September 2008 Archives

Senior delegates are extremely excited that a would-be elected mayor of Brum is gracing the forthcoming Tory conference with her full presence.

Yes, Karren Brady is flaunting her true blue colours tomorrow night to welcome Cameron and co to Birmingham, and my spies close to the shadow cabinet reckon there will be some serious schmoozing.

Could the current Blues boss be tempted to stay in Brum until the possible future Tory government forces the elected mayor issue, potentially allowing her to take up the reins of the city?

I'm told that David is well smitten, (with the idea of Karren in a mayoral chain, that is.)

Newspapers love a diet story... you see at least one a week. Five stones lost here, four there, plans they swear by, the 'before' and 'after' menu, the old, wide trousers held out to show the gap now the tummy's reduced, etc.

All very well and good, as long as the stories don't involve the (often fat) editor.

Until an old mate decides to tell an old story about who ate all the pies. Well, not quite pies, but seven Big Macs, a cheeseburger and a jar of cockles... I know, it sounds 'orrible, and I rather hoped it was long forgotten.

But I didn't count for the memory of my old mate Phil Upton, now at Radio WM, but 23 years ago with me doing A-levels at Matthew Boulton (then Technical) College on Sherlock Street.

Bored teenagers at lunchtimes, we used to end up at MacDonalds, then relatively new, and some of us used to over-indulge. Cutting a long story short, my taste for Big Macs was noted and fellow students dared me to try 10 in a row. Not healthy, not clever... but memorable for anyone there.

Phil was one of them laughing (and paying). And on his show last week, when discussing 'Record Breakers', he called me on air to take the Michael. In fairness, it was a laugh. But how embarrassing that the upstanding editor of the Birmingham Mail was once gorging Big Mac after Big Mac.

Truth is, I ran out of space at seven and had to resort to a cheeseburger before giving up. That said, I felt a bit peckish on the way home and got the car we were packed in to stop at a Bristol Road chippie for a quick jar of cockles to wash it down.

There. Secret's out. I just hope our Political Editor Jonathan Walker never tells of the day he challenged me to a curry eating comp...

There are some occasions when everything drops into your lap.

Today's 7.15am conference discussed how we were going to angle the breaking news that tour operator group XL had fallen into administration, causing massive disruption to the holidays of tens of thousands of British tourists.

There are bound to be hundreds if not thousands of Midland and Brummie holiday-makers stranded, and so the challenge to the desk was to find a local example in time for first edition deadlines (9.15am).

Five minutes after conference, assistant editor Alf Bennett pops his head back into the office: "Gold dust!"

It appears that the son of Roger Clarke, one of our sports writers, has booked with XL for his wedding and honeymoon in Greece.

Local human example in the bag... and perhaps a way our publicity can end up helping if spotted by another tour operator seeking Good Samaritan publicity....

I'll keep you informed.

Doncha just hate manky cats?

Watching Pixie or Dixie or whatever the cat was called back at home with it's owner on BBC Midlands Today tonight made me fume.

For one, it's just a cat. It got lost. They thought it had died. But some chip located it and now it's home. A feel-good story? I'd have been a bit narked that it had turned up again, personally speaking.

On top of that, it was an 'orrible thing. Uggh. Matted hair, sly look, fleas probably. Must have a word with the team tomorrow to make sure we don't use this story, I thought.

And then, after a day of management meetings which meant I didn't see every page today, I just read it in tonight's Birmingham Mail! ARRGGHH!

At least it only made a down-page, 2nd lead on a left hander well in the book.

I know many readers love animals, but manky cats??

(Can you believe that the owner actually has THREE other cats as well? Can you imagine the stink and hairs?)