Legend has it if there are no ravens in the Tower of London, the Kingdom will fall.  Not something Harry and Meghan would be keen to hear in the run up their nuptials next weekend.

However, new research released today, 11^th May - which shows that whilst us Brits love our wildlife, the majority (65%) would like to see more - has prompted smartphone manufacturer Huawei to commission five supersized ravens to tour the UK.

In celebration of the launch of the Huawei P20 Pro – the first smartphone to come equipped with three camera lenses and a 5x hybrid zoom – Huawei commissioned the research to discover what Brits are most keen to take photos of.

To bring wildlife closer to people in key cities around the UK, Huawei has supersized a number of elusive Ravens, making them 5x bigger so they are all the more easy to get a perfect shot of.

One bird is currently positioned at Potters Field, right opposite the home of some of the most famous ravens in the UK, the Tower of London.  The other giant birds will be touring the UK this weekend to make sure people in the cities where wildlife is hardest to see get the chance to catch a rare glimpse of these mysterious creatures.

The ravens will be flying off to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Cardiff over the next few days.

If people spot one in their city this weekend, they can simply take a photo of it and take the picture into their local Vodafone store to be in with a chance of winning a dream wildlife photographer’s trip – a luxury safari holiday for two.

You can take an exclusive look at the ravens and how the magnificent birds were created by watching our behind the scenes video.

The Ravens will be coming to Birmingham in the Bull Ring on the 12^th May, from 10.00-12.00, Unit 313 Level 3, Bull Ring, Birmingham.

To enter the competition, take the picture on your phone into the Vodafone store at either Birmingham Cathedral or Villa Park

It’s no secret that big events held in the UK such as the Olympics and royal weddings have a positive effect on the economy. The Guardian has recently reported that in the lead up to the Royal Wedding retailers can expect an additional £60 million spending thanks not only to the influx of tourists but also the national pride that will no doubt sweep the nation.

Something which is often overlooked is the impact this boost in the economy has on the property market across the UK. Research carried out by My Home Move suggests that it’s not just Windsor’s residents who will benefit from the Royal Wedding - when looking at the monthly increases in house prices in years with royal weddings or births, the biggest month on month increase occurred in the same month as the weddings or births!

The month of William and Kate’s marriage saw the biggest month on month increase for 2011 sitting at 1.55%, the wedding of Charles and Camilla had a similar effect back in 2005 with a month on month increase of 1.49%. And, it’s not just weddings which boost the market, the birth month of Prince George saw prices rise by 1.12% month on month whilst the birth of Princess Charlotte saw the modest increase of 1.08% month on month.

With many areas across the South having royal connections, we are set to see an increase in tourism and, as a result, increased spending in the local economy – this will in turn positively impact the housing market. With more profit to be made, independent shops and restaurants along with farmers markets will thrive and attract more people into the local area increasing desire from buyers and tenants to move into the area.

This notion is backed up by research carried out by American Express which found that on average, in towns with lots of independent shops and eateries on the high street, properties are on average £40,000 more expensive. This is great news for locations such as Gerrards Cross, Sunningdale and Henley-on-Thames with bustling high streets full of independent shops and restaurants as they are also likely to benefit from the Royal Wedding effect.

Antony comments; “Whilst there is some debate on which came first, the high-end businesses or affluent residents, one thing we can be certain of, is properties in close proximity to amenities such as independent shops, high-end restaurants, are highly desirable and therefore achieve higher prices.

“The same concept can be applied to the Royal Wedding effect on house prices, the aspirational, glitz and glamour associated not only with the wedding but other locations associated with royalty will likely see a similar boost in desirability and possibly house prices.”

Over 1714 reels of thread, one 1920’s manual treadle machine, 3500 pairs of shoes, 36 mannequins and one 80-year-old anvil are just some of the items that will be temporarily relocated in preparation for the Costume Workshop restoration and redevelopment.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has begun the temporary move of its Costume Workshop ahead of its restoration and redevelopment, which is due to begin this summer.

The move coincides with a £950,000 National Lottery grant towards the conservation of the RSC’s Costume Workshop’s Grade II listed buildings. Awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the grant will also give the public access to the building’s heritage for the first time, with a focus on the craftspeople, designers and actors who have worked there.

Vanessa Harbar, Head of HLF West Midlands, said: “I’m delighted that we can support the RSC to restore the Costume Workshop and open the building to the public. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will celebrate the theatre’s unique history of costume-making and ensure its talented craftspeople continue to weave their magic for years to come.”

As part of the move, the 30-strong Costume Workshop team will pack and temporarily relocate:

• Over 1714 reels of thread
• 7885m of stock fabric
• 3500 pairs of shoes
• 862 square feet of stock leather
• 1131 magnets
• one pricing gun
• 126 paintbrushes
• 5 Sheila’s Maids
• 115kg salt
• 97 hat blocks
• 2 hat stretchers
• 27 fob watches
• one Sonic Jewellery Cleaner
• one swivel knife
• one power file
• one anvil pre-1950s
• 36 Mannequins
• 45 Sewing machines
• one manual treadle machine from the 1920’s
• 7 tailor’s hams
• 8 velvet boards

The RSC, a registered charity, has the largest in-house costume-making department of any British theatre. Alongside its own armoury, the workshop includes many specialist skills and crafts including men’s and ladies’ costume-making, millinery, dyeing and printing. The team create hundreds of costumes each year, which are seen by audiences across the world.

The Costume Workshop is located opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre hidden behind the Grade II-listed 1887 former scene dock constructed for the original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Costume making on the site dates to this time, with the current workshop being here since the 1950s. The close proximity to the theatre is essential as the workshop also includes facilities for fitting and maintenance of costumes during the life of a show.

The team will continue to produce costumes during the project, relocating to a temporary space across town for the duration of the works, which are due to be completed by spring 2020.

The restoration and redevelopment will:

• Create the best facilities for costume-making, in a working environment fit for the 21^st century including more space, more natural light and improved heating and cooling
• Care for the heritage Grade II listed buildings, including the 1887 Scene Dock
• Enable visitors to experience our world-class Costume Workshop for themselves on tours and online
• Create new training and apprenticeships opportunities to enable costume-making skills to be passed on to future generations and to secure the future of costume-making in Stratford-upon-Avon

There's still plenty of time for local artists to enter Sandwell's Hidden Treasures competition.

Hidden Treasures is open to all amateur artists, schools and community groups, with 31 May as the deadline for entries.

Artists are being urged to submit a themed piece of work to feature in the borough's summer arts trail.

They can select a favourite building, open space, walk, view or local attraction as an inspiration their Hidden Treasures entry.

Art work will be shortlisted to a collection of pieces which will then be exhibited across the borough, allowing members of the public to vote for the best piece of art work.

Councillor Syeda Khatun, deputy leader of Sandwell Council, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to get inspired and showcase their artistic talents. It will also shine a light on the many 'hidden treasures' across Sandwell's six towns."

• Painting - oils, acrylics, watercolours
• Drawing - pencils, charcoals, inks, pastels
• Photographs - colour/black and white
• Mixed media - mixture of the above

Birmingham St Mary’s will be opening its doors this month [MAY], in a bid to get local people talking more openly about death, dying and bereavement.

To coincide with national campaign ‘Dying Matters Awareness Week’, the Selly Park-based hospice will be hosting a day full of arts, mindfulness and conversations to help break the taboo around discussing death.

The unusual open day, which takes place on Friday 18 May, is open to everyone and will include activities such as meditation, creative art sessions, and exercise – all of which will inspire and provoke conversations about end of life.

Attendees will be able to tour the hospice’s garden and conservatory, as well as take part in a Q&A session with nurses and End of Life Doulas – a group of trained individuals who help those who are dying to feel safe and supported. They will be talking about ‘What does dying actually look like?’ and ‘All the questions you wanted to know about death but were too afraid to ask’.

Families are also welcome, as there will be a dedicated crafts corner for kids, whilst parents will have an opportunity to speak to the hospice’s child bereavement counsellors on how to talk to children about death and dying.

The open day is in collaboration with BrumYODO – which is a growing group of local artists, undertakers, hospice care professionals and more – who believe that talking openly about dying will support more people to experience a “good death”. The day forms part of their ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ festival – an eclectic two-week programme of events, performances, exhibitions and workshops across Birmingham.

Sharon Hudson, community lead nurse at Birmingham St Mary’s and BrumYODO committee member, said: “We all face death, dying and bereavement in our lives and yet, it’s a topic that many of us are either too scared to talk about or don’t know how to bring up. By giving people the confidence to open up those conversations as a part of everyday life, we can help break down the taboo and ensure more people and their families have the best possible quality of life as they deal with illness and approach dying.

“We hope that by welcoming people to Birmingham St Mary’s, we can show them what really happens behind the doors of a hospice. More often than not, people will tell me that they are pleasantly surprised at how positive and peaceful our hospice is – there is a lot of living happening here – so it’s about getting people here and altering any preconceptions they may have.”

Birmingham St Mary’s provides vital care and support to local people living with life-limiting illness.

Its open day takes place between 12 and 6pm at 176 Raddlebarn Road, Selly Park, B29 7DA. All activities are free of charge and there is no need to book.

Two Reservists and a Triathlete will be embarking on gruelling walk for charity. Matt, Rob and Ad who all work together at Design Built Exhibitions in Redditch love to push themselves to the limit. On 20^th May 2018 they will start at St Bees Bay in Cumbria and take on Wainwrights Walk all the way to Robin Hood Bay in Scarborough, in just five days. The walk was originally depicted in Alfred Wainwright’s 1973 book A Coast to Coast Walk and was described in 12 stages. The usual time to complete this walk would be 14-21 days.

The 192 mile walk reaching heights of 2,560ft will cross three national parks, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Yorkshire Moors. Their aim of five days will mean the trio will have to cover over 40 miles each day, which will be made tougher by carrying their own kit with all of their supplies weighing between 20kg and 25kg, depending on the weather conditions.

However, they aren’t just having a nice walk, they are setting themselves a challenge to raise £3,000 for their chosen charities: Dementia UK, Bliss and Charlotte & Craig Saving Hearts Foundation (CCSHF). Dementia UK provides dementia support for families through their Admiral Nurse service, giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions. Bliss exists to give every baby born premature or sick in the UK the best chance of survival and quality of life. CCSHF are raising money to install defibrillators into community venues to give people a better chance of survival should something happen.

Training for the event has been going well and has involved running or cycling to work every morning and circuit training twice a week. Matt said “I am running 10 miles to work every morning, which is quite a detour as I only live 2 miles away.”

Rob said: “I’m looking forward to the first two days in the Lake District the most as it will be the best scenery, and also when I can see the sea at Robin Hood Bay. I’ll be running to the end then!”

Every day is going to be challenging, but the longest day will be day four covering 48 ½ miles, especially after the hilly terrain of the Lake District on days one and two and 44 ½ miles on day three.

The endurance and willingness to succeed is something all three of them have in common, with Ad taking part in triathlons on a regular basis, his next one is just two weeks before this challenge. Matt and Rob, who are brothers, have both been in the Reserve Forces for 10 years and based at HMS Forward in Birmingham. Matt is a Royal Marines Reservist and Rob is a Royal Naval Reservist. They both said, “Being in the Reserves has given us the mentality to succeed and know that we are 100% sure we will complete this challenge as nothing is impossible.”

During their 10 years of Service they have been deployed on Operations and dedicated themselves to their training. If you’re interested in finding out more about the Reserve Forces you can find out more on West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Associations website www.wmrfca.org

You can find out how to sponsor the trio and follow their training and progress during the challenge through their Facebook page www.2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/coasttocoastchallenge.