Home Blogs & Comment Birmingham Columnists Andrew Cowen

It’s the end of the world as we know it

It’s hard to describe the annoyance I’m feeling towards Dave Cameron at the moment. Read

Welcome to Birmingham’s first girl band Tiara Bitch

It’s with a certain amount of trepidation and a great deal of pride that I introduce you to Birmingham’s first girl group. Read

Negotiating the minefield of choosing a grammar

Did you know the Dalai Lama is afraid of caterpillars? No, me neither. There’s no mention of this on his website, dalailama.com. Read

DisCERNing few will be eating up our pink broccoli

If you’re one of those people who are counting your blessings that the planet didn’t get sucked into a seething vortex of nothingness this week, I’m sorry to say that we’re not out of the woods yet. Read

Lessons in life, as taught by hamsters

It’s always a memorable rite of passage for any boy or girl. Your first hamster. As of last night, we now have two of the little fluffsters in the flat. Read

Only bees can save mankind from wasps and soggy festivals

I never expected to be supping a pint with Eddie Yeats last weekend, but life has a way of dropping little joyful surprises into your lap when all around is gloomy. Read

Has e-dating taken all the fun out of finding a partner?

Where did your father meet your mother? Was it when he walked into the Palais de Danse in his army uniform? Maybe it was in the queue for the bar at a David Bowie gig in 1972? The refectory in the university halls? Read

How to make a complete dog’s dinner of a summer job

Here’s a true story. When I was 18, I was a carefree English degree student, studying at the dreaming spires of Sunderland Polytechnic. Read

Maxwell just waiting with my £15m

It’s often described as the scourge of the internet and its authors are known as the lowest of the low. But I love spam I do. Read

I have to start whistling to stop my endless worry

I’m worried. I’m always worried. I’m a natural-born worrier. Read

Whether you like it or not, Facebook is a revolution

I admit it. I’m not the most sociable of people. Ask any of my three imaginary friends. Read

Pension tour shows the soul singing side of Cohen, brothers

You have to hand it to Leonard Cohen. He's 73 years old but as spritely as ever. Read

Judas and Nostradamus provide our inspiration

Just when you thought it was safe to wash your hair, here comes Judas Priest with a brand new album. Read

Just where did my long-lost tortoise get to all those years ago

When I was eight I had a tortoise. His name was Joe. I called him Joe after my grandad who bought him for me and who he resembled. Read

Banky Moo and the scarce alphabetti spaghetti

As delegates at the World Food Summit sit down to eat fricasse of panda in a lovely raspberry and rhubarb jus, spare a thought for the rest of the human race currently being shafted by the huge price hike on our grocery bill. Read

Our days of Eurovision glory are long gone

I have managed to maintain an uncharacteristically dignified silence over the current Eurovision debate. Read

Fashion and its influence in on the newsroom

Don't go thinking that journalism and fashion was invented by Sex And The City. There's a long history of hacks in slacks in this business. Read

Fab flavour of Green Shield stamps and Lyon's Maid lollies

I had a most pleasant evening at the Alexandra Theatre to see Shout, a new musical with songs from the decade we now call the Swinging Sixties, named after our habit of hanging people. Read

Join Gok Wan camp to feel better about yourself

There's something about Gok Wan that I'm trying to put my finger on. Read

Substance that changed the fabric of a generation

Join me, if you will, in raising a blotter to mark the passing of Albert Hofmann, scientist, alchemist and engineer of our enlightened culture. Read

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