Moseley and Kings Heath have been named as the best places to live in Birmingham, according to a recent poll. More than 1,500 Brummies took part in the survey, run by leading Birmingham based developer SevenCapital, to find out which areas of the UK’s second city were most popular amongst locals.

One fifth (19%) of voters agreed that the popular villages of Moseley and Kings Heath were the best places to live in the city, with Harborne taking second place with 15% of votes. Solihull, which is just outside Birmingham took third place with 14%, shortly followed by Sutton Coldfield (13%) and the city’s famous Jewellery Quarter taking fifth place with 12% of votes. Other areas which also featured include Edgbaston, Brindleyplace and Digbeth.

It’s not the first time Moseley and Harbone have topped best places to live lists – in the past three years both have been named in The Sunday Times’ annual list of Britain’s best places to live, with Moseley announced overall winner back in 2015.

Andy Foote, director at SevenCapital said: “There’s a lot of research being continually carried out into which places are most desirable or offer the best quality of life for residents across the city, region and the UK. Much of this is based upon factors including economical outlook, green spaces, house prices and so on. However these reports don’t necessarily take into account what is perhaps most important, and that’s the opinions of the people living and working in these areas. That’s why we decided to do our own poll of the city where we’re based and are most active, Birmingham, to find out if these national reports are reflected by the sentiment of the people in those areas. Judging by the results, it would seem they are.”

Since 2009 SevenCapital has become the most active residential developer in and around Birmingham City Centre, with developments either completed, under construction or in planning in areas including: Mailbox District, Jewellery Quarter, Fiveways, Digbeth and Erdington.

A new exhibit featuring some of the world’s most mysterious creatures has opened at the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham. Guests sampled jelly-inspired mocktails and sweet treats as the attraction was unveiled to families.

Months in the making, the new ‘Jelly Invaders’ exhibit stars five different jellyfish species from across the globe, from the bizarre freshwater ‘upside down jellyfish’ to the glittering ‘sea nettle’ variety from the Indo-Pacific.

The unique creatures are the true Jekyll and Hydes of the marine world, with their harmless, tranquil appearance belying highly efficient hunting tactics and stingers.

The new experience will allow visitors to get a close encounter to these mystical creatures, with diverse species of jellies in a variety of colourful interactive displays.

Jonny Rudd, curator at the aquarium, said: “The new exhibit lifts the lid on this mysterious species. Jellyfish are actually older than dinosaurs, as it’s believed they first swam in our oceans some 500 million years ago. With more than 350 different species, there’s a lot to uncover!”

Despite their name, jellyfish aren’t actually a type of fish and are instead classed in a group of their own, due to them being unlike any other creature on earth.

“But jellies get a bad press,” explains Jonny.“Most are completely harmless to humans; it’s only a few such as the sea nettle jellyfish that give them a bad name as they can cause a painful sting.

“Jellies remain key to our ecosystem as they feed larger sea creatures, however one of the main fascinations is in their coastline invasions.”

Jellyfish flourish in conditions created by global warming, pollution and overfishing, as evidenced by their invasions onto UK coastlines as recently as last year.

“Jellies are superbly adapted to plug the gaps when other species decline, which is one reason why there have been such huge swarms of jellyfish appearing in recent years.

“Some scientists believe that jellyfish are even poised to take over the oceans one day.”

Jelly Invaders is included with all entry tickets. Guests can delve deeper into the jellyfish life cycle including the aquarium’s breeding programme on a Behind the Scenes Tour (additional charge of £3.50 applies).

The Merlin Entertainments-owned attraction is home to more than 2,000 aquatic inhabitants in over 60 immersive displays, including the UK’s only 360° tropical ocean tunnel.

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is holding an open morning for those interested in being a part of the historical venue's future.

When the iconic building got into financial difficulties and was threatened with closure 18 months ago, a committee, formed of local arts and heritage enthusiasts - Sutton Coldfield Arts and Recreational Trust - joined forces to keep the venue open.

Later this year, the trust officially receives the freehold ownership of the Town Hall from the City council, with the next step being for the new registered charity to fully restore it as a theatre and community venue for this and future generations.

A meeting and tour on Saturday 21 April at 11am  - 12 noon is for those interested in volunteering or learning more about being a Friend or sponsor of the venue, which was built in 1865 as a hotel, reopening in 1906 as Sutton Coldfield Town Hall.

Those interested in theatre may be interested in volunteering on the front of house team, where roles include ushering and serving teas and coffees. Productions range from pantomimes to musicals, talks to live music events. The Town Hall is looking for enthusiastic helpers happy to give one or two evenings a month to the venue.

Volunteers with practical skills such as painting and decorating are also urged to attend, plus volunteers who can distribute publicity packs to their local cafes, churches and noticeboards, spreading the word to help their own community learn about forthcoming shows.

Birmingham’s John Taylor Hospice is calling on former staff and visitors to share their memories of the hospice for a new history archive.

John Taylor has been supporting families in the city since 1910 and is keen to collect people’s recollections of working and visiting the hospice over the past decades.

In a newly launched history section of its website the hospice now features films of two women who worked at John Taylor in the past sharing their memories. Pat Murr, aged 90, of Sutton Coldfield and 79-year-old Pat Seickell of Lichfield were nurses at what was then known as the Taylor Memorial Home.

Pat Murr, who was a staff nurse at the hospice in the 1950s, said: “In those days it was just nursing to make people as comfortable as we could. Visiting was very limited in those days and nobody ever talked about the hospice.”

Pat Seickell, who was a night sister in the 1970s and helped launch the community service in the 1980s, said: “When I joined the hospice in 1975 it was different from how it is now. It was fairly basic with nursing staff, a cook and some cleaners and that was about it.

“My remembrances of the place was that, although it was a place where people came at end of life, on the whole it was a very happy place. I do keep up to date with the hospice and I think the ethos is very much the same – living until you die.”

Founded in Sparkbrook in 1910, John Taylor moved to its current site at The Grange in Grange Road, Erdington, in 1948 as part of the formation of the NHS. In 2011 the hospice left the NHS to become independent. Initially this was as a community enterprise company but this April the hospice has become a charity.

Hospice CEO Penny Venables says: “For more than 100 years John Taylor Hospice has been providing care for families here in Birmingham. Our hospice has changed many times over those years – always to ensure we are meeting the needs of the people we care for.

“When we left the NHS in 2011 becoming a community enterprise company was the right decision. Four years ago we achieved charitable status and now is the right time for us to move the entire organisation from social enterprise to charity.

“This will enable us to continue to develop new services and meet the ever-changing needs of local families. And we also hope it will put us in a stronger position to attract fundraising income which will ensure we can extend our care still further and reach more people.”

And she added: “This is the latest stage in our rich history and to celebrate our special status as the longest-standing hospice in the region we want to ensure we are capturing stories from our past. We would love to hear from anyone who has worked here, visited or had other links which they would like to share – and we are particularly keen to collect memories as far back as possible.”

Dogs have been celebrated as man’s best friend for centuries – and that’s no accident. Your dog is probably the best friend you will ever have, when you’re looking your worst or feeling under the weather they will be there to cheer you up.

This month will see pet owners up and down the country celebrating their furry friends as part of National Pet Month. In the spirit of this Lintbells, manufacturers of premium natural pet supplements, have shared a few reasons why our canine chums are the best.

They’re incredibly loyal

Our canine companions generally love being around people. They wait for you by the door; face smiling, mouth open and tail wagging, ready to dote on their best friend in the world. They are great listeners as most of us are guilty of confiding in our pets, especially after a hard day’s work.

Their mood can quite often reflect how you feel - when you're feeling blue your dog will remain by your side to comfort you, but when you're happy your dog will leap about and share in your excitement.

They keep you healthy

If you are looking to spring into action after the winter blues your dog can be the best companion. Our furry friends love being active – walks, fetching sticks, leaping into a pond or even just a game of frisbee. Even if you’re lacking energy and tempted to just stay in, the importance of ‘walkies’ will compel you to get out of the house.

Dog owners have also been found to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and they can even promote emotional wellbeing thanks to their unconditional love.

They’re entertaining

Dogs often beat other animals on the entertainment scale with their goofy looks and antics. They’re unpredictable and silly and often entertain us with their playful nature and human-like behaviours. Simply watching them as they chase their own tail for hours or a game of peek-a-boo from around the corner will certainly keep you chuckling.

They can help you socialise

Walking your dog is a sure fire way to start conversations with fellow animal lovers. Their friendly and super social nature means you can make new friends at the same time as walking your dog!

They’ll never leave you hanging

We all have that one friend who cancels on you regardless of weeks of planning in advance. But with your furry little friend, you’ve got nothing to fear! They will always be there for you no matter what.

There is no doubt our pet pooch deserves gentle handling and should be showered with lots of love and affection. Lintbells offers pet owners a fantastic range of natural products that are designed to make your dog glow from head to tail. The recently launched YuMOVE PLUS for dogs is an extra-strength joint supplement that will make a tail-wagging difference to stiff and older dogs, helping to keep them mobile by soothing stiffness and supporting their joints.

Staff from a leading Black Country law firm have pledged their support to help Birmingham Children’s Hospital carry out its life-saving care.

Talbots Law named the UK’s leading specialist paediatric centre as its ‘Charity of the Year’ and has already presented it with a £10,000 donation to help it deliver treatments, complex surgical procedures and cutting-edge research to young people up to the age of 16.

Employees from across the company’s seven offices were invited to nominate their preferred good causes and, following much deliberation, the three most popular choices were put forward for a final vote that was made at the business’ annual party.

“There was a lot of personal stories of families and friends that have been helped and supported by Birmingham Children’s Hospital so the decision was a comprehensive one in the end,” explained Mary Mocklow, Chief Executive of Talbots Law.

“We always kick-start the year of fundraising by donating an initial sum and then we hope to build on this through a host of different activities that will be organised by the firm and our employees. The emphasis is on getting as many people involved as possible.”

“Ian Bond and I visited Eloise Davidson and Paul Moore at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity to present the cheque and find out a little bit more about the amazing care they provide every day of the week, every week of the year.”

Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital, which was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the CCQ in February 2017, looks after 90,000 children and young people from across the country every year.

It operates a national liver and small bowel transplant centre and is a global centre of excellence for complex heart conditions, the treatment of burns, cancer, liver and kidney disease.

Talbots staff have already taken part in the ‘Big Bandage Day’ and are looking forward to embarking on a London to Paris bike ride and a daunting Snowdon Challenge.

Eloise Davidson, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are truly thankful for all of the hard work Talbots Law has put into raising such a fantastic amount of money for our patients.

“The funds they have raised will go a long way to making a huge difference to the lives of our brave children and their families as we continue our plans to improve our facilities – enabling us to treat even more children from Birmingham, the West Midlands and around the country.”