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Art and opera unite at Sutton Coldfield care home

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Audrey Smithem, Alan Blakeley, and Jean Greaves with artist Peter Forbes

From brushstrokes to baritones home hosts artful evening

Care UK’s Mercia Grange care home recently hosted its first-ever art exhibition, creating an unforgettable evening that blended visual art with live opera music for residents, their families, and the local community.

The event at the Lichfield Road, Four Oaks venue, showcased the remarkable artwork of Peter Forbes, a talented local artist who also serves as a valued member of the home’s maintenance team. Guests enjoyed an inspiring display of his work, featuring striking landscapes and expressive portraits, and had the opportunity to speak with Peter about his creative process.

The artistic display was complemented by a live performance from Mezzo-Soprano singer Samantha Oxborough, who captivated the audience with a selection of classic opera songs. The home’s Head Chef prepared a range of canapés and refreshments for all to enjoy.

The event was attended by Councillor Nitish Raut, Deputy Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, highlighting the home’s role within the wider community.

Resident Terry Fletcher and her son, Greg Fletcher

A Celebration of Community and Talent

Peter Forbes, the featured artist, commented: “It was a lovely evening connecting with residents and the community over art and music. It was a real privilege to share another passion of mine with everyone. A big thank you to the team and to all those who joined us.”

Michael McNelis, Home Manager at Mercia Grange, added: “We’ve loved hosting our first art exhibition and opera evening. It is important for us to connect with the community, and art is an excellent way to craft conversations and build meaningful relationships. Peter does so much for the home, so we were overjoyed to give something back and display his masterpieces.”

About Mercia Grange Care Home

Mercia Grangeprovides full-time residential, nursing, and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care and features 67 en-suite bedrooms, a cinema, a hair and beauty salon, and a pub.

For more information contact:

Rachel Mackay, Customer Relations Manager
Phone: 0121 314 7849
Email: rachel.mackay@careuk.com
Website: www.careuk.com/mercia-grange

News

Sutton BMet students celebrate at graduation ceremony

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BMet (Birmingham Metropolitan College) which includes Sutton Coldfield College, James Watt College and Matthew Boulton College, honoured the outstanding achievements of its graduates, students, and staff at its annual graduation ceremony, held at the iconic Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

The celebratory event was attended by graduates, their families and friends, and BMet staff. It featured special guest appearances from the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, MBE, JP, and award-winning athlete Jamie McAnsh, who delivered an inspiring keynote speech to motivate the new graduates.

Recognising Excellence: A Night of Awards

Alongside the formal graduation proceedings for Higher Education (HE) students, the ceremony saw 48 awards presented to deserving students, staff, and employer partners. These accolades celebrated a wide range of accomplishments.

Key awards presented included:

  • Academic Excellence Award
  • Inspirational Student Award
  • Outstanding Engagement Award
  • Innovation in Curriculum Award
  • Student Support Champion Award

The Resilience and Determination Award was proudly sponsored by the Morgan Hunt Recruitment Agency. In addition, Fellowship Awards were given to employers Roxanne Blackwood from fashion brand Kimmiu, and Louise Pinnington and Karen O’Donovan from Edge Creative, in recognition of their invaluable support in helping BMet students progress in their careers.

The event was further brought to life by two captivating performances from Performing Arts students from BMet’s Sutton Coldfield College.

Award Winner Spotlights

Karen Hemmings, Department Manager for Early Years at BMet, graduated with a Leadership Certificate in Post Compulsory Education (Cert Ed) and also received the Resilience and Determination Award.

“I’m very excited about being at this awards ceremony,” Karen said. “It means a lot to me to have achieved what I have at this later stage of my life. The support I have received whilst studying has been invaluable from teachers, as well as family – some of which are here with me today! I’m so thankful to everyone who has helped me along the way.”

Elijah Lewis graduated from his HND Cloud Networking Course and achieved an Inspirational Student Award.

“I’m so very happy to be recognised for my hard work and it has been a long time coming!” Elijah commented. “It feels like a testament to all my efforts. My action plan of studying computing at BCU is now one step closer and I feel I am on the path to securing a career in Cyber Security.”

Roxanne Blackwood, Founder and Creative Director of Kimmiu, received a Fellowship Award for her work in championing BMet and developing employability skills for students.

“Winning the award today is a huge honour in what has been a mutually beneficial journey,”Roxanne stated. “As well as helping learners on their career paths, I have learnt how to tailor my work in ways that can be meaningful and motivating to a target group of people. I have personally grown a lot and developed during my time working with BMet.”

Explore Higher Education at BMet

Their HE provision includes:

  • Foundation Degrees
  • Higher Level Apprenticeships
  • Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)
  • Higher National Certificates (HNCs)
  • Higher National Diplomas (HNDs)

To find out more about the range of higher education courses at BMet, visit the official BMet website.

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Join the festivities at Sutton Coldfield’s second Christmas Market

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Sutton Coldfield visitors afre in for a magical Victorian-themed Christmas Market on The Parade in Sutton Coldfield, when it returns for its second year across two festive weekends in December.

After listening to visitor feedback, this year’s market has been condensed into two vibrant, four-day weekends to ensure a fantastic atmosphere and a bustling, fully occupied artisan marketplace.

Market dates and opening times

The Sutton Coldfield Christmas Market will take place across two weekends and will be  officially opened by MP Sir Andrew Mitchell on December 11th at 4pm.

  • Weekend 1: Thursday 11th – Sunday 14th December
  • Weekend 2: Thursday 18th – Sunday 21st December

Opening Hours:

  • Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
  • Sundays: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

What to expect

Located on The Parade, the market will feature:

  • Over 60 Unique Stalls: Browse a wide selection of artisan gifts, handmade crafts, seasonal food, and festive treats from local traders.
  • Festive Victorian Theme: Stallholders will be dressed in period costume, creating a charming and immersive experience.
  • Brightly Lit Gazebos: The market will be beautifully illuminated, providing a warm and vibrant atmosphere after dark.
  • Live Family Entertainment: Enjoy stilt walkers, a walk-in snow globe, and visits from Father Christmas and his elves.
  • A Less Crowded Alternative: Discover a unique and more relaxed shopping experience compared to the larger Birmingham Christmas Market.

Free parking available

Enjoy Free Festive Parking!
To make your visit easier, Sutton Coldfield Town Council is funding free parking in all Birmingham City Council-owned car parks in the town centre:

  • After 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays
  • All day on Saturdays and Sundays

Address: The Christmas Market is located on The Parade, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1PH.

Support local this Christmas

The Sutton Coldfield Christmas Market is a partnership between Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BIDand LSD Promotions (organisers of the Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas Market). The goal is to boost footfall and support the local economy.

“While you’re here, please support our local businesses in Sutton Coldfield town centre.” – Michelle Baker, BID Manager.

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Festive boost for Sutton Coldfield with free parking, bus travel and cycle use

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Shoppers and visitors to Royal Sutton Coldfield are set for a major festive boost, as a popular scheme offering free parking, discounted bus travel, and free cycle hire returns this November..

While the scheme will be welcome, residents are reminded that free parking only applies to council-run car parks at certain times and not private car parks in the town.

The travel initiative, which comes through a £52,000 investment from Sutton Coldfield Town Council, is supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

It is designed to support both local residents and the town’s businesses during the crucial festive trading period, making it cheaper and easier to enjoy everything the town centre has to offer.

Free parking details

In a significant move, free parking will be available in key Birmingham City Council-owned town centre car parks from Thursday, 13 November 2025, until Sunday, 4 January 2026.

The free parking schedule is as follows:

The offer applies on Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm onwards and all day Saturdays and Sundays at the following car parks in the town.

  • Station Street
  • Upper Reddicroft
  • Lower Reddicroft
  • Mill Street
  • Anchorage Road
  • South Parade
  • Duke Street

Expanded travel options

Building on the success of last year’s scheme, the offer extends beyond just parking. Residents have a choice of sustainable and cost-effective ways to get into town:

  1. Free and discounted travel: Individuals* can sign up for two weeks of free bus travel followed by ongoing discounted fares through the Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) scheme.
  2. Free cycle hire: Residents can also cycle into the town centre for free using the West Midlands Combined Authority’s public bike hire scheme, which the Town Council helps to fund.

How to acces the bus travel offer

To take advantage of the free and discounted bus travel, residents must sign up for the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council mailing list by 10am on Monday, 10th November 2025. Further details and a unique access code will be sent via an e-newsletter after this date.

You can sign up using the form here: http://eepurl.com/di-Cwr

*Please note: If you have applied for this specific bus transport offer in a previous year, you will not be eligible for the new free and discounted bus tickets.

Supporting Sutton’s town centre

Councillor Simon Ward, Leader of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, emphasised the scheme’s importance: “Whilst it’s great to see new investment with work starting on new stores and the Gateway Scheme, we fully recognise the need to support the town centre’s diverse range of businesses through the crucial festive period.”

He added, “Subsidising free car parking and promoting free bus and cycle hire will make it cheaper and easier for people to travel into the town centre and make the most of our fantastic festive offer. We also want to give visitors a choice of different ways to travel, including opportunities to try more sustainable options.”

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Beat the autumn chill with Sutton Coldfield Town Hall’s hot November line-up

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As the nights draw in and the air grows colder, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is offering a warm welcome this November.

The town centre venue says it is offering a month-long extravaganza of comedy, live music, theatre, and festive cheer.

Here’s your essential guide to what’s on this November.

A month of special music

Get ready for a tour through the greatest sounds in music history, with tributes that feel as good as the real thing.

  • One Night of Billy Joel (Fri, 14th Nov): Robert Schmuck and his incredible 7-piece band bring the songs of ‘The Piano Man’ to life in a breath-taking show. Sing along to mega-hits like ‘Uptown Girl,’ ‘My Life,’ and ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ in a non-stop celebration of one of music’s true legends.
  • The Stevie & Luther Show (Sat, 15th Nov): Prepare for a soulful night as Nat Augustin, one of the UK’s finest singers, delivers an authentic and powerful tribute to the legendary sounds of Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross. A million-selling setlist guaranteed to get you on your feet.
  • The History of Rock (Fri, 21st Nov): This is a rock pilgrimage for any music fan. Celebrating a legendary line-up headlined by “one of the greatest bands of all time,” expect an electrifying night of anthems that defined a generation.
  • Tujhe Dekha (Sat, 16th Nov): Immerse yourself in the colour and romance of Bollywood. This spectacular show celebrates the silver screen’s most iconic duo with live music, dazzling choreography, and a parade of unforgettable, heart-capturing hits.
  • The Crooners Christmas Special (Wed, 27th Nov): Get into the festive spirit with a side of laughter! Backed by an outrageous Big Band, this hit comedy-cabaret show features iconic Christmas classics by the greats like Sinatra and Buble. It’s a hilarious, sing-along sensation that will leave you brimming with cheer.

Theatre and the spoken word

  • A Christmas Carol – A Radio Play Live On Stage! (Mon, 10th Nov): This is a must-see for theatre and TV buffs. Witness a live radio play featuring Colin Baker and Peter Purves, with a specially recorded appearance by the legendary Tom Baker as the ghost of Jacob Marley. A unique and wonderfully nostalgic take on Dickens’ classic.
  • Town Hall Talks: Fred Dinenage (Tue, 25th Nov): True crime enthusiasts, this one’s for you. Hear the definitive insight into the Kray twins from their trusted official biographer. Fred Dinenage shares astonishing stories from his book, Ronnie, Reggie & Me, in a gripping evening of living history.

Loads of laughter

  • Funny Beeseness Comedy Night (Sun, 9th Nov): The hugely popular ‘Live At The Town Hall’ comedy night is back! Headlined by a very special guest and featuring the best acts from the national circuit, prepare for a night of side-splitting humour that will have you laughing all the way to work on Monday morning.

Festive festivities and events

  • A Celtic Christmas (Sat, 22nd Nov): Be enchanted by an ethereal evening of powerful melodies. This show features cherished carols and haunting traditional instruments, sung with a beautiful, folk-infused harmony that will transport you to a wintery Celtic landscape.
  • Christmas Wreath Making Workshop (Fri, 28th Nov): Unleash your creativity at this therapeutic workshop. Learn tips and tricks to create a beautiful, festive wreath to take home, all while enjoying mulled wine and mince pies. The perfect start to the Christmas season.
  • Love Life Again: Growth, Healing & Connection (Sun, 23rd Nov): A different kind of event for the Town Hall, offering a space for anyone who has experienced grief, trauma, or loss. Explore stalls from local healers and holistic guides focused on well-being and moving forward.
  • Sutton Coldfield Chamber Choir (Mon, 24th Nov): Enjoy a more refined evening as the local chamber choir celebrates the 80th birthday of the beloved composer John Rutter, performing popular secular works to suit a wide range of tastes.

Christmas magical beauty with the pantomime

As November ends, the festive season at the Town Hall is just beginning! Get ready for the main event:

  • Beauty and the Beast Pantomime (Sat, 6th – Wed, 31st Dec): This Christmas, we invite you to be our guest! Our magical family pantomime for 2025 brings the timeless tale to life with all the pop songs, magic, and silliness you love. It’s a spectacular filled with family fun, so be sure to book your tickets before the last petal falls!

Make it a VIP night out

For many of the biggest shows, you can upgrade your experience with a VIP Package. Enjoy premium treatment before the show to make your night at the Town Hall truly unforgettable.

How to Book:
Visit the official Sutton Coldfield Town Hall website or contact the box office directly to secure your seats.

News

Sutton Coldfield’s Boldmere Christmas Festival axed

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The popular Boldmere Christmas Festival, including its popular lights switch-on event, has been officially cancelled for this year. The organisers, Boldmere Futures, cite severe funding shortages after their grant from Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council was dramatically reduced.

A History of declining funding

The community interest company has seen a steep decline in financial support from the council over recent years. After receiving generous grants of £9,605 in 2022 and £10,000 in 2023, the funding was cut to £7,000 last year. For the 2025 financial year, the grant has been slashed to just £3,000.

The £10,000 funding gap

The cancellation stems from an unsustainable financial gap. The Boldmere Christmas Festivalcosts approximately £22,000 to stage, while it only generates around £12,000 in revenue. This leaves a funding shortfall of roughly £10,000 that has historically been covered by council grants and sporadic sponsorships.

Paul Long, Chairman of Boldmere Futures, expressed his disappointment: “Despite reaching out to local businesses and exploring other grants like the Plan for Neighbourhoods, the financial shortfall made it impossible to proceed this year. Even if funds were found today, it’s too late for 2024.”

Long emphasised the event’s vital role in “boosting community spirit and supporting local businesses in Sutton Coldfield.”

Council response and future of the festival

In a statement, Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council explained that its grants are “competitive and often oversubscribed,” and are allocated based on the information provided by applicants.

The council also confirmed that Boldmere Futures has decided not to take the reduced grant for this year and will instead focus on other community projects.

Discussions are ongoing to secure proper funding with the aim of restoring the Boldmere Christmas Festival and lights switch-on in 2026. However, the future of this key Sutton Coldfield event remains uncertain pending a viable, long-term financial solution.

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Sutton Park car parking shambles years in the making

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Comment – Bill McCarthy

The financial crisis engulfing Birmingham City Council and the hugely unpopular measures like charging at some beauty spots, including Sutton Park, have sparked fury, but have been years in the making.
The council’s incompetence, financial mismanagement, and failure to fix pay inequality has left council tax payers facing huge increases and a broken trust in the authority.
On top of this, it’s quite something when a Labour administration, which in the past has run the city well, appears to want to screw its workers – in the past with pay inequality – and now with the binmen and women.

It began more than 20 years ago when the council refused to face down the binmen, allowing pay awards which left female-dominated roles like dinner ladies, cleaners, care workers behind, paid less than male-dominated jobs like binmen, street cleaners, for work of equal value.

This led to massive compensation claims as the council failed to address this disparity for years, leading to around £1.1 billion in equal pay liabilities – the biggest factor in the council’s financial collapse.

The list of incompetence could go on, but the parking issue strikes home for a number of reasons  and the anger stems from several key issues.

Birmingham residents see the parking charges as a not very efficient money-grab, targeting ordinary people, rather than fixing the council’s real problems.

Anger at parking ‘stealth tax’

  • These parks have been free for decades and residents see this as a “stealth tax” to plug the council’s financial black hole.
  • The parking fees are expected to raise only £2-3 million a year, a pittance when compared to the council’s budget shortfall and  equal pay scandal.

Punishing visitors and impacting health

  • Families, dog walkers, and hikers who rely on parks for physical and mental health, exercise, and affordable outings now have to pay just to park – denying a taste of nature in an urban environment
  • The council promotes green spaces for wellbeing, yet makes them harder to access. Some areas lack good public transport alternatives, forcing people to drive and then pay. A double whammy, which penalises lower-income families who can’t afford extra costs.

Empty parks and lost business

  • Cafés, visitor centres, and sports clubs inside parks could lose customers and the park see fewer visitors generally, which has been noted elsewhere with similar schemes in the country.

Other parking problems with displacement
If drivers avoid paid parking, they’ll clog up nearby residential streets, creating nuisance for locals.

Tin eared response

Despite petitions including one gathering thousands of signatures against Sutton Park charges and concern from local councillors and MPs, the council seems out of touch, ignoring protest and pressing ahead.

The largely cosmetic consultation until the end of August is unlikely to see any movement, but we live in hope, so signing is a good idea.

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Consultation begins on Sutton Park car parking charges

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Visitors to Sutton Park who are now facing car parking charges are being asked to take part in Birmingham City Council’s formal public consultation on its controversial and unpopular plans.

The popular beauty spot is one of three of the city’s ‘destination’ parks, which also include  Lickey Hills Country Park, and Sheldon Country Park.

Consultations for the proposed parking charge schemes at all three have started and will run until August 29 2025.

Residents can make theire views known here

Why Introduce charges?

This is following feedback from the informal consultations which took place at the end of last year, resulting in amended proposals.

The council claims that introducing charges at these parks will bring Birmingham in line with similar places around the UK to offset the cost of maintaining these destination sites.

The council says that as part of the budget for 2025/26 the principle of charging was agreed to achieve necessary savings and help sustain, protect and maintain our 660 parks and green spaces.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We have some wonderful parks and green spaces across the city, but we need to be able to maintain them for the benefit of everyone. Introducing parking charges at these three major sites will help protect and maintain all our green spaces.

“Whether you use these parks for walking, cycling, exercising or meeting up with people, we want to hear your views on rate of charging and when we you should be charged.

“We are also aware of potential impact of displacement parking and will therefore be looking at traffic restrictions in existing hotspot areas and any need for further restrictions following residents’ feedback.”

What are the Sutton Park charges?

  • First 30 minutes: Free
  • 30 mins – 1 hour: £1
  • 1–2 hours: £2
  • 2–3 hours: £3
  • 3–4 hours: £4
  • 4–9 hours: £5
  • Buses/coaches: £28 (up to 9 hours)

Charges will apply daily from 9am to 6pm, year-round.
An annual season ticket will be available for £52 (public), £39 (businesses), and free for volunteers.
Exemptions: The Browns and Miller & Carter restaurant car parks, Paddock car park near Town Gate, and Midland Lodge (currently for sale) will remain free.

Lickey Hills Country Park & Sheldon Country Park

  • Hourly rate: £1 (up to 4 hours)
  • All-day parking: £5
  • Coach parking (Beacon Hill only): £28
  • Season ticket: £52 per year
  • Blue Badge holders: Free

Charges will apply 365 days a year, 9am–6pm.

See comment piece to follow

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News

Sutton Coldfield’s new police station opens doors

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Sutton Coldfield’s newly re-developed police station has finally opened. Existing police buildings on the Anchorage Road side of the site, have now been redeveloped with the addition of a former small business property next door. 

This has created a bespoke new location for neighbourhood teams, emergency response officers, local crime investigators, offender management and other policing functions which were dispersed around the site previously.

One of the key developments was the creation of a public contact office where people can talk to us if they prefer face to face over telephone and online options.  

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon said the new station would be a base for the local neighbourhood team for emergency force response and investigators.

He added: “It will also be a public contact office where members of the public can attend face to face and speak to a police officer.

“This is all part of my commitment to rebuild community policing and ensure a reassuring police presence in Sutton Coldfield.”

Cash from the sale of the old site – which will also pay for the new station – will be reinvested into policing, safeguarding officer numbers and services at a time when budgets are under continued pressure locally and nationally.

The sale of surplus buildings on the Lichfield Road side of the site provides good value for the public purse and local people. 

The old station cost over of £500,000 each year to run, excluding annual maintenance costs and essential upgrades such as those needed to its 66-year-old heating system as well as critical safety and security systems. 

The decision to close the former station on Lichfield Road was made in March 2018 following careful scrutiny at a public meeting of the Police and Crime Commissioner. 

As part of that decision, a pledge was made to maintain a police presence in the town. 

The re-development was delivered on time and to a tight budget, using local businesses employing local people.  

The old station was largely vacant due the way the force works in the 21st century and my commitment to keep officers out on the streets serving their communities. The building was also very expensive to run. 

There’s no doubt that the redeveloped footprint is smaller than the old facility but there is no reduction in officer numbers serving the town. It is people with the right skills and equipment which keep people safe, not bricks and expensive empty rooms which cost a fortune to heat and maintain.

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Council steps in to save popular summer food festival

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lichfield-food-festival.jpg

An under-threat but popular summer food and drink festival held just down the road from Sutton Coldfield has been saved by the local council.

Lichfield District Council has stepped in to save the city’s Summer Food Festival – to be held from August 23 to 25.

The authority acted after the event had been thrown into jeopardy when the council barred the previous organisers from running it this year.

Any trader that had already booked and paid for a pitch at the Lichfield Summer Food Festival via the previous event organiser, will be offered a free pitch. The Council will also be reaching out to retailers in the City Centre to talk to them about how they can be part of the Food Festival.

With only a few weeks for the council to organise the Food Festival, traders are urged to work with the local authority. Whilst the council say it won’t be exactly the same as previous Food Festivals, it is committed to organising a vibrant and enjoyable event.

Cllr Doug Pullen, Leader of the Council, said: “The Lichfield Summer Food Festival is really important to our residents, businesses and visitors. It brings thousands of people into the city and provides an opportunity to showcase Lichfield as a visitor destination.

“So I’m really pleased that the Council is able to step in to ensure that this year’s Summer Food Festival goes ahead.

“We want to do all we can to support those traders who we know have already made significant financial outlays in preparation for the Lichfield Summer Food Festival. So any trader that has booked and paid for a pitch, and can share evidence of doing so, will be offered a free pitch.”

Traders should get in touch at events@lichfielddc.gov.uk. Further details on the Food Festival will be released in the coming weeks.