13 years ago I sat in a Premier League meeting when the idea of a 39th game was mooted. It made no sporting sense and the instinctive negative reaction from fans & all who love the game swiftly killed the idea.
I hope the same happens with this terrible Super League plan 👎👎⚽️
Well done
@AVFCOfficial
on a very classy tribute today to the mark the 40th anniversary of the European Cup win in 1982, even though I can’t believe it’s 15 years since the last big celebration! 👏🏆 😲
#avfc
The League Cup owes Villa after the injustice of 2010. Still don’t know how Phil Dowd didn’t send
#Vidic
off after 5 mins! The odds might be long but “do you want to bet against us?” Good luck
@AVFCOfficial
for the cup final today💪⚽️🏆🤞
#AVFC
#CarabaoCupFinal
Genuinely touched and humbled by all the lovely messages I’ve received as I finish my last day
@GrBhamChambers
- thank you all 🥰x
New adventures await & I’ll be excited to share info on my new role and plans to support & invest in the region’s businesses soon...
Very humbled and proud to have received an honorary doctorate from
@MyBCU
yesterday.
Thank you to all at BCU for making it such a special day & for great collaboration over the years. Thank you as well for all the generous and kind words I’ve received in recent days. 👨🎓🙏
Thoughts & best wishes with Gordon Cowans as he reveals his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. One of the most genuine people I’ve been fortunate to work with, whose love for Villa - and football in general - runs so deep. And what a player.
#Keepfighting
💪
Very sad to hear the news that Gerard Houllier has passed away.
His knowledge and passion for the game ran deep, and while his spell at Villa was too brief it was a pleasure getting to know and work with him.
Thoughts are with his lovely family.
#RIPGerard
⚽️
Tomorrow, our region submits its bid to be the new home of
@Channel4
HQ. There are countless great reasons to choose the West Midlands. I won’t list them ‘Fifteen to One’...but more than anything we will make you even better. Choose wisely.
#WMGeneration
Wonderful to see past
@GrBhamChambers
President and all round top man
@Steve_Brittan
this morning ahead of his bone marrow transplant this week, as he starts the process of beating
#leukaemia
. All our love, thoughts, prayers & support are with you Steve 💪
Reliving my
#WeakestLink
appearance from 17 years ago after Mum found a dusty old VHS at home and we got it put on CD - don’t think I’ve changed much at all... 👀 📼
#loveaquiz
#strongestlink
?
Packed house at Castle Bromwich to hear Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth outline the electric future for the firm, the company’s commitment to manufacturing in the West Midlands and the support required from Government to ensure the full potential is realised
#JLR
This is what life changing drugs look like - Kaftrio & Kalydeco, which have dramatically positive benefits for many people with
#cysticfibrosis
.
Thank you to everyone who fought so hard to get these drugs approved for use by the NHS, and continue to push for more in future 🙏
Congratulations
@HenriettaLB
on her appointment as the new CEO of
@GrBhamChambers
👏👏👏.
It’s been a pleasure working closely with Henrietta for the past 6 years & I’m excited to see the Chamber continue to go from strength to strength 👍
Story: 👉
Hey
#Birmingham
- the tighter
#COVID
restrictions announced across the North last night were because of concerns on social distancing not being observed.
Let’s be smart, stay safe & vigilant so that the same isn’t applied in the West Midlands.
#lockdown
😷
Boom! 💥- Team
@GrBhamChambers
just won the Excellence in Membership award at
#ChamberAwards
. Nice recognition for the amazing amount of hard work & dedication our whole team put into supporting our members and businesses in general. Thanks to all who play their part 👏
#winning
Apparently this was 9 years ago today Forest fans - Ben Osborn slams home the winner in injury time at Pride Park & the gaffer shows what it means to him!!
Probably the best 30 seconds of my time at
#NFFC
! 🤞for this evening ⚽️
Good statement by
#NFFC
on the points deduction announced today, clearly setting out some of the key issues with
#FFP
rules & sanctions. None of this is good for the integrity of the competition and ability of ambitious clubs to ‘have a go’ when they have the funds available ⚽️
Congratulations to all involved in successfully installing the 1st new bridge for
#HS2
over the M42 this weekend. Incredibly impressive engineering!
Great to have a tangible sign of this transformative project in place & more will follow.
#HS2AlltheWay
Brilliant, inspiring and really fun day charging around London cheering runners on at the
#LondonMarathon
. Congratulations to everyone who ran, raised money, supported and organised a truly incredible event. Heroes all! 👏🏃♀️🏃♂️ 🚲
#TeamCF
18 years ago, on a Tuesday morning, I was working in a Delaware office and watched aghast with colleagues as the horror unfolded in Manhattan, Washington & Pennsylvania. I’d been at the top of the
#TwinTowers
36 hours earlier. Prayers with all who perished
#neverforgotten
🇺🇸🇬🇧
Great day at the
@birminghamcg22
Rugby 7s - Fiji looked like the team to beat in both Men’s & Women’s tournaments, while Uganda stole the show with their spirit and skill 👏
#B2022
#CommonwealthGames
🇫🇯 🇺🇬 🏉🥇
We're saddened to announce Paul Faulkner is leaving his position as chief executive of the Chamber.
He will take up a new role as chief of staff and operations within the group of businesses owned by the Richardson family.
Read more 👉
#ThankYouPaul
Everyone in
#Brum
knows
@jassansi
as the friendly photographer who captures so many events, images and moments in & around the city, so It was good to spend some time together today talking instead about Jas’s business, how he has grown & developed it + plans for the future 📸
Proud Dad Day - the boys are SO excited for their first trip to
#VillaPark
to cheer on Villa. Hope they’re still smiling later…
Might need to wrap up a bit warmer as well!! 🌨 🦁
#UTV
#AVLWAT
Great to see
@BBCNews
confirming tonight that Government are finally backing
#HS2
ahead of a formal announcement tomorrow. This ambitious project has already been transformational for
#Birmingham
& a catalyst for development across our region. Let’s embrace it
#HS2Alltheway
🚄
Kicking off the
#JubileeWeekend
in style…knee fixed & recovery starts now. 🦵
Massive thanks to all the staff
@HeartlandsUHB
who have been brilliant. It might be a cliché but the NHS really is full of superstars who care so much about patients.
Thank you 🙏
So...tonight was meant to be the night when 1,400 of us came together to celebrate the best of business
@GrBhamChambers
Annual Dinner & Awards. All that planning feels a lifetime ago now, but
#GBCCAwards20
will return later in the year as we come through this & bounce back 💪
After 23 years of dedicated service to
@GrBhamChambers
, today we say au revoir to Vanessa Stolban as she gets ready to retire. Super professional, efficient and a blast to work with, Vanessa is a true
#Birmingham
business community- and Chamber - legend. You will be missed! 🥂
The battle for
#HS2
continues...great coverage in the
#Birmingham
Mail today emphasising the critical importance of the project to the West Midlands economy, and the U.K. as a whole, and the cacophony of local voices making that point to government yet again.
#GetHS2Done
Penultimate day
@GrBhamChambers
- thanks to the team, Board & Council who gave me the best virtual send off.
Lots of wonderful memories & excited to see how the Chamber continues to develop and go from strength to strength, fuelled by all the brilliant people who are involved!
And so the end of an era...
Obviously, we couldn't let
@GBChamberBoss
go without a few embarrassing quiz questions and a souvenir Chamberlink front cover.
Said it many times before but a fantastic boss, mentor and friend to me over the years.
Thanks for everything, Paul.
To all
@Channel4
visiting our region today as part of the relocation decision - enjoy your time, keep your eyes & ears open and believe what you see & hear. The West Midlands is transforming...come and be a part of that
#WMGeneration
Today we welcome Channel 4 to our region to press the case for Coventry and Birmingham to be the new national HQ for the broadcaster. We need your help.
#WMGeneration
Blown away by
@GrandHotelBrum
on a sneaky peak tour this afternoon.
Will be a fantastic addition to central
#Birmingham
when it opens later this month. Looking 👌👍
Bird’s-eye view of progress on the
@WMmetro
extension to the Hagley Road. Another important step on the journey towards better connectivity and transport options across the region. 👍🚉
So proud of everyone in the region who has pulled together to make the
@birminghamcg22
bid a winner. True teamwork from many people & organisations. Now to make
#Birmingham2022
a huge success for all & show the world what a great place this is 🥇
Cystic Fibrosis is a non-visible condition that affects over 10K people in the UK, &, while currently life limiting, can be beaten with more support. This week is
#CFWeek
.
@cftrust
the place to go for more info. We won’t always be wading through sand
#keepfighting
#OrkambiNow
💛
Popped in to see
@lokiwine
preparing to reopen to customers this weekend with appropriate measures in place. They have smashed lockdown with an entrepreneurial approach, but still can’t wait to see folk back again. Fully booked for Saturday already in case you were wondering...🍷
Brilliant buzz at the West Midlands Designer Outlet village in
#Cannock
as this impressive facility opened its doors for the 1st time today.
Nice to see people shopping, spending & smiling again + all done safely.
£160M investment & 1,000 new jobs for the area👍👍👍
Early morning run around beautiful
#suttonpark
for the
#OneBrum10k
& sad to see so much litter scattered around. It truly stank.
Thank you to the real life wombles doing such an incredible job cleaning up after such thoughtless behaviour.
Surely we can be better than this??
Can’t believe it’s 19 years today since the terrorist attack on the
#TwinTowers
.
I was working 100 miles away in Delaware on the day,and had been on the 107th floor of the North Tower 36 hours earlier.
Feels like yesterday.Thoughts & prayers with all who lost loved ones 🙏 😢
Delighted to have been appointed as the Interim CEO of
@TheKidsVillage
charity, a brilliant organisation aiming to build the UKs first holiday village for critically ill children.
Please reach out to learn more 👇
Confirmation this afternoon that
#Birmingham
and other parts of the West Mids are NOT moving to
#Tier3
in the coming days, although as cases rise this remains under review.
If you had plans to get out and support local hospitality venues this weekend then please carry on safely!
Congratulations to my good friend Doug Wright who was crowned ‘Brummie of the Year’ at the
@BirminghamAward
last night.
A great night celebrating the best of the city, and a well deserved award for someone who gives so much back. 👏👏👏
Loved getting an early look inside the incredible new
@HSBC_UK
HQ in Birmingham as it prepares to become operational. Genuine ‘wow-factor’ & a key part of the rapidly changing face of Brum 🏙
Made it! Congrats to everyone who took part & supported
#GreatBirmingham10k
today & raised money for some brilliant causes. Was a little warm out there! 🏃♂️🏃♀️🌞🌞🌞
Congratulations to all
@AcornsHospice
for hosting a wonderful visit from Prince William today to mark 30 years since the hospice opened. Great to catch up with
@mo_villa1
again as well 👍
#Acorns30years
Be kind - yesterday, today, tomorrow. How about trying every day. None of us know what is around the corner or how close we are to that next corner
#BeKind
Knee update🦵
Surgeon pleased with progress and a new brace fitted today so I can ‘step’ up rehab. Positive attitude all the way 💪
Thanks, as always, to all the amazing medical staff who are helping. You truly do appreciate them fully when you need them. 🙏
Inspiring to meet the crew of
@hms_tamar
yesterday in
#Portsmouth
, ahead of their deployment to the
#IndoPacific
.
Average age of 26, about to head off around the world. A credit to themselves and
@RoyalNavy
& proud that
@RichardsonUK
are able to support in a small way.
👏⚓️🇬🇧
Congratulations Dr. Doug! Delighted for
@GrBhamChambers
Patron Doug Wright as he receives an Honorary Doctorate from
@MyBCU
in the magnificent Symphony Hall in
#Birmingham
, recognising all he does for charity & within the regional business community 👨🎓👏
Chuffed with my medal for completing the Amalfi Coast 35 mile run - amazing (sad) how a bit of colourful metal acts as effective extra motivation!! 🏃♂️💪
Popped in to
@Bham_Childrens
today to pick up some vital
#CF
meds. Stating the obvious, but sending such a heartfelt “Thank you” to all our amazing
@NHSuk
staff across the country for all they do. I always feel that way, but never more so than right now.
#HeroesAll
❤️
Good luck to everyone running
#GreatBirmingham10k
today. Enjoy, stay hydrated & wear sunscreen. Give
#3301
a clap if you see him dashing past...👏🏃♂️👏...and trust me on the sunscreen
Final preparations underway at
@GrBhamChambers
HQ for
#GBCCAwards20
this evening.
Just got to get the red carpet positioned perfectly for the host
@edjames_
...
Live from 7pm. Join in & follow the show via this link: 💃🕺🏆
I hate
#cancer
with a passion. All cancers. On a day when I heard sad news that a family friend is now in a terminal situation, feeling extra motivated to help the incredible team
@CureLeukaemia
beat
#Leukaemia
. Pls check out the details, get involved and
#PutUsOutOfBusiness
.
A request to our national politicians - don’t use
#HS2
as a political football and don’t ignore or underestimate the crucial catalytic impact it is already having on the great city of
#Birmingham
and the wider West Midlands. My blog:
Many congratulations to my dear friend Doug Wright, who collected his MBE for ‘Services to the economy & charity in the West Midlands’ from
@KensingtonRoyal
at Buckingham Palace this week.
A force of nature, this is incredibly well deserved as all who know him will attest! 🎖️👏
Exciting to see that the new
#HS2
Curzon Street station has received planning permission.
Stunning & eco-friendly, this will become a landmark in the heart of
#Birmingham
and a symbol of our regeneration.
Full
@GrBhamChambers
story here:
#HS2AlltheWay
Disappointing ‘toys out of the pram’ comments on
#HS2
from Lord Berkeley. He was part of the independent Oakervee Review into HS2 but didn’t agree with the soon to be released conclusions. HS2 has ALREADY been transformational to
#Birmingham
& the West Mids... 1/3
If you love football then what
@LFC
have just achieved is simply incredible. Great manager who’s created a true team, all of whom have seized their moment and their place in the history books, whatever happens next. Sometimes you just stand and applaud 👏👏👏
#LIVBAR
#YNWA