It's been a scorcher of a week in Kings Heath, and Chris and Chris are back with the heatwave survival guide alongside everything you need to know about what's on. After a quick word on keeping yourselves and your dogs safe in record-breaking June heat (tarmac test, anyone?), they look back at a brilliant week that included the ever-popular Queen's Heath event — complete with stunning street photography from local snapper Mikey Evans — and a sold-out England fan zone at the Community Centre. St Mary's Moseley also opened its doors as a cool, calm refuge from the sun, proving church architecture has its uses beyond Sundays.

Then it's on to the week ahead, and there's a lot packed in. Thursday brings a relaxed art group for the 50+ crowd at Brandwood Centre and live cover music in the garden at the Station Pub. Friday is a big one: free live music and football at the King's Arms, the gloriously named Balls Out Bingo at E57 Social Club (18+, filthy comedy and four games of bingo included), and a charity quiz night for Operation Santa Trust at Moseley Golf Club.

Saturday sees a free self-defence workshop for women and girls at Brandwood Centre, plus a fermentation workshop at the Community Centre — they're after your old jam jars, so dig them out. Sunday rounds things off with Queer as the Dog comedy night at the Hare & Hounds, Moseley in Bloom's Open Gardens trail running alongside the Moseley Farmers Market, and the ever-valuable Kings Heath Community Kitchen offering free food, clothing and haircuts at New Life Baptist Church.

All that, plus some questionable opinions on what actually counts as fermentation. Stay cool out there, Kings Heath.

This week on Heath Talk, Chris and Chris catch up on the local news from around Kings Heath, Birmingham, UK — including a new café at the Brandwood Centre and the now-infamous cheese security cameras at Lidl. They also cover the results timeline for the Kings Heath Park landscaping consultation. Then it's onto a jam-packed week ahead: World Cup screenings at the Kings Heath Community Centre and the Hare & Hounds, a paint-your-own-planter night at the Kitchen Garden Café, live music at All Saints Café, the Brandwood Bash community day, a school bike sale, a quiz and curry night, the Kings Heath Art Market, a gig at the Highbury Inn, Kings Heath Pride, a jobs fair for over-50s, a community centre volunteer day, and comedy at the Patrick Kavanagh. Your weekly guide to what's on, what's up, and who's who in Kings Heath.

Heath Talk – Episode 3 Summary

Rebrand announcement – The podcast has moved on from the Kings Heathens name and is now independently operating as Heath Talk. Paul and the Kings Heathens Facebook group are given a warm shout-out, with the door left open for future collaboration. Chris Crouch is credited with the name.

What's been happening in Kings Heath:

• Muso Monday at The Station – an open mic night with a great crowd; possibly a regular event, TBC
• The old Pear Tree site (near the 50 bus stop) – new shutters and signage have appeared, the "to let" sign is gone; much community speculation about what's moving in (suggestions included pro wrestling and a Turkish barber/chicken shop combo)
• Poisoned meat in Kings Heath Park – reports of raw meat being left in the park; warning for dog owners with dogs off the lead
• New Life Food Bank – supporting B13/B14 postcodes; open Wednesdays 12–2pm and 2nd/4th Sundays 2:30–5pm at Kings Heath Community Kitchen. Donations welcome.

What's on this week:

• Tonight (Wed 10th) – Kings Heath Neighbourhood Forum, Brandwood Community Centre, 7pm. Local councillors Hamza Sheikh and Jordan Philip attending
• Tonight (Wed 10th) – Free comedy night, Patrick Kavanagh pub, Moseley, 8pm (£5–10 donation suggested)
• Thursday 11th – Sip & Paint evening at Loco Lounge, Matisse-inspired, led by artist Keelyan; 7–9:30pm, from £25.50
• Saturday 13th – Day in the Sun at Cannon Hill House, Russell Road; free entry, stalls, games, alpacas
• Weekly Tuesdays – Kings Heath Casual Board Games at Loco Lounge, 7pm; bring your own or use theirs
• Kings Heath Community Kitchen – launching Wednesday drop-in sessions seeking volunteers and organisations (housing, CAB, debt, mental health, employment etc.). Contact Adam: 07507 896218

Close – Invite for backup presenters and a researcher to help aggregate local forum posts. Contact: [email protected]

Episode 2 – Kings Heath Catches Fire (And More)

Join Chris Smith & Chris Crouch for a catch-up on everything happening in and around Kings Heath.

We talk about the dramatic electric vehicle fire that brought the high street to a standstill for over three hours (everyone was fine), and a timely warning about scammers targeting the Kings Heath Artisan Market with fake pitch bookings on Facebook.

Then it's on to what's coming up — and there's a lot. The FIFA World Cup kicks off next Thursday (Mexico vs South Africa, 8pm), and if you want to watch it without the full football fervour, Hublon on Institute Road are doing something a bit different with a 14-inch TV from 2004. There's also a drawing for beginners course at Cartlands Tea Room on Thursday 4th June (£10, reserve a place), a mobile recycling truck on Yardley Wood Road on Friday 5th, sunflower planting at the Community Centre on Saturday 6th, and the One Retreat Wellness Festival at Highbury Hall — 40 classes, yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, a live DJ and a market. Highbury Hall also has an Open Day on Sunday 7th with free tickets on Eventbrite.

Plus — Councillor Jordan Phillip's monthly drop-in sessions at the Community Centre, and an early heads-up on the HiViz Comic Con coming in September.

Got something to say? Send us a voice note or email: [email protected]

Join 16,000 Kings Heath locals on the Kings Heathens Facebook group — search Kings Heathens on Facebook or visit facebook.com/groups/kingsheathens

Description:

Welcome to the very first episode of the Kings Heathens podcast — the show all about life in Kings Heath, Birmingham. We're Chris Smith (technologymadesimple.co.uk) and Chris Crouch (infinitybrewing.uk / infinity.pizza), and yes, it's a pilot, so please bear with us.

In this episode we cover:

The Classic Car Show (Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May) Around 50 classic cars took over All Saints Square. There was live music, a bar from Schooners, Indian street food, and pizzas from Infinity Pizza. Glorious weather helped pack the square with families. A proper community day out.

The New Train Stations If you haven't used them yet, Kings Heath and Moseley now have brand new stations. Clean, quick, and running twice an hour into Birmingham New Street. Kings Heath station sits near what was Homebase (now The Range), and Moseley Village station is by St Mary's Church.

York Road Right Now No formal event, but York Road with its outdoor benches in the sun is exactly where you want to be at the moment. Grab a pint and enjoy one of the best stretches Kings Heath has to offer.

What's On — Coming Up A quick run through what The Hare and Hounds has on this week, plus the Kings Heath Farmers Market on Saturday 6th June, and the Kings Heath Artisan Market on Sunday 14th June on York Road. There's also a curry and quiz at All Saints on 20th June — £10 a head, 7pm.

Interview: Dan Cottrell of York Road Supplies Paul Teclaff heads out to speak to Dan Cottrell about one of Kings Heath's most beloved businesses. York Road Supplies has been serving the community since 1947. When the previous owner approached retirement with no successor, the community stepped in — the business was saved through a community share offer and now has over 700 shareholders. It's one of only a handful of cooperatives in the whole of the Midlands, and the Kings Heath Community Centre has since followed the same model.

Dan talks about what makes York Road Supplies unique (hardware, garden centre, tool sharpening, wood cutting, DIY advice — all under one roof), their new rooftop greenhouses where they're growing and propagating their own plants, their regular Saturday workshops (recent topics include home energy efficiency and composting), and their monthly surplus food pay-what-you-feel initiative run in partnership with Incredible Surplus.

Want to get involved? Email us: [email protected] Join the conversation with 16,000+ locals: facebook.com/groups/kingsheathens

We're back next week — see you then.