#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

We're all aware of mental health, so... job done? The thing is, being aware of an issue doesn't mean we're even adequately equipped to deal with it (see also climate, pollution, political corruption, housing crisis, cost of living crisis...) There's a dichotomy of meaning when we talk about mental health; we might mean health as …

Results

Let's be honest, there was never any chance of anyone except incumbent Labour candidate Hendrina Quinnen sweeping the vote here. The results in Handsworth tell a picture, and quite a disturbing one at that.. The total number of votes cast was 1,686. There are over 7,000 registered voters. 5,314 voters... didn't. Labour win because voters …

Eve of Local Elections

Some thoughts on the local elections ahead of tomorrow's vote: It is not a popularity contest on what you think of the UK government. It is about your bin collections and local shops and roads and schools and social care and parks and pavements and parking and buses and knife crime and street lights and …

Eid Mubarak

The years of COVID have been so difficult for everyone of us who wanted to gather in celebration. Now at last families and friends are able to join in important dates again, and so I wish all my neighbours Eid Mubarak.

Stephen Lawrence Day

April 22nd is Stephen Lawrence Day, set up in memory of a young man who was murdered in a racially-motivated attack in 1993. The killers were racist thugs but, significantly, the investigation by the Metropolitan Police was so badly run that the Macpherson Inquiry was ordered and found the police force to be institutionally racist. …

Fly-tipping – a bigger problem

From a small victory (getting several piles of fly-tipped waste taken away), to a much more significant challenge. Between Oxhill Road and Elmhurst Road, a lane creates a buffer between the Manor Grove / Tesco site and a terrace of homes on Headingley Road. The lane is gated at both ends, and across two access …

Fly-tipping – A Small Victory!

Last Friday I reported a number of fly-tipped piles of waste, some domestic and some probably commercial. Yesterday, they were all cleared by the Council. Golds Hill Road (1 of 2) Golds Hill Road 2 of 2 Grove Lane - but someone has already dumped another two bags overnight! It's really positive to get something …

Lawbreaking in Government

Today (Tuesday) the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer were both issued with fixed penalty notices for breaking lockdown laws - laws that they had themselves written. Neither the PM or the CoE have resigned; indeed they have said they won't even consider resigning - despite lying to Parliament in a clear breach …

Homes or Housing?

Handsworth is a densely populated area - 12,000 people living tightly packed buildings. So many of the big Victorian houses that were built during the height of the Industrial Revolution have been turned into blocks of flats and HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation). Screenshot of Zoopla.co.uk on 12th April 2022, showing available rental accommodation. A …

Fly Tipping – ruining our streets

On Friday I took a walk round the southern parts of Handsworth ward, to report issues of fly tipping. Thornhill Road, Golds Hill Road, Union Row, Dawson Rd, Woodstock Road, Chantry Road and Grove Lane all had piles of rubbish like those pictured, and lots of litter along the pavements, on the roads and ground …