[Imc-birmingham] Leads for the Spotted Dog and moaning yuppies
dougbrum at tiscali.co.uk
dougbrum at tiscali.co.uk
Wed Jul 25 11:48:12 PDT 2007
I do agree that Birmingham City council are the shadyist bunch of
fuckers going. They would sell their own souls for any kind of
corporate investment in the City. They have a whole scale redevelopment
plan for the city and the local community is at the bottom of the list.
With that said, we do have to be careful backing certain campaigns or
else it'll be us defending small capitalist over big big capitalist
when in reality they are both full of shit. The Epic skate park is a
great example. I don't know the details but the management at Epic
helped put a stop to a council funded park being built by the Aston Uni
fly-over in town. People involved in the consultation process (Rob from
Ideal skate shop was one) basically said that Epic were against it
because it was competion for them. Now the business has folded, I have
little sympathy.
I think housing/gentrification will be a major issue in Brum over the
next few years (it is now really). But we need to be careful where we
put our time and efforts.
D
>----Original Message----
>From: phunkee at aktivix.org
>Date: 24/07/2007 19:04
>To: "Birmingham Indymedia"<imc-birmingham at lists.indymedia.org>
>Subj: [Imc-birmingham] Leads for the Spotted Dog and moaning yuppies
>
>Shiar wrote:
>
>>P.S. i forgot to say that i'm only free during the day, till 5pm.
>>
>>
>Sorry i cannae make it, but here are some leads. Hope they're
useful.
>There's a lot here, but it would be good to focus on the effects of
>gentrification more broadly and the resistance that's emerged to
fight
>it. There's been a lot of coverage of this on the newswire, come to
>think of it, it might be worth mentioning the Cottage of Content
>occupation last year that sought to re-instate a community resource
in
>the face of 'development' ie. selling off a valuable community and
youth
>centre to the highest bidder. The building is now derelict again
since
>the social centre was evicted last year.
>
>> Hi Friends,
>>
>> I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I
>> recently signed. They will have to stop playing live music and it
is
>> likely that will destroy this wonderful little pub in Digbeth.
The
>> tenants opposite are complaining about the noise, and if they get
>> their way we will lose a cool little place. Please take a moment
to
>> sign the petition. I am not convinced this will help as
Birmingham
>> Council are making it more and more difficult for music venues
like
>> this to survive, but it's worth a go.
>>
>> I feel quite strongly about this as the great pubs in Digbeth are
a
>> real slice of old Brum. Some of the best nights out that I have
had
>> are in the old Digbeth pubs, and I am not alone in saying that we
need
>> to try and save them.
>>
>> "Support the Spotted Dog, Alcester St!"
>> http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/spotteddog?e
>>
>> I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to
encourage
>> you to add your signature too. It's free and takes less than a
minute
>> of your time and please pass this on to like-minded friends who
are
>> not on my list.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
>
>http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/spotted_dog_2307071.html SPOTTED DOG
BARKS
>BACK IN DIGBETH CAMPAIGN 23-07-2007
>
>http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=496 Spotted Dog
>leads way to a quiet Digbeth
>
>> The issue of the spotted dog has been picked up another forum.
>>
>> SkyscraperCity
>>
>> This site seems to be frequented by architects and those in the
>> construction trade or those just interested in city's and the
>> buildings that populate them.
>>
>> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=498994
>
>> I don't know if everyone knows, but there is an online petition
about
>> the abatement order against The Spotted Dog. The address is
>> www.keepdigbethvibrant.co.uk
>
>> John Tighe, landlord of the Spotted Dog, tells the Stirrer today
that
>> he feels victimised.
>>
>> See http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/spotted_dog_2307071.html
>>
>> He claims that although he's been served with a Noise Abatement
Order,
>> no decibel readings were taken by Environmental Health, and that
he
>> isn't allowed to see the report on which the Order was based. So
much
>> for open government.
>>
>> Now that he's appealing against the Order, he should be free to
have
>> music in the pub garden again, but has been warned that his
licence
>> will be revoked if does - even though it's perfectly legal.
>>
>> Someone, somewhere, doesn't like this campaign very much.
>
>
>> What's amazing is that the fellow behind the online petition to
keep
>> Digbeth vibrant is actually a resident of Abacus apartments.
>>
>> This is really important, because he reckons that the majority of
>> people in the block support his view that the Spotted Dog should
be
>> allowed to continue with its garden parties.
>>
>> If only a tiny minority even in the closest block don't want to
stop
>> the fun, in whose name are the local council acting?
>>
>> See http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/2407071.html
>
>Epic Skate park is now closed i think due to the withdrawal of its
>drinks license
>
>> Skateboard park's future in doubt
>>
>> Jul 10 2007 Birmingham Post
>>
>>
>> By Neil Connor, Chief Reporter
>>
>>
>> Concerns have been raised over youth facilities in Birmingham after
>> the future of a popular inner-city skateboarding park was thrown
into
>> doubt.
>>
>> Management at the Epic skate park on Moseley Road, Moseley,
>> was forced to pull out of the project following financial problems
>> following the withdrawal of its drinks licence.
>>
>> The lease for the park, which is the largest indoor facility of
its
>> type in Europe,
>> has now been taken over by a rock climbing company which is housed
in
>> adjacent
>> rooms in the former bus depot.
>>
>> The new management has vowed to keep the park open, but Epic's
former
>> chief
>> is concerned that the skateboarding park's days are numbered and
that
>> hundreds
>> of youths who attend the venue will have nowhere to go.
>>
>> Keith Marsden, who set up Epic five years ago, blamed the police,
>> council and a
>> bitter campaign from a handful of local residents for the failure
of
>> the park to stay afloat.
>>
>> He pulled out of Epic after the drinks licence at the centre was
revoked
>> following a campaign from residents which was backed by the police.
>>
>> This meant that funds could not be raised to support the centre
through
>> the staging of events such as concerts and club nights.
>>
>> Mr Marsden also voiced concern about the lack of support for young
>> skateboarders
>> in Birmingham in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics.
>>
>> The park has the country's only Olympic-sized indoor half pipe,
>> a ramp which allows skateboarders to perform stunts.
>>
>> Skateboarding is to become an Olympic sport for the London event,
>> and a handful of boarders at the park have benefited from a
training
>> scheme which has seen them become some of the country's brightest
>> hopes for a medal.
>>
>> It was hoped by Mr Marsden that the venue could have been used as
>> the British skateboarding team's base at the Olympics.
>>
>> Mr Marsden said: "There is no way that the new owners are going to
keep
>> the half pipe as the rock climbing centre would not have taken
over
>> the whole
>> building if they were not planning to expand.
>> "There is simply not enough room at the site to expand if the half
>> pipe does not give way."
>>
>> He added: "We had a very small amount of people complain about the
venue
>> who have prejudices against skateboarders -
>> who are actually white middle class kids in scruffy clothes.
>>
>> "We have never had one arrest at the centre throughout five years.
>> We are also situated in an area which includes the Moseley Dance
Centre,
>> a couple of pubs and about five takeaways which stay open most of
the
>> night.
>>
>> "It seems that we were unfairly targeted over the licence by
people
>> who want
>> to live in a vibrant area - but don't want what comes with it.
>>
>> "It has always been a loss-making venture, but with the bar we have
been
>> able to stage events to keep us open.
>>
>> "However, once the police withdrew their support for the license,
our
>> days were numbered.
>> Now we have lost the licence there was no alternative but to pull
out -
>> but I do not think there is much of a future at Epic now."
>>
>> Tom Relf, assistant manager at Creation Climbing Centre, which has
taken
>> over the lease of Epic, said it was too early to say if the new
owners
>> would
>> keep the half pipe.
>>
>> But he said they would try to make Epic a "bigger and better" skate
park.
>> He added:
>>
>> "At the moment there are a lot of different rumours going around,
but
>> the reality is 'watch this space'."
>>
>
>The Fiddle and Bone seems to have gone through a similar scenario.
>
>Fiddle & Bone to re-open as a pub
>Nov 8 2004
>
>http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.
uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=14847684&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=fiddle---
bone-to-re-open-as-a-pub-name_page.html
>
>Yuppies sound off over city noises
>Jun 14 2007
>
>http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.
uk/mail/news/columnists/thestirrer/news/tm_method=full%
26objectid=19295295%26siteid=50002-name_page.html
>
>
>These are the effects of Birmingham's much heralded "regeneration",
the
>creation of a series of Yuppie Ghettos or so-called 'gated-
communities'
>that do fuck all to contribute to these area socially, culturally or
>economically. Instead they manage to cleanse away the vital organs
of
>community life, be it our pubs, workplaces or social housing.
>
>Couldn't help thinking of the pathfinder schemes in cities across
the
>country too: Pathfinder Schemes
>http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2005/02/305219.html
>
>"In the name of urban renewal, creating sustainable communities,
social
>cleansing on a vast scale is being pushed through unchallenged."
>
>*Gentrification*
>
>Keith Parkins and Mick Lane have written some great articles on the
>gentrification of Liverpool and Farnborough's city centre. There's
also
>stuff on Queen's market in East London:
>http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/04/308927.html . The developers
>making the most of all this and so much more including Longbridges
>'development' are Birmingham's St. Modwens: St Modwens the
destroyer
>https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2005/03/307921.
html
>
>The occupation of Broadway market: Occupation against Hackney's
>gentrification
>http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2005/12/329506.html
>
>What's Happening to Housing?
>http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/liverpool/2006/10/353224.html
>
>"Construction work seems to be taking place on every corner of
Liverpool
>city centre, tarting up town in time for the Capital of Culture
>celebrations in 2008. But within easy walking distance of this rich
>man's paradise project, squalid homes are being starved of repair
money,
>whilst more than adequate social housing dwellings are torn down.
What
>is the Lib Dem(olition) council's agenda? Why, profits of course!
All
>the rich newcomers will need somewhere to live, so working class
people
>have to pay with their homes! But campaigners are fighting back..."
>
>On a positive note, remember Fred Grove, well he's finally won!
>
>Fred Grove - victim of redevelopment
>http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2006/08/349201.html
>
>Fred Grove talks to The Stirrer about his battle to keep his house
in
>the face of redevelopment
>javascript:var%20target=window.open('http://link.brightcove.
com/services/player/bcpid452322880','FredGrove','scrollbars=no,
resizable=no,status=no,width=510,height=610');
>
>phunkee
>
>
>
>
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>
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