Tom Cramp
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Articles by Tom Cramp
Date set for Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market 2023
The date for the 2023 Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham has been set Watch more of our videos on Shots! and live on Freeview channel 276 Visit Shots! now The Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham city centre has had its future secured for another five years. Birmingham City Council hailed the city’s relationship with its sister city Frankfurt on Tuesday (July 25) - and it has been confirmed it will go ahead this year, despite the authoritiy’s financial issues.
Demolition decision looms for Birmingham's Ringway Centre Original
Campaigners are preparing to find out if a landmark Birmingham building could be lost as councillors meet to discuss its demolition. The empty Ringway Centre on Smallbrook Queensway could be turned into three towers made up of apartments, a cinema, nightclub and food and drink outlets. Plans submitted by Commercial Estates Group (CEG) are set for approval at next week's council meeting. But groups believe the Brutalist site is of "high heritage significance".
HS2 bridge in Balsall Common approved Original
Plans to build a HS2 bridge in rural Solihull have been approved. The 425m (1394ft) viaduct will transport high-speed trains over floodplain land in Balsall Common. The application was postponed in July after Solihull council told HS2 that it had not consulted residents properly. It was approved on Wednesday however some councillors remained unconvinced about the project, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Sites chosen for Solihull family support centres Original
Sites have been chosen for four new family support centres in Solihull. The centres, which will cost a total of £1m, will offer advice on parenting programmes, maternity services, special educational needs and playgroups. Funding for the programme has come from the Department for Education - with the first, in Kingshurst, scheduled to open later this month. It is proposed the three other centres will open in the Smith's Wood, Chelmsley Wood and Elmdon areas.
More than 700 new flats could be created in Digbeth Original
Image source, Glancy Nicholls Image caption, The blocks would be built in the Digbeth area of Birmingham Local Democracy Reporting Service Plans for two apartment blocks containing more than 700 flats are due to go before Birmingham councillors. The taller of the two would be 23 storeys high and if approved, they would be built on the edge of a former wholesale market, now known as Smithfield in Digbeth. The scheme would involve demolishing several buildings along Bradford Street and Rea Street.
Moseley Road Baths set to close for restoration works Original
Image source, Google Image caption, The Grade II-listed baths will close for at least 18 months on 2 October By Tom Cramp & Shehnaz Khan A Grade II-listed swimming baths is set to close for at least 18 months to allow for further restoration works. Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham will shut its doors to the public on 2 October. The building, and the nearby Balsall Heath Library, has been undergoing a transformation since March last year.
Five more years for Birmingham's Christmas market
Image source, Ed Moss Photography By Tom Cramp Local Democracy Reporting Service Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market has had its future secured for another five years. Expenditure created from the market, which has more than 100 stalls, supports over 7,000 jobs, council cabinet members said. The deal will run to 2027, with this year's event starting on 2 November. Some costs will move over to the operators from the council, which hailed the market's economic value of £350m.
Five more years for Birmingham's Christmas market
Image source, Ed Moss Photography Image caption, The 2023 market will run from 2 November to 23 December Local Democracy Reporting Service Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market has had its future secured for another five years. Expenditure created from the market, which has more than 100 stalls, supports over 7,000 jobs, council cabinet members said. The deal will run to 2027, with this year's event starting on 2 November.
More than 500 question Birmingham urban farm car park plans Original
Image source, Urban Design Hub Image caption, This CGI of the proposed Vyse Street Food Project, showing flower beds and veg plots with benches, has been released Local Democracy Reporting Service A scheme to turn the upper floors of a multi-storey car park into an urban farm has met opposition via an online petition with more than 500 signatures. A food organisation wants to create a farm and community garden on levels five and six of the Vyse Street car park in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.
More than 500 question Birmingham urban farm car park plans
A council planning officer stated the proposal would “provide social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community with no undue impact on character, amenity or highways considerations”. By Tom Cramp BBC July 21, 2023 Excerpt: A food organisation wants to create a farm and community garden on levels five and six of the Vyse Street car park in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Thirty-nine parking spaces would be lost, reducing the total to 514.
HS2 viaduct decision deferred as residents slam 'monstrous procession of concrete V-signs'
A decision on granting permission for a giant HS2 viaduct in rural Solihull has been deferred after the project's design was slammed by local residents who accused HS2 of not conducting a proper consultation. Planning permission for the Balsall Common viaduct was been deferred by Solihull Council at a heated meeting on Wednesday that saw accusations of HS2 treating local people as ‘second-class citizens’ and not conducting proper consultation.
Jewellery Quarter building could become traditional bathhouse
A building in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter could be turned into a traditional bathhouse inspired by Japan and the Nordic countries. Sydenham Place on Tenbury Street is a 19th-century former industrial building, whose cellars have been earmarked for the spa rooms plan. London-based architecture firm MOST has designed a plan that would turn the lower floors of the grade II-listed building into a spa, steam room, plunger and mineral pool, with treatment rooms and a cafe.
Approval given for 48-storey Birmingham skyscraper Original
Image source, Metropolitan Workshop Image caption, The planned building will be one of the tallest in Birmingham By Andy Giddings & Tom Cramp BBC News & Local Democracy Reporting Service Plans for a 48-storey skyscraper in Birmingham have been approved. The building, which will be known as 2 Snowhill Plaza, will contain 462 flats, along with facilities such as a gym, co-working space and a bicycle workshop. It will not have parking spaces but will instead have 464 cycle spaces for residents.
Beautiful canal towns in Europe that aren’t Venice
Venice’s Little Sister: Chioggia, Italy Most cities don’t look like Venice. It’s not just the canals that make them incomparable, but those arched bridges, ornate windows and Campanile tops that evoke the Byzantine, as well as colourful islands and lagoon views that make it almost unique. But a real contender is found in Chioggia. Relatively unknown, but something of a petite, faded little sister to big Venice just 20km away.
Solihull shop has licence suspended after Elf Bar sold to 16-year-old
By Tom Cramp, Local Democracy Reporter A shop in Solihull has had its licence temporarily suspended after an Elf Bar vape was sold to an underage customer. Police and council officers said staff at Michaels Drinks Store on Streetsbrook Road showed a ‘lack of respect’ and behaved ‘irresponsibly’. The shop was the subject of a Solihull Council licensing hearing last week after it was caught selling the vaping product to a 16-year-old volunteer.
Where The Wild Flowers Grow
Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) in Paris (and more) Cherry blossoms are beautiful, loved (almost) unanimously throughout the world, and cherished by the Japanese for their symbolism of renewal and transience. And while there’s arguably no place better than Japan to see these stunning blossoms colour the countryside and city streets, northern Europe does come quite close.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s Manchester United madness enrages the masses and poses dilemma for Fulham
5 min Aleksandar Mitrovic has been the subject of mass hysteria since the final whistle blew at Old Trafford on Sunday with pundits, ex-players and referees, the FA and everyone in between coming out in their droves to call for the proverbial book to be thrown at the Fulham forward.
Where to go in Europe for a Spring Getaway
France Blooming landscapes and a burst of activity from festivals and other events give a new lease of life to picturesque pockets of France when spring arrives. Paris is a popular destination at this optimistic time of year – blossom brings a flush of pink to tree-lined streets, squares and, most impressively, green spaces like the Jardins du Trocadéro and Paris’s Jardin des Plantes.
How to Spend 72 Hours in Marrakech
Stay at the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech On the edge of the desert, located south of the city, 5-star Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech Hotel unfurls like a beautiful Berber carpet beneath the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. The luxury hotel boasts outstanding views and showcases a blend of traditional and contemporary décor, coupled with fine dining and memorable guest experiences.
Brum store’s booze bid bombs
A supermarket in Yardley, Birmingham has had its application to sell alcohol refused by the council after illicit tobacco was found on site last year. DC Supermarket on Church Road failed to provide the proper documents to convince the council that responsibility for the shop had changed hands. In August 2021, a Mr Sheikehpour had been the licence holder at DC Supermarket, but his licence was revoked after illicit tobacco products were found on the premises.
Shopkeeper defiant as troubled Stirchely store accused of serving alcohol ‘like it’s a bar’
A Birmingham off-licence sold booze to customers ‘as though it were a bar’ and charged rip-off prices for cigarettes, a Birmingham City Council meeting was told this week. These further allegations at Selly Acre News on Pershore Road, Stirchley, are on top of an allegation of attempted rape in September. Birmingham Trading Standards said it received a complaint in January 2022 that tobacco was being sold at £2.50 above the usual price.
Birmingham shop loses licence after alleged attempted rape
A local store in Birmingham has had its licence suspended after an alleged attempted rape of an underage customer in a rear room. The alleged incident took place earlier this month at Selly Acre News, on Pershore Road, Stirchley. Police arrived at the residential home of the child’s family the following day to investigate a complaint. A police report said the incident being investigated had been classed as ‘an attempted rape of a male child under 13 by a male’.
Underage sales: Birmingham shop’s alcohol licence surrendered
Screenshot of Google Streetview showing the front of AK Supermarket (A&A Supermarket) at 868 Washwood Heath Road, Ward End, Birmingham. (Photo via LDRS) A Birmingham supermarket is currently not being allowed to sell alcohol after a complaint which alleged it sold alcohol and single cigarettes to a child. The licence to serve alcohol at AK Supermarket in Ward End, also known as A&A Supermarket, has been surrendered as West Midlands Police say they have “no confidence” in the licence holder.
Slow down and relax with a narrowboat cruise
Travelling in a narrowboat on the canal system demands patience and calm. You have to be patient, it is not about rushing from place to place, just enjoying the journey. Boat users have to keep to a strict speed limit of just 4 miles per hour. This is essential as it helps to preserve the environment and the canal banks, as well as showing consideration for other canal users. Before taking out a narrowboat, you are taught how to steer and manoeuvre it as well as health & safety requirements.
The Best Road Trips Routes in the UK and Ireland
Coming in at 516 miles (or 830km), the North Coast 500 is technically slightly longer than its official name. It’s easy to forgive, because this loop route that starts and ends with Inverness Castle is packed with incredible beauty. As the perfect route for exploring the Scottish Highlands, this drive covers all of Northern Scotland’s hits: Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle, and Inverness-Shire.
Enjoy the Ultimate Self-Care Holiday in Austria
Winter always rolls around way too quick and the colder months of the year can look quite bleak. But what if there was a place you could retreat to with a good book, where the temperature was always cosy, and you could slip into a hot pool or enjoy a relaxing massage before dozing off again? A wellness holiday in one of these spas will tick all your boxes.
Five Of The Best Locations To Travel To In 2022
AS we cautiously look ahead and plan our travel itineraries for 2022, it’s worth noting that some locations have special reasons to visit this year, while others may not be an option as the world continues to wrangle with the pandemic. To help you decide where to go, we’ve compiled a list of five locations that could be fantastic travel options in 2022 based on diverse culinary scenes, historical significance, pure opulence, and Covid-19 accessibility.
2021 Songs To Inspire Your New Years’ Resolutions
THE music world has been more open and inclusive than ever this year, with more and more artists using their music to promote equality and encourage listeners to accept who they are. Since 2022 is mere hours away now, we’ve compiled a list of the biggest songs of 2021 and how they can influence your resolution for the new year. Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing) – Fred again.. An ode to hazy pre-pandemic nights on the dancefloor, British DJ Fred again..
Five of the most Insta-worthy hotels in London
Luxury hotels are not only great places for you to gather some unique Instagram material, but are also often located inside beautifully ornate buildings steeped in rich history. At these five London dwellings, guests are never more than a stone’s throw away from the action – lavish design is coupled with exceptional service to provide guests with the ultimate platform to experience the city, for business or leisure.
Five Of The Most Magnificent Hotels In Cape Town
SOUTH Africa’s oldest city is a rugged collision between nature and humanity – on one side is the immense Table Mountain, on the other is the harsh Atlantic Ocean crashing against the shore. The stunning diversity of the natural world butting heads with a cosmopolitan city can be seen everywhere, and it’s this perpetual skirmish that makes Cape Town such a dynamic place. A city with such vibrance deserves a selection of opulent hotels that allow travellers and locals alike to indulge themselves.
Outdoor art destinations around the world
An open-air setting and ample space for social distancing make outdoor art destinations an appealing prospect for cultural days out. Exhibiting artwork designed to complement and sit harmoniously within the landscape, these outdoor art destinations garner attention from across the globe.
Historic city breaks in the UK
Most cities and major towns in the UK have their own unique character that often stems from centuries of fascinating history. These four, though, contain enough history to fill libraries - literally! From Roman baths to medieval architecture, and gruesome torture dungeons to dazzling feats of engineering, these locations are great holiday spots for history buffs to quench their thirst, whilst also experiencing a few of the finer things in life.
The Best Co-Living Spots in Europe
Co-living is a new movement that’s growing popular with digital nomads and entrepreneurs around the globe. It takes the concept of coworking one step further, with remote workers living and coworking together, focusing on community spirit and shared values. There are coliving spots cropping up in dreamy destinations all over Europe, allowing residents to live and work temporarily in a spectacular location surrounded by likeminded working professionals.
Five UK coastal areas worth visiting
Despite being subject to the occasional bit of patchy weather, British holidaymakers flock to the coast every year for a variety of domestic getaways. The English Riviera is undeniably picturesque, while the untamed Scottish Islands are teeming with marine life. The coast remains a place of exceptional beauty throughout summer and winter, making it a real contender for a post-lockdown staycation.
The Biggest (Fake) Supreme Store in the World is Now Open in Shanghai
A new two-story fake Supreme store recently opened in Minhang. It's the biggest fake Supreme store in the world, so, of course, we went to see how genuine their fakes are. The first thing you notice is that it’s substantially bigger than the first one that popped up on Huaihai Lu a while back, but still not quite the seven-story beast that was predicted. The second thing you think to yourself is “why is this in Minhang?” Not exactly the epicenter of streetwear fashion in Shanghai, is it.
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