内容摘要：While your eyes may be glued to the magnificent floral carpet weaving around your feet, make sure you look to the trees, too.

While your eyes may be glued to the magnificent floral carpet weaving around your feet, make sure you look to the trees, too.

Parishioner Bren Cook said the closure announcement was "like everyone in the congregation had been slapped".: "It's not just a parish, it's a community."

"It's a group of people who know each other," he added.Another of the congregation, Mick Gardner, said: "Our complaint is we weren't given a chance to come up with alternatives, and there are alternatives."It's a really complicated web of activity around here - there's the church, the parish hall, there's people living out there.

"It's a network that is dependent on each other."The church had been a site of continuous worship since 1721, he added.

Mr Gardner said the parishioners were pushing for a "proper dialogue" with the Abbey and the Archdiocese.

"Normally churches do have a period of consultation, we've not had that," he said.The route starts at Centenary Square and visits areas including the Jewellery Quarter, St Paul's Square, the Mailbox, Grand Central, Edgbaston and Cannon Hill Park.

Paul Foster, chief executive of the Great Run Company, said: "Birmingham has an amazing energy and the support on the streets is always second to none."A new building for a charity that encourages children to play will provide a "safe and creative environment" for local children, its chief executive has said.

Isle of Play has been awarded a £25,000 grant by the Manx Lottery Trust to build a new facility at its Douglas-based Lester's Yard Adventure Playground.Plans for the new facility include a social room, community kitchen, therapeutic suite, and better accessibility.