We’re nicking this from Jon Bounds - verbatim:

James Fitzjames Fraser West, is going to start blogging on livejounral in January, only thing is he’s been dead since 1883. James was a surgeon at Queen’s Hospital (later the Accident Hospital, and now a hall of residence for students at the University), who lived in Edgbaston.

His diary gives fascinating insights into daily life in Victorian Birmingham, as well as including plenty of information on Victorian medicine and foreign travel along the way - all written up with keen insight and a wry sense of humour. He even undertook a month’s excursion through France and Italy in March-April 1883, courtesy of Thomas Cook and Son.

The serialisation is being undertaken to celebrate the publication of a biography of West: A Victorian Surgeon. A Biography of James Fitzjames Fraser West 1833-83, Birmingham Surgeon (which is descriptive if not exactly a snappy title)

It is intended to be a kind of Victorian version of Pepys diary, in that one entry will be blogged every day, complete with annotations providing pictures of the people and places mentioned in the diary, and further information about them.

Thanks Jon

This weekend voting comes to an end on the rather low key campaign to hand £50 million from the Big Lottery Fund to one of four projects.

Amongst the finalist is the Black Country Urban Park which plans to turn the Black Country Green. What to do with Birmingham’s Historic Buildings? The programme includes support for a bid for World Heritage Status for the Black Country canals and their associated buildings. It’s the most local of the ideas pitching for the £50 million and will have the greatest impact on the West Midlands built heritage.

To vote online go the this site - you’ll have to log n and register to prevent us all voting oddles of times.

Another project which will have some local benefit is the Sustrans pitch - part of a national walking and cycling network which would see the money spent in Birmingham and 78 other local authorities.