Chinese investors' plan to fund major city regeneration schemes

A group of wealthy Far Eastern investors were planning a major spending spree in Birmingham - and had huge regeneration schemes in their sights.

A consortium headed up by Denise Li, president at GlobalChina Wealth Management Company, planned to filter capital from the super-rich of China and Taiwan into property, infrastructure and energy schemes in the UK.

Speaking to the Post on a visit to Birmingham, Ms Li said the city was its principal focus, rather than London, which she said was "saturated".

While Ms Li did not reveal potential investments, the group's spending power would stretch to huge schemes like the Birmingham Smithfield development at the Wholesale Markets, regeneration around Curzon Street Station and the Icknield Port Loop residential quarter.

Felix Dennis' £10m estate goes on sale

The estate of the late publisher Felix Dennis was put up for sale for nearly £10 million during this month - and it was just as colourful as he was.

Mr Dennis, a regular on the Birmingham Post Rich List who died last year aged 67 after battling throat cancer, moved to The Old Manor in Warwickshire in 1987.

In the 27 years he lived there, he created an estate of quintessentially English country homes as well as a fantastical £5 million Treasure Island-themed play barn that was being marketed for half of that amount.

With his art school background, love of the traditional countryside (he even started planting his own forest near Dorsington, initially called The Forest of Dennis, now known as the Heart of England Forest) and a fortune made from his magazine company Dennis Publishing, it was no wonder he crafted a home as imaginative as it is bucolically beautiful.

Work begins on UK's largest combined authority after Queen's Speech

Another story which rumbled throughout 2015, work on a business case for the UK's biggest combined authority began in May - but leaders were told elected mayors would be needed.

With Solihull and Coventry on board, the West Midlands Combined Authority - as it was eventually called - was set to oversee a region with of four million people and an £81 billion economy.

Leaders of the seven authorities, which also include Birmingham, Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley, pledged to "grasp the nettle" and push for a "major devolution deal".

But with most of the leaders opposed to a region-wide mayor, they braced themselves for a rough ride with government after it was spellt out as a prerequisite in the Queen's Speech.

£8m restaurant chain that grew 'from naivety and ignorance'

A small restaurant in the back streets of Birmingham transformed itself into an £8 million business - but Lasan boss Jabbar Khan said in May it was his struggles, not successes, which paved the way.

Lasan Group, run from the Jewellery Quarter by Mr Khan with renowned chef Aktar Islam, was investing more than £1 million in its latest venture, Nosh and Quaff, in Colmore Row which opened In July.

It was the most high-profile expansion for the growing company and a long way from the business Mr Khan co-founded with £11,000 in his pocket in 2002.

He believed it was his initial naivety and impetuousness which served Lasan so well. The Indian restaurant has become a popular and profitable haunt but struggled for years on a side street off St Paul's Square with little passing trade.

Tributes as leading city lawyer Gemma Curtis dies suddenly aged 37

Tributes were paid to leading Birmingham lawyer Gemma Curtis who died suddenly at the age of just 37.

Mother-of-one Ms Curtis, who had a young daughter, was a partner in the finance group at the Birmingham office of law firm Eversheds.

She was described as an "adoring mummy" by her devastated family.

In a statement, Eversheds said: "With deep sadness we confirm that Gemma Curtis, a partner at Eversheds, tragically passed away suddenly on May 13."

General Election 2015: Birmingham and Midlands round-up

Conservative leader David Cameron returned to Downing Street in triumph in May after Labour failed to win over Midland voters.

But Britain was facing years of uncertainty as the near-collapse of the Liberal Democrats left Mr Cameron with few potential allies in Parliament while Conservatives were unlikely to have enough MPs to provide a stable government on their own.

An early election exit poll suggested Conservatives might win around 316 seats, short of a majority.

But, as results came in throughout the night of May 7, election experts predicted a Tory majority was possible but it would be small at best.

Labour lost ground to the SNP in Scotland but the real surprise of the night was the failure of Ed Miliband's party to make gains against the Conservatives in England.

For example, Labour failed to win in North Warwickshire, the single most marginal Conservative seat in the country.

Historic Jewellery Quarter pub revealed as scaffolding comes down

The restoration of a former Jewellery Quarter pub which last served customers in the 1990s reached a key stage during May after scaffolding was removed for the first time in eight years.

Last year, the Post reported how G&D Projects, set up by city businessman Gurbinder Sandhu, was leading a £400,000 project to bring the former Mitchells & Butlers site of the George and Dragon back to life as a café or restaurant and flats.

Mr Sandhu said the project had reached a landmark moment as scaffolding, which had encased the Grade II-listed building for the best part of a decade, had finally come down.

"The building looks great thanks to the developer Ashan Projects and it is a great moment to see the scaffolding come down," he told the Post .

Final designs revealed for Birmingham Flag

It would be a flag which would represent Birmingham around the world - and Brummies would be voting for it.

Officials announced a shortlist of six designs submitted as part of a competition to create a brand for the city. The winner, eventually announced in July, is to be flown outside the Council House.

Deputy Lord Mayor Coun Mike Leddy, chairman of the Birmingham Flag Project Team, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to create a Community Flag for Birmingham and help instil civic pride in this great city of ours."

Review of Year 2015 - January

Review of Year 2015 - February

Review of Year 2015 - March

Review of Year 2015 - April