THIS week blogger John Duckers marks a birthday milestone and looks ahead to a popular annual outdoor bash.

Kharlid is the birthday boy

Scrum down for politician Kharlid Mamood who once used to grace Birmingham’s rugby pitches.

He celebrated his 50th last week with a speech in the Commons about the evils of terrorism.

The MP for Perry Barr played for Camp Hill RFC through the 1980s and early 90s and they rolled out the red carpet for him last Friday.

Made him an honorary vice president.
A big turnout from the troops.
Also celebrating another milestone – the 10th anniversary of being elected England’s first Asian MP.

Cake and curry on the menu…but presumably not together!

Ed and Den throw open the gates to their mansion

One of the highlights of the social calendar returns this weekend – Edstock.
It is the all night party that Heart FM’s Ed James and his wife Den put on at their ranch in Blakedown.

A sort of Carry On Camping plus loads of music and alcohol.

Featuring Joan Sims (Alex Bishop), Bernard Bresslaw (Ben Browning), Sid James (John James), Terry Scott (Adrian Hindmarsh), Kenneth Williams (Bryan Manley-Green), Charles Hawtrey (Tony Bell), Peter Butterworth (John Lamb) and Liz Fraser (Debra Davis).

Last year was hugely entertaining. There was a spectacular cat fight – I shall not embarrass the ladies concerned – which Colonel Derek Inman had to break up.

Marc Reeves, editor of TheBusinessDesk.com/WestMidlands, kept falling off the bucking bronco and Mark Davies, ex-Hotel du Vin, really landed in the brown stuff whilst conducting his ablutions in one of the portable toilets.

He dropped his mobile phone into the stinking waste, never to be seen again.
Hindmarsh tells me he is buying a new luxury tent for the occasion.

Last year Inman and Davies had to put up the previous version for him after a late arrival from London.

Meanwhile, the fashion conscious will be examining the Glastonbury wellies and designer jeans, and being thoroughly bitchy.

Rock on.

• For more questionable gossip, tittle tattle and trivia from Birmingham’s business community see Duckers & Diving.