A grain of truth and rice

Last night I dreamt about rice.

Nothing to do with 'All You Can Eat' Sunday lunch buffet specials, but more to do with people, statistics, world hunger, awesome events and a sense of common purpose with other Brummies.

I've seen a few Stan's Cafe shows over the years but Of All The People In All The World had taken on almost mythical proportions as friends and colleagues told me with pride that they'd seen the original shows in Coventry and Birmingham in 2003. Since then it's travelled and wowed the world, adding more weight to the idea that many Birmingham organisations are better regarded and celebrated outside of the B postcode catchment than within it.

Anyway, I'm not going to tell you much more about the show because, quite simply, you have to go. Don't be like me and spend the next five years kicking yourself that you didn't see its last local airing.

If you leave without being moved, you'd be inhuman. It should be compulsory for all politicians, local and national. In fact, we should try to get all delegates at next week's Tory Party conference to take an hour out of their drinking schedule - sorry, busy conference diary - to nip over to the Jewellery Quarter and see it.

My highlight? Some interesting stats on the number of British female MPs ever, set beside a sheet where three of our local female MPs - Lynne Jones, Clare Short and Gisela Stuart - were each represented by a grain of rice. Except there were only two grains.

One of our MPs is missing.