Maria Cusine

It's curtain up for Christmas with Birmingham Royal Ballet's version of a show wrapped up like a perfect present. The company's world-renowned production of The Nutcracker is a tradition which heralds the start of the festive season for hundreds of faithful fans - and an ideal introduction to ballet for new generations.

With a swish new shopping centre and a revamped train station, Birmingham is finally enjoying a revival that befits its second city status. But it has another reason to be flying high - Birmingham Royal Ballet. The company shines brightly as the jewel in the city's cultural crown. And it hammered home the point with an outstanding opening night of timeless classic Swan Lake at Birmingham Hippodrome.

It was one big house of fun. Or rather, one big racecourse of fun. Madness were in town and if I was a gambling woman, I would have bet going to see the iconic band at Wolverhampton Racecourse was a dead cert for a good night out. The group's 'Grandslam' summer tour of sporting venues reached the Black Country last night - and the gig had all the ingredients for a winning formula.