April 2022 - My Harborne & Edgbaston

Farewell Issue

MY

HARBORNE & EDGBASTON

MAGAZINE

LOCAL BUSIN DIREC ESS TO INSIDE RY !

SPRING 2022

EVENTS

FAREWELL ISSUE

Flowers are springing up everywhere, and you will be too with our bustling What’s On page!

It’s been quite the journey, but all good things must come to an end.

NEW BOOK ‘THE BEE’S KNEES’ Our very own editor, Ruby, delivers ‘A big buzzing boost of self love!’

E X CAT H E D RA Jeffrey Skidmore

Good Friday Bach St Matthew

Summer Music by

Tue 21 Jun, 8pm Wed 22 Jun, 8pm

Fri 15 Apr, 2pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham

St Paul’s Church, Birmingham

Calcutta Sun 24 Apr, 7pm Town Hall, Birmingham

The Traveller Sun 1 May, 4pm Town Hall, Birmingham

0121 289 6333 | www.excathedra.co.uk

2

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

Contents

SPRING 2022

COVER STORY 5-7

MY MAGS FAREWELL LEISURE & RETAIL

12

NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK LAUNCHING APRIL 26TH!

13

INTERVIEW: MY MAG EDITOR & ‘THE BEE’S KNEES’ AUTHOR

36-37

WHAT’S ON CHARITY

20

EDWARD’S TRUST LOCAL INTEREST

8

NEIGHBOURS & FRIENDS

17

COMMUNITY SPIRIT LIVES ON

25

3 IMPORTANT LESSONS HOME

26

BLUE BATHROOMS FOR EVERY HOME RECIPE

33

EASTER EGG BROWNIES SPRING THINGS

29

LOCAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY ON PG

38

WORLD BEE DAY CONVEYANCING

15

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

TYNDALLWOODS SOLCITORS

3

Well, here we are... the end of an era! This will be the last issue of My Moseley & Kings Heath that we produce as we put away our pens and move on to new challenges. You can read more about it in our feature editorial.

And what an era it has been. We have loved every minute of it and will miss the magazines and all of you. But one door closes and another opens as they say, and we are excited about the next chapter.

Also, we’re not going anywhere... we live here so will still see you about the place.

For this celebratory last issue we include some wonderful articles from local readers and some of our advertisers as they reflect on the role the magazines have played in their lives and businesses.

So grab a cuppa and find a moment or two to sit down and enjoy this fabulous little magazine for the last time.

Enjoy!

Amy & Ruby

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Hello Neighbours!

Amy Watson

Managing Director

amywatson@swanpublishing.org

07854 881 801

Ruby Prosser

Designer & Editor

rubywatson@swanpublishing.org

AMY’S CHOICE BADGE Living in the midst of the area these magazines cover I am always coming across businesses that make me think... ‘ooh I need that!’ and consequently I have been (and am) a customer of many businesses in these pages.

I feel like I should have created the Amy’s Choice badge a long time ago well better late than never!

4

If you see an advert bearing this badge it means that I am a satisfied customer of theirs as well as supporting their business with my magazines. These are businesses that I am happy to recommend and if you would like a more personal testimonial about any of them please drop me a line...

Amy x

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

The time has come to say goodbye - by Amy Watson

Amy and her boys

I have loved running these magazines, but for a number of reasons, mainly the effects of Covid and a brain tumour, this is the last issue we are going to produce.

These magazines began as a short term plan to enable me to be a stay home mum. That was sixteen years ago when my six foot son Max was a baby.

This month he turns seventeen! The first issue came out in February 2006, the month I was due to return to work full time after a year’s maternity leave.

It was called The Moseley Directory, and back then I did everything except print it. I even hand delivered the 2,000 copies I had printed each month with a team of helpful family and friends. We walked up every street and pathway in this wonderful little patch of Birmingham, and it took about eight of us all weekend. A year after the first issue came out, along came my second baby boy Owen. They are both now taller than me!

I began the magazine because I was determined to stay home with my sons.

When my daughter Ruby was little, I worked full time at a PR agency. When Ruby was six, I would drop her off with a neighbour every morning before school, and was often the last parent to pick up from Centre 13, a local childcare facility, after school. She’s now 31 and a mother herself (yes I’m a grandma!).

now close friends. So some things are not coming to an end with the end of the magazines.

Amy with grandson Elijah

I thought I’d be doing the mags for a few years while my babies were at home, and then I’d go back to work in an office. Little did I know they would be such a success and keep me in the best job in the world all this time. Why do I call it the best job in the world?

Apart from being able to work from home all these years and stay with my boys, I have got under the skin of my local community in an awesome way. I know all the cool things to do and see, and have got to know so many inspirational and lovely business people (and even some local celebrities) who are

Local resident Rebecca Jones-Owen said: “My Moseley & Kings Heath has been such a useful publication for me and my family. We have used it on multiple occasions over the years to find services or get restaurant recommendations or just read about what is going on in B13. I have also used it on a professional level to help promote various businesses that I have worked with and have always found Amy and Ruby a pleasure to work with. Wishing you the very best for the future.”

Barbara Bond, friend and reader of the magazine said: “The arrival of Amy and Ruby’s bright and informative magazine has been a treat and reminds me of the incredible work, humour and determination that Amy has shown.

Knowing Amy for over ten years, I’ve been inspired by her – reaching out to companies and people, writing articles, producing this quite unique magazine.

Amy has championed causes, tackled difficult subjects, introduced new ideas and inspired us to go out and do something different. I’m sure she will

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, APRIL / MAY 2020

5

Amy with her three children; Ruby, Max and Owen

Enjoying a night of glitz and glamour at the Brum Awards 2019

continue to do so in her ‘new life’. Will miss the magazine but wish her and Ruby the very best – they certainly deserve it!”

Local business owner and reader Barbara Husband said:

“My Moseley & Kings Heath has been a gem of a magazine that made the Magic of Moseley shine even brighter” Amy continued: I am so proud of how my little magazine business has turned out. After starting off with a humble circulation of 2,000, it reached a total of 40,000 across south Birmingham and Solihull with four titles. Thankfully, I did not hand deliver all 40,000! I left that to my trusted friend Richard Kelly from R Kelly Distribution who, with his team, has done this for me for as long as I can remember. It now takes a week to get every last one through a letterbox, and Richard enjoys the positive response he gets from people he sees as he goes round.

6

It has been lovely working with my baby girl Ruby over the last 7 years.

She joined as an apprentice at the age of 24 in 2015, and through hard work and incredible talent worked her way up to become the designer, writer and editor. I have jealously held on tight to the best jobs of liaising with our advertisers and doing the admin and accounts! So the mags have come full circle, beginning as a way for me to be able to be a stay home mum and ending as a way for Ruby to be a stay home mum with my beautiful grandson Elijah.

The mags have also enabled me to get closer to a very special friend of mine. I met Amy (yes she has the same name) when I was pregnant with Max. She was my NCT teacher and pregnant herself at the time. I’ll never forget her classes. She is American with a larger than life magnetic personality. We clicked straight away. Amy joined me to help with ad sales when she was between jobs and we had such fun for 18 months. Networking is an important part of sales for a business like mine, and I gladly passed this on to Amy as it’s something I find quite challenging.

One time we were at a breakfast event with probably around 60-70 mostly men in suits in the room. Amy stood up to do her 60 second pitch to sell

the virtues of our little mags. She proudly stated that it’s good to advertise in a print magazine rather than the internet because people ‘like to hold something hard in their hand’.

The stony faced audience did’t flinch and she didn’t realise the humour until I told her afterwards. “Amy’s pivot to choosing a career she could do from home and with a baby in arms was always such an inspiration. And from that formative experience, her business has been a gift to the community which has kept on giving. Supporting small businesses to share their wares locally and sharing good news stories to neighbours has been Amy’s cornerstone of her business from day one.”

Said Amy Maclean.

Amy and Amy ‘networking’ at the Ageon Tennis Tournament

The magazines have won a number of awards over the years, some at a national level. But the one I’m most proud of was when they were nominated for a Birmingham Award but didn’t win. In December 2019 when Covid was not even a twinkle in the twisted eye of fate I attended the glittering Brum Awards event at Birmingham Central Library. Rubbing shoulders with the big boys, people

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021/22

Roxy the puppy

from TV, newspapers, city-wide magazines etc, I was absolutely buzzing. And for a moment I thought we actually might win. The Excellence in Media Award went to ITV Central, but I wasn’t too disappointed, well maybe a little. No, coming that close was good enough for me.

I pressed Go to print the April 2020 issue the same day that Boris Johnson announced the first 2 week lockdown.

The announcement sent me into a tailspin. I had 40,000 magazines on the way and didn’t know if I’d be able to distribute them. After much time spent reading government guidelines, I made the difficult decision to go ahead with distribution. Richard Kelly was reluctant but thankfully said yes. He got a bit of verbal abuse from confused people who thought he could be spreading the virus.

We thought everything would have settled by the next issue due in June.

But oh no. We shut up shop for over a year because so many of our advertisers were forced to stop working and cancelled their advertising. We came back in August 2021, and have made a loss every issue since then. We planned to ride it out until things got better, but I started to experience eight months

of dizziness, disturbed vision, and occasional collapses. I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The absolute last thing anyone expects to hear; my doctors and I had thought it was the menopause! The tumour is huge… 4.5 cm across in the pineal gland which is in the very centre of my brain and difficult to reach with surgery. I didn’t have time to worry. I was whipped into the QE to have brain surgery the very next day. I must have been in shock, as I was very jolly sending regular updates with funny photos to all my friends and family.

Amy in hospital

In order to have some time to recover from surgery I didn’t produce the February issue of the mags, and while taking it easy I decided to close the business. This is not a sad decision, it’s a very happy one. It’s been a pleasure to create the mags, and now I’m ready to move on to other things like learning how to be a blended family with my teenage boys and my wonderful partner Phil and his daughter. For now I’m doing Airbnb which began as a side hustle (there seems to be a theme here) and has grown to bigger things. I’m enjoying having more time to be creative and plan to do some writing. And in the short term, I’m looking forward to adopting the cutest puppy I’ve ever seen!

If you’ve enjoyed the magazines and would like the opportunity to say something, please email me. I’d love to hear from you.

I have since been told that the tumour is benign and very slow growing. All my weird symptoms disappeared overnight, and I am quite well. I feel like a bit of a fraud and celebrity at the same time. There has been an amazing outpouring of love and support from friends and family. I feel blessed.

amywatson@swanpublishing.org

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021/22

Neighbours and friends - by Olivia Wainwright

One of the first things I can remember about my life in Birmingham is the summer I spent hopping between my house and the house two doors down, seeking out the ice-lolly maker kept in Amy’s freezer that was quite possibly the coolest thing in the world to 6-year-old me; climbing the tree in her garden that was much better than any in mine, and hanging out on the trampoline with Max and Owen. For as long as I can remember, Amy has been in my life, offering a place to hang out while waiting for my parents to get home after locking myself out, hosting neighbourly dinner parties and later helping kickstart my writing career with a couple of features in this very magazine!

8

Since 2019 and the first Birmingham youth strike for the climate, I have had articles and interviews published across several different newspapers/ news sites including enough articles to warrant an author profile at the Ecologist; been part of short films and forums about social justice and spoken to local MPs and even the Mayor of the West Midlands about climate change. I was lucky enough to be at the Birmingham City Council Houses when they unanimously declared a climate emergency and name-checked Birmingham Youth Strike 4 Climate as being part of the push behind it, and had the opportunity to go to Belgium to sit in on a meeting of the EU thanks to Green MEP at the time Ellie Chowns alongside other climate activists from all over the West Midlands.

Amy Watson said: “This impressive young person is a prime candidate for a future prime minister... they’d get my vote today if they ran for office.”

Through co-organising the Birmingham climate strikes, I have had some amazing experiences, but I will never forget the excitement I felt seeing my words in print for the very first time, in the April 2019 edition of My Moseley. Thank you so much to Amy for giving me the first of a lot of very cool opportunities and encouraging my love of writing, I owe a lot to what I’ve always considered my own personal “big break”!

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021/22

Trusted to care

Our highly trained care teams are specialists in residential, nursing, dementia and respite care.

If you’re considering care for yourself or a loved one, call 0330 057 2985 or visit careuk.com

Edgbaston Manor care home Metchley Manor care home Luxury care in Edgbaston

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

9

10

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

A fond farewell Closing the magazines has been a tough decision because we have supported so many wonderful local businesses,” said magazine proprietor Amy Watson. “One of these is Tyndallwoods Solicitors, a wonderful supporter of the magazines for many years.

They have been around far longer than us and will, I’m sure, be around for many more years to come.”

Judy Dyke from Tyndallwoods said: “Tyndallwoods can trace its origins to Thomas Webb in 1792. The first Tyndall joined in 1805 and in 1971, the Firm changed its name to become Tyndallwoods.

My personal roots are deeply grounded in Edgbaston, where I

attended primary school, secondary school, university and where I have worked as a solicitor with Tyndallwoods for over forty years.

In 2004, we were excited to announce our move to larger premises in the heart of Edgbaston, where we felt we would be able to continue to provide our clients with a high quality legal service, but in an un-pressured atmosphere and with the convenience of additional client parking. We found these premises in a large, Victorian building and adjacent Coach House, situate within a garden. Little did we know that the ensuing years would rebuild the front wall, manage the fall of our beautiful beech tree, install new roofs on both buildings and see a renaissance of the garden.

And then there was COVID ...

We were able to remain open and COVID regulation-compliant by seeing clients in two marquees erected in the garden.

These premises have also enabled us to continue our support for many and various local charities and organisations. Throughout these years, I have been honoured to be a patron of Edward’s Trust bereavement charity and Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, and am Birmingham Ambassador for both Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation.

Shortly after we moved, what good luck that Amy Watson approached us to advertise in her new A5 local publication The Edgbaston-Harborne Directory, circulated to businesses and homes in the area. During the following years, Amy has become a good friend to me and friend of Tyndallwoods. She has advised and helped us with producing articles of interest in a style that is attractive and informative for her readers.

Thank you, Amy, for all your support so far, and we wish you the best of luck in any future business venture...”

- Written by Judy Dyke

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

11

“I believe tools for good mental health are a necessity for everyone, and should be much more accessible!”

THE BEE’S KNEES by ruby maxine This book is bright, adventurous and fun! It is validating if you’re having a hard day, it’s a remedy for your mindset, and it’s a big buzzing boost of self love!

This story delivers positivity and hope that things will change, hard times will pass. I wrote this story, drawing from personal experience and mental health advice I’ve been given over the years, to help children and parents (and anyone!) who encounter stress or anxiety. When we as adults discover issues that are beyond our control (pick any of the recent crazy headlines) it can be so unsettling. It’s that exact feeling, that is so hard to become resilient to. It’s a feeling that children will be discovering for the first time. A little extra help finding your inner calm and your peace again couldnt hurt, right?

The Bee’s Knees has a wonderfully powerful positive message, with characters and scenery that kids will love!

The story invites you to step into the ethereal setting of Moseley Bog! (A magical location that is heavily speculated to have inspired Tolkien’s Hobbiton!) It begins by using

12

metaphors about how intrusive worries can be, and how big and impossible they can feel. Our main character Lula Bee has found herself running from gargantuan leaves ‘that slam to the ground from towering trees’. She’s tired of all the negative feelings. But then one day a bug flies by riding on a leaf which is the start of a whole adventure into self love, inner peace and confidence!

It’s a great opportunity to introduce your little ones to some easy practices in self acceptance and fostering a kind inner voice, as well as a chance to broaden their vocabulary with some descriptive words that they may not have heard before!

Techniques in self care that I have learnt throughout my life, (and that I wish I had known as a child) are scattered throughout the book, and they really do help! They are what myself, my husband and our little boy use to recentre ourselves on a regular basis.

Some examples are… deep breaths to soothe the nervous system and tell your body it is in a safe environment.

Making a list of things you love to do and keeping it handy for when you’re feeling low. And there are lots more in the book!

Be on the lookout for some landmarks of Moseley Bog in the illustrations!

You can find the green bog pond, the buttercup meadow that blooms in the summer and the tree tunnels you can see all year round! I also wanted to bring parents into their child’s world and validate the experience of being small in a big world. It’s all about perspectives, and I played around a lot with that in the illustrations.

Launching on the 26th of April 2022!

The book will be available to buy from April 26th on our website kindsoulbrum.com and Amazon.com Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook for live updates, little pearls of wisdom about mental health, and behind the scenes action in the run up to launch day!

@rubymaxine.books @kindsoulbooks kindsoulbooks.com

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

Kind Soul Books is the company name I am self publishing under. I have really enjoyed my role as editor and designer at The MY Magazines, and with the wealth of experience I’ve gained over almost a decade in the publishing industry I’d like to continue to champion local voices, art and literature. Kind Soul Books’ first ever book...

‘The Bees Knees’ is out on the 26th of April!

1% of profits will go to MIND 1% of profits will go to WWF

kindsoulbrum.com @rubymaxine.books @kindsoulbooks

safe spaces. Help kids figure out how to be happy people in a difficult world.

Who inspires you?

About the author / illustrator...

Hi, I’m ruby :)

My 4 year old boy. The most wonderful part of his personality for me is that he has the biggest heart. He really loves making people laugh and involving everyone, talking to everyone. He also has difficult feelings, just like anyone, and we’re along with him on the journey of how to let them in and out in a healthy way. So he was a great source of inspiration for my first book ‘The Bee’s Knees’.

I was born in the lovely sea-side city of Swansea, so I’m Welsh. Sort of! I was only there for a couple of years though, I’ve spent the majority of my life in Birmingham. I’m an honorary Brummie!

But also just anyone who keeps creativity in their lives inspires me! I find it so motivating. It pushes me to keep going with whatever project I’m working on. Just by seeing other people trying and being kind of romantic about what they want out of life.

What’s an interesting fact about you?

What do you dream of?

Well, when I was about ten I auditioned to be a part of Dance Track, which is Birmingham Royal Ballets introduction to the arts for inner city kids. And I got through! It meant I got to learn ballet for years with professional dancers and I even got to perform on TV in an episode of Brum! Paid work! I bought myself some of those heely shoes that had wheels in with my earnings! Proper 90s kid.

Making this a career! Inspiring kids, and making art that people enjoy. I just dream of not trudging! If that makes sense? I know I might not manage it, but I’ve worked harder on this book than I’ve ever worked on anything in my life, I put my heart and soul into it, and I just dream of it being read and resonating and being embraced. I hope that my creations can be another cool thing to have come out of this very special part of the world.

Where were you born?

Why Children’s books?

I love children’s books. I always have.

But they were particularly special to me when I was younger (obviously!) because I relied on them a lot for peace, and escapism and just to feel safer in my own skin. I want to create that too, make more of those

I think the ultimate goal is creating a place where other authors and artists like me who share the vision of helping kids with their mental health can get their art and literature out and seen by everyone who needs it and eventually have this cornucopia of beautiful, helpful, healing books all in one place!

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021/22

13

Evans Landscapes Fed up of poor quality service?

Feel you’re being ripped off?

Concerned about the ability of the engineer?

Can’t get the engineer to come back?

A family run Business

Driveways & Patios Crazypaving Slabbing Brickwork

Try our repair/installation service

Fencing

Broken cooking appliances: Hob, ovens, hot

Blockpaving

plates, griddles, Bain Marie’s and many more.

Decking

Broken heating appliances: Boilers, water

Turfing

heaters, gas fires and many more.

Garden Clearances

Broken shower: Mains fed, gravity fed or fully

A quality, reliable service at excellent prices. For a FREE

pumped. Domestic or commercial. Gas, electric or LPG.

Try the company that cares, with no hidden charges.

We’re committed to customer satisfaction.

Contact us by email or phone: enquiries@dafservices.co.uk 0121 523 5620 07836 653 464 www.dafservices.co.uk

14

quote call Rich 0121 444 3662 07583 395 018

evanslandscapes@hotmail.co.uk

www.evanslandscaping.co.uk

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

Your Home Matters For many people, buying or selling their home is one of the most important steps in their life. It is therefore essential that you get the best possible advice from legal experts who not only know the law but who put your interests at the heart of everything they do and who keep you fully informed at every stage of the process.

At Tyndallwoods Solicitors there are experienced conveyancing specialists who offer a friendly and efficient service which will allow you to get on with your life whilst they deal with sorting out the legal practicalities.

15

Ian Buchanan TEP

ibuchanan@tyndallwoods.co.uk 0121 243 3139

Much of the process can be conducted wholly by email and Tyndallwoods’ use of online services enabling them to deal with your matter efficiently.

You will be provided with a cost estimate from the start of the matter and kept fully up to date regarding charges.

The conveyancing team at Tyndallwoods can help with:

Ian Butler

ibutler@tyndallwoods.co.uk 0121 243 3150

• Sales & Purchases • Buying your freehold or extending your flat lease • Re-mortgages and transfers of equity.

Please contact one of the Team for further information.

Aimee Hearne

ahearne@tyndallwoods.co.uk 0121 243 3118

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

Welsh National Opera

Don Giovanni Mozart Jenůfa Janáček Madam Butterfly Puccini Wednesday 20 – Saturday 23 April Book now at birminghamhippodrome.com

wno.org.uk/spring22 Registered Charity No 221538

16

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

Community spirit lives on - Written by Barbara, local reader and friend.

Living in Kings Heath for over 30 years, I have loved the vibrant and varied community reflected in the ‘My Kings Heath and Moseley’ magazine.

The publication is especially important to me as I’ve known the editor, Amy, for over 10 years.

Kings Heath and Moseley have changed during this time but there remains the feeling of being local, with an accompanying defined identity and sense of community. It is an area of ‘movers and shakers’ socially, politically and culturally. Amy has been one of those ‘movers and shakers’ via the magazine and from within her wide network of friends, associates and supporters.

Living on Goldsmith Road is a parking and traffic nightmare, but we residents have not let this defeat us in our efforts to come together, befriend and help each other - rejoicing in our diversity. We are actively seeking solutions to poor air quality and traffic issues.

I am now fortunately retired, and so I have been able to get involved in many of the activities on the road

including the gardening club and street parties, to mention just two.

Some residents registered for the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ scheme run by the RHS. Although the main aim of the scheme is to help gardening groups clean up and green their area, it is very much about fostering community activities more widely. Although the road is not part of the scheme now, we were delighted to receive an award and have been able to build on that to a considerable degree. Readers may be familiar with what we call ‘The Railings Garden’ on the corner with Drayton Road – the front garden kindly loaned by previous residents where volunteers planted a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and flowers.

There are many other enriching activities on the road. We have undertaken litter picks, delivered pots, sold plants, helped with plant advice. In addition, Bishop Challoner School made planters for the gardens. With the support of 3 residents, we now have a much-used community library of adult and children’s books. For several Christmases, we have gathered at the junction of Drayton Road for the ‘Advent Carol Calendar’ with music from our resident cornet player. Goodies and gossip have been shared amongst friendly folk from neighbouring roads. The Kings

Heath foodbank receives regular contributions (coordinated by a high school student who is working towards a Duke of Edinburgh award) and one of our residents volunteers there.

I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of my road who have supported the charity Manisha UK, of which I am a trustee. The charity supports 10 village schools in Nepal. We provide vital classroom resources, classroom furniture, teacher training, school renovation and have rebuilt, new toilet blocks. Via craft and bric - a -brac sales, donations and contributions to car boot sales, we have raised much needed funds. There is still so much to do!

Our lovely, local magazine may be going but the community spirit and sense of enterprise that it represented lives on. Wishing Amy and Ruby the very best for the future – I’m sure we will see their creative talents in other ventures.

Amy from My Magazine said “I’ve known Barbara for years, seeing her regularly for book club and other things. I’m so impressed by her Nepal charity work and it’s an amazing feeling to know that my little magazine is appreciated by friends like her who live locally.”

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

17

Artisan food and drink

Arts and crafts

SAT 9 Apr, 14 MAY, 11 Jun 10AM -3pm

Village B15 3AU Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston ded rds.com/badge.shield.ad For location see - www.what3wo

Come and join us at Birmingham’s largest Artisan Market Along Greenfield Crescent, in the heart of Edgbaston Village, join us at our popular Edgbaston Village artisan market. With 60 stalls, on offer will be a fantastic range of artisan food and drink, handmade arts and crafts, in addition to ‘Farmers Market’ stalls selling cheeses, bread, bakery and butchers produce, fruit and vegetables.

For further details visit www.edgbastonvillage.co.uk/artisanmarket Why not make a day of it? Edgbaston Village has a host of award-winning places to eat, drink and relax, as well as a range of home interest stores and niche shops.

To find out more visit www.edgbastonvillage.co.uk

@EdgbastonVillage

18

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

‘At Home with Woodford’: A young woman’s story of overcoming challenges to coming home and achieving independence in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

The Journey of the Remarkable Roisin Roisin is a 28-year-old young woman who has a diagnosis of Moderate Learning Difficulties, Dyspraxia and Epilepsy. She has an Acquired Brain Injury and reduced mobility after experiencing a prolonged seizure in 2017.

her self worth and wellbeing. Roisin and her family were also centrally involved in recruiting her ‘staff dream team’ to maximise these opportunities, with individuals who had personalities, interests and attitudes that chimed with those of Róisín.

From the time of the event until the start of the Covid Pandemic, Roisin was living in a treatment facility many miles away from her family home. Due to concerns about her safety during the Covid pandemic, Roisin’s parents made the decision to bring her back home.

One year on, Roisin now has her own flat, state of the art self operating electric wheelchair (that “Q” would be impressed with) and is being supported by a dedicated team of trained ‘Woodford’ staff. Notably, Roisin has increasingly been able to express her wishes and make her own daily choices with Roisin’s sister summing it up, “it’s like having the old Roisin back!”

With Roisin being cared for by her parents she made notable improvements and her parents raised the question as to whether it would be possible for Roisin to have a home of her own with a dedicated support team.

At that stage Helen Wilcox, MBE, (Woodford’s founder), was contacted and months of preparatory work followed taking Roisin increasingly towards greater autonomy- from blueprint to reality and a more fulfilling life.

Along side Roisin’s family, Helen navigated through statutes and regulations to access the range of resources that were available to support Roisin’s future security, well-being and personal aims.

Practical steps were taken ‘on the ground’ to find a new home for Roisin to make the necessary adaptations to maximise her independence and life satisfaction.

From the outset, Roisin’s family worked closely with Woodford to create a robust strategy to provide Roisin truly fulfilling life choices whilst encouraging her to acquire new skills to further enhance

Helen: For me our successes have been directly related to: •

Having a staff team recruited in advance and getting to know Roisin by spending time with Roisin in her family home.

•

Undertaking a careful and detailed Functional Behaviour Analysis around Roisin’s routines, habits and interests as this has helped staff to understand Roisin’s abilities and goals.

•

Supporting Roisin and her family in having periods of time in her flat and in the immediate surroundings before her move.

•

Helping the family to make important community links to promote an enriching and responsive local support network.

•

Providing bespoke guidance to the family to support their loved one in exploring the provisions of the Care Act (2014) and helping them to maximise resources towards achieving this key aim.

•

Ultimately, the best measuring stick for success has to do with supporting people with complex needs to exert control over their own lives, enabling them to live ordinary, sometimes messy, but personally fulfilling lives in the same communities as everyone else.

Mandy and Brendon, Roisin’s Parents It’s all about getting the right staff.

People who are going to get on well with Roisin and support as well as motivate her to try new things. As parents it was very helpful being involved in the recruitment proces s and I’m happy to say that Roisin has some fantastic staff – some of whom can get her to do and try things that we as her family cannot! We’ve come to believe that staff with the right personality and initiative can actually be better suited for Roisin than some who may look better on paper.

Further Advice- Mandy Talk and learn from other families who have had similar experience, visit different services, participate as much as you can in getting the right staff and stay in the mix with activity planning to continue supporting your loved one.

A happy and fulfilling life!- is what most everyone wants and for Roisin the door to this opportunity is continuing to open up.

Website:

athomewithwoodford.com

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

19

Please join local bereavement charity Edward’s Trust in taking afternoon tea

To celebrate the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Edward’s Trust is encouraging people to get together and hold a 4 O’clock Cake event to raise money to support bereaved families; drink tea, eat cake and catch up after a challenging two years.

4 O’clock Cake goes all the way back to 1991 when Edward’s Trust first opened as Edward House. Every day at 4pm it was ‘tradition’ for the Edward House team to bake a cake. The smell would fill the building and provide families with a much-needed escape from the ward, a chance to talk and support each other because grief can be such an isolating journey.

Over the years the work of Edward’s Trust has evolved but ‘4 O’clock Cake’ is still seen as a symbol of togetherness and community.

Yvonne Gilligan, Chief Executive of Edward’s Trust says, “It costs over £600,000 for Edward’s Trust to provide

20

our bereavement services. We support 3,000 people each year and due to Covid the support we offer is even more crucial. In order to do this, we rely on the generosity of our supporters. We have many fundraising ideas on our website, but why not gather with friends, eat cake and raise money for us as you celebrate the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee?”

Edward’s Trust is a specialist provider of holistic family bereavement for the West Midlands area. It is based in Edgbaston, Birmingham. The Trust was founded by Peter and Hilary Dent in 1989 in memory of their son, Edward, who died of cancer when he was 7 years old. Edward’s Trust offers support to children, young people, parents and carers who have been bereaved or who are about to be bereaved. They offer an holistic approach to bereavement support with specialised counsellors, well-being therapists and play therapists who are qualified, experienced and registered with their appropriate professional body. Edward’s Trust also provides specialist support groups and social activities as part of its holistic bereavement support service.

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

To find out more about Edward’s Trust visit our website:

edwardstrust.org.uk If you would like to host a Four O’clock Cake contact fundraising@edwardstrust.org.uk for a 4 O’Clock Cake pack to help the smooth running of your event.

The house sketch is by local watercolour artist Claire Riley. The archway was installed with David Austin Roses.

“It has been a pleasure and honour for Tyndallwoods to feature in every My Harborne & Edgbaston since 2010 and more recently in the My Moseley & Kings Heath The roots of Tyndallwoods run deeply in our local community and have shared the steady growth of our business and the services that we offer with MY Magazines during these years.

The Directories have been a valuable method of communicating with our clients.

Amy has been so professional and helpful in guiding us with the content of appropriate editorial and has assisted us in developing Spotlight articles on the legal services that we offer.

The pandemic has taught us that none of us knows what lies around the corner, especially when it comes to our health.

Clients have consulted us in relation to making their Wills or updating existing Wills. They have also considered setting up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) for Property and Financial Affairs and also separately Health and Welfare LPAs.

Spotlighting the faces behind the telephone voices. If you are a client of Tyndallwoods, chances are you have spoken to Sarah or Victoria Smith on the phone on many occasions, so we felt it high time they were introduced properly! Sarah and Victoria are twins, and they have been with Tyndallwoods an impressive 50 years between them. They wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. The family that is Tyndallwoods takes mutual support as seriously as they take client care.

What will our legacy be? It is an honour to work with clients who give gifts to charity in their lifetime as well as by way of legacies in their Wills. In recent years I have seen generous donors support the endeavours of Edward’s Trust, helping children and families facing loss and surviving bereavement; the development of the Day Hospice at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice; the Making an Entrance appeal for Symphony Hall; Hollytrees

Animal Rescue Trust welcoming abandoned animals including both horses and greyhounds who at the end of their working life are simply dumped on a motorway; Cancer Research UK in laboratories at Birmingham University as their scientists develop groundbreaking treatments and deliver them from bench to bedside; young people in their aspirations by giving to school and university education endowment trusts.

I will always be grateful to My Directories for allowing us space in the publication to talk of our legal services and work with local charities – I never walk down Harborne High Street without coming across a client or friend who sees our articles in the magazines and is pleased to chat at the latest issue.

Thank you My Directories I will miss you.”

- Written by Judy Dyke

MY HARBORNE MY MOSELEY & EDGBASTON, & KINGSDECEMBER HEATH, SPRING / JANUARY 2022 2021/22

21

As seen on TV

22

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

Kitchen Garden Cafe

- a place people love to visit Amy has been a dear lovely friend since the very beginning of Kitchen Garden Café.

The idea of KGC was born out of a project about sustainable communities I had been working on for WWF. A key component of a strong sustainable community is the ability to meet people’s needs within walking distance of their homes; so reducing excess car travel and strengthening neighbourly interaction. A critical mass of destinations, along with quality community meeting places are essential and Kings Heath seemed the ideal place to try one out.

My partner Brett and I also decided it was a great idea to start a business based, not any past experience or on which businesses made money, but on the type of place we would love to visit; and we thought because it would be lovely other people would love it too.

We so should have failed but we didn’t!

We threw together an organic Café, Garden shop, Veg shop, Deli and Art

space. We also included a live performance and party venue, why not! (We did fancy a bookshop, laundrette and some land to grow food but luckily the place was too small) The month we opened I discovered I was pregnant with my second child Anabelle. We already had Sacha, a busy toddler so we quickly needed to figure out how to juggle a family along with learning how not to run out of money. I first met Amy at the café when she popped in to discuss her magazine and we found we had lots of other things to talk about including we were both expecting a baby!

During those busy fun preschool years as we raced between home, work and kid’s activities, Amy was a warm and supportive presence. We shared parenting worries and work tips whilst drinking polystyrene coffee and trying hard not to snack on too much children’s party food.

Kitchen Garden has survived through all our naivety and many mistakes into a well-known Kings Heath landmark.

We opened Fletchers Bar eight years later, linked to KGC. Amy listened

patiently through many conceptual chats and finally suggested that the gorgeous antique wooden entrance doors needed something to set them off, turning up a few weeks later with a really beautiful Mosaic she had made and designed herself. The result can be admired by every visitor to the bar.

As Amy hangs up her publishing hat, we will be extending Fletchers into a new space for which we still need to figure out a name (ideas on a postcard please!) The extra room will be used for events, dining and private parties plus arts, crafts and gardening workshops.

We look forward to inviting Amy along for her to develop her artistic talents further now that she’ll have more time on her hands!

Tracey Fletcher

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021/22

23

LET US GET INTO YOUR CORNERS!

SSPRING SP RING CLE CLEANS • REGULAR CLEANS • REMOVAL & BUILDERS CLEANS ...or just the in-laws are coming cleans! AVAILABLE NOW 170 Yardley Rd. Acocks Green Birmingham B27 6LR

Cleaning | Ironing | Laundry

www.mopheads.co.uk

0121 605 2322 email: hello@mopheads.co.uk

SUPER KEV! YOUR NEW HERO

KEV WILL ZOOM IN & SAVE YOU FROM YOUR IRONING ONING

WASHING • IRONING • DRY CLEANING NG ALL COLLECTED & RETURNED WITHIN 24 HOURS! RS!!

RS

24

To find out more about Alex’s writing, visit her website (alexinbrum.wordpress.com/) or follow @AlexinBrum on Twitter.

You can find out more about SPECTRUM on the Script Sirens website (scriptsirens.wordpress.com/) or follow @ScriptSirens on Twitter or Instagram.

Three important lessons - by Alexandra Taylor

It’s been five years since I last wrote for Amy’s magazines, but I was still shocked to get the email announcing the final edition. However, writing this last article has given me the opportunity to reflect on how far I’ve come, the part the ‘My’ magazines played in my writing journey, and three important lessons I learned along the way.

It all started in 2013. After years of writing as a hobby, I took a leap of faith and decided to see if I could turn it into a career. I knew that building a portfolio would be essential, so when a copy of My Moseley and Kings Heath came through the door, I dropped Amy an email offering my services, and was both delighted and terrified when she took me up on it. Lesson number one: make your own opportunities.

My first article was published in My Moseley and Kings Heath in July 2013 - a run down of a handful of new local businesses, including Cafephilia, Guthrie & Ghani and I Had One Of

Those, all still going strong. What I loved about writing that first article, and every article after that, was the opportunity to sit down with local people and talk to them about what they do, why they do it and what they give to the neighbourhood. From funeral directors to restaurateurs, musicians to hairdressers, artists to florists, I got a glimpse behind the scenes into what makes this such a great place to live. Lesson number two: community matters.

Eventually it was time to move on, but the experience and portfolio I’d developed helped me get more work - news articles, blogs, press releases, newsletters, web content and social media posts for clients including local and national government as well as businesses and community organisations. I’ve also had success with short films, theatre, audio drama and movie scripts.

Nine years on from that first tentative email to Amy, I’m able to proudly and confidently state that I am a professional writer, with loads of projects on the go. I’m an active member of formidable writing collective Script Sirens (scriptsirens.wordpress.com/), and am

currently co-producing SPECTRUM, an anthology of eight short animated films, due for release in April 2022.

I’ve also passed a writing trial for a BBC TV drama and am hoping to get my first episode commission soon fingers crossed! I also have hundreds of published articles under my belt, and am about to embark on a tour of schools, delivering workshops that encourage kids to follow their own creative dreams.

I will forever be grateful to Amy for taking a chance on me. Her encouragement and support gave me the confidence I needed to keep going when things got tough. She was also a great role model herself - hard working, ambitious and determined.

Her success inspired me to doggedly pursue my own dreams, and taught me the most important lesson of all: never give up.

I look back on my time at Swan Publishing with gratitude and fondness, and I’m wishing Amy, Ruby and the whole family all the best for whatever comes next.

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

25

HOME & GARDEN

BLUE BATHROOMS FOR EVERY HOME Caroline Cooper from Roman Bathrooms looks at how to create a modern blue bathroom in your home

Blue has been a favourite in the bathroom for many years. It evokes memories of the sea and the sky, and is a colour that calms and relaxes.

26

There are plenty of different shades of blue to choose from, everything from a light blue that can open up a space, making it feel airy, to a navy blue that adds drama.

The popularity of blue is reflected in how often it is chosen as a colour of the year. Pantone selected a Classic Blue in 2020 and the Dulux colour of the year 2022 is a beautiful feelgood blue, Bright Skies, which adds a ‘breath of fresh air’ to any home.

When introducing blue into the bathroom, it does not have to be restricted to paint, tiles or accessories. There is a fantastic selection of blue furniture available, in both traditional and modern styles that bring a sense of style to the bathroom, as well as offering the benefit of storage.

There is a style and shade of blue for everyone, from traditional shaker styles in soft shades to contemporary flat doors in darker shades.

Blue combines well with the metallic details that are also popular in bathrooms at the moment, recreating the luxury of a boutique hotel bathroom in your own home.

The sleek shine of a metallic handle or light fitting adds a touch of glamour especially when coupled with a dark blue. Complete this look with natural wood finishes, neutral tiles and a minimalist shower for a modern bathroom that will stand the test of time.

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

27

CO AT

17

BIRMING HA M

22

L OO CH

THE BL UE

S

The Blue Coat School Founded by the Church of England in 1722

T: 0121 410 6807

E: admissions@thebluecoatschool.com

The Blue Coat School Birmingham Ltd., Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B17 0HR .

W: thebluecoatschool.com Registered Charity No. 1152244

Kevin Grant DC FRCC FMCA Registered Chiropractor Moseley Chiropractic Studio share’s a driveway with Moseley Tennis Club at: 49 Billesley Lane Moseley Birmingham B13 9QT Tel: 07305 11 9897 email: bookingwithkevin@gmail Website: www.moseleychiropracticstudio.co.uk

28

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, DECEMBER / JANUARY 2021/22

TOP TIPS TO BEE KIND TO OUR FUZZY FRIENDS WORLD BEE DAY

20th MAY

Now more than ever, we are being faced with just how critical a bee’s role is in our planet’s life. So now (or perhaps even a few days ago) is the time to get familiar with these amazing little creatures who shoulder such an enormous responsibility. What do they need? What stresses them out? And what’s preventing them from living healthy, long lives? We need all of the answers, and then we need to act on them!

What do they need?

Tools for their trade. There are more than 250 species of bees in the UK, and they all have this in common; they love nectar rich plants and native wildflowers. Primrose, Buddleia and Marigolds are great examples, but you can buy packs of wildflower seeds that have a fantastic range.

The buzz from the bees is that they like their gardens as wild as their flowers, so if you have space, leave a section to grow wild! Habitat loss is a big issue for UK wildlife, so anything you can do to provide some safe space is amazing.

Sometimes all they need is a drink. Although it is advised that you shouldn’t leave sugar water out for bees, a downed bee in need can be revived by

a little spoonful (2 parts sugar 1 part water). It can lead to bees feeding sugar to bee larvae at the hive instead of searching for nutritious pollen and nectar so it’s not good to leave copious amounts out!

What stresses them out?

Habitat loss has meant bees ready to lay their eggs have not got enough safe options. Sounds pretty stressful, right? A hotel might be nice? It’s actually not as strange as it sounds!

Bee hotels offer long term accommodation to bees in need, it’s a wonderful refuge for them and so easy to make or buy.

What’s preventing them from living long healthy lives?

Among some other factors mentioned in this article, a big problem is harmful pesticides. Signing petitions to change the law on the use of these will hopefully put enough pressure on MPs to bring about real change. But there is more you can do as an individual, eating less honey (keep it for special occasions?!) and buying from local sustainable hives are practices that will work towards seeing our bees thrive again.

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

I hope these top tips have been helpful! Remember, bee kind! Bee friendly!

Help our bees!

- Written by Ruby Maxine Prosser.

Sources: WWF.org.uk beevive.com

29

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Dance Track Celebrates 25 Years - By Diane Parkes

An innovative project which provides free training to children with a talent for dance celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022. And to mark the occasion, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Dance Track is inviting everyone who has been through its programme to a celebration.

Launched in 1997, Dance Track offers specialist dance training to hundreds of inner-city children aged between six and 11, providing free classes, uniforms, the chance to see live shows and the opportunity to perform.

Run by BRB’s Learning, Engagement, Access and Participation department, the programme aims to reach into the community and support children who may not have access to high quality dance education.

Many Dance Track children have gained places at the Royal Ballet and Elmhurst Ballet Schools and have gone on to dance professionally but the team believe all the participants have benefited.

“I am so passionate about the programme because we are changing lives – it’s not just about teaching dance,” says BRB Learning and Participation Manager Rebecca Brookes. “It’s about teaching social skills, self-development, independence, how to interact and communicate with each other. It’s also about understanding how to work as a team, how to perform, be an appreciative audience member and learn to be a critical thinker to enhance their ballet skills.”

30

Dance Track would not be possible without its many supporters. The programme’s 25th anniversary activities will be supported by HSBC UK and Birmingham Royal Ballet is totally committed to the project.

Since its launch, Dance Track has supported 3,500 youngsters and now the team are keen to hear from as many former Dance Track students as possible for the 25th anniversary celebrations which include a new book and an event in the spring.

“We want to reach all those people who remember Dance Track, remember their teachers, remember what it did for them – however big or small – to know what that impact was. Maybe it changed their life choices,” says Rebecca. “We would like to celebrate the achievements of everyone, students and staff, who have been involved in the programme.”

Nine-year-old Joshua McKenzie was just five when the Dance Track team visited his school, St Teresa’s Catholic Primary in Handsworth Wood, and he was offered a place on Dance Track.

Joshua has excelled and is now a Royal Ballet Associate and an Elmhurst Young

Dancer and was picked to dance a child role in this year’s BRB production of The Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome.

“It’s a life-changing experience for him,” says his mum Pei. “We didn’t know that he would find that ballet was something he would go on to become really passionate about. Before this he was someone who liked to be in the background but ballet has changed him and given him so much more confidence. He now enjoys being in the spotlight.”

This September, Joshua’s seven-yearold sister Kimora also joined Dance Track and Pei is grateful for the opportunities the programme brings.

“Most of the kids on Dance Track are just from normal families,” she says.

“Dance Track is a place where everyone comes together and we feel we are valued. It is free and they get the best.

Everyone is so wonderful, it’s the best programme in the world.”

*If you are an alumni of Dance Track, the team would love to hear from you at:

dancetrack@brb.org.uk

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

How we started...

- Written by Kevin Grant

I met Barbara Husband, my wife to be, in 1975, whilst we were still at Moseley School. She already had plans to become a chiropractor and became the youngest ever to qualify in the UK. Barbara went on going on to teach at the McTimoney College of Chiropractic for over 20 years alongside serving as an executive committee member of the McTimoney Chiropractic Association (MCA) for over 25 years. Barbara was one of the first members of the professional association , joining in 1978. Since 2008, Barbara has been a Director and Trustee of the McTimoney Trust.

S particular John McTimoney, the founder of ‘McTimoney Chiropractic’ was a local, and the first President of the British Chiropractic Association lived in Oxford Road, Moseley.

I, Kevin Grant, qualified as a McTimoney Chiropractor over 26 years ago and Barbara and I started the BAC Centre in Moseley. Since selling the premises and the business in 2020, I have relocated to my purpose-built chiropractic studio at my home, next door to Moseley Tennis Club in Billesley Lane, a peaceful setting.

Throughout my chiropractic career, I have kept the focus of my business local. As soon as I met Amy, I knew that she had something special to offer the businesses and the people of Moseley and Kings Heath. My reputation is built upon the good word of local people.

I did not need the ‘World Wide Web’ to let the whole World know about my local business. Amy’s ‘My Moseley and Kings Heath’ magazine was always perfect for local businesses to speak to their local customers and for people to find local services. ‘My Moseley and Kings Heath’ has been a gem, a local asset and besides helping to support local businesses, Amy, and her team at My Moseley, have always been quick to support charity fundraising initiatives.

Our own efforts over the past ten years have raised over £100,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, Brain Tumour Charity, and MacMillan.

I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of my road who have supported the charity Manisha UK, of which I am a trustee. The charity supports 10 village schools in Nepal.

We provide vital classroom resources, classroom furniture, teacher training, school renovation and have rebuilt, new toilet blocks. Via craft and bric - a -brac sales, donations and contributions to car boot sales, we have raised much needed funds. There is still so much to do!

It will be sad to lose ‘My Moseley & Kings Heath’. I wish Amy well for a bright future beyond the magazine and offer thanks for all her hard work upon our behalf.

Amy from My Magazine said “I’ve known Barbara for years, seeing her regularly for book club and other things. I’m so impressed by her Nepal charity work and it’s an amazing feeling to know that my little magazine is appreciated by friends like her who live locally.”

Heath foodbank receives regular contributions (coordinated by a high school student who is working towards a Duke of Edinburgh award) and one of our residents volunteers there.

Our lovely, local magazine may be going but the community spirit and sense of enterprise that it represented lives on. Wishing Amy and Ruby the very best for the future – I’m sure we will see their creative talents in other ventures.

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

31

King Edward VI

Camp Hill Schools

Music Departments The Schools provide good resources and a wide range of performing opportunities.

Experienced and enthusiastic teaching leads to excellent results.

An outstanding music education free of charge.

Places for A level music are available.

Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7QJ King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys (0121 444 3188) www.camphillboys.bham.sch.uk King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls (0121 444 2150) www.kechg.org.uk

Ironing, dry cleaning & domestic cleaning Quality ironing, dry cleaning and domestic cleaning at competitive rates Flexible collection and return service Fully insured, experienced staff

Give your free time a boost!

Opening hours: 8.30-5.00 Mon-Wed 8.30-6.00 Thu-Fri 9.30-1.00 Sat

158 Gordon Rd (corner of Station Rd)

Near Harborne High Street

B17 9EY

0121 428 4442

www.domesticcleanersharborne.co.uk

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

32

EASTER BROWNIES

Ever since the day I stumbled upon the diabolically brilliant idea of making the mountain of chocolate eggs I receive at Easter into brownies, it has become something of an annual tradition. I do love chocolate, but having all of the half eaten eggs and their boxes lying around everywhere is just a bit stressful! So I hope you enjoy this devine brownie recipe, and a clutter free house! Perhaps it’ll become a tradition for you too?

Ingredients

Method

200g assortment of Easter Egg chocolate 200g salted butter 3 eggs 275g golden sugar 50g cocoa powder 100g plain flour 300g chunks / chocolate chips (or something similar) out of Easter Egg bars / buttons / or whatever you’ve got!

1. Preheat oven to 180C, line a tray with baking paper.

2. Melt together the butter and Easter Egg chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over a pan of boiling water, leave to cool.

3. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar until the colour turns pale, and thicker. Fold in the chocolate mix, get lots of air bubbles in!

4. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in carefully. Add the ‘chunks’ and fold them in carefully.

5. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until only the middle jiggles! Leave to cool in the tray before attempting to remove!

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

33

Fres h

fish d

eliv

ered

to y

our

ROBBIES FISHMONGERS Delivery days are Thursdays and Fridays between 9.00am and 1pm.

FREE DELIVERY FOR ORDERS OVER £15 On Wednesdays we will message a list of which fish we have available for that week, you can message back with your order by 6pm wednesday for delivery that weekend.

We accept contactless payment on the day

Robbie’s Fishmongers ltd

Delivery Service Telephone: 07790 389 924

doo

r!

Some of the absolutely delicious fish we stock...

Cod fillets Haddock Fillets Whole Trout Sea Bass Sea Bream

£19.99 per kg £19.99 per kg £11.50 per kg £12.69 per kg £12.69 per kg

Fresh Mackerel Fresh Herrings Sword Fish Tuna Steaks Monkfish Halibut Plaice Fillets

£9.50 per kg £9.50 per kg £26.99 per kg £26.99 per kg £25.99 per kg £29.99 per kg £19.99 per kg

Lemon Sole Fillet Farmed Salmon Organic Salmon Scallops

£29.99 per kg £21.99 per kg £26.99 per kg £29.99 per kg

Dressed Crabs Prawns Oysters Mussles Lobster

£5.50 each £24.99 per kg £1.25 each £6.50 per kg £34 per kg

Price’s can change depending on demand.

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

34

A Wide range of Modern & Traditional Fireplaces

Fireplaces

M.D.Services Fireplaces Ltd

• Gas and electric fires • Over 30 working displays • Multi fuel stoves • Smokeless zone stoves • Fireside accessories • Solid wood, marble and stone surrounds • Full installations, servicing, repairs & spares

0121 441 3232 07759 918 816 www.mdservicesfireplaces.co.uk enquiries@mdservicesfireplaces.co.uk 300 Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7NH

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

35

WHAT’S ON

Information correct at time of going to print, please check the websites provided for current information before attending these events.

MAMMA MIA! The sensational feel-good musical MAMMA MIA! will return to Birmingham Hippodrome as part of a UK Tour celebrating 20 years since MAMMA MIA! premiered in London in April 1999. Tickets from £32

When: 3rd May - 14th May Where: Birmingham Hippodrome Info: www.birminghamhippodrome.com

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS UK The UK’s Best RHCP Tribute.

“Our only goal is to be the best tribute band we can be, with UNLIMITED LOVE for the music of our youth and for a band that continues to inspire us to this day.”

When: 29th April Where: Dark Horse Moseley Info: darkhorsemoseley.co.uk

EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP Join artist Claire Leggett as she guides you through a workshop to create a beautiful picture in fabric and stitch. Observe and draw upon inspiration from the garden at Winterbourne to create a piece of art on fabric using fabric paints and hand stitches.

Pre-booking is essential.

When: 7th May Where: winterbourne Hous & Gardens Info: winterbourne.org.uk

STEVE AJAO, THE BLUES GIANTS Now in its fourth decade, the Blues Giants Trio play authentic classic American Blues with Muddy waters , howling wolf , Jimi Hendrix , Robert Parker , Johnny Guitar Watson evident in their set , all played with cheeky smile on their faces.

When: 29th April Where: The Blue Piano Info: thebluepiano.co.uk

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

36

WHAT’S ON

Information correct at time of going to print, please check the websites provided for current information before attending these events.

MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY Take a trip to Lewis Carroll’s equally remarkable work of Wonderland and attend the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Highbury Hall. See Highbury Hall dressed up in an ‘Alice and Wonderland’ theme and try a selection of unusual afternoon tea delights, guaranteed to tickle your taste buds. The table will be yours to enjoy for 1½ hours, afterwards you are welcome to explore the house and grounds. Choose from 1:00pm and 3.30pm sitting times. £24.95 per person, £12.50 per child (under the age of 12)

When: 12th June Where: Highbury Hall Info: www.birminghamhippodrome.com

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Two young lovers, Claudio and Hero are to be married but a malicious scheme threatens their big day. Meanwhile marriage seems inconceivable for the bantering Beatrice and Benedick, Shakespeare’s wittiest and most loveable pair of reluctant lovers, whose endless sparring threatens to keep them apart forever! Folksy’s wonderful outdoor production is filled with live music and colourful characters.

This is an open-air event, so please come prepared for the weather!

When: 19 July Where: Martineau Gardens Info: martineau-gardens.org

FRED ZEPPELIN 2022 marks Fred Zeppelins 29th year together. During this time they have had the honour of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant attending three of their gigs.

Join the band for a huge two set filled with all of the Zeppelin classics!

When: 6th May Where: Dark Horse Moseley Info: darkhorsemoseley.co.uk

MOSTLY JAZZ FESTIVAL 8th - 10th JUL They’re back baby! Lineup includes, Earth Wind & Fire Experience, The Specials, Cameo, The Wailers, Craig Charles and more!

MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL 2rd SEP - 4th SEP Lineup includes, Supergrass, Seasick Steve, The Coral, Jethro Tull, Kurt Vile & the Violators, and many many more!

Where: Moseley Park & Pool Info: moseleypark.co.uk

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

37

Local Business Directory A wonderful collection of local services, here for you when you need them!

ART GALLERY Purple Gallery

22

BATHROOMS Roman Bathrooms & Tiles

27

CARPENTRY & JOINERY Heritage Joinery & Maintenance Services

22

CAREHOME Care UK

9

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES Ultimate Activity Camps

22

CHIROPRACTOR Moseley Chiropractic Studio

28

CLEANING & IRONING Mopheads Clean & Tidy

24 32

EVENTS Ex Cathedra Birmingham Hippodrome Edgbaston Village Artisan Market

MUSIC LESSONS Drum Tuition What A Performance

22 14

PEST CONTROL PGH Bee Gone

24

PLUMBING DAF Plumbing & Heating

14

SCHOOL Edgbaston High School for Girls Blue Coat School King Edward VI Camp Hill

10 28 32

SOLICITOR Tyndallwoods Solicitors

15

UNDERTAKER A Natural Undertaking

32

WHAT’S ON GUIDE

36/37

2 16 18

FIREPLACE SHOWROOM MD Services

35

FISHMONGERS Robbies Fishmongers

34

GARDENING & LANDSCAPING Evans Landscapes

14

HEALTHCARE SERVICES Midland Hand Clinic

39

AMY’S CHOICE BADGE Living in the midst of the area these magazines cover I am always coming across businesses that make me think... ‘ooh I need that!’ and consequently I have been (and am) a customer of many businesses in these pages.

I feel like I should have created the Amy’s Choice badge a long time ago - well better late than never!

If you see an advert bearing this badge it means that I am a satisfied customer of theirs as well as supporting their business with my magazines. These are businesses that I am happy to recommend and if you would like a more personal testimonial about any of them please drop me a line...

Amy x

Disclaimer - All advertisements delivered by the MY Magazines are published in good faith. We do not accept responsibility for the accuracy of such advertisements, nor is any kind of warrenty endorsment expressed or implied by such publication. We specifically disclaim all and any liability to advertisers, readers and users of any kind, for loss or damage of any nature whatsoever and however arising, whether due to inaccuracy, error, omission or any other cause and whether on the part of the MY Magazines, our agents or any other person.

38

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

FAST TRACK CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT FOR HEALTHY HANDS PUT YOUR HANDS IN OUR HANDS Treating hand conditions effectively requires making a diagnosis by addressing your symptoms and signs. Here are some common hand conditions and the associated symptoms:Carpal Tunnel – Common indicators include pins and needles, numbness and tingling in the fingers waking you from sleep.

Trigger Finger – Signs of finger locking and clicking in the fingers and thumb.

Dupuytren’s Contracture - A thickening of skin in the palm and fingers along with a fixed bending of the fingers meaning hands cannot be placed comfortably flat on a table.

Arthritis of the Thumb – Signs include a general dull ache around the thumb base, which may mean sufferers struggle to open tight jars. The thumb position may change.

Occasionally additional investigations are required but we always do what we can to help diagnose on the day. We may also suggest injections and physiotherapy as alternative treatment options to surgery.

Online consultations are available as well as face to face appointments, if you would like to be seen but would prefer not to attend a hospital setting. For more information visit www.midlandhandclinic.com So, if you detect any signs or symptoms of a hand condition, don’t delay, let the Midland Hand Clinic help you to reach the correct diagnosis and receive the right treatment!

Midland Hand Clinic lead by Mr G Shyamalan FRCS NHS consultant hand surgeon.

All patients welcome whether you have private medical insurance or you are self-paying.

Hand Clinic PA: Pam Dziubany Email: pdziubany@hotmail.com Call: 07815 460786 - 01827 892952 www.midlandhandclinic.com

39

MY HARBORNE & EDGBASTON, SPRING 2022

It’s a remedy for when life gets you down.

It’s an adventure in a magical corner of Brum.

It’s The Bee’s Knees!

26th APRIL LAUNCH!

New children’s book!

By local author / illustrator Ideal for ages 3-7 (and beyond!)

Purchase at KINDSOULBOOKS.COM & AMAZON.COM from 26th April