An exhibition of photography and film charting the construction of British Airways i360, the world's tallest moving observation tower, is now open in the beach building.

Images by British Airways i360 official photographers Kevin Meredith and Gary Eastwood, who documented the build process, are being displayed alongside additional shots by Paul Raftery and a short film by Latest TV.

The exhibition, called 'British Airways i360: How it was Built' takes up a permanent home in the Austen room in the British Airways i360 beach building and is free for members of the public to enjoy during spring, summer and autumn months*.

During winter months or inclement weather, when pod flights board from inside the beach building, access to the exhibition is for British Airways i360 customers only.

British Airways i360 chairman David Marks of Marks Barfield Architects, which conceived and designed the attraction, said: “British Airways i360 is an engineering tour de force and a wonderful symbol of British design innovation. 'How it was Built' provides visitors with an insight into one of the aspects that makes this landmark project a world first.

“I would like to pay tribute to all the architects, engineers, designers and contractors who made it a reality as well as to the photographers and filmmakers who recorded the whole process from beginning to end.”

West Pier Trust chairman Glynn Jones said: “The West Pier Trust is truly delighted to have been closely associated with Marks Barfield Architects in the planning and construction of British Airways i360.

“This iconic structure enhances the site of the former Grade I listed West Pier and re-states the importance of first class design and its ability to lift the spirits”.

The exhibition was assembled by Real Studios. Director Alistair McCaw said: “Real Studios are pleased have been responsible for the design of the exhibition 'British Airways i360: How it was Built'.

“From text-writing to production, we have worked closely with Marks Barfield Architects in the delivery of this stunning pictorial record.”

The last of the main parties to launch their manifesto, the Conservatives celebrated the release of their party platform with launch event on Thursday 18^th May, at Halifax, a traditional Labour seat, which has over years become a swing seat, meaning it could go either way. As with her campaign events, Theresa May was the centre of attention, and there were lots of references to her catch phrase ‘strong and stable leadership/government.’  The key policies within the manifesto, as with the two other main parties were: the economy, Brexit, healthcare and housing.

The economy is an area where the Conservatives have often been eager to point out the good work they have done. Indeed, in their manifesto they promise to provide sound public finances, low taxes, better regulation and free trade deals with markets around the world to ensure a better and healthier economy.  They also promise to protect the national living wage of £7.50 an hour that they introduced in 2015/16, and to ensure that with Brexit approaching, workers’ rights and protections are not forfeited, through the introduction of new workers’ rights as part of the Great Repeal Bill. The Conservatives also promise fairer corporate governance with new rules for takeovers, executive pay and possible worker representation on boards. In regards to income tax, the Conservatives promise to raise the minimum personal allowance to £12,500 whilst raising the maximum level to £50,000.

On Brexit, the manifesto sticks very closely to what has  been said by Theresa May throughout the campaign. The Conservatives if elected to government will bring the UK out of the EU, the single market, the customs union and end freedom of movement-apart from the case of the border with the Republic of Ireland- this is what has been called a ‘hard Brexit.’ With the Great Repeal Bill, the Conservatives promise to convert all EU law that they wish to maintain into UK law, making it laws created in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast that are purely British, fulfilling their pledge to ‘take back control’. Finally, in acknowledgement of the recent Supreme Court decision, the final agreement for Brexit will be subject to a vote by Parliament. Contrasting with the Liberal Democrats desire to hold another referendum on the deal.

Health care policy has attracted much criticism on the Conservatives in their seven years in government. Therefore, it is not surprising that they have in their manifesto, pledged £8 billion in investment for the NHS, with £1 billion going into mental health research and funding. The manifesto promises to reform antiquated laws such as the Mental Health Act, and improve Health and Safety regulations to take this into account. The ‘triple lock’ on pensions will be replaced in 2020 with a ‘double lock’, keeping the link with earnings and prices but scrapping the minimum of 2.5% a year increase. The state pension age will rise with increases in life expectancy. The reforms on healthcare also promise to focus on the least well of pensioners, meaning that those with assets of £100,000 will need to pay for their own winter fuel payments and contribute to the government contribution.

With housing becoming an increasingly demanding issue for many within the UK, the Conservative manifesto gives a brief inkling of what they would do to remedy this situation if elected. The manifesto promises a full implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act, pledging to halve rough sleeping over the course of the next parliament, and to remove it completely by 2027. This would take place through the implementation of a Housing First approach, giving priority to rough sleepers for new houses. The Conservatives would also modernise the home buying process, they would improve upon their ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, and increase protection for renters, make landlords provide longer tenancies and finally ensure that all properties meet required standards.

By Vivek Rajkhowa

Fresh calls for improved economic growth were issued to all political parties by Greater Birmingham business leaders today after inflation rose to 2.7 per cent in April – the highest figure since September 2013.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) said that with interest rates being held at a record low, everything points to a contraction in real wages and a general slowdown in the UK’s economic output.

Rising air fares (up 18.6 per cent from the month before) were partly due to a later Easter  and were blamed as a major contributor to the increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

The price of clothes jumped to the highest level for six years, with a rise of 1.1 per cent between March and April. Electricity and food prices also went up, but there were falls in the cost of gas, petrol and diesel

“The lower value of the pound continues to make it more costly for UK firms to import goods, which in turn, will impact levels of consumer spending; a key driver behind economic growth in this country.

“With the Bank of England holding interest rates at a record low level and wage growth stagnant, it all points to a contraction in real wages and a potential slowdown in the UK’s economic output.

“However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the sharp rise was predicated on higher air fares (which came about as a result of the Easter holiday being pushed back to April) and tobacco and alcohol duty also going up more than it did 12 months ago – a unique set of factors unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.

“In light of the latest figures and ahead of the General Election, we are calling on all of the political parties to provide detailed answers on how they plan to boost economic growth to offset business concerns around price pressures.

“Today’s results also reflect some the underlying themes which emerged from our last Quarterly Business Report– with local manufacturers particularly squeezed by the increase in factory gate costs, but also exhibiting high levels of optimism when it comes to turnover projections for the next 12 months. We will be starting the surveying for the next report on Monday and it will be interesting to see whether these trends continue into the second half of the year.”

One man’s determination to revive the reputation of a Birmingham sporting icon and Olympic gold medallist has paid off with the news that the forgotten hero is to be honoured by a prestigious Blue Plaque.

In 1976, Birmingham-born John Curry made figure skating history at the Winter Olympics taking home two gold medals for team GB and becoming a sporting hero, winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year. But in the years that followed, Curry slowly slipped out of the public consciousness, and his untimely death in 1994 left a generation completely unaware of his achievements.

Actor and writer Tony Timberlake embarked on personal journey to change this, first through his one man show, Looking For John, which premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre last November and secondly by nominating John Curry, with the support of The REP theatre to be honoured with a Blue Plaque in his home city.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Carl Rice and John Curry’s brother, Andrew, unveiled the Blue Plaque, awarded by Birmingham Civic Society, in honour of John’s achievements on Monday, May 15^th.  John grew up in Acocks Green and the plaque will feature on the house where he was born at 946 Warwick Road, now Arden Lodge Residential Home.

Tony Timberlake said: “Getting recognition for John Curry has been a labour of love.  Watching him win Olympic gold forty years ago had a huge impact on me as a youngster and it’s never left me.  My play Looking for John made me think about John’s legacy – how he changed the world of figure skating and how he never denied who he was in his personal life.  I felt he deserved to be remembered and celebrated again in the city where he was born and then died. I’m thrilled that John Curry will be celebrated once more and remembered forever in this way.”

John Curry OBE (1949 – 1994) was a world champion ice skater and gold medal winner at the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. He was born in Acocks Green and first learnt to skate at Solihull Ice Rink. Gavin Orton, Chairman of Birmingham Civic Society said: “Towards the end of last year the Society received a nomination from Tony Timberlake and the Birmingham Rep for a Blue Plaque to John Curry.  The REP were about to premiere a play, Looking for John, directed by Tessa Walker, an Associate Director at The REP, and written and performed by the actor, Tony Timberlake. This nomination was supported by the Lord Mayor and we are delighted to be honouring John’s achievements today.”

The Birmingham Civic Society has been responsible for erecting Blue Plaques in the city since 1953 and there are currently over 80 around the city.  The society receives several nominations every year and there’s currently a waiting list of over 20 years. To be honoured with a Blue Plaque, a person must have been born, lived or worked in the city and have achieved greatness, by, for example, making a significant contribution to their community or by excelling in their career.

The launch of the world’s first Pet Food Pledge and a national awareness campaign urgespet owners to critically assess what’s in their dog’s diet. Just as parents carefully avoid ‘nasties’ in their children’s food, dog owners are being encouraged to do the same for their beloved four-legged friends. 

The campaign is backed by research highlighting that 85% of UK dog owners are unsure of the ingredients in today’s dog food, with less than a fifth surveyed (19%), actually stopping to read the ingredients in their pet’s food*.  

Forthglade, a Devon-based natural dog food company established in 1971, is behind the ‘Dump the Junk’ initiative, along with support from famous farmer, and renowned dog owner, Adam Henson.

Dump the Junk aims to educate dog owners about the nasties that can be a hidden part of pet’s diets and the potential effects these can have on pet health and behaviour. The campaign will see pet owners pledge to improve their own dog’s nutrition and help spread the word across the UK to ‘dump the junk’. By arming dog owners with the knowledge, they’ll be able to spot a nutritionally balanced dog food from a poor quality counterpart.

Adam Henson explains:     “We all want what’s best for our dogs, but we lead such busy lives, we often don’t have the time to stop and decipher confusing dog food labels. We put too much trust in what we see on packs and tins; clever packaging and vague phrasing make it all too easy to assume you’re getting something you’re not. 

“Dump the Junk is an important campaign set to lift the lid on the real contents of poor quality dog food and help pet owners make informed decisions about what they feed their canine companions. Good nutrition is at the heart of what makes a happy, healthy dog, which is why I am asking UK pet owners to make their pledge today for the benefit of dogs nationwide.”

The campaign has published a Dog Food Nasties Watch-List (attached), which identifies exactly what pet owners should be watching out for and why – as well as, advice on what consumers should look out for when searching for a nourishing dog food. Potential health horrors include vague non-specific protein sources listed as ‘meat’, ‘meat by-products’, or ‘meat and animal derivatives’. ‘Corn or Wheat gluten’ are also listed as ingredients to avoid.

Pet foods containing artificial flavourings or sugars are also being named and shamed, as these can lead to problems ranging from a lack-lustre coat, bad breath and upset tummies through to hyperactivity or even lethargy. 

Gerard Lovell, Joint Managing Director of Forthglade explains more: “In the 46 years that Forthglade has been creating natural dog food, the serious negative impacts of low quality and unsuitable food ingredients come up time and time again; common issues include digestive problems, hyperactivity and other behavioural issues.

“There are some great natural dog foods out there but sadly there are also many meals on offer that are best avoided.  Unfortunately, the law only requires pet food manufacturers to list contents by category, which is why you often see the words ‘meat’ or ‘animal’, but no indication of species. This allows a manufacturer to alter the recipe between batches depending on what meat is cheap at the time.” 

Lovell continues: “There are also a host of ingredients to watch out for. ‘Corn and Wheat gluten’ are cheap waste products from the human food industry commonly added to pet food to make the protein content higher, but are actually an inferior source to animal protein and difficult for the dog to digest – not to mention common causes of allergies.” 

British Airways returns to Birmingham Airport after a ten-year break this weekend with each way flights throughout the summer from just £29.

The first British Airways flight for a decade will take off from Birmingham at 7.20pm today to the Italian city of Florence.

The other summer-only services that will operate every weekend are to the popular Spanish sunspots of Malaga, Ibiza and Palma.

British Airways last flew from Birmingham in 2007 when the regional airline business was sold to Flybe.

Customers will travel direct from their doorstep on modern Embraer 190 jet aircraft, with spacious cabins and two abreast seating so everyone can have an aisle or window seat.