HomeAuthorsNeil Elkes

Neil Elkes

Neil Elkes

Birmingham Council House

Mayor's top of the shops

SHOPPERS in Sutton Coldfield and Alum Rock will be among those given the chance to support the petition for the right to decide whether an elected mayor should run Birmingham. Read

The cartoon show at ThinkTank.

Comic capers come to city

BIRMINGHAM'S home of science and technology became the home of science fiction and fantasy as hundreds of comic book fans came to town. Read

Birmingham Council House

Petition ready to hit the streets

SCORES of petitioners will take to the streets of Birmingham on Saturday in a bid to force a referendum on an elected mayor. Read

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Curtain up on Brum's £193m library

BIRMINGHAM'S new £193 million central library will be fused with the city's Repertory Theatre to form a "breathtaking" arts and culture centre, it was revealed today. Read

The Bullring.

Report relegates Brum to UK's third city

BIRMINGHAM has dropped from a top 20 list of European 'cities to do business with' - to be replaced by bitter rival Manchester. Read

The Nightingale Club

Gay club's licensing victory

BIRMINGHAM'S top gay nightclub has been told it can stay open after allegations of noise nuisance were rejected. Read

Carson Yeung

Blues tycoon in shares cash bid

HONG Kong tycoon Carson Yeung is raising cash in the Far East to seize complete control of Blues. Read

MP's call to community after church disaster

ERDINGTON MP Sîon Simon today called on the community to pull together to rebuild the gutted St Barnabas Church. Read

St Barnabas Church in Erdington.

Church is gutted in blaze - with video

IT was described as "the jewel in the heart of Erdington" - but today all that remains of St Barnabas Parish Church is the clock tower. Read

New library plans set to be unveiled

CITY leader Mike Whitby is set to end seven years of delays and indecision when he unveils plans for Birmingham's new Central Library next month. Read

Gun crime.

Police in chase gunfire drama

POLICE officers dodged bullets after a car chase ended with a crash in Birmingham and four men opening fire as they fled the scene. Read

City flyers ban to be extended

A CONTROL zone restricting the distribution of flyers and leaflets in the city centre is to be extended into Birmingham's entertainment zone. Read

Graffiti.

Graffiti is NOT a crime, say young

LESS than a quarter of Birmingham's 11 to 24 year olds believe graffiti is a form of vandalism or criminal damage. Read

Mike Whitby

Row over leader's third China visit

CITY leader Mike Whitby's third official visit to China has been greeted with calls for more openness over foreign visits at the taxpayers' expense. Read

Ken Hardeman

Labour go all out to snatch seat

VOTERS go to the polls in Birmingham's Brandwood ward tomorrow to choose a successor to the late Coun Ken Hardeman. Read

Bikers take tester run

MORE than 95 bikers took to the streets of Birmingham to celebrate the city's past as home of motorcycle manufacturing. Read

Misery on roads

BELEAGUERED city centre commuters are bracing themselves for more misery when further road-works start next week. Read

We will knot be beaten by this evil weed

THE relentless triffid-like march of the virulent Japanese knotweed could nipped in the bud by a new campaign. Read

The rebirth of our rotunda

BIRMINGHAM'S most iconic tower came a stage closer to completing an impressive 21st century revival as major restoration work officially ended. Read

Waste land plan gets green light

CITY planning bosses have given the go ahead for 36 houses next to a former rubbish tip despite fears over contaminated land. Read

Author Profile

A local news reporter in the Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and south Staffordshire area since 1995, Neil Elkes is the local government correspondent covering the activities of Birmingham CIty Council - Europe's largest local authority. An avid reader and collector of comics Neil is writing a column on this for the Birmingham Mail website.

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