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THIS WEEK
ARTS
LIFESTYLE
March 3 2021
FROM THE HEART OF THE CITY
Liverpool Life
BLUES TO GET NEW STADIUM
WAVERTREE GETS A LITTLE LOVE
THE BEATLES GET THEIR OWN DEGREE
SERVING THE CITY > The Liverpool chef who carried on baking in lockdown
> Liverpool singer Remée talks music in lockdown and the future: 21 @: liverpoollifenews@gmail.com
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CONTENTS THIS WEEK
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4&5 Teacher’s 10K a day for charity 6 Mayor ‘madness’ 7 Labour mayoral latest 8 Charities fight ‘holiday hunger’ 9 Online rally against racism 10&11 Talking politics with Liam Thorpe 12 Cheering on UK to host the Euros 13 Spotlight on Everton’s new stadium
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14 Return of the bride beautiful 15 City set for return of pub culture 16 The man behind Global Scouse Day 17 Fairies reveal the magic of books 18&19 Desserts are simply Dre-licious!
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20 Beatles receive a degree of attention 21 Remée makes her mark 22&23 Accolade for artist Welcome back to our latest edition of Liverpool Life. We may still be in lockdown but there is still so much happening across the region. Our reporters are continuing to cover the best stories and bring them to you. This week’s edition includes a variety of stories including the chances of the UK holding the European Championships this summer, a new MA degree at the University of Liverpool
Scouse, politics and the Fab Four focused on The Beatles and the latest political developments in the city. Other stories this week include our own Sarah Taylor finding out more about a primary school teacher running ten kilometres a day everyday to raise awareness for mental health. Laura Wooding also finds out more about a chef whose creativity
is making lots of happy customers across the city. And we also have more about the man who created Global Scouse Day, Graham Hughes. The annual event has been celebrated for the past 15 years in the city. Brendan Thomas, Lifestyle Reporter
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LL THIS WEEK By SARAH TAYLOR
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Teacher’s 10k a day 4
ental health has been a recurring, and important, topic over the last few years. But, with the current pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, people have been affected more than ever, including a drastic effect on the mental wellbeing of children. According to the NHS Mental Health and Young People survey, there has been an increase in probable mental health disorders in five to 16-year-olds, rising from one-in-nine in 2017 to one-in-six in 2020. As well as this, 54.1% of 11 to16year-olds with a probable mental health disorder were likely to say that lockdown had made their life worse. In light of these figures, one man has decided to try and help by running ten kilometres (or six miles) every single day for a year. Phill Hayward, a primary school PE teacher from the Wirral, came up with this mammoth year-long challenge to raise funds for local mental health charity Wirral Mind, as well as to develop awareness of mental health and suicide prevention in youngsters. Currently 183 days into his challenge, he explained how it hasn’t always been plain sailing since starting: “The first ten days, maybe two weeks, I thought ‘What am I doing here?’. “My body wasn’t used to the pounding of the streets, plus I wasn’t giving myself enough recovery time. I’ve had to change my diet, change when I eat, change my lifestyle and when to go out for a run. But, mentally, it’s probably been really tough as well. “Obviously, from September, we’ve still had some nice weather, and then going into October, November, December and Christmas time, we’ve had some really cold, frosty days. We’ve had some snow, which was really difficult, as well as early nights. Coming back from work and it was dark straight away and then trying to motivate myself was pretty tough. “I’ve had no injuries as yet, and my body just seems to be getting stronger. Obviously, I’m getting used to it now and I’m learning how to recover.” Mr Hayward also explained how those following his journey have helped him.: “The reaction from children and the comments from children in the school have been really supportive, as well as my colleagues in work,” he said. “My friends and family, they’ve pushed me on every single day. Donations from people have been phenomenal, and I’m really lucky to know quite a lot of people who have spread the word for me. “It has been really overwhelming, really, as I’m quite a shy person. I can’t thank people enough for all the kindness, whether it’s encouraging words. donations, social media
shares, or word of mouth. “When I look at the children at work and they see me as a hero, or a role model, that’s really inspiring and I always try and give back to people who may be struggling. To be representing the Wirral, I’m just proud to do my bit.” His story has even garnered some celebrity interactions on Twitter, having footballing legends Jamie Carragher and Alan Shearer help spread his story and get behind him.: “How that came about was a lot of my friends saying ‘Come on. You need to get out from the Wirral now and go global on social media’”, he said. “With me being quite shy and not being really into all that. I thought, you know what, it’s for the charity, and the charity is going to get more money, so if I can get this challenge out and about in the Twitter world, then it might grow legs and it might go somewhere. “Being a big football fanatic, to see two guys who are on the TV as pundits on Match of the Day or Sky Sports support me, that was mind blowing.” His role as a schoolteacher has shown Mr Hayward first-hand how this pandemic has affected children. “Some children haven’t seen friends for four to six weeks, and before that in the first lockdown,” he said. “I had a fabulous childhood. I remember everything I used to do. I was climbing trees, playing football, going to the park. These children aren’t getting the opportunity to do that, and especially not being able to have a normal childhood.”
LL THIS WEEK His GoFundMe is currently sitting at £3,197, but Phil shows no signs of stopping. He believes talking about mental health in general, for both the young and old, is something that needs to be done to allow more people to feel comfortable opening up instead of suffering in silence.: “I think a lot of people hide behind a smile. They just say ‘no, I’m okay’, when really there’s more to it,” he said. “I think it’s so important after this lockdown and after this pandemic, that it’s okay to open up to people, talk to people, and to not keep things in. Don’t be embarrassed, don’t be ashamed, and don’t be scared. We all have our own demons and things that we keep to ourselves and close to our chest, but it’s really important to talk to people. “I’ve had people privately message me saying ‘You’re an inspiration’, ‘It’s helped me’, ‘I’ve been a little bit down and you’ve helped me open up’ so it’s fabulous what I’m trying to raise the awareness of, but it’s also fabulous to know that people can come to me and chat to me.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, don’t be ashamed, and don’t be scared. We all have our own demons and things that we keep to ourselves and close to our chest, but it’s really important to talk to people”
“I think a lot of people hide behind a smile. They just say ‘No, I’m okay’, when really there’s more to it”
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Labour fiasco leaves Liverpool looking for leadership
© Man vyi Wikimedia Commons
Liverpool
Opinion By Samuel Hodgkiss
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hen incumbent Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson was arrested in December 2020 after an investigation into development contracts in the city - allegations which he strenuously denies - it began the chain of events that leave us to where we are today. After officially relinquishing all his duties except Mayor of Liverpool soon after, it was announced by Anderson himself that Labour should elect a new Mayor of Liverpool in the 2021 election as it “would be in the best interests of the Labour Party”. But with Labour seemingly handling the current ongoing election for a new mayor in such poor fashion, it is now open to an independent candidate to take over from Labour, which is famously one of Labour’s most loyal strongholds. So to clarify if you may be unaware, reasons as for why the Labour Party are handling the election so poorly is that last week, the party announced it was scrapping
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its all-female shortlist running for Mayor of Liverpool. This was at the same time as interim mayor Wendy Simon, former deputy mayor Ann O’Byrne and current lord mayor Anna Rothery were still touting for votes, unbeknown to the announcement from the party and without any warnings whatsoever. But all of this comes after the facts that the shortlist was meant to be finalised weeks ago but delays to voting caused a back-log and resulted in a postponement. However, with developments showing that all-female candidates were dropped, it may have been a
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tactical move from the party to allow this to happen.
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ightfully so, Labour have been heavily criticised for this, which I totally agree with. What could have been a momentous moment for the city in a time of huge developments in cultural diversity and awakening, with Anna Rothery potentially becoming the first black female Mayor of Liverpool, is now impossible. By doing this, they have now left themselves in a domestic turmoil with its own councillors trying to abolish completely the role of city mayor in
For young women of the city, inspired by the three women who were running to be mayor of the city they grew up in, what about them?
protest of the announcement. So what now for Labour? This is a crucial question that is very much up for discussion right now. A stronghold for generations that could easily fall to an independent candidate is looking ever more likely, as people are becoming fed up with constant conflicts and bad reputation within the Labour Party. And for young women of the city, inspired by the three women who were running to be mayor of the city they grew up in, what about them? What hope do you have of inspiring young women to become great role models for the future generations when in today’s society they are still subject to what could be regarded as misogyny and discrimination? As for the future of the Labour Party, they now need to find a way to regain the trust back from their voters and learn from the mistakes made. I’m sure the party will thrive again in Liverpool, but for this happen they must always remain honest and transparent with the people they represent.
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Labour’s Tomas Logan (left) and the Green Party’s Tom Crone are both outraged with Labour’s decision to throw out their shortlist © Tomas Logan; Steph Colderick
‘The most shambolic situation I’ve seen in local government’
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STEPH COLDERICK speaks to two Liverpool councillors about Labour’s ‘chaotic’ Mayoral election campaign
iverpool has been caught up in a whirlwind of political shock and disappointment after the Labour Party campaign for the mayoral election in May was thrown into chaos when a previously agreed shortlist was abruptly thrown out. The Party announced that the original three candidates (Wendy Simon, Ann O’Byrne and Anna Rothery) standing to be elected Mayor had been dropped and would not be able to run for election. The Labour party is yet to explain the reasoning behind the move, but it has caused outrage and anger from all aspects of the city’s political spectrum with leader of the Liverpool Green Party Tom Crone to Princes Park Labour Councillor Tomas Logan both speaking to LL about the decision. Cllr Crone stressed the chaotic effects of the announcement. He said: “To re-open nominations and bar all three candidates whose names are currently in the hat from participating is in my experience
unprecedented, I have never heard of anything like it.” The Liverpool Green Party and Cllr Crone are calling for a cross-party cabinet to lead the city, not only through the coronavirus pandemic but also in this time of political uncertainty. He said: “We need something quite radical now because this is the most shambolic situation I have ever seen in local government.” Cllr Crone believes this recent action from the Labour party will further turn away voters, especially following the arrest of former mayor Joe Anderson on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation
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e said: “I think people in Liverpool really will be looking elsewhere now, other than the Labour party, for their votes.” Within the Liverpool branch of the Labour party councillors, including Tomas Logan, who represents Princes Park ward, are shocked at how the national Labour Party have handled
the situation. He said: “They have thrown all Liverpool Labour members under the bus and they have not even explained why, it is atrocious, it is horrific.” On Saturday, in a special three and a half hour meeting Liverpool
“They have thrown all Liverpool Labour members under the bus and they have not even explained why. It is atrocious, it is horrific”
Labour passed a motion asking for the election process to be paused, demanding an immediate response about why the candidates were dropped and expressing solidarity with the candidates. Liverpool Labour are also aiming to hold a referendum in September about whether to continue with the Mayoral model. Cllr Logan said: “It would not be binding referendum, but obviously it would show what the city wants and that would help us decide whether to have a Mayor.” At the same meeting a motion about no longer using the Mayoral model was not passed, and Cllr Logan believes this may have been because of legal fears. He said: “I think that kind of spooked a lot of people into not voting for the motion to scrap the Mayoral model.” Whether the national Labour Party will provide an explanation for the sudden change that has sent shockwaves across Liverpool remains to be seen. So far they have not provided a comment for LL.
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Community spirit at an all-time high LAURA WOODING looks at what chartities and community groups are doing to support vulnerable people over lockdown
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ockdown has been difficult for everyone, but how have the most vulnerable been supported? Although it seems everything has stopped or changed in this past year, charities and local communities have not rested. Families who rely on their full wage, kids going into school or people struggling with their mental health during the pandemic have been consistently supported by their local communities and volunteers while in lockdown. From delivering food parcels to giving out free meals at cafes, people are doing what they can to keep support up and the struggle down. Community centre, The Florrie, has always provided help for families in need but continued to do that and more during lockdown. Their food union offers £25 worth of goods for only £5 and has continued to stay open, only now operating in time slots for families to come in and get the food they need. Timothy Tierney, community hub co-operator at The Florrie, said: “In the first parts of lockdown we had the building open for people to come and pick up food parcels. “We were doing deliveries to the elderly who were shielding, then we were doing hot lunches as well, so at tea time we were delivering food. One week in December we delivered 1,000 Christmas dinners to people who were in the house on their own, all done with volunteers and this year we have been doing pretty much the same.” He explained the importance of keeping the support up for the people who would come in before lockdown. “This building was always 40 hours a week of activity,” he said. “We,had a cafe run by volunteers, so this past year has been tough, but we feel like
Canned soup © Callie Macarone (Unsplash)
we’ve done everything that we can and still support all those people”.” Chris Brown created Holiday Hunger, a community interest company which delivered over 10,000 meals in lockdown and raised thousands of pounds in donations for local community centres. He expressed how difficult it is to reach out to people and get them to ask for the help they need, finding that people did not want to show their vulnerability. “In October, we opened our cafe for kids to come in and eat, but it didn’t work’” he said. “Some, families are proud and they don’t want to walk into a cafe or places where they get free food handed out to them”. “I think we only gave out around 32 meals over the full week. I actually shut the restaurant for a week because I thought we were going to get hundreds of people coming in”. It seems that people have trust in their local community organisations and rely on their continued support. Reaching out to people they don’t know can be difficult for them.
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ierney said: “On a Monday and Friday I do about 60 food parcel drop offs. Even though it’s something people can’t live off, it’s a way of supporting people. It’s tough because we are the only source of food for people and we can only do that with the donations that we get, so we’re a middle man really. People bring stuff in and we give it out.” There is always a question of what more can be done and it is hard to know where to draw the line on how much people are expected to be doing during a pandemic. But it is always a positive to know that there is a lot of help and support being provided to those who really need it by generous people during this dark and daunting time.
People of the community coming together © Joel Muniz (Unsplash)
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One week in December we delivered 1,000 Christmas dinners to people who were in the house on their own
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The Florrie HQ © Rodhullandemu (WikiCommons)
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‘It’s not enough now to not be racist, we must also be anti-racist’ By MARIANNA OWEN
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ommunity groups within Liverpool have come together in an online rally against racism in order to mobilise forthcoming protests across the region. United Nations Anti-Racism day is due to take place on March 20 and groups in the city are adamant that protests will still go ahead – coronavirus or not. Chantelle Lunt, founder of Merseyside BLM Alliance, said: “In a few short months we will be a year since the death of George Floyd. This year will also mark 40 years since the L8 uprisings and it will also mark ten years since the police shot Mark Duggan dead on the street. “In policing we are still seeing the black community being disproportionately targeted by the police, and subjected to disproportionate levels of force, as well as being failed as victims of crimes. “In terms of health, the black community has had a large number of members in our community die from Covid-19. And we have had reports showing that black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth. There is no medical reason that this can be pinpointed to other than unconscious bias within the health service.” Kim Johnson, the first black MP for Liverpool, said: “While I am very proud and I am very privileged to represent Liverpool Riverside, it is also a very sad indictment. We have a very large black community and it’s taken a very long time for someone like me to be elected. “I believe we are in a worse place now than we were in the seventies. As Angela Davies said ‘It’s not enough now to not be racist, we must also be anti-racist’.” As the city prepared for the mayoral elections in May, it was announced that the three candidates set to replace Joe Anderson had been scrapped.
The national Labour Party rejected the agreed shortlist of Anna Rothery, Wendy Simon and Ann O’Bryne, and has told the three councillors not to enter again. This action sparked accusations of sexism and racism in the Labour Party, which were discussed at the online rally. MP Kim Johnson continued “I can’t be in this meeting and not mention the s***-show that was the mayoral election, the way those three women were treated would never had happened if it was three men. However, she added: “As a black politician I don’t believe the allegations of racism is an issue and the reason for pulling the three members. What we need to do in the city as a Labour Party is to be far more united.” Anna Rothery said: “In 2006 I was the only black councillor in the whole of the city council for the first six years of my tenure … it wasn’t an easy ride and it was probably one of the loneliest periods of my life, but it didn’t stop me fighting for things to be right. “I’m not happy about the outcome of the mayoral election process, in fact that’s quite mild, I’m very disappointed, but I can’t discuss that at this point as my lawyers are actually speaking to the Labour Party. But one thing I would just like to place on record is that at no point whatsoever have I ever raised the issue about racism in terms of the process.” Campaigners from Stand Up To Racism – Liverpool are still planning on holding physical protests this month, emphasising that these will be held in a Covid-safe manner and are needed to send a message. In agreement with the protests, Chantelle Lunt said: “We are not going to be defined by the city that was built on racism, we are going to be defined as the city that stands up, stands together, a city where we are all equal, and all equally safe.”
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Liam Thorpe: Politics, campaigns and body mass index
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Liam Thorpe, Political Editor Liverpol Echo
fter covering some of the biggest stories in Liverpool in recent years, the Political Editor for the Liverpool Echo Liam Thorp has become the go-to political savvy in Merseyside. His journalism has made waves all the way from the banks of the Mersey to Westminster and has been awarded by the prestigious Society of Editors. Nonetheless, the 6.2 foot – not to be confused with 6.2cm – journalist has talked with Liverpool Life about the stories behind some of the biggest exposés that he has reported for the Echo in recent years. He also spoke about his feelings after a year of covering the Covid-19 pandemic and, of course, his body mass index, which led to a story about Liam, rather than by him, going viral. Liam began by talking about his reporting of the latest update in the saga of the Labour party elections of their candidate for the Liverpool mayoral election. The political scene in the city was thrown into chaos when the National Labour Party decided to scrap an agreed shortlist of candidates for the election in May and re-open the contest. Liam said: “It was pretty crazy. “As soon as we broke the news, you could see prominent national journalists retweeting you. Then, everyone was coming at you like ‘give us reasons, give us answers’.
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The adrenaline kicked in and I had a few things to balance. The first was: ‘I need to get this out first’. “As soon as somebody had sent me the mail that the Labour party sent around, I was writing as fast as my tiny, little hands would allow me,” he said. The Political Editor for the Echo indeed managed to get this news out first. Nevertheless, in other occasions he has also exceled at covering longterm, investigative stories. One of these was Stephen Smith’s fight to get reimbursed years of Employment and Support Allowance benefits that had been denied to him by the government. “It was one of the most difficult and emotional stories I probably have ever written,” Liam said. “I was
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JORGE CAPERA meets the political editor of the Liverpool Echo to talk about his career and going viral contacted by a friend of Stephen’s because I had done some previous stories about benefits. “I thought it was a fairly normal one of these stories. But, then, he sent me a picture of Stephen and I just couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe this was someone living in England in 2019.” He refers to one picture showing Mr Smith after starving for several months. When they met, Stephen told him how he had been fighting for two years to get the basic level of benefits to live while suffering with a number of health conditions. Liam said: “I began a campaign for him to get back the money that he should’ve had for the two years he had been fighting because it was very
clear that for those two years Stephen had been getting more ill and that the effort, the pain, and the anxiety of everything he had been going through was making things worse.” The campaign led to a review of how the Department for Work and Pensions was awarding the benefits Stephen was supposed to receive, and to Stephen being reimbursed about £4,500. “However, what was incredible sad was that the money actually arrived too late. About a week or so before, Stephen had died,” Liam said. The campaign of the Manchester-born journalist won an award from the Society of Editors in 2019 and his reputation has grown ever since. He has been offered jobs in the national newspapers, in London,
It was one of the most difficult and emotional stories I probably have ever written
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Liverpool Town Hall © Creative Commons
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Liam enjoys both a cold pint (bottom right) and his job as a political journalist
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If you are in my position and you think that you have not been correctly offered the vaccine, it is worth just checking
but so far he has declined the offer of moving down south because – he says – he enjoys being the go-to person in Merseyside for political journalism, and he is “A northern boy at heart.” However, being one of the main political journalists in the region seems to have put a lot of pressure on Liam, especially in these pandemic times. He says that sometimes such pressure has made him to feel like he cannot switch off. “At the moment, the news cycle is just insane and Covid just never stops,” he said. “It’s quite a lot to handle when you are just put on this all hours of every day.” Liam said that these circumstances, plus having to work from home all the time, led him to have “a bit of a wobble” in mid-January. He said: “It felt like I had been writing about this really difficult, challenging and sad story for so long. It felt kind of endless because, personally, I was living with the difficulties of the pandemic and then I couldn’t escape from the misery of
it either, because it was all that I was writing about.” According to him, many journalists are dealing with similar levels of anxiety and pressure. Moreover, he said journalists have also been facing more abuse online recently. He said: “Scrutiny is fine, but when it borders into abuse, then it becomes a problem. “You do start to think ‘What kind of reaction am I going to get for tweeting about this story?’” Ultimately, this has led Liam to delete the Twitter app from his phone and sometimes to leave it at home when he goes out on walks. It also has led him to block and denounce people who have sent him abusive comments online or have threatened him.
booked an appointment,” he said. “But, the more I thought about it, the more I felt uneasy about it because it just didn’t seem right that I was ahead of so many more vulnerable people.” After making a few phone calls, Liam discovered his height had been entered into the system as being of 6.2 cm instead of 6 foot 2 inches, which gave him a body mass index (BMI) of 28,000 – a morbidly obese person has a BMI of 40. The story was featured by many UK news-outlets, including the BBC, the Guardian and – of course – the Echo, and even in other countries like New Zealand and Iceland. However, for Liam there is a moral from this
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story which is more important than how much it has been covered. He said: “If you are in my position and you think that you have not been correctly offered the vaccine, it is worth just checking. It might just be a mistake. “In my case that was good, because it meant that someone else could get that appointment, someone who needs it more than I do,” Liam said. Liam certainly seems to have made inquisitiveness and triple-checking facts his second nature. Moreover, it seems like he really does care about Liverpool and her people. This is perhaps why he might just be the greatest political editor in the history of the city – albeit not the smallest.
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onetheless, the pandemic has had some funny moments as well. Recently, Liam became the main character in an hilarious and absurd situation that has been featured on the news worldwide. “I got offered the Covid-19 vaccine way ahead of time and I initially
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Coming home? Maybe! •
CHARLIE BAKER-MULLINGS
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Liverpool Opinion
n the past week, reports have surfaced that the UK is in pole position to host this summer’s European Championships. Initially, the Euros were scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 and as last year would have marked the 60th anniversary of Europe’s biggest international football tournament, UEFA took the decision that they would not have one host, but 12 host cities around Europe, with Wembley hosting the final. However, after the coronavirus pandemic caused the tournament to be postponed by a year, UEFA are now looking into reverting back to a more traditional one-host-nation format to allow as many fans as possible to attend. Thanks to the rapid vaccination roll-out, excellent infrastructure and plethora of ready-made stadiums to choose from, the UK has now become the frontrunner to be given honour of playing host. More than 20m people have already received their first vaccination across the UK which is the highest number in the world, and this week the UK population also received a ray of hope from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who set out his ‘road-map’ for the next few months and stated – bar any major complications – the UK should be back to some kind of normal by the middle of June, including fans being able to attend sports events from May. It was after this announcement that Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri posted a tweet claiming that England [the UK] is being seriously considered to be sole host and that a decision will be made by sometime in April.
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With games already scheduled to be played at Wembley (North London), Hampden Park (Glasgow) and the Aviva Stadium (Dublin), these grounds would keep all those fixtures in place. It is also likely that should the Euros come to the UK, that Old Trafford (Manchester), Villa Park (Birmingham), the Millennium Stadium (Cardiff) would also be shoe-ins to host games due to their capacities, locations and historical significance, henceforth taking the stadium tally up to six.
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here would be a huge opportunity for Anfield to also be a key host stadium, as capacity-wise it has been increased to 54,000 in recent years, with a complete renovation of the Main Stand being completed in 2016, and given that the last time England hosted the Euros in 1996, Anfield was used, it is more than likely to happen again. During Euro 2016, which was held in France, ten stadiums were used, and this is more than likely to remain the same. Newcastle’s St. James’ Park would be a contender, as it is the biggest stadium in the North-East, while it is likely that the Olympic Stadium in East London would battle with the newly-built Tottenham Hotspur Stadi um for the secondary London-based stadium slot. Brighton’s AMEX Stadium could also be in contention to provide some South-coast representation. Although a decision is not set to be made for at least another six weeks, the current state of play across Europe would imply that there is a very strong chance the UK will be hosting the European Championships this summer.
EUROS FACT FILE The European Championships (colloquially known as The Euros) is an international football tournament for Europe’s best national teams. Here are seven things you need to know: 1. Takes place every four years, two years before/after the World Cup 2. Teams qualify through a qualification process involving 55 nations 3. 24 teams compete in the tournament – this recently increased from 16 teams starting in 2016 4. The group stage consists of six groups of 4, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout rounds, and the four best 3rd place teams also qualifying to create a round of 16 5. The tournament then takes up a knockout format – round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final 6. Portugal won the most recent iteration of the competition in 2016 – no country from the UK has ever won or even got to the final 7. Germany and Spain are the most successful teams in competition history, tied on 3 wins each
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GOODBYE GOODISON ... HELLO BRAMLEY MOORE DOCK By LIAM KENNEDY
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n a week that saw Everton beat local rivals Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 1999 and plans for their new 52,888 capacity Bramley-Moore Dock stadium being approved by the council, it’s safe to say Everton fans are loving life at the moment. Everton are hoping to start work on the new £500m stadium this spring with a 150-week construction programme that would mean the Toffees first game in their new home would be at the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season. The club have claimed the venue will be “the most sustainable arena in the Premier League”. However, there are concerns from Heritage England and the Victorian Society who aren’t happy that the Victorian Bramley Moore Dock would be filled in. Councillor Tom Crone, leader of the Green Party group on Liverpool City Council, said: “I spoke to the planning
committee to highlight some areas where more could be done to reduce environmental impacts. “I was quite reassured by the responses I received from the club, and, on balance, I agree with the committee that the benefits of this development comfortably outweighs the harms.” Cllr Crone also stated that he attended the meeting to urge the committee to be even more ambitious in terms of promoting sustainable transport as well as considering ways the development can contribute positively to biodiversity in the city. Cameron Hay, part of Everton fan channel The Mighty Blues, believes the stadium will benefit the city as a whole. He said: “I think the move is fantastic, not only for our football club but also for the city. “The move will create thousands of jobs thus creating millions of pounds in revenue, it will not only allow
Picture credits: Liverpool CIty Council
football games but also other events that will bring tourists to Liverpool to help show off our fantastic city.” Mr Hay added: “As much as it kills me to have to think of Goodison Road without our Grand Home at the bottom of it, it will be fantastic for the community of L4 to have more housing as well as a health centre which will also help local residents in the area massively.” Everton can start to get excited as they begin to see progression on and off the pitch spearheaded by two new projects that will reportedly pump £750m into North West infrastructure and benefit the whole region.
Tributes to Anfield ace The Saint
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oving tributes have been paid to Liverpool FC legend Ian St John, who has died at the age of 82 after a long-term illness. “The Saint” as he was fondly known as, played 336 times for Liverpool, notching 95 goals after being signed for a-then club record fee of £37,500 by Bill Shankly. Punditry partner Jimmy Greaves, who worked with Ian for many years, said yesterday: “We are very sad to hear the Saint has passed away. Ian St John and I had great fun working on ‘The Saint and Greavsie’.
“He was a lovely man and will be sadly missed by many, many people.” Former Liverpool captain and current Rangers manager Steven Gerrard said: “It’s a shock and a surprise to me. I am really disappointed to hear that news. I’d like to send my condolences to his family and everyone involved with the Saint.” Ian won the English Second Division in his first season on Merseyside in 1962, and went on to win the First Division twice in three years after that, as well as an FA Cup in 1964-65.
The Scotsman started his career at Motherwell, playing over 100 games, while also having short stints at Hellenic, Coventry City and Cape Town City before retiring at Tranmere Rovers. He also played 21 times for his country, scoring 9 goals. Liverpool FC said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of a true Anfield legend, Ian St John. “The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Ian’s family and friends at this sad and difficult time.” By CHARLIE BAKERMULLINGS
The Saint
© Eric Koch
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The wedding is back on...
Marisa Rooney outside her shop
(and it’s going to be beautiful) BY ETHAN TAYLOR
A Some of the designs available at Beautiful Brides. Pictures © Marisa Rooney
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fter Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap that will see the UK out of lockdown, shop owners right across Britain could be heard rejoicing. None more so than Marisa Rooney, 37, owner of Beautiful Brides Liverpool – Liverpool’s only curvy bridal boutique, who can now reopen the doors to her store on April 12, following last week’s announcement. The Coronavirus period has been one that has affected big businesses, let alone small, self-owned businesses up and down the country, as High Street stores closed their doors for good. Despite the rough time self-made businesses have had over the past year, Marisa has kept positive and is now seeing a rise in demand for wedding dresses as people look to plan their weddings, now the number of people able to attend these events has risen from six to 15. She told Liverpool Life: “I’m seeing a demand for appointments since the announcement was made. Many brides who should have shopped last year and couldn’t, are now clambering for appointments.” Although wedding dresses take time to make, being the only curvy bridal boutique in Liverpool, Marisa will be able to offer brides ready-
made gowns quickly whilst making a profit, which will inevitably be pumped straight back into the business. She said: “Dresses take six months to make so we’ve got brides panicking in case they can’t get a dress in time. But there is a plus to this, those who need a dress quickly will be able to buy off the peg.” These gowns are samples purchased in the previous season. Whilst Marisa is keen and excited to welcome customers back to the store, she still worries that COVID-19 might disrupt her flow if she is once again forced to close, but this time she has a new way of keeping the business up and running. Marisa said: “I’m so excited to get the doors open but I still worry that we would be forced to close again, this situation is so uncertain. “But now, my new collection will also be available via E-commerce so in the event that we do close again, at least I will be able to sell dresses remotely and reach more brides nationwide as my current model only relies on brides visiting the store.” Even though the Coronavirus pandemic hasn’t been beneficial to small businesses, not just in Liverpool but around the world, Marisa has been able to take positives from it, giving herself time to think about the next steps for her company. She said: “The pandemic has given me time to breathe a little and think about how I want to develop the company over the next couple of years. I
will be releasing a collection of dresses once we open back up aimed at micro weddings as the weddings now look a lot different to the traditional ones were are all used to. “Some brides don’t want the big dress and are just looking for something a bit more simplistic and so, this is what I’m thinking of adding, this is my new demographic.” Like a lot of people, the national lockdown was tough on Marisa as her main source of income just wasn’t there anymore. It halted a lot of the progress of the business after she was forced to postpone plans and money saved had to be used. She told Liverpool Life: “The loss of income was devastating to the business on a whole. Last year, before the pandemic, I was planning on opening a design studio at the back of the premises of where the store is. That all had to go on hold as all the money that I had saved up sadly had to be used to pay the bills over the past 12 months. “I was able to furlough myself when I’ve been off but, that being said, I have only been getting 80% of my wage which really isn’t much because I don’t take a huge amount of wages from the business. Everything I earn is ploughed straight back into the shop.” One thing can definitely be said though despite the past year’s struggles, we are all excited for life to return back to normality and see all of Liverpool’s self-made businesses back up and running and flourishing.
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City set for return of pub culture By WILL RAYMENT
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he nation will say a collective ‘Cheers’ once pubs reopen after lockdown and Liverpool is getting ready to celebrate. Following the latest Government announcement, beer gardens will be able to open from April 12 and indoor facilities will be able to be used from May 17. Lockdown should be lifted for good in June, meaning large social gatherings can be hosted by the hospitality sector. Famous for its pubs, bars, live music and nightlife, Liverpool will be able to flaunt its unique city centre culture to the world once again. It contains a variety of venues, such as numerous Irish bars, the Cavern Club which once showcased the likes of The Beatles and even a prison that has been reimagined into a place to enjoy a pint. Dominic Hornsby, owner of the Liverpool One pub, The Bridewell, was delighted he could reopen his doors. “It’s been a massive relief and absolutely huge in terms of impact from a mental health point of view, because it’s been that long,” he said. “To actually have some final conformationthat’s raised clarity, to have a true date to work to, is fantastic.”
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he Bridewell is an old Victorian lockup which uses five of its original cells to accommodate its guests and their drinks. The pub was nominated as pub of the year in the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards in 2020 Mr Hornsby said: “The hospitality venues and their history give this city its unique identity. “There’s an attraction for outsiders whether they are domestic or foreign. Hopefully as everything drifts by, people are able to travel from different parts of the UK and they can come and experience the great pubs and bars in the city.” The general manager of city centre pub Shenanigans, Brigit Kullamaa said: “It’s very important that pubs reopen because it’s part of the culture.
“It goes a lot further than just a pub because you do live music, your food is coming from local suppliers, you’re supporting the brewery, so it’s a whole network.” Shenanigans is a historic Irish bar situated in the heart of Liverpool and is known for having the best pint of Guinness in the city. The hospitality industry was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving many people across the country unemployed. There were 819,000 fewer workers on UK company payrolls in November than at the start of the pandemic, official figures show. According to the Office for National Statistics, hospitality was the worst-hit sector, accounting for a third of the job losses.
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peaking on the topic of mental health, The Bridewell owner said: “For us, and our full-time members of staff, we’ve had nothing to do. “In terms of your daily motivation our daily drive and our output of work is down to zero, so just to be able to come back to work, what we do for a living, it’s hard to measure how positive that is.” The lifting of the restrictions will also give people a place to regenerate mentally with friends and family. The Shenanigans general manager said: “We’re a lot more than a pub, we’re a family base so when people come in, they’ll have a chat. “It’s not only about alcohol and selling, it’s more of a community so I think for our customers and for ourselves it’s a big step that we can reopen. “I think it is very important that pubs are opening because they are places where people socialise, they relax and get away”
Dominic Hornby, owner of The Bridewell in Liverpool One
Shenanigans Pub in Liverpool city centre
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Graham (right) with Dave Critchley
Photo credit: Ste Webster
Graham ensures Scousers rejoice!
Photo credit: Andrew AB
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Once a year, everything that is Scouse is celebrated on Global Scouse Day. Liverpool Life interviewed founder of the day, Graham Hughes, to find out how it was created
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celebration that began as a tribute to his favourite taste of home is still going strong 15 years later - to the surprise and pride of Global Scouse Day creator, Graham Hughes. Global Scouse Day is marked on February 28 every year to rejoice in all things Scouse. Born and bred Scouser Graham came up with the idea to show his love and appreciation for Liverpool. He said: “Liverpool is a unique city in the world, it is a truly global city.” Graham was first inspired by his Scottish friend’s celebration of Burns Day, the day that Scotland uses as a national celebration. Graham said: “Every year we would go to her house and have haggis, tatties and whiskey and I was just dead jealous, I wanted a Scouse night!” From there, Graham invited his friends, cooked up a big batch of Scouse to share and called it Global Scouse Day. With the help of his friend Laura Worthington, who Graham credits as “the driving force” of Global Scouse Day, the idea soon became bigger and better and was the perfect way to raise money for local charities. He said: “She managed to get loads of café and restaurant owners and all the little independent places to put Scouse on the menu and it just snowballed from there.” It was while Graham was travelling, when he set a record for being the first person to visit every country in the world without flying, that he began to realise Liverpool’s global reputation.
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He said: “When I was travelling it didn’t matter where I was, people knew Liverpool…for a non-capital city it is remarkably famous and it is famous because it is such a great place.” When asked if he is proud of how Global Scouse Day has grown from having a few friends round to a wellknown day that businesses join in with and that helps to raise money for local charities such as the Whitechapel Centre, Graham just laughed. He said: “I am made up! I’ll put it that way, I am made up that it captured the imagination of people all over the city and that businesses got behind it.” And with what could have been the most difficult question of the interview, ‘Where is the best place to get Scouse in Liverpool?’ there is more laughter and a simple: “My Mum’s house! I won’t have any argument about that.”
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Graham (left) with Dave Critchley and Laura Worthington
When I was travelling it didn’t matter where I was, people knew Liverpool … for a non-capital city it is remarkably famous and it is famous because it is such a great place
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A worldwide organisation aimed at getting the public reading has come to Liverpool in time for World Book Day. MIA O’HARE finds out more
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he Book Fairies are spreading their love for reading across the world by turning it into a gift for someone else. The organisation was set up in 2017 and is made up of people from over 100 countries including actress Emma Watson. They are people who enjoy reading and want to share the books they’ve read. The Fairies wrap books with a ribbon and a Book Fairy sticker and leave it somewhere to be discovered. Liverpool has its own group of Book Fairies that hide books around the city for others to enjoy. The Official Book Fairy for Liverpool said: “The Book Fairies Liverpool started in August 2018 with me visiting the city centre and dropping books around for people to stumble upon. At first, the books came from my own shelves and charity shops, but as more authors and publishers got in contact we expanded. “We also distribute books from independent authors as well as wellknown publishers to help get their stories heard and/or gain publicity for the likes of an upcoming film that may be based on the book we are given.” Last year the Book Fairies teamed up with Liverpool One for World Book Day where the shopping centre distributed their own books whilst the Fairies went around the city hiding ‘Messy, Wonderful Us’ by local author Catherine Issac. The Book Fairy said: “A big reason why The Book Fairies Liverpool started was to hopefully make a few people happy as they went about their day, which would help keep the spirit of Liverpool alive. “One of my favourite things about Liverpool is the sense of community and the support this creates for anyone
edicated to celebrating reading and encouraging a love of books, World Book Day is an annual event held on the first Thursday in March which sees children across the UK participate in a number of ways – and this year is no different. The aim is to make sure the day sends a strong and positive message about books, even in lockdown. Children will still be gifted a £1 book to encourage them to appreciate reading but a digital voucher will be used this year. World Book Day organisers said: “The £1 books are a gift from booksellers, who fully fund the cost of the £1 book token redemptions. Bookshops are offering new ways to make the £1 books available, and bookshops will welcome families when they open again.” The charity says it is working with teachers
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who sets foot there. So, to work together and share the same passion for reading and spread this love to celebrate World Book Day together was really special.” This year, the Fairies have had to adapt their usual plans for World Book Day. They have decided to celebrate on April 23, instead of March so they can plan the day and stick to government guidelines. The Fairy said: “For World Book Day we will be doing a huge book drop across countries and cities. We usually give book recommendations or do treasure hunts, however, with the ongoing pandemic being so unpredictable, no final decisions have been made just yet.” The Liverpool group fully support the message World Book Day gives about getting children to enjoy reading. She said: “Children and adults spend so much time surrounded by screens, especially now with virtual learning and zoom meetings in lockdown, so it’s important to take a break from that every once in a while. “On certain Sundays, and definitely World Book Day, we encourage others to take a break from all social media and screens and spend a few moments reading a book to help relax or just distract themselves for a little while. “With the rise in technology, we do worry that books will be forgotten about, which is why we aim to encourage people to pick one up and remind them of why reading is so good for us.” The lockdown has not only affected World Book Day, but also the work the organisation does on an everyday basis due to travel restrictions into Liverpool. The Fairy said: “With fewer people visiting the city, and increased cases of
and nursery leaders to provide the printed token for the key worker children still in school and a new single-use digital version, that can be printed at home or shown to booksellers on a phone or tablet screen. The token is also on McDonald’s Happy Meal boxes through February and March and in some children’s magazines. Parents can redeem the tokens in supermarkets as well as bookshops. To reflect the national lockdown, World Book Day has set up a range of online resources including Author and Illustrator Academy videos with activities to make reading more interactive. The organisation said: “We want to make sure every child has access to books, and our upcoming events – all digital for the year ahead – will help children enjoy reading for pleasure as a life-long habit.”
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coronavirus, particularly in Liverpool, The Book Fairies Liverpool has been on hold throughout lockdown “This has been a real shame because a huge drive for all of the book drops is to hopefully improve people’s moods which would have been really handy, given the consequences lockdown has had on people’s mental health, which I think was very prominent in Liverpool when it came to the Tier systems. “For Book Fairies themselves, doing this job is often a great distraction from our own personal lives. Knowing that you could have potentially made one person’s day through a simple act of kindness certainly helps keep me motivated so having this part of my life paused for a while has definitely felt strange. She added: “However, as always, Book Fairies have tried to look on the brighter side. Via our social media pages we’ve filled our followers’ feed with book recommendations, book fairy read-alongs and competitions. “Some Book Fairies even offered ‘book fairy deliveries’ for those who couldn’t leave their house but still wanted a new book to read; book fairy swaps have also occurred worldwide to help keep that sense of togetherness through the power of reading, despite social distancing.” The Book Fairy reiterated that the organisation is a random act of kindness movement, whilst they also aim to keep the love of reading alive and make popular books more accessible to people. She said: “I encourage everyone to be a part of the Book Fairies, whether you want to do it to know what it feels like or because you just need to declutter your shelves. People of all ages in all areas of the world can get involved, and World Book Day might be the best day to start.”
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All images @ dessertsbydre
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Baking his way to the top By LAURA WOODING
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iverpool chef Andre Carrington, the man behind Desserts by Dre, has built up quite a delicious business and quite the instagram following too for his unique boxes of treats. Born in Barbados and starting off as a chef, Dre began baking imaginative and unique cake combinations and selling them in a treat box, specially made for each customer. The selling point is to never do the same combination twice. His creativity has earned him 10,000 followers on instagram and a lot of happy customers. Dre would sell at a market at the Bombed Out church in Liverpool and host dessert evenings at restaurants, baking in between work before getting furloughed when lockdown was in place. He said: “I thought, well I’m not gonna sit at home and do nothing so I’ll bake some cakes and go about selling and I’ve not stopped since and it has really taken off.” His famous treat boxes have earned him loyal customers and the chance to reinvent himself over and over again. Speaking about the unique idea, he said: “It gave me an opportunity to trial new recipes and every combination was different, after that combination was finished I never did it again. “When lockdown came I thought it might be an easier thing because no one could go anywhere and I could deliver to them.” Recently he hit 10,000 followers on Instagram, however having a huge following doesn’t always equal a huge amount of new customers but his quirky and flavoursome treats have most of his followers placing orders. “Luckily for me 85% of my customer base that follows me are actually from Liverpool and another 6% are from the Wirral, so it balances out in terms of my growth”
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hat makes Dre’s business successful compared to other dessert shops? The fact that he finds pancakes and waffles so last year and provides new and exciting cake recipes that you can’t find anywhere else. “A gateau is usually a really rich cake,cream base and fruits, but I do a lot of quirky flavours and combinations, so it’s quite different to what other bakers are doing. “You have a lot of cake decorators, which I’m not, and then on the other side people who do a lot of cupcake, brownies and blondies, which I don’t, so I’m somewhere in the middle of nowhere and I stand out mostly in terms of flavour combinations and the type of cake that I do.” Moving forward, Dre hopes to try more mouthwatering, rare cake combinations. His next step is to have his own premises and offer what the people want: a deep fried cherry cheesecake, wrapped in pastry with cinnamon sugar, cherry pie filling, white chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Liverpool chef Andre Carrington at work
‘I remember the first time I ever had a New York-style cheesecake and I’ve been trying to recreate that taste ever since’
As a cake lover myself, I had to know what his favourite was and it turns out we have a lot in common. Dre said: “My favourite cake to eat is a New York cherry cheesecake. I’m from Barbados originally, so I spent a lot of summers in New York and I remember the first time I ever had a New York style cheesecake and I’ve been trying to recreate that taste ever since.” Just to clarify for cheesecake experts, a biscoff base is just a trendy phase, apparently, and the only way forward is a digestive buttery biscuit base, as confirmed by the man himself. “I use digestive biscuits and a butter base, make the cheesecake and bake it for an hour and half in the oven, nice and slow and it results in a custard style, soft cheesecake, all fluffy on the palette.” Yum. • Follow him and see for yourself @dessertsbydre
Top image- Treat Box Bottom image - New York Cherry Cheesecake
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Photo Credit: Neil Martin
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Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-MA! By LAUREN HUGHES
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that they were a really important part of the popular music history of the UK but the programme will take a critical and contextual approach to understanding how and why this is the case. “We have already had worldwide interest in the MA and this in itself contributes to raising the profile of the city as a destination for lovers of the Beatles and Liverpool’s musical culture. This programme will develop the excellent relationships that we already have with Beatles tourism and heritage within the city, enabling sharing of knowledge and ideas for mutual benefit.
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n 2009, Liverpool Hope University, launched an MA in the Beatles officially called “The Beatles, Popular Music and Society”, but it closed down a few years ago. The Department of Music has a richly established history in both their study of The Beatles and popular music alike, with Beatles experts amongst its academic staff. Dr. Mike Jones, senior music lecturer and a member of the Beatles Legacy Group said: “So far, reaction to the course has been positive and we have received many inquiries. I think some people will be sceptical - how can a whole Masters be delivered concentrated on the Beatles? But this has already been done, and we hope to do it in a different way from Hope; when a UK ‘product’ has such a long and sustained impact it is important to try to figure out why.” The Beatles Legacy group looks to support the economic endeavour of Liverpool’s Beatle’s attractions and
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tourism and is accepted as part of the council’s decision-making process, pioneering work around Matthew Street and Williamson Square. Their mission is to clarify what Liverpool contributed to the Beatles and to give the city pride in being the cradle of the band. Beatles enthusiast and lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, Alan Humphrey, said: “I think it is important for the Beatles to be remembered in this way, after all it is something to be proud of and you can’t deny the impact they have had both culturally and socially on the world. Still going strong after sixty years is quite an achievement by any standard.” The introduction of the new MA degree coincides with the opening of the university’s Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, a £22.1m state-of-the-art performance space where work started last year. The University of Liverpool is now accepting applications for this programme.
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You can’t deny the impact, they have had both culturally and socially on the world
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he Fab Four are getting their own academic qualification. The University of Liverpool is launching the world’s only Masters level degree on the subject of ‘The Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage,’ based in the city of their birth. The course, launching in September, will put the Beatles in context to understand their legacy and the significance of their contribution to the City, a UNESCO City of music and culturally creative industries. MA Programme Leader and spearhead, Holly Tessler, told Liverpool Life: “We are very much interested in looking at how the Beatles are existing in 21st century culture, looking at tourism and culture and heritage, but also the way 21st century fans are engaging with the Beatles, so how people listen to the Beatles on streaming sites and on social media. “The Beatles are unique, there are so many iconic bands from the 60s, (such as) The Rolling Stones, The Who, and yet they don’t have that same kind of connection to a particular place that Liverpool does.” Taking a more sociological approach, students will be exploring The Beatle’s music and heritage and will have the opportunity to explore sites and venues in and around Liverpool and Merseyside dedicated to The Beatles, which were important at the beginning of their careers. Head of the Department of Music at The University of Liverpool, Professor Catherine Tackley, said: “The programme, importantly, does more than just memorialise or venerate The Beatles. Of course, we appreciate
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Remée staying true to herself and her music ROBYN COULING chats to the Liverpool musician about working in lockdown, inspiration and what comes next if you’re not an indie musician you’ve got to stay true to yourself and break the mould.
How are you managing as a musician during Covid-19? I’ve been using this time to get creative and experiment, writing on different styles of beats that different people have sent me and I’ve been planning future projects. I’m just trying to stay positive and hopeful for the future of music. I’m trying not to dwell on the fact we’ve basically been in lockdown for a year or over… Fingers crossed festivals are back soon., I miss them!
Where would your dream show be? On another planet or in a spaceship, but if I’m being realistic maybe any world heritage site., I’d like to feel like I was experiencing something beautiful and memorable while I was performing. Imagine a show near The Iguazu Falls or Yosemite National Park.
What does it mean to be an artist in Liverpool? To me it means you have to work hard for what you want to do and
How would you describe your music genre? I always struggle when I’m asked this question because I don’t like to tie myself to one specific genre, but lately I’ve been thinking if there was a genre called futuristic steampunk, I think some of my music would definitely fall under that category. I really like the steampunk fashion and the fact it intertwines with the Victorian era’s almost romantic style with a futuristic technology element. I feel like my music is the same in a metaphorical way, if that makes sense? Do you take inspiration from other artists or people in general? I take inspiration from the weird and wonderful - unconventional artists and people of this world who aren’t afraid to be different. What is your focus and aim when writing? To express myself and tell a story and I guess almost immerse myself and people into a different world or into my head for a few minutes.
What motivated you to start singing? When I was young, I watched artists like Aaliyah, Rihanna, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen and in the back of my head I guess I always wanted to do it myself, I just didn’t know where to start. When I did start in my early
Pictures © Julian Sony
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I’m just trying to stay positive and hopeful for the future of music
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ven through a global pandemic, Remée has always been so positive about creating music and staying true to herself and her sound. As an up-and-coming artist in Liverpool, it can be difficult to have an individual sound. The city has more than its fair share of indie singers and bands, and more recently developed a huge base for rap and RnB artists. Speaking with Remée she really struggled to put her music into a specific category. You could consider her a free spirit and listening to her music that becomes evident. Each of Remée’s songs intend to give the listener an experience of some sort, whether that’s specific to the individual or an intended reflection of her own. From the lyrics to the carefully selected production, her music begins in an almost tranquil way but takes you on an adventure. It throws in a mixture of moods, with the use of electric beats and a somewhat unorthodox melody amplifying that. Her sound is definitely unique and it would be difficult to compare with any other artists - listen to her most recent track ‘Strange Like Me’ on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
teens, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else and my mum and sister have always encouraged me to pursue music ever since I started singing, which has always motivated me to carry on because they believe in me. What can we expect from you soon? I’m working on a little collection called ‘MTM’ that I’ll be bringing out in the next month or so and it will have four songs that I’ve written. I’m very excited to share new music with everyone.
New music will be dropping soon then! To be the first to hear, follow Remée on Instagram @thatremeegirl.
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Picture perfect - Paul picks up top award
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he artist responsible for multiple eye-catching artworks across the Liverpool City Region has picked up his first award. Paul Curtis has been announced as Liverpool City Region Artist of the Year in the LCR Culture and Creativity Awards 2020. Dubbed as Liverpool’s answer to Banksy, the 42-year-old is the talent behind Jamaica Street’s Liver Bird Wings, the Tranmere Rovers Oxton mural and the Abbey Road artwork in the Baltic Triangle. Paul was nominated by members of the public for the award last November before making the final shortlist of three. He was then presented with his award virtually by Coronation Street actress Eithne Brown.
Words: PAUL MCAULEY Speaking about the experience, Paul said: “It felt fantastic. I’ve been shortlisted for one or two other awards in the past but never got over the finish line. “It always means a lot to me that the public like my work, but I always felt that recognition of this kind, an award by a panel, was never going to happen, so in a sense, it’s like an official stamp on all the public praise. That’s a warm fuzzy feeling.” The Liverpudlian was also in the mix to win Borough of Culture ‘Star of the year’, but although he didn’t win, he was more than happy to walk away with what he called ‘the big one.’ Paul has been painting for four years now after being made redundant in 2015. Since then, he has
created more than 150 public pieces, largely in Liverpool and the Wirral, and recalled his journey up to this point: “It was hard work and perseverance,” he said. “I know there are more talented artists than myself out there, but I have put incredible effort into getting established. “ I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way and seen a lot of rejection. I’ve had to bite my lip so many times when people have wasted my time. “But in contrast, I have seen my work gather more and more interest. I’ve seen it improve and the support from the public has grown. And that makes it all worthwhile”. Spreading his creativity, Paul’s latest project is bringing colour to New Ferry following the aftermath of an explosion in the area in 2017. The largest explosion in Merseyside since World War II tore out part of the New Ferry shopping district, destroyed many homes and devasted the entire community. He plans to be painting there for the next month. “It was more a case of New Ferry chose me,” he explained. “After the explosion in 2017, the area is still trying to rebuild itself and I think they were aware of my work. We started the conversation to see if any work was possible. It was 18 months from initial conversation to the first paint stroke.” Not giving much away, the former geologist revealed other upcoming works.: “In the summer, I have a huge project in Ainsdale and a collaboration with The Atkinson in Southport. Both works are in the pipeline,” he added.
All photographs courtesy of Paul Curtis
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Dockside scene by BRENDAN THOMAS
