The third annual International Day of Birmingham saw hundreds of city workers abandon their lunch breaks to storm the Council House, led by a US historian from Pennsylvania who has become the event's de facto figurehead. Randell H Spackman, president of the Chadds Ford historical society, flew in for the celebration on 24 September, continuing a tradition he started after appearing in Joe Lycett's television series.
A day of global Birmingham unity
International Day of Birmingham, or IDoB, was created by Nicola Silk, director and producer of the Lycett dynasty fame, as a concluding backdrop to the television programme 'Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham'. The show followed several Birminghams across the Atlantic in 2024, seeking a treaty of friendship. Requests to twin the Birminghams of the world were rejected, as twinning is a very official process requiring extensive documentation, according to Silk.
There were 17 such locales identified, each with their own interpretation of what makes a Brummie. The previous Lord Mayor, Ken Wood, was happy to accommodate binding the regions as friends. This spanned a 'Birmingham Christmas' held annually on 24 September, with plans to add a 'boxing day' as well.
Silk admits she has 'created a monster,' with some participants yearning for bigger celebrations, leading to the seizure of the council house for the day.
Randell Spackman: The accidental star
Randell Spackman hails from Birmingham, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, which boasts a population of 89 at the latest census. He works as president of the Chadds Ford historical society, preserving the memory of the historic Birmingham township in Chester County, the site of Birmingham of yore. He specialises in living history, which proved handy for Silk, who discovered him via Google Maps while seeking a good sequence for the episode encompassing his township.
What initially appeared to Silk as a small farm shop in rural Pittsburgh was actually Thornbury Farm, the site of the Battle of Brandywine, the second largest single day of engagement during the American Revolution. Inherited from his father, Randell is the third generation of Spackman to tend the land and maintain its history. He stages regular battle reenactments and the property has featured extensively on American broadcasts due to the presence of mass burial sites.
Thornbury Farm operates as a community supported agriculture business, where members subsidise farming costs in return for a share of the weekly harvest. Randell is keen to open his homestead to visitors.
A community across the ocean
Following the series finale, Randell became insistent that IDoB become a permanent fixture in his social calendar, jetting in for every 24 September since. In the absence of a figurehead this year, he has become the de facto Lycett-in-waiting, minus the technicolour dreamcoat.
At the event, Randell hands out business cards for his landscaping and construction service in Pennsylvania, featuring a photo of him leading a charge on the Thornbury battlefield. He speaks of friendship and 'building relationships that cast beyond the oceans.'
'When I come back here and walk the streets again, it feels like I haven't left,' Randell said. He also joked, 'Every time I leave here I bring a brick, eventually I'm gonna build my own Birmingham at home.'
He threatened to bring his own canoe to explore Birmingham's canals, but Transport Security Administration regulations prevented it.
Celebrations and reflections
Ten rooms of the council building were transformed into a maze of exhibitions, workshops, performances and 'nonsense,' with a large papier-mache egg mascot leading the charge. Attendees included MP Jess Phillips, who discussed her desert island dinners and intended to start a riot on the best place to get a samosa.
Silk reflected on the event's development, wondering if the whole thing is 'an elaborate hoax, none of it is real.' She also revealed that Randell's now-infamous 'huzzah bab' chant was entirely manufactured by her.
The event concluded with Randell carrying squash in for volunteers, signing off emails with an eager 'huzzah!' and expressing his joy at finding a community away from the community he dedicates his life to maintaining.
