I have never been a great one for linking arms and singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ but there again as a Blues fan with McLeish the incumbent manager I might just start to change my habits.  I have also never been one for making New Year’s resolutions but I have been having a think about what I might do from a work perspective.  I think perhaps my resolution would be to “never give up, never say die and don’t let the buggers grind you down” – perhaps I might even add to those thoughts a need to be more patient myself, but then again maybe not!

Working in the Public Sector is not as easy as some people think and it’s even less easy when you are trying to get things done.  I recently discovered a note that I did years ago on the steps it took to just put up a simple notice on some redundant urinals in the Jewellery Quarter – suffice to say that the ‘simple’ process took around seventy steps to accomplish thanks to a list of Public Sector people who will remain nameless until I write a future book on Regeneration. 

On the subject of regeneration, I took Ian Austin, the current Minister for the West Midlands around the Quarter.  This was to try and convince him that manufacturing isn’t completely dead in Birmingham and didn’t necessarily solely revolve around the car industry.  I took him behind the scenes and he was quite obviously impressed with the quality of products still made in the area. 

A slightly amusing anecdote is that he fell behind schedule (as Ministers do) and I tried to persuade Government Office officials to extend his time in the Quarter but they seemed in a desperate hurry to get away.  I later found out through the ‘Stirrer’ website that the rush was merely to attend a Government Office Christmas Party and judge a Civil Servants’ cake making competition (I suppose that’s manufacturing of a sort!).  Apparently he then fell victim to a bit of a scam from his ‘Loyal Subjects’ when he chose the winning cake and then found out later it had actually been bought from Tescos… although in fairness it was apparently from Tescos ‘Finest’ range!

Continuing on the subject of food, it really was good to see Lasan win Gordon Ramsay’s ‘F Word’.  It is great for the Jewellery Quarter although as a fan of Balti I hope Birmingham’s most famous culinary dish won’t be forgotten.  Incidentally, I am launching in my own time a new Balti website www.balti-birmingham.co.uk so do have a look when you can.  As part of that website which celebrates the authenticity of Brummies’ favourite dish I also included on the site twenty things to do in Birmingham which don’t involve shopping ‘til you drop in the Bullring. A number of those things to do predictably include the Jewellery Quarter.

Back on the work front, we’re pushing forward a number of proposals and this includes improving Ludgate Hill bridge, which perhaps represents the worst of Birmingham from the 60’s and 70’s. I am hoping that we can put together a package to make this bridge more user friendly, safer and perhaps slightly iconic, in partnership with the Colmore Row Business Improvement District and private developers.

Finally here’s a few things that I’d like to see happen by the end of the year in the Quarter:-
- New signage from the City Centre into the Quarter
- Ludgate Hill bridge improved
- An Apprenticeship scheme developed for the jewellery industry
- A new Designer Maker outlet opened in the Quarter
- A funding package in place to improve both Key Hill and Warstone Lane Cemeteries with initial work underway
- A new Square at the end of Albion Street
- A package for the new iconic Golden Square in place and approved by the City Council Cabinet ready for an early 2011 start on site.
- Both J.W Evans and the Coffin Works open for pre-booked tours.

Happy New Year

Andy Munro