Last Thursday (15th Sept 2005) Nanjing began their operation to strip the former Longbridge plant of its assets. Equipment, tools, technology and other items were loaded into shipping containers and onto trucks bound for Felixstowe and other ports where it will be picked up by Chinese shipping giant Cosco to be taken around the world to Nanjing’s base of operations.

There are fears that the talk from ex-Powertrain executives about setting up “GB Sports Car Company” on the Longbridge site was just a smoke screen to allow Nanjing to the time to prepare.

Nanjing, who bought the factory after it had been run into the ground, have declined to respond to questions about their plans for the site and whether they plan to cointinue to manufacture cars there. Given the recent events it seems they do not.

One must wonder at the motivations of the politicians who would let a foriegn company not only throw so many of their voters out of work (both at Longbridge and at the local companies that existed to supply the site) but also ‘lift and shift’ so much British intellectual property along with the equipment to utilise it.

Previously loquacious on the subject, John Hemming MP has been silent on the matter of late.

As if we didn’t have enough choice of casinos around Birmingham, it looks like there will soon be a new “super casino” opening. The exact location has yet to be decided, but according to icBirmingham it sounds as if the NEC is the favourite.

Well, at least that way it’ll be out of the city centre. Apparently this decision was made (at least in part) because members of the city Council thought “it was away from housing and the sensitive Muslim communities of the inner city

I stayed over in Wolverhampton yesterday, and was debating whether to get the bus or Metro home this afternoon. Once I’d decided on the bus, I then had to decide, 79 or 126? Even though we could see the 126 at the bottom with all the other buses, and it was due before the 79, the bus drivers on it must have been having a very, very interesting conversation because the 79 turned up first. So we (my boyfriend and myself) got on the 79 at the bus station.

The next stop was PACKED. There were no seats left downstairs, and it was probably quite busy upstairs too. Once we got to the roundabout, the one where the Metro cuts through the middle, there was quite a smashed up car, an empty Metro, an ambulance and a fire engine.

I’ve looked on the Metro website, and BBC Birmingham & BBC Black Country, but there’s not been anything about it yet.

So, if you’re planning on using the Metro today, I’d ring them and see what the deal is. It seemed a pretty bad crash so I don’t know how long it’ll take to clear up.

The only number I can find on the ‘Customer Care’ section of the Metro website is 0121 254 7272, although this is only available during during office hours: Monday - Friday 08:30 to 17:30, which makes it a bit redundant.

Ta for the reminder, Gaz. Tomorrow’s the last day of the Earth From The Air exhibition, so go have a look! Hopefully this weather clears up a bit by then. Don’t forget to spend lots of money there, it’s for charity, after all.

Well, it’s a little late to point this out, but this weekend (the 9th to the 11th) is the weekend for “the largest free arts festival in the UK”: Artsfest 2005. Unfortunately, as you may have noticed, it’s currently pouring with rain around here, so it’s not really the kind of weather for walking around enjoying the various exhibits and performances. I myself am confined to the comfort of the couch for the weekend, following a nasty sprain of my ankle last Thursday.

It’s been twenty years since the Handsworth Riots, and there’s some galleries put up by local photographer Pogus Caesar (greatest name ever, eh?) and an article on the riots on the BBC site.

Check them out here. or here. You can also post your memories of the events there (or here, of course).

As mentioned in an earlier entry (August 25th) one of my colleagues will be DJing at the Sunflower Lounge this Friday. His site is now up, DJ Steve Rees, and has more details. He mentioned on Monday that the plan is to start off with softer, more vocal, Trance tracks at 9pm. After that one of his friends, Brad-Aaron, will be taking over with a set of House then around 11pm Steve will be back with a harder Trance set.

If the above means anything to you then you’ll probably enjoy the evening. Entrance is free and if you get there early enough you may be able to get a glow stick (they’re the ones about 4 inches long and half an inch thick with a clip on one end so you can clip them to your clothes or a lanyard.

Dignity At Work Now (DAWN) are a campaigning and advice group dealing with workplace bullying in the UK. On October 12th they are holding a conference at Carrs Lane Church Centre (opposite Moor Street Station).

The issues to be dealt with at the conference include the rise of bullying and harrassment in the workplace, personal experiences of abuse and discussion of the barriers to reporting abuses.

Having just returned from a brief vacation over in Norway, I’ve come to realise that BHX (Birmingham International Airport) really is quite a good airport. While it’s hardly a Gatwick or Heathrow, it still manages to service a large number of European destinations via a fair few different carriers (BMI Baby, British Airways, KLM, and SAS to name but a few). There’s also a new carrier coming soon, called German Wings, which will offer flights to Cologne, Germany, from BHX.
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Hullo! many apologies for not updating in so long. Had various problems, but this isn’t a Live Journal so I won’t whine about them here.

Took my niece and nephew on The Wheel today, which was a lot better than I was expecting. After an amusingly incomprehensible set of instructions from one of the attendants, we sat down and took in the great views. My camera decided to be a git and chose now to die, but I managed to get a few pictures. I suppose it’s a bit clich