Writer Shaun Hand’s band, The Bluebeat Arkestra, was one degree of separation from B-Town. They played the same venues, shared mutual friends, and probably bought drugs from the same dealers...

Fast forward to the present day, and there’s something strange about the way B-Town is depicted now. Check Wikipedia and you might get the impression that it was all a joke that got out of hand:

It’s 2013 and Digbeth is suddenly, unironically, one of the coolest places in the UK. The NME has dubbed it “the Shoreditch of Birmingham”, largely because, for the first time since the 1960s, multiple local bands are hitting the big time at once.

Calling all millenial brummies! We have a bumper read about 2010s indie music scene B-Town coming out this weekend and we want photos. Dust off your Facebook (or even MySpace) logins and send us your best pics from: 📸gigs 📸house parties 📸club nights at the Rainbow + more

Burnham's plan is to turbocharge devolution, handing significantly more powers away from Whitehall and to the regions. But is the West Midlands ready? One school of thought claims the WMCA currently does not have anywhere near the capacity to pull off Burnham’s vision.

Andy Burnham is prime minister. And it only took 25 years, two failed Labour leadership contests, and some viral paparazzi shots of him running in very short shorts to get here. What could his premiership mean for the West Midlands?

Andy Burnham is prime minister. Is he going to promote Shabana Mahmood to chancellor? And does she even want the job? 💼 That's the top story in today's Monday Briefing. 📰

'It’s kind of dreary, it’s kind of rainy, everyone’s kind of depressed' That's the impression a lot of ppl, like the artist Laisul Hoque, have of Birmingham before they come here.

Don't forget: The Dispatch is hiring! We're looking for a brilliant staff writer to join Kate and Olivia covering all things Birmingham and the West Midlands.

And one worrisome side effect of the recent good weather? The glare from Grand Central Station has caused Lime bikes to smoke perilously in the heat. 🔥

The man who headed up the fight for free education was merchant-turned politician George Dixon. In 1867, he set up the Birmingham Education Society to advance his aim. Two years later, it became the National Education League.

The Ikon Gallery is among Birmingham's finest buildings. But this landmark was not originally a civic icon. It was, in fact, originally Oozells Street Board School, and its history is a testament to the city’s decisive role in fighting for free universal education.

In the 1920s and 1930s, lidos in Britain boomed, part of an interwar municipal public health push. But everything changed in the 1960s. A government report on sport and community recommended more swimming pools - but said they should be indoor. Lidos fell out of fashion.

The way Dale Clark describes Malvern Park Lido in the 1960s sounds more like a film scene. Then there was the pool; bright blue and cold as anything. When he was cooked enough, Clark would amble over for a dip, submerging his body inch by inch until there was no turning back.

Read the story here: www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/where-did-al...

Oh, who was named with Ben Cullen in Oxfordshire county council’s injunction against RTC to stop them putting up flags on lampposts? And who appeared with Ben Cullen in the dock at the High Court when RTC lost that case? Well that would be... Ryan Bridge!

But is that true? Because here's RTC co-founder Ryan Bridge pictured at dinner with Ben Cullen, on marches (wearing RTC merch) with Ben Cullen, and in the airport with other activists — and Ben Cullen...

Ben Cullen is currently in court on charges of making over 70 indecent images of children, including 22 Cat A images - the most serious. Now Raise the Colours is denying a connection with Cullen. “Ben Cullen was not affiliated with Raise the Colours," a social media post states.

Raise the Colours is the Birmingham-based group that claim responsibility for starting the practice of sticking St George's flags on lampposts. 'Saving our women and children' is one of their taglines There's an RTC Oxfordshire too & its most prominent member is one Ben Cullen.

📍Role Details • Location: Birmingham/West Midlands (full-time resident or willing to relocate). • Salary: £30k-35k (with potential for increase next year). • Basis: Full-time • Start Date: August/September 2026. • Deadline: Friday 31st July 2026. 💡Candidates need 3+ years of journalism experience.

🚨 We are hiring a Staff Writer for our Birmingham team 🚨 We are seeking an exceptional writer capable of documenting the stories of Birmingham and the West Midlands through agenda-setting, high-quality reporting.

🚨 We’re hiring a Senior Editor 🚨 We need an exceptional editorial leader - someone who can edit ambitious journalism, develop writers, and help shape the direction of one of the most exciting teams in British journalism.

A woman had accused Sullivan of sexual assault. Dyson got him on the phone - and Sullivan was surprisingly candid.

In 2008, Steve Dyson was editor of the Birmingham Mail when he got a tip-off about former 'porn king' and Blues owner David Sullivan.

It’s March 1940. Blackouts are in force across Birmingham and gas masks bump against torsos as citizens bustle around the streets. At 38 Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston, two men are writing a note about their current research project: how to build a workable nuclear bomb.

Your Monday briefing has arrived ‼️📍 Top story: at Birmingham city council’s meeting last Friday, Labour and Reform tried to get into bed with the Tories, agreeing to divvy up seven scrutiny roles between them. Photo of the week: Ronnie Ackling / Instagram

In New Orleans, 1999: Prof. Charles Craddock was one of the first people to hear about a drug that would go on to change the course of medical history. 'You could hear the gasp go round the room,' he told The Dispatch.

Delays, pint-induced rants, and one very angry Irishman. What will it take to get phase 4 of the Eastside Metro Extension finished?

Today’s story is out now: People are living in Brum’s abandoned buildings. What happens when there’s a blaze?

Operation Fearless: racist and short-sighted or absolutely necessary?