Christmas in 1960s Birmingham occupies a special corner of memory, wrapped in the glow of streetlights reflected on wet pavements, with shopping trips to city centre department storesFor many Brummies ...

Was it a walrus? A ‘sea cow’? Cthulhu come to devour downtown Birmingham? The child peering up at the 40-foot tall tusked, purple balloon looks as confused as most everyone must have been that ...