Joseph Southall, one of Birmingham’s best artists was born on this day in 1861. Here he is as a young man in one of many self portraits he painted throughout his long life.

Love these singing birds. The design is marvellous - the way the heads and tails form matching diagonals, and the echoing of the colours - birds, beaks, the rhomboid things where the words are, and the black, yellow and green in the lettering. And all this just to sell custard!

Thanks to the great photo chronicler of Birmingham, Stacey Barnfield, below is a photo of the factory where Birds made the custard powder I tweeted about yesterday.

Met up today in person with Aidan Ridyard RIBA FRSA who I’ve followed for some time here. He gave me his meticulously researched (with Chris Kennedy) and beautifully designed book on West Midlands architect Richard Twentyman. Thanks Aidan, looking forward to reading this.

#BlackLamb24 Today was Open Heritage Day here in UK, visited Serb Church of St Lazar. Created by Serbs exiled in UK after WW2, on land at Cadbury village of Bournville, Birmingham. Cadburys had links with Serbia following WW1. Extraordinary rich decoration icons and frescos.

First day of my new project - PhD ⁦⁦University of Warwick⁩ - so looking forward to this!

The view from the room just now - St Brelade’s, Jersey. Dawn, one person and a dog on the beach.

Todays morning view from St Helier hotel

On my dog walk this morning -these two houses are in a provincial town on a street of red brick Edwardian villas. The cladding in the doorway of the house on the right is completely wrong but it is insignificant compared with the crazy treatment of the house on the left.

Aurora over Malvern just now

More aurora over Malvern…

Wow, great aurora over Malvern right now

Better photo of the aurora over Malvern just now courtesy of my wife

Aurora from my balcony in Malvern tonight #northernlights #Auroraborealis

Why is nothing showing here on a Newcastle United vs Brighton& Hove Albion#NEWBRI

Lovely day on the hills today with #TesstheDog. 15K steps and the equivalent of 67 floors climbed for me, but Tess already wants to go out again 15 mins after getting home.

With #Tessthedog through the woods where she stalks squirrels (exhibit 1, top left) and suffers crushing disappointment when they escape up trees, but then into the field to catch the frisbee - see remaining photos as evidence) Rush and leap, never fails to catch it, great joy.

I was going to post something today about Joseph Southall, but Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has done it better than I could so please enjoy their short video. Joe Southall (1861-1944) was an extraordinary Birmingham talent, a dedicated Quaker and pacifist, socialist and contributor to civic causes.

Pink sky at dawn and a double rainbow this morning.