We're getting there!

Our burgeoning music scene

A few months ago many of us were a bit fed up - "nothing much happens in Bearwood!", we complained.  Like children banging knives and forks on the dinner table our mantra was 'we want more, we want more, we want more': more music, more welcoming social places, just more going on.


Well, this month it feels like we might have got what we wanted. At welovebearwood we got to action and so did others.  Let me fill you in on what's happening over the next few weeks.  Some of it was happening anyway, some of it entirely new.  All of it exciting and a good thing for locals & those beyond the B66/B67 borders...


Here's the calendar of Bearwood Events:
SATURDAY 9 July, 5pm
Millennium Eagle Jazz Band play our beloved Lightwoods Park Bandstand (Adkins Lane) as part of the final weekend of the Birmingham International Jazz Festival
WEDNESDAY 13 July, 7pm
The second Bear Rhythms night of Latin beats, treats and eats.  Family friendly, a lovely night at our newest friendly bar Monalito.  Monalito is on Three Shires Oak Road just opposite The Bear pub.  
Every THURSDAY from 8.30pm the Jazz at the  Corks Club rocks Bearwood with all sorts of Jazz - trad, Big Band and of course, famous resident Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes.  On 30th July Dennis Rollins will be playing with AH & the Blue Notes.  Take a visit at Bearwood Road/Sherwood Road.
SUNDAY 17 July 1pm-6pm
The annual free Warley Woods Picnic in the Park!  Bring your rugs and food and you'll be provided with live local music, craft and cake stalls and lots more besides...
WEDNESDAY 20 July 7pm
The next Friends of Lightwoods Park meeting will be held at St Mary's Church Hall at Bearwood Road/St Marys Road.  We'll be voting in our first Committee members and hearing about whether or not the first stage of the £multi-million bid to Heritage Lottery Fund (to improve the Park and House) as been successful.  An important meeting!

THURSDAY 21 July, 8pm

Good at crafts?  A beginner/interested?  Come along to the free The Bearwood Tapestry at The Bear pub at Bearwood Road/Three Shires Oak Road for a drink and crafty pursuits, brought to you by the Crafty Muthas (check out the blog of gorgeousness).

SUNDAY 31 July 2pm-6pm
The very first Bearwood Shuffle!  A free afternoon of local bands bringing the Bandstand alive for the second time this month! Brought to you by new non-profit group the Bearwood Promoters.  Come and join us for our very first event and look out for number 2 in September. Here's the line up for you:

Is it safe to say there's something for everyone in Bearwood over the next few weeks?  


Join the welovebearwood and Bearwood Shuffle crew on twitter and facebook to keep up-to-date: 


@BearwoodShuffle and @sallyinbearwood.  
Facebook: The Bearwood Page. 


Or email us at welovebearwood@gmail.com to get on our distribution list. 

Memories of Lightwoods Park

Julie Walters used to live at no 69 Bishopton Road and used to look down her road to Lightwoods Park.

In her brillant and very funny autobiography she writes about all the fun and games she used to have living in Bearwood and how she used to sneak into Lightwoods Park without her mum's permission. She remembers how once a year the fairground used to come to the park and how you could buy a cup of tea and a slice of cake from Lightwoods House.

When Julie was growing up she noticed the demise of the park and the house and I think like the rest of us she would have found how the area had managed by Birmingham City Council really upsetting. Thank goodness though for the work that is now being carried out and that the park now has a future.

If you are interested in Lightwoods Park and would like to be involved in its redevelopement the next meeting is tomorrow night at St Mary's Church on the High Street from 7pm. It would be lovely to see you there.

Skate Expectations!

Yo! Calling all you skateboarding dudes!

On Monday 2nd May the place to be for the bank holiday is the grand opening of Lightwoods Skateboard Park! Party on!

If you want to have your say on how the event should be run please come along to the meeting at St Mary's Church on Thursday 10th March.

The meeting starts at 7pm so be there or be square!

ilovebearwood

I'm called Sally Taylor.  I live in Herbert Road, Bearwood and I really like Bearwood and this is my first post.  I'm a bit nervous and trying to work out why I'm writing this, so perhaps I'll start by listing my reasons:


... I had this idea in the autumn that a wiki would be a good place to share ideas and information about Bearwood.  But the layout and formatting is so crap and boring and really not that user friendly that I haven't felt inclined to do much with it. So I thought maybe a blog would be better, more familiar.


... I've met some really nice people recently who are also interested in contributing to a blog and to use it as a way to discuss our thoughts and ideas for Bearwood.  Why not just have a go then, I thought.


... I've set up a few testers - on posterous, wordpress and this. This, blogger, seems to be the most versatile and aesthetically inoffensive, to me anyway.


... I'd quite like to reflect on what's happening in the bearhood at the moment.  Residents' Associations are being set up, Lightwoods Park will soon undergo a transformation and loads of local people are getting behind it and committing to being involved in its future. There's a revived Trader's Association and plans for 'Bearwood in Bloom'.  A blog that can be updated helps reflection and comment, more so than a wiki.


Why is it called 'welovebearwood' not 'ilovebearwood'?


... Because I'm not the only one who loves Bearwood.  I've met so many people over the last few months who love Bearwood and want to contribute to making it even better.


... Because I thought that maybe there might be a few others out there who might wish to contribute to a celebratory blog, an ideas generator, a collaborative space.  Lord knows I'm not particularly interesting to read about.  But Bearwood is and other authors will be.  That's why this is an invitation of sorts, to be 'we' not 'I'.


So if anyone is interested in posting on here there are loads of conversations we could start about stuff round here - 
... the Park and House and getting more people involved in its future... reducing the litter on the high street... building support for more live music in Bearwood... improving the high street... I've heard that a few neighbours have been discussing the potential for a deli and bakery.  pie in the sky? why?  they're doing it in Stirchley, why not here? 


Let's see...