Guild website can be found at
http://smgcbr.heralded.org.uk

Formula Student!

2011-02-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

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Recently Vivienne and I had a most absorbing and inspiring evening with engineering students at Aston University. These very bright and enthusiastic young people were involved in two projects, Formula Student and the Shell Eco Challenge.
During my year as Lord Mayor I'd promoted engineering as a course of study and had provided some modest funding to our three universities to this end including sponsorship of Formula Student where the students design and build their own racing car. It is a superb exercise not only in hands-on mechanical engineering but also in teamwork, organisation and industrial and other sponsorship. The Formula Student races take place during the summer at both national and European levels. In the Eco Challenge the task is to construct a car that does maximum mileage from one litre of fuel.
I wanted to play my part in emphasizing the immense value of these projects and of mechanical and automotive engineering in general. These are fields the study and practice of which are so important to the future of the city - and indeed the country.
Our local and national prosperity was founded on engineering and manufacture and I believe that we must return to a position where a full and proper role is played by engineering in our economy to ensure our future economic wellbeing.
You cannot have an economy of our size just based on services and shopping - and of course there is no such thing as a post industrial society. Thus there is a major role to be played by proper universities - those which include a study of the discipline of engineering - as all three in Birmingham do.

Prior to an excellent presentation by the students there was a chance to look at, discuss and, if you are trim enough, sit in the cars. This ruled me out of course but Vivienne fitted snugly into the Aston Formula Student car. An exhilarating experience as you can see!

The Civic Dimension

2011-02-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

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It is a varied and interesting experience being one of the City Council’s ‘Civics’. As Deputy Lord Mayor I still get to cover quite a wide range of events including charities, schools, citizenships and welcoming visitors to Birmingham.
In Birmingham the practice is that you become Deputy LM the year after being Lord Mayor, so doing some of the rounds again brings me into contact with many people that I had the privilege of meeting during my own mayoral year.
I say ‘privilege’ and mean it as it struck myself and Vivienne early on that there are so many people making quiet contributions to the life of the city – often unsung and for a number of people not wishing to be sung.
It was also very clear that both people and organisations value the civic presence completely free of a political dimension and with no agenda to progress other than saying ‘thank you for all that you are doing’. I was pleased to have been able to introduce the Lord Mayor’s Award to this end.
I believe that it is very important in these challenging times that we retain, in fitting measure, the civic dimension of the multifarious activities and traditions of our great city.

Charity Choral Evening

2011-02-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

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Each year the Lord Mayor of Birmingham raises money for charitable causes, frequently by arranging special events. One in hand for this year is the renowned Treorchy Male Voice Choir who will be performing in the superb venue of the Town Hall. Full details of the charity concert are shown below. Enjoy some great singing and support worthwhile causes at the same time!

Middle-earth Weekend 2011

2011-01-30T03:55:00.000-08:00

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One of the events that we always enjoy attending either in a civic or private capacity and take an active part in each year is Birmingham's unique Middle-earth Weekend - indeed the Deputy Lady Mayoress chairs the MEW Organising Committee.

This year's event celebrates the work and cultural legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien, his many close connections with Birmingham and how the local landscape influenced his vision of Middle-earth.
Once again the organisation is volunteer led and, in a rather timely manner, this year there is a theme of woodlands and wild areas - of which Tolkien was particularly fond.
As ever, the Middle-earth Weekend will be a truly family occasion with no charge for admission and an old-fashioned air that is held in and around Sarehole Mill on the 21st and 22nd of May. Further details of the event are shown in the poster alongside.
Hope to see you there!

NSVA AGM

2011-01-21T02:27:00.000-08:00

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Viv and I attended the annual general meeting of the National Service Veterans’ Association recently. This was a varied and interesting meeting covering a range of topics as well as the standard AGM items. It was held at the Nautical Club, which is always a pleasure to visit. The NSVA members are great to be with and some of the finest people you can meet.

One item on the agenda came as a very pleasant surprise when I was made an honorary member of the Association and Viv was ‘called up’ for the women’s section! On top of that I was given a plaque which will find a prominent place in my office at the council house. Thank you NSVA for this honour and for all the good work that you do.

Tolkien's Anniversary

2011-01-03T05:05:00.000-08:00

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As Deputy Lord Mayor and in my recent year as Lord Mayor I've often been asked about my enthusiasm for the work of JRR Tolkien and our city’s many connections with this world-renowned author. I’m always happy to oblige and there’s a good deal of material on my website.

In fact there is a notable occasion today, January 3rd which is the 119th anniversary of Tolkien’s birth. Devotees across the world mark the occasion at 9pm local time by making a toast to ‘The Professor’ while facing West (the direction of the undying lands in Tolkien’s realm).

Tolkien was a Birmingham resident during his youth and described himself as ‘a Birmingham man’. Each year in May Tolkien’s cultural legacy is celebrated at the unique Middle-earth Weekend (affectionately known as ‘MEW’) which is held at Sarehole Mill. This year’s theme will be ‘Woods, Wilderness and the Wild Men of Middle-earth’ and you can find out more from the MEW website located at
http://www.middleearthweekend.org.uk/

The weekend is volunteer-led and the Deputy Lady Mayoress chairs the organising committee.

Birmingham is justly proud of its many links with Tolkien and as a city we should do all that we can to increase the ways in which his great legacy is commemorated. For myself in 2011 I shall continue to do my bit to assist in this and shall follow the progress of the new films for which shooting begins next month.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T05:20:00.000-08:00

An Eventful Year!

2010-12-31T08:37:00.000-08:00

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The past year has been a highly eventful one for myself and Vivienne - and literally so! During my year as Lord Mayor which ended on the 25th of May 2010 I completed a grand total of 1032 official engagements and Vivienne took part in something like 90% of these. We had rarely seen so much of each other!

In Birmingham the tradition is that you are plunged in at the deep end as Lord Mayor and then become Deputy Lord Mayor (DLM) the following year. The reason for this unusual arrangement is that if because of diary pressures the Lord Mayor cannot undertake an engagement then at least in the form of the DLM the event organisers will at least have a civic representative with some experience.

The DLM would normally undertake around 150 - 200 engagements in the year and in carrying these out it has been a great pleasure to meet again some of the very many good and true people who contribute so much to making Birmingham such a wonderful city.

And it is because of the people as a whole that I believe, despite the difficult times, we can approach 2011 with a good measure of confidence.

May I take this opportunity to wish you personally a very happy New Year and perhaps we will meet at a civic, charitable or community event as the year progresses.

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-23T09:18:00.000-08:00

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Back in Action!

2010-12-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

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I’m pleased to say that I‘ve now been able to resume civic duties on the run-up to Christmas. This is always a busy and interesting time on the civic front.

Amongst other official duties, along with the Deputy Lady Mayoress I recently attended the annual Salvation Army charity concert in Symphony Hall. This was, as last year very impressive and the Army are to be commended for their dedicated work.

We also attended the Hospitals Choir Concert, also at Symphony Hall and also in aid of related good causes. This was of outstanding quality – look out for next year’s event.

We were also invited to a Nativity and Carol service put on by Calthorpe School at St Alban’s Church. This was a very special event in all senses – both staff and pupils were highly energetic and imaginative in their ‘children of the world, theme.

We are very lucky in Birmingham to have so many dedicated people who can do such good work and celebrate Christmas at the same time.

Visiting the Royal Orthopaedic!

2010-11-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

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I’ve recently had the opportunity to make an extended visit to Birmingham’s superb Royal Orthopaedic Hospital – not so much in the role of Deputy Lord Mayor but as a regular patient in for a full hip replacement! Incidentally, the title ‘Royal’ was granted by Queen Victoria’ and our hospital - also known as The Woodlands, with house and land donated by the Cadbury family - is the oldest orthopaedic institution in the country.

For myself, I’m now back home and steadily recuperating. I’d like to thank all who sent me cards- very much appreciated. I would like to say how grateful I am to the hospital and to the NHS for the treatment that I have received.

And while I was in hospital, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Cllr Len and Mrs Gill Gregory were kind enough to pay a visit. It was very good to see them, and fellow patients and staff were just as pleased as I was.

Birmingham is fortunate in having such excellent hospital provision and such dedicated staff. In the Royal Orthopaedic we have a facility not just of regional but of international standing. And talking of standing, I hope to be doing much more of that much more easily in the very near future!

Follow The Band!

2010-10-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

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The Deputy Lady Mayoress and I were delighted to attend a concert last evening - 'Follow the band Part One' given by the City of Birmingham Brass Band. The concert was held at the nationally acclaimed Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College which is now, thanks to the Principal of the College, the Band's new home.

We are so pleased about this and very proud of the CBBB with whom we've worked a lot in the last year or so.
The band will not only be making music but also working with the college students and local community to develop new works relating fine art and music and involving students working on textiles in the design of a new logo and uniforms.
This all adds up to a great synergy and is typical of how both Joseph Chamberlain College and the City of Birmingham Brass Band work.

Amongst a packed concert programme, a further special concert - part two of Follow the Band - is planned for December 10th at 7-30pm at the College - don't miss it!

P.S.The band are on the look out for a percussionist, so if you have some experience with percussion instruments and matching enthusiasm and you would like to be involved, you can email the band at: http://freespace.virgin.net/oliver.monk/ or contact me and I'll put you in touch.

BARC Volunteers Event

2010-09-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

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I was very pleased on Saturday last to be invited to the event held by the Birmingham Arthritis Resource Centre (BARC) at the Medical School at the University of Birmingham. BARC is an educational project based on a partnership between the University and the City Council.
Now in its eleventh year, BARC helps people with arthritis to have improved quality of life and greater long-term independence.

It provides a sympathetic and confidential listening service run by a team of trained volunteers and has a large information resource of leaflets and CDs
Covering the different types of arthritis, their treatment, aids and ways of managing the illness which in all its forms affects nine million adults in the UK, three million of whom have significant disability.

Arthritis is not just about older people, over 12,000 children and teenagers also suffer from the condition.
BARC is located on the 5th floor of the Birmingham Central Library and is open Monday to Friday 10-00 till 4-00. You can just drop in or phone 0121-464-2708 or email barccentre@bham.ac.uk or visit the BARC website at http://www.barc.org.uk/

Charity Success

2010-09-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

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I recently had the pleasure of meeting again the members of the Charity Committee with whom the Deputy Lady mayoress and I worked during the year in which I was Lord mayor of Birmingham. They are a stalwart group working selflessly and without reward or recognition for good causes. We recalled some of the lighter moments such as the cameo appearance of Viv and I in the Gilbert and Sullithon at the Town Hall (Viv went on to do other parts), the Mega Quiz and the coaching I needed to ring a bell properly and the enjoyment as well as the fundraising that we had at the traditional fayres we held at Birmingham's historic markets.
But the main purpose of the evening was to present cheques to our main charitable causes for the year. We raised £34,000 for Pancreatic Cancer research in Birmingham, £21,000 for St Basils, our premier homeless charity for young people, £21,000 for WAITS who help women, especially in minority communities to play more prominent roles in society, £21,000 to help young people into careers in engineering and as a late addition to the appeal £3,000 for BARC (Birmingham Arthritis Resource Centre). You'll see that the overall total is £100,000 and there is still a little more to come in. This is a considerable achievement in these difficult times and we would both like to express our sincere thanks to all the volunteers who supported the fundraising events.

Communities Together

2010-08-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

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Along with the big set piece events that the Lord Mayor or his deputies attend are the much smaller local cultural and family festivals that are put on by local communities in many parts of the city. In this connection as Deputy Lord Mayor I recently had the pleasure of attending two of these - the Springfield Cultural Festival and the Bromford and Firs Fun Day.
The Springfield event drew the rain as well as the local population but spirits were by no means dampened! The festival, which is now in its ninth year, is a great example of a fun event made possible by the community working together, and involving volunteers, Councillors, support services and local residents. All join in an event that shows that people from all communities can work together, raise funds for charity and enjoy themselves together - and maybe sometimes even get wet together! But the sun always shines on Springfield one way or another!
The Firs and Bromford Fun Day was a bit luckier with the weather - at least when I was there. Family occasions such as this are an important part of community life - and indeed are a sign of a lively community. It is tremendous news that the Lottery fund has given a major award to the Firs and Bromford Estate and the community association, our outstanding housing officers and all involved are to be congratulated. When communities pull together, so much can be achieved.

Our Great Museums

2010-08-17T03:34:00.000-07:00

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Birmingham’s Museum and Art Gallery are world class attractions at the cultural heart of the city and are drawing in many visitors from home and abroad. The total number of visits went up from 866,904 in 2008/9 to 1,095,683 in 2009/10 - an increase of over 26%.
The Staffordshire Hoard was responsible for part of the increase, with 40,000 visits when it was first shown last year and thousands more week by week since the second display came back in the spring.
But even allowing for the Staffordshire Hoard the results are impressive. They are a result of a series of interesting exhibitions which have been well advertised. It shows what can be achieved with inspired and dedicated staff.
As for the latest exhibitions, I’m told that the current dinosaur exhibition in the Gas Hall “T Rex - The Killer Question” is really good and recommended for families with young children. It has lifelike and animatronic models of T Rex and other dinosaurs. I look forward to seeing this exhibition myself, being a lifelong dinosaur enthusiast! The exhibition runs until the 5th of September.
You can find out more about all the exhibitions at Birmingham’s Museum’s and Art Gallery by visiting the website at www.bmag.org.uk/events
Museums right throughout the city are also a great success. In my own part of Birmingham, Hall Green, we have in Sarehole Mill the premier heritage attraction on the South side of the city, complete with watermill, displays, and strong Tolkien connections (the basis of the mill in Hobbiton - Tolkien lived just across the road) - and a very nice tea room. Well worth a visit, laden with history and legend - guaranteed dinosaur free but there may be a reference to the odd dragon!

The National Children’s Orchestra

2010-08-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

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On Saturday evening we had the great pleasure of attending a concert at Birmingham Town Hall. Not so very unusual you may think. But what made this different was that none of the musicians was over thirteen and some were much younger.
The standard was sensational. If you closed your eyes you would never have thought this was not an adult orchestra. There was an immense depth of talent and we were much inspired by the great outlook for classical music all this implies and of which the NCO will be an important part.
Our thanks to the young musicians and to the charity, families and volunteers who brought this event to fruition. They are helping to create and sustain a love of music not only in those who make it but in those of us fortunate enough to enjoy the performances.
Despite best endeavours at publicity, the NCO remain something of a hidden gem. I certainly hope that word will spread and that many more concerts such as Saturday’s in the Town Hall can be given for all to enjoy.

Jamaican Nationals' Concert

2010-08-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

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At the weekend we were delighted to be able to attend a concert at the Adrian Boult Hall given by the University Singers of the West Indies. This was organised by Birmingham’s Association of Jamaica Nationals around the occasion of the 48th year of Jamaican Independence. The singers gave a scintillating performance of immense range from solemn religious music to lively folk songs.
The press coverage of Jamaican matters is invariably biased towards the negative. There is a very great deal of which to be proud and many people working hard in the community making major contributions and striving to present a more balanced and positive image. We greatly enjoyed the concert as we do all occasions with Birmingham’s Jamaican community.
During the past year or so I have worked regularly with one of the community’s most prominent members, Beverly Lindsay, on charity and community matters who recently received an invitation to a Royal Garden Party. Our second photo shows Beverly and guest outside the palace. These are great occasions which I had the privilege of enjoying while in office last year.

Mela at the Mill

2010-07-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

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We recently had the pleasure of attending the annual Mela held at the recreation ground by Sarehole Mill. This is one of several, all-community events of its kind in Birmingham and there was a very pleasant atmosphere – especially in the tea tent as shown in the photo!

One distinctive feature of Hall Green Mela is that the opportunity is taken to present awards to people who have contributed a lot to the local community through voluntary service and I was delighted to present these well deserved awards in recognition. There was also an impressive talent competition for young people ranging from song and dance through to poetry and it was good to talk to the competitors.

So a very good day enjoyed by everyone – just what Melas are all about.

Queen Alexandra College

2010-07-16T04:05:00.000-07:00

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Over the past year or so I’ve had the pleasure of visiting and interacting with Birmingham’s Queen Alexandra College which provides training for people with limited or no vision along with other disabilities. The College does absolutely outstanding work and I recently had the pleasure of attending the QAC family day held at the college and at which qualifications were announced and awards made.
The first photograph is of the audience at the ceremony. I cannot overstate the value of this work and the dedication of the staff and volunteers and the determination, commitment and success of the students. Yesterday I paid a follow-up visit to the ‘Sight Village’ which was held at the New Bingley Hall in Hockley.
This is an exhibition of the very latest aids, adaptations, devices, software and support for blind people and those with limited vision. I met exhibitors from the UK and Europe and from as far afield as Oregon in the United States. There has been amazing progress in recent years and research and development continues apace. This international event is organised by QAC and is a credit to the college – and indeed to Birmingham.
On a personal note I had the great pleasure of meeting again someone I had not seen for 48 years since we were both at University together. Roger Hinds now runs a very successful social enterprise making available, free of charge, software that makes it much easier to read on screen material. While attempting the impossible of catching up on almost five decades, Roger and I were also thinking of ways that we can make the software more easily accessible to people in Birmingham.
I also had a chance to have my picture taken at a photography project – again for people with very limited sight. I am shown here with Vicky from the ‘Look’ team - and optional snakes!
Good luck to all concerned and thank you to Queen Alexandra College for all that it does.

Wheelchair Basketball

2010-07-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

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The City of Birmingham is proud to be hosting the wheelchair basketball championships of the world for 2010. As Deputy Lord Mayor I had the privilege of delivering the official welcome at the opening ceremony at the National Indoor Arena.
There was a splendid display by dancers and skaters from in and around Birmingham and a parade of the athletes from the countries taking part. The Deputy lady Mayoress and I stayed on for the first match of the championships which featured the Great Britain women’s team against the Netherlands. Our photo shows the teams lining up at the start of the match.
This was an exciting game in what is a fast and fluid sport. Although participants usually have a disability you don’t need to be disabled to enjoy playing the game.
The opening game was very, very close with Great Britain taking an early lead and sustaining it until the second half. However, there must have been a particularly effective pep talk by the Netherlands coach as the lead was clawed back and in a nail-biting finish the Netherlands eventually came out the winners by 39 to 38. It couldn’t have been closer.
All praise to the competitors, the organisers, the volunteers and city council officers for making the opening day such a great success for the sport and for the city.

A Definite Score!

2010-07-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

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We recently had the opportunity to attend a performance of SCORE! a new commission from composer Tim Steiner with words from Ian McMillan. This was a huge open-air production by nearly 5,000 children from all over the country.

The performance was both highly enjoyable and inspiring and took place at the ground of Birmingham City FC and was part of the 2010 national Festival of Music for Youth - the 40th anniversary festival.
This enormous event involves no less than 160 cities, towns and villages across the country. Around 14,000 young instrumentalists take part along with 3,000 singers!
In Birmingham alone there are other festival performances at the Town Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire, the CBSO Centre, Symphony Hall, Brindley Place and the O2 Academy.
Terrific stuff! And thank you to all who took part yesterday and to Music for Youth and Birmingham Music Service for what was a truly outstanding event.

Armed Forces Day

2010-06-27T03:15:00.000-07:00

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Saturday June 26th was Armed Forces Day 2010, a day when the nation salutes our Armed Forces, past, present and future. In Birmingham's Victoria Square in the afternoon we had the pleasure of meeting active service personnel, cadets and once again the many veterans associations, standard bearers as well as senior representatives of the Services and service related organisations.
The day went off splendidly and there was an excellent march past at the end. There was a great deal of public enthusiasm and support - as always in Birmingham.
I spent some time with many groups including the National Service Veterans,(first picture) , the Korean Veterans, the War Widows Association and the Royal British Legion.
I was very surprised to learn that the bikers section is now one of the largest and most successful branches of the RBL. They very kindly let me have a sit on one of their machines - very trusting as I hung up my own lid over twenty years ago! Still it felt good to be in the saddle again if only briefly and statically!

Birmingham City University

2010-06-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

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Today I am about to complete my term of office as Chancellor of Birmingham City University. This has been a most interesting and rewarding experience. BCU is a fine University of which the city can be truly proud with some outstanding courses and doing excellent scholarly work in key areas.
As Chancellor I presided at nine degree congregations at each of which as well as the graduating students, honorary graduands were awarded higher degrees. The photo shows myself and the Vice Chancellor with The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and previously Archbishop of Birmingham. The citation by the orator, Professor of English David Roberts and the response by Archbishop Nichols on the theme of The Common Good were amongst the best that I have heard.
As part of my more routine duties at the congregations, in receiving the graduating students I shook no fewer than 4,823 hands! A bucket of ice came in handy at the conclusion of the last congregation!
Altogether a very good year both for me and for the University and I hope that current issues notably with the suggested location of a High Speed rail terminal slap bang where a BCU campus expansion was to be will be resolved in a fair and equitable fashion. Birmingham needs its thriving Universities every bit as much as a quick trip to London!

Great Charity Walk

2010-06-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

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We recently had the great pleasure of attending the ceremonies concluding a charity walk in Birmingham organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association involving over two thousand people.
This was a tremendous turnout and no less than fourteen good causes were supported by the sponsored walkers with a six figure total being raised overall. Our photo shows a busy scene at the end of the walk.
A total of £10,000 was raised for the Birmingham Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research alone. This is something I’ve been raising money for over the past year and I’m delighted with this major contribution.
The walk was extremely well organised and walkers came from as far afield as Glasgow, Cardiff and London. The Ahmadiyya Muslims are fully involved with society as a whole, engage with all communities and have the message of ‘love for all and hatred for none’, for which they are persecuted in some other lands.
I thank the Association for their public-spirited example and generosity.

Local History Event

2010-06-14T03:11:00.000-07:00

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We recently looked in at a thoroughly excellent event displaying the work of local history societies throughout Birmingham held at the Radisson Hotel.

Entirely run by volunteers, it is important to recognise the cultural value of all that they do in helping to ensure that the life of the city, particularly the lives of ordinary people, is not lost to memory.
It is so very important to have these records and recollections. History is identity and shared recollections are part of the soul of any community.
And we need the community spirit more than ever in today’s changing - not to say feckless - world. We need co-operative endeavours too (there was an excellent exhibit on co-operative societies in Birmingham) and we need continuity and memory as well as change. And this is just what is provided by wonderful people such as Katherine Kelly who has been selling flowers at the historic Bull Ring markets for 47 years. (Both photos in this item are from ‘Birmingham Up Town’ by Mac Joseph, Ted Rudge and John Houghton available from Amberley Publishing).
The displays were wonderful and were presented with taste and enthusiasm. We could have spent far more time there than we had available - as well as a good few more quid! Thank you local historians all and please do carry on all of the good work that you do for the common good.

Aston Hall Book Bash

2010-06-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

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It was a pleasure to visit Birmingham’s Book Bash which was held at the magnificently restored Aston Hall earlier this month.
The emphasis of the event is on families and children and all aspects of reading, recitals, displays and stimulating engagement so that youngsters develop a life-long love of books, literature and knowledge.
If you didn’t get a chance to visit the Book Bash this year, do look out for it in May next year. Meanwhile a visit to Aston Hall will be a great experience.

Retiring Speech

2010-06-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

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My first function as Deputy Lord Mayor was to deliver my retiring speech to the City Council AGM. Here is what I said.
“High Sheriff, My Lord Bishop, Members of Parliament, Honorary Freemen, Former Civic Heads, Council Members, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I’ll begin with thanks, most of all to Vivienne, for the year, for the 39 years before and for the work we’ve done together. To family and friends for their support and forbearance; to the City Council for electing me and for your patience; to those who nominated me (may your regrets be short!); to the Parlour staff without whom the job is impossible; to the Charity Committee; to the stalwart ‘support group’ for their unstinting commitment, unbidden, unpaid and, so often at their request, unsung; to all the Council House and Catering staff and to everyone in Birmingham who support our civic life and work for the common good.
It is hard to think that a year has passed since being made Lord Mayor and the old adage ‘time flies’ has never seemed so true. Still, true to tradition in other time-limited contexts, I began the day with a hearty breakfast!
Being the first citizen of Birmingham has been the greatest of honours. Though it may be risky for an (erstwhile for the year) politician to use these words, it has been an enriching and rewarding experience in the truest senses of these words.
I won’t pick out a single highlight of the year because there is such a great variety of occasions, large and small, momentous and moving, that cannot really be compared.
Rather I will point to something that has run right throughout the year - meeting so many good people and organisations - the charities, the voluntary organisations, the services, the Veterans, the Faith leaders, the community groups and most of all the volunteers themselves - so strong of heart, though many now grey of head.
Vivienne and I have done all in our power to support the civic function, working for and promoting Birmingham, its industry, its good causes, its heritage and its culture. The name ‘Birmingham’ means ‘Home of the people of Beorma’ and ever since those earliest days we’ve made people welcome and have always been very proud of our open and democratic traditions.
Of course we are much changed as a city since the time of the Industrial Revolution when we were part of the Workshop of the World to the international city that we are today - proud of our Industry, proud of our Science, proud of our Arts and above all, proud of our people. We have the friendliest, most helpful and most welcoming citizens in the country - thousands of visitors tell us so every year.
We are a city that is proud of its past, which lives in the present and which looks forward to the future. We are a city at ease with itself, a city which need know no bounds, a city of industry, a city of heritage and, I am quite certain, a city of culture.
Being Lord Mayor is an odd sort of job, by the time you’ve really come to understand its immense significance you can see the door coming up! There have been harbingers of this - the picture of myself and the lady Mayoress in the ‘Rogues Gallery’ by the Parlour has been on the slide for a few weeks now!
But of course while one closes, so many doors also open giving, in a well used but important phrase, a chance to make a difference through support, influence, presence and unmatched connections to communities, to charities and to individuals, bringing back a little of ‘what was lost’ such as traditional festivals and promoting ‘made in Birmingham’.
We have brought in the policy that all new civic gifts must be made in Birmingham (not sourced from suppliers here or bought from catalogues but obtained direct from our factories).
But there’s also chances to be blown off course - as Macmillan said ‘Events dear boy, events’ - and so many of them, over a thousand in the year. Two or three occasions spring to mind.
I was invited to give a talk to officers from Democratic Services from across the country on the subject of Democracy and, under the stated presumption of Chatham House Rules, I would be unusually forthright. But shortly after delivering my address, the chairman - rightly proud of his up-to-date organisation - announced that the whole meeting was being Podcast!
Then there was my attempted teasing of visitors from Sweden about the rules of cricket only to have it whispered in my ear half way through that these were our own visitors about to go to Sweden!
Then there was a charity run around Edgbaston Reservoir with a curious handicapping system termed a ‘yacht race’. Word of the event had reached the commodore of the yacht club who assumed that there was to be a sailing event on his patch so he scrambled to be present! Still, the Lady Mayoress was subsequently offered a swallows and Amazons basic sailing lesson that she had always wanted!
And I really enjoyed the chance to conduct the City of Birmingham Brass Band at the May Day Fayre in a performance of the Floral Dance. I can guarantee that I was never more than half a beat behind the musicians!
A chance also to have enjoyable, funny events such as the charity Pantomime Horse Grand National, after which I was truly delighted to make an award to the competitor who finished a distant last. Few things have given me more pleasure than handing over that Jeremy Clarkson trophy!
And a chance to experience some silly frustrations. You may have noticed that the Lord Mayor’s car, LOM 1, no longer flies the Birmingham, or any other flag. This is courtesy of our friends the insurance companies. Apparently someone might hurl themselves at the front of the car and impale themselves on the flag. And we wonder at the state we’re in!
And a chance to have some unusual challenges. The Lord Mayor is Chancellor of Birmingham City University and in this office I presided at all nine degree congregations held in January at the ICC, shaking precisely 4,823 hands and needing to put my own in an ice bucket after the final congregation!
And a chance to have your identity questioned. The Lady Mayoress was mistaken for Her Majesty the Queen more than once while I, increasingly worried by the constitutional knowledge of some of our youths, was also greeted more than once when beshod in full robes by the question: ‘Are you the King?’. It was a lot nearer the mark to be asked ‘Are you a Pirate?’ (not really - at least a parrot short!).
It has been a most memorable year and a transforming one - particularly for me a heretofore fairly reserved person (spot the difference you may say!) - with a chance to play a role for our great city of Birmingham.
And a chance to play a part in sustaining the historic office of Lord Mayor, giving reassuring continuity in a world of too much change. It is an office immensely valued by our citizens. And it is an office that, in accordance with tradition, is handed on today and which is secure in most capable hands. I wish you every success Lord Mayor and assure you of my complete support.
So there we are, nearly all said and done and with nary a mention of J.R.R. Tolkien! I thank you all once again, colleagues and friends. Thank you.”

Statement

2010-05-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

My term of office as Lord Mayor of Birmingham is now complete. My role now becomes that of Deputy Lord Mayor for 2010/2011 and Vivienne becomes Deputy Lady Mayoress. It has been suggested that I continue this blog in a similar form while Deputy and under similar conditions as to content, none of which of course should be interpreted as in any way representing the priorities or concerns of the current Lord Mayor.

Last and First

2010-05-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

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My term of office as Lord Mayor of Birmingham came to an end on Tuesday. It has been a most memorable year and an immense privilege for myself and Vivienne to be the first citizens of our great city of Birmingham.
I hope that this blog, for which this is the final entry relating to the Lord Mayoralty, will have given something of the flavour of what we have been involved with during the year.
We are immensely grateful for all of the support we’ve received from staff, family and friends who have helped us do our bit for Birmingham.
The first picture shows me at the desk in the Parlour writing a note to my successor minutes before going into the handover AGM. The desk incidentally was Chamberlain’s (both Joe and Neville) and it was always a special feeling to work there.
The second picture is from later that evening - now as Deputy Lord Mayor - being presented with a signed photo graph from one of our very first events during last year’s Lord Mayor’s Show when I sang (if you can call it singing!) with the Steve Gibbons Band at the end of the show. In the background, John Bright does not look altogether approving!
Well, all good things must come to an end and so it is with my year as Lord Mayor of Birmingham - a year that I shall never forget.

The Lord Mayor's Family Show

2010-05-25T03:19:00.000-07:00

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This year’s Lord Mayor’s Family Show takes place on Monday the 31st of May from 11am to 5pm, in and around Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square in, Birmingham City Centre.
At the show, we will be celebrating Birmingham’s great achievements - past, present and future – in this very special event for all of the family to enjoy.
There will be live entertainments, many stalls and attractions, picnic areas, children's rides and entertainment, spitfire aircraft, vintage vehicles and lots more.
We look forward to this most enjoyable occasion and seeing you at the Lord Mayor’s Family Show 2010.

Middle-earth Weekend 2010

2010-05-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

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This year the Lady Mayoress and I had the great pleasure of attending the Middle-earth Weekend at Sarehole Mill in an official capacity.
Naturally, as locals and Tolkien enthusiasts we are there every year and the Lady Mayoress has been instrumental in the organisation in the past.
This year’s event was another great success. As you can see, one of the smaller dragons was taking a worrying degree of interest in the Mayoral Gold! Fortunately, nerves were soothed later on with the aid of the Hurdy Gurdy man.
There were an estimated 14,000 visitors over the weekend, to this traditional family festival, provided free of charge and with old-fashioned entertainments as well of course as the Tolkien dimension.
Birmingham has much to be proud of with the landscapes of The Shire reflecting the Sarehole Area. We should make more of this connection. Perhaps the advent of the next two films (one of The Hobbit and one covering the period between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) will provide a springboard.

With the Ballet in Virginia

2010-05-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

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We have recently returned from a very successful visit to Norfolk, Virginia at the invitation of the Mayor, the organisers of the Virginia Arts festival and Birmingham Royal Ballet.
The BRB were absolutely magnificent and gave three sublime performances of Swan Lake to packed auditoria.
It was our pleasure to lend Birmingham Mayoral support around the official dimensions of the visit via dinners, speeches and TV interviews.
As a result of the artistic excellence of the BRB, Birmingham’s stock stands even higher, not simply in Virginia where we have made many friends (BRB have been invited to return for a third time probably in 2013) but well beyond.
The Lady Mayoress and I, as ordinary citizens by that time, intend to be there with the Ballet and will have the chance to renew the friendships we have made.
I cannot praise too highly the friendliness and hospitality of our Virginian hosts and the people in all walks of life that we had the pleasure of meeting.
We understand that BRB will be performing Swan Lake - the most beautiful classical production - in Birmingham later in the summer. Whatever else you do, do not miss this.

May Day

2010-05-02T03:43:00.000-07:00

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The Lady Mayoress and I had a really enjoyable first of May at the Lord Mayor’s May Day Fayre in and around Birmingham’s traditional markets. In Birmingham we are very fortunate to have the Bull Ring markets which are still here after over 800 years and which serve the people of Birmingham so wonderfully well.
It’s important that we’ve got the traditional markets and it’s important to retain our sense of history. Our history and traditions are part of our identity and it’s important to hang on to that in these days of change for the sake of it. We hope that festivals such as this - and the Michaelmas Fayre that we re-introduced last September will serve us well in this regard.
We had lots of entertainment and items of interest with the highlight being the crowning of our May Queen followed by her magnificent and right royal procession with her two princesses!
We also had two Morris dance groups - the Green Man Morris and the Glorishears - if you haven’t seen women’s Morris dancing before they are really good so look out for them. We also had a Green Man, birds of prey, a Jester to accompany the Lord Mayor, a barrel organ, children’s rides and the ever-popular City of Birmingham Brass Band.
I was absolutely delighted to have the chance to ‘conduct’ the band in a rendition of the Floral Dance. I think I did pretty well - usually not lagging the instrumentalists by much more than half a beat! A great band - we’re really proud of them - and a great day too. Hope to see you soon at the markets!

Saint George’s Day

2010-04-25T03:07:00.000-07:00

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It was very good to be present at some of the celebrations in Birmingham for England’s patron Saint, Saint George. The main events in Birmingham took place at various locations on Saturday the 24th of April.
This year, we were particularly taken with the Anglo-Saxon village in Chamberlain Square and the excellent Saint George’s day concert at Symphony Hall in the evening. I also visited the Saint George’s day event at Highfield Hall in Hall Green.
Of course the actual Saint’s day was Friday 23rd of April, which points up the fact that Saint George’s day is not an official national holiday - as in my view it should be in England.
The 23rd of April 2010 marks both the death of St George in 303 and the 446th birthday of Shakespeare. Saint George’s day was first celebrated in England in 1222. After 788 years we should make a holiday out of this! More information from the Birmingham St. George's Day Association website.
By the way, there will be more dragon-related activity - of a rather different kind - at this year’s Middle-earth Weekend to be held at Sarehole Mill, Hall Green, on the weekend of May the 15th and 16th. This unique family event celebrates Birmingham’s close connection with JRR Tolkien who had a passionate interest in English mythology and latest details of the weekend can be obtained via the Shire Productions website

Who Done It?

2010-04-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

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Do you have what it takes to be an ace detective and solve a mysterious case of murder? Here is your opportunity to find out "who done it?"
The Lady Mayoress and I are hosting a Murder Mystery Night in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal. This one-off, very special event is taking place on Thursday 29th April at Highbury Hall, Birmingham.
This is an exceptional event, raising funds for charity whilst promising a thrilling evening for all. Tickets are priced at £20.00 per person which includes a 2 course meal and entertainment.
There is also a raffle on the night; the prizes include two tickets for an Inspector Morse tour of Oxford, a DVD of "Taggart" signed by all the cast and many more.
Tickets are limited. To book yours please contact the Lord Mayor’s Parlour on 0121 303 1999 or via email

Regimental Visit

2010-04-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

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I recently returned from a visit to the 26th Regiment, Royal Artillery at their base at Mansergh Barracks near Gutersloh in Germany. The Regiment of course has the freedom of the City of Birmingham that I had the pleasure of conferring last summer as per the first photo.
The visit included extensive briefings on the Regiment as a whole and its component batteries. There were also opportunities to view the latest electronic close combat trainer and to meet socially and individually with many of the troops.
The Regiment (the Midlands Gunners) draws many recruits from Birmingham and the West Midlands and it was very good to meet them - they are doing a great job.
The Regiment will be on exercises shortly in the Czech Republic and later in the year in Canada, where the vast exercise area is larger than Luxembourg! This prior to a second deployment in Afghanistan next year.
The visit also included an outing to Mohnesee and the photo shows the dam (one of the targets of the Dam Busters) as it is today.

Lady Mayoress Crashes Flying Boat!

2010-03-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

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Yes it’s true – well, sort of! We recently visited Limerick County at the invitation of the Chairman of the Council. We’d already got to know each other well and of course Birmingham has a thriving Irish community from several counties, amongst which Limerick is well represented. I addressed a meeting of the Limerick County Council and met most of the members to discuss current issues – especially economic ones.
Our hosts were most attentive, and one of the visits we made was to the superb Flying Boat Museum at Foynes, County Limerick. It is unique and exhibits include a full scale replica of a Boeing 314 Clipper.

If you could afford it, this way to travel in the flying boat heyday in the late 1930’s was the way to go in style and comfort.
While at the museum the Lady Mayoress took a turn on the simulator (just visible in my dark mobile phone photo). While she made a good take-off the landing was abrupt and unintentional! Still, it was her first attempt and I used the excuse that I would have been a snug fit in the simulator!
The Museum is great and there is much besides by way of castles and historic cottage villages for tourists to see in Limerick. Highly recommended.

Special Guests in the Parlour

2010-03-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

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We invite supporters and volunteers of the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal to the Lord Mayor’s Suite in the Council House to thank them for their support and commitment to our charitable causes.
Among our recent guests were Perry Beeches School who held a Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Week raising £1000 for the charity. A competition was held to design a logo.

The winner was Liyah Robinson-Ash with her key design. Head Teacher Liam Nolan, Deputy Head Jackie Powell, the winner and the two runners ups; Mohammed Rahman and Amadou Sarr, attended on behalf of the school.
Another Birmingham school took part in the Lord Mayor’s logo competition; Aaron Young from Castle Vale School impressed the judges with his Engineering Scholarships logo design. Head Teacher Barry Williams, his colleague Garry Flatres and Aaron represented the school.
Birmingham City Council team, Forward for Work hosted an auction at their awards evening which raised £450 for the charity. Team Manager Kathryn Davis, colleague Yvonne Keates, trainees Shreen Griffith and Ian Moore presented the cheque to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress.
Throughout the year we hold several charity events in aid of the Charity Appeal. We rely on the continued support from the volunteers who make these events possible. Irene Jones and Thelma Sharpe are two of our stalwart volunteers who support the Lord Mayor’s Charities every year and we are delighted to recognise their contribution.
To date the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal has raised over £40,000 for the chosen charities; St Basil’s, WAITS, Birmingham’s Pancreatic Cancer Research and Engineering Scholarships.

Birmingham Royal Ballet 20th Anniversary

2010-03-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

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The Birmingham Royal Ballet first opened in 1990 after moving from London, a move the press at the time described as 'the arts coup of the decade'.
2010 marks Birmingham Royal Ballet 20th anniversary, to celebrate this special occasion a Gala event was held on Wednesday 10 March at Birmingham Hippodrome.
The event consisted of selections from the Ballet's memorable repertoire such as The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Carmina Burana. There were multimedia presentations celebrating and highlighting the company's local, national and international achievements over the last two decades.
This exceptional event was attended by HRH the Prince of Wales, who is President of Birmingham Royal Ballet. The Lady Mayoress and I attended as special guests to commemorate their achievements of the past twenty years, and taking a look towards the future.
Birmingham Royal Ballet brings delight to all who watch and take part in it, and brings exquisite performance art to Birmingham.

The College and the Cottage Industry

2010-03-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

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We recently had an excellent visit to University College Birmingham (UCB - which was formerly known as the College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies) which does outstanding work in both Higher and Further Education. The quality of the courses is very high and the UCB is well found in material respects and has an exciting vision for the future.
During our visit, the Lady Mayoress and I were very interested today to learn of the revival of the Birmingham Close Notched Cottage Loaf!
The loaf, which was very popular in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th Century has been re-launched by UCB. This is a great service to the people of the city! We can vouch for this personally as we took a loaf back to the Lord Mayor’s Parlour and the staff greatly enjoyed the fresh baked Brummie bread!
The recipe was re-discovered by one of the College’s Bakery lecturers when they were looking to expand the range of breads the students make. There are other regional loves (for example the Evesham ‘Bomber’) but our focus here is the Birmingham loaf. It has more ‘notches’ which give a far nicer crust and a nicer shape as it is more stable in the oven. The inside is light and delicious.
Cottage loaves originated with farming families and were made from two lumps of dough to save space in small ovens. The dough would be made using locally sourced flour, perhaps from Sarehole Mill in Hall Green or Berkswell Windmill or even Avoncroft near Bromsgrove. Birmingham flour was renowned for its taste and flavour.
You can buy the loaves in the shop at UCB in the city centre and we are hoping to have a stall at the Lord Mayor’s Show at the end of May. I can send you the recipe if you would like to have a go at making one. Just email me as Lord.Mayor@birmingham.gov.uk

Recent News on the Staffordshire Hoard

2010-03-07T02:42:00.000-08:00

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A display of the Anglo Saxon warrior gold returns to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday March 13th. Included in the display in Gallery 20 will be items not previously seen. The items on display will be there for at least five weeks but in all probability for the foreseeable future.
The fundraising is going well with £1.2m raised as of a few days ago of which some £500,000 is from public donations with the remainder from the Arts Fund, the two city councils and a couple of trusts. A substantial further sum is pending and the deadline is April 17th although an extension is probable should this be needed.
The latest intention is to establish a Mercian Trail including Birmingham, Stoke, Lichfield and Tamworth as well as the discovery site off Watling Street (the A5) near Brownhills. The intention is that the principal displays will be in Birmingham and Stoke with loaned displays at Tamworth Castle and Lichfield.
A number of TV programmes are in preparation including one on Channel Four over the Easter Weekend. National Geographic are producing three programmes: a one hour documentary on the finding of the Hoard (this is the one to be shown on Channel 4), a two hour programme on the study of the Hoard (this will not be seen for two years) and a one hour programme in three years time bringing it all together. A substantial, well illustrated book by Kevin Leahy is due out in October.
Tentative agreement on the division of the items between Birmingham and Stoke appears to have been reached and Stoke will retain agreed elements so not all the items previously on display in Birmingham will return on March 13th. However there will be new ones and it is intended to show a partially reconstructed helmet (displayed flat at this stage). Experts take the view that the 1800 pieces contain two helmets, the assembly of which will be an exciting prospect in the months and years ahead.

Staffordshire Hoard Update

2010-02-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

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Part of the Hoard has recently been on display in Stoke on Trent (until March 7th) and, as earlier in Birmingham, has attracted tens of thousands of visitors and a substantial contribution to the appeal including an anonymous donation of £50,000.
The total raised by the appeal so far has just passed the one million pound mark and there is every likelihood of a major donation in the near future.
Another exhibition from the Hoard will come to Birmingham later in March and will contain items that were not on show at the first exhibition in the city. Latest plans are that Lichfield and Tamworth will have loaned components of the Hoard and there will be a touring exhibition visiting several museums in the region.
As to the Hoard itself, conservation will get into real detail when the ownership is settled. The gold (which is a fairly inert substance) is in good condition though some of the silver may need restoration work. It is now thought that some garnets may have come to Mercia from as far away as Sri Lanka. So rich is the material that full research into the Hoard is expected to take about ten years.
There is at least one helmet and probably two in the Hoard. These are in many pieces - a not uncommon situation as components were fixed on to an iron underlay and would have been broken off. The reconstruction of the helmets will take some time but it is expected that computer 3D modelling will greatly assist the reconstruction. It is also hoped to make this aspect of progress available on the internet as work proceeds - which will be very exciting to follow.

Lord Mayor’s Charities 2009/10

2010-02-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

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The good causes for 2009/10 that are supported by my Charity Appeal combine new initiatives and existing charities. If you would like to make a donation online - thank you. Donations can be made quickly and securely through my justgiving page at: http://www.justgiving.com/Lord-Mayor

The Birmingham Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research
While there has been steady progress with the treatment of several forms of cancer, for pancreatic cancer the five-year survival rate following diagnosis forty years ago stood at 3%. Today that rate is still little more than 3%. But there are promising research possibilities and the disease can be treatable on occasions where cancer of the pancreas, which typically shows symptoms only at a late stage, is detected early enough. The primary focus of the fund will be on research, conducted at the School of Cancer Sciences at the University of Birmingham, into improved diagnostic methods. The objective is to establish a fund that outlasts the current Mayoralty.
The Lord Mayor’s Engineering Scholarships
A fund to encourage young people to take up the study of engineering and the practice of manufacturing in Birmingham at various levels and in a range of forms. Manufacturing and engineering have made unmatched contributions to the city, and it is vital that Birmingham remains prominent in these important fields. So alongside other initiatives, the fund will be used to encourage and enable young people from Birmingham to take up engineering as a course of study and as a fulfilling future career. Encouragement will also be offered to progress apprenticeships and developments in newer areas such as Clinical Engineering.
WAITS
WAITS (Women Acting In Today’s Society) is a very important charity in a diverse city such as Birmingham, and WAITS is doing outstanding work tackling domestic violence and enabling women to address issues, overcome barriers and combat isolation. WAITS provides help to increase the involvement of women in the professional, business and public life of the city - from which all will benefit. There is a continuing need for the wide range of activities carried out by WAITS and there are many who are yet to benefit and a great deal more work still to be done.
St Basil’s
St Basil’s works with young people aged 16 to 25 providing support services, advice, mediation and guidance and tackling and preventing homelessness and its consequences. This charity has helped to transform many young lives in Birmingham and beyond. St Basil’s has nationally recognised expertise and not only provides accommodation but sets young people on secure tracks in life through education and employment. In today’s economic circumstances there is likely to be even greater need for the wide range of services provided by St Basil’s.

RAF Cosford

2010-02-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

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We recently paid an official visit to RAF Cosford and had the privilege of presenting medals for distinguished service to airmen and airwomen.
The staff of RAF Cosford deliver outstanding training in engineering, mechanics and maintenance to young crew. They do this in a flexible way in a broad context so that not only will the personnel be skilled in servicing equipment - quite possibly in theatres of action - but which will also skill them for civilian life later on and thereby help to sustain the country’s position in engineering and manufacture - support for which is so urgently needed. Our thanks to the Commanding Officer and his team.
We were also given a tour of the base during which the Lady Mayoress (looking mildly concerned!) tried out the cockpit of a Jaguar trainer (I regret to say the fit was a bit ‘snug’ for the Lord Mayor!).
We also visited the Cold War Museum, which is housed at Cosford. This is a stunning collection of major artefacts including Thor and Polaris missiles, the V bombers , (de-activated) weapons of the period and much else besides. This museum is free to enter and well worth a visit - as are the open days and displays at Cosford. Well done again to all concerned.

Birmingham’s G&S Marathon

2010-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

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Just two days to go to be part of a unique Gilbert and Sullivan event - and support charity at the same time.
The ‘Sullithon’ (all the G & S works sung end to end) in Birmingham’s historic Town Hall takes the form of a ‘scratch’ concert lasting about 22 hours and starting at 10-00 on Saturday 13th February.
This means no rehearsal, you can sing from a script, you can join a chorus (you don’t have to be a star) and you don’t have to have a costume. There are refreshments, a place to rest and over a hundred other enthusiastic people to be with enjoying the fun.
You can stay for as long or short a time as you like and you can register to take part on the day or ring 0121-243-9896 or by email to: philandkathy@blueyonder.co.uk
Alternatively you can come as a member of the audience on the day or get a ticket from the Town Hall. All proceeds will be donated to the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal.

Gilbert and Sullivan charity ‘Sullithon’

2010-02-06T06:59:00.001-08:00

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Not long to go now before the unique to Birmingham Gilbert and Sullithon takes place at the city’s beautiful Town Hall. All of G & S’s works will be sung end to end in an ensemble scratch concert performance by groups drawn from a total complement of 100 participants.
So far as I know the only other instance of a Sullithon was also in Birmingham about twenty years ago at Carr’s Lane Church and was organised by the same team - still going strong!
There’s still just time If you’re interested in taking part as a singer or musician, (or attending for all or part of this as an audience member tickets just £5.00) please contact the organisers Phil & Kathy Lovell by telephone on 0121-243-9896 or by email to:
philandkathy@blueyonder.co.uk
The Lady Mayoress will be singing along in the chorus in several operettas and the Lord Mayor is due to make a guest appearance in Ruddigore sometime after 5-20pm. Ahem! All proceeds will go to the Lord Mayor’s charity appeal.
After some opening words by the Lord Mayor, the event will be introduced by Ed Doolan and starts at 10.00am on Saturday the 13th of February and will finish around 8.00am on Sunday the 14th. A cafe will be open throughout so do come along to be part of this bit of local history - see you there!

The Badgers of Old Oscott

2010-02-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

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The St John Ambulance youth group the Badgers, based in Great Barr, held an awards ceremony recently to recognise the hard work of its young members in the past year.
I was delighted to be invited to the ceremony and to give out awards at All Saints Church in Shady Lane. Eleven of the group’s twenty young members received certificates, with one member receiving the most prestigious award, the Super Badger.
The picture shows myself with two volunteers and of course, the somewhat mischievous Bertie Badger.
The St John Ambulance do great work at public events throughout the year and their youth groups are well worth joining. Old Oscott Badgers have made great strides recently and they have some very interesting plans in store for the near future.

The Acme Thunderer

2010-01-29T01:15:00.001-08:00

Lord Mayor’s Blog 40

One of the most intriguing visits that we have made recently was to Acme Whistles - the Birmingham firm that has been making the world’s best whistles for over a century - including the legendary Acme Thunderer.
Don’t be deceived by the cartoon-like name - the company makes a range of 83 products including whistles, bird-call imitators and devices for sports, rescue, safety, marine and police use as well as for music.
There’s a surprising amount of science involved, and this superbly managed, enterprising and socially conscious company introduces at least two new products each year and is, by a distance, the world leader in both quality and design unrivalled in any field - Whistle Wizards indeed!
Acme’s products have famous histories too. As well as the first police whistles for the metropolitan Police, Acme made the legendary Acme ‘Stentor’ megaphone and bosuns’ whistles for the Titanic.
And if you watch the James Cameron film and zoom into one of the frames where Kate Winslett whistles for help from the makeshift raft, you will see the famous Acme Thunderer - Made in England!
At the very top of the range there are superbly bejewelled hallmarked silver gift and presentation whistles and our photo shows yours truly and Acme MD Simon Topman with the world’s largest two-seater flying whistle!
You want something special by way of a whistle? Acme can make it!

The Staffordshire Hoard – Latest

2010-01-16T03:56:00.000-08:00

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The launch of the fundraising appeal to secure the Staffordshire Hoard for the Midlands was a stimulating event. Birmingham City Council is to give an initial £100,000, Stoke on Trent City Council will also give £100,000 and the Arts Fund will put in £300,000. The appeal is fronted by prominent historian David Starkey. There is a deadline of 17th April to raise the £3.3m to secure the Hoard. A total of some £5m will be needed all told to provide for presentation and conservation.
The modern people of Mercia have shown by their enormous enthusiasm and donation of £40,000 - without being asked - that they want the hoard to return where it belongs.
Many, many questions arise. Where did it come from - North, South or was there a Mercian workshop? Who did it belong to? What does it really represent? What was going on on the spot where it was deposited? The Hoard was found just off Watling Street in the heart of the ancient Kingdom of Mercia - which has been described as the ‘spaghetti junction’ of its time. It may represent the accoutrements of Lords and Huscarls who died in battle with their Kings probably at the hands of the men of Penda, the last great pagan King of Mercia. The idea of a Mercian workshop is intriguing bearing in mind the long tradition of skilled manufacture and world-renowned craftsmanship found today in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
It now seems certain that the hoard predates AD650 judging on artistic grounds. While some wood was found with the gold and this would allow carbon dating the margin of error in carbon dating means that it is unlikely to refine the date much further. A post hole was also found and what could be a ditch (but also a natural feature) and a small team from Birmingham Archaeology continue investigations.
I’ve mentioned some large initial donations above. But I think what really matters will be the donations, however modest, that are made by the individual people of our area. This is how the sum will be built up and this is how we bring about its possession by the public and by public subscription. You can contribute on line at www.artfund.org/hoard or for phone donations by credit or debit card call: 0844 415 4004 or by post you can send a cheque, made payable to The Art Fund (Hoard appeal) to: The Art Fund, Freepost LON 17186, PO Box 2003, Kirkaldy KY2 6BR. Contributions will also be accepted when visiting Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Let’s dig deep for the Hoard!