Jan-Feb 2026

I remember, as a schoolboy preparing for English O Level in the 1970s, being made to read Solzhenitsyn’s 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich'. It tells the story of a Russian convict interned in a Gulag in Siberia in 1951. It is the only book I have ever read that made me feel physically cold. The detailed descriptions of the convicts’ struggle to survive at temperatures 30ºC below freezing were chilling, in both the literal and figurative sense.

It was not my intention, in editing this edition, to produce the same effect. Nevertheless, St Nicolas’ Church does have a problem that we need to bring to your attention. David Badger spells it out on page 36. As we head into a winter without adequate church heating, and with no quick fixes on the horizon, we are appealing to all our readers and the wider community for financial help at a difficult time. You will find opportunities to contribute on the parish website, in church, and on the back page.

It is always interesting to consider what might have been. On page 4, Michael Kennedy introduces us to a lost form of transport, manufactured here, which might have made a significant contribution to the life and economy of Kings Norton had war not intervened. Remaining with the transport theme, Siôr Coleman (page 13) explains why, for him, Kings Norton is the ideal starting point from which to explore the wider world. Mark Sandilands has also been travelling; his Italian diary (page 33) provides a welcome dose of sunshine to counterbalance this month’s wintry references. Added to all this, articles on art, nature, history, and faith contribute to a varied New Year mix which I hope you will enjoy reading.