Moseley B13 Magazine December 2021/January 2022 Issue 525

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B13 MAGAZINE ISSUE 525

S 97 1

DECEMBER 2021/ JANUARY 2022

C O V D N A L A CE C LO IN 3

M SELEY

A MERRY MOSELEY

CHRISTMAS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

BEST OF CHRISTMAS EVENTS

MOSELEY MUNCH

A TOAST TO CHRISTMAS PAST

MOSELEY SOCIETY HISTORY GROUP POST EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS

TOMMY QUANG

CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY

MOSELEY B13 MAGAZINE

DEC/JAN21 EDITOR Mark Baxter (editor@moseleymagazine.co.uk) THE TEAM Ian Cook, David Isgrove, Stephanie Silk, Maria Arroja Ferreira, Tipton, Debbie Aldous, Max Jalil, Martin Jeffers, Jobe Baker-Sullivan, Izzy Knowles, Yonatan Yon, Alex Jenkins, Jenny Gwynne, Mitch Schofield DESIGN Andy Wickett (andywickett@gmail.com) CONTRIBUTORS David Spilsbury, Moseley Local History Society, Revd Magdalen Smith, Rhiannon Simpson, Judith Fleetwood-Walker, James Llewellyn BUSINESS MANAGER Martin Jeffers PROOF READER Jane Barry SOCIAL MEDIA Maria Arroja Ferreira TREASURER Leanne Holloway (accounts@moseleyb13.com) ADVERTISING Yonatan Yon DISTRIBUTION Izzy Knowles,Martin Jeffers BOARD David Isgrove (Chair) Stephanie Silk (Editorial) PHOTOGRAPHER Position Vacant MAIL Moseley Publishing House Ltd. Moseley B13 Magazine, c/o: Moseley Exchange, 149-153 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JP. ONLINE instagram.com/moseleyb13mag facebook.com/MoseleyB13Magazine twitter.com/MoseleyB13Mag COMPANY SECRETARY Position Vacant LEGAL STUFF Moseley Publishing House Ltd is a non-profit voluntary run company based in England and Wales. Company No. 07786560.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or part, without express permission.

All material is believed to be correct at the time of going to print.

COVER IMAGE: Moseley Park and Pool by Mark Baxter

WORDS FROM THE

EDITOR

This issue we have a festive selection box of yuletide merriment to keep you entertained, ranging from Moseley Munch: A Toast of Christmas Past (pages 10-12), with Jenny offering a couple of alternative and mouthwatering recipes for the big day, through to Moseley Society History Group’s Post Early for Christmas (16-17) on the origins of mail in Moseley.

And as Christmas is a time of forgiveness and reconciliation, we welcome back Moseley’s foremost spoof strange phenomena reporter Tommy Quang. Tommy returns with a Christmas ghost story and I can safely say the only terrifying thing is his relentless consumption of Christmas treats. All will be explained on pages 18-19.

Oh, and don’t forget, if you’d like to support the magazine in 2022 you can join the ‘Friends of Moseley B13 Magazine’.

You’ll find more details of how to become a Friend on page seven. We’d really appreciate the support as we head into our 49th year as your local and vocal magazine.

I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We’ll see you in early 2022 for the February edition.

Mark

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OUTLETS Farmers’ Market (Village Green) plus: A and R News (320 Yardley Wood Road) Aiden McDonnell Hair (56 St Mary's Row) Drinksville (23 Woodbridge Road) Greenhill Garage (89-91 Billesley Lane) Indigo Foods (50-52 St Mary’s Row) Maison Mayci (148 Alcester Road) Moseley Post Office (149 Alcester Road) Newslink (3 Alcester Road) Nima Deli (103 Alcester Road) One Stop (117 Billesley Lane) Oxfam Books and Music (101 Alcester Road) Palmyra (13 St Mary's Row), SS Grocery Store 215, Stoney Lane; O.A.K Superstore Ladypool Road; 5 a day fruit and veg stall, Moseley Village; The Mix Cafe , Old Print Works, Moseley Road and Moseley Exchange, 147-153, Alcester Road

Next magazine publication dates:

ISSUE Feb

COPY

17 Jan

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12 INTHIS ISSUE 04

NEWSHOUND

07

ASTRO OBITUARY

08

COMING HOME

09

HIGHBURY ORCHARD

10

MOSELEY MUNCH

13

MOSELEY SOCIETY HISTORY

16

POST EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS

18

TOMMY QUANG

20

CHRIS CONNOLL

22

WOOD BURNING AIR POLUTION

24

EDITOR'S CHOICE

27

MOSELEY MEMORIES

31

MOSELEY HOUSING MARKET

18

NO.84

BY MARK BAXTER

NEWSHOUND

Tipton, the B13 Newshound Twitter: @B13Newshound / Instagram: @tiptonb13

HEAVENLY DESSERTS COME TO OXFORD ROAD Moseley’s Oxford road has become the latest location for Heavenly Desserts, selling the very finest in delectable sweet treats.

Heavenly Desserts has become one of the fastest growing dessert franchise companies in the UK since starting in 2008. Moseley is one of two locations in Birmingham, the other being Handsworth. There are also outlets locally in Coventry, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Nationwide there are more than 30 stores.

Moseley’s Heavenly Desserts, located next to M & S Foodhall, is open from 11 am to 11pm, seven days a week. Telephone 0121 594 9000 or email Moseley@ heavenlydesserts.co.uk . A takeaway service is available. Pop in, it’s well worth a visit.

SAINSBURY’S BECOMES LATEST ‘BIG NAME’ TO QUIT MOSELEY Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has announced it is leaving Moseley. The store, based at 158-162 Alcester Road, is shutting in the new year, with staff redeployed at nearby branches.

A company spokesperson did not give a specific reason but said the closure was “based on a range of factors” and the decision to quit was not taken lightly.

The spokesperson added, “We have made the difficult decision to close our Alcester Road Local, which will be closing early next year.

“Colleagues will have the opportunity to redeploy to other roles in the area and customers can continue to shop with us at our nearby stores, including Kings Heath Local, Selly Oak Bristol Road Local and Sainsbury’s Selly Oak Boulevard.

“We understand this will be an unsettling time for those affected and we’re supporting them in any way we can.”

Sainsbury's is the latest in a line of “big name” businesses to leave Moseley. Boots recently moved out and Costa Coffee, which was based in the old Barclays building, shut in October after opening in 2017. All the banks have gone, Prezzo and Pizza Express shut in recent years, and those with long memories will recall there was once a branch of WH Smith in Moseley which closed many years ago.

Sainsbury’s will be sorely missed, and not only for providing food and drinks to the local community. Over the years Moseley’s Sainsbury’s Local lived up to its name by supporting local projects such as the Moseley Alternative Giving Campaign, Moseley in Bloom and Moseley’s Christmas lights for many years.

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NEW CYCLE ROUTE PLANNED TO LINK CANNON HILL PARK AND MOSELEY As part of the continuing efforts to make the city more friendly for bicycle users, Birmingham City Council is now proposing to create a new cycle route linking Moseley with Cannon Hill Park. The proposed route will then link to the A38 Bristol Road cycle route .

The route is planned to begin at the pedestrian and cycle access to Cannon Hill Park, opposite Cannon Hill Road. Moving towards Moseley it would run alongside the footpath on Edgbaston Road, and the zebra crossing on Russell Road which would be moved and upgraded to allow people travelling by foot or cycle to cross safely.

It is proposed that the main route then uses Park Hill, where cyclists will share space with general traffic, and Chantry Road to reach the A435 Alcester Road in Moseley.

Chantry Road would become one way (from A435 to Park Hill) for general traffic, and a new two-way cycle lane would be added.

On-street parking will still be possible on the north side of Chantry Road, but double yellow lines will be added on the corner opposite the entrance to SS John & Monica Catholic Primary School. In addition, the speed limit on Salisbury Road would be reduced from 30mph to 20mph.

For Moseley, the proposal is that a forthcoming scheme for the local centre will link this cycle route with the proposed Places for People in Kings Heath and Moseley project. The local centre scheme will be the subject of a future consultation.

The cycle lanes will be separated from general traffic and from pedestrians, using a combination of level differences (so there is a kerb in between), lane separator units (a rubber or concrete kerb), and lines marked on the ground. This scheme will create approximately 0.8km of new segregated cycling facilities. This project is funded by the Active Travel Fund and is part of the West Midlands Cycle & Walk programme.

Consultations on the scheme were due to close at the end of November.

For further details check out www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/economy/moseley-cycleroute/

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COSTA COFFEE CLOSES AFTER FOUR YEARS IN MOSELEY Costa Coffee has closed its Moseley cafe at 19 St Mary’s Row, after opening four years ago in 2017.

Prior to that the premises had been empty for three years following Barclays Bank moving out in 2014.

All signs of Costa’s four year stay in Moseley disappeared quickly after the cafe closed at the end of October, with the Costa signs being removed within hours from the site.

Back in 2017, when Moseley’s Costa first opened, protesters pointed out that there was no need for more coffee shops in Moseley as it already had plenty of independents within a few yards of each other, including Cafephilia, Java Lounge, Maison Mayci, Lewis’s and Damascena.

At the time it was also said that Moseley was the last remaining Edwardian shopping centre left in Birmingham and conservationists wished to maintain its unique ambience and avoid Moseley just becoming another homogeneous suburb.

Interestingly, other food and drinks chains like Pizza Express and Prezzo, have suffered the same fate as Costa, closing after just a few years.

FARMERS’ MARKET AGAIN SHORTLISTED FOR ‘BEST IN CLASS’ AWARD Moseley’s Farmers’ Market has once again been shortlisted for the final for the Best Farmers' Market of the year in the UK. The finalists for the latest awards have just been announced. And as well as Moseley Farmers’ Market, also shortlisted are Barnard Castle Farmers’ Market; Lavenham Farmers’ Market; and Stroud Farmers’ Market.

The Best Farmers’ Market award is judged by the Farm Retail Association, the body that oversees all farm shops, markets etc. Judges will be visiting Moseley Farmers’ Market undercover over the coming months to check the market out so as to eliminate three of the four finalists and arrive at a winner.

If you'd like to volunteer to help the market for an hour or could help with some administration using excel, please can you contact them. The more helpers there are, the smoother it'll run. The email is contact@moseleyfarmersmarket.org.uk or phone 0121 449 3156.

Saltire Sky 1902

Ian Cook 6

flat (where group member Earl Falconer lived) on Trafalgar Road, Moseley. UB40 played the Moseley Festival in the early days of the band and had their first ever gig at the Hare and Hounds.

The multi-talented musician was brought into the group as their MC – as well as trumpet player and percussionist – but said he became a “singjay” rather than a DJ, providing backing with melodies. This “toasting”, a reggae style of talking or chanting over the beat – long before rapping took off – was most powerfully showcased on the full-length album version of ‘Red Red Wine’ (1983), the first of UB40’s three chart-topping singles in the UK. It also went on to become a No 1 in the USA. He sang lead vocal on the 1987 single ‘Rat in Mi Kitchen’ and was the writer of the song.

OBITUARY:

ASTRO

Astro left UB40 in 2013 and teamed up with lead singer Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue (also ex members of the band by that point) to make ‘UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey’.

The band went on to have a No 2 UK album and top the US reggae album chart with A Real Labour of Love (2018). Astro sang lead vocals on six of the 16 tracks. Virtue then left the band but Astro and Campbell continued and were due to tour next year.

Astro, real name Terence Wilson, who has died aged 64 after a short illness, was a founder member of UB40. Astro grew up around Balsall Heath and was the son of Jamaican immigrants who had settled in England as part of the Windrush generation.

He attended Golden Hillock (now Ark Boulton Academy) school in Sparkhill with future UB40 keyboardist Mickey Virtue, who remained his oldest friend in the group. He acquired his nickname from the ‘Astronaut’ brand of Doc Marten boots he wore.

Mark Baxter The first rehearsals of the band that would become UB40 took place in the basement of a Sources: The Herald and Independent obituaries

FRIENDS OF MOSELEY B13 MAGAZINE Moseley B13 Magazine is approaching its 49th year as a non-profit, voluntary run organisation and we hope to remain as a print edition community magazine for many more years to come.

The digital age has seen an end to most print community magazines in Birmingham and across the country, with the surviving ones usually centred around heavy advertising, but we’ve tried to keep the focus on varied content and the stories our community has to tell.

If you’d like to help support the magazine in 2022 then why not sign up to become a ‘Friend of Moseley B13 Magazine’ for just £30 for the whole year. You will receive all monthly issues over the year and know you are providing invaluable support to the survival of the community’s long serving magazine.

Please email the Editor at editor@moseleymagazine.co.uk if you’d like to become a Friend of Moseley B13 Magazine.

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COMING HOME

I’ve recently returned to living in Moseley after a gap of 18 years. Its diverse, creative and vibrant community feels very attractive to anyone wanting to make a home here. This autumn, St Mary’s and St Anne’s Church communities have been reflecting on the concept of ‘home’, a particularly poignant subject, when so many of us have spent much time in our respective homes during the pandemic.

We have widened this out to reflect on themes such as how we create a home, what makes us feel at home, the idea of being welcoming people of hospitality; the experience of leaving home and what it might feel like to be people who live nomadic existence; those amongst us who live in transience, remaining in a place for a short space of time before moving on.

vans because they cannot afford traditional housing.

Many of them are survivors of the 2008 financial crisis.

In December we also have a digital project running which invites anyone to submit photos, poems or short pieces of writing about any aspect of ‘home’ they think is important or interesting – please see the website for details (https:// www.moseleychurch.org.uk/ discipleship). We are thinking too about how we can support and link up with organisations and individuals who are seeking to make the UK and this city their long-term home.

As we approach Christmas many of us will extend our own welcome to friends, family and less well-known neighbours, whether our homes are large or small.

In church we will undertake Posada, a beautiful tradition from South America, where a Nativity set ‘travels’ to different families and We have a regular Film Night individuals – a symbol of at St Mary’s and this month Mary and Joseph’s journey we watched Nomadland, from Nazareth to Bethlehem. a film about the growing If you ‘host’ the Nativity you subculture in America where are encouraged to display it people in their 60s and 70s on a windowsill, to sit with it are hitting the road in camper8

and maybe pray in your own way too.

As an Anglican priest I’ve been used to having my own home understood as both a private sanctuary as well as a public space where meetings and social gatherings happen, with opinions voiced, and laughter and food shared; a place where sometimes grief is shared and tears are shed. Now, for me, ‘home’ is a return to an area and city where I did important things – got married, had my children and found a sense of meaning and purpose for my life.

Experiencing being welcomed back, I am trying to develop what could be described as an attitude of hospitality around me, going wherever each day takes me. This means talking and listening to people, sharing hope and a vision for the future, and building common ground.

Revd Magdalen Smith Associate Vicar in Moseley Parish Email: assocvicar@ moseleychurch.org.uk www.moseleyb13.com

Standing on the heritage brick floor in Highbury Orchard, drinking up the view of ancient, towering trees and the young apple orchard. The sound of birds tweeting and children playing in the mud kitchen fill the air. The winter low sun is twinkling in the distance and you could easily forget you were a five minute walk away from the hustle and bustle of the colourful Kings Heath high street.

Highbury Orchard in Highbury Park is a special place for calm and connection in the busy urban sprawl of the city. The last 18 months have seen the space well used as people have taken the opportunity to take sanctuary in nature, but now that we are reconnecting as a community, things are really becoming energised.

Nature Never Felt So Good:

Highbury Orchard

planning our growing season for 2022. That will see more wild flowers for our honey bees and the planning of a commonwealth herb garden.

Expect a sense sensation. We would love extra thoughts, expertise and hands.

Our Growing Well Together group recently launched with generous funding from Near Neighbours. This is an adult wellbeing group that New and returning roots itself in nature to help volunteers graft to nurture connect participants through the land on Thursdays, 11bushcraft skills and peer 2pm. As our part of Earth support around the campfire. orbits into winter darkness, Join in every Thursday, we will take the perspective of 1-3pm. changing landscapes to begin Families join us on Wednesdays when we have an energetic and dedicated gaggle of followers for our woodland play sessions.

Everyone is always keen to explore, learn and have fun.

It has been a pleasure to see children play after such long periods of social gatherings being restricted. Carers are happy in equal measures to chat with fellow parents and see their children having such fun. This half term we have been celebrating light and 9

dark, exploring how we need both, and looking into the many cultural and historical festivals that mark this period.

Our programmes follow a seasonal beat, and working outside during winter has its hurdles. We think about the trees and the animals with whom we share the space with, and work to help them and also learn from them.

Highbury Orchard Community are so thankful that we can all be together, and for the beauty we have on our local doorstep, with a patchwork of varying green spaces. If you would like to know more, do follow us on Facebook. We also have a community buzz group. Email events@highburyorchard. org.uk Look out for our annual wassail in January. There will also be a party after where you can learn more about what we do, how we do it and ways to join us.

Rhiannon Simpson

MOSELEY MUNCH A Toast to Christmas Past

S

ometimes I think if aliens were to witness this world during the holiday period, they would find us to be… incredibly alien. Sure, we function as a society in a somewhat sophisticated manner eleven months out of the year, but when year end rolls around, an innate psychosis takes over our entire being and we go a bit bonkers. We put a living tree inside our house, we throw lights, tinsel and sparkles over pretty much everything that we can possibly get our hands on, we wear “ugly sweaters'', we tell our children stories of a mythical man who flies all over the world in one night and of course we go a bit loco with the drink and the food. But this is all a metamorphosis of cyclical customs from the past.

My grandparents were both Scandinavian, so Christmas was a time to be uber traditional. My brother and I wore old-

fashioned costumes that made us look like Hansel and Gretel. We went to Norwegian fairs filled with open faced sandwiches and a TON of accordion music, my grandfather and my mother being key band members. Our big celebration was Christmas Eve where we would eat a smorgasbord of meatballs, pork, and a ton of pickled dishes that have funny sounding names. It was very different to what my friends did, but it was ours and I realise that celebrating in this fashion served as a means of transport for my grandparents and a way to preserve the past.

Now that I live in the UK, in some sort of speedy evolutionary process, I have had to embrace new holiday customs – a lot of this being through food. The array of starters, seafood, the gin, cheese and the port. It is a near gout experience that I happily lap up. But I must admit it has taken some time for me to accept that things will not always be the same as they were. I loved that my grandfather never adopted the American traditions of turkey at Christmas, just a mere month after Thanksgiving. But I never stopped to think that as an immigrant he also clearly had to adapt and accept change in almost every other way.

I may now eat a juicy turkey on Christmas day in the UK with my extended family, but I also wrestle Norwegian sweaters onto my sons, and I always make meatballs and pickles.

Because no matter how alien our intricate traditions may seem to others, the holidays just wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t transport ourselves and preserve the magic.

To celebrate the holidays, I have made two recipes. I hope you enjoy them and have a Happy Christmas!

Here are my easy spiced Scandi meatballs with quick pickles. Serve as a pass around starter or as a meal, either way it gives you the holiday feels. Further on is my morphed take on cheesy leeks and creamed spinach, it is the perfect indulgent holiday side.

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Holiday Spiced Swedish Meatballs with Juniper Sweet and Sour Pickles

ingredients until the sugar and salt dissolves and then pour mixture over the vegetables.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the meatballs: 500 grams beef (12% fat) or pork or 50/50 1 egg beaten 1 onion finely minced 75 grams fresh or panko breadcrumbs 50 ml whole milk 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg Large pinch ground clove

Makes 24 cocktail sized meatballs Ingredients: For the pickles: 1 cucumber stripey peeled and sliced 1 shallot thinly sliced 1 garlic clove smashed 1 tsp. juniper berries ½ cup white wine vinegar ½ cup water 2 ½ tbsp. castor sugar ½ tsp. sea salt Method: Place the cucumber and shallot slices into a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the remaining

Large pinch ground allspice 1 ½ tsp. sea salt Few cranks of fresh pepper For the sauce: 20 grams butter 1 ½ tbsp. flour 650 ml beef stock Cream, cranberry or lingonberry sauce and chopped dill to garnish Method: Preheat the oven to 225C and place a rack at the top of your oven.

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Place all the ingredients except for the meat 350 ml cream into a large bowl and mix to form a paste, then add the meat and incorporate everything 1 large garlic clove finely grated well with your hands.

2 ½ tbsp breadcrumbs Using a melon baller, scoop a generous Method: amount of the meat and form into small balls.

Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

In a large sauté pan on medium heat melt the butter and whisk in the flour, creating a roux and cooking for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the beef stock and bring to a simmer to thicken.

Add the meatballs and juices from the baking tray to the pan and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes to heat through and allow the flavours to mingle.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put washed (still wet) cavolo nero on medium heat in a cast iron skillet, cover and steam until wilted, about 3 minutes.

Plate the meatballs with their gravy, drizzled with a bit of cream, garnished with lots of dill, and serve with cranberry sauce on the side along with the punchy pickles.

Set aside on a plate and wipe the pan. Turn the heat up to medium high and add 30 grams butter and the leeks. Cook until softened, (about 3 minutes) and set aside on a plate.

Add 30 grams butter and cook the fennel until softened, about 7 minutes.

Next Level Three Green, Three Cheese Gratin:

Now turn heat off and add all the greens in and toss so they are evenly mixed.

In a separate saucepan on medium high, melt the remaining butter and add the garlic frying for about 30 seconds. Add the cream and some fresh pepper and 2/3 of the cheeses and stir constantly while the cheese melts into the cream and the sauce thickens.

Pour the mixture evenly over the vegetables.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top along with the breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

Cover the skillet with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15 or until golden brown and bubbly.

400 grams fennel sliced thinly lengthwise and into 4cm pieces 200 grams cavolo nero or kale sliced into 4cm pieces 2 leeks sliced 70 grams sharp cheddar cheese grated

Jenny Gwynne

70 grams gouda (or another nutty cheese such Jenny is “The Salty Chilli” an obsessive cook as gruyere or comte) grated and food writer who lives in Moseley.

40 grams parmesan cheese grated To read more check out her Instagram @ 90 grams of butter, divided thesaltychilli, her blog www.thesaltychilli.com 12

The Moseley Society History Group has started a new research project on local men in World War Two. It is based on the memorial in St Mary’s Church. We aim to produce a booklet and deliver a talk in March 2022.

There are 21 names on the memorial and we are concentrating on these 11 men to begin with. We hope to do the same with the remaining 10 individuals. We would love to hear from any surviving relatives of these men, particularly if they have any information relating to their war service.

Flight Sergeant Kenneth William Adams Lieutenant Colonel James George Bullock Pilot Officer Edgar Alan Dare Sergeant William Edwin Frederick Lavender Leading Aircraft Ronald Henry Morgan Private James Pankshurst Captain Frederick Edward Reynolds George Arthur Swain RN Photo credit: Tony Woolley (War Memorials Online Flight Sergeant Dudley Arthur Ronald Tallis If you have details you wish to send us or Lieutenant John Cedric Rogan Type just wish to get in touch, email Ian Binnie on Lance Colonel Neville Vaughan warwickfus@btinternet.com

Moseley Society History Group Research Project

Moseley Society History Group Research Project

MOSELEY FARMERS’ MARKET DOES IT AGAIN …

But can we again claim the award of the Best Farmers’ Market in the UK? We’ve been shortlisted for the award, as the best in the Midlands, against Stroud in the SW, Lavenham in East Anglia and Barnard Castle in the NE. Competition is strong, especially from Stroud, which is a weekly business compared to ours which is run by volunteers for the community. But it’s not the first time we’ve been shortlisted: here are some of our achievements that you might not know about:

Numerous references as one of the best in National Newspapers such as The Times, Independent, Telegraph and even The New York Times (in 2012). But more important is the £91,000 that we’ve been able to plough back into Moseley, and encouraging our vibrant community.

Starting with 20 stalls on August 28th, 2000, we’ve never looked back. Six stalls have been with us these past 21 years: Old Sandlin (apples), Lightwood Cheeses, Berryfields (pork), Fowlers Cheeses, Hill Top Farm (beef & lamb) and Norbury’s Cider.

2004 – won Regional ‘Market Masters’ award

by DEFRA, NFU and Birmingham Post, the best in 7 counties and asked to showcase our market for DEFRA in Worcestershire / 2006 – named Best in the Midlands in the Country Life Award / 2007– runners up Best in UK / 2009 – Best Farmers’ Market in UK / 2012 – Best Farmers’ Market in UK / 2014 – Best in Midlands / 2016 – Best in UK again / National runners up 2018 and 2020

The Christmas Market on 18 December is probably when we’ll be judged. Any offers to help put up tinsel etc and take it down again would help us!

Contact David Isgrove or Izzy Knowles.

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INTRODUCING OUR NEW MOSELEY NURSERY for children aged 3 months - 4 years

Opening in January 2022 in the heart of Moseley Register your interest now!

4 Oxford Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9EH Our ethos at Norfolk House Nursery is built on the following principles: Placing the safety and wellbeing of your child at the very centre of nursery life Getting to know your child as well as we possibly can and tailoring our approach to his or her particular needs Inspiring your child to learn and develop Developing strong partnerships with parents, families and the wider community

Open 7am - 7pm enquiries@norfolkhouseschool.co.uk Norfolk House Nursery

Norfolk House Nursery

3 Norfolk Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3PS

28 Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3AA

nhnursery.co.uk

Moseley Society History Group

Post Early for Christmas!

Photo credit: Stephen Wheeler

Sir Henry Cole from Bath commissioned some Christmas cards in 1843. They sold for 1/- each (1/- in 1840 was worth c., £3 in 2017) and an annual tradition was founded.

The Penny Black was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It launched a revolution in communications that enabled people to 16

communicate from all levels of society and helped businesses to flourish. It was a runaway success when it went on sale on 6 May, 1840.

In 1839 there were 76 million www.moseleyb13.com

letters posted in the United Kingdom, while in 1840 after the introduction of the Penny Post, there were 168 million.

Ten years later this had doubled to an incredible 347 million letters.

A letter weighing up to half an ounce (14 grams) could be sent to any destination in the country for a flat rate of 1d (1d in 1840 was worth c., 25p in 2017). Before this communications were complex and expensive with the recipient usually required to pay on delivery. Sir Roland Hill proposed a simple prepaid postage system using a stamp. The image of Queen Victoria on the stamp was based on a sketch by Henry Corbould of her aged fifteen and was engraved by Charles Heath and his son Frederick.

It remained on stamps for more than sixty years until her death in 1901. The Penny Black was ¾” wide by 7/8” tall (approx., 19x22 mm). It lasted less than a year, because the red cancellation was hard to see on the black design and the red ink was easy to remove making cancelled stamps easy to reuse. In 1841 a Penny Red was issued instead. Postcards were introduced in 1870 and some

75 million postcards were sent in 1871.

Post first came to Moseley by stagecoach or mail coach.

From 1849 omnibuses brought post to Moseley, including parcels. Parcels by omnibus under 14 lbs cost 2d; above 14 lbs and under 28lbs cost 3d, which had to be prepaid. Moseley village had a Post Office and Postmaster, Thomas Bird, and a daily footpost in 1850.

Footpost deliveries went to two deliveries daily in 1871 and three in 1875, while dispatches from Moseley went from one to two in 1868 and to three in 1879.

Thomas Hadley, Grocer & Spirit Merchant, continued as Postmaster until 1878, and was followed by George Johns. In 1871 Moseley Post Office also became a Post and Money Order Office and Post Office Savings Bank and, by 1875, a Telegraph Office.

Telegrams cost 1/- for twenty words, including delivery within a mile of any post office. The Telegraph Boy would have been a familiar sight in Moseley. A cheap parcels service was introduced in 1883 with parcels costing 3d for the first 1Ib weight with a limit of 7lb at 1/-.

There were three arrivals and three dispatches in the 1880s, increasing to four from 1886.

Pillar and Wall Boxes were introduced to Moseley by 1886 for the convenience of residents. At first, pillar boxes were installed in five roads (the number of daily collections being shown in brackets after): Church Road (4 collections), Moor Green Lane (4), Wake Green Road 17

(5), Park Hill (4) and Stoney Lane (5), and wall boxes in four locations: Oxford Road (3 collections increased to 4 in 1892), Greenhill Road (4), Trafalgar Road (4 collections increased to 5 in 1898) and Moseley railway station (4 collections increased to 6 in 1897). In 1894 additional pillar boxes were installed in Springfield Road (3 collections), College Road (4), Park Road (4 collections increased to 5 in 1897), Mayfield Road (4), Woodbridge Road (4) and Woodstock Road (4) and an additional wall box in Clarence Road. On Sundays throughout the nineteenth century, pillar and wall boxes were cleared only once, and there were no arrivals at the Post Office and only one dispatch.

Happy Christmas!

Janet Berry Moseley Society History Group

Tommy Quang’s World of Strange

Christmas Ghost Story 2021

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a chilling ghost story. Also, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the Radio Times. To be honest, I think it still is, but you just wouldn’t know what was on the telly, or the radio, and you’d save yourself a fiver. I’m getting off the point.

Before I start the terrifying tale, make sure you have a blazing fire stoked up with a large glass of mulled wine (available at Moseley Farmers’ Market), with a decent sized bowl of nuts and perhaps a jolly selection pack or two (haven’t chocolate bars got smaller since you were a kid?). Throw a tin of Quality Street into the mix (as long as some greedy numpties haven’t been at it and only left those purple ones no bugger likes), backed up by a traditional yule log and some more mulled wine (perhaps some cans of lager if you get fed up with the mulled wine), complemented by the Ferrero Rocher you receive every Christmas from that relative you never see, and a chunky Christmas cake [Tommy, please get this over and done with - Editor] ...er, so settle down and prepare for my ghost story for Christmas 2021. Don’t worry if you didn’t get the fire lit. Just focus on the snack selection*.

Phantom or Vanishing hitchhikers are a phenomenon that have been reported all over Britain, and indeed the world. Many stories seem to be urban legends, others are recited by startled motorists left with the memory of a very strange and unearthly experience.

The story usually starts with an individual flagging down a car late at night, seemingly desperate for a lift. The passenger then sits quietly in the back of the vehicle, hardly communicating on the journey. Then at a certain point, the driver turns to see the person is no longer in the car. The alarmed motorist can only conclude that this was a lost and trapped spirit, roaming the roads, trying to get to some place that was important to them while they were living. I spoke to Terry Flannagan about a very similar experience he had last Christmas...

“It was Christmas Eve and I noticed a fella strolling down the side of the road in Highgate,” remembered Mr Flannagan. “He waved his arm, indicating that he wanted me to stop and was in need of a lift. I pulled up and he climbed in the back. He pointed down

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the road and mumbled the words ‘St Mary’s, Moseley’.

“I said that was no problem and I could drop him off there. I tried to chat with him on the journey - I seem to remember bringing up the Villa score and the terrible car parking around Moseley - but he remained silent. He looked very pale, ashen even, with bloodshot eyes, and his clothes were in tatters. I drove down Moseley Road, occasionally looking in my rear view mirror and catching sight of his deathly, haggard reflection. Finally, we arrived in Moseley and I remember passing the beautiful Christmas tree on the village green before pulling up outside St Mary’s Church. I turned around and, to my surprise, found that the man was no longer in the back of the car. The fella was gone and nowhere to be seen.”

I put it to Mr Flannagan that this sounds like a classic case of an other-worldly passenger disappearing on a journey. I also suggested that perhaps the churchyard had some kind of significance for the restless soul who obviously had unfinished business in this physical realm. However, Mr Flannagan had another theory.

“He was alive and well, and a flaming fare dodger. You see I’m a taxi driver and I get these people all the time. I’ve heard about this bloke doing it to other poor drivers since last Christmas. He gets tanked up on a pub crawl he takes from the Spotted Dog to the Merry Maid Bar and Grill, and then does a runner from his taxi as soon as he gets to Moseley. I reckon he bombed it through the churchyard before I could turn around and get him to pay up.

So there you have it, readers. I hope the story doesn’t give you nightmares and that you have a Very Happy Christmas and New Year, with a hearty Christmas dinner and a decent selection of New Year’s Eve drinks and snacks to accompany Jools Holland and his boogie woogie piano.

If you have a strange or spooky story you’d like me to investigate in 2021, do get in touch.

Oh, and watch out for those mysterious figures at the side of the road on Christmas Eve. Tommy Quang Follow me on Twitter at: @WorldofStrange *One of those massive Toblerones is essential**. **Did I mention Matchmakers and a Terry’s Chocolate Orange?

Editor’s Note: Tommy Quang’s World of Strange can also be heard on hospital radio at the Noddy Holder Hospital in Bloxwich this December, where Tommy is being fitted for a gastric band.

“He was clearly legless - little wonder his clothes were in tatters - and as pale as could be as he was obviously very queasy on the journey. He vomited in the back of the taxi before he got out. If I ever get hold of the (This section had to be heavily edited - Editor) and I tell you what, they’ll have to sew them back on. Anyway, I’d like to say a Merry Christmas to all your readers and don’t forget Flannagan's Fast Taxis this Christmas and New Year when you are out and about. Just quote ‘Tommy Quang’s World of Strange’ for a 20% discount.”

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Connolly’s Wine Merchants. I’m delighted to say that my daughter Abi is also now a key part of the business.

We have two stores, one in Solihull and the other in central Birmingham and also a wine bar, Arch 13, which is located at the Birmingham store.

Tell us more about the wine you supply.

We pride ourselves on being able to find new and exciting wines from all over the world – great wines that don’t cost a fortune.

If you fancy discovering something a little different, then I am sure we can help. We have had fantastic customer feedback on recent additions to our range from Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia and Turkey. We even discovered a great wine from Transylvania in Romania that went down really well with customers, and we are about to take delivery of a shipment of Hungarian wine which we are really excited about.

Many of these countries have been producing wine for hundreds if not thousands of years, but they have really upped their game over the last few years and are offering superb wines at very affordable prices.

Of course, we supply wine from all the traditional countries as well, both new and old world, but it’s a really exciting time with these countries introducing lesser known grape varieties and such high-quality products to the UK market.

Sharing a Glass of Wine with Moseley’s Chris Connolly We at Moseley B13 Magazine believe passionately in supporting Moseley’s local business people. It’s been a tough couple of years for small business owners everywhere so now more than ever it’s time to support our local entrepreneurs.

We would like to introduce you to longtime Moseleyite Chris Connolly, owner of Connolly’s Independent Wine Merchants.

I caught up with Chris at his amazing wine bar, Arch 13 in central Birmingham to learn more about his business...

Both of our stores also carry a sizeable and ever-changing range of beers and spirits.

So, Chris, tell us about Connolly’s Independent Wine Merchants.

Well, I have deep family ties in the wine business. My Great Grandfather, Louis, having owned a number of pubs in and around Wolverhampton, bought a wine merchants business in Birmingham in 1908 and traded as Connolly & Olivieri Wine Merchants on the corner of Pinfold Street and New Street.

My Grandfather and Father both followed in Louis’ footsteps and I continued the tradition when, in 1980, I joined what is now

2 Chris with daughter Abi at the Livery Street, Birmingham store. Abi, who is a fully qualified sommelier works alongside Chris in the family business

Chris with daughter Abi 20

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Quarter where you can also enjoy some fabulous cheese, charcuterie and vegetarian platters alongside your wine. Cocktails and beers and a good selection of Port and Madeira are also available. Our new wine and cheese flights are proving very popular.

Livery Street store

Who is a typical Customer?

I don’t think we have a typical customer.

Our customers range from wine experts to complete beginners and everything in between. Our knowledgeable staff love chatting to customers and encouraging them to try new things that they wouldn’t normally consider and helping them find the perfect bottle.

I believe you also offer a delivery service to anywhere in Birmingham. Tell us more about that.

Yes, we offer a subscription service – where each month you get free delivery of a half case of wine. For just £79.95, each month you will be surprised with an interesting mix of 6 bottles from all over the globe. Our mission is to seek out wines that are a little bit different and that you won’t find on supermarket shelves. A 3-month or 6-month subscription can also make a wonderful birthday or Christmas gift.

We also deliver one-off orders for customers who are planning a dinner party, stocking up for Christmas or would simply just like to try a few interesting wines that they would not normally come across. Our website is updated regularly on all the wines, beers and spirits we have in stock.

Every second Wednesday of the month we offer tasting evenings where you can come along to learn about wine and try an assortment from all over the world in a very relaxed and informal setting. Check out the website for details.

A final word for Moseley B13 Magazine readers?

Wine is our passion. If you want to learn more about wine or are looking for something that is a little bit different, please pop into one of our stores or the bar. We’d love to help you discover something special.

Martin Jeffers Financial Planner, Moseley 07507634432 For more details on all of the above, contact Chris and his team at their website: https:// www.connollyswine.co.uk/ or by telephone: 0121 2363837; or check out Connollyswine on Instagram and Facebook.

If you are based in or around Moseley and have a business you would like to share with our readers, please do get in touch. Chris has kindly offered his wine bar, Arch 13 as a venue for a chat so the magazine and readers can find out more about your business.

There is also Arch 13 situated at the front of Connolly's Wine Shop on Livery Street.

Yes, Arch 13 is our wine bar in the Jewellery

Arch 13 21

WOOD BURNING IS A LEADING CAUSE OF AIR POLLUTION IN THE UK

Burning wood can look beautiful and feel cosy, but the science is clear - if you can smell smoke, tiny particles of soot are gradually harming both your and your neighbours’ health.

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BURN WOOD?

Can you minimise the number of times a year you use your stove or fire? If you have central heating, do you need to burn wood at all?

THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU BUY A FIRE PIT OR STOVE

Burning wood in fire pits and stoves can cause your family, neighbours and friends serious health issues.

IF YOU MUST BURN, BURN WITH CARE

Even the newest Ecodesign stoves emit high levels of harmful pollution.

If you must burn, ensure your wood is dry and your chimney is swept to reduce dangerous soot. Never burn treated or painted wood or any other kind of waste as these can release highly dangerous toxins like chromium and arsenic.

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DID YOU KNOW? 1·

2·

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) essentially tiny particles of soot - is one of the most dangerous air pollutants.

Breathing it in is linked to lung cancer, heart damage, strokes, impaired cognition and mental health problems, and can exacerbate conditions such as asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. Children and elderly people are most vulnerable.1

3·

There is no such thing as clean burning.

Even the newest, DEFRA-approved/ ecodesign stoves release particulates into homes and the wider neighbourhood, so wood smoke affects the health of your family and neighbours in the short and long term.

4·

Wood burning is not a climate-friendly way of heating your home. The Climate Change Committee, which advises the government on reducing national carbon emissions, recommends that people with alternative sources of heating should avoid burning wood.3

Wood burning is a leading cause of this particulate matter. Government research shows more than a third of PM2.5 in the UK in 2019 came from domestic sources, including wood burning stoves, fireplaces, bonfires and firepits.2 This makes wood 5· Experts at Asthma UK and the British burning a bigger source of PM2.5 than vehicles.

Lung Foundation have also asked people with wood burners to use them only if they have no alternative source of heat TO FIND OUT MORE to avoid air pollution.

ABOUT THE HARMS OF WOODBURNING, VISIT BIT.LY/M4LINFO

1 2 3

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs: Public Health: Sources and Effects of PM2.5 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs: Emissions of air pollutants in the UK – Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) http://bit.ly/AvoidBurning

@ MUMSFORLUNGS E: MUMSFORLUNGS@GMAIL.COM W: MUMSFORLUNGS.ORG

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EDITOR'S

CHOICE: THE BEST OF

DECEMBER

& JANUARY'S

EVENTS

Winter Craft Fair, The Fighting Cocks, Saturday 11 December, 12:00-17:00 Thursday Night Christmas The festive fair is now Markets, The Kingsway, Every something of a tradition at Thursday until 23 December, the popular pub. Featuring a 17:00-22:00 raffle for Macmillan.

The Kingsway Cinema has been a rip-roaring success Moseley Farmers’ Market, over the last year with its Saturday 18 December, art, craft and food market 09:00-14:00 happening every Saturday.

Pre-Christmas outing for Christmas will see the grounds of the former cinema the Best Farmers’ Market of the Year 2021 nominee. buzzing with Thursday night markets full of festive fun and The finest of foods will be complemented by the talent gift shopping. on display at the Moseley Arts’ Market.

Christmas Market Fun Day!, Art Rooms Kings Heath, New Year's Eve Saturday 4 December, 11:0020:00 New Year’s Eve at The Local artists and creators.

Village, The Village, Friday 31 Magical puppet show, December, 20:00-02:00 storytelling, colouring.

Funk, soul and disco...all night long!

Christmas Arts Markets 2021, MAC, Saturday 4 and Sunday Christmas Party/ Club Nights 5 December, 11:00-17:00 MAC showcases the work of local designer- makers. Stalls include ceramics, jewellery, paintings and craft items.

Markets

The very best of B13 and neighbouring Christmas markets, New Year’s Eve celebrations, Christmas club/ party nights, gigs, and other events.

Let’s Dance Christmas 2021!, Black Lab, Friday 17 December, 20:30 The brilliant Black Lab hosts a massive dance party for Christmas. Northern soul, Motown, funk, Afrobeat, psychedelic disco, and dance music from across the decades.

Moseley Christmas Lights Switch On, Christmas Tree on the Village Green, Saturday 4 December, Time 17:30 Christmas in Moseley just doesn’t get started until the lights are switched on and we gather around the tree for a carol or two.

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Army, raising money for band member Beth to access expensive cancer treatment which is not available on the NHS. Christmas fancy dress and/or stripes are encouraged!

Kezia Soul, Hare and Hounds, Monday 20 December, 19:30 Moseley B13 Magazine March cover star and The Voice contestant Kezia Soul takes to the stage in Kings Heath.

Tolkien's festive illustration

Christmas BethFest!, Dark Horse, Moseley, Friday 10 December, 19:30 Origins of Middle Earth Tours, Low Red Moon put the “fun” Sarehole Mill, Sunday 5 and in fundraising! All money 19 December, 10:00-11:00 made from ticket sales from the gig will go to Beth’s Escape the Christmas madness by stepping into Middle Earth and taking a guided walk of the locations that inspired Tolkien to write The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Walking Tours

Gigs The Atlantic Players, The Kingsway, Saturday 4 December, 17:00 Old school rhythm and blues and southern soul classics.

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LoneLady, Hare and Hounds, Monday 17th January, 19:30 Manchester’s magnificent LoneLady, aka Julie Campbell, influenced by the post-punk era and integrating dance and funk.

More information and tickets for events can be found online.

Not everyone will feel comfortable celebrating in close proximity to others at the present time, so I’ll leave it to you to go with what you feel is right over the festive period. Have a bostin’ Christmas!

Mark Baxter

Financial advice made personal We recognise that talking about money and finances is personal – sometimes sensitive. So it’s reassuring to know that there’s someone on hand who can help you address your needs, understand your goals and realise your dreams.

We offer a friendly and approachable service, backed by the strength and security of FTSE 100 company, St. James’s Place Wealth Management; and being local means we’re here to help whenever you need us.

Please do get in touch for a chat.

MARTIN JEFFERS Principal

MBA

MARTIN JEFFERS WEALTH MANAGEMENT Associate Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management

MOSELEY | 07507 634432 martin.jeffers@sjpp.co.uk jefferswealthmanagement.co.uk

The Partner Practice is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James's Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group's wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group's website www.sjp.co.uk/products.

The 'St. James's Place Partnership' and the titles 'Partner' and 'Partner Practice' are marketing terms used to describe St. James's Place representatives.

SJP11711 V1 (12/19)

SJP11711bb_Adviser Local Adverts A5 portrait_Colour.indd 1

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Moseley Memories: HA'PORTH & ALL THAT As a kid, I would frequently hear a chuckling “Yer daft ha’porth” directed at a

giggling babe in arms or a devoted pet. Toying with my memories now, I realised that anyone born after the mid60s would have no idea what the expression meant.

Nowadays, every coin you handle bears the head of Queen Elizabeth II. Our short change, though, contained coins bearing the heads of every monarch from Victoria to Elizabeth II (except the disgraced Edward VIII, of course). It was often hard to 27

read the date or any writing on them and the head was a smooth, shiny silhouette polished by much handling.

So, what were a ‘ha’porth’, a ‘penn’orth’ or a ‘threepenny bit’ (‘thrupenny’ in the South of England)? And what about ‘farthings’ (not ‘far things’ but said with a hard ‘-th’)? Not least, why should eightpence be written as ‘8d,’ not ‘8p,’ as it is nowadays? Ah sweet mystery!

for the best buy available.

The Bon-Bon shared a shop unit with a place where parcels of laundry and starched collars were done, so it was long and narrow, sharing angled doors. The long wall behind the counter was covered with shelves stocked with large jars of enjoyment. Gob-stoppers (boiled sweets) of every hue and stripe stood out, but you didn’t get many for a penny, so they were an occasional tooth-rotting treat. Better were liquorice allsorts, hundreds-and-thousands (many-coloured balls of sugar paste), and, most attractive to us, kali.

F

or a start off, ‘penny’ was an Anglo-Saxon word given to coins already in common usage by King Offa of Mercia from his capital at Tamworth in 757. Many of them had originally been paid to legionary soldiers serving in every country which had been absorbed into the Roman Empire or copies made by Britons whose ancestors had been camp followers and traders at forts and settlements all over the country then called ‘Britannia.’

Offa of Mercia coin

thoroughly debased currency during the late C18 and early C19. There was an exception, particularly in Birmingham and the Black Country, but I’ll come to that later.

Value? Well, there were 240 pence to a pound sterling, 480 halfpence, or 960 farthings. Nevertheless, such mind-bogglingly tiny values still bought sought-after goods, especially for young kids like us.

Kali was a sherbet powder, flavoured strawberry or lemon, which fizzed when wetted. A piece of paper, screwed into a cone shape, held a satisfying amount for a ha’penny, still better, a penny.

No matter how scruffy we were after playing down the railway bank, it was amazing how clean a forefinger would be after being sucked and dipped in kali.

Sugar rationing had been introduced in 1942 because our meagre beet crop was insufficient and cane sugar came across the submarineinfested Atlantic as part of vulnerable ships’ cargoes.

Sweets of any kind were hard to find and so were treasured by us.

The Empire adopted a standard coinage in 211 BCE, called a ‘denarius’ (pl. ‘denarii’). Hence the ‘d’ in use for over 2000 years, until decimalisation in 1971.

The coins we knew, though, were never older than 1844, when Robert Peel (inventor Even then, we would hoard of two kinds of ‘copper’) our pennies and ha’pennies reformed what had become a 28

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Behind the counter was a Margaret Rutherford-like figure. Tall and buxom, she was usually very different from the stern character her look-alike usually played in films we saw at The Kingsway.

She would smile and showed obvious enjoyment at satisfying kids who eagerly queued outside. A girl’s squeal of “Stop that, Bertie Higgins!” brought her out from behind the counter to ban the culprit for a week, or two if they answered back.

Sweet rationing ended on 24th April 1949, but was hurriedly reinstated on 14th August, when Minister of Food John Strachey realised he had underestimated the demand from a war-torn population. It was not until 4th February 1953 that it finally ended, just in time to prepare for June’s Coronation Day. By then, I was a sophisticated 14-yearold with small but decent pocket-money every week.

What I really enjoyed was a penny stick of rhubarb from

Matthew Boulton

Ferrens’ fruit-and-veg shop with a lemon kali dip. The sharpness of the raw rhubarb was complemented by the kali’s sugar rush – ah, what satisfaction!

in Birmingham and the Black Country knew about Matthew Boulton.

During the C18, Boulton had minted coins and medals for Britain and various colonies A pleasure not then at the Soho Manufactory, the available in posh Moseley was first of its kind in the world. a penn’orth of scraps from a In 1798, he was given a fish-and-chip shop. When we government contract to make went down Ladypool Road to official pennies and tuppences visit Mom’s sister, a sheet of for circulation particularly paper containing bits of batter in the Midlands. They were and occasional flakes of cod made of pure copper, thicker was a real event. and larger than later pennies and would often turn up In 1946, I was ‘helping’ in gardens, as ours did in Dad dig out the Anderson Moseley. shelter from the back garden when he picked something Christmas is coming and out of the pile of earth. Spit gaudy plastic wrappings will and a good rubbing showed cover much-promoted plastic a circle of pink metal. He toys and unhealthy snacks. immediately recognised it as a Will today’s kids get as much ‘Boulton penny.’ It was a sign enjoyment as we did? of local pride in our industrial heritage that ordinary people David Spilsbury 29

Any Old Irons!

“Any old irons!” shouts the metal monger!

The voice has an acknowledged proclamation; He sits on top of his cart but did you see him?

Can you honestly say you gave him your old TV or bed legs or frame?

And yet there he is, vintage and long established, Bring out your old fridges and car chassis!

His voice is a phenomenon!

It is like a Buddhist bell, chimed every few quarters.

Does he garner fridges and all your old pumpernickel?

He comes once in a long time; Once you heard him. Now you don’t.

Maybe he has a ramshackle property with lots of iron frames and fenders in his yard?

And he wears gloves with no fingers at the ends?

He is a “tumbleweed connection”, Antediluvian, It’s sometimes the Autumn when he comes.

He is no-one’s acquaintance, The chap from across the decades you have lived, But you have never shook hands with him.

A champion of sorts.

Judith Fleetwood-Walker

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Moseley Housing Market: Rice Chamberlains Overview of 2021 and What for 2022?

• •

Marketing & Customer Service Award in the Midlands Region – Global News Best Letting Agent in South Birmingham British Property Awards

•

Lettings Gold and Sale Excellence awards being in the Top 5% Agents in the UK – Rightmove (not to bad considering we were in the running with around 15,000 other agents!) for marketing, RESULTS and customer service.

What needs to change for 2022 There needs to be more homes coming to the market to allow the market to move and give sellers/potential buyers the chance to find their dream home (obviously).

Getting on the market can:

We are near the end of a very interesting year! In short, there has been a lack of homes for sale in the marketplace leading to demand being at all-time high, hence some of the biggest house price rises we’ve seen in a long time. Well over 10% and more in some areas.

With so few houses on the market there is a reluctance for some to sell their properties until they have found the perfect home.

Often, we hear “We’ll move when we see the right house.” Then the right house does come along but gets snapped by a proceedable buyer. People need to take the plunge. We appreciate it's easier said than done.

Our strengths in such a market namely, customer service, sensible valuing and proactive marketing are all key elements you should consider when choosing your agent.

We are proud to have been awarded the following in 2021.

•

Guarantee you are in a more favourable position should the perfect house become available and.

•

Increases the number of houses that are available to others thus meaning there is more choice out there.

Movement creates movement and until there is a shift in attitude regarding this many people are going to be stuck ‘in limbo’. There is of course a lot more to this which we’d happily help you with, so please do get in touch!

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients who have entrusted us this year and we look to making new friends in 2022.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and here’s to a safe and successful 2022!

James Llewellyn and all at Rice Chamberlains

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