July 2008 Archives

And so the time comes to put the paper down, and pick up a long-awaited book for my travels instead.

Yep, although some say the chair is like a holiday, we get paid-breaks in this job too, believe it or not!

Seriously, while it can be hard to tear oneself away, it's definitely time for sun, sand and some Sicilian culture.

The book is The Honoured Society by Norman Lewis, said to be the seminal work on the mafia, and although the flight's not until the early hours I've decided to get into it now.

San Vito lo Capo here we come...

If I see an internet cafe, I might update you on how I find the Palermo press... (but then again, I might not!)

Gotta go... house-sitters have arrived. Shades, hat and kids to find...

Ciao!

I don't often swear, but I did today on the telephone to an individual temporarily at the helm of a n other media organisation which dared to vilify the Birmingham Mail for no good reason.
The trigger came after he tried to excuse the ill-considered tone as the 'cut and thrust' of the industry when I called to challenge him.
"If that's your attitude, the *!%£*&! gloves will come off," I raged (this was to a chap I've known for 14 years, you'll understand).
The recipient hung up, which was arguably a sensible tactic (although I reckon he lost his ability to speak).
The annoying thing is that his boss and I have an gentleman's agreement not to lower our organisations into such mud-slinging.
I guess acting up in his boss' absence may have gone to the wannabe's head. It's a big chair to fill at times, and certain types just find it irresistible to play the big 'I am' for a week, especially if it's a rare indulgence.
I've since written to the cheeky monkey's organ-grinder and hope that he settles things on his return rather than tempting me into a tit-for-tat.
He'd better, or else I'll make Clifford's day and start naming names (see Clifford's comments on the recent 'Spy' blog).
Blimey, us journos. We do get very (too?) passionate

Today I handed over the Birmingham Mail's near-7,000 petition calling for the Government to THINK AGAIN on Post Office closures to our delegation heading to Parliament.

That's 7,000 collected in just one month.

The minibus taking our leading campaigners leaves Birmingham this Monday and will deliver the boxes assembled both to Post Office chiefs involved in the 'consultation' and to Gordon Brown at Number 10.

Sadly, I won't be with them. The trip coincides with my family Summer holiday. So instead I today met and talked to lead-campaigner Mrs Gill, of Bartley Green Post Office, at my desk and commissioned pictures of her sorting the petitions with Mail reporter Kat Keogh.

Mrs Gill has a thriving business. More than 14 years serving local folk. Her argument is that those HUNDREDS of customers who use Post Office services each day also buy groceries, talk to neighbours and feel a part of their community.

No-one at any stage asked Mrs Gill about her customer numbers or how closure might affect the would-be tight-knit community she tries to serve.

Without the Post Office, she fears her customers will disperse. And with them goes not only her custom, but also the caring and friendly individuals who help her part of an outer city community tick.

Well done Mrs Gill for giving up her time to attend our offices today for the picture (to be published in Monday's Mail... cut out coupons literally spilling out of our hands).

Well done again Mrs Gill for giving up Monday to lead our campaign bus to London.

Shame on the Post office for this sham of a consultation.

Mr Brown: listen carefully to our plea... THINK AGAIN ON POST OFFICE CLOSURES THAT WILL FRACTURE OUR COMMUNITIES.

An angry letter arrived for me this week from a restaurant owner annoyed at the negative review he felt his establishment had received.

Not too much detail here, as in fairness to the complainant he may choose to take the matter further, and so identification of the venue would not be appropriate.

He was outraged that the Birmingham Mail's 'Restaurant Spy' Paul Fulford had the audacity to dislike his food, and he vehemently disagreed with his comments over the quality of cooking and ingredients.

So far, fair enough. Owners of venues don't have to agree with our weekly reviews (every Thursday). And, if they so wish, we will reflect their contrary opinions or feedback on our letters pages.

But this restaurateur went further. Apparently, he knows 'experts' who had told him the reviewer should have complained there and then about the food, not left it until a published review. Those same experts had told him he had a potential legal case against the Birmingham Mail for 'not adhering to a code of practice on complaints'.

He gave the Mail seven days from the date of his letter to put things right or he would have to consider his options. (A small smile flickered here because the complainant had dated his letter July 26, and so my reply dated today was sent three days before his initial letter...!)

On a serious note, however, my feeling is that his approach and semi-threat was very ill-advised.

The Birmingham Mail - like most newspapers - do not send anyone to review restaurants. In Fluffy Fulford's case, he has been our resident 'Spy' for nearly ten years. He is one of the most experienced people I know on food matters. He's even appeared in BBC cooking series, and regularly judges food competitions with household names.

Another important point is that local and regional newspapers rarely give bad reviews just to get a headline. 'We live in the village we serve,' as I often say, and we can't and won't publish anything that might cause damage to individuals or businesses just for the hell of it.

A bad meal is the only reason we slate restaurants. We don't tease over accents like national newspapers, or tell personal stories within our reviews, or come across like posh snobs looking down our noses at decors or dress-codes.

For us, it's all about the food and whether it's good or bad. It can include the service but overwhelmingly, if the food is good, we give big ticks, if it's average, we sit on the fence a little and, if it's below average or (rarely) awful, we simply say so.

No clever language or posed comments, just the honest opinion of an individual experience. 'Fair comment', as far as the law of libel is concerned.

'And so, Mr Restaurateur,' (in summary, I wrote), 'I stand by my Spy and do not intent to retract or apologise or clarify anything about his review.

'By all means write an opposing letter for publication and, assuming it's within the realms of reason, we will publish it.

'Alternatively, or even on top of that, do contact Mr Fulford and explain that his experience, in your opinion, was a rare one and I'm sure he'll revisit in the future to try you out again.

'But that's all. If you want to make any more of it, that is up to you and, to guide you, feel free to consult the Press Complaints Commission, and here is their contact details.'

End of story. I'll let you know how (if) he responds.

More than 60 readers turned up to the Post Office closures debate at Birmingham Council Chamber last week.

Councillors Nigel Dawkins (Tory) and Ayoub Khan (Lib Dem) spoke up with Prof Carl Chinn (passionately)against Post Office closures, while Mike Dalton and Mark Partington from the Post Office played the 'Yes, Minister' role of 'we're only doing what the government tells us to do'.

Sadly, in my opinion, former Labour doyen Najma Hafeez of the Postwatch 'watchdog' did a poor job of sticking up for the public's opinion. It felt like she was a stooge, insisting she was all for local needs and opinions, but in reality supporting the closure programme.

Two things struck me in particular:

1/ The real vulnerability of many of the public who are outraged at the closures... I watched the agonising progress of some of the elderly and disabled as they struggled up the Council House stairs to the debating chamber. These closures will really hurt those most in need (in all the pictures we've taken of campaigners outside the dozens of Posts Offices under threat, there always seems to be several frail OAPs and one or two severely disabled in mobility cars... who's caring for their needs?)

2/ The fact that ALL the public felt the consultation was a real farce. "Will this change anything?" was a repeated question. "No, not really," was the actual answer, however camouflaged the Post Office and Najma tried to make it.

So what's next?

Well, signatures on the Mail's petition now number more than 6,000. This demands that the Government "calls an immediate halt to the current mass Post Office closure programme to allow for real consultation with local community leaders and councillors to take place on an individual area basis before any action".

We want the consequences of such action on vulnerable people to be fully considered. We want to make sure that our local neighbourhoods, some already fragile enough, are not further fractured by insensitive programmes of branch closures and local redundancies.

And we'll take this unashamed challenge - along with some of the furious campaigners - to Number 10 on Monday July 28.

Well done Jasbir Authi and other Mail reporters who spent yesterday sticking posters up at the 26 threatened Post Offices in Birmingham to advertise the debate on Monday.

The Town Hall wanted to charge us £2,000! But the Council stepped in and, after a little persuasion, have instead given us the Council House Chamber free of charge to hold the debate on Post Office closures. (And so they should... many in the council cabinet are also furious at the closures).

Doors open at 1pm for a 1.30pm debate. We hope to fill out the 160-seats with plenty of standing room available.

The Post Office bosses are turning up, as are various politicians and Carl Chinn - community historian and man of the people. It should be an interesting hour.

Once that's finished, we'll be finalising plans for a battle bus to Whitehall to deliver the near-5,000 petitions.

The news team at the Birmingham Mail has done a thorough, quality job on the Post Office campaign.

Day by day, every day, they are highlighting the plight of each and every one of the Post Offices to be axed in Birmingham and surrounding towns.

And the back-bench is making sure that the campaign stays in the limelight - a strong package projected every day on p5 or p7 to date, each with the petition form attached.

The petition total to date is already in excess of 4,000 (more detail on this and what we plan to do with them will be in the Mail next week). The mass interest in such short a time is largely, I reckon, to do with the realistic statement in the petition.

We're not blindly saying 'no' to the entire Post Office review. But we are demanding that the Government and Post Office think again, and that it has proper, meanigful consultation in each and every area - not gutless 'tick-boxing' consultation.

The powers that be must work with the community leaders and public is each area separately to truly understand the effect closure will have on the vulnerable.

On top of the petition plans, we're also now close to confirming details of a forthcoming public meeting on the oissue at Birmingham's Town Hall...

Carry on watching this space and the Mail every day for more details.