Just Blogging

50 Councillor Martin Mullaney

Posted on June 16, 2010 with No Comments

Held in a huge high-ceiling room at Birmingham Council House on the day that Birmingham City Council presented their City of Culture bid to the judging team in Liverpool, I managed to steal a few minutes of Martin’s time.

Martin told me about his past history, some of the successes he and BCC have achieved, and gave a small insight into some of the possible plans for elements of Birmingham’s cultural future.

Councillor Martin Mullaney from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

44 Michael Laverty

Posted on June 9, 2010 with No Comments

Michael Laverty
Chief Executive, Advantage West Midlands

Michael Laverty from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

During a busy day, I managed to grab a few minutes with Mick over at Advantage WM.

Coming from an accounting, finances, resourcing and operations background, Mick shares with us his influences, successes, leadership styles, teamwork working practices and plans for the future.

42 Steve Dyson

Posted on June 9, 2010 with No Comments

Ex-editor of the Birmingham Mail, Steve Dyson, shares a little time with us at home.

Here, Steve talks about the past, the present and the future of journalism and news, including TV, radio, newspapers and online platforms.

He gives us an insight into his life now that he is freelance, and what activities and journalism practices he plans to be involved in for the future.

Steve Dyson from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

41- Kerry Thomas

Posted on February 22, 2010 with No Comments

In this video, I visit Kerry Thomas and Dave at Fused Magazine.

We talk about the past history and success achieved, and Kerry gives us an insight into what the future holds, both for them, and also for print-based media, and the creative industries in Birmingham.

Kerry Thomas from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

Many thanks to Kerry for giving me some of her valuable time- especially on print deadline day.

40 Professor Julia King

Posted on June 22, 2010 with 1 Comment

The Vice Chancellor of Aston University and I could have talked for hours. Julia’s vast past industry experience includes the cutting edge in aero and automotive engineering- there’s even a titanium award made from one of the fans from a Rolls Royce engine in Julia’s office!

However, Julia’s past is well documented elsewhere. What I wanted to find out was more about the work happening at the university, and how that is likely to affect the West Midlands engineering industry.

Julia King from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

39- James Yarker

Posted on February 25, 2010 with 1 Comment

Very rarely does one find a performing arts company that has the opportunity and ability, not only to challenge the status quo in an avant-garde manner, but manages to continually succeed, leads the city, region, and country in the international marketplace and generates its own sustainable future.

James Yarker from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

James Yarker is the Artistic Director with Stan’s Cafe (pronounced ‘Caff’ – not Café like wot I did!), and along with Craig Stephens and Charlotte Martin (both lovely people that I met again today), the company are moving forwards with ambitious plans, and gaining rightful international recognition with every performance they produce.

I dare say, that we will be hearing a lot more from Stan’s Cafe in the future, and I for one will be attending some of their performances, in what looks like a very ambitious and exciting programme of future productions.

I urge you to do the same wherever you are… if Stan’s Cafe appear near you, please make an effort to go check them out. You can find more information at http://stanscafe.co.uk

38 Simon Wales

Posted on June 25, 2010 with No Comments

Simon’s musical background brings with it not only experience and knowledge, but recognition and strong leadership skills, plus a wealth of experience on the international platform.

Coordinating large scale orchestra and choir productions, and small scale intimate concerts as part of his daily routine, Simon gives me an insight about how he leads the Town Hall teams, how the operation runs, and how the venue itself plays a key influencing role in the city’s culture.

Simon Wales from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

37- Helga Henry

Posted on February 20, 2010 with No Comments

I managed to steal 15 minutes of Helga’s time at the Fierce Earth offices in The Big Peg, right in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Contained within the interview, Helga tells us her thoughts on the creative industries and a way forwards for Birmingham; her use of social media, connectivity and communications; and how the use of digital media in the arts requires an attitude shift from cultural providers, to encourage listening to audiences, and the democratic process involved when engaging with them. Finally, we hear of Fierce Earth’s upcoming programme and their plans for the future.

Helga Henry, Fierce Earth. from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

Helga is a graduate in Drama and French, a qualified lawyer and a former Associate at Wragge & Co.

Her experience includes Business Development Manager for Second Sight and being the first administrator for Women & Theatre. Helga is a Board Member of Bright Space (UK) Ltd and Geese Theatre and has previously held the position of Chair of the Board for Creative Republic.

In addition, Helga has particular expertise in professional services marketing, presentation skills training and meeting facilitation. Currently, Helga is leading the on-line campaign team behind Birmingham’s City of Culture bid.

Self-described as “Tireless champion of the West Midlands’ creative industries and fan of a nice cup of tea” – you can contact Helga via her blog, twitter or LinkedIn.

36 Paul Bradshaw

Posted on August 3, 2010 with No Comments

Fresh from his lecturing role in online journalism (and others) at Birmingham City University, Paul has just started the next stage of his career.

The founder of Help Me Investigate, Paul’s knowledge and experience comes from previous roles in editing magazines and websites.

During a short lunch break, I managed to spend some time with Paul at the Custard Factory, where we spoke about his professional and academic history, current trends and the influences of technology for holding those in power to account, and briefly touched on what the future for the media industry could possibly have in store.

Paul Bradshaw from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

33 Paul Bassi

Posted on June 16, 2010 with No Comments

One of Birmingham’s most successful entrepreneurs, Paul has steered Bond Wolfe via an astute and carefully planned long-term growth strategy, to deliver profitable returns on their property portfolio.

I took the opportunity to meet with Paul at his offices in Birmingham city centre, where he spoke to me about the importance of clear, strong and decisive leadership qualities, and the importance this plays in developing and delivering successful business models.

Paul Bassi from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

31 Clare Edwards

Posted on December 8, 2009 with No Comments

Filmed in early December 2009, I manage to catch up with Clare at home, immediately before a performance with Notorious Choir in Birmingham city centre, and straight off the back of a trip to India.

I ask about what drives her, where her passion comes from, and what sort of things in her work make her happy with what she achieves.

Featuring exclusive rehearsal footage, we see a short insight behind Clare’s daily life…

Clare Edwards from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

You can find more information about Clare and read her blog at http://clareedwards.com/

Some of the photographs within the above video were kindly supplied by Andrew Dubber and Jez Collins. You can find more about their India project at http://dubberandjez.posterous.com/, part of the Un-Convention series

30 Justice Williams MBE

Posted on November 30, 2009 with No Comments

Publisher, agent, social entrepreneur, company director, serious networker and a busy busy busy lady.

Justice tells me what sort of things really drive her forward, and how she feels about the current plans and programmes that are offered to young entrepreneurs like her, and the people she works with.

A few home truths within, this comes straight from the heart- deliberately unedited.

Justice Williams MBE from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

Echoing the words of Dermot Finch, Justice doesn’t sit on the fence here- “Birmingham doesn’t sing enough” “Give Back” “Get Creative” “Take Risks” “Less talk- More action” … you’ll see what she means just by clicking the Play button.

You can contact Justice via Twitter at http://twitter.com/justiceamariah or http://www.amariahsworld.blogspot.com/

27 Professor Nick James

Posted on June 23, 2010 with No Comments

You know, there comes a time when you meet someone that is truly the leading authority in their specialised field- for me, that time was today, with Nick.

Such a wealth of knowledge and experience guide Nick’s leadership choices, and if ever there was an example of good teamwork making a real difference to someone’s life, then surely, this is it.

Professor Nick James from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

26 Philip Singleton

Posted on August 30, 2010 with No Comments

Philip has now left his post overseeing the development of Birmingham City Centre, and has moved to Newham Council, filling a similar role regenerating the area in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

I was due to meet with Philip during the summer, but as I traveled to the meeting by train, I received a telephone call canceling the appointment from his office, saying that he had been called away to deal with more urgent matters, much to my protest.

A complete waste of time and money demolished by what I feel to be a very inconsiderate last-minute action by his office- I will not be making the journey again.

Image supplied by Birmingham Post

24 Salma Yaqoob

Posted on August 29, 2010 with No Comments

Salma Yaqoob is the leader, and former vice-chair, of the Respect Party and a Birmingham City Councillor. She is also the head of the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition and a spokesperson for Birmingham Central Mosque.
In 2006, Yaqoob received the Lloyds TSB Asian Jewel Award for Public Service Excellence while Harper’s Bazaar magazine named her in the top thirty list of British women, alongside Kate Winslet, all of whom they considered to be the most powerful in the UK.
In 2008, she was voted to eleventh place in the Birmingham Post’s Power 50 list of the most influential people in the city. She was included in the newspaper’s list again in 2009 at number 24.
In 2009, Yaqoob was included in the Muslim Women Power List run by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in association with The Times and Emel magazine.
According to The Guardian newspaper, Yaqoob is “the most prominent Muslim woman in British public life“.

Over a four month period, I have tried to contact Salma via email on several occasions, Twitter (twice) and have also left messages on her mobile telephone.
Unfortunately, none of these attempts have been successful, and to date, my requests for an interview have gone unanswered, and I have not received any replies whatsoever.
I can only deduct from this that Salma is not interested in taking part.

Unfortunately, there appears to be no image or photograph of Salma available via Creative Commons licensed outlets – only images with ‘All Rights Reserved’ licenses are available.

23 Jason Wouhra

Posted on June 10, 2010 with No Comments

The East End Foods plc Company Secretary and Director oversees the Cash & Carry section of the £100 million company.

With a background in law, and now also delivering some of the marketing and PR for the company, operating from the Highgate area of Birmingham, Jason takes 5 minutes to grab a coffee with me at The Mailbox.

I was interested to find out what drives him personally, and how he transfers some of these traits into his professional role.

Jason Wouhra from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

21 Randy Lerner

Posted on May 30, 2010 with No Comments

Mr Lerner is the current owner of Aston Villa Football Club.

I have tried to contact Mr Lerner’s office, secretary and PA by email and telephone for 4 months now.

Eventually I managed to get through to Aston Villa’s press office, to be told “Randy doesn’t give interviews to bloggers- he only speak to accredited media, and there’s a very long waiting list.”

Image supplied by Sports RX.

18 Suzie Norton

Posted on August 30, 2010 with No Comments

Suzie is the CEO of Screen WM, the West Midland’s regional screen agency, and is responsible for ensuring that this area of the region’s creative sector continues to grow. Screen WM are also also working closely with Channel 4 and acting as a commissioning hub on the 4iP fund.

“At the moment due to the government announcements, Suzie is concentrating on future planning and the diary over the summer is purely based on these activities.” (via email from Suzie’s PA).

Hopefully this situation will change in the future and will allow me to meet with Suzie before this project deadline expires.

(image supplied by Birmingham Post)

17 Stephen Hughes

Posted on July 1, 2010 with 3 Comments

The Chief Executive of Birmingham Council is a busy guy at the moment.

The future of public service delivery is coming under greater scrutiny, significant spending cuts across the sector are slowly emerging, and organisations such as Advantage West Midlands and Business Link are under increasing pressure to reduce costs and spending.

The same applies across all areas that BCC manages, not just business and industry in the West Midlands.

I managed to steal 10 minutes of Stephens time at his office, asking a few questions about his management and leadership style, past influences and what sort of influences will affect Birmingham’s future.

Stephen Hughes from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

15 Councillor Paul Tilsley

Posted on June 11, 2010 with 1 Comment

Coalition governments are nothing new here in Birmingham- we’ve had a Conservative/Lib-Dem local council for a while now.

Paul Tilsley is the Lib-Dem councillor for Sheldon, and is also Deputy Leader at Birmingham City Council.

Here, I get the chance to spend a few minutes with Paul behind the scenes, asking a few questions about his past history, successes and methodology, business-related developments, and future plans.

Councillor Paul Tilsley from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

13 Andrew Mitchell MP

Posted on June 18, 2010 with No Comments

Andrew’s family history is full of political references, people and appointments.
It is obvious from our discussion that he is very passionate about his local constituency and issues affecting them, but what about nationally and internationally? How does he see his work affecting the West Midlands overall? Are there any examples of good practice that have influenced what he does?

I spent a few minutes with Andrew in his Sutton Coldfield constituency office to try to find out.

Andrew Mitchell MP from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

12 Julie Moore

Posted on June 24, 2010 with No Comments

As the Chief Executive of University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Julie and her team have just undertaken a huge move of patients, professional medical staff and facilities to the brand new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in Selly Oak.

Drawing from her front line experience in nursing, Julie has adopted a “bottom up” approach to consulting with patients and staff, to ensure that effective leadership and management is successfully delivered, helping the relocation take place successfully, winning the support of all involved, and the press of course, at the same time as maintaining high standards of care at what is now a huge medical facility for the region.

I spent a few minutes with Julie to find out how her management styles have taken shape over the years, and how she applies them on a day to day basis.

Julie Moore from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

10 Councillor Mike Whitby

Posted on August 7, 2010 with No Comments

Councillor Mike Whitby is the elected representative for Harborne Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, Leader of the Conservative Group and Chairman of the Birmingham City Council Business Management Committee.

I have been in email contact with Cllr Whitby’s office since May 21st 2010.

Back then, I requested a short 30-minute appointment with Cllr Whitby, to conduct the interview with him, in exactly the same format as those on this page. Negotiations, explanations, questions, date adjustments and diary juggling have been continuing since then to accommodate Cllr Whitby’s diary.

On August 5th, I received email communication from Cllr Whitby’s office (with a restriction statement of confidentiality and legal statement attached), not only cancelling our appointment next week (planned for Monday 9th August), but also completely cancelling for the future.

Upon reflection, I will avoid the temptation to include my personal thoughts here, instead allowing the above factual report to accurately inform readers/ viewers of the situation surrounding this particular interview.

The above image was created by Birmingham News Room, and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic licence. The original image can be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/birminghamnewsroom/4268712426/

08 Professor David Bailey

Posted on June 15, 2010 with No Comments

A very pleasurable and insightful conversation with David, where I gained his thoughts on the economy, strategies, potential plans and his views on current government financial policy and plans.

David features regularly in specialised media features, focusing on financial strategy – it is the academic research and work completed by David and his colleagues that provide both background information and a broad range of thinking for the decision makers in our region, who will hopefully lead the region, and perhaps the country out of recession.

David Bailey from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

07 Clive Dutton

Posted on September 15, 2009 with No Comments

On Friday 11th July, I was invited to interview Clive Dutton OBE.
Clive is the Director of Planning and Regeneration at Birmingham City Council.
He has been in post since February 2005, and with the original remit to “shake things up”- he’s certainly fulfilled the brief.
Filmed on the 25th floor of Alpha Tower, Clive gives us his views of the past, The Big City Plan, communication, his successes and achievement, London and Birmingham’s future.
Clive will be leaving Birmingham soon, to take up the position of Executive Director for Regeneration, Planning and Property at the London Borough of Newham.

Clive Dutton from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

Sincere thanks must go to Nat Higginbottom of Aquila TV for helping me with his editing skills. This has shown up that I need to get the white balance on the cameras sorted, so colours are shown in better contrast, plus I need better microphones- that’s 2 things I’ll put right for all future interviews.