Laurence Braithwaite

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

Union flag limply hanging from a lamppost at night time.

Whatever your opinion of hanging Union or St George's flags on lampposts, you've got to admit that they look s***e.

This is a derogation of our national pride - it devalues our country.

Well done lads...

#Handsworth could teach @RobertJenrick how to live in a global society. #BenjaminZephaniah - spirit of #Birmingham - said "Handsworth for me is...where I learnt all my skills, my communication skills, my hustling skills, my poetic skills, everything."

Attending the 6-8 @betterstreetsforbirmingham.org meeting tonight after a bit of a break reminded me, if I needed reminding, that you need to surround yourself with people who believe the world can be a better place, &, most importantly, are prepared to do something to make the 🌍🌎🌏 a better place

Felt very 'Philadelphia' walking through Brum earlier this evening.

A guy lying motionless on his front in the number 50 bus shelter by the Bullring shopping centre while people stepped around him.

There’s a good line reminiscent of this in his 1939 novel Coming Up for Air.

This is the problem with train ticketing nowadays. We're trying to bury the complexity on the websites instead of fundamental reform of ticketing.

Map showing the direction of sunrise, sunset and moonrise with timings

One of the most useful apps for planning outdoor photo shoots is TPE. Shows the direction of the sun and moon at any location, date and time. This is how the sun will fall on Wandsworth Prison today, for a photo I’m doing for the ‘Rebellion!’ exhibition.

We have the names & addresses of many of the criminals who attached the flags so all associated costs billed directly to them with action escalated to debt collectors for non-payment after 28 days.

🧵 Thanks for clarifying.

It's police forces & local authority highways services that now need to enforce the law.

Immediate removal of all illegally placed flags - especially the ones above high speed roads where the potential danger is far greater.

A group of cyclists smiling in the rain during an evening ride through the city. Riders are wearing helmets, bright jackets, and waterproofs, with bikes of all sizes including children’s. Wet streets and umbrellas in the background show the rainy weather.

Brilliant effort from the Circle the City riders last night. 🌧💨 It was chucking it down and blowing a gale, but that didn’t stop them pedalling on. 💪
#CircleTheCity #KeepPedalling #TogetherWeRide #RainOrShine

Looks like our police need additional training in the legislation governing our highways www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/6... @westmidlandspolice.bsky.social @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social

A******e drivers are out in force today.

Be careful out there today, especially on 2 wheels 🤲🏼

NO PASARAN

#20s30s

Ryan Bridge has become a familiar face in Stirchley lately. He's one of two "company directors" of raisetheflags.org, where he collects donations from £10-£500 for flags.

NATIONWIDE PERSONAL INJURY SPECIALISTS LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK NATIONWIDE PERSONAL INJURY SPECIALISTS LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business...

Interesting read on 'Companies House'. Totally legit. Not.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/0881...

Red flags: The non-existent company behind Brum's Union Jacks 'It's 100% legitimate'

Wish I could say it comes as a massive surprise that there's an overlap between the flag people and suspected fraudsters, but this is great work by the @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social.

'It's 100% legitimate' www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/red-flags-th...

Rose B. Simopson's 'car art.' On a rather hot morning, she was working feverishly to finish the new car in time for her exhibition at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON. (The show opened August 30 and will run until August 2, 2026.) Photo: © Kate Russell

"For the past 6 years, (Rose B.)Simpson has been working on her second art car: a decrepit 1964 Buick Riviera, which she’s calling Bosque, that she’s been meticulously restoring from the inside out" Simpson's LEXICON, til Aug. 2, De Young Museum, San Fransicso.
www.altaonline.com/culture/art/...

www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/contact/

Our leaders need to be accountable and answer this very question as the police were put in an unenviable position with no guidance. There was also parking on and blocking a pavement recorded in the film footage which can be deemed an offence for obstruction.

Because it was a civil matter not a criminal matter?

It's technically classed as 'trespass' which is not a criminal offence.

Our Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways & PCC are ultimately accountable and have, as far as I'm aware, provided no guidance or leadership on this issue to date.

We don't want them in Cotteridge either.

They send a message of division & hate to residents, particularly residents who are refugees or have moved from abroad to support our vital services.

Visitors to our area may also judge us all as small minded & hateful.

This isn't patriotism, it's hatred.

I know of more people with COVID atm than at any point since December 2019 (yes December 2019 not March 2020).

Unless you're OK spending up to a week on your back and 3 weeks recovering take precautions 😷

#OtD 3 Oct 1935 Ethiopia was invaded by Mussolini's Italy, who committed countless atrocities, including the using poison gas and concentration camps. Many Black men and women came to the country to fight stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1024...

This activity was carried out with no permissions as far as I'm aware.

Site specific risk assessments should also be in place.

Our cabinet member for Environment & Highways & our highways contractors Kier were notified & will be able to answer this question www.birmingham.gov.uk/councillors/...

Flags went up in Stirchley a few days ago & were taken down by local residents the same evening.

The men returned with a cherry picker and coned off parts of the road with police accompanying them as they put up new flags along the High Street.

Residents who object have been met with verbal abuse.

correx signs up to advertise CoCoMAD several years ago.

I do worry that the authorities in this city are abandoning their civic duties.

It feels like the wild west atm where we are now responsible for defending our communities and the people that work in them.

🧵Our daughter alerted this activity to me from a group chat.

I immediately alerted the councillor for Stirchley - Mary Locke - who alerted the police, relevant cabinet members and our highways contractors Kier.

This is totally out of order & unsafe.

I had jump through several official hoops to

Wishing Andrew Smith a full recovery and swift repatriation to his home 🤲🏻

Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC) Find out if you're eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

You can still apply for a GHIC card (Global Health Insurance Card) which replaced the EHIC card. This gives a limited but valuable level of health cover in addition to comp travel insurance www.nhs.uk/using-the-nh...