Good morning. Saturday's here, the sun's out, and if you're anywhere near Bilston today you've got the perfect excuse to leave the shed alone — the town's carnival is back for the first time in 18 years.

Elsewhere this morning: Coventry City are still riding high with a new kit and a new civic honour, Aston Villa have had an expensive week courtesy of UEFA, and a serious national review has delivered some hard truths about maternity care in Sandwell. We've also got a lovely story from a Dudley college, and a very Birmingham nod to Ozzy Osbourne.

Weather-wise, you've lucked out: dry, sunny and warm all day. Get outside while it lasts.

🌤️ Dry with long sunny spells and light winds, feeling warm. A high of around 25°C, dropping to a mild 13°C overnight.

Ever wondered why Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton are known collectively as the Black Country? The name dates back to at least the 1840s, and most historians point to two overlapping causes: a thick coal seam running close to the surface, and the sheer volume of coal, coke, iron and steel production that blackened the sky and everything under it during the Industrial Revolution. It wasn't until 1987 that local government started using the name officially — so the nickname outlasted the smoke by well over a century.

New Shirt, New Status: Coventry City's Premier League Summer Just Got Sweeter

Twenty-five years is a long wait for a new home kit — and an even longer one for the keys to your own city. Coventry just picked up both in the space of a fortnight.

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Bilston's Biggest Party in 18 Years Is Today — and It's Completely Free

Last time Bilston Carnival rolled through town, it was 2008. Today it's back, in 1960s fancy dress, and it's taking over the whole afternoon.

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Aston Villa Fined Almost £20m by UEFA — and Warned Over Next Season's Squad

Overspending has caught up with Villa: a near-£20m fine, and a Champions League squad restriction to go with it.

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National Review Finds Maternity Care Failings at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

A nationwide review has found a 'deeply concerning picture' of maternity care at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, including accounts of racism and families not being listened to.

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The PC Who Swapped the Beat for the Classroom — and Won Over Dudley's Students

Twenty-five years a police officer, the last two spent building trust with teenagers instead of chasing call-outs. Meet the officer colleges can't stop praising.

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Ozzy's Throne Comes Home to Birmingham, Almost a Year to the Day Since His Last Show

The gothic black throne that carried Ozzy Osbourne through his farewell gig at Villa Park has landed at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery — free to see, and timed almost exactly a year on.

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• Bilston Carnival
  today, 11am–5pm (parade sets off 11am) · Broad Street to Hickman Park, Bilston

• England v Mexico — FIFA World Cup last 16
  Mon 6 Jul, 1am BST kick-off · Mexico City — catch it at pubs and screens across the Midlands
• Birmingham Indian Film Festival
  10–19 Jul · Venues across Birmingham
• Comic Con Midlands
  11–12 Jul · NEC, Birmingham
• Wolverhampton Fringe
  17–26 Jul · Venues across Wolverhampton city centre & Arena Theatre
• Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero
  on now, until 27 Sep · Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (free entry)

• ☐  WOLVERHAMPTONHead to Bilston today for the free carnival — 1960s parade at 11am, live music and stalls at Hickman Park until 5pm.
• ☐  BIRMINGHAMPay your respects (and marvel a bit) at the free Ozzy Osbourne exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery — the throne's the new star turn.
• ☐  SANDWELLBlow off some steam at Sandwell Valley Country Park — a free green escape with an RSPB reserve, farm and lakes.
• ☐  DUDLEYTake the kids to the Black Country Living Museum — living history that makes sense of today's fun fact about the region's name.
• ☐  COVENTRYWander the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral, then peek in next door at the new one — free, and one of the most striking contrasts in the country.

• A) Slade
• B) The Move
• C) Dexys Midnight Runners

👉 Hit reply with A, B or C — get it right and your name goes up on the leaderboard in tomorrow's edition.

That's your Saturday sorted. Enjoy the sunshine — and if you're in Bilston, save us a toffee apple. Got a tip or a story we've missed? Hit reply, we read every one.