Anthony Beaumont-Dark 1932 - 2006

A bit late I know, but here is a link to an obituary for former Selly Oak MP Tony Beaumont-Dark. He was MP for the former Conservative stronghold between 1979 and 1992, eventually losing to Labour's Lynne Jones the year John Major secured a fourth successive term for the Tories. I may not have agreed with everything he said, but at least he had something to say - which makes him a class above the current political trash who occupy Westminster and the Government.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/politicsobituaries/story/0,,1747104,00.html

Villa Rise from the Dead

Villa took bragging rights in the Second City derby on Saturday with a 3-1 win over the Blues, plunging them deep into relegation trouble. Ignore the claims of foul and offside for the first two Villa goals - Birmingham have been playing rubbish all season.

The real scandal is (as a good Catholic) the match was played at 12pm on Easter Sunday meaning I had to miss it as I went to Mass. I know that there was trouble in the 2-0 victory three years ago on a Monday night, when supporters got tanked-up after work and fights broke out all over town, but are we condemned to Second City derbies at 12pm on Sundays for evermore? We have 24 hour licensing now, and it may be the case that it is still harder to find a pub open on Sunday than Saturday, but can we not have it on Saturday even once? Churches together in Aston were afraid that their Easter services would be affected by the timing, as older people feared to venture out with the footie fans, to which West Midlands Police replied they have asked the FA not to schedule the Brum derby on the Easter weekend again. The problem is not that it is on the Easter weekend - it is that you keep switching it to Sunday at 12pm, which always clashes with Church services.

Let us stop this discrimination against Brummie Christian footie fans.

Blues Win

After beating Bolton on Tuesday night, Birmingham City find themselves out of the relegation zone for the first time in six months.

I'm sure they will be back there soon.

Moseley Promoted

I don't usually follow domestic Rugby Union but I was pleased to hear that Moseley have put all the problems of recent years behind them and got promoted back to National League 1 yesterday. They seem to have settled in well at their new home in Billesley common and hopefully will use this season as a springboard to even greater honours, maybe even representing Birmingham in the Premiership.

Across the city the Pertemps Bees, formerly Birmingham & Solihull, seem to be going in the other direction being as they are bottom of National League One. This comes as a surprise to me as last season they were runners-up, and had a great cup run that took them to the semi-finals, knocking out some professional Premiership teams on the way.

It seems that Moseley next season will once again be the main Rugby Union club in Birmingham