What's got two thumbs and is the 89th best thing about Birmingham?

A mate emailed this list to me a while ago and I was reminded of it last night. It's a list compiled by the Birmingham Evening Mail back in May 2011 of the 100 best things about Birmingham. Please note I am thrilled to be more popular than the Birmingham Outer Circle Bus route.

Top 100

100. Jamelia - R&B singer, model, TV presenter, actress.
99. The Bull - Tourist attraction standing at 2.2m and weighing six tonnes.
98. Carl Chinn MBE - Birmingham historian.
97. Birmingham Science Museum - Museum On Newhall Street from 1951 to 1997
96. King Kong - Statue in the 1970s
95. The Birmingham Outer Circle bus route - The number 11 bus. Hosts the BRMB 27-mile Walkathon.
94. Birmingham City University - began life in 1971 as Birmingham Polytechnic.
93. Steve Winwood - Musician in bands including Blind Faith, plus Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech.
92. Les Ross MBE - Local radio DJ.
91. Birmingham pubs - Brummies love their beer – fact.
90. John Salt - Artist who paints precision-perfect portraits of cars.
89. Mike Gayle - Novelist.
88. Snobs Nightclub - underground club on the corner of Paradise Circus and Queensway.
87. Ian Lavender - Actor who played Private Pike in Dad’s Army.
86. The Glee Club - Now a small chain of club across the country.
85. Thinktank - Birmingham’s new science museum.
84. Toyah Willcox - Singer, actress, writer and television presenter.
83. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts - Art gallery
82. Cat Deeley - TV presenter.
81. Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre - Hosts touring theatre, music and comedy.
80. Trevor Eve - Actor.
79. Birmingham clubs - Includes the former Rum Runner nightclub that is synonymous with Duran Duran.
78. Charlie Hall - Carpenter turned actor was born in 1899.
77. Library of Birmingham - Designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo.
76. Mike Skinner - Rapper from West Heath.
75. Judas Priest - Rock band
74. The Lickey Hills -Cover 524 acres and provide a rich habitat for wildlife.
73. China Town - Based around Hurst Street and Pershore Street.
72. Moseley Folk Festival - Mix of traditional, contemporary and experimental folk and acoustic music.
71. Martin Shaw - Actor.
70. BRMB Walkathon - A 26-mile sponsored walk for charity.
69. Birmingham Pride - A when the city's gay and lesbian community takes to the streets.
68. BSA - Small Arms Company that also produced motorbikes.
67. Bill Oddie - Comedian, actor and writer.
66. The Belfry - Golf course.
65. National Sea Life Centre - Boasts a million litre underwater tank, 4D cinema and over 1,000 creatures.
64. Birmingham Half Marathon - 13-mile race around the streets of Birmingham.
63. Alfred Bird / The Custard Factory - Inventor of egg-free custard in 1837.
62. Brindleyplace - 17 acre site home to shops, bars, restaurants and offices.
61. Sutton Park - 2,400 acres with a seven-mile perimeter.
60. The Chamberlain Family - Dynasty with businessman, politician, and statesman Joseph.
59. Glynn Purnell - Chef
58. Spaghetti Junction - Major motorway intersection, Birmingham’s is believed to be the first.
57. Ocean Colour Scene - Rock band.
56. The Rotunda - Cylindrical high rise landmark.
55. Electric Light Orchestra - Rock band.
54. The Ikon Gallery - Contemporary art gallery.
53. Birmingham Botanical Gardens - Offers more than ‘175 years of plants.
52. Birmingham Repertory Theatre - Theatre with 100 history.
51. The Iron Man - Public piece of art.
50. Pre-Raphaelite Collection at BM&AG - Art collection.
49. Benjamin Zephaniah - Poet.
48. Cannon Hill Park - A source of healthful recreation.
47. Murray Walker - Voice of motor racing for the best part of 50 years.
46. The Mailbox and The Cube - Shopping center.
45. The markets - 140 stalls, six million visitors a year.
44. Birchfield Harriers AC / Alexandra Stadium - Athletic venue.
43. The accent - makes Brummies unique.
42. TISWAS - 1970s children Saturday morning TV.
41. Pebble Mill - BBC Edgbaston studios.
40. James Brindley - Canal engineer.
39. Duran Duran - Resident band during the late 70s/Early 80s. Sold more than 80 million records worldwide.
38. Fort Dunlop - Former Dunlop Rubber tyre factory and main offices.
37. Aston University - Founded in 1895.
36. Aston Hall - Grade I listed Jacobean Mansion.
35. Edgbaston Cricket Ground / Warwickshire CCC - Cricket Club.
34. Birmingham Royal Ballet - Internationally recognised for classics such as The Sleeping Beauty.
33. Oscar Deutsch - Founded metals firm Deutsch and Brenner in Harford Street, Hockley.
32. Jasper Carrott OBE - Comedian.
31. The canals - At its peak the city canals totalled about 160 miles.
30. The Bullring - Shopping center.
29. MG cars - Car manufactures.
28. University of Birmingham - Founded in Edgbaston in 1900.
27. The Electric Cinema - Britain’s oldest working cinema.
26. The Archers - Radio show with more than five million fans.
25. JRR Tolkien - poet, author, philologist and university prof, writer of The Lord Of The Rings.
24. Birmingham Hippodrome - venue for touring shows.
23. West Bromwich Albion - Football Club.
22. HP Sauce - Sauce that remains an icon of the Great British dinner table.
21. The Spitfire - Second World War plane designed by RJ Mitchell.
20. The Golden Mile - Area of bars and nightclubs.
19. The Staffordshire Hoard - Largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork.
18. Matthew Bolton - Key figure in the Industrial Revolution.
17. Frankfurt Christmas Market - Market located in Chamberlain Square.
16. Tony Hancock - Actor, comedian.
15. Selfridges Birmingham - Landmark building.
14. The LG Arena at the N.E.C. - Host of concerts and sporting events.
13. CBSO / Symphony Hall - Renowned 90-piece ensemble.
12. Jaguar Land Rover - Car manufactures.
11. St. Patrick's Day Parade - 80,000 turn out to line the streets.
10. Town Hall - Modelled on the Temple of Castor.
09. Jewellery Quarter - Center for Jewellery.
08. UB40 - Pop group.
07. Birmingham City F.C. - Football Club.
06. The Mini - Motor car.
05. Aston Villa - Football Club.
04. Cadbury - Chocolate factory (place where Andy Wickett worked).
03. Ozzy Osbourne / Black Sabbath - Rock band.
02. The Balti - An Asian meal invented in Birmingham.
01. The People - The residents of Birmingham.

Got a spare five minutes and nothing to do with your ears?

Why not listen to me reading the first chapter of Men at Work! http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/quickreads/men_at_work.shtml

Me in Lithuania

This is me a couple of weeks ago in Lithuania on my way to a Lithuanian cinema to talking in English about writing and stuff to a Lithuanian TV crew and then dubbed into Lithuanian. I was only there for a couple of days but had a great time and met some lovely people and learned two words of Lithuanian none of which I can remember now.

World Book Night Event Sat 5th March 2011

Sat 5th March 2011 I'll be doing a World Book Night Event along with best selling crime novelist RJ Ellory and 2008 Costa Prize Winner Catherine O'Flynn 6.30pm (for 7.00pm start) @ Birmingham Library Theatre, Central Library, Birmingham. 

We'll be talking about our reading and writing lives and celebrating all things bookish.

Free tickets available from the
Box Office on (0121) 303 2323 Book tickets online via www.birmingham...boxoffice.com or in person at Central Library reception

Three signed copies of "Bachelor" to be won by midnight tonight!

To celebrate the publication of The Importance of Being a Bachelor in paperback I'm giving away three signed copies. To be in with a chance of winning you need to name the occupations of the following characters from my books:


1. Will Kelly
2. Dave Harding
3. Rob Brooks


Send your answers on an email to: mikegaylecompetition@gmail.com

Competition ends midnight 16/02/11

The Mike Gayle Newsletter February 2010

Dear all,

It’s taken a while but finally here’s the first Mike Gayle newsletter of the year. There’s some good news, some bad news, and some brilliant news that I hope will go some way to compensating for the not so good stuff!

All the best

Mike Gayle

1. The Importance of Being a Bachelor is out in paperback!

For anyone who missed my last book The Importance of Being a Bachelor in the bigger trade paperback format (I know a lot of you went looking for it at Christmas and couldn’t find it) the good news is that it’s finally out in super cheap paperback and (for those of you with fancy e-Readers) eBook format too.

The Daily Mail described The Importance of Being a Bachelor as:

 “Mike Gayle at his best funny, charming and life-affirming’

and I hope you’ll agree.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

Despite the example of their own parents' enduring marriage, the three Bachelor brothers show no signs of settling down. Adam has a string of glamorous girlfriends, but they aren't suitable wife material. Luke has just proposed to Cassie but his refusal to consider having children looks like an insurmountable barrier.  And baby of the family Russell is in love with the one woman he can't have. Then their father announces he has been thrown out of the family home and this proves a dramatic catalyst for lots of soul-searching. Are all three Bachelor brothers totally hopeless cases or just late starters?

And here’s a couple of places that you can buy it on the web:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Importance-Being-Bachelor-Mike-Gayle/dp/0340918527/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297838558&sr=1-1

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/15845251/The-Importance-of-Being-a-Bachelor/Product.html

http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9780340918524

2. Quick Reads — Men At Work

Hopefully you’ll remember from previous newsletters that I mentioned I would be writing a short work for the quickreads organisation (www.quickreads.org.uk). Well the book in question, Men At Work, is out now  as both a paperback and eBook. While it might be only be 87 pages long, it is only a credit crunch busting £1.99! That’s less than the price of a posh coffee and I guarantee it’ll last longer too!

Here’s the blurb:

Men at Work

Ian Greening loves his job at the Department of Work and Pensions. It might not be the best-paid job in the world but it gives him lots of scope for fun.  He loves his girlfriend, Emma, too. But when Emma is made redundant, and gets a temping job in Ian's office, he doesn't like it at all. Emma only knows Home Ian - and Work Ian is a different kettle of fish. Spending twenty-four hours a day together is too much of a good thing.  But how can he tell her that without hurting her? Ian comes up with a plan to get things back the way they were.  But it puts his relationship at risk and forces Ian to decide which really matters most: the job, or Emma. A sweet, funny novel about love and work.

And here’s where you can buy it on the web:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Work-Quick-Read-Reads/dp/1444711776/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297838841&sr=1-3

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/18350221/Men-At-Work/Product.html

http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9781444711776

3. Now for the bad news…

By now most of you will know that I spent most of last year working on Turning Forty, a sequel to my biggest selling novel ever, Turning Thirty. I pretty much nearly killed myself getting the book in on time, my publishers gave it the thumbs and that should have been the end of the story. Sadly, the more time that passed the less confident I became in the book I’d written until finally I called my publisher and asked them to put the book on hold for a year or two while I try to fix what went wrong. I don’t do this kind of thing lightly, and I understand that many of you will be disappointed that there won’t be a new Mike Gayle this summer which is why I have some good news for those willing to hang in there a little longer…

4. The Good News

The good news is that after putting Turning Forty on hold rather than crawling into bed and pulling the covers over my head (a whole year’s work down the toilet!!!) I picked myself up, dusted myself off and got back to writing and the first draft of the result, The Hen and Stag Weekend, was finished last night. Even though I say it myself the new book is everything I want it to be and you guys are absolutely going to love it. Fingers crossed, this time next year (Feb 2012) you’ll be able to read it and judge for yourselves!

5. eBook news

As I mentioned earlier The Importance of Being a Bachelor is out in eBook but in case you didn’t know (and I’m guessing some of you didn’t as I get quite a lot of emails about this) most of the Mike Gayle back catalogue is out in eBook now with other titles to be added in the near future. Check out the Amazon’s Kindle Store and Apple’s iBookstore for more information.

6. How to get more Mike Gayle news:

Most of you already know that I’m on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mikegaylethenovelist) and Twitter (twitter.com/mikegayle) but as of yesterday I’m now also to be found blogging at (http://mikegaylethenovelist.blogspot.com) but this is mainly because I can’t log on to the blog that was attached to my website (curse you MySpace!!).  Don’t expect deep musings on life but more along the lines of: “Mike Gayle will be appearing at Huddersfield central library at 7.00 pm. Please bring own cake*.”

*Please note that I won’t actually be appearing at Huddersfield central library at 7.00 pm.  I do like cakes though.

Mike Gayle is the author of: My Legendary Girlfriend, Mr. Commitment, Turning Thirty, Dinner for Two, His 'n' Hers, Brand New Friend, Wish You Were Here, The Life & Soul of The Party, The To Do List and The Importance of Being a Bachelor.

Greetings!

Hello, all and welcome to my new blog where I won't be so much blogging as putting up book news and the like because for some reason known only to Rupert Murdoch I can't access my myspace blog (which let's face it was a bit too 2006 anyway).

Anyway, this is me practising my blog skills.


cheers

Mike