Sutton Coldfield Expo 2019 were pleased to welcome the Right Honourable Andrew Mitchell Member of Parliament on Saturday 28th September. He was first elected as Member of Parliament for the Royal Town in 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2010 - 2012 and then Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons.
This year`s Sutton Coldfield Expo was the 10th and largest annual showcase of the Royal Town`s businesses, community groups and charities. The one-day event brought the town centre to life with a vibrant offering of retailers, charities, professional services and community groups. Organised by Sutton Coldfield Town Centre BID there were over 50 stalls from businesses throughout the day. Stars of the Royal Town took the community events stage to perform to the crowds. Hosted by poet and playwright Ian Henery the ever-popular community stage featured live bands, local artists and performance groups.
Sutton schoolgirl Amelia Waldron, triumphant winner of the Sutton Has Musical Talent under 18 category, performed "Stay" by Rihana and her own compositions. Amiyah Goodall, aged 18, who had scooped the prize for the over 18 category and was crowned the overall Sutton Has Musical Talent winner, also performed at the Expo. Amiyah performed a rendition of "Yours" by Ella Henderson and "When We Were Young" by Adele.
Also on stage were the perennial favourites Tuneless Choir who sing like no one is listening. Tuneless Choirs are for those who love singing but lack the ability, practice or confidence to do so. They sing purely for the pleasure of it - with no pressure to hit the right note or improve, no expectation and no judgement - their only aim is for everyone to have fun and leave feeling energised and uplifted. The Sutton Choir attracts between 100 - 120 people a week and there`s definitely safety in numbers and members do not have to worry about their voice being heard. As well as regular choir sessions on a Tuesday at the United Reformed Church in Sutton town centre, they sing at local events and also have social nights, theatre trips and workshops since launching in May 2016 and they have developed a really lovely community. An extra to the performance schedule on Saturday was Emma Parker from Big Arena Performing Arts who sang songs from The Greatest Showman by special request by Ian Henery. Big Arena meets at the United Reformed Church every Saturday and was founded in 2009. They have had success in teaching Dance, Drama and Singing to children and young adults with previous performances including Alice in Wonderland, Beauty & the Beast, Bugsy Malone, The Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz.
"Thank you to everyone who performed on the community events stage", said Ian Henery "and we look forward to seeing you all again next year"
