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Opinion CHAMBER LINK


The Official Publication of Greater Birmingham Chambers of commerce


Editor’s View


By John Lamb


‘I didn’t get where I am today’ on public transport


Sutton Coldfield


Chamber of Commerce


Remember Reginald Perrin? His daily commute from Coleridge Close via Norbiton to catch the 8.16 to Waterloo was always blighted by delays to reaching his middle-management job at Sunshine Desserts. • 17 minutes late, water seeping through the cables at Effingham Junction – there was a lot of Effingham and a good deal of Blindingham!


• 22 minutes late, badger ate a junction box at New Malden


• 11 minutes late, defective junction box, New Malden


Front cover: Comedian Adil Ray in the spotlight at the Chamber


See pages 38/39


Editor John Lamb 0121 607 1781, 0797 1144064 j.lamb@birmingham-chamber.com


Deputy Editor Dan Harrison 0121 607 1887, 0797 1144052 d.harrison@birmingham-chamber.com


You can now read the latest issue of CHAMBERLINK and view back issues online at: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com


• 22 minutes late, escaped puma, Chessington North


• 11 minutes late, overheated axle at Berrylands • 22 minutes late, fed up by train delays, came by bike. Slow puncture at Peckham


… the excuses for his late arrival at the office were legendary. But at least Reggie was using public transport,


something that is now being advocated as the answer to our road congestion problems here at the heart of the country. Most commuters travelling into London do so


by train and Tube. Not so Birmingham. Which reminds me of the joke that if you


Published by


bumped into a friend on a London Transport bus the exchange of words would just be pleasantries. A similar encounter on a National Express bus in Birmingham might lead to your friend asking when you get your driving licence back. This is the kernel of the problem. By common


consent, driving in and out of Birmingham at the moment is a nightmare but we still do it, as detailed in our feature on pages 6 and 7.


Kemps Publishing Ltd 11 The Swan Courtyard, Charles Edward Road, Birmingham B26 1BU 0121 765 4144 www.kempspublishing.co.uk


Managing Editor Laura Blake Designer Lloyd Hollingworth


Advertising 0121 765 4144 jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk


CHAMBERLINK is produced on behalf of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chambers and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither the Chambers nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Chambers. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.


4 CHAMBERLINK December 2017/January 2018 More generous drivers might simply brush off


the delays saying there’s no long-term gain without pain, believing that the huge developments going on in Birmingham city centre will not last for ever. But you’re more likely to be among the drivers


whose frustrations spill over into counting the seconds as they tick slowly by at traffic lights with no vehicles crossing your path; raging at drivers who are a second late pulling away from the lights; cursing when temporary lights remain on red for hours; or steaming when you join a 22-mile queue outside your office. I am that person and what a luxury it would


be to join the Reggie Perrins of this world, relaxing on a train into New Street or Snow Hill. Sadly, the paucity of public transport is


improving only slowly in the West Midlands and anyone who has to travel with his and her job across the West Midlands will not find it easy to go by bus or train. Roll on tram extensions, cross rail and, of


course, HS2…


• The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was a BBC television sitcom in the 1970s starring Leonard Rossiter. It was based on a series of novels written by David Nobbs, who also wrote the TV series.


• Chamberlink will be back in February after taking a break in January. In the meantime everyone at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce wishes all readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous 2018.


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