TUI (formerly Thomson) the UK’s largest holiday brand, has celebrated its first flights to Podgorica, Montenegro for summer 2018 operating out of Birmingham Airport.

Tom Screen, Acting Aviation Director at Birmingham Airport was on hand to welcome customers onboard alongside the TUI cabin crew flying the customers to Montenegro.

Flights will operate once a week every Wednesday until the middle of October.

For customers who have already booked their summer holidays they can look ahead to next year as flights and holidays to Montenegro are already on sale for summer 2019.

Tom Screen, Acting Aviation Director at Birmingham Airport, said: “Montenegro is a great destination for TUI to add to its summer 2018 flying schedule. It will be popular with holiday makers as it has stunning mountains, breathtaking beaches and an interesting local culture. We are delighted TUI has chosen to expand its choice of destinations from Birmingham Airport.”

The decision to add Montenegro to the network is part of the holiday company’s plans to offer as much choice as possible to customers flying from their local airport and staying at the best hotels TUI and First Choice have to offer including the brand new 4Sun Holiday Village Montenegro.

Karen Switzer, Director of Aviation Planning for TUI UK & Ireland, said: “It is great to see the first customers heading off on their holidays to one of our newest destinations. We have expanded our programme from Birmingham Airport for summer 2018 and now customers from the Midlands have over 60 destinations to choose from when deciding where to book their holidays.”

A University of Wolverhampton academic has been awarded an MBE in the Birthday and New Year Honours List 2018.

Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, Director of the recently launched Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the University and Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies in the Faculty of Arts, will receive the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) later this year at a ceremony being held at Buckingham Palace.

The New Year Honours list recognises the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people across the United Kingdom. An MBE is an award given by the Queen to an individual for outstanding service to the community or local 'hands on' service.

Dr Takhar, from Derby, undertakes a variety of research, specialising in subject matter that relates to the Sikh community as well as topics including caste and gender balance. She is well-known in the region for her research work – especially in the Sikh community in and around the West Midlands.

A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Dr Takhar is also an Editorial Board member for The Journal of Understanding Sikhism in Canada, on the editorial board of the Journal, Sikh Formations, she sits on the Steering Committee of Special Interest Group on Teaching Religions of South Asia and is a Board Member of the Inter faith Wolverhampton Network.

Dr Takhar has presented her research in Universities across the world, she has produced textbooks and a Teacher’s guide for the OCR GCSE syllabus on Philosophy and Ethics, used in secondary schools across Britain and she has written numerous educational resources for RE Today Publications, a national resource for teaching Religious Education across schools and colleges in the UK. Her 2005 book on Sikh Identity is used as a key text in Universities across the world.

She is a regular participant on discussion programmes and panels on Sikh media channels. She has regularly contributed to the British Sikh Report, as well as the UK Sikh Survey, and is also one of the authors of the Sikh Manifesto, produced by the Sikh Network (UK) in preparation for the 2015 British Parliament elections.

Dr Takhar said:  “I am absolutely thrilled and humbled to have been nominated for such a prestigious award.  I am committed to bringing faith communities together whilst at the same time raising the profile of the Sikh community.

“Working at the University of Opportunity, it is essential that we all make a valid contribution to promoting equality and diversity and I hope that my research is enriching the lives of our students as well as our communities.”

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “On behalf of everyone at the University of Wolverhampton, I would like to congratulate Opinderjit on this prestigious and very well deserved honour.

“Engaging tirelessly with local, regional, national and international community groups and governing bodies, Dr Takhar is consistently raising awareness of issues that affect the Sikh community in the UK and abroad.

“The West Midlands has a large and well-established Sikh community as well as people from all faiths and none.  Dr Takhar’s research, combined with her personal high-profile, is consistently having an impact on people’s lives by bringing communities together as well as helping to raise the profile of the University.”

The University of Wolverhampton launched its new Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies earlier this year - the first of its kind in the UK.

The Centre will offer PhDs and Master’s level courses in Sikh studies, as well as continuing professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and managers of diverse workforces such as national and local government, the NHS and the emergency services.

TV personality and Michelin starred chef, Glynn Purnell has teamed up with Calvet, the number one French wine brand in the UK, to launch an exclusive activation at the Blenheim Palace Flower Show.   On the 22nd June, Purnell will be cooking a variety of dishes which bring to life the inimitable French experience, pairing them with wines from the award-winning Calvet range, brought from vineyards located throughout France's wine-growing regions from Bordeaux to Alsace.

Glynn Purnell says: “I am looking forward to the Blenheim Palace Flower Show and to showcasing the beautiful Calvet wines alongside dishes that are born out of my memories of France.”   Matthew Upson, Flower Show Director says: “I am thrilled to welcome Glynn Purnell and the Calvet wine activation to the show. Purnell is a fantastic chef and I know that visitors will enjoy watching him at work in the specially created 'French street kitchen' at the show.”

This year is set to offer visitors the biggest Flower Show in event's history. Opened by horticultural expert and BBC Plantswoman Carol Klein, the event will also feature a unique first for the show: a walk-through Orchid Tunnel. Showcasing exotic orchids from all over the world and a collection of tropical plants the new stunning display is being created by Show Manager and Designer Mig Kimpton.

The Flower Festival itself is set within the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Capability' Brown landscaped Parkland, and boasts Formal Gardens created over the centuries by esteemed garden designers such as Henry Wise and Achille Duchêne.   The Grand Floral Pavilion forms the centrepiece of the Show and features the UK's finest nurseries and growers giving expert advice and gardening ideas.

It is guaranteed to be a riot of colour, fragrance and weird and wonderful plants.   With workshops, talks and demonstrations taking place throughout the event, you'll be guaranteed to learn something new and take inspiration for your own gardening project.

Kids all over the UK have just three weeks left to enter National Express’s summer art competition and be in with a chance to see their work splashed over the side of a coach.

With the Colour the Coach competition deadline fast approaching, the UK’s largest coach operator is urging youngsters to pick up their pens and design a poster promoting their home town – those selected as winners will see their entries turned into a special National Express coach liveries.

The national competition challenges youngsters aged 5-15 to design a summer-themed poster advertising the place they live to encourage people to visit some of the amazing locations on National Express’s unrivalled coach network.

The six winners - whose designs will be whittled down to a shortlist by a panel of judges - will be selected by an online vote.

And to encourage the development of their creative talent, each winner will also receive a quality art set including a range of brushes and paints.

The competition closes at midnight on the 25^th June. To enter youngsters simply need to design a poster on a sheet of A4 paper and post it or scan then email it to National Express.National Express Coach Managing Director Chris Hardy, who is on the judging panel said:

“Colour the Coach is an amazing opportunity for youngsters to show-off their artistic talents by creating a show-stopping poster to go on a moving billboard for thousands to see. With only three weeks to go until the competition closes, I’m encouraging children all over the country to grab sheet of A4 and design us a winner. With our unrivalled coach network reaching more than 900 great UK locations, the winning designs will be on display all over the country.”

Now in its fourth year, the competition has seen 15 winners with their designs touring Britain’s motorways on National Express’s coaches.

In past years children have been asked to design their ideal holidays or favourite landmark. Now National Express is bringing summer back home by asking youngsters to promote the place where they live in a bid to encourage people to visit it this summer.

A winner will be chosen from each of the following UK regions: the North, South and East of England, plus the Midlands, Wales and Scotland, and each one will see their picture boldly displayed on one of the many daily coach services that drive on the roads around everyday.

Visitors to Birmingham City University’s Inspired Family Day will be given the chance to star in their own play, design their own railway or take part in a range of sporting activities this weekend.

Elsewhere, there will be jewellery making, science experiments and craft workshops on offer as the University throws open the doors to the public once again for a unique, hands-on experience.

The University’s second Inspired Family Day will welcome families for an action-packed day of free and fun-filled events and activities for all ages between 11am and 4pm on Saturday 9 June.

Taking place at Birmingham City University’s City Centre Campus, situated in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside, the family festival will introduce hundreds of youngsters to the range of subjects on offer at the institution and showcase potential career options.

Highlights of Inspired Family Day include drop in, make-and-take sessions for the under 10s, while young adults can have a go at making their own television programme in one of the University’s state-of-the-art broadcasting studios.

Elsewhere, as construction for High Speed 2 (HS2) gets underway in Birmingham, youngsters will be able to enter the Magical Academy of Invention to design the trains, stations and platforms of the future, and budding fashionistas can to try their hand at one of the festival’s jewellery and textiles workshops.

Plus, Birmingham Hippodrome will be taking part and offering groups of youngsters the opportunity to write, direct and star in their own play which will be performed at the end of Inspired Family Day. Ahead of ‘Matilda The Musical’ coming to the city over the summer, the theatre will also be inviting youngsters to learn how to draw one of Roald Dahl’s most iconic characters – with the best ones winning tickets to the play itself at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Coupled with this, there will be the opportunity to meet with world-class academics, who are training the next generation of creative professionals.

Inspired Family Day will officially open Birmingham City University’s Inspired Festival, now in its fifth year. It showcases the talent of the institution’s final year students in disciplines such as film, art, architecture, fashion and photography.

Visitors to Inspired Family Day will get the opportunity to see many of the student’s exhibitions in the University’s £62 million Parkside Building, which boasts cutting edge facilities – including Europe's largest static green screen.

Sara Middleton, Associate Dean at Birmingham City University, said:

“Half term may be over now, but we have got so much fun to come at our Inspired Family Festival, which is bigger and better than before.

“Inspired Festival celebrates the wealth of creative talent being nurtured and developed in the region – but we also want to introduce the next generation to all the amazing subjects they can study here and go on to forge a successful career in.

“Our institution is defined by the city it is rooted in and events like these also allow us to showcase the positive cultural and economic impact we are making locally, regionally and internationally.”

During Inspired Festival the public will be given the opportunity to take part in a series of workshops focussed on enhancing creativity, and all events and activities will be showcased using the hashtag #BCUinspired.

Further Inspired Festival events will be held at the University’s City Centre Campus in Birmingham’s Eastside as well as Birmingham School of Jewellery and Birmingham School of Art, ranging from music and literature performances to fashion shows and innovative technology demonstrations.

Tributes have been paid to former councillor and Mayor of Sandwell Alderman Bill Archer who passed away over the weekend.

Alderman Archer was the one of the longest serving councillors for Sandwell after being an elected ward member for Wednesbury North from 1975 to 2011.

He served as mayor from 2005 to 2006 and was given the honour of becoming an Alderman of Sandwell in 2011.

Known affectionately as the ‘singing mayor’, Bill raised a record £35,500 for his chosen charities Prostate Cancer Research and Guide Dogs for the Blind - no Mayor before or since has matched this.

Bill Archer had often said how immensely proud he was of his daughter Elaine Costigan who is a councillor for Wednesbury North and cabinet member for public health and protection.

Councillor Costigan described her father as an “amazing character” and said she was overwhelmed with the response to the news from people far and wide.

“It’s absolutely amazing the amount of messages I’ve had.” she said. “They’ve come from as far as America and Australia and from many different communities. We knew he was popular and a rare breed but as a family this has really blown us away.

“He did a lot for the older generation and was inspiration to young people as well. Years ago he ran surgeries from the old swimming baths and I remember kids who were five or six years old would run past and shout ‘hello Bill’. Those same kids have grown up now and have been getting in touch over the weekend to say how much he inspired them.

“He was my inspiration too. I’ve definitely got some of his traits which has stood me in good stead and I feel responsible to carry on the good work he did for Wednesbury and Sandwell.”

Councillor Steve Eling, leader of Sandwell Council paid tribute to Bill. He said: "Bill was always a lively character who will be remembered fondly for his role as mayor as well as his long service to the people of Wednesbury. We would like to express our condolences to his family and friends."

Deputy Leader Councillor Syeda Khatun offered condolences on behalf of everyone at Sandwell Council.

She said: “Bill will be missed – not only was he a close colleague over many years but I had the pleasure of calling him my friend too.

“Bill was well known across Sandwell and had a great personality. My thoughts are with his family at this incredibly sad time."