Ready, steady, wait, the four way control at Watford Gap/Lichfield Road
Green light at last as pavement upgrades go on
On the move, a digger beats the traffic control
Sutton traffic mayhem caused by roadworks
As May has become a washout and as the country sees further lockdown restrictions relaxed, it seems that councils and utility companies think now is a good time to start digging the roads up.
Easing lockdown has meant more people are back at work which in turn means more and more people are on the road.
Thing is, in the Mere Green area of Sutton, they are not moving very far.
It seems the area has become become ring fenced with traffic lights, men in yellow gilets and hard hats and diggers appearing to be the only vehicles moving any great distance.
The closed off pavement outside the new Lidl
It has been bad enough on Mere Green Road, where the closure of the pavement outside the new Lidl has caused chaos with traffic lights on an off for months it seems. It doesn’t bode well for when the new store opens in a few weeks.
Then there’s Belwell Lane, a traffic hotspot at the best of times, but even more of a nightmare with temporary lights. No sign of men in hard hats and yellow vests here as the work, apparently by Severn Trent, has come to a standstill.
The worst of the lot has to be Lichfield Road. A double whammy here. For weeks, Birmingham City Council workers have been digging up and resurfacing the pavements, with traffic lights moving towards Mere Green island at a snail’s pace.
To make matters worse, a four-way light system has been installed at the island on Lichfield Road at its junction with Blake Street and Watford Gap Road. Traffic has been tailing back as far as Shenstone in busy periods, and once through drivers then face further delays with the pavement resurfacing work.
This time it’s Western Power Distribution at work. With the schools coming out late afternoon, the area is gridlocked at a peak times.
Spring is here and all the talk is about summer travel. Sadly people are not travelling very far on these roads.
A member of staff gives a Triumph Spitfire 1500 a last-minute polish at The Great british Car Journey launch
Great British Car Journey open doors
Born from an idea spawned by a 32-year-old Austin Maestro, and after four years in the making, the UK’s newest visitor attraction Great British Car Journey has opened its doors.
Making the once ordinary extraordinary, the Great British Car Journey is packed with British marques and models that dominated the roads for nearly a century.
Motors fixed in our memories, like the Morris Minor, Ford Capri, and everything before, after and in between, are cars that are now so rare that you’re more likely to see a £150,000 supercar on today’s roads.
More than 130 vehicles now fill a former wire works factory on the banks of the River Derwent in Ambergate, Derbyshire.
Richard Usher, CEO of Great British Car Journey explained: “Four years ago, when I owned and managed Blyton Circuit, a gentleman approached me asking if I’d like to buy his 1989 Austin Maestro in mint condition with just 10,000 miles on the clock. My first thought was ‘no’, but it then got me thinking about when I last saw an Austin Allegro, Metro, original Mini, or even a Ford Cortina on the road. These were cars that were once on virtually every street in Britain and sold in their millions.”
The seed was planted and Richard, together with four private investors, set about amassing one of the largest privately owned collections of British designed and manufactured cars in the country.
Visitors to Great British Car Journey will be guided round the exhibition with a unique handheld audio device which tells the fascinating story of individual vehicles as well as the development of the UK’s motor industry.
Starting with the Austin Seven in 1922, the Great British Car Journey chronicles car design and production in the UK through to the modern-day McLaren 650S, which has been lent to the attraction by the supercar manufacturer.
Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive said: “Richard and the team have done an amazing job bringing Great British Car Journey to life. I am delighted that McLaren is able to support the exhibition which celebrates Britain’s motoring history from Bruce McLaren’s Austin Seven, where our brand story began, through to modern day supercars such as our 650S.”
The collection of almost 150 cars has been brought together over the last four years. One of the most difficult cars to find for the exhibition was a Vauxhall Chevette. Only a handful of Chevettes in roadworthy condition are thought to exist in the world today, despite around half a million being sold in Britain between 1975 and 1984.
Explaining his vision in more detail, Mr Usher said: “I really wanted the cars to tell a story, so the journey charts the growth of car ownership from Austin’s Seven to the present day.”
“It has a motor show feel with cars grouped in the decades – or chapters – in which they were produced, with period adverts and graphics prominently displayed.
“The vehicles are easily accessible. We want people to smell the old car smell, marvel at the interiors and jog memories of trips in the family car, their first car or back seat fights with their siblings when they were growing up.
“Everyone who has been on the journey, whether a car nut like myself or not, doesn’t fail to have a smile on their face remembering days gone by. Great British Car Journey is the ultimate trip down Memory Lane,” added Richard.
And the cars aren’t purely for looking at; more than 30 of them can be driven.
For an authentic, hands-on trip down Memory Lane 32 cars, including the Maestro that started it all, are available to drive on a private road as part of the Drive Dad’s Car experience.
All the vehicles in both the exhibition and Drive Dad’s Car experience are in working order and fully maintained by Great British Car Journey’s own time-served technician and apprentice. Visitors are welcome to watch them at work in the onsite workshop within the exhibition hall.
“Great British car journey is very much a working attraction. We have a large collection of well-thumbed Haynes manuals which are regularly consulted when we need to locate a bonnet catch or various engine parts to ensure the maintenance of the collection,” added Mr Usher.
Visitors to Great British Car Journey are guided round the exhibition with the handheld audio device while an army of volunteers is on hand to explain the finer details of the vehicles, from hidden petrol caps masquerading as taillights to the split bumper on the Morris Minor and one car once owned by a British music icon.
Entry to Great British Car Journey costs just £15 for adults (concessions are available)
Analysed Spotify data has revealed that the number one most listened to road trip song is Mr. Brightside by The Killers.
Website findandfundmycar.com analysed 10,000 songs featured on Spotify playlists with ‘road trip’ or ‘driving’ in the playlist title to reveal which songs and artists are most commonly featured.
Taylor Swift takes the number one place for the most featured artist, although none of her songs appears in the top 100 most popular songs.
The top ten songs featured in the playlists are:
1. Mr. Brightside – The Killers
2. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
3. Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus
4. Umbrella – Rihanna Ft. Jay Z
5. Replay – Iyaz
6. Payphone – Maroon 5
7. Hey, Soul Sister – Train
8. Levitating – Dua Lipa Ft. DaBaby
9. Don’t Stop the Music – Ed Marquis (Rihanna cover)
10. Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
Despite taking the number one spot on most played songs, The Killers are just the 62nd most popular artist on the playlist.
The top ten artists featured in the playlists are, from 8,742 songs:
1. Taylor Swift – 189 times
2. One Direction – 156 times
3. Rihanna – 133 times
4. Ariana Grande – 118 times
5. Justin Bieber – 104 times
6. Maroon 5 – 82 times
7. Katy Perry – 79 times
8. Chris Brown – 70 times
9. Miley Cyrus – 67 times
10. Drake – 65 times
As for albums, two One Direction albums featured in the top 10, as well as two Ariana Grande albums. Taking home the number one spot for most featured album is One Direction’s Midnight Memories, with songs such as Best Song Ever and Story of my Life getting featured.
The top ten albums featured in the playlists are:
1. Midnight Memories – One Direction
2. American Teen – Khalid
3. Up All Night – One Direction
4. Doo-Wops and Hooligans – Bruno Mars
5. Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
6. Fearless – Taylor Swift
7. Fine Line – Harry Styles
8. Good Girl Gone Bad – Rihanna
9. thank u, next – Ariana Grande
10. Positions – Ariana Grande
A recent survey by findandfundmycar.com also revealed that 54 per cent of Brits are planning more staycations and road trips in 2021 compared to previous years.
Phil Morgan, Head of findandfundmycar.com, said: “With more staycations and road trips being planned for this year than previous years, families, couples and groups of friends are going to want to prepare their music for the long journeys well before they start travelling. We’ve put together the top 200 most played songs into a playlist so that roadtrippers have a good mix between old and new, and songs that are bound to make hours of travel more fun!”
Sutton Coldfield police said they are continuing to focus on the problem of begging and rough sleeping in the area.
The areas affected are mainly Wylde Green shopping centre, Sutton Coldfield Town Centre, Mere Green shops, Boldmere Road and the Princess Alice retail park where the beggars/rough sleepers are having a detrimental impact, causing a public nuisance to the local community and the businesses.
In a statement, the police also said they wanted to reassure everyone they will still focusing on violent crimes, burglary, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour (ASB).
The statement added that officers always try and help individuals who are begging or appear homeless by making referrals to other agencies, whether that is directing them to food banks or helping with housing.
They are now keeping track of individuals and what help has been offered to individuals. They have also used civil interventions against those who have continued to beg after refusing help. In partnership with Business Watch Schemes through Sutton officers are in regular communication with businesses to share information.
To alleviate the problem posters are now starting to be put up to encourage the police ‘Alternative Giving’ scheme where the public can donate money and be confident that it is going to a good cause. Increased patrols will be in the areas during the peak times with assistance from joint services, with a view of proactive action taken and not just moving beggars/rough sleepers on. Street watch groups in the area to conduct patrols, engagement and feedback. With the help of other agencies, two individuals have completed rehab programmes and they are doing well with another due to start in a few weeks.
What can you do?
Consider our ‘Alternative Giving’ scheme where you can donate www.changeintoaction.org.uk. Share any information you may have around this issue with the neighbourhood teams and you can use www.streetlink.org.uk to notify of anyone you are concerned may be rough sleeping. Get in touch with your local neighbourhood team if you would like to get involved with a Street Watch group near you. www.west-midlands.police.uk.
Fundraisers Amy and Ellanor Foster prepare for Solstice Walk Your Way
Join the Solstice Walk Your Way with St Giles Hospice
Sutton Coldfield people are being invited to celebrate the arrival of summer and support St Giles Hospice on June 19 by stepping out of their own front door to take part in Solstice Walk Your Way.
Supporters will be lacing up their walking shoes and fundraising in their fairy wings for a Solstice Walk with a twist this year as the hospice’s biggest annual fundraiser returns in 2021 for a special event based from home.
Fundraisers are being invited to put safety first and walk 5k their way – either on Saturday 19th or any other day in June – before celebrating with a solstice party in their own garden afterwards.
Taking part in Solstice Walk Your Way this year is Amy Foster from Tamworth, who will be wearing her fairy wings with her eight-year-old daughter Ellanor and husband Daniel. The family was supported when Amy’s mother-in-law was an inpatient at the hospice and has since become a health assistant.
Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles Hospice, said: “Our Solstice Walk is our largest fundraising event of the year and always has a really magical atmosphere – and we’re hoping to bring some of that spirit back in 2021 now that people can get together in small groups outside.
“We hope that as many people as possible will get together in their ‘bubbles’ to take part and raise some much-needed funds for St Giles Hospice at a time when we have never needed our community more. A lot of people raising a small amount can make a huge difference to the care we’re able to provide in our community, and the Solstice Walk Your Way is a great way to support us with your family or friends.
“After the difficult year St Giles has faced, we need the Solstice Walk more than ever in 2021 and we’re thrilled to be bringing it back. Although we’d all love to get together again for our annual walk through Lichfield we feel that adapting the event is the most responsible thing to do this year in the interest of everyone’s safety and we’d love for hundreds of people from right across our catchment area to join together virtually for an extra-special Solstice Walk this year.
“People who sign up will receive a fabulous fundraising pack full of goodies to really get them in the Solstice Walk spirit. Shimmer on a 5k in your local area, sparkle at your own fundraising party, and shine for St Giles!”
The fundraising pack includes a Solstice Walk Your Way number to wear, a selection of 5k route maps around local parks and trails, a lantern to light for a special moment of reflection at 8pm on 19th June, biodegradable body glitter and gel, party bunting, cake toppers and fabulous fundraising ideas.
Chloe added: “It’s free to sign up to Solstice Walk Your Way, but by raising just a little bit of sponsorship, you can make a huge difference to the lives of local people living with a terminal illness. If you take part in a bubble of six people and everyone donated £5, you could fund one hour of nursing care for a patient at the end of their life.”
Although Amy Foster has been a St Giles fundraiser for several years, her support for St Giles became more personal in 2018 when mother-in-law Sandra Foster was diagnosed with cancer. Sandra came to St Giles as an inpatient in January 2019 for a couple of weeks, before being discharged and dying at home, as was her wish, a couple of months later.
Amy, who was so inspired by Sandra’s care that she joined St Giles as a Healthcare Assistant, said: “We’re really looking forward to taking part in Solstice Walk Your Way. The Solstice Walk is the only St Giles event I’ve never done before so I’m looking forward to completing the set!
“The event has been adapted in such a lovely way to ensure people can still fundraise and take part safely and I’ll be walking in memory of my mother-in-law Sandra. The care she was given was superb and we just want to give back to St Giles some of the love that we received.
“After she passed away we were helped with bereavement support and the staff were just so good to us, always listening, and they really made a difference.
“I now work with the Hospice at Home team at St Giles so I can see that there are so many people who need the support of the hospice. People who raise funds for the hospice are absolute heroes – the money they raise makes such a difference for local families who are living with a terminal illness. A little support really goes a long way.
“St Giles is such a valuable service for everyone in the community as you never know when someone you love is going to need the amazing support that the hospice provides.”
Pictured left to right: Councillor Waseem Zaffar , Councillor Ian Ward the Leader of Birmingham City Council, Mark Jones from Motorpoint and Laura Shoaf MD Transport West Midlands
Team appointed to lead scrappage initiative
Work has begun on Birmingham’s e Clean Air Zone Vehicle Scrappage and Travel Scheme. Motorpoint, the UK’s largest independent car retailer, which has branches in Aston and Oldbury, was recently selected by Birmingham City Council to help deliver the £10m scheme.
People who work in the zone and earn less than £30,000 per annum, will now be able to scrap their vehicle with Motorpoint. In exchange, they will receive £2,000 credit towards a compliant vehicle from Motorpoint or £2,000 in a ‘mobility’ credit to use on public transport via a Swift Card with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).
The Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone goes live on June 1, 2021. From this date the owners of vehicles that do not meet the emission standards of the Clean Air Zone will be subject to a daily fee of £8 to enter the zone. The Clean Air Zone is an area of Birmingham city centre inside the A4540 Middleway (but not the Middleway itself).
Kevin Cartwright, General Manager of Motorpoint Birmingham and Oldbury, said: “We’re delighted to see the Clean Air Zone Vehicle Scrappage and Travel Scheme go live and with it the opportunity to further reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions in the city.
“Motorpoint has hundreds of low mileage, nearly new vehicles all under warranty available at its branches across the city – every one of which is Clean Air Zone compliant. Plus, with our Sameday Driveaway service, people can choose, test drive and buy, all in the space of a couple of hours. We would definitely recommend anyone thinking of taking advantage of the scheme to go online and start their car buying journey at motorpoint.co.uk or alternatively pop into their nearest Motorpoint branch.”
Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment, added: “Every year, up to 1,000 people in Birmingham are dying prematurely from conditions linked to air pollution including cancer, heart and lung disease. This is an unacceptable situation.
Clean air should be a basic right, not a luxury and just because it is invisible it does not mean we should ignore it. The Clean Air Zone will help improve air quality within our city and the Vehicle Scrappage and Travel Credit Scheme helps tackle the source of the problem by removing the most polluting vehicles from our roads.”
Motorpoint currently has over 6,000 low mileage, nearly new cars and light commercial vehicles available from over 30 different manufacturers. Every vehicle from Motorpoint comes with the balance of manufacturer’s warranty backed by the Motorpoint Price Promise. This means Motorpoint will refund the difference to any customer within seven days of their order if they find the same car cheaper from a competitor. As a bonus, it will also give the customer £50 worth of Amazon vouchers to spend.
Plus, as part of the company’s on-going COVID-19 safeguarding processes, all vehicle collections will be completed in specially designated areas to always guarantee social distancing while an online portal means the car buying experience is completely paperless with customers able to sign for their new car using their mobile phone.
The full eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for the scheme are available at www.brumbreathes.co.uk.
The month of May so far has been wet, windy and cold with the odd bit of sunshine thrown in. A stark contrast to the heatwave which made the first lockdown last year bearable, writes Bill McCarthy.
So it was a colourful display which lit up some of the early evening gloom on Monday when not one, but two rainbows appeared after a day of heavy showers.
Something I have never witnessed was the double spectrum arcing over the houses in Four Oaks.
Light at the end of the tunnel as lockdown measures are due to lifted further next week.
Sometimes its the little things the grab your attention when driving a new car. Yes, the Leon is typically SEAT; sleek profile with sharp styling and proud to be known as the sporty arm of the VW group.
But it was the puddle lights in the door mirror that caught my attention, reflecting the Spanish word ‘hola’ onto ground when activated by the key. A clever gimmick, but the new SEAT has so much more to offer.
A plug-in hybrid that offers economy and pace, low Benefit in Kind taxation benefits, starting at just six per cent for the baseline model. It’s also competitively priced, starting at just over £30k, even if this tested range topper will set you back more than £41k.
The power unit is a combination of a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine and an 85kW electric motor to offer 204PS of power, mated with 13.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack to deliver a claimed electric range of up to 38 miles and CO2 of 28g/km.
Official economy figures show between 217 and 235mpg, a figure theoretically possible, but real world figures are harder to determine. Keep it fully charged and there will be few trips to the petrol station, but running on petrol alone with the battery discharged, around 40mpg seemed possible.
‘The Leon offers a pleasing mixture of sharp angles and flowing curves’
It also delivers performance well into hot hatch territory, with rapid pace from a standing start and a top speed not nearly double what’s permitted on UK motorways. It races to 60mph in just 7.5 seconds and on to a theoretical top speed of 137mph.
Based on the Group’s MQB architecture it offers a pleasing mixture of sharp angles and flowing curves and low profile. The FR models feature sporty front and rear bumpers, dynamic, dual exhaust pipes and lowered suspension.
The interior is dominated by a 10-inch touchscreen which controls major functions like connectivity, infotainment and navigation and the now familiar customisable digital cockpit, seen on other VW brands.
Fixtures and fittings are high quality and the bland black interior is lifted by red stitching. Seats are comfortable and head and legroom good. Hatchbacks are practical by definition, but space in this hybrid is compromised by the position of the large battery to the rear, this eats up a substantial 100 litres of stowages space over the non-hybrid models, with 270 litres available, rather than 380.
On the road, the car is a fine performer, offering sporty performance, aided by MacPherson suspension at the front and a multilink system at the rear, together with the Dynamic Chassis Control deliver a composed but firm ride.
Even the entry level FR is packed with standard kit, while this range-topping First Edition model adds luxuries like 18-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, rear view camera and keyless entry.
All have excellent safety features including full complement of airbags. and this model included, Dynamic Chassis Control, Safety and Driving Pack consisting of dynamic road sign display; adaptive cruise control with follow to stop and speed limiter.
The car always starts in all-electric mode (when the battery is sufficiently charged). The drive switches to hybrid mode if the energy capability of the battery drops below a certain level or if the accelerator is pressed to such a point that the engine is required to assist with acceleration.
In Hybrid mode, the driver has the possibility of maintaining the charge status to a defined level. By doing so, the vehicle runs almost entirely on petrol power, using both the engine and regenerative braking to charge the battery. This makes it possible to drive into an urban destination area under electric power and with zero emissions.
Remotely, the SEAT Connect app can manage the charging process via the e-Manager, control the air conditioning – the vehicle can be pre-heated for up to 30 minutes between 15 and 22 degrees celsius – and manage departure times (to ensure vehicle is charged and ready) all from the smartphone app.
Factfile
SEAT Leon e-HYBRID FR First Edition
Price: £ 41,745
Mechanical: Combined 204PS 1498cc, four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor driving front wheels via six speed DSG auto gearbox
Sandy Lane in Barbados is among the places seeing an upsurge in spending
Travellers are splashing out on higher-level upgrades as they look forward to returning to their holidays, more than a year after the pandemic first struck, according to tour operator Pure Luxury.
Dubai and Barbados are among the destinations luxury travellers are investing more, including an increase of nearly 200 per cent in the average price per night of rooms booked at Sandy Lane Barbados with Gold Medal’s trade-only luxury brand.
Similarly, the average price of rooms sold at Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf has increased by nearly a quarter, while bookings for villas at the resort grew by 14 per cent compared to a month ago.
The bookings jump has been driven by the launch of Next Level Luxury, a campaign by Pure Luxury to help agents proactively upsell and “tap in to the desire of customers to travel in style when things reopen”.
The operator produced a 22-page mini brochure featuring 24 offers in destinations in the Caribbean, Dubai & Arabia, the Indian Ocean and the Far East, with deals and offers also promoted across social media and via e-shots agents could share with customers.
“The Next Level Luxury brochure has gone down well, especially among those who have saved over the last year and a bit, and now want to spend more on holidays,” said David Walker, owner of agency, The Travel Snob, part of Not Just Travel. “It’s been a great tool in sending both to those clients that reached out initially to talk later about a trip, and to those regulars who I like to say book ‘wherever they fancy, whenever they want’.”
Overall average value of bookings made to key destinations such as Dubai, the Caribbean and Mauritius via Pure Luxury have been 29 per cent, 56 per cent and 67 per cent higher respectively than they were four weeks ago, suggesting agents have been able to leverage offers to encourage higher spend, said Nick Hughes, Gold Medal’s director of sales.
“It’s great to see the Next Level Luxury campaign deliver on its objectives to help agents inspire consumers to take their holiday to the next level of luxury,” he said. “We’ve heard from so many agent partners that their customers are dreaming of how they can make their next holiday extra special – whether that’s turning left on the plane as a special treat, or splashing out on bigger, better accommodation.”
The campaign was initially launched in response to the already rising numbers of high value, luxury bookings the operator was identifying – average booking value had increased by nearly a third over a four-week period.
Pure Luxury then ramped up the tools to inspire agents’ higher-spending customers, focussing on premium room types such as club, suites and villas that come with added value benefits such as club lounge access, butler service, activities or private areas, pools and beaches.
Jeremy Vine will be hosting the latest quiz at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall
Broadcaster’s Sutton Coldfield Town Hall date
Broadcaster and Eggheads host Jeremy Vine will be the next celebrity host of our community quiz on Wednesday 19th May. The interactive quiz is part of a series of community events and initiatives since the temporary theatre closure, to bring entertainment to audiences at home and keep in touch whilst preparing for live shows to return.
It will also raise money for the restoration of Sutton Coldfield Town Hall. Jeremy Vine is one of the UK’s most successful broadcasters. In more than thirty years at the BBC, he’s presented Newsnight, Panorama, Crimewatch, Eggheads and Points of View — as well as his daily Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2, the UK’s most listened-to radio news programme and his daily Channel 5 show.
Ahead of his rescheduled live talk at the Town Hall on 24September, (tickets available here), Jeremy has been asked to guest host the virtual community quiz in the meantime, following a successful quiz hosted by The Chase’s Paul Sinha in April.
The interactive quiz, run by producers InQuizition, will be broadcast live to ticket holders via zoom. It is challenging enough to make players think, but with a focus on accessibility and fun.
Revenue from tickets will go towards a £5 million major renovation of the charity trust-run town hall. The essential renovation works will secure and restore our Edwardian venue for future generations to use and enjoy.
Paul Sinha hosted the previous quiz
Tickets are £7.50 per device. Audience members can operate as a team or alone at home, or work with friends and family over the telephone or messaging apps. Quizzers cannot be seen but can message the host and each other live.
Ticket holders will be quizzed on a range of topics from popular culture to geography, history to science, and everything in between.
The quiz on 19th May will take place at 8pm, with streaming starting at 7.50pm, until around 9.15pm. To purchase a unique link, or for more information, visit the What’s On page at https://www.suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com or go to SCTH.ORG/VirtualVine.
Businesses / Teams wanting to take part should contact the Town Hall to arrange a group booking.
Sutton Coldfield Life 