Birmingham Post

World-Class Athletes

World-class athletes know that success only comes with dedication and training, but one Birmingham sportsman is taking no chances in Beijing - so will wear his "lucky" Aston Villa socks while competing at the Olympic Games. Hall Green high jumper Tom Parsons is just one member of Team GB who have revealed their pre-competition superstitions and rituals.

Pounds 600m New Street Gateway Is Hit by yet Another Delay

A delay of at least six months in naming architects for the pounds 600 million New Street Station redevelopment is the latest setback adding to a growing sense of frustration with Birmingham City Council over the 'Gateway' scheme. Council leaders expected to be in a position to announce the winners of a competition to design the facade and concourses of the new station in April, but Network Rail is yet to reach contractual agreement with the preferred company, Londonbased Foreign Office Archi...

Drivers Jump On the Bus As Fuel Costs Hurt

Car drivers turning to public transport because of high fuel prices have helped boost the profits of operator National Express. A survey by the Birmingham-based transport group showed almost two thirds of drivers are shunning their cars and 61 per cent of people say the surge in prices at the pumps has affected how much they use their private vehicles.

The Old Ones Are the Best . . . Or Are They?

An off-colour gag about breaking wind is the world's oldest joke, researchers said today. Academics searching for the oldest examples of recorded witticisms compiled a top 10 featuring randy pharaohs, dead donkeys and the ancient equivalent of three men in a pub - three ox-drivers from Adab.

Mg Tf Back in Production

The long-delayed production of the MG TF LE500 finally recommenced at Longbridge today. Tentative production of the sports car began last July but was quickly shelved following the acquisition of Nanjing Automobile by new parent Shanghai Automotive and subsequent concerns over the quality of some components.

Suitcase Murder

Midlands Water Is a Clear Winner Compared to the Rest of the Uk

The West Midlands has the country's best-tasting tap water, according to a panel of food and drink experts. Severn Trent was voted the UK's top tap water at a blind taste test in a competition held at a London restaurant.

'It's All Your Fault', Mother Who Killed Herself and Son Tells Dad

A West Midlands mother took her young son's life to "spite" his father then killed herself, a coroner said yesterday. Emma Hart, 27, gave fatal amounts of prescription drugs to five- year-old Lewis Danger-field, the inquest at Sandwell heard.

Judge Slaps Two Years On 'Unduly Lenient' Sentences for Killer Thugs

Two young men jailed for the manslaughter of a teenager who drowned after they forced him to go for a "punishment swim" in a water-filled claypit had their sentences increased by the Court of Appeal yesterday. Three judges in London agreed with the Attorney General Baroness Scotland that the original five-and-a-half year terms imposed on Christopher Lewis, 23, and Marvin Walker, 21, for killing Shane Owoo were "unduly lenient" - and added two years in each case. Sir Igor Judge, sitting with M...

Ginny's One-Woman Crusade Aims to Shake Up the Fringe ; From Language Translation to the Law Courts, Ginny Davis has Always Enjoyed a Challenge. Now the Former Birmingham Barrister Faces Her Toughest Challenge - an Audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival As She Told Alison Jones

Most parents who join the PTA are keen to support their child's school in any way they can, but that enthusiasm usually extends to manning the tombola or pinning up the bunting at the summer fete or Christmas fayre. Ginny Davis likes more of a challenge. So when the mother-of-two was made a PTA chairman she decided it would be fun for the parents to put on reviews and started writing skits for herself and others to perform.

Father Will Follow Barrymore to Festival in Quest for Justice

The father of the man found dead in Michael Barrymore's swimming pool pledged yesterday to keep up the pressure on the entertainer as he set off to stage a protest at his new show. Terry Lubbock, whose son Stuart was found dead in a pool at Barrymore's then home in Roydon, Essex, in March 2001, was speaking at London's Kings Cross Station before heading for Barrymore's show in Edinburgh.

Pounds 26m for West Midlands to Tackle Congestion and Vehicle Emissions

West Midlands local authorities have won pounds 26.6 million of Government funding to introduce new congestion-busting technology and traffic Cow improvement measures across the region. It is expected the package of measures will also help to cut vehicle emissions by providing monitoring of pollution levels on major routes for the first time.

30 Years for Care Worker Who Killed to Gain Pounds 70k From Will

A care worker was jailed for at least 30 years yesterday for murdering a defenceless disabled man in a bid to net pounds 70,000 from his will. Thelma Purchase, 44, was told by a judge at Stafford Crown Court that the killing of Greg Baker was a "truly horrible crime" motivated by greed.

What Remains of Scorched Pier Open to Public

Weston's Grand Pier owner yesterday confirmed "arson had been ruled out" as he opened the doors to the seaside attraction three days after its pavilion was destroyed by fire. The pier, in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, took 90 minutes to become a blackened shell when a blaze broke out on Monday morning.

Father's Manslaughter Charge After Daughter Died On Quad ; Courts

The father of a seven-year-old girl, who died after the quad bike she was riding crashed with a Range Rover on a country lane, appeared in court yesterday accused of manslaughter. Elizabeth Cooke was riding behind a Range Rover driven by her father Gary, 46, when the accident happened near the family home in Blackmore, Essex, about 7pm on Boxing Day 2007 police said.

Taxpayers Foot Pounds 1.6m Bill for Bomb Site After Dispute ; Courts

Council tax payers must foot a pounds 1.6 million bill for a former bomb site even though its current market value is just pounds 15,000, the Court of Appeal ruled. The judges said it was "utterly deplorable" that the London Borough of Wandsworth must pay compensation to the owner of the land as if there was planning permission for the nine houses which stood there before they were destroyed by German bombers during the Second World War.

Double Murderer Gets 24 Years ; Courts

A 20-year-old man who admitted murdering two women as they lay in their beds at a nursing home was sentenced yesterday to life in prison and told he would serve a minimum of 24 years and three months. Nathan Mann, formerly of Avonside Drive, Leicester, pleaded guilty earlier this month to the murders of Rashmi Badiani, 56, and Radhaben Chauhan, 72, at Hayes Park nursing home in the city last year.

Rowling Announces New Book ; Literature

JK Rowling has announced her first book to hit the shelves since Harry Potter's final outing - a series of fairy-tales. The book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, was written after Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, her seventh and last instalment about the boy wizard.

Lords Side with Couple Over Injury

A couple found liable for an accident on a bouncy castle that left a boy brain-damaged have won their appeal against the ruling. Sam Harris, now 13, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, suffered a broken skull after a 15-year-old boy kicked his head while performing a somersault on the castle in September 2005

Will Brown's Summer Sandcastle Come Tumbling Down?

As Gordon Brown soaks up a British summer he will doubtless be consumed with the same thoughts as everyone else in Westminster: what next? Although there were serious mumblings of discontent after the Glasgow East byelection defeat, there was no immediate public challenger to the PM's leadership.