Author: Olivia Lawlor

25 new pubs and bars opened in Birmingham in 2019 according to new data published by the government. Birmingham was 8th for the highest number of pubs and bars opening in 2019 according to data published by the Office for National Statistics shows that. William Stenson, assistant manager at The Colmore in Birmingham, said: “Birmingham, in general, is one of the up and coming cities within the bar trade and beer scene. 2019 was a great year for opening venues and it seems to have exploded the Birmingham beer scene” West Midlands saw the addition of 750 new pubs and…

Nearly half of the court cases requested for review after a member of the public felt the sentencing was too low were not referred, according to new data published by the Government. The Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme was introduced to allow members of the public to ask the Crown Court to reconsider a sentence if they feel it is too low. Data published by the Attorney General’s Office reveals that 1 in 11 cases referred to the scheme was referred to the Court of Appeal. https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/1241587/ The Attorney General’s Office can only review certain cases given by Crown Court’s in…

Birmingham has the third-highest number of unclaimed estates according to new Government data. The data released by the Government Legal Department says that Birmingham has 217 properties left unclaimed by family members after a relative has died without a will or any known family. London has the highest number of unclaimed estates in the country at 2,126.  Emily Cornish, press and communications officer for the Attorney General’s office, said: “The Bona Vacantia Division advertises all newly referred estates for a minimum period of 90 days to enable entitled relatives to come forward. “If no claim to the estate is received…

‘Queen’s Speech’ singer Lady Leshurr set to perform at a live show at Birmingham Open Media (BOM) in aid of the venue and the city’s Shout Festival. Birmingham rapper, singer and producer Lady Leshurr is gearing up for an exclusive hometown gig at BOM tomorrow night. The acclaimed Solihull born star is arguably Queen of Britain’s grime music scene, with online music video views of 160m views – with over one million subscribers on her YouTube channel – and 480,000 fans on Instagram. Lady Leshurr Speaking ahead of her first intimate performance in the city for over a year, Lady…

The annual festival is back at the end of this week, featuring a host of screenings and masterclasses, all topped off with a star-studded Awards Ceremony. Birmingham’s premier film festival is happening at Millennium Point from 1 November, offering a sought-after platform for new filmmakers to reach a wider audience and progress their careers.  The fest will feature short films, features, documentaries and music videos, with the aim of putting Birmingham on the international map, adding to he second city’s rising popularity.  Trevor Beattie films is the 2019 headline sponsor this year. Considered one of the leading figures in advertising…

Events are being held throughout Walsall this week to raise awareness about hate crime within the West Midlands. The events, organised by Black Country Innovate, is taking place during Hate Crime Awareness Week and supporting WalsallForAll’s long term strategy in creating “strong and integrated communities in Walsall.” Data published by the Home Office last year showed that hate crimes reported to West Midlands Police had increased by 9% from 2016/17 to 2017/18. Nasar Iqbal, director of Black Country Innovate, said the aim of the Hate Crime Awareness Week Walsall Roadshow is to make more people aware of the Walsall Hate Crime Reduction Initiative. He…

Pupils missed school to join other protestors at Victoria Square in Birmingham in demanding that the government take steps to tackle the climate crisis.