Graham Young

A Walk in the Park: Dickens Heath Nature Reserve

IT WAS December 2007 when I was last here, just in time to catch a glorious winter sunrise.Read

Tormented (15) **

THIS teen horror movie was shot in and around Birmingham, though you wouldn’t readily know it. Look out instead for things like decapitations, detached eyeballs, a fence post through the head, bleeding ears and hands chopped off. The story is about a boy who coming back from the dead to haunt his bullies but any serious themes soon make way for an illogical plot. Also out to buy for £15.99.Read

Fighting (15) **

CHANNING Tatum is continuing his physical climb up Hollywood’s greasy pole with a fair degree of tenacity. Read

Observe and Report (15) *

THE only heart present in this shopping centre security guard ‘comedy’ is in the surname of Seth Rogen’s character – Ronnie BarnhardtRead

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past (12) *

THIS attempt at comedy is so energy-sapping its six-pack star, Matthew McConaughey, doesn’t even bother to take his shirt off. Sorry, girls! Read

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (U) ***

THE title of this inventive comedy fantasy animation sounds like a weather forecast you might expect to hear on BBC WM, if you were planning a day out at the Swedish IKEA store and restaurant next to Junction 9 of the M6.Read

The Soloist (12A) ****

FILMS dominated by a couple of actors doing fine work don’t come along as often as we might wish, so that’s one reason to catch this moving new film from British director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice / Atonement).Read

The Crimson Wing (PG) ****

IF A 78-minute documentary film about flamingos sounds like it won’t have much legs in the cinema you’d be right.Read

Creation (PG) ****

AS WATCHABLE as it is thought-provoking and inspirational, Creation is a film that will help children see the bigger picture in class and to realise the answer to the most important question of all: ‘Why am I learning this?’Read

Surrogates (12A) ****

IF YOU like sci-fi thrillers Westworld, Total Recall, Minority Report and I, Robot then plug yourself into Surrogates.Read

Spetchley Gardens are a world class delight

DaysOutRead

A walk in the park: Graham Young visits Dickens Heath Nature Reserve

AWalkInTheParkRead

The Heron's Nest, Warwick Road, Knowle

ON A gloriously sunny early Sunday evening, there can be few nicer places in the Midlands than this pub next to the Grand Union Canal.Read

B My Chip, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield

SITUATED next to a college on a hellishly busy main road, this ‘Perfect Portion’ award-winning shop offered two instant surprises.Read

Food fails to live up to the setting at The Heron's Nest in Knowle

PubGrubRead

Explore historic buildings at Avoncroft Museum in Bromsgrove

DaysOutRead

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2D/3D (U) *** (with trailer)

THE title of this inventive comedy fantasy animation sounds like a weather forecast you might expect to hear on BBC WM... if you were planning a day out at the IKEA store and restaurant next to Junction 9 of the M6.Read

Gamer (18) * (with trailer)

THE global video gaming market is forecast to be worth more than $75 billion within four years.Read

Away We Go (15) **** (with trailer)

SAM MENDES has already had one movie out this year already – and Revolutionary Road is still riding high in my 2009 top ten to date having haunted me for weeks after seeing it.Read

A Walk In The Park: Queslett Nature Reserve

I KNEW that deciding to visit Great Barr’s four-year-old Queslett Nature Reserve on August Bank Holiday Sunday would be tempting fate.Read

Get involved

We want your local stories, videos & pics.

Graham Young

Author Profile

Get involved

e-newsletters

Facebook

Twitter

Mail mobile site

Go Green

Competitions

Style File blog

Editor's Chair

What's On

Mail Cashback

Education section

About us

Popular sections

Useful links

Our site network