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Selfridges pulls stars
Sep 3 2003
By Andy Coleman, Evening Mail
Midland celebrities will be out in force tonight for the glitzy launch of Birmingham's new Selfridges store.
Among those promising to put in an appearance at the invite-only party at the £40 million department store in the Bullring are Pop Idol Hayley Evetts (pictured), R'n'B chart star Jamelia, Dalziel & Pasco actor Colin Buchanan and Mercury Music Prize-nominated jazzman Soweto Kinch.
Also expected among the 500 VIP guests are restaurateur Raymond Blanc, model Ruth Crilly, Musical Youth and Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi.
Footballers from Aston Villa and Birmingham City, soccer manager Trevor Francis, gold medal winning athlete Ashia Hansen and cricketer Nick Knight will be among those representing the West Midlands' sporting interests.
Entertainment will include live music, dancers and the chance to try delicacies from the in-store Yo Sushi bar.
The new shop, the second biggest Selfridges in the country, is covered with around 15,000 aluminium discs, making it a real landmark in the city.
The Food Hall contains 10 eat-over counters accommodating 160 people, with a cafè spilling out onto a terrace overlooking St Martin's church and square.
A further 60 to 100 seater restaurant has a separate lounge area and bar overlooking the newly fashioned Bullring retail mall.
It officially opens to the public tomorrow when Galaxy Radio will be broadcasting live from the store. "Selfridges Birmingham has given us a fantastic opportunity to create an iconic and adventurous building from scratch," says Peter Williams, Chief Executive of Selfridges.
