Life Magazine, Trinity Mirror NW2

Bridegroom Naz’s very special day ● Page 3

Spring, 2008

Awards joy for our top teams THIS year seems to be flying past – here we are with the second edition of Life already. Despite the tough trading conditions, there is so much good work happening across the region.

I had the privilege in April of hosting the 2008 Achievement Awards Gala Celebration at the Palm House in Liverpool. It was a fantastic evening where we got to recognise and celebrate those who had won awards or made an outstanding contribution to the business during 2007.

The atmosphere was electric and as you will see from the pictures we all had an excellent night. I would like these awards to be even bigger and better next year so let me know if you have any ideas for how we can build upon this great event.

We have already had a flurry of award winners in 2008 from the recent 02 North West Media Awards, Merseyside Media and NW Awards. Well done to all those who were nominated and to the overall winners.

At the end of April we had a visit from the Trinity Mirror board. They held their board meeting here and then spent some time with various managers looking at some of our key initiatives. It was an excellent visit and we received very positive feedback from the board about the work being done in the North West – so well done to all of you.

May saw another important visit – the Queen was opening the ECHO Arena and BT Convention Centre on May 22. The ECHO Arena is already proving to be a fabulous success and as well as officially opening the venue the Queen was also visiting Liverpool One, Europe’s largest new shopping destination, and St George’s Hall.

I have had a busy few weeks going around the region for the Business updates.

I have been delivering some challenging messages regarding the performance of our core newspapers but I have been very pleased with the level and quality of debate that the updates have sparked.

Thank you to the various people on the ground who have helped in organising the sessions.

Looking out across the rest of this year, unfortunately the economic outlook is likely to worsen. That will require us to reduce costs to compensate for lower than forecast levels of advertising.

We need to take action now to ensure that we can continue to develop the business in a positive direction and I am sure we can continue to count on your support in this difficult advertising market.

Welcome!

Four children from Belarus were made welcome by Chester Ad Reps at Chronicle House when Chernobyl Children's Lifeline group made a visit and went away happy after collecting more than £680, enough to sponsor two children to spend a month here in the summer

08 challenge is a real winner!

O

By Peter Grant

UR staff really do have their art in the right place.

Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales launched a fantastic in-house competition seeking the most talented and artistic people in the business.

You certainly responded to our first call.

Throughout the year we will be running the 08 Staff Creative Awards – our innovative, art-based competition offering a string of massive cash prizes.

The three categories: photography, creative writing and visual art will have a quarterly winner in each of our three marketplaces, Merseyside, Cheshire/North Wales and Huddersfield.

There will be a grand final in November.

Regional Managing Director, Sara Wilde, said: “We have enormously talented people in this business and I know those talents extend way beyond media. I would encourage people to enter as often as possible.”

● To see the first quarter's range of imaginative work turn to pages 16&17

Page 2

Life

Peter Grant’s Lines gossip KEISHA Gough took full advantage of February 29 and made a leap year proposal to boyfriend, Dave Kerr, Motors and Property Telesales Canvasser, at the Chester Chronicle head office. Dave did the gallant thing and accepted, of course.

A run to beat cancer THE Asics London 10k Run in aid of Leukaemia Research takes place on July 6 and Tanya-Marie Leyshon, Telesales at Frodsham office, will be taking part to remember her partner Chris’s father who died from the disease last November.

Tanya-Marie has a “just giving” page for donations – details are on Your Space or she can be contacted on 01928 736214.

Sci-fi wars in Neil’s battle of the airwaves ECHO sub editor Neil Macdonald took to the airwaves recently - and promptly had a full blown row with the host.

Neil was invited on to Liverpool’s new talk radio station City Talk by former PA and Welsh Daily Post staffer Will Batchelor to take part in a show entitled I Hate Sci Fi. As a writer of a sci-fi blog, Neil went up against host Duncan Barkes.

He said: “With a title like that I knew what I was in for and Duncan didn't disappoint, really having a go.

“Will later told me he'd told Duncan I was a journalist and liked a bit of banter - cheers mate!

“I enjoyed the banter though and

feel I gave as good as I got, especially when I made Duncan confess he'd never seen Blade Runner, moments after he was slating it.”

Neil updates his blog on a semi-regular basis.

He added: “It’s not an official work one, just for laughs in my spare time and because I am a fan of all types of science fiction.

“I should point out though, I’m not the type of sci-fi fan who spends all day in his underpants debating with people in chatrooms about which spaceship is faster, the Millennium Falcon or the Starship Enterprise.

“It’s a moot point anyway - the Falcon is way faster!”

To read Neil’s blog, go to http://scifilove.blogspot.com/

Neil Macdonald

My fab 40th D

Life newspaper is a Forum project for all TMNW2 and corresponding marketplace business employees.

The Life team is: ● Peter Grant (OHS Ext 5974, or 0151-291 0663 (home) petergrant @liverpoolecho.co.uk ● Liz Cresswell (human resources) Ext 2563 ● Chris Walker (managing editor) Ext 2350 ● John Daly (photographic).

Please get in touch with any suggestions. We're all on Lotus Notes.

The next edition of Life is out in summer, but contact us today with your views, ideas, complaints . . . even compliments.

Printed by Trinity Mirror Printing Liverpool Ltd, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB, and published by Trinity Mirror Merseyside. Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper.

EBBI Lindsay from our Ellesmere Port Pioneer office, celebrated her fortieth birthday (I know, we couldn’t believe it either) on December 30.

Knowing that she’s a big fan of celebrity chefs, in particular Rick Stein and that she's always wanted to eat in a Michelin Star restaurant (there’s not many up North!), her husband, Paul booked them a table at Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall.

Realising that she wouldn’t want her beloved shih tzu, Woody, to be left out of the celebrations, Paul found accommodation that would allow dogs to stay as well. So after a seven-hour journey they all arrived in Padstow, Cornwall.

The table was booked for 7pm so glad rags were donned, Woody was pacified with doggy treats and off they went. The restaurant was all you'd imagine it to be, the staff were very knowledgeable and courteous and greeted Debbi with a bottle of champagne which Paul had pre ordered. The meal itself was in Debbi’s words 'Out of this World' and she recommends that everyone should try to get there and sample it for themselves.

Due to it being New Year’s Eve the next day they decided to stay on in Padstow to let the New Year in and what with the parties in all the res-

taurants, pubs and hotels then fireworks at the harbour at midnight, a good night was had by all including Woody who was welcomed into all the venues.

“Padstow was wonderful,” said Debbi, “I’ve never been to Cornwall before so the experience was really magical. We visited lots of places, Truro, Newquay, Boscastle (where they had that terrible flood and landslide a couple of years ago) and we even went to Port Isaac where Doc Martin is filmed .

“Paul really pushed the boat out and helped turn a dreaded milestone into a memorable occasion.”

What put the icing on the cake, said Debbi, was: “When we got home we jetted off to Playa Blanca in Lanzarote for a fortnight in the sun.”

ECHO editorial sport lads challenged their mates in Sport Media (part of the Business Development Unit) to a darts match.

It was a Ryder Cup style format in The Railway Tavern, Liverpool, a double end of season booze-up so anyone who didn’t want to take part in the arrows gig could come along and support, ahead of a pub crawl.

There was silverware too for the winning team.

No, not cutlery from the OHS eaterie, but a chance to end the season on a high after Merseyside’s football clubs let all the hacks down and their chances of European trips.

Organiser Roy Gilfoyle, fighting back a deadline, said: “A talent for darts wasn’t desirable and not essential (if staff could throw a screwed-up piece of paper into a bin from two feet away they were a seeded player).

Sir Nick Peet was captain of the ECHO team (surely darts isn't part of his Great 08 Challenge?) and there was a bit of needle between the two sides.

And it wasn’t a tattoo for Nick’s decorated arms.

Supporters on the night were crucial, said Roy: “Those who weren't hitting doubles and trebles on the board did so at the bar.”

What a wag.

He said: “It was one of the biggest nights of sporting action The Railway had seen since the great dominoes stand-off in 1874.”

Spot on.

Full report, pictures and bail figures - next issue.

Any other sporting challenges out there? ● Talking of Nick Peet . . . who doesn’t? apart from Nick himself.

We hear on the Life Newsdesk (actually a moth-ridden chair in the van bay) that his Great 08 Challenge (reported last issue) has gained press reaction ranging from the rampantly indifferent to ‘isn’t he working for Sky Sports now?’

Only joking, Nick.

Nope! He’s still here (can’t you smell the Brut aftershave in Huddersfield?)

An insider says that Nick’s training camp was bombarded with fans (those not on medication) who are saying he looks “sexier but not as macho now due to the fact he has lost so many pounds in exercise.”

One girl, Icelandic ECHO web reader Bjorn Again Berk, said: “Nick is losing far too much weight.

“He is not as hunky as he used to be.”

On his website wwwnickgod.com, he puts it all down to the Peet philosophy that he is committed to winning.

“It‘s true I don’t feel as sexy,” he said, as our Life reporter spat back coffee into his cup.

Nick says that he was worried about falling off a horse during one challenge.

Well, take our tip, riding household drying appliances is no way to train, mate.

Nick wiped a bead of sweat from his shaven-head, laughed that Kirk Douglas laff and said, “It’s all part of the great world of competitive sport.

“You take the rough with the smooth.”

He did confess, however, that he wakes up in a cold sweat most nights, (try using a bed, Nick) “I am addicted to cheese,” he said towelling himself off from a 140-mile lunchtime run.

“I miss it so much; I crave for cheese.” Nick, (not pregnant, by the way) then asked us to send this article to Dairylea for some free samples.

More Nick Peet reports next issue. ● Correspondent for this ‘August’ journal, (It’s only May – ed) Peter Grant tells Life about an old pal.

“I saw Boris Johnson winning mayor of London. I knew he would do it one day.”

When I was at Oxford, in 1984, Boris was studying Classics (all Greek to me) and I was studying the piano (a big wooden thing on legs), says Peter.

He was president of the Oxford Union and trainee hellraiser (we working class oiks were called drunks).

Peter adds: “He knew I had worked in newspapers and asked me for ‘tips on how to break into the media’.

“At one champagne-fuelled debate where he was covered in flour (don’t ask) I told him to work his way up from the tea boy status.”

Boris later became a Daily Telegraph prize-winning writer, TV personality and editor of the Spectator. Now, maybe, a future PM. Fate.

Must be the flour (self-raising).

Life

Page 3

Lines

A special day A

MARRIAGE with a cultural difference was sealed in March of this year for marketing man, Naz Choudhury and his beautiful wife Arafa.

He says, after his spring wedding: “We now go out on dates together; we’d only been out twice before we got engaged.”

Naz is a Commercial Marketing Executive based at Old Hall Street.

His wife and their respective families all had a life-enhancing-decision to make earlier this year.

An arranged marriage.

Naz, born in Bangladesh, has been with us for two years.

He met his bride-to-be in September 2007.

In March of 2008 he wed Brighton-born pharmacist Arafa Syeda, 21.

They are both of the Bengali culture.

It has been one of the most important decisions of their lives and the exclusive wedding photos seen here prove that.

Says Naz: “Last year a cousin died of a brain tumour and it shocked all our families.

“I thought there and then that life is too short.

“I want to settle down; I know, at only 26, that did sound odd even to

HAPPY COUPLE: Naz Choudhury and his wife Arafa are all smiles as they leave the wedding ceremony.

Below: A picture from the big day

By Peter Grant

me, but I believe that it’s right.

“I spoke to my parents and I decided they agreed. Never before have I thought about marriage.”

And so the wheels of motion were in place.

Naz says:“I was invited to sit in a panel-like interview and we discussed educational backgrounds and career matters with my future wife’s parents.

“Arafa and I met and went out a couple of times.

“She is very intelligent and career-minded like me.

“I am doing a masters degree at John Moores University and she is working on a masters in pharmacy.

“She is now on work placements in Brighton.”

Naz says he will have a party later in the year for the friends who could not attend the huge Brighton celebration.

He says of his emotionally-draining day in the South East.

“I look overwhelmed in the photos and I was.

“The wonderful clothes were embroidered and were heavy and hot.”

But he says he was worried about something else – the weather.

“It was a weekend where the clouds were black; the skies grey and hurricanes everywhere.

“The headlines in papers reflected it all.

“I thought this is a bad omen; this is a sign.

“Thankfully, it was not at all.

“I am lucky.”

Naz says he loves working here, having worked in other major marketing departments in companies from Holland to Kuwait.

“I am a Leo and we get bored quickly, oh, but not here.

“I work at OHS, Chester, North Wales and Huddersfield.

“I am going grey already, but I

want to be here a long time and be a veteran.” Away from work he likes to unwind by watching movies with pals and listening to music. And waiting for Arafa to join him in his Wallasey home.

“She loves Liverpool and her parents do, too. They had read so much about it that they thought it would be like going to Beirut thanks to the media down South.

“But they now know it’s a thriving city.”

After their wedding the couple enjoyed a holiday in Paris.

Romantic Paris - city of love?

So does love and romance enter into an arranged marriage?

Naz said with a shy smile: “I say it’s give and take.

“Love grows. . . it really does.”

O2 awards success for our top teams from across the region THE Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO picked up a crop of honours for journalism at the O2 Media Awards for Merseyside and Cheshire.

The Daily Post’s coverage of last year’s cancelled Mathew Street Festival fiasco and its aftermath won the Scoop of the Year award.

The judges said the Daily Post displayed “tenacious reporting skills to break the story but also an untiring

determination to get to the truth. As a result, the impact of their investigations is still causing reverberations today”.

One of the key journalists who worked on the Mathew Street story, David Bartlett, picked up the award for Young Journalist of the Year.

The Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO were also highly

commended in the Newspaper of the Year category.

Colin Lane was Photographer of the Year, with the judges singling out a dramatic shot from last year’s Grand National meeting at Aintree for special praise. Colin’s colleague, Jason Roberts, was highly commended in this category.

The ECHO’s Mary Murtagh

AS part of our celebrations marking 2008, Liverpool’s year as Capital of Culture, regional MD Sara Wilde set a challenge that all of us, employed in the North West, could give 2008 hours of our time to support community ventures and approved local charities.

At the end of March we had used 136 hours – thanks to the efforts of the Rising Stars for enlisting Joe Stringfellow, Louise Watkinson, Matt Cliffe, Jenny Snell, Suzy Woods, Richard Daly, Colin Hughes, John Swain, Joanne Pitchforth, Andrew Ashton, Dave Atherdon and Phil McDonnell, to the Lister Steps Project.

However, outstanding commitments to the volunteering schemes amount to a further 528 hours and they come from Mary Murtagh, Emma Pinch, Marketing Department, Ops (OHS) Department, HR Department, Julie Cowley and Tom Harte. Adding them to the equation leaves us so far with an overall shortfall of 1,344 to fill.

If you’d like to join in and help us reach our quota of 2008 hours then speak to your line manager and in the first instance contact Jayne Harris or Elizabeth Cresswell in HR – by email at Jayne.harris@trinitymirror.com or elizabeth.cresswell@liverpool.com and let either of them know how you’d like to contribute your time.

was Reporter of the Year, while the ECHO’s Paddy Shennan was Feature Writer of the Year.

Tony Clixby of the Chester Chronicle won the award for Digital Journalist of the Year.

Young Journalist of the Year Joint Winner was David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post. Highly commended: Marc Waddington, Crewe Chronicle, and Gemma

Jaleel, Ormskirk Advertiser.

Post and Echo staff were also highly commended in various categories, these included: Feature writer, Peter Grant, ECHO. Feature writer, Laura Davis, Daily Post.

News reporter, Ben Turner, ECHO Education Reporter.

News Reporter, Ben Rossington, ECHO Crime Reporter.

WARREN Butcher is our new Managing Director for North Wales, Cheshire and Huddersfield.

Warren has held the post of Regional Advertisement Director for the North West Region since 2005.

Warren is replacing John Griffith who was recently appointed to the role of Managing Director, Birmingham Post and Mail Limited.

Page 4

Life

Life

Page 5

Scouse night with the stars

The founding fathers of the company that became Trinity Mirror in an exhibition in our Old Hall Street atrium; the vans taking the ECHO are a symbol of our flagship print titles; while

the new world of digital media is becoming more and more important to our business

Times they are a changin’ Business vision:

Our goal is to build a successful multi-platform media business, by developing and sustaining strong positions across print, digital and other attractive media/marketing sectors.

Our forward business growth is being driven by strategic pillars: Maximising the value of the core print business by revitalising the key paid-for titles, optimising the value of the weeklies, filling gaps in the market and minimising and containing costs.

Supercharging growth opportunities through driving multimedia reach and profit and diversifying the revenue base.

Building a new operating model, which entails capitalising on the scale of the company, improving efficiency and acquiring, engaging, developing and retaining talented people.

Business update:

The budget for 2008 was set in a climate of steady improvement seen throughout 2007 and a general view that this improving economic picture would continue into 2008.

However, the economic picture has changed dramatically with new phrases having entered the language dominating people’s views for 2008. ● Credit crunch. ● Northern Rock crisis. ● Bear Stearns.

These have dramatically changed the outlook for 2008 and 2009 and most analysts now have a far more cautious and negative view of 2008.

To quote the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King: “ We cannot be sure how large those effects will be but they pose a serious downside risk to growth. To make matters more difficult, we face a sharp rise in inflation in coming months as a result of rising commodity prices worldwide and a fall in our exchange rate.”

Progress and challenges in 2008:

A cautious UK economy is taking its toll on local print advertising with reduced spend from many customers.

Advertising revenue in core print is forecast to be significantly down on 2007.

This will have an impact on profit this year, both compared with the budget and 2007.

Despite tough conditions it is important that we continue to move forward with our diversification plans.

The region continues to diversify its revenue base – new initiatives projected to raise £2.6m, with £512k profit.

Digital revenues show 60% year-on-year growth.

What does this mean going forward?

THE company performance, prospects and strategy have been put under the microscope recently at a series of staff presentations led by Regional Managing Director Sara Wilde.

Here is a summary of Sara’s key themes and messages: digital and other new media to support long-term profit growth.

Implications for forward strategy:

● Strategy remains unchanged. ● We need to carefully prioritise resources and investment in 2008. ● Where there are material opportunities we must be faster at evaluating and executing them. ● Improvement needed in the way we balance local market place needs and opportunities with key regional priorities – enable people to act. ● Transition in revenue generation is placing pressure on core structures – we need new solutions to nurture new developments as well as drive more fundamental change on core products. ● Must transform the advertising sales process to drive more value in multi-media sales. ● Need more rapid and accelerated growth on digital and emerging media – supported by acquisition as well as our own growth.

Maximising vale of core print business:

Revitalising the life of key paids; optimising the value of weeklies; fill gaps and layer the market; minimise and contain costs: ● Extensive brand development programme 2008/09 to identify longer term plans and opportunities, Echo, Examiner, Welsh Daily Post. ● Continuing with Direct to Home expansion plans – Echo/Examiner. ● Undertaking portfolio and title profitability review across region including alternThe new LDP Business ative distribution model review. magazine ● Push forward with relevant product development/launch activity. ● Phase in the agreed quality improvement plan. ● Transformation of the advertising sales process.

● The region’s profits have declined over the past four years. ● Structural changes mean there will continue to be a downward pressure on print. ● The outlook for print is at best static in growth terms. ● The region has got to drive significant new revenues from

Driving digital reach and profit:

Grow current print categories through strong digital platforms; create material new product development pipeline; stretch the revenue model and build new business ventures. ● Current programme of activity maintained for 2008: Re-

membrance channel to all core companion sites; Public notices proposition developed; On-line ad sales development for companion sites; Tourism web site launch in North Wales; Celebrations channel launch and roll out across companion sites ● Additional priorities to be resourced from the half year: (Re)develop compelling property and motors propositions; Online directory proposition; Extend companion sites with hyper local launches; Must ensure ALL sales personnel across the region are properly trained and proficient at on-line sales as it will encompass all categories.

Our digital growth target will require us to move outside of standard display or listings sells. We will:

● Expand our digital portfolio with new ventures and acquisitions. ● Investigate setting up separate digital sales teams on specific new ventures i.e. directory. ● Develop new e-marketing/e-CRM capabilities to drive new revenues and get closer to on-line users. ● Further enhance main site offerings with ‘broadcast’ editorial and video ad propositions Continue to train and develop editorial teams to support evolution of our on-line products and ensure the right level of development resources are in place.

Diversifying the revenue base:

● Book and contract publishing: Create new capacity in Sport Media to enter next growth phase; Target further national contract publishing expansion for Sport Media. ● Magazines: Create an expanded magazine development team to drive new regional launches and support existing regional portfolio. ● Outdoor: Concentrate on growing our taxi liveries business at local and UK level; Expand street broadcast sales with the pursuit of additional sites/networks across the region. ● Events: Deliver on 2008 growth plan; Implement Phase II growth plan from 2009 with launch of several new major events

Acquiring, engaging, developing and retaining talented people:

● ● ● ●

Raising standards and improving employee satisfaction.

Excellence Awards Scheme and Achievement Awards.

Strengthen local HR resource to support forward plans.

Communications improvement plan.

Staff survey action plans.

Plans include creating new capacity in Sport Media. Above: A selection of their recent books

Developing and future proofing skill sets:

● Head of Commercial Talent role created to improve commercial staff retention and skill sets. ● Induction and sales training programme overhauled to support multi-media sales need. ● Multi-media skill programme enhanced.

Unlocking potential: ● Rising Stars programme launched focusing on middle managers. ● Second programme launched focusing on non management/junior management potential. ● Changing perceptions: Re-branding exercise concluded.

Key messages for 2008:

● Core business knocked off course in 2008 through economic slowdown. ● Business has to be prepared for weaker print outlook 2008/09. ● Strategy remains unchanged – in fact we need to re-double efforts in key areas. ● Need ‘bigger’ plans and innovations for forward growth on core portfolio and a more radical approach on core cost structure. ● Digital growth can and must be accelerated through targeted acquisitions and greater organic growth. ● Must continue to develop internal skills and structure that supports forward growth – support people to do a great job now and in the future.

THE Liverpool ECHO had been brought to book at the annual Scouseology Awards.

It’s the only area in the country to have them – an ‘Ology’ that is, not awards.

Imagine Chester-ology; North Wales-ology or Huddersfield-ology? It’s a thought.

But Merseyside has been doing it for two decades.

The Daily Post and ECHO were in there from the outset supporting it.

The organisers, BBC Merseyside, have supported Children In Need.

At this year’s 20th anniversary, sponsored by Merseytravel, Ken Dodd joined the likes of Ricky Tomlinson and beacons of the arts, entertainment and sports world.

It was also a chance to give a sneak preview of books produced by Trinity Mirror’s Sport Media, part of Mark Dickinson’s Business Development Unit.

Doddy dipped into “Scousers” and signed a copy.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Conductor Vasily Petrenko also received Personality of the Year award presented by Daily Post Arts editor Phil Key. The Russian conductor looked at The Great Liverpool Pub Crawl which features the best of Liverpool taverns complete with a half price voucher for a brewery tour and with free ale.

Author Mike Chapple also wanted to thank graphic designer, 24-year-old Emma Smart from Sports Media, who designed the fab cover of a pint of Cain’s ale with froth depicting the Liverpool skyline.

“Pure genius,” said Mike. ● Contact: www.merseyshop.com for details of all Sport Media books.

Call 0845 1430001 and state you are TMNW2 staff before ordering.

Vasily Petrenko, top, with Mike Chapple’s book, Doddy makes Peter Grant laugh, and Mike McCartney chats to Catherine Jones

Page 4

Life

Life

Page 5

Scouse night with the stars

The founding fathers of the company that became Trinity Mirror in an exhibition in our Old Hall Street atrium; the vans taking the ECHO are a symbol of our flagship print titles; while

the new world of digital media is becoming more and more important to our business

Times they are a changin’ Business vision:

Our goal is to build a successful multi-platform media business, by developing and sustaining strong positions across print, digital and other attractive media/marketing sectors.

Our forward business growth is being driven by strategic pillars: Maximising the value of the core print business by revitalising the key paid-for titles, optimising the value of the weeklies, filling gaps in the market and minimising and containing costs.

Supercharging growth opportunities through driving multimedia reach and profit and diversifying the revenue base.

Building a new operating model, which entails capitalising on the scale of the company, improving efficiency and acquiring, engaging, developing and retaining talented people.

Business update:

The budget for 2008 was set in a climate of steady improvement seen throughout 2007 and a general view that this improving economic picture would continue into 2008.

However, the economic picture has changed dramatically with new phrases having entered the language dominating people’s views for 2008. ● Credit crunch. ● Northern Rock crisis. ● Bear Stearns.

These have dramatically changed the outlook for 2008 and 2009 and most analysts now have a far more cautious and negative view of 2008.

To quote the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King: “ We cannot be sure how large those effects will be but they pose a serious downside risk to growth. To make matters more difficult, we face a sharp rise in inflation in coming months as a result of rising commodity prices worldwide and a fall in our exchange rate.”

Progress and challenges in 2008:

A cautious UK economy is taking its toll on local print advertising with reduced spend from many customers.

Advertising revenue in core print is forecast to be significantly down on 2007.

This will have an impact on profit this year, both compared with the budget and 2007.

Despite tough conditions it is important that we continue to move forward with our diversification plans.

The region continues to diversify its revenue base – new initiatives projected to raise £2.6m, with £512k profit.

Digital revenues show 60% year-on-year growth.

What does this mean going forward?

THE company performance, prospects and strategy have been put under the microscope recently at a series of staff presentations led by Regional Managing Director Sara Wilde.

Here is a summary of Sara’s key themes and messages: digital and other new media to support long-term profit growth.

Implications for forward strategy:

● Strategy remains unchanged. ● We need to carefully prioritise resources and investment in 2008. ● Where there are material opportunities we must be faster at evaluating and executing them. ● Improvement needed in the way we balance local market place needs and opportunities with key regional priorities – enable people to act. ● Transition in revenue generation is placing pressure on core structures – we need new solutions to nurture new developments as well as drive more fundamental change on core products. ● Must transform the advertising sales process to drive more value in multi-media sales. ● Need more rapid and accelerated growth on digital and emerging media – supported by acquisition as well as our own growth.

Maximising vale of core print business:

Revitalising the life of key paids; optimising the value of weeklies; fill gaps and layer the market; minimise and contain costs: ● Extensive brand development programme 2008/09 to identify longer term plans and opportunities, Echo, Examiner, Welsh Daily Post. ● Continuing with Direct to Home expansion plans – Echo/Examiner. ● Undertaking portfolio and title profitability review across region including alternThe new LDP Business ative distribution model review. magazine ● Push forward with relevant product development/launch activity. ● Phase in the agreed quality improvement plan. ● Transformation of the advertising sales process.

● The region’s profits have declined over the past four years. ● Structural changes mean there will continue to be a downward pressure on print. ● The outlook for print is at best static in growth terms. ● The region has got to drive significant new revenues from

Driving digital reach and profit:

Grow current print categories through strong digital platforms; create material new product development pipeline; stretch the revenue model and build new business ventures. ● Current programme of activity maintained for 2008: Re-

membrance channel to all core companion sites; Public notices proposition developed; On-line ad sales development for companion sites; Tourism web site launch in North Wales; Celebrations channel launch and roll out across companion sites ● Additional priorities to be resourced from the half year: (Re)develop compelling property and motors propositions; Online directory proposition; Extend companion sites with hyper local launches; Must ensure ALL sales personnel across the region are properly trained and proficient at on-line sales as it will encompass all categories.

Our digital growth target will require us to move outside of standard display or listings sells. We will:

● Expand our digital portfolio with new ventures and acquisitions. ● Investigate setting up separate digital sales teams on specific new ventures i.e. directory. ● Develop new e-marketing/e-CRM capabilities to drive new revenues and get closer to on-line users. ● Further enhance main site offerings with ‘broadcast’ editorial and video ad propositions Continue to train and develop editorial teams to support evolution of our on-line products and ensure the right level of development resources are in place.

Diversifying the revenue base:

● Book and contract publishing: Create new capacity in Sport Media to enter next growth phase; Target further national contract publishing expansion for Sport Media. ● Magazines: Create an expanded magazine development team to drive new regional launches and support existing regional portfolio. ● Outdoor: Concentrate on growing our taxi liveries business at local and UK level; Expand street broadcast sales with the pursuit of additional sites/networks across the region. ● Events: Deliver on 2008 growth plan; Implement Phase II growth plan from 2009 with launch of several new major events

Acquiring, engaging, developing and retaining talented people:

● ● ● ●

Raising standards and improving employee satisfaction.

Excellence Awards Scheme and Achievement Awards.

Strengthen local HR resource to support forward plans.

Communications improvement plan.

Staff survey action plans.

Plans include creating new capacity in Sport Media. Above: A selection of their recent books

Developing and future proofing skill sets:

● Head of Commercial Talent role created to improve commercial staff retention and skill sets. ● Induction and sales training programme overhauled to support multi-media sales need. ● Multi-media skill programme enhanced.

Unlocking potential: ● Rising Stars programme launched focusing on middle managers. ● Second programme launched focusing on non management/junior management potential. ● Changing perceptions: Re-branding exercise concluded.

Key messages for 2008:

● Core business knocked off course in 2008 through economic slowdown. ● Business has to be prepared for weaker print outlook 2008/09. ● Strategy remains unchanged – in fact we need to re-double efforts in key areas. ● Need ‘bigger’ plans and innovations for forward growth on core portfolio and a more radical approach on core cost structure. ● Digital growth can and must be accelerated through targeted acquisitions and greater organic growth. ● Must continue to develop internal skills and structure that supports forward growth – support people to do a great job now and in the future.

THE Liverpool ECHO had been brought to book at the annual Scouseology Awards.

It’s the only area in the country to have them – an ‘Ology’ that is, not awards.

Imagine Chester-ology; North Wales-ology or Huddersfield-ology? It’s a thought.

But Merseyside has been doing it for two decades.

The Daily Post and ECHO were in there from the outset supporting it.

The organisers, BBC Merseyside, have supported Children In Need.

At this year’s 20th anniversary, sponsored by Merseytravel, Ken Dodd joined the likes of Ricky Tomlinson and beacons of the arts, entertainment and sports world.

It was also a chance to give a sneak preview of books produced by Trinity Mirror’s Sport Media, part of Mark Dickinson’s Business Development Unit.

Doddy dipped into “Scousers” and signed a copy.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Conductor Vasily Petrenko also received Personality of the Year award presented by Daily Post Arts editor Phil Key. The Russian conductor looked at The Great Liverpool Pub Crawl which features the best of Liverpool taverns complete with a half price voucher for a brewery tour and with free ale.

Author Mike Chapple also wanted to thank graphic designer, 24-year-old Emma Smart from Sports Media, who designed the fab cover of a pint of Cain’s ale with froth depicting the Liverpool skyline.

“Pure genius,” said Mike. ● Contact: www.merseyshop.com for details of all Sport Media books.

Call 0845 1430001 and state you are TMNW2 staff before ordering.

Vasily Petrenko, top, with Mike Chapple’s book, Doddy makes Peter Grant laugh, and Mike McCartney chats to Catherine Jones

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Life

ECHO editor Ali Machray and colleagues in Beatle Mop-Top wigs. Insets: The conference, Paula Burnell gives Joe Riley a hand, and Sue Lee and Jade Wright check themselves in the mirror before the photoshoot Pictures: EDDIE BARFORD

Beatlemania has gone to our head H

ELP! They need somebody . . . down at ECHO HQ, there’s been an outbreak of Beatles.

No, not ‘beetles’ the horrible insects – mind you, on second thoughts you could be right looking at these gruesome pictures.

Life has secured full rights to use these behind-the-scenes shots.

We say to the TV show ‘It’ll be all right on the night’ - better this. We say to Anne Robinson’s BBC Bloomers, eat your heart out.

We have the pictures that Hello! wanted to buy.

When it was announced that Liverpool was to have its own Beatle Day on July 10 – it was time for ECHO editor Alastair Machray to take a ticket to deride.

He enlisted members of staff to sport Beatle wigs.

What happened next, dear reader, is for all to see.

In the dictionary under ‘Dignity’ it now says delete ECHO features staff.

The ECHO is urging everyone in Liverpool to promote inaugural Beatle Day. Dress up, sing Beatle songs and get all fab for a charity concert at the Summer Pops in the ECHO

JAMES Lyon, Account Manager at the Wirral News, and his girlfriend Chris are overjoyed with their new daughter, Emily, who arrived in the early hours of March 13, weighing 7lb 2oz.

By Peter Grant

Arena. And this will, once and for all, establish an annual Beatle event, that will go across the universe – and other such clichés.

Ali gathered the cream of his staff together for a top secret Mop Top mission.

In a leaked memo (it was actually found by the photocopier) Ali clearly hinted that he wanted his staff to “look as authentic as possible” all for a good cause.

It worked.

Susan Lee, Women’s Editor, donned a wig and said to colleague and ECHO pop pundit, Jade Wright: “Just don’t tell my kids”.

Paddy Shennan was simply glad to hide behind the News today, oh boy.

Two of the most horrific tales Life can reveal occurred when editor’s secretary Paula Burnell had to pay the fines for Mike Torpey’s wig.

A career as a well-respected racing tipster

and motoring correspondet came to a halt when Mike emerged from the conference looking like the Ricky Gervais’ character saying ‘you ‘aving a laff?”

Paula, who had been sent out to get extra glue for Joe Riley’s wig, said that it was all in honour of The Fab four and that the ECHO staff were “great sports”.

Paula declined to wear a wig herself; she said she “had a life outside of the ECHO”.

Joe Riley, we can reveal was the hardest to fit.

The arts ed admitted:“I quite like the way it sits neatly on my head. It takes years off me.”.

For Ali Machray it was “one over” on the Daily Post staff.

“Beat that, we’re going Beatle crazy,” said toupee-wearing Ali as Mark Thomas editor of the Post smiled knowingly.

Life can reveal that the sister paper is on a counter plan.

Yes . . . Wombats Day. Arts Editor Phil Key has been spotted wearing a hairpiece similar to Liverpol’s bright young things.

“Sorry, cock,” said Penge-born Phil.

“We are doing The Zutons, or is it Atomic Kitten? ”

THE Crewe Chronicle has never had so many political friends ... with the Tory's David Cameron leading the charge of heavyweights wanting to persuade Crewe voters to help them win their first by-election in the town in 26 years.

The death of Crewe MP Gwyneth Dunwoody sparked the stampede from Westminster as the Crewe election on May 22 moved to the centre of the political battle. Dave Fox said: "I got a telephone call from David Cameron saying 'hello Dave, it’s another Dave here, can I visit your office’.”

Lines JANE Wolstenholme and Jane Costello are one.

If you are looking on the shelves for a good read this summer, then go to the ‘C’ shelf in fiction.

It won’t hurt your back as much as the W section, writes Peter Grant.

Jane Costello, you see, is journalist Jane’s pen name.

This ‘aka’ must be down to shrewd thinking on Ms W’s part.

At just 28 Jane was made editor of the Liverpool Daily Post, having worked on the ECHO and The Daily Jane with her Mail. son Otis The Kim Basinger look-a-alike left in January 2007 to head up Factory PR with hubby Jon Brown - a former ECHO deputy editor.

Hey, there’s a book idea here . . .

I recall working with her at ECHO features many moons ago when she talked about a novel one day.

And now Bridesmaids is in the shops, published by the giants Simon and Schuster. The Chic-Lit novel is very well written and there are characters in there, I and other Post and ECHO staffers may recognise.

Jane, now 34, is a mum to Otis.

Now we await Jon Brown’s book: “I was a Keith Allen Lookalike.”

Life

Staff get your vote

Lines

Why Phil hopes for Grace & favour . . .

Chris Burns from the Old Hall Street mailroom

Grace Vance

Excellence Award winners: Quarter One 2008

By Liz Cresswell

M

ERSEYSIDE’S Employee Forum had 97 nominations to judge in relation to 16 nominees for the Excellence Awards when they met in April.

It was a difficult challenge, but congratulations to the winners, who are Chris Burns and Tim Arlett: Chris (Mail room OHS) was nominated by 14 members of staff – including Gill Guilfoyle, Liz Cresswell, Jayne Harris, Cath Johnson, Warren Butcher, Sarah Swensson, Paul Bate, Petra Staunton, Bob Houldsworth, Beryl Hatton, Tina Fleming, Peter Hall. Here are just some of the tributes to her “Whilst Mike Hackett has been away sick, Chris has taken the responsibility of the post room herself, with good humour, hard work, very long hours including weekends without complaining.

She deserves this as she needs a treat”.

“Nothing is too much trouble for her and I admire the way she keeps up with the many demands from each department within this building”.

Tim (Ops OHS) had 7 nominations – not only from his line manager Gary Shelley but also 6 people from the Advertisement team in Huddersfield (Diane Briggs, Andrea Cox, Anne Barrett, Yvonne Smith, David Prowse and Jodie Green) thought he was worthy of nomination as follows “Since taking over the planning of our publications Tim has been extremely helpful and supportive. Due to Tim’s level of support this potentially difficult transitional period has gone without a hitch. Tim went above and beyond the call of duty when putting together the bridal supplement. He is both helpful and approachable”.

“I visited Huddersfield in March and Tim received exceptional praise from the Huddersfield Advertising staff which only confirms my views on his day to day performance”.

Also nominated – Sarah Swensson (Advertising) 55 nominations; Arthur Plunkett (Mercury) 6 nominations; Chris McLoughlin (Business Development) 3 nominations; Paul Dalziel (Marketing) 2 nominations; Emma Fairclough (Marketing); Litza Gorman (Marketing) Julia Clarke (Marketing) ; Jimmy Connor (Mercury); Paul Hughes (IT); Joanne Mercer (Advertising); Nicola Witterick (Advertising); Debra Murphy (Advertising); Peter Hall (Regional Services) and collectively the Customer Services team in Old Hall Street – com-

Page 7

Paul Quinn

Tim Arlett with Gary Shelley

Mark Hildidge with colleagues Andy Dixon, Mark Davies and Graeme Rhodes prising Linda Smith, Elise Harris, Nathan Elsdon, Janis Fennelly, Neil Malone and Jeanette Chesworth.

Chris and Tim will each receive £250 in May’s payroll.

Meanwhile, Cheshire and North Wales’ Employee Forum members had 26 nominations for 17 people to judge.

Congratulations to Mark Hildige (Operations) who came out the winner. Nominated by Pauline Taylor and Charlotte Holroyd he had the following tributes made about him: “always goes that extra mile to help you out, doing more than is asked of him…. Nothing’s too much trouble”.

“Extremely knowledgeable … and always able to provide solutions to problems. Easy to approach and helpful to all members of the team”.

Also nominated – Mark Trematick (Ops) – 3 nominations; Neil Hayward (Ops) – 3 nominations; Joanne Bennison (Adv) 3 nominations; Andrew Stant (Ops) 2 nominations; Vivienne Morgan

(Adv) 2 nominations; plus Trevor Wood (Post room); Rick Brough (NS); Tony Clixby (Edit); Mark Davies (Ops); Alan Heaton (Ops); Elizabeth Heyes (Ops); Charlotte Holroyd (Ops); Carl Molyneux (Ops); Karen Roberts (Adv); Chris Smith (Edit); Jonathan Williams (Adv).

And across the Pennines, Huddersfield’s Employee Forum had 7 nominations for 4 people.

Congratulations to Paul Quinn (IT) who won.

Nominated by Mick Burgoyne and Michaela Brook who said the following about Paul – “No matter how busy he is Paul always finds time to sort your IT issues as quickly as possible”.

“Paul always ensures all the work he does is to the highest standard. He is always open to suggestions and pro-active in putting ideas forward.

Also nominated – Helen Roberts (Edit) – 2 nominations; Hazel Etienne (Edit) 2 nominations; and Natasha Maskery (Marketing).

Mark and Paul will also each receive £250 in May’s payroll.

ELLESMERE Port Pioneer editor Phil Robinson found himself glued to the TV set each Thursday night until recently.

He didn't want to miss a single episode of time-travelling cop show Ashes to Ashes because among the cast was his 13-year-old niece, Grace Vance.

Grace appeared as Molly, the daughter of DCI Alex Drake, played by Keeley Hawes, the woman police officer who takes a bullet in the head and finds herself back in 1982 working alongside old-style cop Gene Hunt.

The talented youngster lives down in St Albans but has strong Liverpool connections as her mother Lynn was born and raised in the city. Lots of family members live on Merseyside.

Phil said: "We're all very proud of Grace and what she has been able to achieve at such a young age. All the family are sure she's going to be a really big star one day.

"Late last year, as she had been in the Sound of Music, my wife and I took her over to Salzburg, the Austrian city where the story was set. I'm hoping that when she gets to Hollywood she'll remember that her Uncle Phil took her to Salzburg and repay the favour by letting me escort her to the Oscars."

TOBY Chapman, formerly assistant editor of the Liverpool Daily Post, has been appointed Editorial Training and Development Manager.

Toby, a father of two boys, joined the LDP three years ago.

He is taking part in the inaugural Trinity Mirror Leaders programme being run in partnership with UCLAN and embarked on the latest leg of his career this month as editorial training and development manager for the region.

He says: “I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

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Life

We’re finding new markets . . . in Far East TRINITY Mirror North West & North Wales is continually looking to expand into new geographic areas, but our Sport Media magazine and publishing unit have surely set a new first by publishing the LFC Magazine . . . in Hong Kong!

A Chinese-language version of Liverpool Football Club’s official magazine was launched in China in mid-March.

The first edition of the monthly publication was made available throughout Hong Kong, with the second edition due to roll out across mainland China and other countries in the Far East such as Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia in the near future.

LFC magazine is being created exclusively in the local language to give as many Liverpool fans as possible the chance to get even closer to the players and keep up to date with what is happening at the club.

Liverpool’s Chief Executive Rick Parry, writing a special article for the fans in Hong Kong, said: “It is an exciting new venture through Trinity Mirror Sport Media and it is very important. The magazine will enable us to keep our Chinese fans informed about everything that is happening at Anfield.”

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard paid his own personal tribute to the club’s Asian fans.

“The fans there are just as fanatical as the supporters we get flooding into Anfield for matchdays back home in Britain.

“It's always a pleasure meeting them and they are really on the ball as far as their football is concerned. They love Liverpool, they know the songs and the history of the club and celebrate wins just as hard as anyone,” he said.

There is already a buzz of expectation surrounding the launch of LFC magazine as the word begins to spread among local Liverpool fans.

Philip Chu, Founder and President of the

The Peter Grant interview . . .

H

OW do you make a Blue see Red? Tony Scott has the unsavoury, unpalatable answer. Football fans across the region know that loyalty comes a price.

Tony, part of O’Brien’s restaurant franchise at OHS, was a member of a hit squad trip to Florence, Italy, to see his beloved Everton FC play against Florentina in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. With some hasty on-line booking work for the flights and hotels, Tony made a mini-holiday of the trip with ECHO feature writers Paddy Shennan, Greg O’Keefe and some ex-Trinity staffers.

Sales of pizza rocketed and the local brewery had to lay on more staff.

This was an Italian job – Scouse style.

Much vino, sight-seeing (they didn’t realise Florence had as many bookies as art galleries) but it was not a good net result.

Oh no the trip home.

Red banter - insults, humiliation.

Despite the shock departure of the Blues there was still some more soccer upsets for Tony when he got home.

The 26-year-old fighting back tears (people always do that in newspapers) organised a sweep for the Liverpool v Everton Derby match.

Unlucky for some, Tony picked out Torres from the hat (it was a catering pan, actually, you try and find a hat in a canteen when you need one).

The LFC mag is essential reading on the train to work in Hong Kong

Picture: EDDIE BARFORD

Official Liverpool Supporters Club Hong Kong and Founder of OLSC China branch, said: “We are excited to have LFC Magazine in our own language. No matter if you support Liverpool or not, for sure, the magazine will be one of the best quality Chinese football magazines.”

Ken Rogers, Executive Editor of Sport Media, said: “I got an email from Rick Parry saying he had spotted a literal on page six of the first edition. His Cantonese must be better than I realized. Seriously though, he was tremenously pleased with this launch and was full of praise for all the

members of the Sport Media team, led by Senior Editor Steve Hanrahan.

“If we are to develop and extend important football contracts like this, we have to prove we are capable of producing native language products in any country of the world. The first edition really looked the part.

“I’ve worked here long enough to remember the days when our furthest branch office was in St Helens on one side and Llandudno on the Welsh coast. I never envisaged there would be a day when we would have an edition literally made in

How Torres win left a true Blue seeing red!

“When Fernando Torres scored the winner, I was as sick as a parrot,” said Tony, shaking his head at the memory and brushing his hand through his spiked hair. He doesn’t dye it.

Using a napkin as a hanky, he sobbed into the frail tissue.

Fate was on the score sheet.

The distraught Liverpool lad agreed to talk to Life, but he did not want to be paid for this feature (fine chance).

He said about the ill-fated sweep: “I paid

my pound but shuddered at the name I’d drawn out.”

Press the Life Sound Affects Interview tape machine to play sinister Alfred Hitchcock music.

“It was HIM. . . Torres.”

Torrid. No, Torres.

Tony Scott

Hong Kong and printed in Hong Kong.

“Of course, we print some of our top titles in the Far East these days and we are in the process of publishing a new book called “The Asian Liverbird” which focuses on the tremendous passion of Asian football supporters both in this country and worldwide as far as Liverpool FC is concerned.

“It demonstrates that we are looking at all the angles and all the opportunities as we widen the scope of Sport Media and respond to the myriad of opportunities that sit in front of us.”

Worse was to come.

Cue “laughing policeman” soundtrack.

“Torres scored the only goal.”

Tony scooped £35 winnings.

The affable heart-throb Tony, not Torres (though girls do say he is kinda cute in a cub lion sort of way) had to admit defeat.

“It was more than I could take,” said Tony (as he prepared another bacon toastie with tea £1.99).

Scraping butter across the brown bread he stopped, wiped his eyes (still wearing hygiene gloves, nice one to mention on your appraisal) and confessed . . . “I went to the pub and some wag put Abba’s Fernando on the juke box – I was gutted.”

It was clear. Tony couldn’t take this “blood money”.

Says Tony: “I couldn’t and wouldn’t accept the Dosh.

“It wasn’t right.”

So the kind-hearted Mr Scott donated his cash cavalcade to charity.

And what better recipient than the ECHO’s Liverpool Unites Campaign supported by Everton and Liverpool football clubs.

Result.

A spokesman, eating one of Tony’s paninis (I actually thought that was a car) said: “Tony has his heart in the right place.

“This sums up the passion and rivalry of Merseyside fans and also the kindness and good humour.” Before adding, “have you any HP sauce, eh, Tony?”

Life can confirm that Tony has now banned any of the following dishes from the menu in his day job.

But, Tony, remember, it’s only a game.

Right, where’s my Blue Stilton bap with . . . dribbly mayonnaise.

Banned Menu: Red Hot Chilli Peppers; Spanish Omelettes; Red Herrings; ‘Sweep’ and Sour chicken; oh and . . . Sticky ‘Toffee’ Pudding.

Life

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Night of stars!

Great fun at achievement awards

I

N the elegant setting of Liverpool’s Sefton Park Palm House, our 2007 Achievement Awards winners met to celebrate their successes over the past year.

As you’ll see from the roll of honour – it was a comprehensive list, covering loyalty, regional, national and industry prize-winners – one even world-wide – excellence and those departmental winners who were felt to best represent all that was good about their departments. So quite a mix.

Mingling with them were our local Exec team, and in particular co-hosts for the night Sara Wilde and John Griffith.

Those who travelled a fair distance – from North Wales, Cheshire and Huddersfield felt the journey worth it as they drove down the private driveway to the huge wrought iron gates that led on to the private grounds around the Palm House. It is an absolute jewel in Merseyside’s local landmarks.

Feedback included comment such as: “This venue made us feel special”.

And that was even before they

By Liz Cresswell walked the red carpet – serenaded by a string quartet to be greeted with a welcome cocktail – Bellini or Pimms and the chance to mix and mingle with equally special colleagues.

There was a real buzz in the air as people took their seats at the tables for some preliminary awards before dinner. John Griffith introduced Sara Wilde, who then presented the Loyalty Award to Richard Williamson. Before making the presentation we saw a film about Richard where Mark Thomas and Martin Rigby paid tribute to their colleague and friend.

The Excellence Award winners from across the region for 2007, assembled on stage to receive the applause of their colleagues, and during the course of the evening all the prize winners and departmental employees of the year were acknowledged with rounds of applause as their pictures were flashed upon the screens.

Dinner was served – with a se-

● More pictures: Pages 10, 11 &12

lection of three mini starters including hot tomato soup in a vodka shot glass, followed by Beef Wellington and rounded off with apple crumble with custard sauce and caramalised pears. During the meal, diners were entertained with a film of their arrival which called for much finger pointing and laughter.

As the evening drew on, the Palm House - lit by candlelight from the giant candlabra that dominated each table – set the mood for the night, creating a magical atmosphere.

After dinner, Sara Wilde congratulated the Liverpool Unites team and called them up on to the stage for a well-deserved round of applause.

Sara also took the opportunity to say goodbye to John Griffith – who was off to the Midlands – and thanked him for all he had contributed to the business. She also told one or two anecdotes which had the audience rocking with laughter and John having the grace to admit every word was true.

Then it was our Winner of Winners to be announced. Sara Wilde ● Turn to Page 13

● The full roll of honour: Page 13

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Life

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Life

Fun Achievement on Awards: our Roll of Honour night of stars

● From Page 9 gave a brief introduction and then turned to the screen where there was a film from Roy Wright who made his own personal tribute. Yes you’ve guessed it – our winner of winners was Adrian Sudbury. But I have to say that Adrian is such a modest guy – it took him a while to twig he was the winner – while everyone else had caught on ages ago.

Possibly one of the most moving sights that night was as Sara called Adrian up to the stage to receive his award, everyone stood up simultaneously and cheered and applauded him to the rafters. I swear the Palm House shook and believe me there could not have been a greater show of respect than at that moment.

Organisers, Beryl Hatton, Tina Fleming, Gill Guilfoyle and I were ambushed – and called on stage to receive flowers to thank us for our hard work – a totally unexpected and a really nice gesture from Sara and John.

Then with the awards at an end the final surprise of the night was when Beatles’ tribute band The Cheatles took to the stage.

By then everyone was ready to bop ‘til they dropped and there was much table hopping as people greeted friends they may not have seen for some time and caught up on new gossip and reminisced about old times.

Carriages were at midnight and it was the end of a great night. I know that not all our recipients could be there on April 11, and I don’t want to rub it in but, in the immortal words of Mr Cole Porter, it was a swellegant, elegant party you missed.

How we better this for next year – heaven only knows – but here’s trying and here’s to next year.

WINNER OF WINNERS: Adrian Sudbury recipient of Guild of Health Writers 2007 Best On-line Feature Award, Yorkshire Press Awards 2007, Feature Writer of the Year Weblog Awards 2007, Best Medical or Health Issue Blog.

LOYALTY AWARD RECIPIENTS 2007: Richard Williamson and Hadyn Iball.

AWARD RECIPIENTS 2007: John Simpson, Nick Coligan, Alison Gow, Jessica Shaughnessy, Wendy Latham, Mark Williams, Andrew Forgrave, Neil Atkinson, Val Javin, Jeremy Hoy, Beryl Hatton, Tony Barrett, Steve Harrison, Rachel Street, Gavin Horrocks and Mike Green.

REGIONAL/NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS: Colin Lane – North West Newspaper Awards 2007, Regional Photographer of the Year; Gina Sykes – Yorkshire Press Awards 2007, Best Headline of the Year; Kevin Core Newspaper Society Awards 2007 – News Journalist of the Year Weekly Newspapers; Dave Jones (N Wales) – Newspaper Society Awards 2007, Sports Journalist of the Year, Free Weekly Newspapers.

TEAM OF THE YEAR: Liverpool Unites Team - Ali Machray, Andy Campbell, Andy Edwards, Andy Cook, John Fahey and Ben Rossington MULTIMEDIA: INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: Kevin Matthews.

EDITORIAL TRAINEES OF THE YEAR: Joanne Kelly and Marc Waddington DEPARTMENTAL TEAM MEMBERS OF THE YEAR: Advertising: Sales Manager of the Year – Wendy Latham; Sales Person of the Year – Betty O’Keeffe; Sales Team of the Year – Diane Briggs, Amna Pervaz, Louisa Riley, Emma Jennings, David Prowse, Nicky Spivey, Katy Whiting, Lauren Hodgson; Sales Newcomer of the Year – Lauren Hodgson.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Chris McLoughlin, James Cleary, Elizabeth Morgan and Suzanne Clarke.

FINANCE: Alma Askie, Diane Passey.

HR: Rachel Cox. IT: Mark Edwards.

MARKETING: Andy Cook, Carly Rainbird.

MERCURY DRIVER OF THE YEAR: Jimmy Connor.

NEWSPAPER SALES: Neil Partington, Peter Heath.

OPERATIONS: Andrew Stant, David Jackson.

REGIONAL SERVICES: Tony McIntosh.

TRINITY MIRROR PRINTING LIVERPOOL: Barry Wright, Steve Graston.

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THE MIRACLE OF LIFE: Cathy Chaloner is delighted with her new baby son Joshua John Bobby, but she had been expecting a girl!

Baby test gave me the blues!

MUM-to-be Cathy Chaloner was so overjoyed to discover she was expecting a girl, she went out and spent £1,500 on everything pink.

But at a routine hospital check-up, she discovered she was expecting a boy . . . and Joshua John Bobby Chaloner was born February 19, weighing in at 6lb 14oz.

Cathy, a receptionist at The Chester Chronicle, had paid £300 to an online firm which offered prospective parents the chance to discover the sex of their unborn child from seven weeks by examining a specimen of DNA. Cathy and husband Gary are delighted at the arrival of their baby son but are still planning to report DNA Worldwide to Trading Standards after being told the science behind this concept is fundamentally flawed.

Cathy said: “I wanted to know the sex of my baby as a surprise for my Gary’s 40th birthday so I paid for the test.

“I received the certificate to say it was a girl and was ecstatic and I announced it to all our friends and

family at Gary's party.

“The website said the test was 95.4% accurate. I feel so naive and gullible now but I just wanted to know.”

Cathy explained that when she went for her 20-week scan her midwife asked if they wanted to know the sex.

Cathy said: “We told her we already knew. She then turned to my husband and offered him her congratulations that he was having a son.

“We sat there, stunned into silence and I then burst into tears. I couldn’t believe it.

“The procedure I went through was then explained to the midwife who said she had never heard of this test.”

A spokesperson for the Countess of Chester Hospital said: “None of the specialists or doctors here have heard of being able to determine the sex of a baby through the mother’s DNA as described.”

Joshua is happily settling in to his new nursery bedroom, repainted blue, and the pink baby clothes were exchanged for blue.

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Life

High there!

Southport Visiter reporter Katie Grant and photographer Gareth Jones went straight to the top in pursuit of their story . . . straight to the top of the town’s war memorial when renovation work was taking place WHEN my editor told me I was going to the top of the obelisk on Lord Street, I was a little apprehensive The 67ft 6ins structure seemed daunting, and all that scaffolding looked hard to negotiate.

But I donned my hard-hat and reflective gear and climbed the stairs to the top with the enthusiastic director of NSG Services, Nigel Sarath and Visiter photographer Gareth Jones.

As Gareth took some wonderful shots of the views, I stood, nervously clinging to the nearest prop.

But despite the wind there wasn’t even the slightest movement from the scaffolding.

This was probably due to the massive 40 tonnes of concrete laid on the base of the scaffold, as well as the complex arrangement of bracers.

From the top, we could see the Pennines still topped with snow, Cumbria and the Blackpool Tower and coastline.

The white Portland stone obelisk was built in 1923 and unveiled by the Earl of Derby on Remembrance Day of that year.

The monument is to the 1,133 Southport soldiers and sailors who died in World War One, well over 10% of the volunteers in Southport.

From Crewe to Dallas D

ALLAS, Texas, is famed for many things, probably the most notorious being the assassination of President John F Kennedy in November 1963.

When I was offered the chance to visit the city thanks to sponsorship by the Rotary Club of Crewe, which each year sends what it considers to be promising young professionals to spend a month on a vocational exchange, I told my editor Dave Fox at the Crewe Chronicle that I would not rest until I had solved that particularly American mystery.

I confess that, as yet, I haven’t got to the bottom of it, but don’t worry Dave, I’m working on it, though it might not be ready for Wednesday’s splash.

During my month in Dallas, I was given access to people and places that most journalists - let alone young ones from a far-flung corner of the North of England (“Where? Is that near London?”) - would struggle to come by.

With my principal area of interest being crime and politics (and particularly where the two converge), I was able to discuss these topics with district attorneys, judges, police captains, sheriffs, and to visit city halls, county jails and state prisons – particularly Huntsville, where many of Texas’s 23 annual executions take place.

Crewe Chronicle reporter MARC WADDINGTON tells Life about his dream trip to Texas

Above all, I was given an insight into the workings of the American system that no amount of reading back home could ever offer.

Ask most people what first comes to mind when you mention Dallas, and more broadly Texas, and aside from the JFK assassination they will probably come up with the death penalty. This southern state on average executes more felons than any other state in the Union, and opinion amongst the lawmakers, law enforcers and law-abiders – as well as the law-breakers – remains divided.

As one district attorney told me, “In Texas, we believe in justice – justice for the victim, and justice for the criminal.”

If that justice reverts back to Biblical concepts of eyes for eyes and teeth for teeth, so be it, tends to be the attitude of the hardliners, although the more liberal will claim that the execution of the murderer of a loved one rarely offers the kind of ‘closure’ it is anticipated to.

Crime in Dallas is high, and the city was for a long time the murder capital of the USA.

With that in mind, the prisons are overflowing, and in the state of Texas alone, there are up to 150,000 men and women incarcerated, which is a sobering thought, considering that the UK is currently struggling to house its 88,000 inmates.

One of the most interesting aspects of my time in Dallas was the opportunity to get a feel for, through spending time at and reading the city’s newspapers, what the most important issues are to the readership. The biggest concerns of the Dallas newspaper-buying public largely mirror those of newspaper readers throughout the UK: law and order, immigration, taxes, education, even – and this certainly brought a smile to my face, considering the Crewe Chronicle's late ‘Cracking Up’ safer pavements campaign, the state of the sidewalks.

But there are striking differences between the UK and US presses, principally the differing freedoms journalists enjoy: many staff at the Dallas Morning News were incredulous that we in Britain have such thing as a Press Complaints Commission, and I was equally incredulous to see the liberties that the American media take in terms of the reporting of criminal justice.

As the manager of the Dallas Offset Press mused, “the US Press has taken the individual right to freedom of speech and turned it into a

collective right, but I don’t think the Founding Fathers would have had in mind the undermining of the right to a fair trial when freedom of speech was included in the Constitution.”

Ask many English people what they think of Americans, and they will inevitably cite the fact that our American cousins seem gleefully unaware of the rest of the world, not only who the other nations of the world’s leaders are but, in many cases, where in the world those nations are.

Yet, with that in mind, the local newspaper in the suburbs of Dallas seem more than ready to report about events thousands of miles away. Being in the States during the interminable election campaigns of Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton, I was surprised to pick up newspapers with roughly the same circulation as the Crewe Chronicle and see that the Pennsylvania Primaries were front page news.

As such, local papers in the US do not seem to represent and reflect their communities in the way ours in the UK do, and understandably, sales are down and continuing to slump.

But then, considering that the oldest Trinity Mirror title, the Newcastle Journal, was founded 65 years before America gained its independence, maybe they have still a bit to learn.

Life

Old Hall Street sub-editor Graeme Currie has embraced Liverpool’s Capital of Culture with an artistic endeavour that’s on track for an entrepreneurial success

T

HE call went out. Liverpool Culture Company would like to be as inclusive as possible, bringing the citizens of Liverpool in on its plans to celebrate 2008.

I'll pitch them a concept to connect with everyone, I thought. Something which could go on display as an artistic contribution – from just one individual among many.

Take an image familiar to thousands of people, completely subvert it and turn it into a celebration of the great and good of the area - Steven Gerrard at Huyton, Glenda Jackson at West Kirby, Cherie Booth at Waterloo – along with historical figures passing through who all made their contribution to the city's history. Tiger Woods, Nathaniel Hawthorne and so on.

And now, seeing my own version of the Merseyrail route map, called Centre of the Universe - about to hang in Moorfields and Liverpool Central stations, is a great feeling and one which makes it all worthwhile.

It's been a long journey since I first contacted Merseytravel as well as the Culture Company late in 2005, but one truly worth the effort, even though the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune attempted to conspire against it (and believe me if I wasn't a politician before, I am now; there are many who would kibosh, rip off or sabotage my very own map of Liverpool).

The inspiration: an artist called Simon Patterson. Years ago he transformed the London tube map, calling it The Great Bear. He created lines of kings, explorers and philosophers (who are on the Circle line because, according to Patterson, philosophers always go round in circles). On the footballers line, Paul Gascoigne sits on an intersection with the comedians, who include Liverpudlians Ken Dodd and Leonard Rossiter.

Doddy and Rossiter join George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson from that piece on my own original work, which was approved and licensed following a presentation to Neil Scales, the chief executive of Merseytravel.

I'm sure many people will be baffled by the links, finding them fun yet obscure; the rules, such as they are, are on the panel.

When you add together the odd hour or two when I worked on it before coming into work evenings at the Post, it probably amounts to about three weeks of effort, including the inevitable journalistic research by jumping on the net whenever possible. I completed it and stuck it in a drawer in August 2006, made the formal pitch to Merseytravel a year ago, then revisited and tweaked it at the final production stage last October.

Thanks to technical help and advice from my good friends Steve McKay, Martin Humby and Roy Fishwick, not forgetting positive support all along from scribes in the office such as Granty and Joe Riley on the ECHO and former Old Hall Street colleague Mike Rickett, I have been able to launch an artistic idea which is also a fledgling part-time business – from scratch, and based entirely on my own efforts.

Without sounding big-headed, having had help from organisations such as Business Link and Liverpool-based business development organisations Weston Spirit, Creative Bias and Blue Orchid training consultants, I genuinely see it as the epitome of what the Culture Company called out for, and yet I did it without their help.

Ultimately I hope it's an image you can revisit again and again, such is the fascination people already seem to have for it, and it's selling well at the 08 Place, Borders, FACT, Mersey Ferries and Southport Tourist Centre. In Liverpool's MetQuarter the canvas bag and tea towel versions are flying off the shelves, and it's also great to see it on display at Tate Liverpool.

And of course you can also order it online at www.hubcapmap.com

Page 15

Graeme sends 08 message all across the universe . . .

MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Graeme Currie with his 08 “Centre of the Universe” map (detail above), available also as a bag, print and tea towel

IF there were any rules, they are as follows.

1) They come from that area, or have a definite connection with there.

2) They belong together side-by-side as fellow poets/actors/comic performers..

3) Placing of a name at that station or next to another makes for a pun or a relevance (Ringo Starr, Freddie Starr).

4) All three!

I did consider John, Paul, George and Ringo for the centre loop but when I remembered John Lennon is already on the map as the airport that pushed things in a different direction.

Therefore my “big four” in the centre are: a poet, ALLEN GINSBERG (who coined 'Centre of the Creative Universe' for the city); a comedian, KEN DODD; a folk hero, BILL SHANKLY; and psychiatrist/ philosopher CARL JUNG ('Liverpool is the Pool of Life').

Basically it's intuitive rather than

My head hurts

totally logical. It was a process of discarding some names and including others.

Ampersands (&) play their part.

'Stanlow & Thornton' is 'Roy Rogers & Trigger' (they played Liverpool Empire).

Paul Simon wrote Homeward Bound at Widnes.

SIMON RATTLE deserves capital letters status at the end of a branch line of conductors (yes, okay he comes from Childwall not Ellesmere Port). Bob Carolgees was forced out of Frodsham by Lord Cisse, but I have relocated him in a particular place...

GEORGE MALLORY stands on top of a little vertical summit - New Brighton - but whether the Wirral-born 1930s mountaineer ever did complete his ascent of Everest remains a mystery 'to be con-

firmed'. If you track down The Great Bear tube map by Patterson, you'll see it's a graphical nod and a wink to where he placed Sir Edmund Hillary. Many people may describe that as anal, but at least it's MY anal.

Significant omissions? Elvis Costello, Kenny Everett to name but two. However there may be more versions of the map in the offing...

Significant inclusion? Next to Hugo Drax, the Bond villain who grew up on Liverpool docks (in the Fleming novel Moonraker) is Harry Currie, my father and a legend in his own lifetime, who used to host meetings at Capenhurst. And that definitely means something only to me and no-one else...

If your head hurts I recommend Wikipedia to solve any arguments but double-check!

Page 16

Life

Life

Page 17

What a talented lot you really are . . .

A

representatives from all the regions.

T the start of 2008, Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales launched The 08 Creative Awards – a competition to find the most talented and artistic people in our business.

Created to celebrate Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture, the idea is to say “don’t hide your talents” away. So a culture-themed competition across the region was set up.

Staff were asked to take photos, put pen to paper or produce a piece of visual art which has a cultural theme of our region. It can be about a place, landmark, building, even an event - it's whatever represents culture to you.

The first quarter’s entries are now in, been viewed and judged by a selection of Forum

THE WINNERS ARE: Photography: Merseyside: View from Endeavour - Paula Burnell. Cheshire/North Wales: Fun in the City - Julian Proffit: Huddersfield: IMBOLC – Graham Brown.

Creative Writing: Merseyside: Genuine Culture – Barbara Langton. Cheshire/North Wales: No entry submitted. Huddersfield: IMBOLC – Maureen Clark.

Visual Art: Merseyside: The Great and the Good – Mike Price. Cheshire/North Wales: Welcome to Liverpool – Victoria Tetley. Huddersfield: No entry submitted.

Each winner receives £100 and goes through to the final at the end of the year.

The category winner there wins £500.

Judges will be Steve Shakeshaft for Photography, Frank Cotterill Boyce for Creative Writing and Anthony Brown for Visual.

The overall winner will receive £2,008 and judging will be done by Phil Redmond.

All the family entries, of which we had four excellent entries, so thank you Asha Price, Morgan Machray, Peter Hughes and Kay Fletcher, go through to the final automatically.

They will be judged on the night of the final and the winner will receive £100.

The quality of the entries was impressive as Ian Johnson, from the Cheshire/North Wales

Photography

By Lee Ashun

By Lee Ashun

By Lee Ashun

1st

By Les Rawlinson

By Les Rawlinson

Forum, told Life: “I was genuinely impressed by the sheer quality of many of them. I did not realise I worked with such talented people” Gill Guilfoyle, of the Merseyside Forum, who collated the entries, added: “The quality of all the entries was amazing and it proved a difficult task to choose an overall winner from each category. We even had a wonderful Visual entry in the form of a piece of video footage, from Andrew Forgrave of Carnedau Ponies. We judged on a ‘point scoring’ basis and it was very close, the difference in points for some entries was very, very tight.

“There were a couple of categories in one or two of the regions where we did not receive entries, so we want to encourage more involvement. It’s a bit like a party; no one wants to be the first to the buffet or on to the dance floor, but I am sure that once people see what can be done, the flood gates will open.”

The Creative Awards are now looking for Quarter 2 entries. So please look out for the posters for more information but do not hesitate to contact Gill Guilfoyle or your Forum Representative for more details. Deadline for entries is June 23.

Just to reiterate some of the rules for entries.

If you take photographs for a living you have to show another side to your skills paint a picture or write a piece of poetry or prose. You can’t enter the picture section.

Writers should paint or take a picture. They can’t enter the written section.

And visual arts competitors should not work in similar fields, such as graphics.

The full list of entries for the first quarter of 08

By Paula Burnell

Photography:

By Andrea Greenwood

By Andrea Greenwood

By Andrew Forgrave

1st

By Andrew Forgrave

By Jo Henwood

By Julian Proffit

1st

By Robert Neilson

By Robert Neilson

By Graham Brown

● Merseyside: Lee Ashun, Iron Man - Times Stand Still; Lee Ashun, Iron Man - Sands of Time; Lee Ashun, Iron Man - Walking Away. Les Rawlinson, Chinatown (Day); Les Rawlinson Chinatown (Dusk). Paula Burnell, View From the Endeavor. ● Cheshire/North Wales: Andrea Greenwood, Another Place; Andrea Greenwood, Turning The Place Over. Andrew Forgrave, Bollywood Comes to Cheshire; Andrew Forgrave, Carnedau Ponies.

Jo Henwood, A Handbag of Harmonies. Julian Proffit, Fun In The City. Robert Neilson, Opening Night; Robert Neilson, The Cake. ● Huddersfield: Graham Brown, IMBOLC. ● Family Entry: Asha Price, Cranes (Merseyside).

Morgan Machray, City of Smiles at Ben Johnson Exhibit (Merseyside). Peter Hughes, Mining Memories of Wales (Cheshire/North Wales).

Written:

● Merseyside: Barbara Langton, Genuine Culture. Mike Price, Liverpool In A Nutshell. Tony Hall, Changes . ● Cheshire/North Wales: No Entry. ● Huddersfield: Maureen Clark, IMBOLC. ● Family Entry: No Entry.

Visual:

● Merseyside: Mike Price, The Great and The Good. Peter Grant, Absent Friends. Peter Grant, Swan Lake Through the Eyes of a Child. ● Cheshire/North Wales: Victoria Tetley, Welcome to Liverpool. ● Huddersfield: No Entry. ● Family Entry: Kay Fletcher, Culture, Harmony & Diversity (Cheshire/North Wales).

By Asha Price

Morgan Machray

By Peter Hughes

Visual

1st

By Peter Grant

By Mike Price

By Peter Grant

1st

By Victoria Tetley

By Kay Fletcher

Written Liverpool in a Nutshell: Mike Price On a fair day in 1207, King John saw the potential for a little place called The Pool. He granted it a charter and started the History of Liverpool. King John could see the benefits from The River Mersey, the lifeblood of Liverpool. The Pool as Liverpool was then known was the safest mooring for boats. Water and Liverpool have been synonymous since the first 'scousers' turned up over a thousand years ago. In 1715 the local council sent a petition to Parliament to introduce a legislation to build the first commercial wet dock in the world. One of many firsts for Liverpool. This helped to begin an era of expansion and the development of the profitable sea trade which led to the expansion of trades such as sail makers, blacksmith, riggers and basket makers. The population in 1801 was a modest 78,000 but only one hundred years later this had ballooned to over 685,000. Liverpool was very popular then.

The years passed and in the 1880s the council petitioned for Liverpool to be given city status and it was achieved in 1888, by the early 20th century it was known as the "Second City of the Empire". The first World War brought death and grief to many families and as Liverpool experienced an economic downturn, the Council made improvements starting with the construction of the East Lancashire Road and also the ambitious Queensway

tunnel. This was also another first in that it would be the longest underwater tunnel in the world.

The second World War came and the Germans knew how important it was to stop Liverpool from working. Liverpool was bombed heavier than any other provincial city in Europe and parts where completely devastated.

The city was also the headquarters of the Battle of the Atlantic from 1941, and Churchill had some of the Gold reserve deposited in the vaults of Martins Bank. Liverpool's ports handled over 75 million tons of cargo between 1939 and 1945 and almost 4.7 million troops passed through the port.

With the War over Liverpool began a period of rebuilding and soon established herself as the second most important city in the Nation. In the early 1960s four local lads became a worldwide force known as The Beatles. John, Paul, George and Ringo put Liverpool on the world map and made Liverpool's accent easily recognisable throughout the world. Music, comedy and culture are evident through out Liverpool's long and glorious history and with Liverpool's rare and Mercantile maritime heritage recognised in 2004 with the presentation of a UNESCO world heritage site and with the winning of the 2008 Capital of Culture, Liverpool is and will be one of the most easily recognised and admired places in the world.

Genuine Culture: Barbara Langton Look at us, we’ve got it all, Empire Theatre, St. George’s Hall, A Cathedral each end of a street called hope, We were even visited by the pope.

Lime Street Station with its great clockface, Plenty of parks, lots of space, Fine old buildings, all iconic Met quarter heaven for the shopaholic.

The Pier Head, Liver Birds

1st

and Great Liners, All of them headliners, The music makers, famous all, The market trader at his stall And now the Echo Arena, what a sight Is that all? Not quite The greatest asset we have Is not of stone or wood, but made of flesh and blood.

It’s the Liverpool people with their humour & warmth that makes Liverpool so good.

Now that’s real culture.

Changes: Tony Hall D’you remember the buses then?

Tall, green and thin…

With an open platform at the back That you’d jump on to get in An’ a half spiral staircase That led up to the top Where you could look out on the people Or down into the shops An’ the seats all looked like leather But you could tell that they weren’t real by the odd ciggie burn And that “plasticky” feel But upstairs was dead “Macho” Meant for smokers and for “Men” And the windows were all grimy … no Clean Air Act then And Downstairs was for mums with kids Or people who had shopping And you could swing around the platform post And jump off without stopping And you’d be in Church Street And savouring the smell of the coffee up from Coopers …The Kardomah as well. …..None of it’s there now… …The Tatler… Woollies…. Gone Just like the buses with the platforms That you’d jump up to get on.

1st

IMBOLC: Maureen Clark Home-made lanterns glowing in the dark are held aloft by folk in fancy dress Drums beat time as they begin the walk along the route towards the fire fest Pagans celebrated the return of daylight after winters darkest days with songs and chanting, flame and fire to worship the returning sunlight's rays The custom is still kept alive today as darkness fades and days grow longer still and townsfolk join together now to pay respects despite the winters chill Both young and old will tread the ancient route and many march together, side by side to witness the marriage up high on the hill of green man and cold frost queen, his bride Walking tall, on stilts green man leads the way his wedding suit is made of leaves of oak and willow, for he symbolises spring and wears a hood of snowdrops on his cloak He passes over lanes and cobbled streets to meet the rendezvous with his doomed bride and following, the frost queen is attended by masked hounds of winter one on either side Drums beat out the rhythm of the footsteps of followers as they fall in behind and voices raise to chant the pagan songs which worship nature and the countryside At last green man stands still and looks behind frost queen moves forward, takes his proffered arm and joined together in this way they climb towards their wedding chapel on the hill The crowd falls silent – then the fires start First glowing red, then brighter all around fire-eaters light the valley up with jugglers, and dancers whirling faster round and round The couple climbing now turn round and face their wedding guests below and raise their hands in farewell, and as they embrace both know She has to die to return warmth to the land

Page 16

Life

Life

Page 17

What a talented lot you really are . . .

A

representatives from all the regions.

T the start of 2008, Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales launched The 08 Creative Awards – a competition to find the most talented and artistic people in our business.

Created to celebrate Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture, the idea is to say “don’t hide your talents” away. So a culture-themed competition across the region was set up.

Staff were asked to take photos, put pen to paper or produce a piece of visual art which has a cultural theme of our region. It can be about a place, landmark, building, even an event - it's whatever represents culture to you.

The first quarter’s entries are now in, been viewed and judged by a selection of Forum

THE WINNERS ARE: Photography: Merseyside: View from Endeavour - Paula Burnell. Cheshire/North Wales: Fun in the City - Julian Proffit: Huddersfield: IMBOLC – Graham Brown.

Creative Writing: Merseyside: Genuine Culture – Barbara Langton. Cheshire/North Wales: No entry submitted. Huddersfield: IMBOLC – Maureen Clark.

Visual Art: Merseyside: The Great and the Good – Mike Price. Cheshire/North Wales: Welcome to Liverpool – Victoria Tetley. Huddersfield: No entry submitted.

Each winner receives £100 and goes through to the final at the end of the year.

The category winner there wins £500.

Judges will be Steve Shakeshaft for Photography, Frank Cotterill Boyce for Creative Writing and Anthony Brown for Visual.

The overall winner will receive £2,008 and judging will be done by Phil Redmond.

All the family entries, of which we had four excellent entries, so thank you Asha Price, Morgan Machray, Peter Hughes and Kay Fletcher, go through to the final automatically.

They will be judged on the night of the final and the winner will receive £100.

The quality of the entries was impressive as Ian Johnson, from the Cheshire/North Wales

Photography

By Lee Ashun

By Lee Ashun

By Lee Ashun

1st

By Les Rawlinson

By Les Rawlinson

Forum, told Life: “I was genuinely impressed by the sheer quality of many of them. I did not realise I worked with such talented people” Gill Guilfoyle, of the Merseyside Forum, who collated the entries, added: “The quality of all the entries was amazing and it proved a difficult task to choose an overall winner from each category. We even had a wonderful Visual entry in the form of a piece of video footage, from Andrew Forgrave of Carnedau Ponies. We judged on a ‘point scoring’ basis and it was very close, the difference in points for some entries was very, very tight.

“There were a couple of categories in one or two of the regions where we did not receive entries, so we want to encourage more involvement. It’s a bit like a party; no one wants to be the first to the buffet or on to the dance floor, but I am sure that once people see what can be done, the flood gates will open.”

The Creative Awards are now looking for Quarter 2 entries. So please look out for the posters for more information but do not hesitate to contact Gill Guilfoyle or your Forum Representative for more details. Deadline for entries is June 23.

Just to reiterate some of the rules for entries.

If you take photographs for a living you have to show another side to your skills paint a picture or write a piece of poetry or prose. You can’t enter the picture section.

Writers should paint or take a picture. They can’t enter the written section.

And visual arts competitors should not work in similar fields, such as graphics.

The full list of entries for the first quarter of 08

By Paula Burnell

Photography:

By Andrea Greenwood

By Andrea Greenwood

By Andrew Forgrave

1st

By Andrew Forgrave

By Jo Henwood

By Julian Proffit

1st

By Robert Neilson

By Robert Neilson

By Graham Brown

● Merseyside: Lee Ashun, Iron Man - Times Stand Still; Lee Ashun, Iron Man - Sands of Time; Lee Ashun, Iron Man - Walking Away. Les Rawlinson, Chinatown (Day); Les Rawlinson Chinatown (Dusk). Paula Burnell, View From the Endeavor. ● Cheshire/North Wales: Andrea Greenwood, Another Place; Andrea Greenwood, Turning The Place Over. Andrew Forgrave, Bollywood Comes to Cheshire; Andrew Forgrave, Carnedau Ponies.

Jo Henwood, A Handbag of Harmonies. Julian Proffit, Fun In The City. Robert Neilson, Opening Night; Robert Neilson, The Cake. ● Huddersfield: Graham Brown, IMBOLC. ● Family Entry: Asha Price, Cranes (Merseyside).

Morgan Machray, City of Smiles at Ben Johnson Exhibit (Merseyside). Peter Hughes, Mining Memories of Wales (Cheshire/North Wales).

Written:

● Merseyside: Barbara Langton, Genuine Culture. Mike Price, Liverpool In A Nutshell. Tony Hall, Changes . ● Cheshire/North Wales: No Entry. ● Huddersfield: Maureen Clark, IMBOLC. ● Family Entry: No Entry.

Visual:

● Merseyside: Mike Price, The Great and The Good. Peter Grant, Absent Friends. Peter Grant, Swan Lake Through the Eyes of a Child. ● Cheshire/North Wales: Victoria Tetley, Welcome to Liverpool. ● Huddersfield: No Entry. ● Family Entry: Kay Fletcher, Culture, Harmony & Diversity (Cheshire/North Wales).

By Asha Price

Morgan Machray

By Peter Hughes

Visual

1st

By Peter Grant

By Mike Price

By Peter Grant

1st

By Victoria Tetley

By Kay Fletcher

Written Liverpool in a Nutshell: Mike Price On a fair day in 1207, King John saw the potential for a little place called The Pool. He granted it a charter and started the History of Liverpool. King John could see the benefits from The River Mersey, the lifeblood of Liverpool. The Pool as Liverpool was then known was the safest mooring for boats. Water and Liverpool have been synonymous since the first 'scousers' turned up over a thousand years ago. In 1715 the local council sent a petition to Parliament to introduce a legislation to build the first commercial wet dock in the world. One of many firsts for Liverpool. This helped to begin an era of expansion and the development of the profitable sea trade which led to the expansion of trades such as sail makers, blacksmith, riggers and basket makers. The population in 1801 was a modest 78,000 but only one hundred years later this had ballooned to over 685,000. Liverpool was very popular then.

The years passed and in the 1880s the council petitioned for Liverpool to be given city status and it was achieved in 1888, by the early 20th century it was known as the "Second City of the Empire". The first World War brought death and grief to many families and as Liverpool experienced an economic downturn, the Council made improvements starting with the construction of the East Lancashire Road and also the ambitious Queensway

tunnel. This was also another first in that it would be the longest underwater tunnel in the world.

The second World War came and the Germans knew how important it was to stop Liverpool from working. Liverpool was bombed heavier than any other provincial city in Europe and parts where completely devastated.

The city was also the headquarters of the Battle of the Atlantic from 1941, and Churchill had some of the Gold reserve deposited in the vaults of Martins Bank. Liverpool's ports handled over 75 million tons of cargo between 1939 and 1945 and almost 4.7 million troops passed through the port.

With the War over Liverpool began a period of rebuilding and soon established herself as the second most important city in the Nation. In the early 1960s four local lads became a worldwide force known as The Beatles. John, Paul, George and Ringo put Liverpool on the world map and made Liverpool's accent easily recognisable throughout the world. Music, comedy and culture are evident through out Liverpool's long and glorious history and with Liverpool's rare and Mercantile maritime heritage recognised in 2004 with the presentation of a UNESCO world heritage site and with the winning of the 2008 Capital of Culture, Liverpool is and will be one of the most easily recognised and admired places in the world.

Genuine Culture: Barbara Langton Look at us, we’ve got it all, Empire Theatre, St. George’s Hall, A Cathedral each end of a street called hope, We were even visited by the pope.

Lime Street Station with its great clockface, Plenty of parks, lots of space, Fine old buildings, all iconic Met quarter heaven for the shopaholic.

The Pier Head, Liver Birds

1st

and Great Liners, All of them headliners, The music makers, famous all, The market trader at his stall And now the Echo Arena, what a sight Is that all? Not quite The greatest asset we have Is not of stone or wood, but made of flesh and blood.

It’s the Liverpool people with their humour & warmth that makes Liverpool so good.

Now that’s real culture.

Changes: Tony Hall D’you remember the buses then?

Tall, green and thin…

With an open platform at the back That you’d jump on to get in An’ a half spiral staircase That led up to the top Where you could look out on the people Or down into the shops An’ the seats all looked like leather But you could tell that they weren’t real by the odd ciggie burn And that “plasticky” feel But upstairs was dead “Macho” Meant for smokers and for “Men” And the windows were all grimy … no Clean Air Act then And Downstairs was for mums with kids Or people who had shopping And you could swing around the platform post And jump off without stopping And you’d be in Church Street And savouring the smell of the coffee up from Coopers …The Kardomah as well. …..None of it’s there now… …The Tatler… Woollies…. Gone Just like the buses with the platforms That you’d jump up to get on.

1st

IMBOLC: Maureen Clark Home-made lanterns glowing in the dark are held aloft by folk in fancy dress Drums beat time as they begin the walk along the route towards the fire fest Pagans celebrated the return of daylight after winters darkest days with songs and chanting, flame and fire to worship the returning sunlight's rays The custom is still kept alive today as darkness fades and days grow longer still and townsfolk join together now to pay respects despite the winters chill Both young and old will tread the ancient route and many march together, side by side to witness the marriage up high on the hill of green man and cold frost queen, his bride Walking tall, on stilts green man leads the way his wedding suit is made of leaves of oak and willow, for he symbolises spring and wears a hood of snowdrops on his cloak He passes over lanes and cobbled streets to meet the rendezvous with his doomed bride and following, the frost queen is attended by masked hounds of winter one on either side Drums beat out the rhythm of the footsteps of followers as they fall in behind and voices raise to chant the pagan songs which worship nature and the countryside At last green man stands still and looks behind frost queen moves forward, takes his proffered arm and joined together in this way they climb towards their wedding chapel on the hill The crowd falls silent – then the fires start First glowing red, then brighter all around fire-eaters light the valley up with jugglers, and dancers whirling faster round and round The couple climbing now turn round and face their wedding guests below and raise their hands in farewell, and as they embrace both know She has to die to return warmth to the land

Page 18

Life

Herald takes the honours in charity race THE Caernarfon Herald has been awarded a Race for Life Supporters Award from Cancer Research UK. The award ceremony was held at the Dorchester Hotel in London and chief reporter Helen Harper, who wrote articles over a number of weeks, attended to pick up the trophy.

There were only four awards for the media and the Herald won alongside another Trinity Mirror title, the South Wales Echo, 105.4 Century FM from Manchester, and The Press from York.

It was nominated for an award by Katherine

Caernarfon Herald chief reporter Helen Harper, right, receives the paper's Race for Life award from fitness and diet guru Rosemary Conley

Culshaw, the North West organiser of the Race for Life, for coverage ahead of the 2007 event in Caernarfon.

It was the first year that a race had been held in Caernarfon and the Herald appealed for women to come forward with their stories about why they were taking part.

Editor Jeff Eames says: "We got a tremendous response with some really strong human interest stories being run every week in the run up to the race."

The Herald was nominated in the “recruitment of participants” section and was asked to submit five articles highlighting the work it had done.

Katherine says there are nearly 300 races all over the country and every organiser nominates someone, with the Herald making it to the final four.

"The Caernarfon Race filled in record time for a first year event," said Katherine. "This was helped by the amount of media coverage the Herald gave us and stories it ran. There was hardly a week went by that people weren't reminded to enter and it obviously worked."

Michelle, our belle Surprise win joy at ad awards ceremony

M

ICHELLE Rushton has won Sales Support Person of the Year.

At our Media Sales Awards held at a gala dinner at Aintree, Michelle, who works for the Commercial Editorial Unit, was gobsmacked.

Michelle supports the sales teams by writing plenty of advertising features and supplements for the North Wales, Wirral, Southport and Liverpool weekly and daily titles.

Her gift is for writing about careers appear in the recruitment section - My Dream Job and A Day in the Life Of . . . as well as jobs advice articles.

As well as being editor of Style magazine, in North Wales, she has produced a series of DP tourist guides covering all areas of the North Wales area from Anglesey to Rhyl.

But Michelle had one question to ask . . . herself.

“Why have I been invited to a Media Sales Awards?

“I’m not sales.”

But she was very happy to go along and in her words ‘get all dolled up’ (see pic) and take advantage of the free buffet.

She says: “ I didn't know they had sneaked in a new category called Sales Support Person of Year – so I had a real shock when they announced the nominees for the new award and I saw my big mugshot flashed across a huge screen.”

Modest Michelle was in such a tizz that she hardly heard the speech that Margaret Morris, advertisement director of Recruitment and Private Advertising for Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales, made about her.

Margaret said: “She manages all this with a big smile on her face . . . and the winner of the

WINNER: Michelle Rushton with Keith Thompson from the design studio at the awards ceremony

By Peter Grant Sales Support Person of the Year Award is – Michelle Rushton."

It was a BAFTA moment.

Then the band struck up the Beatles song Michelle. So, still shaking, the unusually unflappable Michelle made her way to the stage.

“I heard the Beatles song Michelle My Belle . . . and was in another world when I was presented with a framed certificate; £100 cheque and a bottle of champagne and congratulated by Margaret and also Warren Butcher.

“I was so surprised and it was a lovely moment. I felt really proud of myself.

“I have worked for Trinity Mirror for 10 years starting off as a trainee reporter on the Holyhead and Anglesey Mail and eventually I made my way to Liverpool to specialise in features. “ But I was not only pleased for myself, I was really pleased for the whole team because I'm not sure if people really understand what we do in our department.

“We write all the ad features, supplements, property, motors and recruitment editorial for 27 titles – as well as niche products such as Confetti Magazine – and we have a great rapport with the sales teams across the region, helping to boost revenues for the company.

“I would have normally treated myself with a big glass of champers or a double Jack Daniels but I am expecting my first child so I pushed the boat out with a can of coke.

“But when Rushton junior arrives in August, I will have double reason to crack open the bubbly.”

And just to embarrass mum-to-be Michelle, here’s Margaret Morris’s awards speech in full . .

THIS award was by nomination and includes the agency sales team, sales support team, the training department, studio, secretaries, reception, switchboard, reader holidays and commercial editorial.

The nominees: Janet Prince, Jeanette Chesworth, Judith Stadames, Collette Kirman, Anita Bowker, Jean Kershaw, Marcia Kelly, Julie Law, Michelle Rushton, Alison Gill, Mark Easdown, Sonia Owen

and Lisa Dunleevy.

The Sales Support Person of the Year award recognises excellence in individual performance, professionalism, outstanding customer service, pledge to quality and the contribution to the department and company.

This award goes to someone who has a superb track record. Fully committed to quality service, professional, customer focused, their dedication

never waivers regularly going above and beyond the call of duty for the benefit of clients and the business.

Providing encouragement, support and guidance to the team has earned their respect.

Her work is always to a high standard; she is thorough, conscientious and manages to achieve all this with a smile on her face.

The winner is Michelle Rushton.

Hear, hear.

Lines www.chesterchronicle.co.uk has been revamped which is aimed at a younger target audience focusing on more online-specific content, user-generated content and interactivity.

As well as enhanced coverage of Chester and Cheshire news, sport and entertainment, the site also features exclusive video and audio clips, image galleries and new blogs covering the popular areas of nostalgia, Chester City FC and environmental issues.

The Chester Chronicle is the first local weekly newspaper companion site in England to be relaunched on the new-look website template. Being a weekly site, a major part of the site development went into looking at how content can be automatically updated throughout the day – in particular changing the appearance of the homepage regularly.

Eric Langton, Editor in Chief of the Chester Chronicle, said: "The new templates provide a great platform to build on. They are much better visually, a lot easier to navigate, and will encourage interaction with site visitors and our newspaper readers."

Interactivity is one of the key themes of the relaunch.

Users can now comment on key articles, vote on key issues and rate articles. The new site also harnesses user-generated content, with users being able to submit their own stories, photos, video and audio clips, and have their say in improved forums.

Content is being optimised for the web, including the use of keyword "tags" on each article to help users drill deeper into the site and find related content. Social book-marking tools help users keep track of articles of interest. And each section of the site now has RSS feeds, allowing users to subscribe to content of interest.

Life

Away Day trip to the digital future TRINITY Mirror Merseyside Weeklies editorial staff are now more “multimedia aware” after news, sports, feature and photographic teams attended a Digital Development Day. More than 50 staff from editors to trainees from six district offices attended the Away Day, which consisted of presentations and workshops on how to make the most of new digital opportunities.

Topics covered included: Google Awareness and Search Engine Optimisation; How to Use Google Like a Pro; Useful Online Tools and Websites and The Future of News.

There was input from presentations by Matt Kerwick and Mike Hill and guest attendees on the day included Digital Content Manager Steve Harrison, Liam McNeilis from the Digital Team, and Wai Chu and Mark McGowan from the IT unit.

The day was held in the picturesque surroundings of the Crosby Hall Educational Trust Centre, Little Crosby.

Useful websites and online applications covered during some of the workshop sessions, included TheyWorkForYou.com, Flickr, Twitter and statistics.gov.uk Working in their office groups, each team worked on tasks through the day, before giving presentations on how they will take advantage of the new media opportunities.

Trinity Mirror Merseyside Weeklies Group Editor Jane Daly said: ''It was a thoroughly useful day, lots of good tips and some great ideas coming from the teams. I was impressed with everyone's enthusiasm and their real desire to become more multi media aware.''

Merseyside Weeklies editorial staff get down to work on their Away Day

Kevin’s new role

KEVIN Matthews took up the post of Trinity Mirror Merseyside Weeklies multimedia editor in January.

He had previously worked as assistant editor for the weeklies, based in the Southport office, where he managed the Southport Visiter newsdesk.

Before that, Kevin had worked as the news editor on the Liverpool

Quiz answers from Page 20

1. Ruud van Nistelrooy 2. Aston Villa 3. Fernando Torres 4. Spirit Of Shankly 5. Sami Hyypia 6. Newcastle United 7. Dixie Dean's 60 goals 8. Peter Beardsley 9. Mikel Arteta 10. Anthony Gardiner 11. Robbie Stockdale 12. Chris Dagnall 13. Andy Taylor 14. Ian Moore 15. Dave

Martindale 16. Simon Davies 17. Stockport County 18. Rob Styles 19. Jason McAteer 20. John Danby 21. Hereford United 22. Chris Llewellyn 23. Carl Tremarco 24. Paul Hall 25. Darlington 26. Stan Ternant 27. Danny Schofield 28. Arsenal 29. Michael Collins 30. Andy Holdsworth

Merseysmart and Star Series, as well the Formby Times.

He joined the company in 1999 as a graduate trainee, where he worked at the Ormskirk Advertiser initially as the reporter for the Maghull & Aintree Advertiser, then the Skelmersdale Advertiser, before heading off to take up the role of news editor at the Formby Times in 2001.

While also managing the newsdesk for the Visiter Series, Kevin developed online initiatives for the TM Weeklies companion sites, which included developing a new local musicians directory, rolling out new blogs, developing an interactive events calendar, and rolling out video training to reporters and photographers.

Since January he has worked

with the sports department to provide live online sports reports from all of Southport FC matches which were also sent out on the Visiter's ground-breaking Twitter service which saw goals news being delivered direct to fans via SMS. In January, Kevin also helped develop and deliver the digital away day attended by all of the Merseyside weeklies' teams.

Steve tries on a tank top for size OLD Hall Street electronic picture desk operator Steve Cawood is on top of the world.

Well, at least he’s on top of a Mark 1 Tiger tank.

Steve, a keen member of a military re-enactment team, came face to face with the awesome weapon at Margam Park, South Wales, for a May bank holiday weekend re-enactment festival.

He and his squad of American GIs fought against it in the battles over the weekend and seeing

it firing its 88mm gun was awesome, he says. Steve adds: “It was a pretty daunting prospect to face. The bang of it actually made your rib cage flex with the repercussion if you were near it as it was so powerful.”

Steve adds: “If anyone wants one of those tanks, they retail at £140,000.

When I get my next Trinity bonus I'm getting two.” ● More pics on the forums of Steve’s group’s website, www.4jas.org.uk

Page 19

Lines THE Rippleeffect is here.

Trinity Mirror has acquired Rippleeffect Studio Limited, an award- winning, online web design and development consultancy.

Rippleffect is a market leader in the development and operation of sport, leisure and retail websites in the UK and will enable Trinity Mirror to rapidly build on its existing businesses in the area.

Rippleeffects expertise and experience in sports web development complements TM’s existing Sports Media business which publishes a range of specialist sports publications including the match day programmes of Liverpool and Everton football clubs.

Rippleeffects’ MD, Ben Hatton, will continue to lead the fast growing business which was founded in 1999 and had enjoyed rapid expansion and a growing reputation ever since.

THE Liverpool ECHO on-line blogs are being read everywhere!

Special features editor Martin Rigby, who writes a genealogy column for the ECHO’s Flashback section on Saturday, as well as his blog, recently made the pages of the national Ancestry magazine published by The National Archives.

Following a request for an photograph of Liverpool which Martin spotted in the magazine, editor Simon Fowler asked him to contribute a piece for Ancestors on one of the subjects in his blog – the hunt for ancestors who had worked on the railway. The result was a full page article.

The subject of railway ancestors is close to Martin’s heart - his father was a signalman at Rainford Junction station. ● liverpoolecho.co.uk/ TRINITY Mirror is offering staff the opportunity to save on the cost of a new bike and safety equipment with the “tax-free bikes for work” scheme.

Through our partnership with Cyclescheme, and their nationwide network of local cycle retailers, you can choose any make and model up to £1,000 from a choice of local bike shops.

This scheme offers a typical savings of 40% and payments are made directly from your salary over 12 months.

Registration for the Trinity Mirror Cyclescheme will be available from May 1, 2008.

To learn more visit: http://yourspace.tm-gnet. com/today/bikes Also, for further information see your local centre noticeboards, or contact HR.

Page 20

Life

Dan Kay’s sports quiz

Liverpool

1. Fernando Torres' goal at Spurs on the last day of the season broke which other foreign striker's record as the most in a debut season in the English Premier League?

2. Who did the Reds reserves beat 3-0 in the FA Premier Reserve League National Play-off Final?

3. Whose goal in the San Siro gave the Reds a 3-0 aggregate win over Internazionale of Milan and helped avenge the 1965 European Cup semi final defeat?

4. What is the name of the new Liverpool Supporters' Union group that has been set up during the course of the 2007/08 season?

5. Which player signed a contract extension meaning he will celebrate 10 years at Anfield next season?

Everton

6. Who did Everton get their long-awaited first (and only) penalty of the season against?

7. The Blue's visit to Arsenal in May saw the commemoration 80 years on of which landmark moment in Everton history?

8. Who was the last Everton striker to reach 20 goals in a season before Yakubu?

9. Whose 25-yard strike put Everton back on level terms with crack Italian side Fiorentina before their desperately unlucky penalty shoot-out defeat in the UEFA Cup? 10. Which England international left Goodison at the end of the season having not made a single appearance for the club after signing on loan in January?

GOOD SPORTS: The Reliance team, and, right, some of the skilful action from the event Pictures: JASON ROBERTS/ jr1304085aside

Tranmere

Alan is on the ball!

A

LAN Humphreys knows how to put the fun in FUN-draising …

More than £1,000 was raised for charity by staff across the company in April and cash is still coming in.

The Liverpool ECHO’s Liverpool Unites Campaign is hoping to raise £100,000 towards a community centre in Croxteth in the name of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones.

It will be sited on the last football pitch played on by the football mad schoolboy.

Alan Humphreys, security manager of Reliance Security, based at the ECHO’s Old Hall Street offices, organised the five-a-side contest at Bootle Football and Tennis club.

More than 100 people turned out for the event, which included a raffle for signed Everton and Liverpool footballs.

Alan, who has a solid track record in organising charity events, ensured that everyone knew about the importance of the social sporting event.

He told Life: "We all wanted to back the campaign as the centre will help

By Life Sports Editor, Peter Grant

young people engage in positive rather than negative activities.

“Support here on Merseyside is great; people put themselves out and they make sure it’s a good atmosphere for all the family.

“I want to put on record my thanks for all the brilliant support we received and in such a short space of time - not only from the staff but the city’s football clubs.

“All who helped us out deserve a mention: Penny Growcoot, O'Brien’s caterers for supplying water for all the players; Paulie’s Tattoos of Liverpool for art work and Bootle Football and Tennis club for the venue.

“And every player. Last but not least all the people who sponsored us and bought raffle tickets.”

Now Alan wants to score again with

11. Which former Premier League player was released by Rovers at the end of the season after making 50 appearances for the club over two years?

12. Which former Rovers striker scored for Rochdale in the League Two play-off semi final against Darlington?

13. Which former Huddersfield and Crewe loan player was voted Tranmere's young player of the season by the club's supporters following a series of impressive showings following his move from Blackburn?

14. The 2-0 win at Leeds in February saw which Rovers striker mark the start of his second spell at the club with a goal?

15. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Tranmere's incredible rise under Johnny King - who scored the goal against Wimbledon in the Football League Centenary Trophy that launched Rovers' run to the semi finals and set the tone for promotion the following season?

Chester

16. Who took over as manager following the departure of Bobby Williamson as manager in March?

17. A goalless draw against which fellow North West side secured City's Football League survival in late April?

18. Which Premiership referee was demoted into the Football League for the second time in the season following poor officiating and took charge of Chester's derby match at Shrewsbury in April?

19. Which former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland player joined the Deva coaching staff on a part-time basis in February?

20. Who was City's only ever present performer in the league with 46 appearances over the course of the season?

Wrexham

more ideas to raise funds.

He says: “I hope to do two yearly events from now on.

“We will be raising money for different charities.

“We will aim to get bigger and better next time with the possibility of two extra teams.

“The next one will be held in summer, so all Life readers, please be as kind as before and sponsor teams.

“I hope our little contribution this time goes to help in some way towards this magnificent Rhys Jones venture.”

The winners of the April tournament were Dodgy Dave’s dodgy dealers, from the ECHO’s newspaper sales team.

Their squad title, by the way, is tongue-in-cheek “We wouldn’t want anyone thinking there was a Del Boy working here“ joked Alan. ”Well done to them all.”

● The Premier League of entrants were: Reliance; The Strangers; The good the bad and the ugly; TMS 1; TMS 2; Stuart Needs a rest; Dodgy Dave’s dodgy dealers; West Derby.

21. The Dragon's 87-year stint in the Football League came to an end when relegation was confirmed with a 2-0 defeat to which club?

22. Who scored Wrexham's final league goal of the current era in the 4-2 win at Lincoln City on the last day of the season?

23. Which former Tranmere defender joined the club in January making 10 league appearances in the battle for survival?

24. Which former Portsmouth and Coventry winger scored his first goal for Wrexham in the 2-0 win at Chester City in March?

25. Wrexham manager Brian Little has already experienced relegation from the Football League and promotion back again the following season with which club?

Huddersfield

26. Who took over as Terriers manager following the departure of Andy Ritchie in April?

27. Who marked his final home appearance after 10 years of service in Town colours with a headed goal against Walsall in April?

28. Which Premier League side are to play a pre-season friendly match at the Galpharm Stadium in August?

29. Who equalised for Town at Stamford Bridge before the eventually succumbed 3-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round?

30. Whose header gave caretaker manager Gerry Murphy a treasured derby win over Leeds United in his testimonial season?

● Answers on Page 19