BIRMINGHAM'S PARADISE LOST by Christopher Morley

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Birmingham's magnificent Town Hall has become a no-go area for anyone less than physically hale.

One of our team of reviewers on MMR has a blue badge, but there is no way they can get their car within striking distance of the Town Hall. They had been scheduled to review a couple of October concerts there, but have had to cry off.

If this situation is typical for anyone with mobility difficulties, then it is shameful. The closing-off of Paradise Circus means that the wonderful events being presented,in the Town Hall are unavailable to them. And one wonders how the Copthorne Hotel is struggling.

It's hardly surprising that the much-loved Orchestra of the Swan has switched its Birmingham residency from the Town Hall to the splendid Bradshaw Hall at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, a bit of a way out of the city centre, it has to be said, but at least accessible by car, bus, or train.

How on earth will Birmingham's world-famous Frankfurt Christmas Market cope this year? Or will everything miraculously clear itself by the end of November?

If you look upwards you might well see a display from the PAF (Porcine Air Force).

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