“We don’t do God” but then maybe we do: Speak Out magazine

(The following short post is an introductory piece that will be included in the next edition of Speak Out magazine due for publication in early June. It will introduce a collection of short pieces about minority religions in Birmingham and a more detailed piece of the British Humanist Association’s recent report into the ‘religion or belief’ equalities strand – click here to read)

The former Labour spin-doctor Alistair Campbell was once famously quoted as saying, “We don’t do God”. In many ways, Campbell may have been speaking on behalf of the British per se: or at least how things might have been because there are signs that some things might be changing.

Immigration for a Nation of Immigrants: Speak Out magazine

(The following short post is an introductory piece that was included in the third edition of Speak Out magazine. I include it to ensure that as much of my published work is available to read from this website as possible)

With 2,000 years of immigration under its belt – albeit sometimes in the form of invasion and conquest – it is somewhat surprising that immigration remains a contentious issue for the British.

“Have You Heard the One About the English & the Carry On Films…?”: Speak Out magazine article

(The post below will feature in the next edition of ‘SpeakOut’ magazine, due for publication in the second week of June.)

As a child my grandparents introduced me to the ‘Carry On…’ series of films. From an early age I was as scared by the totally non-scary Oddjob in ‘Carry on Screaming’ as I was amused by Barbara Windsor losing her bra during exercises in ‘Carry on Camping’. Even today, I still laugh at the double entendres and puerile humour of Sid James, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Williams et al.

I was both interested and pleased to see a feature in the Birmingham Post last year that asked people to send in their ‘alternative’ English cultural icons. Alongside 1970s football hooliganism and Raleigh Chopper bikes were the ‘Carry On’ series of films.

Then in a separate poll for the BBC, Kenneth Williams’ “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me” line from ‘Carry on Cleo’ came out as the nation’s favourite comedy one-liner. It obviously wasn’t just me that held the ‘Carry On’ films so dear.

‘Speak Out’ magazine – issue #3

The latest edition of ‘Speak Out’ magazine – the premier equalities magazine for Birmingham – has just been published.

Issue 3 takes a hard-hitting look at child poverty in Birmingham. Featuring expert comment from national campaigners, debate from local politicans, and views on the issue from real people in Birmingham. The issue also takes a look at racism in the beautiful game, the people on the frontline of tackling gang culture, and recent immigrants who give their take on life in modern Britain.

Hard copies are available freely in various locations around Birmingham city centre. An electronic version can be read online here.

Chris Allen is Editor of  ‘SpeakOut’ magazine.

Cockney Reject: Celebrating 19 Years in the West Midlands

This weekend marks the 19th anniversary of my relocation to the West Midlands: first arriving in Stourbridge on the first weekend of January 1990.

How things have changed..!!??

Since 1990 I’ve had three children, got married (and subsequently divorced), had various jobs (from working in a UCI Cinema through stockbroking for Charles Schwab to co-authoring a report for the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia), completed a degree at the University of Wolverhampton followed by the successful completion of my PhD at the University of Birmingham. Between these I’ve had many trials and tribulations that are not the sort of thing that need to be repeated here…!!!

But two things that haven’t changed: the first that I still identify myself as a Londoner (more precisely, as someone from Bermondsey); the second, that I haven’t lost my (strong) Cockney accent.

Why is this…?