Liverpool Life 5:3 26/10/16 by Steve Harrison

26 - October - 2016

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE... NEWS

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MP calls for food scheme to help feed hungry kids

LIFEextra

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Liverpool woman sheds over half her body weight

SPORT

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Boxing event raises thousands for Alder Hey patients

SUCCESS IN SEATTLE By AMBER ROBERTS

A young Leukaemia sufferer from Litherland who has recently returned home after lifesaving treatment in America has continued to smash his fundraising targets to help others. Charlie Fearns, 11, was diagnosed with the disease for the third time and to travel to a clinic in Seattle for a CAR-T transplant was his ﬁnal hope. A fundraising campaign set up to pay for Charlie’s treatment reached its original goal of £100,000 in just 19 days and the bar was set higher to £140,000, which was also achieved. Charlie has also inspired others to raise more than £60,000 for the Anthony Nolan trust, such as the ‘cycling scouser’, who cycled from Shanghai to Liverpool, and ﬁnds out next week whether he has won the Pride of Britain award that he has been nominated for due to his efforts.

Charlie’s mum, Sophie has tried to stop children havFearns said: “It’s been the ing second transplants and as hardest nine weeks of our Charlie has previously had a lives but it was worth every bone marrow transplant, this second to enable Charlie a would make him not eligible future. He has continued to for treatment on the NHS and amaze us with his strength we would have to pay to have and amazingly he has man- another one.” Another of aged a day at the main aims school, which ofCharlie’s three weeks Chance Foundaago we thought tion, which has would never be recently become possible.” a registered However, charity, is to Charlie still has raise awareness a long way to of the imporgo and it is liketance of young ly that he will people joining need a second the Anthony transplant. Mrs. Nolan register. Fearns, who is Anthony Noalso an ambassador and trus- HOPEFUL: Charlie celebrating lan uses its register to match tee of “Charlie’s his birthday potential bone Chance Founmarrow donors dation”, which was set up to help other fami- to blood cancer patients in lies in the same situation, said desperate need of a bone marCharlie is a real life example row transplant. More young of how the NHS cuts are af- people between the ages of fecting children’s lives. “We 16-30 are urged to join, as curset up a petition as the NHS rently young men only make

up about 15% of the register, yet are also most likely to be chosen to donate as they are less likely to have long-term health problems which might delay or prevent donation. You can join the register online via www.anthonynolan. org, which only takes a few minutes, yet could greatly change someone’s life. Speaking of Charlie’s progress, Mrs. Fearns said: “So far the treatment looks promising but we are still in the early stages and won’t know for sure until month ﬁve but we have everything crossed. The main thing is that he’s ﬁnished the brunt of treatment and we’re back at home.” The Charlie’s Chance foundation is holding a charity ball at The Shankly Hotel on November 27th to celebrate becoming a registered charity. Tickets are available via the Charlies Chance Facebook page and donations can be made on the Charlie’s Chance go fund me page.

US treatment gives new hope to little Charlie

Perfect ponies on parade

Liverpool hosted a parade of equine excellence yesterday. Crowds of all ages gathered at the Echo Arena to celebrate the International Horse show. Over ﬁfty horses ﬁlled the waterfront along with a few famous faces such as Grand National winner Bob Champion and Miss Liverpool winner Louella Walker. • Full story on page 5

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MP calls for food scheme expansion By AMELIA ECCLESONDAVIES Birkenhead MP Frank Field has called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to make the capital lead the way as the first “hunger-free city” after the success of a Wirral community food project. The Feeding Birkenhead scheme uses supermarket food waste to feed the community, especially during school half term holidays when the need for food banks dramatically increases. More than 2000 children have been fed by the project, based at Beaconsfield Community House and run by Neo Catering in Birkenhead. Local supermarkets and businesses supply food which would otherwise end up going to waste and up to 300 children on one day have been fed. In a letter to the Evening Standard newspaper, Mr Field has urged the Mayor of London to take advantage of supermarket waste to feed the capital’s communities in a similar way. As part of the Feeding Birkenhead scheme, cookery lessons are

provided together with a social supermarket where low-income families can do their shopping on a ‘pay as you feel’ basis. Jen Doherty, Community and Engagement Director, told Liverpool Life: “Nutrition has become lower recently, not just because of how much money people have got and because of benefit cuts. “A lot more families are working so convenience food is easy which is why we work a lot on slow cooker courses and providing as much fresh food as we can.” The Birkenhead MP’s backing has been crucial to the success of

the scheme. Ema Wilkes, Director and Founder of Neo Catering, told Liverpool Life: “Frank Field has been a massive support. He’s not only opened doors for the centre and stopped the council from closing us down but the biggest support is getting Parliament to talk about food waste. Jeremy Corbyn also visited us 20 minutes after being re-elected, and now he’s talking about us in parliament and how we’ve used food waste to feed the community and that’s what needs to be done. It needs to be shouted about.”

By ISABEL EATON

Above: Food waste to feed the community Left: Jen Doherty, of Neo Catering, left, Anne Parsons, centre and Ema Wilkes, right.

Council hope to bid for city landmark By JESS HARRIS

UP FOR SALE: The Royal Liver Building © Wiki Commons

Life

Liverpool City Council are hoping to take the Royal Liver Building off the property market despite it only having been up for sale for just over a week. The famous Liverpool landmark, which stands at Pier Head, is said to be a good in-house investment for the council, which is just one of the potential buyers to have already placed a bid on the building. The 330,000 sq ft ofﬁce space was put up for auction for the ﬁrst time in its 105-year history by current

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insurer Royal London, who have issued a £40m guide price. Liverpool City Council’s Communications Ofﬁcer, Tom Farrell told Liverpool Life: “The council has shown an interest in the Liver Building because of the potential it offers as an investment opportunity. “However, we would need to be sure that ﬁnancially, any deal stacked up and there would be a return on the council’s investment. Alternatively, we might possibly look at introducing or facilitating other investors to show an interest in

Huyton charity marks 35 years

the building. “The council has already acquired the Cunard Building and the value of it has more than doubled since spending £15m on buying and refurbishing. The council is also receiving a signiﬁcant amount in rental income from the Cunard Building and the same consideration would apply to the Liver Building, but we would have to ensure that ﬁnancially we could make a similar success.” As one of Britain’s most famous buildings, it dominates the Mersey waterfront as part of the ‘Three Graces’,

including itself and the neighbouring Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings. It is at the centre of a Unesco world heritage site marking Liverpool’s maritime history. Executive director of the property agent CBRE Colin Thomasson said: “The Royal Liver Building is known worldwide and we expect the sale to attract strong interest from investors in the UK and around the globe.” A number of CBRE and Capital Markets are currently in the process of marketing and have yet to ﬁx a date to conclude the sale.

A Huyton organisation that has raised more than £300,000 for charity has celebrated its 35th birthday with a special event. The Fourth Dimension Trust marked the occasion at the Court Hey Methodist church with a celebration consisting of hymns and prayers. Donations were also handed out to Christian Aid and local charities across Merseyside. The trust, situated in Huyton village, has a total of 30 staff members from the nine founding Huyton churches. Since it began 35 years ago it has raised more than £300,000 through the sales of second hand clothing and refreshments from the in-store café. Since the store’s opening in the 80s it has donated 25% of its proﬁts to local Merseyside charities and 75% to Christian Aid’s well digging project in Mali, the donations help local farmers grow and harvest seeds as well as help towards building wells in local villages. Philip Lodge, Chairman of Fourth Dimension Trust, said: “In the 1980s the UN declared a decade for water, Christian Aid picked this up and in 1981 the founders of the trust decided to support what Christian Aid was already doing.” This year the trust raised £10,000, with £7,500 going to Christian Aid’s water and farming project and the remaining £2,500 to Merseyside charities such as Zoe’s place, Asylum Link and the Walton Centre for neuroscience. The event ended with a prayer of thanks and members taking 35 candles to the front of the church to represent the 35 years of the Trust being open.

‘Fundraiser Paddy’ raises pounds for Pudsey By NICOLE QUINN Local-man Paddy Heron, better known as ‘Fundraiser Paddy’, has organised an author auction to raise funds for BBC’s Children in Need (CiN). He describes himself as an Evertonian grandad who enjoys being involved in fundraising events and drinking beer. Paddy told Liverpool life: “I chose CiN quite simply because it is a fantastic cause. Also because the authors are spread around the world, a national charity appeals to them more as it’s so widely recognised.” Last year over £1000 was

raised by the Pudsey Auction that included a Little Britain DVD signed by both Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Neil Gaiman, Abby Green and Tim Marshall are just some of the authors that have donated signed copies of their books. The quantity of books has greatly increased with Paddy getting authors on board by tweeting about his event. With the help of Liverpool City Council, the books will be showcased at the Central Library from November 14th-18th. Paddy’s charity work doesn’t stop there, he has also organised a Halloween

rafﬂe for Radio City’s Cash for Kids on October 28th. He said: “We raised £1390 for this event last year and we hope to better it this time round. We have great prizes from local businesses. The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts have provided us with great costumes too.” Keep an eye out on Friday for their very own Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett selling cakes and pies around the city centre and collecting money in some pubs in town. You can ﬁnd out more information on Paddy’s Twitter account: @FundraiserPaddy.

FUNDRAISING: For Radio City’s Cash for Kids, last year. © Paddy Heron.

Life|News|3

Is it a Liverbird? Is it a plane? Think again! By PAIGE FRESHWATER

Merseyside’s Police and Fire and Rescue service are considering buying a drone to help tackle fires and trace criminal activity. The Merseyside Police force sunk their £13,000 trail drone in the River Mersey in 2011 but successfully made the UK’s first arrest using the technology a year before that. It was reported that the police force lost control of the craft when it suddenly lost battery power during a “routine training exercise”. Former Merseyside police officer, Ian Whitfield, said: “You can get pretty good cameras on drones now so it is good evidence to show a jury or to show a court at

a later stage or even for the investigating team. “If you have got a murder conducted in open territory it gives you the option to hover above. “In addition to use outside, drones are now so precise they can be used indoors as well.” The two emergency services are considering the beneﬁts and drawbacks a shared aerial drone could bring to the city. He added: “Whenever there is a new emerging technology it doesn’t take long for criminals to think how do we apply this. “So of course the concern is that criminals could be walking down the street with a drone and then they can look at the back of

houses to see what is secure and see if they can get in and then use it as an aid to burglary. “Some of the technology they are starting to look at now is the way you can hijack or hack a drone, because they are controlled electronically. “There is now software developed that if a drone is being used by a person who you suspect is causing a problem then there is a method to hack into that drone and take control of it.” A spokesperson from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service told Liverpool Life: “If we did manage to get one they would be used to give an aerial view of the incident ground at major ﬁres,

By PAUL GREENOUGH

Flight: A new drone is being considered by Merseyside Police which would be invaluable to incident commanders in formulating a plan of how best to sectorise and tackle the ﬁre.

“Some drones also have thermal imaging capabilities which would be helpful in pinpointing areas of heat within a building.”

Tribute to last of ‘great eccentrics’

By AMELIA ECCLESONDAVIES AND DAYAAL YASIN

Tributes have ﬂooded in after Liverpool icon Pete Burns unexpectedly died at the age of 57. It was announced on Monday evening that the eccentric singer suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on Sunday. Boy George tweeted: “Tearful about the passing of @ PeteBurnsICON he was one of our great true eccentrics and such a big part of my life! Wow. Hard to believe!” The Wirral-born singer rose to fame in the 1980s as the frontman of band Dead or Alive with the single You Spin Me Round. He started his career in the Liverpool record shop, Probe Records, which still exists today. Founder of Probe Records and Probe Records Plus Geoff Davies told Liverpool Life: “He is one of the funniest people I’ve ever come across. He had sharp, biting wit. “He was just absolutely great company. He was a

delight to be with, there was never a dull moment.” Pete was due to make an appearance on Loose Women on Monday morning ahead of the band’s new album release later in the week. On Monday evening, the Loose Women twitter page wrote: “Such sad news. RIP @PeteBurnsICON #PeteBurns”. In a joint statement on twitter, Steve McCoy, Burns’ manager and his ex-partners, Lynne and Michael, said: “It is with the greatest sadness that we have to break the tragic news that our beloved Pete Burns of (Dead or Alive) died suddenly yesterday of a massive cardiac arrest. “All of his family and friends are devastated by the loss of our special star. “He was a true visionary, a beautiful talented soul, and he will be missed by all who loved and appreciated everything he was and all of the wonderful memories he has left us with.” The announcement also said that a further statement will be made when the family and friends have come to terms

Flights from Liverpool to London could start as early as 2021 after government ministers approved a third runway at Heathrow airport yesterday. As part of the expansion, Heathrow plans to launch six new domestic routes – including ﬂights direct to Liverpool

The family of Coronation Street legend Jean Alexander have said the actress’s wishes were to have a private service of friends and family following her death. The star who played Hilda Ogden in the long-time soap from 1964-87 died on October 14 aged 90 in Southport hospital. Over 25 million people watched Jean’s ﬁnal scenes in the show making it one of the highest viewership ﬁgures on record. The Liverpool Echo reports that her sister, Sonia Hearld said that Jean’s family and friends had been “comforted and touched by the many kind messages of condolence” since her death, but wished the public to respect their weishes for a private service for the much-loved Toxteth actress.

Concert celebrates AIDS day By PAIGE FRESHWATER

Probe Records (left): Local Liverpool record store Probe Records where Wirral-born Pete Burns had his first job. Pete Burns (inset): Liverpool icon performing Carling Academy, 2008. with their loss. Pete remained in the spotlight in the past twenty years for his multiple plastic surgeries which he claimed was probably 300 procedures. He also entertained viewers on the 2006 series of Celebrity

Big Brother in which he ﬁnished in ﬁfth place. Pete’s new album, a boxset of Dead or Alive’s back catalouge, is due to be released in only four days’ time. His last tweet counted down the days.

JLA welcomes green light for Heathrow expansion By JESSICA HARRIS

Corrie family mourn legend

and other areas in the North West. Short haul ﬂights across the country will be ideal for holidaymakers and are likely to boost the city’s economy, as those easier connections may make Merseyside a more attractive place in which to invest. Robin Tudor, Head of PR at Liverpool John Lennon

airport told Liverpool Life: “It’s really good news. This is something that we have been pushing for a long time. “We have been working closely with Heathrow over the past year and not only is it great news for us at the airport but also importantly, the Liverpool city region. “It means that hopefully in the near future, we will be

able to get ﬂights into Heathrow from Liverpool. “Any expansion of services will open up access in terms of global connectivity, which is good for businesses in the region and also in terms of tourism, as we can now bring people into the region, all of which creates employment and is great for job prospects.”

Liverpool musicians are coming together in a concert ahead of World AIDS Day 2016. The Celebration of Life concert will see local musicians unite and generate support for Sahir House, Liverpool’s dedicated HIV Charity. Curated by Thomas Lang and Jennifer John, the night acts as a reminder that HIV has not gone away and a diagnosis no longer equals a death sentence. In 2015 there were around 133,000 people in the UK living with HIV and one in four of those are undiagnosed. Performers include Tommy Scott from Space, Paul Hemmings from The LAs and The Lightning Seeds, Martin Smith from Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band. The Celebration of Life concert is to take place on November 3rd at The Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street.

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Quarter set to boost city By PAIGE FRESHWATER A multibillion pound redevelopment programme has been launched in the Liverpool city centre. The 450-acre Knowledge Quarter is set to transform into a world-class destination for science, innovation, education, technology and the creative and performing arts. The Knowledge Quarter is one of ﬁve Mayoral Development Zones in Liverpool. Highlights of the £2bn, ﬁve-year plan include Paddington Village, a 1.8m sq ft health, education science and residential development space, and a Knowledge Quarter Liverpool railways station, connected to Liverpool’s underground network.

Youth talent wanted By PAIGE FRESHWATER A youth company is holding open auditions for a summer production in Liverpool city centre. LHK Youth Theatre is offering performers aged 6 to 19 the opportunity to audition for their 2017 summer production Legally Blonde. The company are looking for performers who can act, sing, and dance. Open auditions will take place on November 13th from 11am at The Marriott Hotel, Queen Square Liverpool.

Disneyland dreams for cancer patient By PAIGE FRESHWATER Over £50,000 has been raised to support a teenager’s fight against terminal cancer and fulfil her dreams of travelling the world. Hannah Lyson, 19, from Ormskirk was diagnosed with bowel, pelvis and uterus cancer and is no longer looking for a cure. The teenager had plans to spend her summer travelling around America, but was sadly diagnosed with cancer just three weeks before she was due to fly. The charity Dreams Come True granted Hannah the wish of a ten-day trip to Disneylan, Florida, however they do not have enough to pay her insurance. Staff at Tesco Express in Liverpool city centre, where Hannah used to work, decided to set up a fundraising

page to help raise the money needed. Her boyfriend also set up a fundraising page and has received over £8,000 in donations. He wrote: “Hannah has been granted a wish from Dreams Come True to go to Disneyworld, Florida and have a Disney Cruise, problem is that at the moment we’re struggling to get insurance. “Hannah also has various other activities that she would like to complete on her bucket list, including, visiting Disneyland at Halloween, Quad Biking and going on the London Eye. “She wants to keep herself as busy as possible during treatment and makes sure she gets the most out of life.” To donate to Hannah, visit her page at www.gofundme. com/hannahsdreams

Award-winner’s Sellout success By PAUL GREENOUGH One of the biggest literary prizes in the world, the Man Booker prize, came to Liverpool last week, ahead of the ofﬁcial announcement of the winner last night. Paul Beatty won the award with his novel The Sellout. This is the ﬁrst time a writer from the US has won the award. Four novelists came to Liverpool to attend the shortlist event - Paul, Deborah Levy, Graeme Macrae Burnet and Ottessa Moshfegh - where they recited short extracts from their books and answered questions from the

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Talk: Four novelists interact with audience ©Paul Greenough audience. Paul said after being asked about the humour in The Sellout, covering the difﬁculties of a black man in America:

“That is just how I write… [my writing has] never been described as satire before.” As Paul accepted the £50,000 award, he added: “I love be-

ing lost. It’s the only time I get anywhere. Writing’s given me a life.” Two writers were absent from the event at St George’s Hall - David Szalay who wrote All That Man Is, and Madeleine Thien, who wrote Do Not Say We Have Nothing. Hot Milk, the story of a young girl on a journey with her mother trying to ﬁnd a cure for her illness in a Spanish village, was written by previous Man Booker nominee Levy. “It is about control,” the novelist said when describing what the protagonists’ relationship is based upon.

Macrae’s murder investigation novel His Bloody Project is based on real events and written in an unconventional way with the intention of the reader being “a detective.” Macrae said that he doesn’t want the answer to be handed to the reader as he doesn’t like “being told what to think.” Moshfegh’s Eileen is a story about a woman looking back on her life whose version of events are sometimes questionable. The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language and published in the UK.

Yoga Bear is the new Yogi Bear

By DANYAAL YASIN

A local yoga studio has launched a new scheme aimed at children promoting kindness. As part of their Yoga Bears brand, Liverpool Yoga Studios has created a line of teddy bears, each with their own message of love and acceptance. The seven bears are the brain children of studio creator Estelle Cartlidge. They all have their own message specially designed with children in mind, focusing on areas such as the mental process behind yoga, with plans to combine them with online tutorials.

Yoga Bears was born in 2014, as studio creator Estelle was inspired by her own children to help other kids understand the message behind yoga and the positive effects that come from meditation. Estelle said: “As a mum, I was worried about the effect social media could have on younger generations. “Children are encountering situations that as adults we encountered much later in life, such as personal image perception, popularity, access to non-age appropriate images and content and so much more. “Yoga Bears was created with the aim of investing

in our children’s emotional

continue to expand. Recently merging their

KIND OF LOVE: Some of the Yoga Bears © 2016 YogaBears, intelligence and to develop children. I’ve created our very own Yoga Bears to help me fulﬁl my mission of yoga and mindfulness for children.” This is the latest development for the studio as they

brand under the Liverpool Yoga Studios banner. Classes now include spin cycling, Yoga Bears and hot yoga, with the studio still being the only place in Liverpool to offer the Bikram class.

Life|News|5

Fertility expert dies at 67 By PAUL GREENOUGH

A Welsh doctor who cofounded the Liverpool’s Hewitt Fertility Centre in 1989 has died at his home aged 67. Prof Iwan Lewis-Jones began his working life as a GP in Toxteth before becoming a lecturer at the University of Liverpool’s medical school. The fertility centre is now known as Liverpool Women’s Hospital and was a pioneering centre to help women become pregnant when all other options were gone. He was made a professor by Edge Hill University in 2012 and retired in 2014. Prof Charles Kingsland, who was trained by Prof Lewis-Jones before co-founding the Hewitt Fertility Centre with him, said: “He was a highly respected individual, a wonderful teacher and brilliant lecturer. He did a lot of pastoral work for students and was such a charismatic man.” He is survived by his wife, two adult children and a legacy in medicine and fertility research which has paved the way for further breakthroughs in medical research.

Second EU vote to happen? The shock result in the June referendum which now leaves the UK on the road to leaving the European Union has caused widespread controversy and ﬁerce debate. While the poll outcome was clear – with 52% voting for Brexit – many still feel that a decision of such magnitude and complexity requires further consideration. Liverpool Life’s sister website JM Journalism sent a team of 70 reporters out onto the streets of Liverpool to ask 331 UK citizens: “Should there be a second referendum before the UK leaves the European Union?” The full story will be published on our website this week at: jmu-journalism.org.uk

Church bans scary out�its for party By PAIGE FRESHWATER

Dressing up in scary costumes is expected on Halloween, but one local church is challenging modern custom and is hosting an alternative Halloween party. St Anne’s, Aigburth, are banning scary costumes from their ‘Bright Lights Party’ on Halloween night, to divert from the “scary and sinister” side of the celebration. With attention drawn from the dark side of Halloween, children will be able to celebrate the occasion without fears of a fright. Vicar of St Anne’s, Ian Greenwood, said: “Halloween has taken on this sinister and dark appeal. “Now you have got a lot of children getting dressed up in scary costumes, which are

quite dark and I think quite scary and sinister. “The idea is that we are going to put on a party for children aged ﬁve to 11, and rather than focussing on the darkness, because I think there is enough darkness in the world at the moment. “We thought we’d do something opposite to that and do something for the goodness and the coming together.” YouGov statistics from 2013, show that 70% of UK adults would prefer it if children did not knock on their doors on Halloween night. He added: “I think a lot of people particularly elderly people living in the area get concerned and worried about mischief night and Halloween. “There is the fear factor for

CHURCH: St Annes Church, Aigburth © Paige Freshwater a lot of the elderly people in the area that there is going to be problems and trouble. “There is also this fear that you have to have something in to give to these kids who knock at the doors, because they are scared otherwise they are going to throw eggs at your windows or do some damage and mischief.” Children are expected to wear colourful and bright clothing to the party, and

will be participating in games, craft activities, and a disco.” Nikki Greenwood, an organiser of the party, said: “There is also that aspect of sending the children out to knock on the front doors of strangers. “That is something I have never understood as a mum.

© Paige Freshwater “So for me this is a safe place for the children to have fun and they are getting involved and having a party.” ‘Bright Lights Party’ is open to children aged 5-11 and is on at St Anne’s, Aigburth on October 31st, 6pm-7.30pm. Admission is free.

Noisy neigh-bours trotting into town By AMBER ROBERTS

Around 50 horses rode across the city yesterday in a parade ahead of the Liverpool International Horse Show. The ride, which began at Festival Gardens and ended at the Echo arena involved some of the most recognised names in the horsing world, such as Grand National winner Bob Champion and top international show jumper Laura Renwick. The crowds gathered at the Echo arena from noon onwards where the ﬁnale of the parade was welcomed with music. Involved in the display were other famous faces such as showjumper Geoff Billington and Miss Liverpool winner Louella Walker, who entered on a horse drawn carriage. Younger generations were also in the spotlight as members of the Liverpool Pony Club rode in on their Shetlands, adding a touch of cuteness to the event. Matt Millin, an international show jumping judge and commentator told Liverpool Life: “We’ve had the most

STYLISH: One of the horses shows off its Liverpudlian pride with a Liver Bird emblem amazing day today here at Liverpool for the launch of the Liverpool International Horse show. “Come and join us, we’re here from New Year’s Eve until the 2nd of January and you can have a party with us

all.” The annual show involves three days of world class show jumping at the Echo arena along with music from Britain’s got Talent winners Collabro. Laura Renwick said: “It’s

been a really fun morning,, we’ve just ridden up alongside the Mersey all the way from Festival Gardens to here, the Echo arena, where I will be competing at the end of this year in the new year’s show here in Liverpool.

Life| Profile |6

Pauline Daniels: "Don't act. Be Real"

iverpool comedian, Pauline Daniels entertained and inspired a Liverpool John Moores University audience, with stand-up comedy and musical outbursts. The multi-talented comedienne, actress, and singer took centre stage at the John Lennon Art and Design Building, where she spoke of her accidental journey into stand-up comedy. In her early 20s Pauline was working as a singer in a Wallasey-based trio when one night a sore throat restricted her from singing, so she improvised and told a few jokes to ﬁll up her remaining 20 minutes show time. From there came a variety of comedy, musical and straight roles and she advised the au-

Paige Freshwater attended a talk and performance from comedian Pauline Daniels and spoke with her afterwards.

dience: “If you come across a door that is open ever so slightly, just knock it down and go right through it.” She told Liverpool Life: “The best advice I can give to you is to work hard, but always be true to yourself. “I think the more truth and the more of yourself you put out, particularly in stand-up, the better. When it comes to doing any theatrical stuff, be real. Don’t act. Be real.”

"The best advice I can give to you is to work hard, but always be true to yourself."

The Birkenhead-born performer expressed her concerns about up-and-coming entertainers being taken advantage of by agents. She added: “The only thing I worry about is that there are so many agents out there who will try and rip you off. “You have to be careful of where you go to when you’ve left this wonderful place, because agents can be a little bit like sharks. You have got to be careful. So always be on the lookout. “Be real and true to yourself. I think as soon as you have got your ﬁrst laugh you are away.” In 2009, Pauline was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by LJMU for her outstanding and on-going contribution to the performing arts.

Star Turn: Pauline Daniels performed some of her songs from her acting career, such as the musical Chicago © Paige Freshwater

To watch some of Pauline Daniel's performance visit the Liverpool Life Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LiverpoolLifeNews

hen addressing her audience and speaking of her fellowship, Pauline said: “It was, and as I say still is, the second best thing that has ever happened to me, the other was when Tranmere Rovers got to Wembley.” The 61-year-old told her audience about the process

of accepting the fellowship, from selecting her gown to organising a celebratory lunch with her family and friends. “They took me away and they gowned me and literally, honest to God, they put the robe on me and I just stood and cried like a girl. “It was just a wonderful day and then afterward I wanted

to go into the local pub and have a drink. “As I walked into my local pub there was a fella leaning across the bar, who was absolutely rotten, and he just went ‘Anybody want a game of Quidditch? Harry Potter has just walked in’. “I thought that was lovely. I loved the whole thing.”

How Shakespeare helped me ﬁght cancer Savannah Wylde reports on how Pauline Daniels now helps the hospital that helped cure her of cancer.

On Air: Pauline Daniels at the 20 hour radiothon.

auline Daniels appeared on a 20hour take-over of Clatterbridge Hospital radio on behalf of ASDA’s Tickled Pink campaign. The singer and actress took part in the show at the Wirral hospital to help celebrate 20 years of the campaign and urged women to take advantage of the offer of mammogram breast examinations. Tickled Pink is a partnership between Cancer Now and ASDA, who raise money in support of breast cancer through bucket collections, sponsored activities and the sales of certain products within the store. For 20 years Tickled Pink has raised a staggering £5m for Cancer Now and have funded and opened the ﬁrst breast tissue bank in the UK, which is based in Leeds. Pauline spoke about her experience with breast cancer from diagnosis through to her recovery. She said: “They said ‘Sorry Pauline you’ve got breast cancer’ and I didn’t hear another word after that. “You know there is an advert on the telly where the

nurse is telling the man about cancer and all he hears is mufﬂed noises? That’s exactly what I heard.” fter explaining how she decided not to have chemotherapy, she said: “I couldn’t afford to have six months out of my life because I’d just got my new job. “I had to keep a roof over my head. I couldn’t afford to be ill for six months and I couldn’t afford to lose my hair.” She threw herself into her role in the Shakespearian play Twelfth Night to distract her thoughts away from the cancer and the two lumpectomies she had to remove the tumor. “I would tell anyone who is trying to get over any illness: Put it to the back of your mind and learn Shakespeare. It takes your mind off it completely, because Shakespeare

is a nightmare to learn.” October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Pauline is fully booked to raise money for breast cancer research and treatments. “I’m so passionate about this mammogram business, I’m raising money for a new mammogram suite. “So it’s got mammogram seats and 3D mammogram machines and these will be able to detect things that a normal mammogram machine won’t be able to detect.” When asked why she felt so passionate and involved in Breast Cancer Awareness month she explained: “I am lucky, I’m very lucky. “I’ve come out the other side and I’m ﬁne and ﬁt and healthy, touch wood, at the moment and as long as I’ve got breath in my body, I will carry on banging on about how important this mammogram is.”

Life|Arts|7

LIFE EXTRA From sunny seas to a first class degree CHEYENNE HANSEN talks to graduate Connor Dunn about how he went from an intrepid traveller to an Echo reporter

t was Connor Dunn’s desire for an exciting occupation and his passion for writing which led him to a career in journalism. Growing up with a love of sport and English, Connor decided from an early age that he wanted to be a journalist. He is now a Liverpool Echo reporter covering St Helens, Knowsley and Liverpool. Connor chose to study at Liverpool John Moores University after he originally started a journalism degree in London. “I went to university for about six weeks in London but I really didn’t like it so I quit. I worked and travelled for a year and applied for more courses as I still wanted to be a journalist. When I came to Liverpool for my interview I just loved the city and the university.”

Connor believes the knowledge and experience he gained in his third year at university made him well equipped for employed life. “The course in third year sets you up really well for working life as a journalist because newsdays at university are very similar. Every day at work I need to be bringing in new stories, developing them and doing follow ups. I found the law aspect of the course difﬁcult but I now know how essential it is to apply that knowledge in every story I write.’’ The Echo reporter kept very busy during his time at university and took a number of great opportunities which he believes have prepared him well for his professional career. “I was part of the media team covering Beeline Britain, which is where a team went in a straight line

Record Fair@ The Bluecoat 29 Oct

WHAT’S ON MUSIC: GLASS ANIMALS @ 02 Academy 28 October LADY LESHURR @ 02 Academy 22nd October CRAIG CHARLES FUNK AND SOUL CLUB @ The Live Rooms 5 November

from Land’s End to John O’Groats for the ﬁrst time ever, so to be part of that was an amazing opportunity.” In his third year on the course, Connor was a Liverpool Echo Community Reporter for Aintree. His hard work and dedication throughout his placement meant that he was awarded the title of Echo Community Reporter of the year when he graduated in 2015. This led to paid opportunities with the Echo after graduation. “The community reporting helped me get contacts at the Echo. From my role the I applied to do some student

Right: Connor on holiday and, below, in work

content with them and they gave me a couple of weeks of paid work writing around 16 articles about student life in the city.’’

onnor recognised the importance of gaining relevant work experience throughout his last year at LJMU. Even though he took television as his option in third year, he ensured that he had a variety of work placements across the print and broadcast platforms. ‘’I did a few work placements, the Summer before third year I worked at Sky Sports News, then in January

‘The course in third year sets you up really well for working life as a journalist’

I worked at the Independent and the television production company Nine Lives Media. I also worked at ITV and from my work experience there I covered the general election for them in May. Originally I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to do print or broadcast, I chose TV because less people were doing it and I thought it would be a bit different.” After Connor graduated with a ﬁrst class degree, he went travelling and then moved back to his home town in Kent, working as a reporter for a nearby newspaper for nine months. He then saw the opportunity for a job at the Echo back in Liverpool and applied for it. Connor advised aspiring journalists to always be prepared to put in the extra hours outside of the course to ﬁnd original stories and interviews.

He also emphasised how important it is for students to get to a speed of 100 words per minute in shorthand. “I know everybody says it but it’s really important to do shorthand whilst you have the time at university, you need 100 words per minute to qualify as a senior reporter.” To watch our interview with Connor Dunn head to Facebook.com/Liverpool LifeNews

HALLOWEEN:

THEATRE:

BUSINESS:

ARTS:

THE SCARE WITCH PROJECT @ Croxteth Park 28th - 30th October.

NINA - a story about me and Nina Simone @ Unity Theatre (1 Hope Place, Liverpool) October 25-29 October

UNDERSTANDING SEOThe Basics of Search Engine Optimisation @ The Women’s Organisation (54 St. James Street, Liverpool) 1st Nov £25:

Graffiti Art Class @ Zap Graffiti Arts (9 Oldham Place, Liverpool) 29 October

Do you dare to come and meet the Witch of Croxteth Park woods and the tortured souls that reside there? Due to the nature of this event it is only suitable for 16 year olds and above.

Featuring Nina Simone’s iconic songs, accompanied by a live band. This new play is performed by Olivier award-nominee and Unity patron Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE.

This half day, will give you a better understanding of how search engines rank your web pages, how to research the best

Record Fair@ The Bluecoat 29 October

Life|Focus|8

Graduates get creative

Above: The Agent Academy HQ © Agent Marketing Right: The Agent Academy team © Paige Freshwater

From student to young professional, PAIGE FRESHWATER and SAM HEYHIRST find out how Liverpool’s Agent Academy can help make the transition easier

he award-winning agency Agent Academy enlightened and inspired Liverpool John Moores University students, with digital and creative career prospects. Journalism students were welcomed to the agency and collaborated with Agent Academy grads to brainstorm new marketing schemes. Agent Academy, based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, is the sister social enterprise to Agent Marketing, which was established by Paul Corcoran, a LJMU graduate. The leadership development programme was founded as a solution for 16-25 year olds who are post-higher

education, but without the skills to begin their careers in the digital and creative industry. Head of Agent Academy, Zoe Wallace, said: “The reason Agent Academy was set up was to bridge the gap between people leaving education and getting a job in the industry and we recognised that there is something to be done here. “There is something to be done to help young people hit the ground running in the world of work. “Small companies are more likely to take on people from Agent Academy after the work we put in to ensure their skills are up to standard within the working world.” With an aim to transform

the way education is delivered to young people, Zoe supports Agent Academy grads through the scheme and encourages them to take every opportunity they get. Zoe added: “The team we are working with now are meeting industry professionals all of the time and are building a network. “We try and give our students a macro awareness of how the companies we deal with run and that awareness stands students in such good stead in interviews, because actually half of the job is done. “If you know how the job operates and have a book full of contacts that you can call on for advice, if you’ve got that understanding of

how everything works then everything else is taught very quickly.” The industry-led enterprise focuses on developing values and socially aware young leaders who will make positive impacts in the work place.

ombining hands-on experience with active learning, the programme runs for 12 weeks and educates students on the fundamentals of marketing. Agent Academy grad, Leigh Sheridan, 21, said: “I wasn’t really sure of what my opportunities were and when I found out about Agent [Academy] and how much they interact with other businesses, I just thought it was

such a unique opportunity. “I didn’t know that places like this existed, that let you build up your contacts before heading off to employment.” Academy students visit organisations from across the region to expand their professional networks and encourage them in their work. Agent Academy grad, Jack Timson, 22, said: “What inspired me to join Agent Academy were the opportunities mostly, I graduated from a creative writing course at LJMU. “I’ve realised that creative writing was such a niche market so I thought I could take the skills that I learned on the course and go to Agent Academy to explore

‘There is something to be done to help young people hit the ground running in the world of work’ the other side of my work. “I still wasn’t entirely sure where I wanted to go in the market industry, but I’ve learned so much now that I have got a much clearer picture on what I can do with what I have got and what to do with what I have learned from this as well.”

New platform for Indie �ilmmakers and fans By CONNOR BENNETT

Liverpool is set to begin hosting the monthly independent film festival IndieFlicks after a successful first run in Manchester. The festival, set up by Manchester filmmakers Arron Lee White and John Pank, looks to give up-and-coming filmmakers a chance and platform to showcase their work. One of the creators, John Pank said: “Our aim is to spread our monthly programme to cities nationwide and build a strong platform for creatives to meet and spread their work.” The event, beginning on November 2nd, will be hosted at the Liverpool Small Cinema on Victoria Street and runs on a monthly

basis for a year, with screenings being held on the first Wednesday of each month. The first event will begin at 7:30pm with tickets costing £6. Projects are submitted to IndieFlicks and the panel of judges choose the best for their monthly events. Around 12 movies between 15 and 45 minutes in length are screened at the events, with two receiving awards for being the best of the night. Some of the best British independent films have been showcased at the events, including Dark Room, a dark comedy which stars Comedian David Mitchell. Ryan Garry, a local film maker, is hosting the IndieF-

licks events in the city and said: “Liverpool is a very artistic city. Short ﬁlms are an excellent way to demonstrate that art - whether it’s through giving an exceptional performance, writing a beautiful score or designing a stunning poster.” As a city, Liverpool loves to host regular events like this. In the past, there have been outdoor summer showings of classic movies such as Back to the Future and Goodfellas and smaller, independent screenings at FACT of projects like The Beatles: Touring Years. Plenty has already been done across the area to give small ﬁlms a platform and an audience. FACT Liverpool is regularly

used as a small screen venue and even though it’s art exhibitions are ever-changing; it now has a picture house Cinema with daily screenings of a wide range of films. While it does show newer box office releases, it also shows films and documentaries about currents issues and history from the city. While there is a wide range of cinemas across Merseyside, big and small

finding showings of smaller, independent movies can be difficult. The introduction of IndieFlicks in Liverpool will give film fans a chance to see some projects they may have missed.

Viewing: Audience from the first IndieFlicks event in Manchester © IndieFlicks

The Chamber of Horrors has been opened

Life|Arts|9

Experience a Halloween like no other as Liverpool welcomes the Chamber of Horrors. Victoria Howkins explores

he Chamber of Horrors is an interactive horror event that is taking place at St George’s Hall. It has been inspired by a century of horror genres and is running every evening from Monday until the 31st – Halloween itself. Judy McLean, who is the director of LoveHistory Loves Horror and also St George’s Hall, runs the event. Judy said: “It’s a completely new idea. It’s inspired by different horror ﬁlms, genres so it’s a bit more like that classic old school horror. “We work throughout the year at St. George’s doing lots of different events - just this one’s fallen on Halloween. This is the ﬁrst time we’ve ran a Halloween event. “I think the audience contains a healthy dose of everyone but not kids. The building’s quite daunting and there’s some language and content that’s a little bit choice for kids.” Judy talked about what the company has done in the past: “We’ve done dark history that’s murderous. We’ve

had fainters, loads of fainters but nothing too bad.” Before St George’s Hall was built, the first Liverpool Infirmary occupied the site from 1749 to 1824, so it makes sense that the interactive horror event, which is based around an asylum, takes place in the hall. This makes the fictional piece called “Resting Ground of the Unsaved” more realistic.

rriving at St George’s Hall was a bit of a hassle. Apart from being told the 6:45pm tour was not running, and then being told that the actors are ready to go 10 minutes later, there were no other bumps in the road. First, members of the public were greeted by a gentleman in full costume. The ﬁctional role of this particular man is to look after “the unsaved” but he was a tour guide who interacted with the dead, too. The second part of the tour was more focused on the actors speaking in front of the group to their victims. Although the acting was thrilling to watch, one of the actors was wearing train-

ers – and it’s difﬁcult to suspend your disbelief when you see an actor who is not in full costume. Furthermore, their attempt to frighten was not as effective as a simple jump scare. The scenes were interesting but became tedious as they were lengthy. One of the storylines was too developed to understand. Strong language was over-used and it became dull when it wasn’t being used sparingly. Savage SFX and the team of AV technicians achieve their goal in making the atmosphere spooky as there are cobwebs everywhere and it’s very dark. Materials such as wooden stairs are used as well as props like chairs, which add to the creepy atmosphere. Members of the public are plunged into darkness and are then scared by actors who jump out at them. The jump scares worked well and these were during the ﬁrst half of the tour - ghosts would be out of sight and then heard screaming as they moved into vision. Themes such as violence were recreated in an imaginative way.

s t e Tick

£15 @

Ticket quarte r.c.ouk

Tales from the Mersey, a story from riches to rags Twopence to Cross the Mersey is Helen Forrester’s beguiling autobiographical tale of adolescence and her family’s struggle to regain their financial stability of former years. A classic tale with a twist, from riches to rags and hopefully back again, it is brought to life at Southport Theatre by Maria Lovelady in the lead role. She brings a childlike quality to the 14-year-old character many others in their late 20s would not be able to do. Set in Liverpool across the ‘20s and’ 30s during the Great Depression, it tells the story of a family who have lived in relative luxury before their creditors caught up with them and they

move to Liverpool in the hopes of finding financial success. A play based on a book set in times of hardship could very well have had its humour lost in translation when moving to the stage. Thankfully, the cast bring the right amount of sarcastic and comedically-aggressive laughs to the characters’ portrayals. The title comes from the fact that Helen’s paternal grandmother lives across the Mersey, on the Wirral - and the cost for the ferry? Unsurprisingly, two pence (tuppence). Helen hopes to find the money to venture across the river to ask her grandmother for financial help. Directed by Robert Eaton, this play stood out as an ac-

count which transcends time and place, whilst also being very much a Liverpool narrative and the writing by Rob Fennah allows the audience to feel the burden of unemployment at a time of financial and class divide. Tom Cawte brings warmth as Helen’s brother who seems fairly oblivious to the inequality of his sister’s life. Christopher Jordan and Emma Dears, who play several characters, but primarily the mother and father, portray beautifully the emotional ups and downs of falling head first into a recession. Roy Carruthers is brilliant as an aggressive yet sympathetic drunkard. The set design by Richard Foxton is simplistic, and strategically

so. You can’t have a set of opu- Review by Paul Greenough lence when there is no luxurious abundance in in the characters’ lives. Their lives started off in a dire situation but ended in a much better place. Of course, it wasn’t all happy families, but the story is a true representation of life, and the one thing to take away from it is … in times of hardship, laugh and keep pushing on. Even if you don’t have the money to cross the Mersey. The play is on until tomorrow then continues to tour. Tickets can be Above: Mersey Ferry ©Wikimedia Commons bought at atgtickets.com.

Life|Fitness|10

Jennifer’s incredible journey - size 24 to size 8

Then and now: Before and after pictures of Jennifer Ginley @ instagram

How a young girl changed her life for the better, becoming half her size in weight and encouraging many others. NICOLE QUINN reports

‘D

iet starts Monday’ is a promise many of us have made to ourselves and failed to keep. Or the New Year’s resolution for ‘New Year, New Me’ that lasts until the end of February, if you’re lucky. This wasn’t the case for 26-year-old Jennifer Ginley, from Liverpool. Realising she had to do something to lose weight, she took the plunge and joined her local Slimming World group in May 2015.

She said: “I had always been bigger. I was fed up of weight loss attempts, I just wanted to change for good. I wanted a healthy relationship with food. I didn’t want to waste anymore of my life being unhappy and out of control of my own life. “I joined Slimming World with a new attitude; ﬁx your issues with food, start cooking, get a routine, change your ways and stay positive. I didn’t ‘go on a diet’, I switched the balance of my diet, the healthy choices outweighed the indulgences.” The Slimming World plan

is all about food optimising. Obesity Research Specialist, Dr James Stubbs says on their website: “Food Optimising incorporates scientiﬁc understanding of how foods affect our appetite and translates these principles into a way of eating that is practical for use in today’s world, so members can lose weight without restriction or deprivation.” The plan places food into four main components, free food (sounds good, right?), speed food, healthy extras and syns for all those treats, providing provides a ﬂexible and practical weight loss plan whilst also encouraging a balanced approach in line with current healthy eating guidelines. Jennifer began her journey as a size 24 weighing 19 stone four pound, and now wears a size eight, after losing over

Fit for me, fit for free By CONNOR BENNETT

Liverpool City Council is offering free passes to ﬁtness taster events in a bid to get the city ﬁt and moving. The Fit for Me City takeover, which started on Saturday, runs for two weeks until November 5th and offers the chance to experience tonnes of taster activities. Everything from Boxing to Tai Chi and to Zumba will

be available to try on a daily basis. The campaign is also encouraging people to be active for at least 10 minutes a day, offering ideas such as getting off your bus one stop earlier or even walking up stairs instead of taking a lift. Places at the tasters sessions are available for free but are limited. You only have to download and print out a pass from

www.ﬁtforme.info to access the events. Dr Sandra Davies, Liverpool’s Director of Public Health said: “63% of adults in Liverpool are currently inactive, Fit for Me aims to change this. “The campaign has been developed with a huge amount of insight work with the most important people, the people of Liverpool.”

nine stone. She now weighs what she lost in weight, she has literally become half the woman she was a year ago. Now at her target weight, there is the hard work of maintaining it. She said: “One term that I’ve focused on a lot is ‘wake up with determination and go to bed with satisfaction’. After years of being a comfort eater I still have urges to go back to that habit. When you’re at your target weight you don’t magically have full control and no problems.” Instagram has formed a huge part of Jennifer’s journey. She said: “I post every single thing I eat on my food diary account. I hope my transformation posts can encourage someone to believe in themselves, and their ability to change. “The fact that so many

‘I can’t put into words how happy I am’ people want to follow my food intake is truly incredible. I can’t put into words how happy it makes me that I can use this platform to inspire others, and they can see my whole journey, meal by meal.”

ennifer has become an inspiration for thousands of people to lose weight, but it doesn’t stop there. In September she won the ‘Member Achievement Award’ at the Liverpool Fitness professional awards. She took to Instagram straight after, posting: “It feels so surreal to have my weight loss achievement acknowledged. I am so thankful to the amazing people who voted for me. I’m so happy and proud.” When thinking of losing weight, a lot of people will

go straight to exercise. Jennifer admitted exercise didn’t play a role in her ﬁrst year of weight loss, following the food plan and living her hectic life seemed to work just ﬁne. Light exercise can be incorporated into the plan. Giving advice to others who want to follow in her footsteps, she said: “The best advice I would give someone just starting would be to focus on change. “If you focus on change, you will get results, if you only focus on results you will not make a change for good. “Take it one day at a time, and remember that willpower is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. If I can do it, you can. “If I had sat there and thought I have nine stone to lose, I’d probably have eaten more with stress.”

How 30 seconds with your GP is all you need By DANYAAL YASIN GPs across the country are being told to be honest with patients who need to lose weight. This comes from a new study which found that a 30 second conversation between GP’s and overweight or obese patients has beneﬁcial results. Undertaken by experts at the University of Oxford, the study saw 137 doctors

offer 1,900 patients either a free 12-week weight management programme, with the other half told losing weight would be beneﬁcial to their health. People who were referred to the programme lost an average of 2.4kg compared with 1kg in the control group. Four ﬁfths of participants from both groups found the GP’s intervention “appropriate and helpful” with just 0.2% found it “inappropriate and unhelpful”.

Life|Sport|11

Futsal sport grows with link By LEWIS JENNINGS A new partnership between JMU Futsal and Liverpool Futsal Club has been praised as a “huge stepping stone.” The affiliation was announced on Saturday and will run through the 2016/17 season. Matt Moseley, Chairman of LJMU Men’s Football, told Liverpool Life: “By having Liverpool Futsal Club as a partner we are allowing students to develop their ability and giving them something to work towards, giving themselves doors to open and create new cohorts within their University life. It’s about building a CV and creating lasting friendships which we feel JMU Futsal can deliver through this special partnership.” Futsal is a growing sport that usually involves small-sided indoor football. It is gaining popularity worldwide and is officially recognized by both UEFA and FIFA. JMU Men’s Football, who run the futsal club, said: “The growth and development of this sport is what we want, and for those who are interested in playing Futsal it could be your chance to show off and get to play in the National League of Futsal for Liverpool Futsal Club, as we have many scouts that come down to observe training sessions.” Mr. Moseley added: “Each year a large figure of students show an interest in men’s football, whether it be our development league, futsal or our main men’s football team. We want equal access to help every student that wants to be part of the clubs we have. “Every student is here to get a degree in their chosen academic subject, but they also need a break away from that. Playing for a club like JMU Futsal not only challenges their footballing ability but also challenges their mentality.” The sessions run every Thursday night from 8pm to 10pm at IM Marsh Campus, Sports Hall.

Footballers beware, don’t go in head first By LEWIS JENNINGS

Research has conﬁrmed concerns that players’ brains are damaged by heading footballs. The study by the University of Sterling revealed a direct link between changes in brain function and players who are exposed to repeated head impacts. A machine designed to simulate the pace and power of a corner kick was used to ﬁre a ball 20 times at 19 footballers. Before and after the experiment, players’ brain function and memory were tested by scientists. It is unclear what the longterm effects of heading a ball will have on the brain. Cognitive neuroscientist Dr Magdalena Ietswaart, a Psychologist at the University of Stirling, said: “In light of growing concern about the effects of contact sport on

brain health, we wanted to see if our brain reacts instantly to heading a football. Using a drill most amateur and professional teams would be familiar with, we found there was in fact increased inhibition in the brain immediately after heading and that performance on memory tests was reduced signiﬁcantly. “Although the changes were temporary, we believe they are signiﬁcant to brain health, particularly if they happen over and over again as they do in football heading. With large numbers of people around the world participating in this sport, it is important that they are aware of what is happening inside the brain and the lasting effect this may have.” During the trials, scientists used a basic neuroscience technique known as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to measure levels

Tranmere Rovers hope to push towards the top of the National League as they take on Dover Athletic away on Saturday. A win would extend their current form and keep their promotion hopes alive.

DEJAN IN TROUBLE?: Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren leaps for a header against Borussia Dortmund during last season’s Europa League semi-final in which the Reds won 4-3 to progress to the final. © Daniel Rawcliffe/ Propaganda Photo of brain function. The ﬁndings also suggest the TMS method can detect changes to the brain after small, routine impacts. Dr Angus Hunter, Reader in Exercise Physiology at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, added: “For the Everton are on the hunt for their ﬁrst win since September as they take on West Ham at Goodison Park. The Hammers come into the game off the back of two successive wins. The game kicks off at 1:30pm this Sunday.

ﬁrst time, sporting bodies and members of the public can see clear evidence of the risks associated with repetitive impact caused by heading a football. “We hope these ﬁndings will open up new approaches

for detecting, monitoring and preventing cumulative brain injuries in sport. We need to safeguard the long term health of football players at all levels, as well as individuals involved in other contact sports.”

An in-form Liverpool side could go top of the Premier League table this weekend as they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s men look to take advantage of Palace’s recent losing streak. The game will start at 5:30pm on Sunday.

CLUB WATCH with James Jones

Boxing event raises thousands for Alder Hey kids By JOSH DOHERTY

A charity boxing event for novices held over the weekend has raised over £2,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. The show, organised by fitness and charity group Dedicated Boxing, was a white collar event and involved complete boxing novices taking part in an intense 6-week camp before fighting at Fusion Nightclub last Friday. All of the profits from the ticket sales and sponsorships went towards funding life-saving treatment for children at Alder Hey. Event organiser and Dedicated Boxing manager, Frankie Power, told Liver-

pool Life: “The night went really well and this is probably the biggest event I’ve been a part of. “I was over the moon with the response we got from the public and the ﬁghters involved alike. This was a big charity night for the city of Liverpool. “Being able to look at all the money we’ve raised for a fantastic cause like Alder Hey Hospital makes all the hard work, organising the event to make sure it runs smoothly, worth it.” Despite the good work already done, Dedicated Boxing have been quick to organise another fund raising event on December 17th, this time for the Autism Ini-

tiative. Speaking about his next event, Frankie Power said: “Another good cause and one that I hope we can help with our fundraising efforts. “Dedicated Boxing does a lot of fantastic work, whether it be raising money or helping people get into shape with the training regime we put our ﬁghters through. “Watching the ﬁghters come through in week one and seeing the improvement through the camp, to eventually looking like accomplished boxers with an appreciation for the sweet science is one of the most rewarding parts of doing this job.”

Gerrard return?

AFC Liverpool aiming to Boot-le rivals out of Cup

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard could be set for a return to his boyhood club in a coaching capacity. The club hero suggested he was leaving his current club, LA Galaxy, on Instagram. He said: “playing for the great Galaxy supporters has been a privilege.” It’s now rumoured he is returning to England to pursue a coaching career.

AFC Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 6-0 thrashing to Bootle FC as both sides face off again in the League Cup this weekend. The local derby match was billed by many to be the game to watch as they met in the Buildbase FA Vase last Sunday at Marine Travel Arena, but this time round

By JAMES JONES

all eyes will be on ‘The Little Reds’ for a response. The game, which kicks off at 7:45pm on Friday, will undoubtedly have a brilliant atmosphere as the two Merseyside teams collide at the Delta Taxi Stadium. Bootle FC manager, Joe Doran, told Liverpool Life: “I think they deﬁnitely will be out for revenge. “It’s not often in the derby that you get a score-line like

that, but I deﬁnitely think that they’ll come on Friday with a point to prove. Just like I’m sure we would, if we’d have been beat by that score by them. “It’s probably not ideal that we play them so quickly after we beat them because they’ll be right up for it.” The ‘Bucks’ have their sights ﬁrmly set on back-toback wins over their rivals, which would be a massive

boost as they strive towards promotion in the league, and possibly even in their search for silverware this season. “At the moment we feel like if we play well, turn up and apply ourselves in the right way, then we can beat anyone. And Friday will be no different,” Doran added. Bootle’s star striker Steven Jones will also be looking to improve on his form, after scoring a brace in the 6-0 vic-

tory last week, and will be hoping to add to his tally. Doran never stopped there, however, praising a few of his players before this weekend’s clash. Speaking about his star striker, Steven Jones, the manager said: “He’s a quality player, if you stand off him he can hurt you.” Doran believes Bootle will have “goals from all over the pitch,” as they come into the game.

Liverpool

LifeSPORT 26th October 2016

Clubs combine for indoor football captione

QUIGLEY’S SIGHTS SET ON STATES By JOSH DOHERTY

than capable at that level.” The 28-year-old is hoping that his impressive showing in front of some of boxing’s most respected ﬁgures, such as top trainer Roger Mayweather, will open up further opportunities to catapult his career to the next level. Work has already begun to ensure he’s in peak condition for his return to the gym in January: “I’m going to be at my best when I go back out to Vegas and make sure they watch me give everything I’ve got. If I can impress unﬁt and not sharp, I can only

imagine how I’d do when I’m sharp and ready to ﬁght. “I’ve got the Mayweathers wanting to work with me and Badou Jack wanting me to come over and be in his next camp. It’s been a great experience. Obviously nothing is set in stone but this trip has been fantastic. “Roger Mayweather, the man who made Floyd Mayweather what he was, said he could make me a champion. I don’t know what will happen after this, but I’ve gave it my all and now only time will Photo: Nick Quigley, Facebook tell.”

Winning recipe as Sturridge double sinks Spurs By James Jones

Liverpool reached the quarterﬁnals of the EFL Cup after Daniel Sturridge struck twice to overcome Tottenham Hotspur, extending Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 10 matches. The striker was brought into the team after manager Jurgen Klopp made 11 changes to his squad, opting to bring in new

faces such as the 18-year-old pair of Ovie Ejaria and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Divock Origi also started as Klopp went with two forwards for the ﬁrst time this season, with both of them ultimately being the right choice for this game. Sturridge managed to ﬁnd the net in less than 10 minutes after a close range poke over Michel Vorm proved to be enough, and

never looked like missing his second after coolly slotting it low past Vorm in the second period. Origi proved to be an issue for Tottenham the entire time he was on the pitch with his quick feet that was reminiscent of his form last season, and managed to set up his strike partner for the second, leading to both the names of the strikers to be belted out around the stadium.

Lucas also was given a start at the back alongside Ragnar Klavan, with the Brazilian being given the captains armband for the night. He turned in a textbook performance that included a sublime pass allowed Origi to set up Sturridge for the ﬁrst. However, a foul on Lamela in the box gave Spurs a chance to come into the game, with Janssen slotting from the penalty spot.

Gerrard ponders An�ield return

Liverpool Boxer Nick Quigley has been making a Stateside impact after training at the World famous Mayweather Gym in Nevada. The Kirkby native has struggled to secure ﬁghts since returning from a long injury lay-off in March last year. Nevertheless, he has shown improvements, most notably by winning Frank Warren’s Total Combat tournament with three successive knockouts.

Undefeated Quigley, who has won 15 of his 17 ﬁghts, was asked to ﬂy out to Vegas on short notice, leaving just 24 hours later, but still managed to take the opportunity to go and train in one of the world’s most prestigious gyms with both hands. He said: “I sparred a world champion and fared well, and I managed to get in some great shots, which made some of the other world champions sit up and take notice. “In all seriousness, we had a tough spar and proved to a lot of people that I’m more

Brain damage from headers?