A rare and highly valuable 19th century work of Russian literature dating back to before the reign of the last Tsar will be on sale this week, when a Birmingham City University collection goes to auction.

The 28 lots of some 200 books, mostly published in the 19th and early 20th century, includes a copy of the illustrated ‘Antiquities of the Russian Empire’, edited by a Russian Count and issued in four volumes in 1892.

They are expected to raise over £50,000 when made available by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in South Cerney, Gloucestershire on Wednesday 14 June. Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in to new learning resources for students at the University.

The collection was developed from the mid Victorian period to support art and design education provided by Birmingham City University in its various incorporations, notably Birmingham College of Art. The books are now being sold because they no longer have relevance to current learning, teaching or research at the University.

Chris Albury, Auctioneer and Senior Valuer for Dominic Winter Auctioneers said:

“We’re delighted to be able to handle this prestigious sale. It’s a very interesting and varied collection which includes a number of rarities – the undoubted highlight being the sumptuously illustrated ‘Antiquities of the Russian Empire’, discovered in the collection, which we estimate will fetch £30,000 or more.

“This monumental, rare and influential work on Russian style contains over 500 large and vibrant chromolithographed plates of Russian artefacts including icons, crowns, costume, weapons and jewellery.”

The work was edited by Count Sergei Stroganov and the plates were made from drawings prepared by Fedor Solntsev, after he was sent to Moscow in 1830 to see the collections there and make the illustrations. Solntsev later went on to design the ‘Kremlin Service’ for the Imperial Porcelain Factory.

Steve Rose, Deputy Director, Library and Learning Resources at Birmingham City University, said:

“The ‘Antiquities of the Russian Empire’ is a stunning collection of books. I will be sad to see the books leave the University, but it means we can place a greater emphasis on our extensive archives, photography and rare books that have direct relevance to the University’s research activity, as well as reinvest the funds from the sale into enhancing our student experience.

The set of six books was published with the Russian title ‘Drevnosti Rossiiskago Gosudarstva’ (‘Antiquities of the Russian Empire’) in Moscow between 1849 and 1853, with a smaller seventh volume of text appearing in Russian and French.

Chris Albury added:

“What is remarkable and seemingly unique about the Birmingham City University copy is that it appears to have been issued in four volumes in 1892, using the 508 plates from the 1849-53 edition and incorporating an English title-page and English descriptions of the artefacts for the first time.

“Fortunately, the work has escaped unscathed from the potential damage of over 100 years of library usage and is in good condition. Bound in Victorian half-leather bindings this treasure-house of Russian art and design will be highly desirable on the open market.

“Only a modest 600 sets were published and even odd volumes and loose collections of plates from the work create considerable interest so we expect huge transatlantic international interest for this complete and unique ‘English language’ set.”

“Birmingham City University is a name that only dates back to 2007 and the original ownership of most of the varied books on art and design being sold here were no doubt acquired by one of the University’s original colleges, the Birmingham College of Art, which took its name in 1884.

“Birmingham has a world-famous and rich tradition in art and design, and it is wonderful to see so many beautifully illustrated books and portfolios of designs – from Dürer to Arts and Crafts – in one sale. It’s a testament to the richness of design worldwide and the incredible development of colour printing and book production that many of the books in this archive can still offer something tangible and rewarding that cannot be easily gleaned from the Internet.”

At the end of July, ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition, will gather together the greatest Phantoms from the last 92 years in Mayfair, London. The Exhibition will also welcome the next generation of this most celebrated luxury item, the new eighth generation Phantom. In the lead up to the opening of the Exhibition, Rolls-Royce is announcing which Great Phantoms will journey to London from around the world, telling the stories of these motor cars, their fabled owners and the historical events they witnessed. It is with great pleasure that the marque announces today that the Rolls-Royce Phantom III of British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein will join the Exhibition.

Monty’s Triple

Although Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein was nicknamed the Spartan General due to his ascetic lifestyle, there was one area in which he demanded the very best – his personal transport. And his preference was for Rolls-Royce.

During World War Two, the Field Marshal had the use of three Rolls-Royce Phantom IIIs.

The first of the Phantoms, a 1936 model coachbuilt by Freestone & Webb, was owned by the head of English Talbot Motor Company, Frederick Wilcock, before being requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport Section. Montgomery used it as his personal transport in the run up to D-Day, and ferried Winston Churchill, General Eisenhower and King George VI to D-Day planning sessions at his base in Southwick House, Hampshire.

A keen believer in the power of the image, Montgomery used his Rolls-Royce Phantom to communicate permanence, solidity and reliability – a signal to his men that he was there to stay.

But it is the ‘Butler’ Phantom III, which will be present at the Exhibition in London, which proved to be Montgomery’s favourite. This particular Phantom was commissioned for Alan Samuel Butler, Chairman of the De Havilland Aircraft Company, with bodywork by HJ Mulliner of Chiswick. Its most striking feature was a front-sloping windscreen that made the car 15 per cent more aerodynamically efficient than the standard configuration. The motor car’s slippery nature was also helped by the enclosed spare tyre and swept tail.

The ‘Butler’ Phantom III was Montgomery’s main official mode of transport for many years visiting such eminent addresses as 10 Downing Street, the War Office on Whitehall, the British Prime Minister’s country residence Chequers, and military operations centres such as Northwood in Hertfordshire and the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers-Europe in Rocquencourt, near Versailles, France.

The Field Marshal kept the 'Butler' Phantom until 1962, by which time it had also carried the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as taking Monty around the UK to historic meetings, inspections and celebrations.

The ‘Butler’ Phantom III has recently undergone extensive refurbishment at Rolls-Royce specialist P&A Wood in Essex, England.

‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ Exhibition will be the first and only opportunity for members of the public to see this amazing Rolls-Royce before it attends the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the United States in August, after which it will return to its current owner’s private collection.

‘The Great Eight Phantoms’, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition, will take place in Mayfair, London, at the end of July this year.

Birmingham Airport has announced that Paul Kehoe has decided to step down as Chief Executive effective from 12 July 2017.

Paul has led a substantial transformation at Birmingham Airport since he joined the business in October 2008, with passenger numbers growing from 9.5m to 12m in the year to March 2017.

More recently, Paul has been increasingly involved in successfully promoting the West Midlands Region as Chairman of Marketing Birmingham, President of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, and in a new capacity as Chairman of the West Midlands Growth Company.  With the recently formed Combined Authority and the appointment of a West Midlands Mayor, by stepping down from the Airport, Paul will be able to focus on his regional commitments.

Since his appointment, Paul’s key achievements include:

·           Appointing and leading a strong and experienced management team to continue to develop the Airport.

·           Expansion of the route network and the number of airlines operating at Birmingham including daily services to Delhi with Air India, A380 services to Dubai with Emirates, and the introduction of 18 new airlines including Qatar Airways, Jet2 and the return of British Airways.

·           Key developments which have significantly improved the Airport include a new International Pier, extension of the runway to facilitate new long haul services, creation of a single Terminal and centralised security area, construction of a new Air Traffic Control Tower and the establishment of a major engineering facility within the Monarch Airlines Engineering Hangar, the in-sourcing of Air Traffic Control and the Airport Fire Service, a complete overhaul and introduction of new retail brands including Marks & Spencer, Next, Superdry, All Bar One, Hugo Boss and operating the most successful Airport Wetherspoons in the country.

·    In addition, under Paul’s leadership the Airport has been awarded

o   World’s Most Punctual Airport in 2016

o   Star Airport of the Year Award 2014, 2015 and 2016

o   2017 Routes Europe Award for Marketing for 4-20m passengers Airport

John Hudson, Chairman of Birmingham Airport, said “On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our grateful thanks to Paul for the tremendous contribution he has made to Birmingham Airport during the last nine years.  Under his leadership, the Airport has built relationships with new carriers, grown passenger numbers to more than 12m, and delivered significant economic value to the region.  His connections with the local community set Paul apart as a true industry leader.  He leaves with our strong support and the highest admiration for his commitment to Birmingham Airport and the West Midlands.”

Paul Kehoe said: “It has been a privilege to serve the people of the West Midlands by leading their Airport at this exceptional time.  I planned originally to stay only for five years, but the challenge became so exciting that I stayed for another four.  In every role there is a natural business cycle, and after delivering significant airline and passenger growth, completing all the major development projects which resulted in a doubling of the profit, generating significant dividends for shareholders and the region, I feel it is time for the next generation to take the business forward.”

You may have your phones at the ready for National Selfie Day on 21st June, but gap year travel operators Oyster Worldwide claim it is time for us to #DitchTheSelfie.

The responsible travel specialists say that the urge to take travel selfies is taking over from the true enjoyment and appreciation of the moment.

Harriet Wray, Travel Adviser for Oyster Worldwide, says:

“We are seeing a trend for people wanting to take as many selfies in as many places as possible. People are rushing from one spot to another trying to pack in as many selfies as they can, rather than taking the time to stop and look around.

Real travel moments are experienced in those moments when we pause to take in a view, listen to the sound of the waves or have a conversation with an interesting local.

We think it's time to ditch the travel selfie and get back to enjoying real travel experiences off-camera, which is why we've launched our campaign to ditch the selfie.”

The travel company have conducted a global survey of over 1000 respondents to gather more information on travel selfie habits.

The survey found that 51% of respondents take 1-10 selfies during a 1-week holiday, with 45% sharing up to 5 of their selfies on social media.

Almost half of respondents claim that they share their travel selfies because their family and friends want to see them, while 10% admit they want to show off to their social media friends.

34% of those surveyed feel it is at least somewhat important for people to engage with their travel selfies on social media, with 35% saying they feel happy when someone likes their holiday selfie and 7% admitting it makes them feel validated.

The younger respondents placed prominence on social media interaction, with 53% of respondents aged 18-25 saying it was important or somewhat important that people liked their selfies on social media.

On top of this, 21% of all respondents say they feel disappointed or embarrassed if their travel selfie doesn't get any likes, while the number was again higher among the 18-25-year-old group, with 39% of these respondents saying they would feel disappointed or embarrassed.

With such emotions attached to travel selfies, it's not surprising to see that a quarter of respondents feel pressure to obtain a good selfie while on holiday, and 15% said they would be disappointed or upset if they didn't manage to obtain a good selfie while on holiday or travelling.

Celebrities, advertisers and the public must stop normalising flat-faced dogs’ health problems for the sake of animal welfare, said British Veterinary Association (BVA) President Gudrun Ravetz on BBC Radio 4’s Today.

Talking on the programme about the health and welfare issues faced by flat-faced or brachycephalic dogs such as Pugs, French bulldogs and British bulldogs, the BVA President made it clear that what is seen as “normal” and cute for these dogs, such as snorting and snuffling, is in reality a result of debilitating respiratory problems due to the squashed faces that have made them the dogs du jour. The problems are so severe that many of these dogs suffer breathing difficulties even when doing day-to-day activities like walking or eating.

Today also outlined a recent Kennel Club report showed that all flat-faced breeds have experienced a huge boom in popularity recently, with the French bulldog soon set to be the most popular breed in the UK. They also highlighted that media, advertising and celebrity owners have helped drive the appeal of, and increase the demand for these breeds.

Following the interview Gudrun said:

“We shouldn’t be buying and breeding dogs on the way we want them to look - it should always be about prioritising welfare above appearance. These are breeds that can suffer just by walking around or eating, which is why we’re calling on the media and advertisers to stop using them in their adverts. It is also difficult to turn on the TV, check Instagram or see a celebrity photo without also seeing a brachycephalic breed so it’s not surprising that demand for these dogs is rising.

“And we would also encourage anyone considering getting a brachycephalic breed to speak to their local vet and think about choosing a healthier breed or crossbreed instead.”