Birmingham Post

Nelson Cannon Returning to Brum

Two eight-foot long cannon that were discarded by Birmingham City Council are to be given a new lease of life thanks to The Birmingham Post. The cannon, which are thought to have been used on HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar, were situated next to the statue of Lord Nelson that was located in the old Bull Ring.

Tories Put Solihull at Top of Their List

The rising Tory star tipped as a future Prime Minister has urged his party to stop "navel gazing" if it wants to regain its former Midland strongholds. Shadow Chancellor George Osborne admitted the Conservative Party had "not got it right" and had been obsessed with internal feuding.

Four Men Die in Great North Run

Four men died while taking part in the 25th Great North Run, police have confirmed. The men were among around 50,000 people running the 13-mile course from Newcastle, across the famous Tyne Bridge to Gateshead and on to South Shields in a bid to raise around pounds 10 million for good causes. Police said there had been no major incident and the deaths were unrelated.

Firm Buys 140 Rotunda Homes for Pounds 25m

More than half of the apartments in Birmingham's Rotunda have been sold to a property investment company for pounds 25 million - a month before they go on sale to the public. Edgbaston-based Claremont Group has bought 140 of the 232 apartments on ten floors of the landmark Grade II listed building from developer Urban Splash.

Aid for Dyslexics

A scheme which will see libraries in Birmingham improving the way they help people with reading difficulties will be launched tomorrow. Libraries across the city are linking up with the Dyslexia Association Birmingham (DAB) charity to set up the Birmingham Libraries Dyslexia Information Standard.

Crash Man Killed

A 24-year-old man died after his car crashed into a minibus in Coventry yesterday. He was driving a red Audi, which collided with parked cars on Swan Lane before hitting the minibus at 5am, said police.

Teen Driver Dies

A 19-year-old man died when his car veered off a road in Staffordshire. The green Mitsubishi people carrier left the road in Buxton, late on Saturday night, and fell down a steep embankment.

Milk Float Tragedy

A milk float driver has died following an accident in Staffordshire. The accident happened in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, during the early hours of Saturday. A police spokesman said a black-and-white Robert Wiseman milk float had crashed into a building.

Doddy and the Bard Share a Comic Genius ; Mention Ken Dodd and Your First Thoughts Are Tickling Stick and Diddymen. But How About Doddy and Shakespeare? Sid Langley Tries to Talk Seriously to the Legendary Comedian

I could talk to Ken Dodd for hours. In fact, 40 minutes or so into our chat, it begins to look like a real possibility. The Liverpudlian comedian, now in his late 70s, seems to have the energy of an over-active toddler. What's more, he seems blessed with total recall. He remembers the details of shows he was in 50 years ago. He knows most of Britain's major theatres intimately - he has a particularly soft spot for Birmingham Hippodrome and the Humpty Dumpty panto he starred in.

Residents Evacuated As Fire Wrecks Bakery

More than 1,000 people were evacuated from their Black Country homes yesterday after a fire engulfed a bakery which had acetylene cylinders on the premises. A 200-metre exclusion zone was set up by police around the M Firkin bakery on Crank Hall Lane in Wednesbury, Sandwell, following the fire which started just before 8am.

Month-Long City Tribute to Rotunda

A month-long celebration will be launched today to mark the rebirth of Birmingham's Rotunda as an apartment block and its status as an architectural icon. As part of the Iconic Instances celebrations, there will be events led by Shaun Cope of Spirit Arts, Tom Lawes of The Electric Cinema and Glenn Howells of Glenn Howells Architects.

Couple Fear Closure of Family Firm After 40-Year Planning Battle

A couple fear they could lose their business with the climax this week of a 40-year legal battle against their local council. Colin Young took over the running of his family's builders' merchants firm in the leafy village of Corley, Warwickshire, in 1966.

Motorists Try Public Transport for a Day

More than 1,000 people in the West Midlands have agreed to give up their car for the day as part of an international environmental campaign. The region's public transport executive Centro offered commuters a free travel pass for Thursday's 'In Town Without My Car' Day, if they pledged to travel by bus, train or tram.

Veteran of Great War Dies Aged 108

George Rice, one of the last survivors of the First World War, has died at the age of 108. George, from Birmingham, enlisted at the age of 17 and once killed eight German soldiers in a bloody battle after his commanding officer was shot dead.

Arts Benefit to the Tune of Pounds 300,000

Hip-hop musicians, jazz composers and ballroom dancing experts are to benefit from a nearpounds 300,000 grant for West Midlands artists. The Arts Council England, which hands out funds to arts projects each month, is to give pounds 279,659 for September - pounds 79,000 more than the previous month.

Portrait of Nelson Is Snapped Up for Pounds 800

A portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson has sold for pounds 800 at a Shropshire auction house. Art experts believe the bicentenary of Nelson this year had a major influence on the price for the late 19th-century portrait.

Education Matters: Time to Specialise - in Semantics and a Bit of New Funding ; Never Mind the Bullock

After the 1944 Education Act, which promised free secondary education for all, there were mainly two types of school: the grammar schools and the secondary modern schools. Birmingham, more fortunate than many, had a raft of other specialist schools: there were two technical schools (in Bordesley Green and Handsworth) which took boys at 13 after an entrance exam, to study either building or engineering, finding them apprenticeships in local firms when they left at 16.

Education Matters: The Model Students Without an Overdraft

Students have the chance to cash in on their looks to help pay for their studies - by entering a model competition run by one of Europe's biggest agencies. MOT Models, who say more and more students are turning to modelling to help them beat student debt, is launching its first student competition.

Education Matters: Anti-Terror Law 'a Threat to Students

Students engaging in passionate debate may find themselves being arrested under new anti-terrorism laws. The Prime Minister Tony Blair has vowed to push through measures designed to root out extremists inciting violence in Britain.

Education Matters: Nut Calls for Help with Unruly Behaviour

Teachers must be given more backing to restrain unruly pupils through "reasonable force", Britain's biggest teachers' union said today. The National Union of Teachers called for staff to be trained properly in how to intervene in fights as it launched a charter on acceptable behaviour in schools.