Our Christmas Lights Switch On was heralded this year by the usual 3 – Legged Santa Race in aid of the Children’s Hospital.  We even had several angels, although some cynics suggested that there are normally very few to be spotted in the Quarter, especially around Christmas!  It was typically bitterly cold, but the atmosphere was stoked up by a BRMB ‘roadshow’, courtesy of the Jewellery Quarter Marketing Initiative and the usual enthusiastic participation of St Patrick’s Schoolchildren who sang some carols very tunefully – X Factor, Jedward, Deadwood, eat your heart out!

The winning team was Cirrus although there was a steward’s enquiry on how they won, following a complaint – that person (who shall remain anonymous) suggested, perhaps rather unfairly, that the manner of their win was just typical of their trading style.

Thanks should also go to The Red Lion and Eaglesfield Trophies for providing the prizes.  Incidentally following the race the children from St Patrick’s were given presents by Mother Christmas aka Mary Bradley our Information Centre Assistant – Mary works for the City Council so you would expect us to be politically correct and uphold equal opportunities.  Mulled wine and mince pies were then served to the race contestants and sundry hangers on as we tried to set a new Guinness Book of Records on the number of people that could be squeezed into the Information Centre.  Somebody pointed out that I hadn’t included the latter in my Health and Safety assessment and we could have been faced with another Millennium Point disaster.

On the subject of Christmas Lights, those in St Paul’s Square look magical and with both the Thomas Walker development and the Jam House subtly lit the whole area has received a bit of a boost – even if its not exactly Agenda 21!

On the continuing theme of Christmas, there are campaigns on BRMB and Smooth to draw in customers and if you look on our website there is a competition to win £1,000 worth of jewellery- just find the three crowns for the three kings and answer a simple question to go into the draw.  We also have a ‘last minute’ Christmas present list for those people who have run out of ideas but still want to buy something unique. 

On the regeneration front, the Golden Square design team has been appointed and its now my job to ensure that they keep their artistic feet on the ground so we end up with a Square that the community both like and want to use.  It should be a ‘no brainer’ but creative will (of course) be creatives.  However, they are an impressive team with a major local dimension so this should ensure the right result. 

Following the Jewellery Quarter Summit to discuss progress on our Charter, I am taking the Government Minister Ian Austin to see behind the scenes of the jewellery trade and to hear, at first hand the problems being encountered in the current economic conditions.  Hopefully it will put the jewellery trade on the Government radar and illustrate to them that manufacturing didn’t actually die with the demise of Longbridge. 

Andy Munro