West Midlanders - The Mayoral Election:
This is a plea to anyone with elections on Thursday to make sure you get out and vote. No doubt our petition contains people across the political spectrum (hopefully no racists or the like though. Please leave if you are). Turnout is usually low in the UK for these. But you have an opportunity you shouldn't waste.
For West Mids Mayor. Both the two leading candidates Richard Parker and Andy Street have been supportive. Richard Parker is a massive music/theatre fan so gets Station St. Andy Street once tried to buy/save an old cinema in Tenby or somewhere. I do think they both get it - perhaps in different ways and with different solutions - but on Station Street & The Electric we'll work with whoever wins. So vote for whoever you think will best serve our region going forward.
We have massive issues with poverty, transport and more in the region & there are plenty of huge things to make your call on. Rest assured we'll work with whoever wins to save the street. Just make sure you vote.
P.s. Most of you can probably guess i'm personally left of centre. Fighting developers, supporting DIY & grassroots arts and co-operatives. Don't expect to get a medal for guessing that i'll be voting Richard Parker & Labour. That said I'll work with (most likely either...) Parker or Street to Save Station Street, The Electric and The Crown because that's the way our politics works and what is needed to #SaveStationStreet from irreparable damage.
The most important thing: Just get out and vote if you love the arts, film, music and believe in a better future for Station Street that doesn't include demolition of the UK's oldest cinema and the birthplace of Heavy Metal being left to rot.
What about after the Local / Mayoral elections?
We'll be asking whoever wins to immediately take up the case of Station Street with Toyoko Inns (The Crown) and Glenbrook (long-term leaseholders on The Electric) and Vyse-Family (The Old Rep & The Electric).
On 16th May there is also a drop-in session by Glenbrook Property Developers to talk through their proposals for the land between The Old Rep and The Crown (i.e. The Electric) - you can attend anytime between 12-7pm for as little or as long as you need to get your point across to Glenbrook.
The event details are as follows:
Date: 16th May 2024
Time: 12pm-7pm
Venue: Birmingham Open Media, 12 Dudley Street, Birmingham, B5 4EA (Behind the Electric)
It is vitally important as many people attend as possible to show Glenbrook our strength of feeling, in person, about what they plan to do to our most historical arts street. Get it in yr diaries.
Photo: Station Street September - 1966
Brian Cox would have been performing at The Old Rep; Black Sabbath would be 2 years away. The Spencer Davis Group w/Steve Winwood would have been pottering around playing blues covers at The Golden Eagle over the road a year or so before.