Last week, with the Ofsted news and the new building at St Peter’s, my column focused firmly on the young, this week I want to start with the young at heart.
On Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of attending a 100th birthday party. Dora, who you would never guess had just passed the century mark, was kind enough to invite me to her big day. Even though she was born and raised in Blackpool, I think we can safely consider her a Silhillian after 70 years in the borough! It was amazing to meet her and a pleasure to hear her talk about her long and happy life. Happy Birthday Dora, here’s to many more!
The birthday party put me in mind of a piece I read at the weekend about Solihull being amongst the best (and the number one happiest!) place to grow old in the country. It’s no surprise for me to hear this. Solihull is a great place for people of all ages, not least older people. Our excellent local health and social care, including the Urgent Treatment Centre that the Council fought so hard for mean people are well taken care of as they age here. Combined with all the wonderful leisure activities including our parks, cafes, restaurants and shops, Solihull is clearly a great place to live.
It's also a great place to visit, and whilst the focus of the new Caledonian Sleeper line from Birmingham International (which is in our borough) is on the opportunity it offers us Midlanders to go and visit Scotland, I’m sure it’ll bring some people the other way too. I went to the launch, and the train looks fantastic. It’s a great to have a stop in Solihull, we pride ourselves on being one of the best-connected places in the UK with our airport, major rail connections and position at the heart of the motorway network. The new service just adds to that even further. We look forward to welcoming visitors coming down to see us here in Solihull and the wider West Midlands.
Something a little bit different now. The ‘Museum of Me’ will be opening up in Touchwood on Friday 30 January. It’s a unique touring exhibition which features items that tell the story of local people’s lives. Solihull is home to so many fascinating people, people like Dora, so I’m looking forward to finding out about ten more of them through this exhibition. Pop along if you’re in town between next Friday and the following Wednesday.
Finally, I’m sure quite a few residents made New Year’s Resolutions this year. If you’re finding your motivation to stick to them now fading, as we come towards the end of January, then have a look at the Solihull on the Move website. It has all the information you need to stay fit and healthy. From Parkrun to Planet Ice Solihull, leisure centres to community cycling hubs, there really is something for anyone who wants to get moving for 2026.
Thanks for reading,
Karen