My take on an ancient Anglo-American ballad about a controlling ex who turns out to literally be the devil soundcloud.com/nick-brook-fol…

Ever feel like you've had the stuffing knocked out of you?

You know the tide of class struggle is rising when an earplug company sends you this

From a shop steward in the Black Country: "A manager at work told me no-one can criticise the flags going up because it's showing national pride. So when a batch of work came out with a load of defects the other day I just drew a St George's cross on it"

This week, Birmingham Socialist Party members have been out and about building for our public meeting to discuss how socialists can organise within Your Party to make it a voice for the working class.

That's why we're hosting a public meeting on the 8th of September titled: How Can Socialists Make "Your Party" a Voice for Workers?" Join us at 6:30pm at the Comfort Inn on Station Street in the City Centre, B5 45Y.

Whatever the score

Join us in supporting the bin workers *this Saturday* at 9.30 outside the Unite building on Jennings Road, B7 4EH. We'll be marching to the council house to show John Cotton and the Labour council that Birmingham residents back the bin workers!

And then some

When I was younger I used to struggle to come to terms with how we live in such a cruel and unjust world. These days I just have trouble understanding why people leave cars in the middle of the thoroughfare when there's perfectly good parking bays available at my local Aldi.

"This city wasn't built by people in suits and ties. It was built with the blood sweat and tears of working class people" We joined hundreds of trade unionists in an incredible show of solidarity yesterday with the bin workers as they continue their struggle against pay cuts.

Gentrification is clearly not a new phenomenon in South Brum

On a bin picket on Thursday, a haulage lorry stopped suddenly in the middle of the road. The driver wound down his window and leaned out to shout at the striking Unite members: "You should all stand for council next year - you'd do a better job than these Labour ****s"

Earlier this month Tory ex-minister Robert Jenrick hit headlines with his description of his visit to Handsworth claiming to have seen no other white people or evidence of racial integration. A local Socialist Party member wrote this in response: birminghamsocialistparty.com/news/socialist…

Knew seeing this sticker in Brum earlier this week was a good omen

We stole autumn leaves and summer showers

Never realised how much of a dietary staple shredded cabbage was in Rubery until now

Two geezers from Stourbridge and Halesowen competing for a place in the team: a number 9 derby for the number 10 shirt bbc.co.uk/sport/football…

Trying not to get too excited by imagining an Aussie voice saying: "and he's done it! Ten wickets on debut for Bill Doggett!" bbc.com/sport/cricket/…

Nothing summing up the interface between town and country like a gent at an art deco style table in a chain pub supping a pint of ale while perched on a shooting stick