Birmingham Hippodrome’s annual free festival Summer in Southside returns on Sat 17 & Sun 18 June with country capers, animal encounters and free farmyard fun presented by local, national and international artists.

Escape to the countryside on the streets of Southside this June in a two-day celebration of the great outdoors, where wildlife roams, adventures are born and live music fills the air.

Watch in wonder as Hippodrome Square is transformed into a temporary Village Green complete with live Sheep Racing, Mini Farm, live performances and a host of colourful country characters. Say "ooh arr" to Farmer Giles on his travels through Southside, enjoy storytelling, music and song in the company of The Fabularium’s Reynard The Fox, the woodlands’ most infamous scoundrel – and move your hips to the beat of Bhanghra with Midlands based dance troupe; The Lions of Punjab.

Visitors to The Arcadian can look forward to a live performance from Folk Dance Remixed, a colourful and quirky collision of maypole, clog dancing, breakin’ and street dance. Bringing a taste of the South Asian subcontinent to Southside are Jaivant Patel Dance with a high-energy dance piece incorporating Gujurati and Raas Garba folk, performed to a soundtrack of contemporary Bollywood dance. Joining them are the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band with their vibrant celebration of the music and dance of rural Rajasthan and Secret City Arts Country Fayre Picnic – an interactive storytelling adventure inspired by Olde English folk takes with a contemporary twist.

Festival-goers are invited to carry on celebrating into the night-time with live music from Birmingham mega-folk band The Destroyers who will be bringing their trademark energy and madcap performance style to The Arcadian on Saturday evening.

Russian performance-artists Cardboardia will be taking over Ladywell Walk with their amazing cardboard farmyard display complete with animals, fences and tools and the opportunity to create your own cardboard sculptures inspired by your favourite country-scape.

Returning to Summer in Southside for the second year running, Highly Sprung are back with their daring and imaginative live staging of Roots, telling the story of two refugees living in the branches of a towering tree. They will be joined by Imagineer Productions who present Operation Migration, a beautiful and heart-warming tale of one man’s extraordinary endeavour to teach a gaggle of geese to fly, told through a combination of puppetry, dance and inventive design.

On Sun 18 June, visitors can take a stroll through the country without leaving the Hippodrome Foyer with free activities, arts and crafts, miniature petting farm and a costume exhibition from Birmingham Royal Ballet. VR experts from Freemotely and South and City College will also be on hand to guide visitors through the landscapes of virtual reality.

This year’s festival will also feature a special performance from resident partners Birmingham Royal Ballet who present 'The Chicken Dance’ from La Fille Mal Gardee, the sunniest of summer ballets. They will be joined by The Black Eagles from Tanzania who present their high-impact acrobatic show set to a lively soundtrack of African music and Rogue Play with Taking Flight, an enchanting aerial display set to a soundscape of word and music.

Alongside a jam-packed programme of live events, festival-goers can also take advantage of a Vintage Fairground complete with swing-boat rides, coconut shy and hook-a-duck, animal-themed Face-painting  and a mobile brasserie serving freshly made crepes, galettes, gourmet burgers, ice creams and barista coffee.

Seeing Summer in Southside off in signature style on the Sunday, visitors to the Showground can look forward to an action-packed Grand Finale featuring the most hotly-anticipated event in the countryside calendar, the Southside Sheep Race!

Fiona Allan, Chief Executive Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We’re very proud to be a part of Southside district and relish bringing the theatre’s surrounding streets to life with a whole two days of free activities and family-friendly fun. This year, we’ll be getting to grips with all things countryside, from welly-wanging, to sheep racing, cardboard tractors to giant maypoles. As ever, we’ll be welcoming artists from across the globe to join in the festivities, giving people from all areas of Birmingham the chance to experience the fun of the great outdoors right here in the heart of our wonderful city.”

The University of Wolverhampton’s International Academy has announced its Summer Programmes for July and August.

The International Academy Summer School  is based in Priorslee Hall at the Telford Innovation Campus and offers accommodation, facilities and services for the University’s international students.

The Summer Programmes focus on developing international students’ spoken fluency and confidence through practical activities and project work. Students also take part in a comprehensive social programme which includes visits to places of cultural and historical interest around the UK.

A Science and Engineering Careers Summer Camp will take place from 1^st July until 15^th July and provide an opportunity for international students from all regions to experience Science and Engineering enhancement at the University of Wolverhampton (UK).  Students will be taking part in engineering workshops and activities in Environmental, Mechanical and Chemical engineering as well as studying English language with the International Academy.

From 23^rd July until 6^th August 2017, ‘The Wolverhampton Experience’ offers students from the UoW partner institutions the chance to develop their communication skills and experience English culture as well as taking part in visits to London and places of local historical interest.  Students also have the opportunity to develop business communication skills and take part in interactive workshops.

Nikhil Goyal Agrawal from Nepal, said:  “The Wolverhampton Summer School last year was a great time for me, it was learning with fun. I attended different types of classes which enhanced my skills and personality.  I enjoyed the sports activities with the other international students and also the trips to London and Cambridge as well as the visits to all the different places in the UK.

“London was a beautiful city with lots of attractions.  The staff at the International Academy are amazing and they made me feel very comfortable.  I really enjoyed my stay and I want to come back again soon.”

As the campaign season comes toward its conclusion with the election on 8^th June, members of Parliament are stepping up their game and campaigning across the country to build support for themselves and their fellow party MPs. One such event took place at the Premier Training College in Erdington today (31^st May, 2017) with dozens of committed members of the local community turning up to listen to Erdington MP Jack Dromey and Tottenham MP David Lammy speak.

The crowd hung onto the two MPs every word, as they spoke passionately about why Labour was the party to vote for in the upcoming general election. Both MPs stated time and time again that it was Labour who had introduced the NHS, that it was Labour who had worked hard when in government to ensure that there was greater social cohesion and inclusiveness and that it was Labour who had worked hard to ensure that those from less well-off backgrounds had access to ladders to future success. Both MPs admitted that Labour had made mistakes, but that the party was willing to face up those mistakes and learn from them, and avoid repeating them, something they were both convinced the Conservatives never would.

Shortly after the two MPs had finished speaking, the floor was opened for questions. A businessman named Anthony asked what Labour would do to ensure proper support for the local community in Erdington and why Labour was worthy of his and others vote. Mr Dromey responded that he had done much to help improve the local community in Erdington and had campaigned tirelessly to help members of his constituency, he promised more of the same if elected. Mr Lammy stated that Labour was the only party that sought to represent everyone, and to truly protect the interests of the many, not the few.

Another businessman asked what Mr Dromey would do about the increased parking charges he was having to pay for his business. Mr Dromey gave a clear and concise answer that he would seek to work with the council if re-elected to ensure that every voice was heard and a proper and well thought out solution could be heard.

The event was rounded up with a lady named Hannah asking a pressing question about immigration and tuition fees. Both Mr Dromey and Mr Lammy were insistent that if Labour won the election they would seek to abolish tuition fees and to ensure that immigration was managed in a fair and reasonable manner.

Afterwards, Mr Lammy gave a final speech about why Labour could do a lot of good for the people of Erdington and the people of the United Kingdom, pointing to their record as the bringers of social inclusion and opportunity, and being the proponents for a fair and just society. The event ended with applause from the audience and a real sense that come 8^th June, Erdington might well vote Labour.

Struggling to find the perfect gift this Father's Day? Why not set your dad and his mates the challenge of stepping up to one of HF Holidays' new for 2017 Outdoor Escapes: and make the outdoors your playground. We all know that dads can be really hard to buy for, so this Father's Day, the leading walking and outdoor activity holiday provider is encouraging you to give your dads an experience they'll never forget.

Outdoor Escapes are HF Holidays new UK guided walking holidays. With fantastic walking, through outstandingly beautiful countryside, exclusive accommodation, good food and the company of a small group of like-minded travelling companions. It's a great opportunity for dads to catch up with their friends, get outdoors and show everyone what they are really made of; all whilst taking in some of the UK's most breath-taking walks.

Whether it's a challenging scramble in the Lake District, scaling the high peaks of Snowdonia or discovering hidden gems in the Yorkshire Dales, HF Holidays offers the chance to push the limits and distinguish the men from the boys! With both guided and self-guided walking holidays at destinations across the UK and Europe, there is plenty to choose from. The holiday will, of course, not just be about the challenging hill walks, as there will always be a bar at the end of the day where your dad can enjoy a well-earned cold beer!

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) has made three new appointments to its board – including a new vice president.

Saqib Bhatti, who has served as president of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce for the last four years, is to become the vice president of Birmingham Chamber.

He will be joined on the board by Steve Allen, head of the Birmingham office of law firm Mills & Reeve, and Liz McKenzie of financial services firm Wesleyan.

Saqib is a director at Younis Bhatti & Co Chartered Accountants. Among other interests, he is also a director of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) with responsibilities for promoting diversity and business support, and joint Secretary General of Muslims for Britain, a non-partisan campaign group set up to engage British Muslims in national debates.

He has also worked with a number of charities in Pakistan and locally, where he is a trustee of the Lord Mayor’s Charity in Birmingham.

Saqib said: “It is a great honour to be the new vice president for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. I follow in the footsteps of many great people and I look forward to working with the board.

“This is a really exciting time for the region and the Chamber is essential to the future development and success of the region. I look forward to serving our members and helping to guide that journey.”

Steve is former winner of the Birmingham Law Society’s ‘International Solicitor of the Year’ award and is recognised in both the Chambers UK and Legal 500 UK as a ‘Leading Lawyer’ specialising in commercial litigation.

He is also the chairman of the New York-headquartered British American Business Council, which has 22 chapters in the UK, USA and Canada.

Steve said: “I’m delighted to have joined the Chamber board. From working with the city-region's burgeoning SME community to large corporates, the Chamber’s mission to connect, support and grow all local businesses has never been more pertinent.

“I particularly look forward to working with its diverse mix of members to explore and develop new markets and opportunities for their businesses.”

Liz is the chief operating officer of financial services firm Wesleyan in Birmingham.

She joined Wesleyan in October 2010 as head of corporate planning.  Prior to this she spent 19 years at Toyota in a variety of roles in production control and manufacturing.

In 2015 Liz was appointed chief operating officer with responsibility for Wesleyan Financial Services, General Insurance, Practice Plan, Life & Pensions, the Transformation and operational excellence functions and IT.

She is also chair of DPAS, which was acquired by Wesleyan in 2015. In June 2016, Liz won the IoD West Midlands Director of the Year Award for a Large Business.

She said: “The Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has a long history of putting the needs of local businesses first and giving its members a collective voice both locally and further afield.

“I am delighted to have been appointed to the board and look forward to helping the Chamber deliver its ambitious plans on behalf of members and patrons alike.”

Since March of this year, Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the SNP has been leading calls for a second independence referendum, either to be held in mid or late 2018, or the beginning of 2019. This would coincide with the conclusion of Brexit talks, and has been seen by many as Sturgeon’s attempt to bring her agenda to the forefront of political discussion and to ensure her mandate is used to full effect. However, in the SNP manifesto, launched in Perth, Scotland today, it appears that Sturgeon and the SNP are now softening their stance, a little.

The manifesto states: “At the end of the Brexit process, when the final terms of the deal are known, it is right that Scotland should have a choice about our future.” With such phrasing, it is implied that a referendum would likely only be held in late 2019, after talks over Brexit are believed to have finished, or if one were to follow Theresa May’s thinking, several years after this date.

Following her previous adherence to a referendum being held during Brexit talks, this change in opinion has led many to wondering what exactly has brought the change on. Some, are beginning to think the change in stance must have something to do with the declining support for the SNP. Recent polling figures have put support for the SNP at 41%, down from 55% in April, 2015. Support for independence currently stands below 45%, a further indication that perhaps independence is not at the forefront of many Scottish voters’ minds, and therefore, the SNP has had to change pace to stay relevant.

Consequently, during the launch of the SNP manifesto, Nicola Sturgeon stressed repeatedly that the SNP were the only party who could seriously stand up to the Tories, on welfare and NHS funding cuts. Sturgeon also said that the SNP would support a 50p top rate tax, but only if it were applied across the whole of the UK, they would also support protection of the triple lock on pensions.

However, though Sturgeon shifted focus to other issues during the manifesto launch, she concluded proceedings by stating that the elections to Holyrood last year had given the SNP a clear mandate to call for and hold a second independence referendum. Evidently, though the focus is elsewhere, independence is still a clear talking point, and will remain so for the SNP and for Scotland.