Chris Crouch is back from Mallorca, tanned, rested and immediately plunged into the climate crisis. Spooky season in Kings Heath, Birmingham, UK starts here.

First, a big thank you to Scarlett from Enjoy Kings Heath for co-hosting last week. Then Chris reports back from the National Emergency Briefing screening at Kings Heath Community Centre: stark, a bit scary, but full of practical solutions. Worth a watch (16+), and maybe worth a letter to your MP.

Book now: Blowwater Café and Screen B14 host a Secret Film Supper Club on Thursday 12 November – mystery film, matching food, vegan Japanese curry rice included. If you work out the film, please tell us.

All week: find participating houses on the Trick or Treat Map, and donate duvets, towels and blankets to the Birmingham Christmas Shelter appeal (collections every Sunday until Christmas). Plus the last of our All Saints Youth Project round-up: home education support, male carers group, half-term family fun, transgender parent/carer support and an adoption support brunch.

The half-term and Halloween line-up is huge: a fancy-dress roller disco at Cocks Moors Woods, Birmingham Tree People volunteering, family cooking and growing at the Community Centre, a Harry Potter Halloween day for SEN families, poetry and a Halloween quiz at Loco Lounge, a knitting meet-up, a paranormal book launch at Kings Heath Library, swing and jazz with Martin Leonard, a Celebrity Traitors finale watch party, a Halloween ceilidh with a live aerial act at Circus Mash, tree walks in Highbury Park, sip and paint, Coco and soup at the Community Centre, Halloween parties at the Hare & Hounds, Thrive in Kings Heath Park, Mr Scruff on Sunday, a new Queer Musical Collective, Tony's Tots drama sessions and The Lost Notes at the Red Lion Folk Club.

And one important ask. Heath Talk takes a lot of time to make, so we want to know if it's worth carrying on into 2027. If you listen and want more, email heathtalkpodcast@gmail.com and say so. If we get 10 emails before the new year, we keep going. That's all it takes.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:12 Last week: National Emergency Briefing

07:03 Book now and all week

15:24 Wednesday 28 October

18:15 Thursday 29 October

23:42 Friday 30 October

30:27 Saturday 31 October (Halloween)

39:19 Sunday 1 November

40:00 Monday 2 November

41:44 Tuesday 3 November

42:53 Wednesday 4 November

44:34 Should we carry on? Email us

Events, voice notes and "please don't stop" emails: heathtalkpodcast@gmail.com

Heath Talk is a weekly community podcast about what's on in Kings Heath and Moseley, Birmingham, UK – local news, events, gigs and family activities.