The NHS is here for you this Christmas

The NHS is urging people to make the right healthcare choice when they are seeking medical help or advice over the holiday period.

Making the right choice this Christmas doesn’t just mean picking the perfect present or selecting your favourite flavour from the chocolate tin.

A range of healthcare options, from local pharmacies to NHS 111, are available over the holidays, and each option is best suited for different medical needs.

Over the festive season, a number of local pharmacies in Birmingham and Solihull will be open, offering quick, confidential advice on lots of common illnesses, as well as over-the-counter medication.

You can find pharmacy opening hours over Christmas and New Year’s here. Please do not visit a pharmacy if you have COVID-19 symptoms.

While many people enjoy a break this week, your local NHS is working really hard to help people who need our help. That’s why patients should use NHS 111 first to help NHS urgent and emergency care services maintain social distancing and ensure that patients receive the right care in the right place, in a timely and safe way. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call 111 or visit the website 111.nhs.uk.

Dr Richard Mendelsohn, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “There are a range of healthcare services available to people in Birmingham and Solihull throughout the festive period.

“There are many common illnesses and injuries that can be treated at home, so make sure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet, to avoid having to venture out. Good items to have include your usual pain relief, diarrhoea relief, rehydration sachets, antihistamines and heartburn and indigestion remedies, as well as first aid essentials, such as plasters, dressings, eye wash and bandages.

“There are steps we can all take to look after ourselves and loved ones, such as wearing a mask indoors, taking regular lateral flow tests and getting your COVID and flu vaccines.”

Copy of a Press Release by Birmingham & Solihull CCG

NSPCC Christmas Lunch

Sunday 28th November 2021

Sunday saw the return of the Christmas fundraiser for the NSPCC and Childline, held at Druids Heath Golf Club. Despite the inclement weather and prospect of more snow there was an excellent turnout and a really lovely atmosphere.

Before lunch we were treated to a performance by the Chair Persons (Carol Thompson) granddaughter Olivia Rose Thompson aged 10 ,who is concerned about other children who are not looking forward to a happy Christmas this year , and wanted to help. She sang ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Santa is Coming for Us’, and is recording a video for the NSPCC,

There was a superb lunch provided by the excellent staff followed by a raffle with come great prizes. Whilst coffee was being served we were treated to the wonderful voices of the The barbershop singers who are a group of current and former members of the “Anvil Chorus” West Midlands harmony group

A total of £945.50 was raised

Sutton Coldfield is getting a very low key Christmas lights switch on.

No big Christmas switch on event and no Santa’s grotto in Sutton Coldfield’s Gracechurch. Plans have been revealed for Sutton’s Christmas lights switch on, and there is going to be no big show due to continuing concerns over Covid

Sutton BID has confirmed that the switch on will take place in the town centre on Saturday 20th November at 5.00pm, there will be no celebrities doing the honours with concerns over large crowds during the ongoing pandemic.

There will however be street entertainers who will be working with smaller groups of people

There will also be no Santa’s grotto – with a free festive mini golf with Santa attending instead on Saturdays and Sundays from now until December 19 and then every day through to Christmas Eve.

Picture credit Birmingham Mail

Christmas Festival & Lights switch on annouced

Boldmere Christmas festival is back after missing last year due to the pandemic. There will be stalls aplenty, rides, food and drink.

Thousands are expected to turn up for lights switch on by Perry the Commonwealth Games 2022 Mascot. It will take place along Boldmere Road (the High Street) on Sunday November 21st from 1pm-6pm with the road closed to all traffic.

This year there will be a Ferris wheel which will draw the surrounding buildings, children’s attractions merry go round, flying planes and bungee trampolines.

The festival will also feature the Commonwealth Games 2022 roadshow showcasing the event that will be coming to Sutton for the triathlon events

The lights will be switched on at %.30pm in the build up there will be lots of entertainment on the main stage hosted by Switch Radios Terri-Anne Cooper.

More details here

https://www.boldmere.org/community-festivals/christmas-2021/

Drive-in cinema opening in Birmingham for Christmas 2021

The Luna Drive-In Cinema is returning to Birmingham’s NEC for a run of Christmas showings. The popular event has curated a programme of festive favourites

Audiences can expect all the festive classics, including Love Actually, Home Alone, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Holiday and Elf, as well as more recent favourites such as Frozen and Last Christmas.

For younger film fans there are special screenings of “The Gruffalo”, “Stick Man”, “Zog” and “The Snail and the Whale” as well as the iconic “The Snowman”.

The Luna drive-in experience is second to none and features a bespoke in-car wireless speaker system, so the people of Birmingham can hear the film in amazing full frequency, cinematic quality digital sound.

With this technology, there is no need to have the car radio running and risk draining the battery, so you can truly tune into the Yuletide magic without any distractions.

You can even treat yourself to a limited-edition Festive Box, which contains sweet treats such as candy canes, chocolate coins, mince pies and popcorn.

To book a car at a drive-in screening, tickets start from £32.50 (including booking fees).

George Wood, founder of The Luna Cinema, says: “Following a sell-out season in 2020, our upcoming Luna Winter Cinema run will take our total number of screenings this year to over 500.

For more Information Click 👇

https://www.lunadriveincinema.com/birmingham-nec

The Mint Theatre Society – The Christmas Elves

The Mint Theatre Society

Wylde Green United Reform Church

Saturday 23rd November

I am new to “The Mint Theatre Company” a pop-up theatre group who perform their shows in unlikely venues such as village halls, church halls. I will say now Im a new recruit to their following and will definitely be going to future productions.

Their latest production “popped up” in what I believe is a new venue Wylde Green United Reform Church Hall. Although it has a stage that is about it, and that it’s self is pretty small with very little space for props to be stored until required, no stage lighting to add that ambiance. As always what scenery, props etc need to fit in the back of a car to be taken to the next venues.

The show is a take on the “The Christmas Elves and the Shoemaker” tale given a seasonal twist by director Liz Daly to deliver a festive family tale full of morels and a charm of its own, the basic message is it is better to be kind and help others than to be selfish and nasty.. and I’ll drink to that !

Our story starts in Santas workshop, where Santa is demanding the Elves work harder and longer hours to get everything ready for Christmas. This sparks our stars Sage (played by David Stonehouse) and Onion into action, Onion (wonderfully played by Alex Howell) being the shop steward for the National Union of Elves citing elf and safety and organises a mass walkout well two man walk. We then follow Sage and Onions adventures in the real world helping Peter the shoemaker (played by Ian Toulouse) who is struggling to pay his rent by creating shoes whilst he is asleep and the all the repercussions that produces.

We are treated to a number of classic pantomime routines, amusing the adults and bringing laughter from the children. With this being a story about Elves and Shoemakers we are treated to a number of appearances from the like of Lady Mariah of Carey played by Charlotte Ball who gives us a wonderful rendition of “All I want for Christmas is Shoes” we also meet Nancy Shoenatra (played by Liz Daly) who manages to entertain us with…yes “These Boots Were Made For Walking” and finally Elfis (played by David Daly) treating us to plenty of Elfish puns and songs including…”Blue Suede Shoes” you can see a theme appearing can’t you? we are also treated to some lovely tap by Ellie Ball who happens to have happy feet and is also “Rocking around The Christmas Tree”

Although it was a small audience the cast did a fantastic job filling the hall with enthusiasm and plenty of feel good factor.

This was a fantastic production and wonderfully and enthusiastically delivered, I would recommend any families looking for a pre Christmas laugh and treat to go along to one of the next performances at either Shenstone Village Hall on Friday, 29 November and Stonnall Village Hall on Saturday, 30 November.

https://www.facebook.com/MintTheatreSociety/