Birmingham Post

Trevor Roberts

Midland: Hollywood Glitz

A touch of Hollywood glitz and glamour has come to north Birmingham thanks to this massive Tinsel Town-style sign on the side of Fort Dunlop. With only days to go before Sunday's Oscars, the lights were switched on by Suzie Ralph of the newly-launched FILM Birmingham, which is aiming to strengthen the city's reputation as a centre for film and television production.

Education: Schools Get Pass Mark From Most Parents

Most parents are satisfied with their children's schools, according to a report from Ofsted published today. Primary schools and special schools had the highest ratings - inspectors said levels of parental satisfaction were good, very good or excellent in nine out of ten cases.

Education: School Reform May Do More Harm Than Good

The Government's former top education official has questioned Tony Blair's flagship reforms, warning that they could prompt more children to drop out of school. Sir Michael Bichard, who was permanent secretary at the then Department for Education and Employment, suggested that the plans flew in the face of 50 years of evidence.

Education: Flat Stanley a Favourite for Blair

Tony Blair revealed his two top reads yesterday - a biography of Trotsky and the children's book Flat Stanley. The Prime Minister launched World Book Day with an insight into his own reading habits.

Perspective: Rights and Wrongs in Ministerial Code ; Following an Investigation by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'donnell, Tony Blair Cleared Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell of Breaching the Ministerial Code Following Allegations About Her Husband David Mill's Financial Affairs. These Are the Statements Released by Sir Gus, Mrs Jowell and Mr Blair.

The full text of Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell's reply to shadow Commons leader Theresa May about Tessa Jowell: Dear Therasa

Perspective: Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

The full text of Tessa Jowell's statement was as follows: "This statement deals with my responsibilities under the Ministerial Code. It will not deal with those matters subject to legal proceedings in Italy. They will be contested by my husband, in court if necessary.

Perspective: Tessa Jowell Is an Excellent Minister

The full text of the statement by the Prime Minister on Tessa Jowell was as follows: "I have now received a report back from the Cabinet Secretary on the allegations made in respect of Tessa Jowell and the Ministerial Code.

Perspective: Cameron's Having His Clause Four Moment

Two of our great political parties attempted to make new starts this week. Sir Ming Campbell was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats yesterday, promising to "modernise" the party and lead it "back to Government".

Letters & Opinion: Your Home May Not Remain As Your Tax Haven

The difficulty with reforming council tax is that nobody really wants to pay it. Most of us would say, if asked, that we believe it is important to fund public services properly, and accept that this means paying taxes.

Letters & Opinion: Retread for Icon

Those driving home along the M6 tonight may glimpse a strange light on the skyline. Don't panic, it is not an unidentified flying object hovering over Castle Bromwich.

Letters & Opinion: Stormy Future

Chicago may currently be famous as the windy city but Birmingham could soon be in the frame to take over the prestigious title. Just as it was recovering from the freak tornado which ravaged parts of Kings Heath, Balsall Heath and Spark-brook last July, it is now being told to batten down the hatches in preparation for more storms ahead.

Culture: Some More About a Boy ; Mike Davies Gets the Weather Forecast with Nicholas Hoult

Although his dad's a pilot and his mother a piano and voice teacher, like his older brother and two younger sisters, Wokingham- born teenager Nicholas Hoult seems to have taken to acting like the proverbial duck to water. "I started when I was three," he recalls. "I was watching a play with my mum and the director saw me. He needed a kid for his next play and he said that if I could concentrate enough to watch a play I could be in one."

Culture: Arts Reviews - Miller's Tale has Much to Tell Us Today ; the Crucible Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Anyone could be unlucky enough to be murdered by a knife- wielding lunatic or shot by a trigger-happy policeman, but death or incarceration by a deluded justice system is a different kind of nightmare. The essence of this nightmare is distilled in Arthur Miller's great play, which defies the term "classic" only in the sense that it is very difficult to watch with the kind of detatchment that normally implies. In fact, as the net relentlessly closes around its innocent victims, it almost creat...

Culture: Arts Reviews - Avant Garde Music From the 18th Century ; Academy of Ancient Music Barber Institute, Birmingham University

There was quite a buzz at the Barber on Wednesday. Many of the packed audience had come early to view the haunting Moon-rise over Europe exhibition in the art-gallery, and the musical programme on offer was one largely devoted to equally soul-stirring, proto- romantic vistas. But the musical results were disturbing, and not for the reasons ventured by the composers, nor for the devoted, enthusiastic performances from the assured Academy of Ancient Music. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Franz Be...

Culture: Arts Reviews - All Right Jack, but Not Exactly Revolutionary ; Jack Johnson Birmingham Nec

No Kanye West-style histrionics here, then. Twenty-four hours after the rap world displayed its more unpleasant side to Birmingham, a thoroughly cleancut, wholesome and downright nice audience packed the NEC to see quintessential American ex-surfer boy Jack Johnson.

Arms and the Man ; Dvd Reviews

Lord of War Momentum Pictures

Quiz of the Day

1. Of which country is Ulan Bator the capital? 2. From which natural product was the first form of plastic obtained?

Archive: 25 Years Ago

Archive: 50 Years Ago