Kings Heath: Pip Bradley's Silence: York Road #2

Three days ago Crow explained that the useless Labour Council which bankrupted the UK's Third City, Birmingham, and was finally kicked out in May, had destroyed vital infrastructure in one of Brum's suburbs to enrich their cronies. The hapless reds had closed a road leading directly off the High Street in Kings Heath, but despite allowing local business to expand onto the street under licence, they had clearly not collected proper payments and were not enforcing the law against their pals.

They were also charging pathetically low rents for companies to rent the road for markets and events. Whilst most UK markets are run by Council's themselves or via contracts with private operators, someone called Pip Bradley (who is also involved in the Kings Heath Community Centre scandal - more anon) has, incredibly, set up a "Community Interest Company" (CIC) to operate markets. A CIC is supposed to be a sort of company which uses profits to fulfil its supposed social enterprises, but which is not a full charity and so not susceptible to charity law. Companies House has accepted that Bradley's outfit is somehow for the public good. The downside of not being a full charity is that a CIC has to pay UK Corporation Tax on profits (like a normal business). That's tax that the local leftists want to grab for lots of "free things", and for the never-to-end subsidy on The Albatross Line etc. In the last accounts Bradley's Birmingham Artisan Markets CIC paid just £1,102 in Corporation Tax* which isn't going to pay much for lots of free stuff!

Following the publication of the blog, Crow was contacted by a well-known local figure who alleged that not only was Labour favouring Bradley's company, but was also REDUCING the already pathetically low rent to it as it was supposed to be a "social enterprise". Crow duly wrote to Bradley as follows:

THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION - PRESS ENQUIRY

I have put up a blog post today which mentions your Company (link below).

From figures supplied by Bham City Council (BCC) it appeared that companies like yours were only paying around £163.80 for licences to operate markets on York Road.

I have received an allegation that, in fact, your "non-profit" CIC is the beneficiary of a hidden subsidy from the taxpayer in that BCC bizarrely charges you only around £54.60 per licence. Is this true?

Turning to your latest accounts (y/e 30/06/25) you state that BAM has no employees.Yet "administrative expenses" are claimed in the sum of £37,956 which, of course, has the effect of greatly reducing your Corporation Tax liability.

For "administrative expenses" expenses should I read "pay" for one or more individuals? Please clarify this item?

I am away for two days and so it would be helpful if you could reply by, say, noon on Friday at the latest.

https://crowmultimedia.blogspot.com/2026/09/birmingham-labours-crony-socialism-york.html

Bradley has not replied. She has said nothing on the licence fees nor on how much she is extracting from the "social enterprise". Let's hope some of the councillors in the latest Council circus will start looking into the fees actually being charged and try and collect a, er, market rent. Given their first shambolic months in power, I wouldn't hold your breath ...

Bradley has been heavily involved in the Community Centre grab where, curiously, the new organisation wants to operate "markets". She has been held out as some sort of business guru, and she clearly knows how to make a few bob for herself via the current "system". But she does also run a normal capitalist, "for profit" Limited Company, Pip's Hot Sauce Limited.

Crow would like to tell you about that but unfortunately the latest accounts are overdue:

Again Crow wrote to Bradley:

THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION - PRESS ENQUIRY

Further to my earlier email on a different subject I note that Companies House publicly states that Ms Bradley has failed to file the annual accounts for her above Company.

The accounts were due on 31st July, 2026. I am aware that Companies House occasionally makes mistakes but can you confirm if the accounts have now been filed and, if so, when?  

Alas, no comment again. At least she will have to pay a minimum £150 fine, although if the Council doesn't now act to protect taxpayers, she can easily recover that from stallholders in just three markets! Socialism in action - kerching!

* Bradley should also be paying income tax on the dosh she takes out of the business.

ADDENDUM 23rd September, 2026

Crow is continuing to investigate this alleged “Community Interest Company”  (CIC). It is interesting to note that when Bradley set this up, the idea was that her markets would be very much food orientated rather than the fora for the sale of twee tat that they have become.

Bradley claimed in the legal documentation setting up the alleged CIC that the supposed “community benefit” was that she and her co-directors (see further below) would “provide advice, support, mentorship and guidance for those wishing to set up, or existing, micro FOOD businesses”. Also Bradley would provide “training and educational activities to provide access for communities to artisan and healthy food in Birmingham”.

Of course, this “advice” is readily available on the internet via the National Market Traders Federation and/or from thousands of other sites.

Quite honestly, anyone who requires detailed mentoring to set up a market stall is probably not a suitable person to run a business. Even Crow has managed it!

Bradley certainly displayed a masterclass in the writing of bullsh*t within the legal documentation with this:

[BAM would] break down the untrue idea that certain foods and the way of approaching the food we eat are not for everyone equally. [WTF? - Ed]

Bradley claimed she would “like” to offer “community cookery courses” and boasted of actually running an unspecified number for two organisations. Once again, cookery courses are ubiquitous on lamestream media, through to TikTok and YouTube, and why the folk of KH are apparently so inadequate they need more of them is not explained.

By “community” Bradley problems means “the poor” although they are massive consumers of social media. They are also folk who rely on food banks etc to exist and eschew highly-priced “artisan” posh nosh. In fact, the community Bradley targets is very much the bourgeoisie. She needs people with MONEY to buy rubbish prints and clothing items emblazoned with “Bab”, and other cutesy crap.

Food retailing has become merely one aspect of the supposed “community” offering, and her website boasts instead of her markets supplying the following absolutely essential products instead:

Handcrafted jewellery, Home Decor, Arts & Prints and Natural Skincare Products.

Compare and contrast this with another local CIC - Moseley Farmer’s Market - just up the road and which sells regionally-sourced, er, FOOD.

Moseley FM has just published its latest accounts and they make another interesting comparison. We have seen elsewhere (eg. with Suzanne Carter at our Scene CIC**) that CIC’s are a great way for leftists to divert public money to give themselves a very tidy income.

Birmingham Artisan Markets boasts of having no [zero] employees and Crow queried whether the “administrative expenses” in the CIC’s accounts were, in fact, actually pay to Bradley and any co-directors. We already pointed out that whilst local leftists keep screeching about “taxing the rich” to pay the exponentially increasing benefits bill etc, Birmingham Artisan Markets didn’t pay much in Corporation Tax in the one year for which it has produced accounts despite a healthy profit. By paying Bradley & Co in the way that she has arranged things, she has also avoided having to pay another tax - Employers National Insurance contributions. So much for “community benefit” LOL!

Curiously there have been a number of directors coming and going at Bradley’s company, but during the year for which the accounts were produced there were just two - Bradley herself and one Heidi Laughton (who has since resigned her directorship).

Out of the administrative expenses, Bradley and Laughton took £23,485.61 for themselves (although Crow assumes the bulk went to Bradley). Just up the road - a genuine community food market - Moseley Farmers’ Market CIC - had four directors for the year of its latest accounts and they paid themselves (drumroll please) - nothing. Yep, they paid themselves a flat zero pounds and the small surplus they actually made paid for the Moseley Christmas Tree and lights. Now that IS a CIC operating with a true community ethos.

Interestingly, Bradley’s market competes (possibly unfairly) with vendors of gifts etc in the High Street (like Enki) whereas the good folk in Moseley record that:

Local traders and their association have been consulted to ensure that stall holders permitted to attend the market do not compete with their businesses.

Another gold star!

Investigations continue as to the amount of licence fees Bradley’s operations are paying to Birmingham City Council which, of course, remains in dire financial straits.

My original post above was met with the usual abuse from many local leftists. One person who took to social media to criticise Crow, and to laud Bradley, was a person who describes herself as “Miss Nicola Nobu”. She neglected to mention during her rants that she was, in fact, one of the, er, original directors of Birmingham Artisan Markets CIC! 

Finally, in Crow’s original post (04/09/26) Bradley was given some free mentoring and advice to the effect that this self-proclaimed business guru should file the overdue accounts for her for-profit company, Pip’s Hot Sauce Limited. Happily, Bradley finally got round to filing her late accounts on 12th September. Another community service from Crow Multimedia!

** https://crowmultimedia.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-thurd-sector-1-our-scene-cic.html [2024 post]

LEGAL NOTICE (CM Version 1 - 7th February, 2026)

We cannot list every previous mention of individuals referred to in the entirety of this blog. Where we refer to a specific story please follow the supplied hyperlink since this forms legal justification for later comments. Similarly references to “posts or Crows passim” and to earlier posts mean any individuals concerned about purported defamatory or otherwise unlawful material must read later posts in the context of earlier posts. Full information can also be supplied within a reasonable time upon application via email to iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com

We may also add hyperlinks or references to content in our associated blogs, “In The Public Domain aka The Sandwell Skidder” (at thesandwellskidder.blogspot.com) and Rotten Council Governance - Legal Review (at rottencouncils.blogspot.com). Reference to content in those blogs also forms part of the context, meaning of, and justification for, contents in this blog.

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com and we shall use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

We are pleased to receive comments via email to iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com, or on X via our publishers @CrowMultimedia. We are happy to publish any sensible commentary and offer a right of reply where applicable. We can also publish “guest” posts on mutually agreed terms.

If you consider that anything written is defamatory or otherwise unlawful please email iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com or telephone 07470 624207 forthwith. If your complaint has merit we shall endeavour to make immediate amends.

Ian Crow Multimedia

Birmingham Labour's Crony Socialism: York Road #1

Our sibling blog, The Sandwell Skidder, has spent well over a decade exposing countless examples of supposedly socialist Labour Councillors enriching their cronies at the expense of us taxpayers. Alas, they are not the only ones preaching an anti-capitalist creed which, happily, excludes themselves and their pals. The great LTN/York Road scam in the dismal Kings Heath area of Birmingham is a case in point where Labour, at the time bankrupting the UK's third city* (formerly, its second city), closed off a busy side street to enhance the business interests of numerous pals.

It must be remembered that under Labour, the Council singularly failed to address the astonishing levels of economic inactivity in the third city - now the highest of any BIG city in the UK.  Whilst the beggar-ridden sh*tty centre shows signs of an ugly renaissance, the suburbs look distinctly peaky. A stonking 42.8% of Birmingham's neighbourhoods rank within the top 10% most deprived areas nationally, yet this is of no consequence to Labour, nor to its leftist, anti-capitalist, successors since May, 2026. These councillors are determined to destroy the road infrastructure (before great technological advances kick-in) and to dismantle the capitalist system in favour of state control. Yes, the people who bankrupted the city (and their fellow travellers) want increased, dictatorial, economic control. What could possibly go wrong?

York Road has been closed off to traffic to the delight of local leftists (overwhelmingly white and bourgeois), but not to all traders in the street. One told Crow how this had adversely affected his business, and he believes Labour/Leftists wish to drive his untrendy shop out of the street in favour of something more twee and "right on". Another, a pizza place targeting a more mass market clientele, took to social media to complain that his delivery crew could not get to his shop, and that when the street was full of King's Heath's brahmin lefties [sic] they remonstrate with, and harass, his delivery staff. He went so far as to accuse these unpleasant individuals as "rascists", and he too opined that these anti-capitalists wanted to drive his business away - to be replaced with something more "artisanal" (and, presumably, owned by a co-op).

The Kings Heath cronies of Labour make hay while the sun shines by taking over the street completely - massively extending their premises' footprint. The Birmingham Artisan Market - closely associated with local Labour figures - holds periodic markets selling kitsch tat, and events take over the whole street such as the local Pride event. This is a giant windfall for some local hospitality businesses. (It should be said that some of the businesses regularly encroach onto the blocked-off road on many occasions, seemingly when no authorisations has been given for them to do so.)

Oh well, you will say, at least the bankrupt Council will be raking in fees and rents from all this stuff so that much-needed funds can be raised for the provision of frontline services. Sadly, er, no.

Despite the frequent use of the road by businesses the disastrous (then) Labour Council says that it only issued 6 (yes, six) Temporary Pavement Licences for York Road and the Hare & Hounds between 2nd April, 2025 and 30th April, 2026. Given that Crow has personally seen the street covered in tables on very many more occasions than that during the period in question, it is blindingly obvious that Labour are not enforcing the collection of fees from their cronies. The businesses have done very well from this, but the taxpayer has only received £2,100.00 from the licence system in Labour's last year in office.

It is not the Council that usually operates the markets in the street but a private market operator (Bham Artisan Markets for one) who seek to make profit from what they extract from stallholders (mostly small, or even micro businesses) and what they pay to the taxpayer via the Council. Event organisers can be private or the notorious local BID (Business Improvement District [sic]) which is a Labour-front organisation in which a number of York Road businesses are highly influential.

The usual rent the hapless Council has been charging (with a very limited number of higher exceptions) is, we shit ye not, £163.80!  WTF?

For municipal year (01/04 - 31/03) 2023/2024 the taxpayer was deprived of the use of key infrastructure but received just £1,310.40. And it gets worse - in 2024/2025 the market operators and event organisers paid just £491.40.

(Unlike many market operators, Birmingham Artisan Markets does not advertise its stall fees on its website, but the Council itself says that it is receiving very low amounts from them for the whole market. Kerching!)

In 2025/2026 - with some rents for the whole public road still as ridiculously low as £163.80 but a few more events - the taxpayer received just £2,020.20 over a whole year!

There we have it - public infrastructure destroyed and in three years the taxpayer only received £5,922.00 - and don't forget this sum will be much reduced by the money spent paying council (public) employees to organise the bookings and collect the payments etc. (although, as above, there is clearly a deliberate policy not to collect full payment from crony businesses).

For context, the head of the Council paid service is reported to receive (including gold-plated pension contributions) £397,097 per annum. No wonder Labour bankrupted the fxxxxxx Council!!!!

*  Crow understands the arguments of the likes of Prof Bailey and former Labour Leader [sic]. John Clancy that Brum was only declared to be in the local government version of bankruptcy due to a miscalculation of the pension fund deficit, but the fact remains that Brum was served with a s114 Notice in 2023, and the disastrous Labour administration placed in Government "special measures".

iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com

LEGAL NOTICE (CM Version 1 - 7th February, 2026)

We cannot list every previous mention of individuals referred to in the entirety of this blog. Where we refer to a specific story please follow the supplied hyperlink since this forms legal justification for later comments. Similarly references to “posts or Crows passim” and to earlier posts mean any individuals concerned about purported defamatory or otherwise unlawful material must read later posts in the context of earlier posts. Full information can also be supplied within a reasonable time upon application via email to iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com

We may also add hyperlinks or references to content in our associated blogs, “In The Public Domain aka The Sandwell Skidder” (at thesandwellskidder.blogspot.com) and Rotten Council Governance - Legal Review (at rottencouncils.blogspot.com). Reference to content in those blogs also forms part of the context, meaning of, and justification for, contents in this blog.

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com and we shall 

use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

We are pleased to receive comments via email to iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com, or on X via our publishers @CrowMultimedia. We are happy to publish any sensible commentary and offer a right of reply where applicable. We can also publish “guest” posts on mutually agreed terms.

If you consider that anything written is defamatory or otherwise unlawful please email iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com or telephone 07470 624207 forthwith. If your complaint has merit we shall endeavour to make immediate amends.

Ian Crow Multimedia

WMCA - incompetence or cover-up?

When Crow was making a formal Standards Complaint against "Mr 11.17%", Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, the link to the Monitoring Officer at West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) was not working. Accordingly that complaint was sent to an email account already in use between Crow and WMCA.

The complaint was sent on 25th June, 2026. On 23rd July WMCA claimed they had never received the Complaint which was untrue as Crow received an automated response on 25th June. This was pointed out to WMCA on 5th August quoting the "case reference number" supplied by WMCA itself.

On 17th August, WMCA again claimed they could not find the Complaint and asked for it to be sent again. Crow sent the Complaint again on 17th August. It is now 25th August and the Monitoring Officer has STILL not even acknowledged receipt of it.

This is the organisation which is being given enormous new powers. They don't really fill one with confidence do they?

[If you are interested in trying to help the Birmingham area's economy improve and to contest Leftist attempts to make the city over 50% welfare dependent, please join the Facebook Group: "Bone-idle Brum (Third City)".]

Crow Multimedia

Brian Killner's final journey

On Thursday 20th August we said farewell to Bri at Lodge Hill Crem in Birmingham. Brian Killner had been living in this area since he moved up from Surrey in 1981. A few folk couldn't attend on the day and sent apologies, and this post is intended primarily for them - although please keep reading as there is an important announcement at the end!

There was a good crowd to see Bri - "The Man with the Braces" - on his way and to celebrate his life. I know the family members were almost overwhelmed to see all the folk who turned up to honour him. Bri's sister, Brenda and husband Frank, niece Donna and nephew, John, thank each and every one of you .

And there were some long distance travellers like Grant Melrose from Chorley, and Ed & Kate Thompson from those badlands on the Welsh Border. Lyndsey from the Old Joint Stock was actually on holiday in Weymouth, but travelled back for the day which was a superb tribute. Ditto Jim and Anna.

Anyone who knew Bri will remember his great bond with Blind Phil and how much he helped Phil over many years. It was so good to see Blind Phil's son who, with his wife, travelled up from Kent. As Young Phil told me, "there was no way I was going to miss this", and he insisted in helping the pall bearers take Bri into the chapel. He would have loved that.

Logistically, everything worked very well thanks to the efforts of Dani and Grace from the Central Co-Op, Maypole, and civil celebrant, Joan.  xxx

The "first half" concluded with a splendid reading of Stanley Holloway's "Brahn Boots" by Dave Hackney.

The intention on the day really was to note the joy that Bri brought into the lives of so many. The music, and Dave's reading, seemed to perfectly fit the bill.

There was a showing of 25 pictures of Bri on the big screen, and they are shown below the subscription here. A larger reel of pics was shown at the wake.

The wake was held at The Welly, in association with the Old Joint Stock, which kindly provided the buffet. Thanks to Carlton, Michael, Lyndsey and all at the OJS and, of course, to the legendary Nige Barker, Dave Moorhouse, Matt and all at The Welly - with Simon Brabazon as the excellent "Liaison Officer".

Many of us all knew Bri as "Special K" - quite simply because he WAS special. He would also have loved the banner The Welly put up for the wake.

Cheerio old chap, and thanks for everything.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

At the funeral and wake donations were kindly made to a charity close to Bri's heart - The Injured Jockeys Fund. Since Bri was "the Big Cheese" at The Welly's charity Cheese Nights, the event of WEDNESDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER will be held in his honour, and in aid of his chosen charity too.

The funds raised will be added to the funds collected so far and a grand total will be sent to the Injured Jockeys Fund. The final figure will be published after the Cheese Night and so (a) please attend, and (b) please give generously!

The Wellington pub is, of course, in Brum City Centre at 37 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham B2 5SN.

LET THEM EAT CHEESE!

Crow Multimedia

iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com

Covid-era social distancing!

Birmingham's Legal "Talent" - Angels or Scumbags?

 Mr X died on 23rd July. He had serious physical illness and, latterly, succumbed to mental health problems too. He began to give his limited income away to the homeless, some of whom tried to take advantage, including by moving into his flat. He mentioned to friends that he had “employed” someone allegedly named Alicia to be his “housekeeper”. He also claimed to have “employed” two people in a new business venture.

He was seen drinking in Birmingham City Centre with a woman he described as his “niece from Halesowen”. He told friends about his day out too. A couple calling themselves “Alicia and Michael” sent various emails to him calling him “uncle”. “Alicia” seems to use at least two made-up names. It is not known how much cash Mr X gave this pair. Needless to say, X did not have a niece in Halesowen.

Old friends had never heard Mr X speak of Mr Nathan Saunderson but this young man claims to be an old friend of X’s having met him “in the pub a few months ago”. It would have been self-evident that X was not a well man. Yet Saunderson, who describes himself as a “Solicitor’s Apprentice” at the firm of Shoosmiths in Birmingham, managed to get hold of X’s Lloyds Bank details and stated in writing to X, “just been down to the local branch and they’ve told me your accounts closed down - apparently some sort of tax fraud and moving monies through charity.” (Mr X was not involved in illegal activities. His accounts did face temporary stoppages seemingly due to excessive cash withdrawals.)

Nathan Saunderson

It is not known how Saunderson presented himself at the Bank and whether he used his employment status to get it to divulge information. And quite why Lloyds chose to discuss confidential account details with a third party is unclear. For his part, Saunderson says that he obtained X’s bank details since X wanted to borrow some money from him. Quite why that involved visiting the Bank and soliciting private information is not explained.

X had a very long connection with a well-known Birmingham city centre pub. But as his health declined he became abusive towards his friends. During one manic spell, X tried to set up a charity event at the pub and paid for the hire of private rooms via an online booking system. When the whole thing went wrong X erroneously claimed that the manager of the pub owed him £200. He made this false allegation on social media too. This conduct arose, of course, from his ill health.

On 21st July, 2026 whilst X was in hospital and incapable of managing his affairs, Saunderson and another man entered the pub at 9.30pm and demanded repayment of the non-existent £200 debt. They claimed that they were representing X which they most certainly were not. The staff felt intimidated and were distressed by the incident. The other man was a qualified Solicitor, Michael Harrigan, also employed by Shoosmiths.

Michael Harrigan

When questioned by someone representing X’s bereaved family, Saunderson confirmed that he and an unnamed person (now known to be Harrigan) had been in to “ask” about the (non-existent) debt and added in writing, “That was the extent of our involvement, and we didn’t pursue the matter any further.” By this time Saunderson had been informed in writing that X had died and he was aware that his actions were being questioned.

Incredibly, on Thursday 6th August, 2026 Harrigan and Saunderson went back into the pub and aggressively tried to collect £200 in the full knowledge that they certainly had no authority from X’s estate to do so. The staff report that Harrigan was particularly aggressive. The staff had to bundle the pair out through the door. They say they feared for their own safety and again found the behaviour of this pair to be very distressing.

On the following day the pub reported the two incidents to West Midlands Police. But, according to the Police, physically threatening and verbally attacking the staff of a pub in respect of a non-existent debt (which Harrigan and Saunderson had no authority to collect anyway) is NOT a criminal offence but “a civil matter”. Noting that WMP routinely investigates nasty tweets etc. as “harassment”, this seems absolutely incredible particularly when the staff feared actual violence - not just once but twice!

A spokesperson for Shoosmiths Solicitors, Sophie Cowen - Head of Responsible Business and Talent Acquisition, said: “my understanding is that this is a personal matter relating to the individuals you identified. They are acting in a personal capacity and are not representing Shoosmiths in connection with the matter you raised.” So that’s alright then …

iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com

LEGAL NOTICE (CM Version 1 - 7th February, 2026)

We cannot list every previous mention of individuals referred to in the entirety of this blog. Where we refer to a specific story please follow the supplied hyperlink since this forms legal justification for later comments. Similarly references to “posts or Crows passim” and to earlier posts mean any individuals concerned about purported defamatory or otherwise unlawful material must read later posts in the context of earlier posts. Full information can also be supplied within a reasonable time upon application via email to iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com

We may also add hyperlinks or references to content in our associated blogs, “In The Public Domain aka The Sandwell Skidder” (at thesandwellskidder.blogspot.com) and Rotten Council Governance - Legal Review (at rottencouncils.blogspot.com). Reference to content in those blogs also forms part of the context, meaning of, and justification for, contents in this blog.

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com and we shall 

use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

We are pleased to receive comments via email to iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com, or on X via our publishers @CrowMultimedia. We are happy to publish any sensible commentary and offer a right of reply where applicable. We can also publish “guest” posts on mutually agreed terms.

If you consider that anything written is defamatory or otherwise unlawful please email iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com or telephone 07470 624207 forthwith. If your complaint has merit we shall endeavour to make immediate amends.

Ian Crow Multimedia

Moseley/KH Heroes of the Left #Part 1

If Moseley and Kings Heath's Leftists were not so dangerous they would be comical. But some do such brave and sterling work that they do need public recognition. This is the first in an occasional series giving credit where it is due.

Munich 1942/3

A small group - calling themselves 'White Rose' - starts handing out leaflets calling for opposition to Hitler's Nazi Germany. Six men and one woman - most in their twenties - were beheaded with a guillotine following arrest by the Gestapo.

Moseley/Billesley 2026

The boondocks of Billesley are, no doubt, very dangerous places and so all due respect to Moseley's Miles Hesketh for undertaking the treacherous task of handing out Green Party leaflets there.

Miles took to social media showing himself on the mean streets with said leaflets under the following, too modest, asseveration:

"Doing my bit to fight fascism!"

Sir, we are resurrecting this defunct award in recognition of your selflessness, humility and courage. Many congratulations.

Crow Multimedia

Birmingham's pathetic transport W*nkfest!

Birmingham’s crazed “Lefties” have been jacking and jilling off in recent weeks about two rubbishy new public transport systems, an extension to the city’s medieval Metro [sic] system and the opening to passengers of the Camp Hill Line (aka The Albatross Line) which will be a drain on taxpayers for ever and a day. But these dire offerings are not going to raise Britain’s now “Third City” back above Manchester to “Second City” status and, compared to many places on this earth, they are risible.

The “Metro” has been around for years. It is not an underground system but simply a very costly tramline. It is so archaic, and the local populace so feral, that each tram has to be wo/manned by TWO people - a driver and a ticket collector! Inevitably, it is very expensive to use.

The original tramline was from that land of the living dead, Wolverhampton, to Birmingham but it is gradually being extended at eye-watering cost and subject to horrendous delay. Astonishingly, the new lines will also require two staff on each tram!

Meanwhile, in China (where tech is revolutionising car travel and public transport) new trams carrying 300 to 500 passengers are being operated autonomously (though, at present, with a driver to take over in an emergency) without the phenomenal costs involved in laying tracks. Yes, the trams run on rubber tyres along a “digital rail” painted on the roadway. They are fully electric and zero-emission.

A real “Metro” - that in Paris - already has autonomous trains despite the power of the French Trade unions. Indeed driverless trains are being extended both on the current network AND to FOUR brand new lines. Unlike Brum’s small extensions the lines are adding 120 miles of network and not just in and out of  the City Centre. Loops are being created to link the outer suburbs. The new lines boast - yes! - 68 new stations, many of them genuinely “state of the art”.

Of course, the “Left” is viciously anti-car (despite Brum’s history and residual SUV manufacturing - lol) and obsessed with public transport. The advent of electric cars has caused panic amongst these haters since it partly removes the question of emissions (at least until fuel sources are renewable) and noise. Clutching at straws, they rant about the perils from tyre particles causing pollution instead. They also blame car batteries for making vehicles heavier, and thus increasing damage to roads. Perhaps they should take a trip down Meadowsweet Avenue in Kings Norton and see how the heavy, er, buses have gouged the surface, and also ask why the outgoing Labour administration brought the city so low it can’t afford to repair its roads. [Don’t hold your breath with the new Coalition of Chaos who may never be able to agree a budget.]

Autonomous cars are  a game-changer and so a particular threat to the Leftists - which is why Labour, the Greens and Lib Dems are scrambling to close roads to all traffic as soon as possible. Never mind the economic damage - to people like Cllr Izzy Knowles (Lib Dem) public consultations must be ignored, and the gates slammed shut to cars NOW in the hope that they will never again be reopended.

Any Brummie who watched Michael Portillo’s recent journeys in Japan and South Korea will have been close to weeping. Of course, both countries have problems, not least demographically, but he passed through vibrant city after vibrant city. As Birmingham sinks down to sh*thole status, with an enormous worklessness emergency and a hatred of capitalist endeavour, Portillo portrayed exciting, thriving, energetic conurbations.

As far as the railways are concerned, he portrayed a truly different world. Japan pioneered the bullet trains and claims to be nearing a new age of high-speed maglev inter-city trains. [Unlike the toy that used to be at Brum Airport these will sit in purpose-built troughs.] Everything was magnificent and a far cry from the cattle trucks of the likes of Cross Country rail. And, some of the lines in Japan are, wait for it, privately-run!

Whilst we are throwing billions at HS2 the canny Koreans simply bought their system off France. [Portillo went on to Uzbekistan which bought its system off Spain.] Once again the cities were positively pulsing with life.

Birmingham has always been a fur coat and no knickers sort of place, and this was amply demonstrated by money being blown on the “top” of New Street Station to make a new shopping centre whilst leaving the diesel-choked hellhole of an actual train station beneath substantially unaltered. Compare and contrast the stations on the Portillo programme or, nearer to home, Berlin.

Despite the "Left’s" supposed “green” twinge the local masturbators cheered the fact that the trains on The Albatross Line are, er, DIESEL and will go into that self-same choking hell-hole that is New Street. You can try and reach it by the perpetually failing escalators if you can't be bothered to take an electric bus.

And guess what? These small trains also have to have TWO operatives each. This is 2026! Oh, and the current Labour Government's new trade union laws - which are intended to take us back to those halcyon [not] pre-Thatcher times -  will mean that vital steps to automate these rubbishy services are destined to fail.

When we posted on social media that The Albatross Line will never make a penny of profit we were genuinely shocked by the Leftist pile-on that this was actually a good thing! Yes, these anti-capitalists are content to see scarce resources spent on a crappy train route rather than, say, cancer patients or education.

Well over a year ago we prepared a very short note for social media use describing how nationalisation is not the panacea the “Leftists” hope for. We have shown it below but note that already these economic illiterates are pleading that more tickets on The Albatross Line should be doled out free of charge. No doubt when an election is looming some such scheme will be hatched.

Incidentally, the initial media photos of the Albatross Line showed stinking diesel trains of four carriages. Recently some local people have taken to social media to complain that recent trains have often only consisted of two coaches. We wonder why that might be ... LOL!

>>> Why not join our new Facebook Group dealing with Birmingham issues - BONE-IDLE BRUM (THIRD CITY) and have YOUR say? <<<

To my mind, Brum should have been a leader in autonomous car (and bus/tram/train) research and development. Taxpayers money could have been invested to good effect. But that ship has sailed with China and the US so far ahead they are out of sight. Yes, there are teething troubles, but that hasn’t stopped places like Wuhan already having a fleet of 1,000 driverless taxis, or Qingdao deploying the same number of autonomous delivery vehicles. But Birmingham needs to be ready to adopt the technology and open the city up again rather than increasing the size of gated, hate-filled, bourgeois, leftist ghettoes.

Incidentally, China is also way ahead of us on parcel deliveries by drone. What are the city’s leaders doing to embrace that technology? Even Darlington is ahead of the third city on that FFS. [Incidentally, China is already licensing some “flying cars” too.]

At least many people are ignoring Left-wing losers judging by the recent increase in new car registrations to pre-pandemic levels. And, living near The Maypole, the writer can hardly get down the road for Learner drivers as sensible young people eschew Socialist dogma and appreciate that being able to drive increases their employability, earning-power, and also gives that important thing the Left doesn't want them to have - FREEDOM!

And who knows what AI will bring to the Birmingham party ...

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