Birmingham Post

Snippets

Live and let live Fans heading for 10cc's live show at the Alexandra Theatre this week (see above) will be able to take home a special memento. The band - famous for hits such as Dreadlock Holiday and I'm Not In Love - has teamed up with music website Concert Live to record three of the dates on the UK tour, including the Birmingham gig on March 8.

The Week Ahead ; What's Happening Near You During the Next Seven Days

Theatre's Outsider Opens New Doors ; James Yarker Is an Artistic Director Working in a Field He Thinks Is Far Too Safe. Lorne Jackson Discovers What Drives Him to Push the Boundaries of Performance

James Yarker informs me that later in the day he'll be taking his five-year-old daughter, Eve, to see Yogi Bear. Nothing out of the ordinary about that, you may think, and usually I'd agree.

Opera Season Off On the Right Note ; Christopher Morley Looks at an Exciting Spring Ahead for Opera in Birmingham

The opera comes to town in the next few weeks, when Birmingham sees a range of operatic activity in a variety of venues. Sharp-eyed fans will notice that the current notorious cuts in arts funding have led to the dropping of one day from the week of Welsh National Opera's regular visits to the city. WNO's forthcoming season at Birmingham Hippodrome begins on Wednesday (Tuesdays used to be the opening night), but the good new s is that it kicks off with a new production of Johann Strauss' effe...

Classical

CBSO/The Birmingham Mahler Cycle Symphony Hall Sandwiched between the hypnotic glamour of Simon Rattle and the visceral excitement of Andris Nelsons, it is easy to overlook what a huge contribution Sakari Oramo made to the CBSO during his decade as music director. During his tenure he did so much to develop the orchestra's reputation as explorers of repertoire, whether standard or unusual, and he consolidated the finesse of the strings to an extent which persists today.

Jazz Diary

The Edge Arts Centre in Much Wenlock presents a stylish jazz programme - although the gigs are few and far between, they are of the highest quality. Take next Wednesday's: the master of the classical-style guitar in jazz, Ralph Towner, meets a trumpeter with a highly personal and highly attractive sound, Paolo Fresu.

App Could Be Just the Ticket ; Roz Laws Looks at a Scheme Which Could Lure Bigger Audiences to Theatres

t started as a way for impoverished theatre-goers to see shows for free. INow the idea is turning into a scheme that's being nominated for awards and talked about by cabinet ministers in keynote speeches.

Be Part of an Annual Celebration of Reading ; Children's Book: Jayne Howarth Looks at the Publications for This Year's World Book Day

Thursday, March 3, is World Book Day and 13 million school children from all over the country will be given a pounds 1 book token that can be redeemed for one of the special editions produced for the occasion. Now in its 14th year, it is a fabulous annual celebration of reading and this year sees another great collection of books for children of all ages by some of our top authors.

Spreading the Word ; Lorne Jackson Talks to Author Mike Gayle About a New Project to Encourage More People to Read

Men At Work By Mike Gayle (Quick Reads Book, pounds 1.99) It's not a bad gig, being a professional novelist.

Isla Spills Beans On Love for Off-Beat Animation ; Interview: Isla Fisher

There can't be many women who'd turn down the chance to kiss Johnny Depp. But Isla Fisher, who plays his love interest in the new animated film Rango, happily admits she surrendered the opportunity. "Yeah, I was supposed to kiss him, but on the day I had a little cold and I didn't want to do that to him," says the diminutive, flame-haired Fisher with a throaty laugh, adding:"He's the second sexiest man in the world after my husband."

Have Hat, Can Travel (in Time) ; Graham Young and Roz Laws Review the Latest Films

The Adjustment Bureau Cert 12A, 105 mins Perhaps Matt Damon wanted to get out of the house to escape a screaming baby, as his wife gave birth to their third daughter last year. Perhaps he's just a workaholic. Either way, the prolific actor is suddenly everywhere.

Movies On Release

New Films This Week The Adjustment Bureau (12A) Meeting by chance three times, politician Matt Damon and dancer Emily Blunt are meant to be together. So who's trying to keep them apart? God apparently, and he's sent his 'adjusters' to ensure Damon's put back on track. Except, it seems you can't suppress the course of true love. A romantic sci-fi thriller, there's nice lead performances but its clunky, fuzzy, awkwardly paced tale of the human heart, free will and predestination just sinks into...

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words ; Artist Sammie Edgar at First Found Solace in Her Unique 'Word Art' - Then She Found a New Career. By Emma Mckinney

ive years ago life was pretty grim for Sammie Edgar. Feeling at an all-time low, she decided to seek the help of a therapist. Little did she know it would lead her on a journey that would end up turning her life around and launching her own business.

Time to Get the Lawn Mower Out ; Garden Watch

The grass is just beginning to grow again, as we move into spring and a busy time for lawn care activities lies ahead. If you want a lush green carpet, now is an essential time to refresh your lawn care skills, in readiness for a call to action over the next few weeks. Should the temperature drop this week and the clear skies abound, watch out for the frost and avoid walking over the grass first thing in the morning. Then later in the day, use a rake to gently remove any debris, such as falle...

Growing Demographic ; Victoria Farncombe Looks at a Project to Create a Kitchen Garden with the Aim of Engaging a More Culturally Diverse Interest

Whether taking high tea on the Wisteria-filled terrace or admiring the roses in the walled garden, visitors to Winterbourne are noticeable for one thing - they're usually white, middle class and aged over 30. Set in leafy Edgbaston Park Road, it's no wonder the Edwardian house and botanical gardens attracts that particular demographic.

Playing Host to a Duck with a Difference ; Nature Notes

Recently the RSPB's Sandwell Valley nature reserve has been the temporary residence of a duck with a difference.With a clean cut military style and weaponry to match, these visiting ducks at Sandwell Valley have the characteristics of a sleek navy vessel. Goosanders, or common mergansers, have an appearance which reflects their predatory lifestyle. Their long, streamlined bodies are perfect for diving under water, in search of fish up to 15cm long. Beneath the surface, their powerful legs pro...

The Heart and Soul of Michelin Country ; Richard Mccomb Enters the Culinary Firmament with Birmingham's Top Chefs - Somewhere North of Lyon

A quail appetiser It's not often, probably wisely, that you get to dine with just about all the chefs from Birmingham's top restaurants. I am sandwiched between Glynn Purnell and Richard Turner, the bosses of their self-named restaurants, and am sitting opposite Adam Bennett, the head chef at Simpsons. To my left is Andy Waters, chef/ patron of Edmunds.

Breaking the Mould ; Edward Stephens Drives the Versatile New Toyota Verso S

ut an S on the end of a car's name and it normally stands for Sport. PBut Toyota is breaking the mould with its new Verso S - because this time it stands for small, spacious and smart.

Gadgets

Draw Game Tablet pounds 49.99 from Amazon and other retailers, www.worldofdraw.com **** Kids have been doing it in the snow for years - but now you can draw with your Wii - in the comfort of your own home.

Made-Up ; Concealers

Bourjois Bio detox organic anti-puffiness concealer | 8ml | pounds 7.99 The roll-on applicator aims to massage the life into puffy under eyes but it is a bit rough on the skin and does not make for even coverage. The concealer itself is quite thick and quick drying so does not make for easy blending. However once applied this does camouflage well and comes in two shades. Origins Quick, Hide! | 7ml | pounds 12) A sponge applicator makes it simple to get into the nooks and crannies around the e...