@PhoenixNewsUK The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 9CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS www.streetcredmagazine.com/streetcredmagazineSEPTEMBER 2022 MUSIC FASHION FILM GADGETS HOLIDAY EDUCATION HEALTH AND FITNESS BIRMINGHAM COMMONWEALTH2022GAMES
The latest guest to join the incredible lineup is none other than voice actor and anime royalty, Todd Haberkorn! Todd will be joining an already announced stellar guest list including Robbie Daymond, Max Mittelman, Ray Chase, Troy Baker and more. And if the guest line-up wasn’t enough, get ready for a jam-packed show filled to the brim of exciting experiences!
The UK’s leading pop-culture convention, MCM Comic Con, is back with a bang this autumn rolling into London’s ExCel from 28th - 30th October! Whether your passion is cosplay, video games, or comics or movies, there is no better place to express yourself with a like-minded community than at MCM Comic Con. Explore an endless supply of jaw dropping performances, celebrity guest appearances, inspiring panels, independent creators and so much more!
thephoenixnewspaper.comPage 10 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT www.streetcredmagazine.com THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT www.streetcredmagazine.comSUPPLEMENT/streetcredmagazine/streetcredmagazine
Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com
For the gamers out there, enjoy the nostalgia of childhood buy battling it out on the retro games available at the Side Quest zone. Looking to find something new to discover? Head down to Pop Asia or Cosplay Central to explore origami workshops, manga drawing classes and cosplay competitions, Exciting guest announcements will be coming over the next few weeks so watch this space!
Let the kids run wild in the Treehouse area and discover a world of creativity and scavenger hunting. Plus kids under 10 go free with an adult ticket holder!
Back with a Bang!...MCM Comic Con returns for autumn 2022
Hackney Gelato Score Hat Trick In The Great Taste Awards 2022 Renowned Dutch chef, Edwin Vinke, has launched an exclusive new restaurant at the height of Dalt Vila, Eivissa. A joint venture with the Nassau Group, 1742 is a new experiential dining concept which celebrates the finest seafood harvested from the Mediterranean Sea, all freshly prepared by Vinke himself. 1742 takes diners off the beaten track to provide a truly unique celebration of gastronomic craft. Meeting in the heart of Ibiza town, guests are greeted by a valet service that transports diners from the bustling streets up into picturesque Ibizan Dalt Vila, where 1742 lies in a historic grand villa. Offering a bespoke experience menu, dishes include Local Island Fish served with saffron, herbs and artichoke, Blue Lobster with tomato, cuttlefish, beach crab and broad beans and Zeeland Fruits De Mer – a dish that pays tribute to Vinke's coastal hometown. Originally from Zeeland, a remote coastal province, translating quite literally as 'sealand', Vinke's appreciation for seafood comes from a lifelong connection to the coast and his wise understanding of its natural health benefits. Vinke began his restauranteur career 27 years ago with De Kromme Watergang, a specialist seafood restaurant in Vinke's hometown Hoofdplaat. Remote and with a population of just 800 people, Vinke's venture was ambitious, yet his mastery of fragrant sea flavours has attracted visitors from all over the world to this small Dutch seaside town. De Kromme Watergang has earnt two Michelin stars and a spot in the prestigious French restaurant guide Gault Millau. De Kromme Watergang sets the president for 1742. Out of plain sight but equipped with a menu set to entice tastebuds from around the globe, this summer Vinke himself will prepare dishes for Ibiza's most prestigious visitors. Connecting mind, body and palette, Vinke's kitchen is mediative. Learning from his dedicated yoga practice, Vinke encourages his team to craft each dish in an almost silent kitchen. Complete dedication and focus is given to presentation and flavour.1742 offers an exquisite international wine list. From local Spanish wines to finest champagnes to wines from America's famous Napa Valley, there is something to cater to everyone's taste.
Each year, only around 2% of products are awarded 3-Stars in the ‘Exquisite’ category for ‘extraordinarily tasty food’. This August, when the results were announced, Hackney Gelato totally smashed it, winning 3-Stars for three different recipes – Pistachio, Almond & Lemon gelato, Sea Salted Caramel gelato, and Hot Cross Bun gelato. Here’s what the Great Taste 2022 judging panel had to say about the Pistachio, Almond & Lemon gelato: “The taste is delicious, starting with the almonds and pistachios and ending with the citrus notes. A truly memorable experience, unlike any other ice cream we have tried.” And it would be rude not to mention Hackney Gelato’s nuovo Cappuccino gelato recipe, judged to be ‘faultless’. This picked up 2-Stars in the ‘Outstanding’ category –regarded as ‘above and beyond delicious – with less than 10% of entries achieving this rating.’ The proof really is in the pudding and all about the taste, which is why Hackney Gelato happily sends samples to food and drink writers. Before the Great Taste Awards had happened, Good Housekeeping Institute expert food and drink tester, Mel Giandzi tried Hackney Gelato’s Cappuccino gelato along with other samples, and had this to say: “Oh they were phenomenal! The chocolate brownie was insanely good, but my favourite might have to be the Cappuccino. It really reminds me of one of my favourite ice creams back home in Australia, and filled me with a lot of nostalgia.”OtherHackney Gelato recipes that picked up a coveted 1-Star were Vegan Bronte Pistachio Brittle, Roasted Pecan and Caramel sorbetto and Peanut Butter and Chocolate gelato. After this year’s awards, Hackney Gelato can now celebrate having 40 Great Taste stars to their name – bellisimo!
Michelin Star chef launches
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 11CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS To advertise 0208 865 1922 (London) FOODwww.streetcredmagazine.com Food & Fine Dining
1742
The cultural programming team at Wembley Park - home to two of Britain’s most iconic music venues, Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena Wembley –analysed Wikipedia page view data for top musicians born in 25 UK cities to find that Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is Birmingham’s most searched for musician with 6.8 million views. The Prince of Darkness rose to fame in the 1970s selling over 115 million albums cementing his rock legend status. Also featuring in Birmingham’s top 10 most searched for musicians is Black Sabbath member Tony Iommi (1.07M views) and British rapping sensation Stefflon Don (840K views) ranking sixth and eightPoprespectively.sensationDua Lipa takes the top spot nationally and in the UK’s Capital, London, with over 16 million page views and counting. The “one kiss” singer beat the likes of Elton John (12 million views), David Bowie (11.9 million views) and Adele (11.2 million views) - who are also all London born and bred. Beatles legend, John Lennon, ranks second overall and number one in Liverpool with over 11.4 million views. Throughout his life, he achieved 25 number one singles, several Grammy Award wins and an Oscar for ‘Let it Be’. The remaining three Beatles members complete the top four most searched for artists in Liverpool – Paul McCartney (9.9 million views), George Harrison (8.5 million views) and Ringo Starr (6.1 million views). Former 1D star Zayn Malik follows in third place overall in his hometown, Bradford, with over 8 million page views. Ozzie Osbourne (6.8 million views) and Sting (5.1 million views) completing the top five most No.1s in their resident cities, Birmingham and Newcastle. Surprisingly, the infamous Gallagher brothers were beaten to the top spot for Manchester by Bee Gee’s frontman Barry Gibb with over 4.4 million views.
A 'NICE' TIME AT INSOMNIA 69
thephoenixnewspaper.comPage 12 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT www.streetcredmagazine.com To Advertise 0121 339 5885
It's been a long time coming, and despite the pandemic, Insomnia Gaming Festival came back with a roar for i68 earlier in the year, but if you thought that was Insomnia at full strength, you would have been very mistaken. i69 (Nice) saw Insomnia finally back in the proverbial saddle, unfortunately timed to coincide with Gamescon in Germany, which many companies would have prioritised over this event at Birmingham's NEC. As usual, there were a number of talks, panels and events by industry professionals, influencers, content creators and more. These are different on every day, but have a good variety over the festival. The Opening Ceremony explained the events over the weekend, before handing over to Twitch Partner MrGregles, who included his regular twitch integration, allowing the audience to control the camera angles on the screens above him and live on Twitch.Cosplayers were out in force, displaying some absolutely fantastic pieces from right across the spectrum of films, TV, games, anime and comics, including a special celebration of Assassins Creed.The 'World Famous Pub Quiz' returned once again, taking full advantage of the connotations of the milestone number. Esports featured heavily, with a number of competitions for both the casual gamer and Esports organisations, including representation from the Army and Navy Esports players. Back at the show, a selection of indie games, board games, VR, and much more, along with the likes of Intel showing off their new ARC along with prebuilt systems and components from Overclockers UK, filled out the rest of the show floor, with the usual merchandise, 'gamer energy' and memorabilia sprinkled on top. Insomnia will be back with i70, a great couple of days out for anyone interested in the gaming and entertainment industry!
Ozzy Osborne Is The Most Searched For Birmingham Musician
AT 11 DAYS 72 NATIONS 19 SPORTS 1 AMAZING LEGACY LIVESLEGACYTHEON
Councillor Ian Ward Leader, Birmingham City Council at the unveiling of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games number of initiatives
Page 14 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was an incredible global celebration. Together with the people of Birmingham, the West Midlands, and our partners, we put on a cultural and sporting show for us all to be proud of and showcased the best of the region to the world. Millions of people visited Birmingham during the Games and the atmosphere in the city was fantastic. This was helped by our 14,000 incredible volunteers, known as the Commonwealth Collective. Their warmth, passion and energy made them the stars of the Games. BBC Sport’s coverage of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was also streamed a record breaking 57.1 million times during the 11 days of sport and we sold more than 1.5 million tickets, the most ever for a Commonwealth Games in the UK. In our competition venues, there were sporting highlights galore, and we were proud to deliver a sports programme that had more Para sport than ever before and had more medal events for women than men for the first time ever at a major multisportTeamevent.
BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
And if you haven’t already, please do come and see the ‘raging bull’ from the Opening Ceremony, who currently still resides in Centenary Square. Finally, on behalf of the Games, I would like to thank all the readers of the Phoenix for their support over many months and years. I hope that happy memories of Birmingham 2022 will stay with you forever.
The best Christmas present as Birmingham was awarded the 2022 Commonwealth Games
in December 2017
IAN
Ours is truly a Commonwealth city, as there are Brummies who can trace their roots back to every single nation and territory of the Commonwealth. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and this shone through every moment of the Games.Watching the Opening Ceremony at the Alexander Stadium was one of the best moments of my life. I felt so proud of our city and our achievements in hosting the Games.Anddidn’t the city look incredible? The colour of the sporting venues, our beautiful architecture, tree-lined streets, and sunny blue skies all contributed to an atmosphere like nothing this city has seenOurbefore.14,000 volunteers were the beating heart of the Games, guiding visitors around the city with a smile and a giant foam hand high-five. I am incredibly grateful to them for the crucial role they played, as I am for the thousands of unsung heroes who kept our city moving. We had so many sporting highlights, whether that was Birmingham-born Joe Fraser’s gymnastics marvels, home-town basketballer Myles Hesson’s winning shot, or the women’s hockey team taking Gold, we were treated to exceptional sportBirmingham,throughout.we have delivered the best Commonwealth Games ever. We have inspired a generation of youngsters who will have new heroes, new ambitions to take up sports, music, dance and theatre. We have put our city on the world stage, and we have shone. Now, our duty is to share the legacy of these Games amongst every community of Birmingham. The Games have already brought over £1 billion of investment into the city, giving us new homes, better public transport and new sporting facilities.We’reinvesting in grassroots sports, helping people to stay active in their neighbourhoods, and we’ve already secured funding for 20 new or improved basketball facilities. Now, we’re set to host the World Blind Games and the Trampoline and Tumbling Championships, and I’m so excited that we are putting ourselves forward to host the European Athletics Championships in 2026, and of course Eurovision next year. I believe that in decades to come we will look back on the Games as the moment that Birmingham took a huge step forward, and I can’t wait to see what the years ahead have in store for ourWecity.will continue to Be Bold, Be Birmingham.
Countdown Clock in March 2020 The Phoenix Newspaper a
l Our photos published by The Phoenix Newspaper The Phoenix Newspaper
INSPIRATION
GAMESTOROADONPOINTSKEYTHETHE
INCREDIBLEBirminghamChiefREIDExecutive2022DuringtheGamesoveramillionvisitorscametoBirminghamfromacrosstheworldandIwouldliketothankeveryoneforgivingthemthebestwelcomeimaginable.
England, sent their most diverse and inclusive team to compete and were rewarded with a record 176 medals, including 57 golds, the most medals ever won by England at a Commonwealth Games.Local athletes seized this opportunity to shine in the sporting spotlight. Joe Fraser won three Golds in the artistic gymnastics, Emily Campbell set a new lift record to claim gold in weightlifting, Kare Adenegan claimed silver in the T33/34 100m and Delicious Orie won the men's boxing super-heavyweight title. As a Scotsman, my personal highlight, was the victory of Eilish McColgan in the 10,000m, the roar from the 30,000 strong crowd at the Alexander Stadium will stay with me forever. Going forward, our partners have strong plans to build on the success of the Games and deliver the legacy we all wish to see. You can read more about what is planned on our website, and Games Partners will be reporting back on progress over the comingAlreadymonths.weare giving away more than 16,000 pieces of sports equipment to not-for-profit groups in the West Midlands.Anyone can apply online and take advantage and we hope this equipment will be utilised by local groups to get more people active. Further announcements on legacy opportunities and the United by 2022 charity will be coming soon. Although the sporting action is now over, the Birmingham 2022 Festival continues until the end of September, and we hope that you will continue to attend these exciting events.
local
games, new facilities for
Andy Street CBE Mayor of the West Midlands hen you talk about Connecting Communities To Inspire The Next Generation, as we do in The Phoenix Newspaper, the Commonwealth Games are the We are proud of Birmingham and the West Midlands and its diverse melting pot of cultures. As you know, The Phoenix Newspaper has championed the very ethos of what we mean when we say 'Bringing People Together For The Greater During the Commonwealth Games, we had the opportunity to witness not only some of the greatest sporting achievements from around the world, but the warmth, love and care of the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands as we welcomed millions of people to the region from every corner of the Commonwealth. As the only community newspaper accredited to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we wanted to ensure that for those of you who were not able to attend, that we would be able to capture the vibrancy and excitement of the games within these pages.
As I reflect on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, I can honestly say I’ve never felt prouder to be from the West Midlands. rebirth of our region if we are to make the most of this moment of collective celebration. I want to see these Games go on to deliver a lasting legacy for the people of the West Midlands for There are plenty of practical steps which I’m pleased to see have already been taken or will soon be. Thousands of local residents – especially young people - gained valuable transferable skills through the Games that will stand them in good stead in their future careers, for example as volunteers, security personnel or catering staff. From Sandwell Aquatics Centre to the revamped Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, there is a infrastructuretangiblelegacy for the next generation of sporting superstars to enjoy the benefit of –not to mention the inspirational effect on young spectators of the cycling in Wolverhampton, the cricket at Edgbaston or the rugby in Coventry. Sporting equipment from the Games is being shared free of charge with local grassroots organisations and a formal legacy charity – United by 2022 - is being established to help ensure we deliver on the promise of a meaningful overall Commonwealth Games legacy. A triumph on so many levels, the Games were also a wonderful celebration of culture and a moment of tremendous unity across our diverse communities. The spectacular opening and closing ceremonies shared our story, our values and our history with the world. Like so many others, I’ve never felt more proud to be a Brummie and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who made this happen. The West Midlands - home to people hailing from each and every Commonwealth nation and territory – must now build on the momentum we have following on from the Games to chart a course to an even brighter future for local residents right across our remarkable region.
TO BE A BRUMMIE!
SPECTACULARreleased
Air Commodore Dr Marcia
initiatives surrounding the for the region
Newspaper at the launch of
@PhoenixNewsUK The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 15CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP NEVER FELT PROUDER
The Phoenix Newspaper seeing the redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium as full event schedule was
TheEditorMcLaughlinInChief/CEOPhoenixNewspaper one of
From the announcement that Birmingham would host the Commonwealth Games, to the unveiling of the Longines clock in Centenary Square, and finally the opening ceremony of the games themselves, The Phoenix Newspaper has been there every step of the way, informing our readers of the milestones, achievements and legacy that the games have brought to the region. I would like to extend a very well deserved thank you to John Crabtree, Chair of the Organising Committee, Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022, and Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands for a job well done, and hope that we will continue to work alongside you, as you ensure the Legacy continues - the work has just begun. We would also like to thank the 'Commonwealth Collective', the volunteers who helped in every aspect across every venue in the region, without them, the games could never have succeeded in the way that they did. I want to give a very special thanks to Mark Ward for holding my hand and keeping my blood pressure low throughout the negotiation and execution of our supplements.Lastbutby no means least, I must thank our gracious hosts and official timekeepers Longines, for their hospitality and solidarity during the games.Iwould also like to thank the senior members of my team, Daniel Riley, Mark Dwayne, Steve Williams & Eric Clay, for their commitment in assuring that the community is well served.
2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP 100120178 67 14 1 43 72 8
Gold medals won by Australia, which led the medal table at Birmingham 2022. In second was England, with 57 gold medals, and that total is England's second best of all time, behind only the 58 they won at Glasgow 2014.
Nations won gold medals at Birmingham 2022, the third most ever after 2018 (28), and 2002 (27).
Times Australia has topped the medal table at a Commonwealth Games, by far the most ever (England is second with five). Australia has led the table in 1938, 1950, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2018, and 2022. Canada is the only other nation to lead the medal table, which they did at Edmonton 1978.
IN NUMBERS
Medal won by Niue, its first ever medal at the Commonwealth Games. It was claimed by Duken HOLO TUTAKITOA-WILLIAMS, who took bronze in men’s boxing 93kg class.
Nations competed at Birmingham 2022, which equals the most at any Commonwealth Games, the same as Manchester 2002.
World records set at Birmingham 2022, two in swimming, and one each in athletics and powerlifting, as follows: 7:39.29 by the Australian women’s 4x200 metre freestyle relay team; Katja DEDEKIND (AUS) with 26.56 in women’s 50 metre freestyle S13 class; Goodness Chiemerie NWACHUKWU (NGR) with 36.56 metres in the women’s discus throw F42 class; and Alice Folashade OLUWAFEMIAYO (NGR) with 155 points in women’s para powerlifting 86 kg class.
Page 16 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS
Gold medals won at the Commonwealth Games by Australia since 1930, the all-time leader. Australia entered Birmingham 2022 with 934 golds and won 67 to go past the 1000 mark. Medals won at the Commonwealth Games by Emma McKEON (AUS) from 2014-2022, including eight at Birmingham 2022, which is the record for the most medals ever won at Games.Commonwealththe Medals won by Australia, topping the medal table at Birmingham 2022. England was close behind in second with 176 medals. This equals the closest Commonwealth Games race for total medals, along with 1970 (England 84, Australia 82) and 1974 (Australia 82, England 80).
Nations won medals Birminghamat 2022. This equals the most ever with Gold Coast 2018.
426
Medals won by swimmer Emma McKEON (AUS) at Birmingham 2022, which equals edition,medalsrecordCommonwealththeGamesforthemostwonatasinglealsoheldbyRalph HUTTON (CAN, 1966), Susie O'NEILL (AUS, 1998), Emily SEEBOHM (AUS, 2010), and Taylor RUCK (CAN, 2018), all in swimming.
BIRMINGHAM
Commonwealth Games. It then spend two months travelling around the Caribbean and Americas, including visits to The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, and reaching the islands of St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines - from there, going on to Canada and visiting Gibraltar. Stopping off at the Falkland Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, the Relay spent five days in Scotland, four in Northern Ireland, five in Wales and 25 covering the length and breadth of England.Asittravelled via land, air and sea, more than 180 communities in England experienced the Queen’s Baton on a route spanning 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres), with a global journey concluding at the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony, where the final Batonbearer returned the Baton to Her Majesty The Queen, represented by The Prince Of Wales, –accompanied by Dame Louise Martin DBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation. “Traveling for 294 days, and covering 140,000 kilometres, the Queen's Baton Relay provides Birmingham and the West Midlands the opportunity to showcase itself on a global scale,” she said.
The Baton visited all 72 nations, over 294 days, covering 140,000 kilometres on a global journey which conclude at the Opening Ceremony, on July 28. Departing from Birmingham Airport for Cyprus – the first stop on the Queen’s Baton Relay - the international route spanned 269 days, spending between two and four days in each nation or territory, 7,50090,000approximatelycoveringmiles(140,000kilometres),withoverBatonbearerstrustedwiththeonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunitytocarrytheBatonintheircommunity;travellingalmosthalfthedistancethanthepreviousGoldCoastQueen’s Baton Relay in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint.Eachnation and territory hosted events that showcased untold stories from Batonbearers, athletes, and young people who are striving for change in their community, as well as highlighting projects that address one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Baton would witness moments of celebration, visited local schools and explored iconic landmarks. Over its journey, the Baton spent Christmas Eve in the Seychelles, brought in the New Year in the Maldives and was be in Jamaica over the Easter weekend. After visiting Cyprus, it then went on to Malta, before arriving in Africa; taking in the rich cultures of all 19 Commonwealth countries on the continent, as well as a stop on the volcanic island of Saint Helena. After three days in Pakistan, the Baton spent New Year’s Day in the Maldives, before visiting Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India, then journeying across Southeast Asia, visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam - before travelling to the Pacific Islands, including visiting the smallest island in the Commonwealth; Nauru.New Zealand then hosted the Baton on theAustraliafourbeforeCommonwealth,spendingdaysin-hostsofGoldCoast2018
@PhoenixNewsUK The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 17CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
QUEENSBATONRELAY
Her Majesty The Queen officially launched the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace, joined by Batonbearers made up of athletes, young flagbearers from the West Midlands, the Birmingham 2022 Hometown Heroes and representatives from across the Commonwealth.
thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUPBATON IN
With the Birmingham GamesCommonwealth2022stillfreshin the memory, the significance of The Queen’s Baton Relay tour in the West Midlands represented it ‘coming home’. Designed and manufactured in an innovative regional collaboration that fused art, technology, and science, the original concept and technology was led by BOM (Birmingham Open Media), and the design by Warwickshire’s Raymont-Osman, in association with MAOKWO and Kajul - which included LED lighting and a heartrate sensor, performing a lighting display when held, as well as a 360-degree camera to capture images and digital information. The Baton also features atmospheric sensors with laser technology that analyse the environmental conditions wherever it is in the world.
Raymont-Osman.WithBirmingham 2022 the first major multi-sport event to award more medals to women than men, the strength and fortitude of women across the Commonwealth is celebrated throughout the design - a platinum strand, paying homage to The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year.During its Commonwealth tour in the Midlands, in to Stoke-on-Trent it was carried by inspirational Brian Kokoruwe, who contracted meningitis when he was 13-yearsold, leaving him profoundly deaf and unable to Representingwalk.Great Britain as a Deaflympics Sprinter, Manager and Coach, he was welcomed by crowds who showed the British Sign Language action to demonstrate their applause. Brian’s family travelled from Nigeria to see him carry the Baton. Former British gymnast, Marnie Woolrich, then took the Baton on Alton Towers’ infamous Oblivion – the world’s first vertical drop roller coaster. Her courage, determination and positive attitude shone through as she took on Oblivion’s 4.5G drop. Thousands then gathered at Tamworth Castle for the Queen’s Baton Relay Festivities, where there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd – as sibling Batonbearers Ellie and Billy took to the stage carrying the Baton in memory of their mother, Katie Rigby, whose sporting background included swimming and athletics, before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.The city of Coventry saw
@PhoenixNewsUK CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
IN BRUM!
The Queen’s Baton then went full steam ahead with Batonbearers aboard the Severn Valley Railway – from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth, with Dame Louise Martin, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, also on the journey.Innearby Wolverhampton, Batonbearer Stephen Kingdom got the Relay off to a ‘flying’ start - parachuting into an East Park filled with people who came out to mark just five days to go until the Opening Ceremony. Moving onto Smethwick, celebrations at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara saw Batonbearer Parmjit Singh being met by cheering crowds, dhol drummers and colourful confetti A pillar of the local Sikh and Punjabi community, he has been influential in developing the twinningSandwell-Amritsarin2000.Heraisedover£11kandsentmobilityequipmenttoKurdistan.
Finally making its Birmingham “homecoming”, the Baton would return with a spectacular party in Victoria Square on July 27 - the eve of the Games – as superstar, locally-born legend, and a beaming Sir Lenny Henry CBE, carried the Baton into wild euphoria at a hugely excited Victoria Square, before worldfamous King Gurcharan Mall drummed his way, as the final Batonbearer at Aston Hallthe last stop – as he quite literally marched to the beat of his own drum, with the Baton attached to his body throughout.Hishands were free to beat his drum as members of his community danced along the route with him. The dream was soon to become reality. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was set to begin!
Queen’s Baton Relay and was a nod to the innovative lighting technology incorporated within theThedesign.lucky Batonbearer chosen to experience this moment was 13-year-old Mikey Akers, who set up ‘Mikey’s Wish’ to raise the profile of verbal dyspraxia. Overcoming his fear of public speaking, he travelled to America to speak at a conference about the disorder. He also raises funds to support children in school with additional needs and donated a total of £25,000 to SEN departments in two schools. The eldest Batonbearer in the Queen’s Baton Relay took centre
The region’s manufacturing, industry, innovation and cultural revolutionary history was also shown to millions around music icons Duran Duran to Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommii, acclaimed saxophonist Soweto Kinch, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, r’n’b stars Indigo Marshall and Gambimi, Grammy-award winning percussionist Lekan Babalola, vocalist Ranjana Ghatak, shawm player Jude Rees, bagpiper Chris Crouch, Djembe player Abraham Paddy Tetteh, The Destroyers, Critical Mass, accapella group Black Voices and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Mass Choir. The show opened to the beat of African Sakara drums, as the 72 Commonwealth representatives were summoned to the 2022 Games - their arrival being signified by hordes of miniature houses floating down from the Mastermindedsky. by renowned Artistic Director Iqbal Khan and set as the most attended edition of the Commonwealth Games ever to take place in the United Kingdom and broadcast live across 134 countries by Steve Williams
BIRMINGHAM 2022 ROUNDUP
thephoenixnewspaper.comPage 20 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022
BOLDSHINESBIRMINGHAM
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
he Birmingham redevelopedCeremonystoppingoffGamesCommonwealth2022kickedwithashow-OpeningatthenewlyAlexanderStadium–whichtoldthestoryofBirmingham’sembraceofgenerationsofCommonwealthcommunities-withathleteswelcomedwithatheatricalnarrativeexploringtherichanddiversehistory,cultureandidentityofBirminghamandthe
Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, simply declared: “I am proud to be called a ‘Brummie’." The activist gave a powerful message as she told the crowd: “Teams from 72 countries and territories join the people of Birmingham to celebrate friendship across borders. “For all of the Commonwealth athletes here, remember that every child deserves the chance to reach his or her full potential and pursue their wildest Birminghamdreams.”Royal Ballet and Elmhurst Ballet School, as well as from Ginny Lemon, ‘Charlie Chaplin’ also made special appearances, as a 10-metre high Bull - representative of Birmingham’s historic Bullring Market.Andwith the Friendly Fire Band’s catchy ‘It’s a Brum Ting’ burned in people’s mind-sets, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will
Aston Martin DB6 Volante in front of almost 30,000 spectators as a giant raging bull and a Union Jack made from 72 cars, were just two of the staggeringBirmingham-bornhighlights.comedian, Joe Lycett – pointedly controversial, though he was - then introduced the array of dancers and creative artists to the stage, before highlight acts, including internationally renowned comedian, actor and educator, Dudley-born Sir Lennie Henry, was introduced. He said: “What an Opening Ceremony. I’ve had the wrong kind of mushrooms on my toast this morning. “I love that every Opening Ceremony is more mental than the last one. The creative meetings to plan them must be absolutely insane. I want in.”
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 21@PhoenixNewsUK CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
“Excitement for Birmingham 2022 is rocketing,” Commonwealth Games Minister, Nigel Huddleston, added. "With the eyes of the Commonwealth on this great city, these historic Games will bring economy, and leave a lasting legacy for the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands."
BIRMINGHAMBRIGHT
"We are very honoured to be the Official Timekeeper of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games" he began. The story of Longines started in 1832, so the Swiss watch brand celebrated its 190th anniversary this year. The founder was Auguste Agassiz who brought his nephew into the company. They shared the same vision: to stand out in quality. Together they put watchmaking a stepbringingfurther, an industrial approach to improve the quality of the watches. In 1867 they moved to a new factory, which they are still at today, although they expanded the buildings considerably. By 1911 Longines counted already over 1000 employees. Longines logo is the winged hourglass, and you can find it from watches as long ago as 1867, it's engraved on the movement. Today Longines is among the 5 most important Swiss watch brands internationally. They are one of the few brands to produce about an equal number of ladies and mens watches. They are the trusted official timekeeper for many sports events around the world, and there are now over 1,500 people working for Longines. Longines has a huge archive of hand written records of every single watch produced since 1867, allowing them to track every single Longines watch by its serial number. "We've now digitised this collection to ensure it continues, but this service is quite unique and we offer it to each and every owner of a Longines watch." Longines has reached many milestones that separates them from their competitors. They focused on timepieces for professional use, mainly pilots, aviators, explorers etc. At the same time had strong ties with timekeeping which requires very special watches. It learned a lot through those two things, using that knowhow to produce wristwatches in uniqueLonginesways.first pocket chronograph was manufactured in 1878 and was used soon after to time horse races. In 1908, they made the first pocket watch showing two timezones on the same dial, an innovation that was later used for many other models. 1911 saw one of the world’s first wrist chronograph, before in 1925 creating the first wristwatch chronograph with two independent pushers and flyback mechanism. The Conquest collection started in 1954, with Flagship following two years later, this started the "family" naming convention of Longines watches, all the way up to the HydroConquest collection from 2007. Moving onto their timekeeping history, Daniel explained that Longines introduced the electromechanical 'cutting wire system' at the start and finish line to eliminate human error from timekeeping in 1912. Two years later, the first stopwatch to measure 1/10th of a second with a high frequency movement was launched, and as early as in 1916 a timepiece measuring 1/100th of a second. Sir Malcom Campbell's speed record of 209km/h was recorded by Longines in 1937 on Lake Maggiore, using certified stopwatches. 1954 saw the first electronic timing clock, and in '56 the first permanent recording process for the finish line was developed. Coupled to a quartz clock, the 'Contifort' printed the position of contestants on the finish line on constantly unwinding and immediately developed film strips, photographing the corresponding time to 1/100th of a second. In 1962, Longines was already timing the Commonwealth Games with the Contifort timing system, delivering precise documents of the photo-finish. Not limited to athletics or horse racing, Longines timed a lot of cycling, motorsport racing as well as skiing, which is still important today.
For the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, timing was based on the of material was sent from Switzerland to Birmingham to enable professional and precise timing across 19 different sports and 8 para sports. It was fantastic to get to go trackside at the Alexander Stadium, and learn exactly how all of the equipment that Longines brought over works together to ensure that all of the timings, photo finishes etc are captured, recorded, verified and then shown to the world via the broadcasters they work alongside, even including Dr Marcia firing the startingGuestspistol.also met with Artistic Gymnast and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal winner, Alice Kinsella from Birmingham, hearing all about her story and journey to Commonwealth Games Success, before being astounded and mystified by the talents of magician Ben Hanlin, who brought his inimitable style of both up close and stage magic to the group.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
&ROUNDUPTHE HISTORY OF TIMEKEEPING
During the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we were honoured to be hosted on a number of occasions by Longines, the Official Timekeeper of the Commonwealth Games. Longines CEO Matthias Breschan welcomed everyone, introducing himself and the brand, having taken the helm of Longines since July 2020, after having previously managed two Swatch Group sister brands, Rado for nine years and Hamilton for seven years.Daniel Hug, Head of Branding and Heritage gave us a history lesson on Longines itself, and it's watches and timekeeping activities.
The beautiful surroundings of Longines House in Birmingham
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 23CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS Team TrinidadSingaporeKenyaJamaicaWalesScotlandNewIndiaAustraliaEnglandCanadaZealandNigeriaSouthAfricaMalaysiaNorthernIreland&Tobago FINAL MEDAL BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
MEDAL TABLE
Other highlights include a historic first for England women’s hockey squad, who held off fierce competition from their old rivals Australia to finally take home the gold medal, after being denied first place by the Aussie side in three previous Commonwealth Finals. Scotland’s Eilish McGolgan kept it in the family with an incredible final lap to win gold in the 10,000 metres. She smashing the Scottish record set by her own mum Liz McColgan. She also scooped a silver medal in the 5,000 metres later in the Games. In keeping it Scottish, 72-year-old Rosemary Lenton proved that age is no barrier to success as she partnered Pauline Wilson to win women's pairs Para lawn bowls gold at the Games after beating Australia’s Cheryl Lindfield and Serena Bonnell 17-15 in the final.
SOFSPECTACLEGLORIOUSSPORTtarsoftheBirmingham2022CommonwealthGamesincludedsprintqueen,ElaineThompson-Herah,who,whilstShelly-AnnFraser-PryceskippedtheGames,thefellowJamaicanbackedupherwomen’s100mand200mgoldsattheTokyoOlympicswithanothersprintdoubleandanewGamesrecordinthe200m.
Other highlights saw hometown hero, Joe Fraser, taking three gymnastics medals - with a fractured foot. The 23-year-old helped England to team all-around gold before winning the pommel horse and parallel bars competitions.“Mybeliefto get to the Games was always huge,” he said. “I truly believed I could do it. I was proud of myself and everyone who helped me get it.”
Jamaica's 'Sunshine Girls' produced one of the most eye-catching moments of the Games with their stunning celebrations after an historic semifinal win over world champions New Zealand.Having producing a brilliant win over Australia in the pool stages, their 67-51 semi-final victory - booking their place in a first ever Commonwealth Games final - really caught the eye, with their extraordinary on-court dance after the win living long in the memory.
thephoenixnewspaper.com A
Just some highlights in what many call “the best Commonwealth Games ever!” by Steve Williams
Jake Jarman, who became the first English athlete to win four gold medals at the same Games since shooter Mick Gault in 1998, Australia’s Emma McKeon who collected an astonishing six gold, a silver and a bronze medal in the pool on her way to breaking the record for the most Games medals ever, with victory in the women’s 50 metres freestyle and butterfly the highlights. England defeated Australia 17-16 in the most dramatic circumstances in the inaugural Basketball 3×3 final. The host nation triumphed with a game-winning two pointer in overtime to secure the first men's gold medal of the Games.
"I thought I would never get to a Commonwealth Games, and if I did it would be as a spectator," she said. “We didn’t always produce it, but when it really mattered we did, and that’s the important thing."
@PhoenixNewsUK
Page 28 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 29CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS
Page 30 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP YOUGAMESMADE
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 31@PhoenixNewsUK CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP MADE GAMESTHE
The united roar was the loudest ever experienced in any major sporting venue in the Midlands – and probably beyond. It left a feeling in the heart that was unique in anyone’s experience – leaving a proud boast that this may never again be witnessed anywhere in Commonwealththe–ever!Ittrulywasaprivilegeandan honour to be part of this - the greatest sporting event ever. As the curtains of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games were drawing to a final close, a rip-roaring ‘rattle-cry’ from the city’s Ocean Colour Scene was the introduction to a night of celebration before fellow charttopper Dexy’s Midnight Runners and their ‘Come On Eileen’ got the crowd revved-up to a max’ – and that was just a starter! With a solid ‘Birmingham Sountrack’, this really was a ‘Brum Ting’ as athletes and fellow-competitors from the 72 Commonwealth Nations and Territories were united in saying their collective ‘Thank You’ to their host. The host city, in return, couldn’t say “Tah Very Much” and “Bostin” enough for their presence, and impact, on what will be remembered as the most inclusive, most diverse and theCommonwealthfriendliest
A FINALE!
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS
BIRMINGHAM 2022 WHATROUNDUP
ever.GamesBirmingham wasn’t afraid to show the Commonwealth – neh, the world – just how warm, inviting and embracing it is as its guests were welcomed with a level of hospitality that Victoria, you’d do well to equal as a Peaky Blinders dance routine preceded a powerful segment featuring some of the area's talented young spoken word and musical stars of the future. Laura Mvula also performed on stage in theThesegmentGames organising committee chair John Crabtree praised and thanked the 14,000 volunteers for their efforts and the crowds for their support. He also praised the way Para-sports integrated into the largest programme in Commonwealth Games history. Five-time Paralympic gold medallist, Ellie Simmonds, commented: "I think Birmingham should be so, so proud, they have put on an incredible beforeGames,"the Walsall-born superswimmer adding: "Sport has the power to change the world and you can see it in Birmingham." Back on a music-tip, Apache Indian's Boom Shack-A-Lak and Musical Youth's Pass The Dutchie got a packed Alexander Stadium singing, almost word-for-word. Reggae legends UB40's Red, Red Wine was followed by model Neelam Gill making an appearance during Panjabi MC's Bhangra hit Mundian To Bach Ke. Drum & Bass guru, Goldie, left everyone buzzing with his all-time classic Inner City Life, with fellow-Black Country icon, Beverley Knight, on vocals, for this unforgettable combination.
@PhoenixNewsUK CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP FINALE!
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games finally drew to a close – but not before a surprise appearance by Ozzy Osbourne as the Prince of Darkness surprisingly fronted his Black Sabbath band. In black, loud and proud (though oh too brief) – who else could have given that kind of Brummie send off? And then, to finally bring the curtains down on what anwasunforgettable 11 days of sports, music and record-breaking crowds, The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, said: “You have, once again, brought the spirit and value of the Commonwealth back to life. Before officially declaring the Games –Closed!”So,for the final time, it was a “Tah and Ta-Rah Bab.” Now it’s down to the state of Victoria, Australia, which will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
CELEBRATINGROUNDUPTHECOLLECTIVE
Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor, said: “Playing host to the Commonwealth has been a huge collective effort that has shown the very best of civic spirit right across our region. I pay special tribute to the contributionstudentsourhavemade. The effort they have put into supporting events with their time and commitment is truly remarkable and I thank them for it.”Andrew Newman, Director of Workforce and Volunteering for Birmingham 2022, said: “The Commonwealth Collective has been crucial to the delivery of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and every single volunteer, no matter their role, has made a huge contribution and ensured that all of our spectators have had a fantastic experience.
"We’d like to thank all of the students from the universities and colleges from across the West Midlands for supporting the Games.”Hundreds of students from across West Midlands universities also made a significant contribution to the success of Birmingham 2022’s Commonwealth Games. In addition, the Commonwealth Collective also included people from Australia, New Zealand, India, and even non-Commonwealth nation Finland.
BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Of their service, Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said: "The volunteers were fantastic ambassadors for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and I can't thank them enough for the brilliant way they welcomed athletes, officials and spectators to this city region.
"The 2022 Commonwealth Games was the biggest event Birmingham has ever staged and will be talked about for many years to come, so the volunteers will forever have a proud and richly deserved place in our city's history."I said beforehand that the Commonwealth Games, traditionally known as the ‘Friendly Games’, would never come to a friendlier city. That proved to be true and much of the credit should go to the smiling, welcoming and ever-helpful volunteers. “I've lost count of the number of times people have told me just how great the volunteers were, and I agree - 100 per cent. They were amazing."
The 14,000 Commonwealth Games volunteers were hailed as 'the beating heart of Birmingham 2022'. Known as the Commonwealth Collective, in their distinctive orange and grey uniforms they became “the familiar” and were a very popular sight at venues across the city over the 11 days. The army of volunteers were a constant presence as visitors from across the UK and the wider Commonwealth have flooded into Birmingham and the West Midlands. They – each and every one of them – all guaranteed a warm welcome, as they made themselves available, with a range of duties including kit carriers, drivers, first aiders and greeting people to their city and to their Games - it's just a 'Brum Ting'!
Page 34 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS
As visitors from across the UK and the wider Commonwealth have flooded into Birmingham and the West Midlands, they have all been guaranteed a warm welcome, thanks in no small part to the volunteers with a range of duties including kit carriers, drivers, first aiders and greeters. From courtside assistance and first aid to stage construction and from athlete support to social media, students from across 9 of our local universities have volunteered their expert skills to ensure this year’s commonwealth games does Birmingham proud.
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 35@PhoenixNewsUK LEGACY POSITIONSSCHEMEBROADCASTERLEADSTOGAMESANDMENTORINGSPORTS EQUIPMENT TO BE GIFTED TO WEST MIDLANDS GROUPS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS BIRMINGHAM 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ROUNDUP
In addition, some of the highperformance equipment from the Games - such as temporary performance sprung flooring that created the netball and 3x3 basketball courts, as well as the boxing ring and high-performance Judo mats - is being distributed amongst national sports bodies. This means that, alongside the separate community giveaway, these sports bodies will be able to repurpose some of their highperformance equipment into communities that can benefit the most from it.
ABUILDINGLEGACY
The community giveaway will support the shared goal to create a lasting community impact in the West Midlands, by supporting people to be active beyond the Games. Not-for-profit community-based organisations, such as local voluntary groups, schools, sports clubs, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and social enterprises that deliver community-based projects, that seek to tackle inactivity and promote the physical and mental benefits of leading an active life, are all eligible to apply.
Awide range of sports equipment used by teams and athletes across all of the venues during the Commonwealth Games will be gifted to local sport and community groups in the West Midlands. In a join-up between Sport England, the Birmingham 2022 organisers and the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS), over 16,000 sports items - including bikes, martial arts mats, weights, T20 cricket equipment, basketballs, boxing gloves and weights, as well as general equipment, such as cones and bibswill all be made available.
“This will be the first time I’ll have worked on live TV so it is exciting,” said Dawda, who lives in Birmingham. “I’ll be in the truck, on location, getting the shots, cutting, and editing. It is a dream come true as I enjoy working in editing and post-production.“Sunset+Vine is a huge and amazing company, and it is incredible that I’ve been given the opportunity to work in sports broadcasting for the Commonwealth Games. For newcomers like me, it gives us a chance to shine. There are so many talented people, but they don’t usually get the platform to prove themselves, especially as a young Black person, so here is a chance I can take and inspire many Black talents out there. “I’m hoping that by proving my commitment to hard work and my passion for sport, it will be a springboard for my career.” After taking part in the training earlier this year, Dawda received industry-level skills training across a variety of disciplines including live TV, broadcasting and production and is now looking forward to playing his part in the screening of the Games, which take place in Birmingham between July 28 and August 8, to 1.5 billion people worldwide.“TheHBTI is the jewel in Sunset+Vine's Commonwealth Games legacy for the Midlands,” said David Tippet. “We're thrilled to have completed training and offered real-world industry experience to over 200 trainees, with 150 of them now set to join us for paid roles on the Games.“The lack of diversity in sports broadcasting is an ongoing issue and this scheme is one way we are looking to play our part in addressing that - and we're thrilled that over 60% of our trainees are from sportingoftoremainsindustry.groupsunderrepresentedwithinour“Nowallthatisforthemjoinusononethebiggesteventsto be held in the heart of Birmingham.” He added that Sunset+Vine will continue to mentor trainees post Games, helping them to launch a career in the industry.
The equipment giveaway is open to communities in Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcestershire, Shropshire, and Staffordshire. Applications are open from 15th August until 19th September, with the process is designed to be as inclusive as possible to reflect the diversity of the West Midlands. Guidance for the application process is available in 15 languages and video applications are accepted too. A full catalogue of the equipment for the community giveaway will be made available on the Sport England website for groups and clubs to look at and apply for.
West Midlanders givengroupsunderrepresentedfromhavebeenaonce-in-alifetime opportunity to work with one of the country’s leading sports broadcasters for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Award-winning Sunset+Vine, which provides live sports programming to UK and international broadcasters, partnered with Birmingham City University, Create Central, WMCA and Solihull College to deliver the Host Broadcast Training Initiative, which offered 200 work experience placements on its outside broadcasts and studio productions.
An exciting partnership will create a legacy for community basketball from the huge success of the 3x3 format of the sport at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. England's Men and Women claimed the inaugural Commonwealth Games 3x3 medals, winning gold and silver respectively on a triumphant night inABirmingham.significantfinancial investment will be made to develop 3x3 and 5v5 basketball participation opportunities for adults and young people – creating and enhancing up to 20 great basketball spaces in the city to be enjoyed for generations.Birmingham City Council and Basketball England, with support from Sport England and National Lottery funding, will be able to significantly bolster the basketball infrastructure in the city for local communities and the grassroots game, as well as providing the opportunity to take part in a range of 3x3 events. The collaborative agreement is a major part of Birmingham City Council’s legacy strategy and is set to run over a 12-18-month period. It will also form part of Basketball England’s #ProjectSwish campaign, which was launched in 2019 to improve and promote local spaces to play outdoors. Street to elite Birmingham’s Myles Hesson started his basketball journey in the city, playing basketball with his brothers, before growing and honing his skills with local grassroots clubs City of Birmingham and the Birmingham A’s. His professional career has taken him to Europe and Asia, and now has won medals for his“NewsHessoncountry.said:ofabasketball legacy plan, backed with financial investment, in my home city makes all the blood, sweat and tears my teammates and I put into our Birmingham 2022 campaign even more worthwhile. “Ultimately, grassroots basketball is where the love for the game, and physical activity, is sown. It’s also the first stage to creating and moulding champions.
“We have inspired thousands of children and young people, and adults through our 3x3 performances and a high-level of interest in basketball is bound to follow once the Commonwealth Games come to an end. It’s right we leave the next generation not only with great memories but high-quality basketball facilities to enjoy.”The exciting 3x3 form of basketball - which is played on a half court on one basket with just three players per side - made its Commonwealth Games debut at the Smithfield site in Birmingham between 29 July and 2 August and was a fan Basketballfavourite.isBritain’s jointsecond most popular team sport amongst young people after football. According to Sport England’s Active Lives survey, more than one million British people regularly play basketball, and among those aged 18-34, 14% play every week. The partnerships will work together to maximise the opportunities to increase the amount of people playing in the city.
David Tippet, managing director of Sunset+Vine, said providing paid work opportunities for those wanting to break into sports broadcasting or to those who wanted to expand their skills and work experience was an important part of the legacy programme for the Commonwealth Games, which is the widest-reaching sports event in the UK since the 2012 Olympics in London.Roles include content creators, production co-ordinators, media managers, camera operators, edit assistants, loggers, live gallery PAs, assistant floor managers and technical roles.
Among those being offered coveted roles is Dawda Jinikeh, a 27-year-old media and communications graduate from Birmingham City University. The son of Gambian parents who was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, says he hopes the opportunity will give him the chance to prove his worth. Dawda, who is fluent in four languages – Spanish, Catalan, English and African Soninke –was offered a place as an outside broadcast (OB) assistant, where he will work on the triathlon and mountain bike competitions.
2-18SEPTEMBERVICTORIASQUARE,BIRMINGHAMCOMMISSIONEDBYUNBOXED-CREATIVITYINTHEUKTHEFESTIVALCONTINUESPOLINATIONSBYTRIGGERPRODUCTIONS LET’SGOOUT
Page 36 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS A 'NICE' TIME AT anime and comics, including a special celebration of Assassins The 'World Famous Pub Quiz' returned once again, taking full advantage of the connotations of Esports featured heavily, with a number of competitions for both the casual gamer and Esports organisations, including representation from the Army and Back at the show, a selection of indie games, board games, VR, and much more, along with the likes of Intel showing off their new ARC along with prebuilt systems and components from Overclockers UK, filled out the rest of the show floor, with the usual merchandise, 'gamer energy' and memorabilia
Insomnia will be back with i70, a great couple of days out for anyone interested in the gaming
The opening line of ‘Nobody Loves Me’ quickly grabs your attention with Kayla’s simple but engaging statement, “I think my therapist hates me.” She goes on to explore the fear that she has upset everyone who is significant in her life. While she realises that her fear borders on paranoia, there’s no escaping the fact that the scars of childhood remain even when you’re finding your own way in the world. But within the darker emotional themes of the song, Kayla Grace has discovered an uplifting sound that will provide escapism for people who are experiencing similar issues. It’s authentic, affecting bedroom pop with a vivacious emo edge. Kayla says, “Nobody Loves Me is basically the embodiment of the intrusive thoughts I have from my unhealed inner child. I had a complicated childhood and found a lot of my needs were ignored so I always believed that everyone hated me. “Things are better now, but I think I dragged that cloud with me into teenage years/adulthood and can’t shake it off.” Kayla Grace wrote ‘Nobody Loves Me’ with the song’s producer, Joe Wander, and Mikey Gormley. ‘Nobody Loves Me’ is accompanied by a largely homegrown visual, which sees Kayla bring her words to life in a playful, provocative style. Filmed in her hometown of Watford, it also features animations from Emily Hoang, which are based on the illustrations she designed for the single’s artwork. Watch HERE.ForKayla, music is an outlet to help her work her way through a minefield of growing pains. Whether it’s with relationships, family or mental health issues, she uses songwriting as a cathartic expression that helps her make sense of the world around her.
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 37@PhoenixNewsUK CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS ENTERTAINMENTwww.streetcredmagazine.com Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com AT
Praised by BBC Introducing and Clash, Watford born Kayla Grace’s introductory track ‘Bird In A Cage’ positioned the 21-yearold as an artist and songwriter of immense potential. Now it’s time for Kayla to make a bigger impact as she shares her new single ‘Nobody Loves Me’, which is out now on Good Taste Recordings and features on Spotify’s New Music Friday UK.
LovesHerSharesGraceKaylaNewSingle‘NobodyMe’
Page 38 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT www.streetcredmagazine.com To Advertise 0121 339 5885 BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY September 02 The Bros Landreth 05 Gus Dapperton 06 Dave Hause and The Mermaid 08 NOAHFINNCE 10 Fell Out Boy + The Black Charade (A Tribute to My Chemical Romance) 14 The House Of Love 16 Starsailor 16 Caity Baser 17 Blind Channel | Sick and Dangerous Tour 19 Three Days Grace 21 The Big Moon 22 Doug Stanhope 22 Polaris 23 Gabzy 24 Definitely Mightbe (Oasis tribute) 25 Progress Wrestling Presents California Mountain Snake 27 Anthrax 27 Deafheaven 28 Moonchild 28 Incubus 29 The Undertones 29 Clairo O2 INSTITUTE September 01 ROLE MODEL: TouRX 2022 World Tour 02 Alice Lily 02 The Interrupters 03 Amber Mark 03 The Cadillac Three: Hillbilly Hypnotized Tour 04 Zack Knight 05 Bright Eyes 08 Embrace 09 Say Less 09 Aminé 10 Candid 11 Fun Lovin' Criminals 12 Dance Gavin Dance 13 Professor Green 14 Immortal Technique 16 Half Man Half Biscuit 17 ARKELLS & LIGHTS 17 Ash - 'Free All Angels' 21st Anniversary show 18 Yard Act 19 BANKS: The Serpentina Tour 20 CJ Wildheart 20 Rema 21 Cardinal Black 22 MOWGS 23 Cian Ducrot 24 Durand Jones & The Indications 24 Blue Nation 24 SCARLXRD 27 SOEN 27 The Lemonheads "It's a Shame About Ray" 30th Anniversary 28 Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls 29 SABA 29 Lucky Daye 30 Maximo Park UTILITA ARENA September 02 Arcade Fire The “WE” Tour 09 Babbu Maan 10 Adam Kay This Is Going To Hurt... More 11 Professor Brian Cox Live Horizons: A 21st Century Space Odyssey 14 Dr. Jordan B. Peterson: Beyond Order 16-17 Joe Lycett MORE, MORE, MORE! 22 George Ezra 24 Andrea Bocelli NEC September 03-04 Collectormania27 - Film & Comic Con Birmingham 17-20 The Photography Show & The Video Show 23-25 A Place in the Sun Live 23-25 Arnold Sports Festival UK 2022 23-25 The National Wedding Show RESORTS WORLD ARENA September 10-11 Birmingham International Tattoo 2022 TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL September 01 RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Season 3 Tour (SH) 03 Massed Male Voices of Cornwall (SH) 04 Got 2 Sing Choir 10th Anniversary Celebratory Concert (SH) 06 Tavares (SH) 06 Vir Das: Wanted (TH) 07 Tim Peake: My Journey to Space (SH) 08 Fastlove: A Tribute to George Michael (SH) 08-10 Fame UK Reunion 2022: 40th Anniversary (TH) 10 The 168th British Open Brass Band Championships (SH) 11 Brass Band Gala 2022 featuring Cory Band & Black Dyke Band (SH) 12 Justin Hayward (TH) 12 Agnes Obel (SH) 13 An Evening With Chris de Burgh – His Songs, Stories & Hits (SH) 14 Don McLean: 50th Anniversary of American Pie (SH) 15 David Essex (SH) 15 Loudon Wainwright III In Concert: Katherine Priddy supporting (TH) 16 Kim Wilde: Greatest Hits Tour, Plus Special Guests China Crisis (SH) 17 Daniel Howell (SH) 18 The Billy Joel Songbook (2022) 18 Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights (SH) 19 A1: The A Game (TH) 20 Rupi Kaur (TH) 20 A New World: CBSO, Kazuki Yamada and Nicola Benedetti (SH) 21 Birmingham Music Awards (TH) 22 Bret McKenzie (TH) 23 Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow Live (TH) 24 CDC Dance Present: Iconic (TH) 25 Space Spectacular (SH) 26 Lunchtime Organ Concert with Thomas Trotter (TH) 26 Dexys: Too-Rye Ay: As It Should Have Sounded (SH) 26 An Extra Good Night with Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad (TH) 27 Madeleine Peyroux (TH) 28 The Sea: CBSO and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (SH) 28 The 80s Show (TH) SEPTEMBER Gig Listings
The concert performances will take place between 19 – 28 August at Handsworth Park in Birmingham, Windmill Hill, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, and West Park, Wolverhampton, as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival. The performances will be performed festival style, with a range of food and drinks available, including Nally’s Jamaican and Wild Street Kitchen. The show will also be supported by a range of pre-show performances, music and poetry, including DJ Pskyhomantus, Aston Performing Arts Academy, Flexus Dance Collective, Adjei Sun and many more.Tothe Streets! is based on an original idea and directed by Christopher Haydon, with the book by Roy Williams, music and lyrics by Tim Sutton, design by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Arnim Friess, sound design by Gareth Fry, video design by Duncan McLean, and with choreography from Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe. Ian Oakley is Musical Director, Pearson Casting are casting directors, and the show is produced in association with Warwick Arts Centre, City of Wolverhampton Council and DRPG Creative.
The cast The Streets’ drive into performances at Handsworth Park
The cast of To The Streets! got into character by hopping on a vintage National Express bus ahead of moving from their rehearsals at Birmingham Hippodrome to their first performances at Handsworth Park.
of ‘To
To The Streets! - presented by Birmingham 2022 Festival - is an uplifting new musical by Roy Williams and Tim Sutton inspired by the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott, a pivotal moment in the UK’s civil rights history. The show follows the story of Paul Stephenson, an idealistic youth worker who takes to the streets to stand up for equality in Bristol where tensions are running high as the Omnibus Company refuse to employ Black or Asian drivers or conductors. Lorraine, a teenager newly arrived from Jamaica, joins the fight and in so doing, finds her voice and becomes part of a movement that changes history.
WHAT CAR? SETS WORLD RECORD FOR MOST COUNTRIES VISITED IN 24 HOURS IN AN ELECTRIC CAR
What Car? journalists Neil Winn and Doug Revolta have set a new world record for the most countries visited in 24 hours in an electric car. The unmodified Porsche Taycan (Performance Battery Plus) chosen for the challenge required seven charge stops at ultra-rapid 350kW Ionity chargers along the 1199-mile journey across 14 countries. Aside from these brief charge stops, the pair drove the Taycan non-stop for 24 hours from the Netherlands to Serbia, passing through Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia in that order. Both drivers faced numerous challenges in their 24-hour driving adventure including rush hour traffic in Luxembourg and a perilous border crossing in Hungary, but this didn’t stop the pair from maintaining a moving average of 61mph. The largest proportion of their time (just over four hours) was spent traversing Croatia as the crescent-shaped country abuts Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia and Serbia. This contrasts rather starkly with the 10 minutes it took to cross the tiny principality of Liechtenstein. Calculating average charging times and driving speeds, and adjusting for traffic and border crossings, What Car? had initially estimated to make it as far as 13 countries in the 24-hour period, but such was the progress of the duo that they managed to include Hungary in the final tally - taking the total to 14.
The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 - Page 39@PhoenixNewsUK CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS@PhoenixNewsUK MOTORSwww.streetcredmagazine.com Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com
Mulliner Batur Starts Design Revolution For Bentley
BENTLEY MOTORS has unveiled the Bentley Mulliner Batur – a new twodoor grand touring coupé limited to 18 series pieces that embodies the start of a design revolution at Bentley. Created by Director of Design Andreas Mindt and his team, the Batur is a showcase of a new design DNA that will ultimately guide the design of Bentley’s future range of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).The collection of just 18 series examples of the Batur is the latest project by Bentley’s in-house bespoke and coachbuilding division, Mulliner, and succeeds the Bacalar – a run of 12 individually specified, designed and handcrafted Barchettas that relaunched coachbuilding at Bentley. Like its predecessor – the Bacalar – the Batur is named after a beautiful natural body of water. Lake Batur is an 88m deep, 16 km2 crater lake in Kintamani on the island of Bali, Indonesia, and provides nutrient-rich water to both local hot springs and agriculture.TheBatur will also be the most powerful Bentley yet, with a 740+ PS version of the iconic, hand-assembled 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine that has metaphorically and literally powered Bentley’s success for the last two decades. As the engine enters its twilight years as part of Bentley’s Beyond100 transformation journey to being fully electrified, the Batur forms the first part of a celebration of the W12’s extraordinary power, torque and refinement. Engine performance will be matched to the most advanced Bentley chassis ever, with Speed-tuned air suspension, electric active anti-roll control, eLSD, four-wheel steering and torque vectoring. All 18 examples of the Batur have already been reserved. Each one will be designed collaboratively with each customer, guided by Mulliner’s in-house design team.
Ben Dale, Managing Director at Jestic Foodservice Solutions was thrilled to be able to make such a substantial donation. The Alzheimer's Society
Recent months have seen Aston drop the single ‘How Many Times’ (as well as a remix from Kandour), star as a special guest judge during the ‘The Masked Singer’ live tour, launch the ‘Pizza & Tequila’ podcast, and feature as Willard in the musical adaptation of classic ‘80s movie ‘Footloose’. That work ethic has been a hallmark of Aston’s career ever since he first came to attention with
epic Australian work ‘Counting and Cracking’ to tour UK
Jestic Team Activities Generate Over £2500 For
AstonJLS.
headlineannouncesMerrygoldhis3AMTour
A SERIES OF EMPLOYEE events organised as part of Jestic Foodservice Solution's summer charity drive has helped raise in excess of £2,500 for two charities; The Alzheimer's Society and Kent based charity Crossroads Care. The annual company BBQ, which was held recently at the Paddock Wood headquarters, aided over 60% of the final total. This was not only thanks to the fantastic feast once again laid on by the Jestic culinary team, but also due to the capture of many of the directors, who found themselves locked up for short periods of time in the hastily arranged stocks, that just happened to be close to buckets of water and sponges! The remaining money was generated from a series of summer hamper raffles which occurred at engineer training sessions and meetings.
ASTON Merrygold is set to embark upon a UK headline tour this October.The3AM Tour will see Aston taking his arena-sized talents to club venues around the country after performing in front of over 350,000 people during JLS’s hugely successful reunion tour. The Aston Merrygold live experience sees him mix solo favourite such as ‘Get Stupid’, ‘Trudy’, ‘I Ain’t Missing You’, latest track ‘How Many Times’ and just maybe the occasional throwback to JLS. Aston says, “I can’t wait to get back out on the road to play some of my solo material. Performing live is what I love to do most and it will be great to see some of my fans again!’
Birmingham 2022 Festival and the Belvoir.basedCrackingrecentbreakingmostpresentedInternationalEdinburghFestivaloneofAustralia’sambitiousandground-theatricalworksoftimes,CountingandfromleadingSydney-theatrecompany,
The production showed from 8th to 14th August at The Lyceum Theatre as part of Edinburgh International Festival and Birmingham Rep as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival from 19th to 27th August. Led by Eamon Flack and S. Shakthidharan, Counting and Cracking follows the journey of one Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. In the course of telling this family’s epic story of break up and reunion, the narrative also tells the tale of two countries: Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation. An epic ensemble theatre work featuring a world-class cast of 19 performers hailing from six different countries, Counting and Cracking was the winner of 14 major awards including Helpmann Awards for Best Production and Best Direction. It now tours to the UK presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival. On the banks of a suburban Sydney river, Radha and her son Siddhartha release the ashes of Radha’s mother – their final connection to the past, to Sri Lanka and its struggles. Now they are free to embrace their lives in Australia. But a phone call from Colombo brings the past spinning back to life, and we’re plunged into an epic story of love and political strife, of home and exile, of parents and children.Written by S. Shakthidharan, a Sri Lankan-Australian who researched and developed the work over the course of ten years, with Eamon Flack, the play tells the tale of two countries: Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation. It is directed by Eamon Flack, an award-winning director and the Artistic Director of Belvoir, one of Australia’s most celebrated theatre companies, with S. Shakthidharan.Itwasperformed in English, Tamil and Sinhalese, with live translation into English.
Page 40 - The Phoenix Newspaper - September 2022 thephoenixnewspaper.comCELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS To Advertise 0121 339 5885 ENTERTAINMENT
Ground-breaking
