Liverpool Life issue 16

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Liverpool

Life

ED TH IT 4-P IO AG EP N S UL LO PE UT C

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www.jmu-journalism.org.uk

19 - March - 2013

‘CUT VAT AND DROP TAX’ Stairwell Farewell

City’s budget call to Number 11

by Ian Bolland

STEPPING DOWN: Just some of the students who have worked on Liverpool Life over the past six months bow out on their final day working on the newspaper. See your souvenir four-page pull-out inside.

Merseyside has called for George Osborne to rethink his plans for the economy on the eve of the Chancellor’s fourth budget.

Political figures from Liverpool have called for various measures including a U-turn on a bedroom tax, increases in capital spending and more help to get young people into work.

The Assistant Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources at

Photo: Josh Parry

Liverpool City Council has called for the government to acknowledge its economic policy has had a ‘detrimental effect’ ahead of Wednesday’s budget.

Councillor Patrick Hurley – speaking on behalf of deputy mayor Councillor Paul Brant – has also called for an apology after the Office for Budget Responsibility corrected Prime Minister David Cameron over claims spending cuts weren’t slowing growth in

the economy.

In addition, Councillor Hurley also called for a temporary cut in VAT and a U-turn on the bedroom tax.

He said: “A U-turn on the bedroom tax would ease intolerable pressure on thousands of families across Liverpool. And a fairer way of calculating local government funding cuts wouldn’t come a moment too soon.

Continued on page 3

This week...

Welcome to Liverpool Waters

Warrington bombing remembered

Easter guide to fashion and travel

Michael Owen announces his retirement

Page 3

Page 6

Page 14-15

Page 20

Life/News/2

LJMU Sound proves a hit

by Tara Lamb

LJMU Sound - the Internet radio station run by LJMU’s Journalism Department - has been up and running for a few weeks and after a few initial glitches, is on track and producing news for the people of Liverpool.

The station runs 12 hours a day and features a lively mix of news, chat, music, review and opinion.

Richard Rudin, Senior Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism and Managing Editor of LJMU Sound, said: “It was a scramble to get on air, getting the music license and my technical knowledge is not that of an expert.”

LJMU Sound aims to be different from other student radio stations.

Richard said: “There has been a very nice reaction back, partly from people in the university.

“The worst thing we could have done is to try to be a clone or a poor copy of something that exists and we had to try something different and play to our strengths.”

Although it is not currently focused on audience figures, it aims to reach a as many listeners as possible across the region.

If you have any ideas for stories that could be featured, contact Richard Rudin at r.rudin@ljmu. ac.uk

Mersey green light on care

by Vanessa Gainford

Press regulations could cause ‘chill’

by Dave Williamson

Internet users risk being caught under the new press regulations which could leave them with a hefty fine.

Any one of thousands of websites that are news related, whose main audience is from the United Kingdom, could fall under the new regime. Any website that has failed to sign up to the new regulatory body may be liable for the new fines.

Freedom campaigners have said it could have a chilling effect on the internet and could stunt the writing of blogs that comment on local politics.

The warning has come after a deal was struck between the three main political parties on a new press regulation regime in the wake of the phone-hacking scan-

dal. No 10 was forced to say that Cameron had not been asleep in the early hours and that the critical aspects of the deal had been settled the previous afternoon in face-to-face talks between Clegg and Cameron.

Party leaders told MPs the charter would preserve press freedom and protect victims of press intrusion.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I’m confident that we’ve set up a system that is practical, that is workable, it protects the freedom of the press, but it’s a good, strong self-regulatory system for victims, and I’m convinced it will work and it will endure.”

Some of the biggest national newspaper publishers warned last night that there are a number of “deeply contentious issues” surrounding the scheme unveiled in

Liverpool

Life Team Editor Rory Kelly

Features Editor Michaela Routledge

News editor Rachael Bentham

Sports editor Jonny Bridge

News Adam Davies Rachael Laird Lucy Baines Karina Galli Josh Nevett

Sports Emma Kemmery Scott Fitzpatrick

Features Elisha Storrow Michaela Routledge Rachael Leitch Scott Rumsey Joe Barnes

Pull out team Josh Parry Philippa Probert Lauren Murphy

Sounds great: Richard Rudin takes a break from LJMU Sound

Parliament, which have still to be resolved.

Downing Street has tried to reassure small web based news providers by saying they would not be required to sign up with the new regulatory system. No. 10 said bloggers, tweeters, news aggregators and social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter, as well as special interest titles, would be excluded.

The regulator will be underpinned by a royal charter which can only be amended if a twothirds majority in both houses of parliament agrees.

The new rules state, there must be apologies from the press to victims, there will be fines of 1% of turnover for publishers, there will be up to a £1m a self-regulatory body with independent appointments, free arbitration service

for victims, and a fast complaints system.

Publishers will be liable for damages if they behave with ‘reckless disregard’ for a complainant’s rights. A number of national newspapers are taking “high-level legal advice” about whether to co-operate with a new press watchdog.

They complain they were not represented in a meeting at which the three main political parties struck a deal.

It is unclear whether the new syst em will apply in Scotland. The Scottish Government said it needed time to look at the proposals.

This comes came four days after Lord McCluskey published his recommendations for regulation north of the Border, and will not report back on plans for Scotland until after Easter.

©JMU Journalism

Lord Justice Leveson ©JMU Journalism

Protests over rise in Mersey tunnels toll

Cuts for coast crew

by Eivind Haugstad Kleiven

by Jessica Etherington A protest was held yesterday morning against the price rise in the Mersey tunnel tolls.

Members of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) staged the protest in Wallasey and then Birkenhead.

One of the organisers, Lynda Roughley, said the organisation was taken aback by the amount of support from the public and passers-by.

She said: “We got an amazing response, at least 60% of the drivers this morning gave us a positive response, waving and beeping their horns.

“We were very well received and the protest went better than we expected.”

Merseytravel is set to increase the tunnel toll from £1.50 to £1.60 in the next fortnight.

The campaign. ‘Scrap the Tolls’, was started in January by Paul Nuttall, the UKIP MEP for the North West.

Mr Nuttall said: “As far as the Mersey tunnels are concerned

Liverpool hospitals are the best care for NHS patients and elderly.

In an investigation into the care of elderly NHS patients by the Care Quality Commission, both the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals were listed under the ‘minor or no concerns’ section of the report.

The reports looked at the care provided to older patients in 50 NHS hospitals between July and August 2012.

More than 100 CQC inspectors, 50 nurses and 40 experts by experience were trained and took part in the investigations.

They inspected 500 care homes between April and October 2020 to find out whether people were treated with dignity and had their nutritional needs met Through the investigations elderly and vulnerable patients did not receive vital medication, necessary care, or food and drink and had their calls left unanswered and their right to privacy taken away from them.

Failings in the care were reported as the CQC’s role is to check whether care meets the standards that the government says people should expect and deserve. These standards are based on the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and secondary legislation.

One in five hospitals did not meet the basic care standards that ensure patients are being treated inappropriately. The CQC said that Milton Keynes Hospital failed to meet any of the five basic standards of safeguarding.

The report shows that despite the constant criticism standards are deteriorating further as inspectors found that 18 percent of hospitals did not meet the standards in 2012 compared to 12 percent in 2011.

In the 500 care homes found that 16 percent were not properly respecting people’s privacy and dignity and 17 percent were not meeting standards on nutrition.

The banner used in the protest we already pay for these with our road taxes and council taxes.

“We were told they would be free after the capital cost was paid off but here we are still paying – and in two weeks time the price is increasing by an extra 10p each way, which is a 7% rise.

“This will hit small businesses particularly hard.”

Mr Nuttall said a study by the Federation of Small Businesses has shown that usage would increase – to the benefit of the local

©JMU Journalism economy – if tolls are removed.

“Pollution caused by the queueing traffic is also a major problem.

“Our aim is for the tunnels to be integrated into the national roadway and all tolls scrapped,” he said.

UKIPs campaign to scrap tolls in the UK was originally launched at the Dartford Crossing back in 2005 by UKIP leader Nigel Farage MEP and London MEP Gerard Batten.

Liverpool Coastguard’s crew, which covers an area of approximately 2,100 square miles, will be reduced to just eight members from the optimal number of 23 before the busy summer months.

Staffing cuts are to be made ahead of the eventual closure of the coastguard station in 2015, which was announced in July 2011.

Keith Roberts, PCS branch secretary at Holyhead Coastguard, told the BBC he fears that the decision to reduce coastguard staff may put lives at risk.

As the numbers of the Liverpool Coastguard station in Crosby are reduced, this will increase pressure on Holyhead, which will effectively be covering from Wales up to Scotland.

Liverpool is ranked among the UK’s major container ports, handling over 40% of all freight shipping between Britain and Ireland.

There is also a growing number of cruise ships visiting the port, with over 750 000 people travelling on the Irish Sea ferry services annually.

Life/News/3

Liverpool united on the waterfront

City’s budget plea to boost growth

by Ian Bolland

Continued from page 1

An artist’s impression of one section of the new multi-billion scheme to regenerate Liverpool’s waterfront. © Peel Holdings

by Dave Williamson Liverpool appears to be united over the dramatic changes that will alter the Merseyside skyline, despite it being a world heritage site. The £5.5bn redevelopment was put through by the government and could create 20,000 jobs.

The site set for redevelopment is a world heritage site, the site officially spans from the Albert Dock up to Stanley Dock. It will also take the Edwardian “three graces”: the Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings.

Head of Liverpool Vision Max Steinberg “It’s going to bring

much needed investment, it’s going to bring jobs, and it’s going to bring the opportunity to regenerate an area of the city that for far too long has been in decline.

“It’s going to bring the opportunity to connect the communities of North Liverpool. It’s a 30 year plan, it’s a 30 year vision and we’ve seen major regeneration, we’ve seen the transformation of the city centre.”

Liverpool city council initially granted planning permission for the scheme, with conditions on the timescale, and the heights of buildings. It was formally submitted to the Department for Com-

munities and Local Government in October. It will be one of the largest planning applications in the country.

The Liverpool Waters project is set to include 9,000 apartments, hundreds of offices, hotels, bars and a new cruise terminal on 60 acres of derelict dockland.

The developers also want to build two clusters of skyscrapers, including a 55-storey tower, which would become the tallest building in north-west England.

The inspectors’ report, which will be considered by an independent committee in June, noted that Liverpool city council was inclined

to grant consent to the project and “expressed serious concern at the potential threat of the proposed development of Liverpool Waters on the outstanding universal value of the property”.

In March 2012 the council granted outline planning consent for the scheme and on 4 March 2013, the scheme received the planning approval for the redevelopment of the dockland site.

The £5.5billion Liverpool Waters scheme has been given the goahead by central government after the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles decided there was no need for a public inquiry.

The ambitious project has seen opposition from campaigners over concerns that Liverpool’s waterfront will lose its UNESCO World Heritage site status, but the government will not intervene in the plans which are now expected to proceed.

A spokesperson for English Heritage, which opposed the plans, said: “A decision on call-in has to be taken on the basis of all the planning issues involved, not just heritage. We therefore acknowledge the Secretary of State’s decision not to hold a public inquiry on the Liverpool Waters application.

“The government desperately needs to address the country’s terrible GDP figures.

“The UK’s economy is still flatlining at a size 3% smaller than it was five years ago.

“This is the longest lasting recession in history, and the Chancellor is doing precious little to end it.”

But Councillor Hurley doesn’t think any of the measures he’s proposing will be enforced.

“Last year, we had the pasty tax, the granny tax, the caravan tax all of which were so self-defeating that they couldn’t have been predicted beforehand.

The MP for Liverpool Riverside Louise Ellman has called for plans to cut welfare benefits to be stopped and to reduce cuts to Liverpool City Council.

Mrs Ellman has also called for more funding to become available for business investment and to give the go-ahead to a new Royal Liverpool hospital.

Arrests of girls fall in Merseyside

by Tara Lamb

Arrests of girls by Merseyside Police have fallen by 35% in three years, according to a report from the Howard League for Penal Reform this week.

Almost 100 girls a day aged 17 and younger are arrested across England and Wales although the number has nearly halved over the past three years.

Merseyside officers made 1,393 arrests during 2011, a drop from 2,127 in 2008. These statistics were published following a yearlong inquiry on girls conducted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System aiming to achieve real change in the lives of young girls in need and bring about a reduction in the number of girls who entered the criminal justice system.

Several police services in England and Wales have reviewed their arrest procedures and policies as a result of the Howard League’s campaign aimed at keeping as many children as possible out of the criminal justice system.

In both Wales and England, police had recorded more than 34,000 arrests of young girls in 2011 compared with more than 62,000 in 2008. The director of campaigns at the How ard League, Andrew Neilson, said a move away from a manda tory target system for police was likely to be the main reason for the third successive fall.

He said: “In 2008, the first year we have data for; the target culture was coming to an end.

“At that time, police services were being ranked on the number

of arrests they were processing, and to a degree, children were low-hanging fruit that helped the police reach their arrest targets.

“While some police services still use these targets informally, we are seeing a move back towards a discretion-led, common sense approach, and that’s reflected in the figures.

“I suspect there are a lot of things that the police are doing to reduce arrests, which range from restorative justice disposals to triage arrangements at police stations, where a youth offending team worker will interview a young person to see if there are any welfare issues.”

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is encouraging to see that Merseyside Police are

making fewer arrests of girls than they were in 2008, thanks in part to our effective campaigning.

“A significant fall in the number of children entering the justice system is good news for everyone striving to reduce crime and saves the taxpayer untold millions.

“Our evidence shows the police were arresting girls completely unnecessarily when they were out partying, often with the mistaken intention of protecting them.

“Now the police are handing out flip-flops and helping the girls home, a much more sensible response.”

“The challenge for police services now is to maintain this trend of arresting fewer children. Reducing the number of arrests still further would release resources to deal with real crimes.”

©ONETERRY/Flickr

Councillor Richard Kemp, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Liverpool City Council (pictured, above) has called for jobs to be at the centre of George Osborne’s budget, and hopes there will be an increase in capital spending.

He said: “He should also prevent another lost generation from being scarred by unemployment by guaranteeing every young person out of work for a year or more a job - funded by a fair tax on bank bonuses.

“Although private sector jobs are doing well, it’s doing it at the expense of lower wages certainly in real terms and that’s why I want to see proper capital investment because that will create permanent structures which are for the good of the country and in the short-term will create jobs that are badly needed.”

Councillor Kemp disagreed with the Labour view of a temporary cut in VAT, saying the budget needs to have a more long-term focus, and called for more investment in housing.

“In Liverpool and across the country and I think if you invest in infrastructure, housing, roads, transportation, it’s like getting a mortgage on a house; you’re putting money into something which will sustain you long-term.

“The biggest change I want to see is actually an increase in capital on infrastructure spending and particularly on housing because it’s badly needed and because it would change some of the problems that we’ve got with an over-

Life/News/4

Wirral top area for

business growth

by David Williamson

Figures released by an independent performance report show the Wirral as the top area for new business growth.

The number of new companies on the Wirral registering with the borough has seen growth of 4.67%.

The figures come from an independent business performance resource Duport.

Duport gathers and analyses business performance data from Companies House, the Office for National Statistics and Ordnance Survey.

Councillor Phil Davies, Leader of Wirral Council said: “We are

seeing an exciting growth in new enterprise in Wirral.

“This growth will create jobs and bring further investment to our area.

These figures show a greater rate of growth in the number of companies formed than giants like London and Manchester, and show Wirral far exceeding our neighbours in Liverpool and Chester.

“Our work through initiatives like the Wirral Apprentice Programme and with private sector partners on our Investment Strategy Board will further fuel our drive to revitalise the local economy.”

Duport’s figures place the Wirral first of the ‘top 100 towns by

their relative net growth’.

Warrington is next from the region in 12th place, with Liverpool in 44th place and Chester 95th.

Wirral Council is currently working alongside Cammell Laird to set up a new Operations and Maintenance facility for the offshore wind industry.

Wirral Council was successful in bidding for £5 million from the Regional Growth Fund to support the development of the borough as a hub for the offshore wind industry.

The borough is also set to host major events including the International Festival of Business and the Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Course, Hoylake, both in 2014.

Crowds protest over tax

Cammell Laird

Mum named natural beauty TV spot is top prize

by Vanessa Gainford A Wirral mum has been named UK’s most natural beauty.

Rebecca Mellor, 30, won the under 40 category out of 6,500 women, in the Lorraine Naked 2 competition on ITV last week.

The competition was a search to find the country’s most beautiful women who don’t need make up or the use of plastic surgery, to be beautiful.

Rebecca said that her secret to being naturally beautiful was to keep her skincare routine as simple as possible.

Although she is a freelance makeup artist when asked how she manages her beauty.

Rebecca said: “I try not to mess with my skin too much so I don’t have any facials or anything and I don’t go out very much anymore because of the kids so probably because I don’t drink.”

Rebecca won the prize of starring in a TV campaign for a top beauty retailer as well as appearing in a glossy magazine.

Rebecca who is married to ex-Liverpool football player, Neil Mellor, said: “It’s amazing, I can’t believe it and I’m really, really shocked.”

Ten finalists were chosen and were then cut down to six by the judging panel which included Red magazine beauty editor, Rosie Green, model Penny Lancaster and photographer Nicky Johnston.

The competition also named Kiran Mann from Essex as the champion of the under 50s group.

On the show presenter Lorraine Kelly said: “There are so many naturally beautiful people in the UK and this is a real celebration of those people who haven’t resorted to surgery and still look stunning when they’re makeup free.

“All of the finalists were really beautiful but Kiran and Rebecca really deserved to win.

“Kiran looks amazing for her age; she has lovely skin and an inner confidence that really shines through.

"Rebecca also has beautiful skin and really striking eyes and although she seemed one of the most nervous of the finalists hopefully this will give her a bit more confidence.”

Rebecca Mellor won the under 40 category against 6,500 other women in an ITV competition

Anger over new tax grows

by Paul Collins

Derby Square was packed on Saturday afternoon as Liverpool took part in the National protest against the controversial Bedroom Tax. Despite the rain and a mouth-watering match between Everton and Manchester City, Liverpool residents gathered in front of Crown Court to challenge the Tax. Police officers present to ensure security estimated over 500 protesters showed up.

Debra Power, chairperson for Merseyside’s Labour Left, the largest Labour Party Think Tank, help organising the protest, she said: “I’m very proud of Liverpool, it’s a city which has always stood against injustice and today’s been really successful.”

Recently, a Housing Trust in Knowsley reclassified properties, meaning tenants will be no longer be under the threat of having their benefits reduced. Debra commented: “We could put pressure on Liverpool Housing Associations but our main aim is to completely stop the Bedroom Tax instead of trying to find loopholes.

“It’s no good people saying a bedroom’s a dining room or saying it’s for something else because I think it squashes the whole issue of actually stopping that tax.”

Deputy Mayor Councillor Paul Brant is also hopeful the Bedroom Tax will be withdrawn: “We believe that they will increasingly retreat and hopefully it will result in the abolition of the Tax.” He summed up Liverpool’s main problem: “We don’t have enough houses of smaller capacity for these people to downsize into; so they’re stuck in a house where their benefits will be cut and can’t move.

“The Government know that’s the case because they estimated that they would save 500 million pounds nationally. And they can only make that saving if these people are stuck in properties.”

Grassroots campaigners voiced their anger at the Labour Party, which they argue, is also responsible for the implementation for this Tax. Mike Cotgreave, who has been active in community actions, argued: “A lot of Labour councillors actually sit on the boards of housing associations, and they haven’t come up with any concrete examples of how they’re going to stop this happening. They’re not prepared to follow through their words with actions that would actually help people.”

Debra added: “We all have the same message, and I understand the grassroots who were shouting today over some of the speakers, I understand their anger. But we do all have the same message, which is that we need to get rid of the Bedroom Tax, we’ll keep on fighting.”

Littlewoods revamp given the green light

Life/News/5 Cathedral launches Foodbank project

by Vanessa Gainford

byVanessa Gainford Plans for the Littlewoods Pools Building have been given approval.

The building just off Edge Lane has been given the go ahead with its £19 million re-development plan.

Capital & Centric Plc received the permission this week to convert the currently derelict building into a 104 bedroom hotel, as well as business units and offices.

Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric Plc said: “We’ve moved another step closer to getting underway with this challenging and complex project. These magnificent buildings have been vacant for over ten years; I’m excited by the thought of seeing them full of activity and life again.”

Scratch and sniff to find cannabis

Liverpool’s iconic Littlewoods building faced demolition last year if a use for it could not be found - but Capital & Centric have secured its future

by Tara Lamb

Merseyside households will become one of the first regions to trial a campaign aimed at stamping out illegal cannabis use.

Homes across the North West will be sent cards laced with the smell of cannabis to help people sniff out drug factories in their communities.

The card releases a scent that replicates the smell of cannabis when scratched. The campaign, run by Crimestoppers, believes the cards will help people to recognise the smell of the drug and report suspected buildings to the police.

Merseyside has been recognised as a UK cannabis cultivation hotspot and will therefore be targeted to help trial this operation.

Crimestoppers say cannabis cultivators are moving away from

commercial and industrial properties and using homes to grow the plants.

Cannabis farms are on the rise, they are up 15 per cent in the past year and The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said about 1,800 cannabis farms were found in the area by officers between 2010 and 2012, 900 were uncovered on Merseyside - the sixth highest in the country.

Superintendent Paul White, of Merseyside police, said: “Cannabis is not the harmless drug people think it is.

“It is the most widely used illegal drug in the UK and it is big business for criminal gangs.

“We are increasingly finding higher numbers of smaller scale cannabis farms set up in houses and flats rather than industrial units. This means that drugs are being grown right amongst us

and collectively, the public and the police need to stand shoulder to shoulder and root these drugs gangs out.”

Daniel Farrell, 21, moved in to a house in Mossley Hill this year and has since found out his house was used previously as a cannabis farm.

He said: “There were holes through the ceiling where they must have been running the wires from the main lines to gain electricity. You could see from my bedroom to the upstairs when we first viewed the house before moving in and it was renovated.

“I was pretty shocked I only found out a short while ago, we

LJMU film-makers win Universi-tea Challenge

by Vanessa Gainford

Two budding film makers from LJMU have scooped top spot in a national competition to promote Typhoo Tea. Film studies graduate Shaun Bond and MA Writing student Sarah Tarbit produced a video titled ‘I know Typhoo’ in which the star makes a cup of tea using the martial art skills of ‘Typhoo’.

Their video will now be used by Typhoo to promote the tea brand to a younger audience.

The challenge encouraged students to create a viral video that would assist the multi-national company in reaching a new,

younger audience.

Dozens of entries were received and four ideas were selected to be turned into videos that would be screened across Typhoo’s social media channels.

The judges at Typhoo picked ‘I know Typhoo’ as the video that most suited the brand and the aims of the viral campaign.

The announcement was made at the Redmond’s Building, Shaun and Sarah received £500 prize money.

They said: “The Typhoo UniversiTEA Challenge has been a fantastic experience which has allowed us to network with other writers, film-makers and actors. It has also been unique opportunity

for our work to seen by industry professionals. We had a blast making ‘I Know Typhoo’ and the fact that we won only sweetens the tea.”

The four finalist videos were available on Typhoo’s YouTube channel where they were viewed over 7,000 times and across the brand’s Facebook page.

Paula Baines, Liverpool Screen School’s student development co-ordinator, who worked with Typhoo to bring the competition to students, said: “We’ve really enjoyed being part of the UniversiTEA Challenge for the second year running. The competition has engaged students from a variety of degree courses.”

were talking to our next door neighbour and he mentioned that the police had found it about seven years ago. We are the first people to live in this house since the find.”

Crimestoppers recognises that drug crimes not only affect individual users but the safety of communities with around half of criminal groups in the UK being involved in drug trafficking and distribution.

Roger Critchell, director of operations at Crimestoppers, said: “We are distributing scratch and sniff cards because not many people know how to recognise the signs of cannabis cultivation happening in their neighbourhood.

“Many are also not familiar with the established links between this crime and serious organised crime.”

The charity says there has been an increase in theft, violence and

the use of firearms which is all linked to cannabis farms. Organised criminals are also said to benefit from the income generated from cannabis trafficking to fund a range of other criminal activities.

Crimestoppers insisted there was no trace of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive element in cannabis, so there was no chance of getting “high” from sniffing the cards.

Neighbourhood officers across Merseyside will be reinforcing the message with a ‘pop-up cannabis farm’ that shows passers-by what a cannabis factory can look.

Officers will be on hand to talk to people in more detail about their concerns about drugs in their area and also help them find out more about the harmful side effects of cannabis.

As a Class B drug, cannabis carries a 14-year prison sentence.

The city’s Hope + Foodbank project was launched this morning at the Anglican cathedral.

Both the Anglican and Metropolitan cathedrals will act as depots to provide food for people referred from social services, their GPs and other organisations. People will be able to collect food, such as rice, pasta, biscuits and tins of soup.

Hope + Foodbank which is named after the street linking both cathedrals, has also received £47,000 from Mayor Joe Anderson.

The cathedrals’ aim is to work with different faiths and churches to distribute food from city centre churches on different days of the week.

A hot food pantry is also now up and running at St Bride’s church as part of the project. The cathedrals and churches are also asking for donations from the public to help provide enough food.

One-stop shop for veterans

by Vanessa Gainford

An advice centre for armed forces veterans and their families is opening in Liverpool The one-stop shop is opening on Breck Road tomorrow at 10 am. There will be a small opening ceremony by the Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson. A military pipe band will also attend the event, along with current and ex-service men and women as well as organisations such as the NHS. The shop aims to readjust armed forces veterans to civilian life.

After leaving the forces many veterans and their families have to relocate and often need support with future employment opportunities, finding schools for their children and just need general advice.

The shop will be staffed by ex-military personnel and will provide support and advice such as, careers, CVs, housing, health and other issues. The new facility follows the signing of a community covenant which commits it to working closely with the military support of serving personnel, ex-service members and their families.

Life/Focus/6 On Pope Francis’s first official day in the Vatican the people of Liverpool say...

by Michaela Shaw Pope Francis was inaugurated this morning at a mass in Rome, one month after former Pope Benedict became the first in 600 years to step down from the role.

Over 200,000 people attended the mass which took place in St. Peter’s Square, as the pope greeted the crowds before the ceremony in his Pope-mobile, at one point stopping to bless a disabled man watching. The pilgrims shouted “long live the Pope!” as he finished his 20-minute tour of the square.

The mass was significantly shorter than previous ones, as the Pope Francis decided to leave out some formalities as he was

Peter Thomas, 69, said: “I think he will do a good job. He seems like a nice man. I think he needs to focus on helping the poor, and bringing people together.”

Edward Reese, 68, said: “I think he should focus on getting the church together, Jesus prayed for the people to come together as one, I hope the Pope can do that. We will have to wait and see, I hope he is as good as John Paul.”

Colette Abraham, 50, said: “I think he’s going to be like John Paul the first. The last Pope didn’t interact enough with the people. This guy is a people’s person, but he should focus on equality.”

inaugurated as the 266th Pope. He has made his intentions clear to help the poor and protect the people. He said: “It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about.

“The poorest, the weakest, the least important, those who Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, and the sick.”

The mass was broadcast on huge screens outside the Cathedral, as hundreds gathered in Plaza De Mayor in Buenos Aires to watch.

Liverpool Life took to the Metropolitan Cathedral to get peoples’ views on the new Pope...

Joyce Harris, 68, said: “From what I’ve seen he is very down to earth, he seems like he really cares about the Catholics. “

Families remember IRA victims 20 years on

by Rose Cameron

River of life memorial for the victims of the IRA bomb attack ©Guy Hatton/Flickr

Twenty years ago, Warrington fell victim to an IRA bombing which killed two young boys and injured over 50 more people.

On 20th March 1993, a terrorist attack tore through the heart of the town killing three-year-old Jonathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry. The bombs were placed in bins on Bridge Street on a busy Saturday afternoon, the day before Mother’s Day. Warrington had already experienced an act of terrorism less than a month earlier, when a bomb was planted at a gas works in the town. Luckily no one was injured, and the three men who planted the bomb were arrested after being confronted by PC Mark Toker, who was shot by one of the terrorists but survived his injuries.

Just as the town was recovering from the news that the IRA had carried out the gasworks attack, two bombs were planted in the town centre on busy

Bridge Street and killed two young boys, sparking a poignant change within the peace process.

Twenty years on, the families of the victims and the people of Warrington have made it their duty to bring peace to the town in memory of the two boys.

The Tim Parry and Jonathon Ball Foundation was set up by the parents of Tim, with support from the family of Jonathan. The Peace Centre was built in their memory. Set up as an international hub that promotes peace and conflict resolution, the centre allows for education, recuperation, and support for those affected by political strife and terrorism.

On the day of the attack Elaine Rigby, now 35, was in the town centre shopping with her friends. She remembers the day well.

“We had gone into town to buy Mother’s Day presents, like a lot of people that day. There were four of us, and we were at the top of Bridge Street. We heard the explosion, it was really loud, and we just ran. My friend’s dad was in

the police at the time, he ran and found us and told us to go home. He told us to keep walking away from town as fast as we could. The buses had stopped, so he told us which route to take home to get away from the town centre as quick as possible in case any other bombs went off.”

Elaine thinks the town has worked well to preserve the memory of the two boys and bring peace to the town.

“We were only 15 at the time, but I remember it clearly. People talked about it for weeks. It is good the way the town has reacted over the incident – it promotes peace and the families of the victims have worked hard to make sure of that.”

The terrorists who planted the bomb have never been caught. Their actions mean the town has been recognised for its message of peace, yet has done nothing for their cause. People are encouraged to observe a minute silence at 12.27pm on Wednesday, 20th March to commemorate the anniversary of the attack.

Liverpool

Life

Summer shows see stars flock to Liverpool stages

By Hayley Minn

This summer sees the Liverpool Empire welcome the stars through its doors, including Jason Donovan in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Marti Pellow in Evita, and Dolly Parton in 9 to 5: The Musical.

Running from 20-25 May 2013, Priscilla Queen of the Desert tells the story of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of.

With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes, for which it won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Costume Design, and a hit parade of dancefloor favorites including ‘It’s Raining Men’, ‘Say a Little Prayer’, ‘Go West’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Always on My Mind’, this movie-turned-musical sees Neighbours star Jason Donovan reprising his role of Tick, the part he played when the show originally opened in the West End. Richard Grieve, also of Neighbours fame, will star alongside the I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! finalist, having also previously played the part of Tick in the West End production of the show, and Graham Weaver will play Felicia, which he played in the West End production of the show.

Then, from 24-29 June 2013, Wet Wet Wet’s Marti Pellow will take to the stage in the role of Che in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, as part of a national and international tour.

Featuring some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre, such as ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’, Evita tells the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, Evita follows Eva’s journey from humble beginnings through to extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately led her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’ by the Argentine people.

Moving on to July, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical is returning to the Liverpool Empire from 30 July – 3 August 2013.

Featuring Dolly Parton’s original hit, ‘9 to 5’, the musical comedy, based on the movie of the same name, centres on three office workers who turn the tables on their boss.

Originally shown at the Liverpool Empire in January, starring Bonnie Langford, Ben Richards and Natalie Casey, the cast of this run is yet to be announced, however Dolly Parton will still feature in the show, only from her desk in Dollywood.

Artist: Nicola Taggart

You may have come across her paintings in the streets of Liverpool, that’s because Nicola Taggart’s paintings are all over the city.

Her light coloured works contrast with Liverpool’s dull red bricks.

It all started when Nicola worked with the charity KIND, she said: “I went there to do a mural and ended up staying there for the whole summer painting most of the building.

“Whilst I was there, I also ran art workshops with the kids and that took me from simply doing art.”

In 2010, Nicola, who was born and raise in Liverpool, graduated with a Fine Arts degree from John Moores University.

“It’s always been a hobby; I used

A comprehensive guide on what to see and do in Liverpool.

Theatre

Family

Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Passion Plays will re-enact the story of Christ’s last supper, trial and crucifixion. The free performances combine drama, liturgy and music and will use the whole cathedral. Some of the attendees may even become a part of the re-enactment. 25th-27th March 2013.

Derren Brown at Empire Theatre Liverpool live on Wednesday, 27 March 2013 in Liverpool, Merseyside. For tickets to see Derren Brown at Empire Theatre Liverpool, see the list of ticket prices.

Music O2 Academy The Floyd Effect taking you back to the heydey of psychedelia and Pink Floyd’s most iconic era, The Floyd Effect give an unmissable performance of some of the greatest music ever written. Sat 04 May 13 Echo Arena Due to phenomenal demand Olly Murs has announced extra dates for his 2013 Arena tour, Olly Murs will return to on 27 March 2013.

Starring in the City: Dolly Parton (Top) Jason Donovan (Bottom left) and Marti Pellow (Bottom right)

Art project that captures the spirit of city’s communities

By Paul Collins

What’s On...

to do cartoons and caricatures of friends and my family. My teachers clearly saw that there was something there and encouraged me to keep on drawing.”

Impressed with the work she’d done for KIND, LMH who were doing a regeneration of the area, asked her to come and run a six-week project with the kids.

From then on, she’s been commissioned by lots of youth and social organisms in the city as well as the Council.

The Young Person of the Year 2011 reflected on it: “Whenever there’s something nice, bright and colourful that someone has put effort in, you find the community will be encouraged to look after the area.

“Some of the kids that were involved even said they’d tell friends not to put rubbish here

or write their name on that. It’s given them ownership on their area again.

“Community artwork uplifts the area and has a positive impact; it makes people smile and brightens up a dull boring spot of land.”

The artist isn’t short of plans for the future, she’d like to focus a bit more on private works: “ I want to expose my work in galleries and also, get into renting artwork to customers so they could rent it out and change it for a different painting when they feel like it,” she said.

Meanwhile, Nicola carries on with community pieces, the next of which will be a commemorative mural for member of the Trade Union, Jack Jones, With a launch planned for the 28th of March.

Liverpool Philharmonic Dennis Locorriere has one of the finest and most distinctive voices in popular music; his vocals are immediately recognised all over the world as the voice of Dr Hook. 30th March 2013.

Liverpool Empire

Fashion Fashionable women from all over Liverpool are being invited to pick some stylish items from their wardrobe that they can bring along to a spectacular ‘fashion swap’ event taking place at PanAm Restaurant and Bar in the Albert Dock on Thursday 23 September

Arts Light Night is Liverpool’s onenight arts and culture festival taking place annually in May. The perfect opportunity to explore Liverpool, visitors of all ages can follow a trail of special events at arts and heritage attractions around the city centre.

Friday 17 May 2013

Following a summer of festival appearances and their hugely acclaimed 5X5 tour, Simple Minds will be performing their Greatest Hits. 20th April 2013.

Over the past nine years One Night Of Queen has rocked sold out audiences all over the World. Fresh from their second tour of the USA Gary Mullen and ‘The Works’ return with a stunning live concert featuring fantastic staging and lighting effects One Night Of Queen 11th June 2013: A self-confessed ‘miserable old git’ since the age of 23, Ed Byrne is now in his forties. While for others this might result in a crisis that prompts the purchase of a sports car, Ed embraces middle age with open arms.

So why not come and join him, as he truly comes of age.

Mindreader: Derren Brown will appear at the Empire

Life/Music /8

LIVERPOOL LIVE

The summer of fun 2013 Liverpool life mini-guide to festivals

by Joshua Nevett Stiff upper lip, because believe it or not summer is curiously peeking over the horizon and Liverpool Life has compiled a mini-guide to a packed summer full of live music and unrelenting hedonism. From quaint boutique jamborees, to unadulterated techno raves, to mass gatherings in the name of rock’n’roll, there’s something for everyone. So dust off your crusty wellingtons, don your knock-off wayfarer shades and prepare to bask in the almighty collection of musical spoils on offer throughout the UK.

Liverpool Sound City Festival

Where: Merseyside, Liverpool city centre When: 2nd - 4th May 2013 What: Liverpool Sound City is the largest metropolitan music and arts festival in the UK, playing host to over 360 artists in 25 venues across the city. The festival boasts an expansive programme of acts including art exhibitions, business conferences and exclusive expos. Headliners include Noah and the Whale, The Walkmen, The Dexys, Everything Everything, Melody’s Echo Chamber, and Mount Kimbie.

Why: Liverpool Sound City is an inner city festival that’s reclaimed some of the cities untapped resources to provide genuine spaces for live music - so expect to be gallivanting around some truly unique venues. With an innate emphasis on the up and coming, a synonymous link exists between the festival and Liverpool’s culture and music.

Gottwood Festival

Where: Wales, Anglesey , Llanfaethlu When: 20th - 23rd June 2013 What: Rooted in the idyllic Welsh countryside of Anglesey, Gottwood Festival (pun very much intended) is an electronic music and arts festival with a penchant for the peculiar and the intimate.

A crowd of just over 3,000 revellers make the commute to the isolated village of Llanfaethlu to submerse themselves in experimental art and DJs including Ben UFO, Move D, Bicep and Waze and Odyssey.

Why: Calling all self-affirmed hipsters: if you like your tunes ‘super-fresh’ and you dress like you’ve just stumbled out of Camden charity shop, then Gottwood Festival could very well be your Mecca. An open minded ethos is drilled into the entire Gottwood brand, so look no further for an otherworldly experience flouncing around amongst mystical woodland and cutting edge electronic music.

Liverpool International Music Festival

Where: Merseyside, Liverpool, Sefton Park When: 23rd - 26th August 2013 What: In an attempt to achieve significant savings and balance its budget, Liverpool City Council announced that Liverpool’s 20-yearold Mathew Street Music Festival was to be decommissioned - and in its place, Liverpool International Music Festival would take up the mantle. The event will aim to bring together the city in a celebration of all things musical and will incorporate performances from chief conductor Vasily Petrenko, chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; various cover acts and grassroots artists.

Why: Many will feel the bitter taste of anguish after the hearing the news that Liverpool’s famous Mathew Street Festival is to be scrapped and replaced by the smaller, less prestigious Liverpool International Music Festival. It’s not all doom and gloom though, instead of painstaking congestion, gutters brimming with vomit and ailing businesses, the onus is (apparently) back on the music and the city’s culture for this much needed revamp.

Has anyone seen my umbrella? One unlucky festival-goer gets an early bath at Glastonbury. Reading and Gottwood Festival pictured above.

Reading and Leeds

Where: Leeds - Bramham Park, Reading – Richfield Avenue When: 23rd – 25th August 2013 What: Reading and Leeds are two separate events that run simultaneously whose line-ups are predominately catered towards genres such as punk, rock, indie and metal. Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro, Hip-hop icon Eminem and American punkpop band Green Day have all been confirmed as headliners to perform in front of around 80,000 people at each respective site.

Why: Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back. Reading and Leeds have never been one to shy away from risqué line-ups, but with estranged rap megastar Eminem and the recently rehabilitated Green Day due to headline the festival, this could be their biggest gamble to date. Potential train wreck or glorious revival? Either way, considering the instability of these two acts, you’d be a fool to miss out.

Glastonbury Festival

Where: Somerset, Pilton, Worthy Farm When: 26th - 30th June 2013 What: An introduction is scarcely required for this behemoth. Glastonbury Festival is a performing arts festival best known for its contemporary music bill which features world renowned acts, along with dance, cabaret, comedy, theatre and much more. During the week of the festival, the site is occupied by around 150,000 people inspired by hippy-ethics and driven by an extensive programme of live music which this year is yet to be announced.

Why: After taking a brief hiatus last summer due to the London Olympic games, Michael Eavis and co are back in 2013 to encourage another mass exodus of hippies and world class musicians to swing by the farm for a dreary weekend of mud-diving. All pessimism aside, this year’s festival is sure to be a special one, rain or shine – and although the line-up is yet to be announced, Glastonbury never fails to disappoint.

The Parklife Weekender

Where: Manchester, Heaton Park When: 8th - 9th June 2013 What: The Parklife Weekender is a two-day festival organised by Manchester based dance party phenomena, the Warehouse Project. Its music policy consists of a mixture of up and coming bands and DJs, and although camping is not permitted, during the festival Manchester is rife with a community of festivals goers. Plan B, Disclosure, Hot Natured, Julio Bashmore have all been booked to perform at the festival, and that’s just to name a few.

Why: After last year’s shambolic display of logistical Jenga on the part of the Parklife promoters, the festival has relocated from the gridlocked Platt Fields to one of the largest municipal parks in Europe, Heaton Park. Eyebrows were furrowed as to where the two-day festival would relocate considering its close proximity to Manchester town centre, but the 600 acre Heaton Park seems to be as good a compromise as any. With an eclectic line-up consisting of some of electronic music’s hottest properties and a new boundless location to lose your mates around, Parklife is as good a pick as any and won’t leave you out of pocket either.

Our Liverpool Lives After six months of creating Liverpool Life, we take a look back at our experiences of working on a weekly newspaper.

A day in the Life of ...a designer

by Philippa Probert and Lauren Murphy Work begins at 10am on a design day- enough time for a coffee before a long day ahead. After the news conference, the editors return and decide what content will be on each page for the new issue – now designing can start! Usually, the first thing we will do is make sure the page tops are correct in order to make sure that all the pages flow accordingly; this includes page numbers and page genres.

Next we set out the layout of the page; the lead story is the most important and this takes up the majority of the page so this needs to be placed first. We also decide which stories are going to have pictures and if so, then we make sure all the pictures included are original . The picture editor will go out and take any extra pictures we need. We must make sure there is enough text to fill the page. If we have too much text later in the day, it’s easy to cut this down.

As the copy starts to come through from the news room, sometimes we may have to alter the design and occasionally start all over again. It’s not unusual for a page to change layout multiple times a day! It is also not unusual for the design team to slightly alter the wording of the copy

...a writer that has been sent through however the edited version of the work will be sent back to the original author.

In the beginning, using Adobe InDesign was difficult; there are so many different buttons and tools to click, and tips and tricks to learn.

However, now we all feel really comfortable with using the software, it really is a case of practice makes perfect!

We think we speak for everyone when we say we have learnt skills from designing Liverpool Life that we can take away with us and use in our future careers. Not only have we gained the ability to use new software, but we have the ability to organise an entire paper and work as part of a news team.

Designing is usually the most stressful week on Liverpool Life, with some people sometimes staying until 7pm to make sure the new edition is perfected, but it is also the most enjoyable. When you see your page complete and uploaded to issue.com, it’s a great feeling!

We feel like having the opportunity to work on something as successful as Liverpool Life, has really enhanced our learning. We hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as we have all enjoyed making it!

Thank you & Goodbye!

It’s time to say thank you and goodbye from the 2012/2013 team here at Liverpool Life. As the editors for this final edition from the third year Journalism and International Journalism BA students we feel we speak on behalf of everyone when we say it seems like only yesterday we arrived in Liverpool as ‘freshers’ without a clue what the next three years would bring.

There have been highs and there have been lows. But at the same time life-long friendships have flourished and memories made that will stay with us forever. We have all learnt invaluable transferable skills which will benefit us, no matter what career path we decide to follow.

On behalf of everyone who has worked on Liverpool Life we’d like to say a special thank you to Kate and Steve for leading the way in producing a newspaper to be proud of week in, week out.

We wish the 2013/2014 news team all the best as they step into our metaphorical shoes next September as they take on the challenge of creating their version of Liverpool Life.

Thank you!

Alice Kirkland and Rory Kelly Editor

by Alice Kirkland Writing days start at 9am, which means waking up at 8am, throwing a bowl of porridge down me, squeezing onto a mega busy bus, falling down the stairs of the bus and getting into university just before the session starts.

At 9.30am the news team assembles for the first conference of the day. This involves drawing up a news list of all the stories for the day whilst checking the Liverpool Echo/Post/ BBC news websites for any major stories we might have missed. If it looks like we are lacking in content it’s back to the drawing board to ensure we have enough content for the second news conference.

By 10.30am the design team have arrived and the second news conference takes place with all the editors. This involves allocating news pages for all the stories and once again checking that it looks like we have enough content to fill the paper. Normally later on in the day, the design team realise they need some smaller stories to make up any spare space they have so throughout the day we look for stories- no matter how big or small. It is around now that we decide how many pages we are looking at producing.

Whilst the conference has been taking place the news teams begin writing their pieces and sending them through to be copy tasted by the design team. It is essential that some copy can be sent through early so the design team can begin adding stories to their pages as well as making sure there are no mistakes so when the newspaper comes to print, it is perfect.

We need to make sure that both sides of the newspaper can work together so the new edition can go out by the 4pm deadline. We have all improved on our team working skills this year. At the same time, the photo editor heads out to get snaps of anything needed for our articles.

We don’t tend to get lunch times but if we do escape a brief lunch at around 12 usually involved starring longingly at the red velvet cake in Cuthberts before heading back to a panicked design team who are usually lacking in content.

By 3pm the majority of the copy is usually sent through to the other side so now it’s time to draw up a news list for possible stories for the following week. While this is happening, everyone is expected to have a story prepared for the next weeks class and if anyone in the design team needs more copy then this is our chance to help them before we leave.

I am sad to be finishing uni

“It's been the ideal training ground really.

In some ways, it can get quite frustrating that you're not actually doing it as a real, paid journalist because the things you're practising are pretty much what would be happening if you were working for a paper or website. Only with slightly less pressure and less possibility of getting sacked."

Sam McDonnell

“I’ve enjoyed working as a team & getting to know all my peers properly.

My proudest moment was when I wrote a random story about a dog but then saw on Facebook it had over 100 likes. I was well pleased with that.

Low points are when people don’t get back to you regarding interviews.

I’d just like to say thank you for having me Liverpool Life.”

“I’d say I’ve enjoyed the practical aspects of the whole thing. Coming in and working on the newspaper every week I think has prepared me well for later life.

I’m most proud of designing the music page for the newspaper as I was the first person to do it so I’m pretty damn proud, it’s damn good.

Monday’s are my low points, they’re terrible. And waiting around for copy

Maddi Cornforth

from the writing team.”

Josh Nevett

“I like the fact we get to do something different every week and getting to work in different areas, like features, which I probably wouldn’t necessarily want to do later in my career.

I’ve enjoyed just feeling part of the team, working on the website on the Monday and learning the new skills to design the pages and the little writing bits.”

Scott Rumsey

“I’ve enjoyed the fact it feels like a real work place. It’s the first time in three years where I feel we’ve actually done something that feels like journalism. It’s good to get the work-place experience.

I feel like I’ve really come into my own with the page design, I’ve made a lot of effort with it this year and learnt new skills. And also seeing my name on the page next to my stories; when it’s in print it feels really real and professional.

The start of the year was a bit of a low point when we were given the briefing and we’re all like “omg this is so much work” it was a bit overwhelming but I think all of us have just got on with it and grown as journalists.

I’m going to miss everyone.”

Kayla Shaw

“I’ve mostly enjoyed the general buzz and atmosphere of the news days. The team works well and I get on well with them.

My proudest moment was a story I did regarding Sefton having the most amount of outstanding schools than anywhere else in the UK. It was interesting and I got a lot out of it.

When you can’t get a page right is a low point. When you keep doing things and changing things and it still doesn’t look right.

I am very proud of our progress and Liverpool Life is good enough to rival a professional publication.”

Rose Cameron

“The thing I’ve most got out of Liverpool Life is more writing skills and better writing experience.

The Hillsborough coverage was the story I was most proud of. Everyone had known the truth for years so it was great that I could write about it.

Being Editor twice has been a low point when working with one of the teams. It’s been stressful; I’ve probably got more grey hairs now than I should. “

Ian Bolland

It’s hard to believe it is the last issue of Liverpool Life! There is a strange atmosphere in the newsroom today, everyone is really excited to be working on the last issue, but at the same time everyone is sad that it’s ‘over!’

I’ve really enjoyed working on the newspaper and I think as a team we’ve covered some fantastic events as well as having some fantastic designs. The day we produce the paper is always full of stress, but looking back at the paper at the end of the day really gives you something to be proud of.

Throughout my time working on Liverpool Life there has been many highs and lows, but my favourite story that I’ve covered was a feature on the Casualties Union. It was a great chance to tell people about the wonderful work that the charity did, especially as it actually turned out to be quite funny, too.

My highlight was probably when I made a whole page based on dogs that needed new homes. It may not seem like a big deal, but I’ve come to be known by the rest of the news team for always chasing news about dogs, so it was fantastic for me to get to design and write a whole page dedicated to dogs and finding them a new home!

I am sad to be finishing university and not

having the chance to write for Liverpool Life again, however I am so thankful for all the skills it has taught me and how confident I have become as a journalist. Hopefully it will be the first step on the ladder in my journalism career.

I honestly think that if my course didn’t include something like this, I would never have gained as many skills that I will leave uni with. I never thought that something third year students design and make could have ever been as successful as Liverpool Life has been. I really credit the lecturers as well for all the time they have put in to teaching us as well as making sure the new issue goes out every week.

I feel that everyone in my year has worked really well as a team this year and because of this, we have had so many professional issues of this newspaper published- we all should be very proud.

Josh Parry

There have been many highs It’s slightly weird thinking this is the last issue we will be producing!

Working on Liverpool Life throughout the year has been an enjoyable experience, even better than going the gym! Personally I’ve loved working on designing pages throughout the day and seeing the final product still gives you that sense of pride after the hard work you know it has taken and the amount of stressing that’s been done. I’ve designed a couple of front pages and been really happy with how they turned out but I most enjoyed creating the features pages as you have a little more freedom to design a page however you like.

There’s been many highs as part of the Liverpool Life team, my own though was writing a feature on 20 years of the text message and then designing the page for it. I felt I wrote a good article that looked even better on the page and I was made up it was all my own work.

When you look back at the wide array of stories we’ve covered as a news team, it’s pretty immense. From homeless dogs to the Crime Commissioner elections, if it’s happened in Liverpool then we’ve more like than likely covered it.

I feel as though working for a newspaper for six months has really got me prepared both mentally and physically for the working world and I am excited to start my career path- hopefully one that will mean I can showcase all my skills I developed whilst at uni.

I have made some great friends this year working on the newspaper, I would love to work with people like this when I get a job. It will be mad walking out of the newsroom for the final time later today, I may even shed a tear!

I’ll miss working on Liverpool Life; it’s been such an enjoyable time and one which has served me and everyone else well. The skills we have learnt will be invaluable for our futures careers! I hope all the readers have loved it as much as we have loved being a part of it.

I would definitely recommend this course to anyone hoping to pursue a career in journalism.

Jonny Bridge

Persistence is key Throughout my time at Liverpool Life I have encountered a variety of experiences.

You often find yourself being proud of the littlest things such as remaining professional at events despite there being the opportunity to have a free glass of champagne. One of my proudest moments of the year was on a design day in which I was copy tasting from 10am-3pm and then had to create a features page in the last hour. Considering it normally takes a full day to create a page to a professional standard, it’s surprising how well you work under such intense pressure.

The low points tend to consist of slow news days when the stories you intend to pitch are already taken and the interviews and quotes to only find out no-one will speak to you.

Sometimes a good story is also down to pure luck as I managed to gain an interview with Theo Paphitis purely by emailing the PR Company of Boux Avenue to hopefully cover the store opening in Liverpool 1.

Despite some disappointments throughout the year, these situations have been turning points and have helped develop and improve many skills such as my interview techniques and how I handle ‘rejection’ from potential interviewees.

This year has taught me that you have no choice but to be confident in the situations you find yourself in, as at one point I found myself in Debenhams, whilst on the phone to Debenhams trying to gain an interview with Louise Redknapp. Situations like this also teach you that persistence is key and also improves your ability to spot potential news stories. I have most improved in my writing styles, as constantly writing around four to five stories each news day, is just constant practice and for each you gain feedback to understand where you need to improve.

Liverpool Life gives you the key experience you need for the future: you realise this on your placement, as the protocol we follow is so similar to those professional publications use. Overall it has been a stressful but worthwhile and more often than not, fun experience.

Vannessa Gainford

Life/Style/13

I‛m busy doing... nothing Why is it we always find somthing to do when we should be doing something else?

Lauren Kelly investigates...

Why is it that we always put the most important tasks at the very bottom of our to-do list? We have an exam on Monday, so we wait until Saturday evening to begin our revision. It’s mother’s day, so we leave it until the day before to buy her a card. We have put on weight, so naturally we watch TV instead of going to the gym.

Cambridge Dictionaries defines procrastination as to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring Everyone procrastinates at some stage. It is only natural to want to avoid doing things that are boring and have a duvet day. We deliberately look for a distraction of any kind to get us out of doing anything difficult, and then complain about how we should have started the task earlier on.

Guilty Students are probably the people guiltiest of procrastination.

Evidence of this? Compare how busy the university library was in October to how busy it is now on the month of exam season. Students are panicking about missing deadlines and failing tests. They have been given plenty of notice about the number of essays they need to submit, and the amount of studying they have to do and still leave their work to last minute and then make the typical excuses such as, ‘I work better under pressure’, or ‘I will do it eventually’.

Sometimes we even see people posting on Twitter and Facebook bragging about how they aren’t doing work, very cool.

However often procrastination may not be down to laziness or boredom, it could be due to the fear of failure, or the overload of too many tasks at the one time.

Or it could because we are so distracted by other things such as going to the pub? Watching TV? Playing on our smartphones apps?

Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, Instagram, Temple run, are some

Top five typical excuses: · I’ll start my essay tomor-

row. It shouldn’t take me too long to do anyway · The diet begins on Monday. · I knew we wouldn’t be doing anything in class today so I didn’t bother going · I should really cook dinner but I’m so tired I think I’ll just get a take away instead · I need to put on a wash but I haven’t got any detergent left

of the most popular phone applications, used by many owners.

Unfortunately they are also some of the most addictive, and distracting, especially for those who are trying to do something productive. But no matter how addictive these apps may be, they are somewhat useless and will do very little to further your career, or lifestyle.

There are only so many jobs at Candy Crush headquarters to go around after all..

Liverpool Life spoke asked some people whether they were procrastinators, or if they preferred to get the boring tasks out of the way.

Ellie Rowland, Wales, 19, said: “I’ll do anything to get out of doing boring things like work.

I’m not addicted to smartphone apps, instead I’ll try to start an essay and I’ll just get up and go for a random walk.”

However, despite how boring any task may be, there is always a great feeling of satisfaction when we do go to the gym or submit an essay and know that we did work hard.

Emma Mortier, Lancaster, 19,

agrees with this theory telling

Sitting around, busy doing nothing or playing games such as Candy Crush (inset)

Top five apps we use when we are putting something off: · Go on Facebook chat · Tweet about how we are putting something off · Try to reach level 21 on Candy Crush

Ryan Brown, Liverpool, 22 “I don’t really put things

Simon Montague, Ireland, 35 “I have a job so I can’t

Matthew Plant, Leicester,20

· Instagram the work we haven’t done

afford to leave things to last minute and I’m not into Twitter or Facebook so they wouldn’t be a distraction for me.”

“I would say I do prioritise.

I’m paying to go to uni so there’s not much point wasting it playing on my phone.”

off, I just always have loads of other things on, so I’ll do the most important first. I don’t procrastinate really and I don’t care about Facebook and all that.”

Liverpool Life: “I do my work as soon as I get it because I hate being under pressure and I love getting it out of the way. But I still get distracted

by the internet.”

Basically procrastination derives from having a negative attitude towards a project and so hence the lack of willingness

to do it, but there are ways to overcome this problem such as recruiting a study partner, plan your days and stick to those plans, and have a positive outlook on life.

Or, you could always just get on with it and stop making excuses, playing on your phone and watching the soaps. Just a thought to keep in mind!

involvement with the illegal money lenders his debts equated to £3,400 and he had no means of ever being able to pay the money back because he wouldn’t seek help and advice from his family or friends.

There was not enough evidence for the police to enable them to arrest Nicholson although Brian’s death was ruled by the coroner as suicide due to death threats. Ten months later Nicolson was jailed indefinitely in March 2009 and stripped of £1m that he had swindled from hundreds of innocent clients in Cheshire. He was convicted of rape, assault, blackmail and operating without a license.

With the help of the Citizens Advice Bureau, Trading Standards and Credit Union Carol set up a meeting to ask what help was available to people who had been targeted by loan sharks and been bullied and threatened. It was then she realised that there was no other advice that the companies could

give other than to go to the police which Carol knew many people feared doing. This inspired Carol to do something to help others.

Carol said: “I wasn’t looking for anyone to blame I just didn’t want other people to suffer in the same way the Brian did.”

On January 22nd 2010 Carol’s charity was set up, the Brian Sheild’s Trust and within the first 20 minutes of her helpline being set up she received ten calls from victims throughout the UK. In the last three years that Carol’s charity has been set up it has gone from strength to strength and she has used her own personal experience to help others.

At the end of 2012 Carol received a letter from David Cameron to ask if she would like to be awarded with an MBE for recognition of her work to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal money lending and for providing constant campaigning to provide support to victims.

· Watch Harlem Shake YouTube videos

One mum’s fight against loan sharks

by Sara Ainsworth

The mother of a suicide victim, who killed himself following debt worries, has been recognised for her efforts to combat illegal money lenders.

Carol Highton of Runcorn, who set up a charity in memory of her son, has been awarded with an MBE to mark all of her hard work in supporting others who have been targeted by illegal loan sharks.

In 2006, Brian Shields took his own life at the tender age of 22 after he got involved with the wrong type of people and felt he had nobody to confide in.

Since then Carol has touched the lives of at least 27,000 victims and helped them to seek the help and support that they need.

Brian was a promising young footballer who had agreed professional terms with Oldham and Wigan and is described by his mum Carol as “an outgoing happy go lucky lad who always had time

for others”.

The police explained that it looked like a typical case of suicide but this came as a complete shock to Carol and the rest of his family who knew that he had never suffered with a history of depression and were unaware of the depths of his spiralling debts.

Two weeks prior to Brian ending his life he opened up to his mum and sister on separate occasions about how he was worried about one of his friends who had borrowed money from a loan shark and couldn’t afford the repayments.

He told them that the loan shark was threatening to shoot his mother and rape his sister if the next payment wasn’t received on time.

Carol said: “It was in hindsight that he was talking about himself, he told us that nobody bothers going to the police because it only makes things a lot worse.

“Brian became involved with the wrong type of people. He used

Carol has been awarded MBE

Brian suffered with debt

to go out with his colleagues after work on Friday evenings and on one occasion, was offered cocaine free of charge. A few weeks later he was told that they all owed £300 for the drugs that they had taken and that if they didn’t have the money up front there was a finance company that was run by a friend of his who would be happy to help them out.”

This is when Brian came into

contact with Falcon Securities financer Paul Nicolson in Widnes.

Initially Brian borrowed £300 and signed an agreement to state that he owed 90% interest repayments.

Each time that a repayment was due and he struggled to get the money together Paul would agree to clear his debts and start again giving him a bigger loan each time.

After four months of Brian’s

Life/Style/14

Schuh £75

MAC Eyeshadow in Swiss Chocolate £12 Topshop £3.50

Are you a Fashion-easter?

Check out our cracking fashion ideas to make sure you’re ready to celebrate Easter in style.

by Rachael Bentham

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Accessorize £35

Miss Selfridge £10

Life/travel/15

Your essential getaway guide Lads’ weekend

What better excuse to pack your bags and escape the dull 9 to 5 than an Easter break?

Whether you are a couple, a family or just looking for some fun, there are plenty of purse-friendly destinations to suit you.

Dani Baldwin chooses her favourite holiday spots…

What a better destination for a group of fun-loving lads than party capital Amsterdam.

The hot spot for stag do’s and boozy weekends, you won’t find yourself short of things to do here. By night you can hit the famous bars from liquor-tasting in De Admiraal to cheap beers galore in Eik En Linde. By day, let your artistic side out and visit the famous Van Gogh Museum or enjoy some live rock music and Amstredam’s oldest venue, Cafe Pakhuis Wilhelmina. Fly from Liverpool airport with Easy Jet, prices from as little as £55.

y a w a t e g Romantic

Rome is the perfect place to visit at this time of year. With a newly-elected pope, the atmosphere in this historic city will surely be buzzing. On your romantic city break, you can visit the famous coliseum, take a travel tour around the Vatican and make a wish in the Trevi fountain before being wined and dined at the Fortunato al Pantheon. This offers authentic Italian dining in a rustic and friendly environment. Travel from Manchester airport with Ryan Air, flights from £140.

Girls’ pampe

On a budget

r treat

Going on an Easter holiday doesn’t mean you have to dig deep in your pockets. You can escape the hustle and bustle of daily life right here in the UK. The Lake District has some of Britain’s oldest pubs and hotels which will offer you all the comfort you need without breaking the bank. With beautiful views and spectacular scenery, a walk in the countryside is a cost free activity that anyone can enjoy. Alternatively, take a trip to Lake Windermere and take a boat ride around the lake. Find out more by visiting www.cumbria-the-lake-district.co.uk/

Whisk yourself and your friends away to Rockliffe hotel spa in the north east of England. Leave the stress of work and kids behind and indulge yourself in five star luxury. This grand hotel boasts a fantastic 375 acres of garden, perfect to enjoy a glass of wine in spring sun. Deals typically come with overnight stay including breakfast. Go on, treat yourself! Treatements start at £50 for an afternoon. Visit the website for more information and prices, www.rockliffehall.com/

n a t r u o y p u Top

If it’s sun and sea you’re after, look no further than Tenerife. This destination island offers something for everyone whether you want a scenic holiday or bars and live music. With sun all year around, Playa de las Americas has become one of Europe’s most popular holiday resorts. This part of Tenerife is packed with luxury hotels, apartment buildings and tourists in search of sun, beaches and holiday. There are several beaches, activities, and a choice of restaurants. For the best all inclusive deals visit www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/tenerife/all-inclusive.htm

Life/Style/16

The hidden wonders on your doorstep F

With this week marking English Tourism Week, Liverpool Life editor Rory Kelly sought to discover some hidden gems for people visiting Merseyside.

With the bright lights of London offering tourists from all over the world a chance to stroll through Hyde Park, gander through the highly priced pieces in Harrod’s, get a picture taken outside Buckingham Palace and even have a city-wide scope from the pinnacle of the London Eye, it is worth noting that there are indeed other places, outside the capital, to visit! Obvious attractions would be Stonehenge, The Angel of the North, Windsor Castle and The Lake District. However, these obvious options often steal the limelight from other popular, yet more veiled tourist destinations.

Ask anyone about Liverpool and chances are the first thing they will say will either be The Beatles, football or the docks. In a city that attracts upwards of 50million visitors a year, Liverpool is a city where there is more to do and see than drink in the city centre.

B

ased on the Wirral, is a place called Port Sunlight Village. For anyone visiting Liverpool to see the sights away from Church Street and the Albert Dock, Port Sunlight is a must. Beautifully constructed buildings were erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily and exclusively for workers employed in the soap factor. The Conservation area, with landmarks such as the Lady Lever Art Gallery and The War Memorial, is one of the more obscure, but beautiful areas to see in Merseyside.

or any men looking to surprise the wife or girlfriend with a trip to Liverpool in the next couple of weeks, tickets are still available for the John Smith’s Grand National, which takes place on April 4 at Aintree Racecourse. Leave them to their devices in Liverpool, while you enjoy a day filled with a fantastic atmosphere and some bad horses at the punter’s paradise.

F

or the more cultured visitors, a walk along the City’s famous Albert Dock will feed the craving of cultural attraction. However, hidden in the Albert Dock is the renowned Tate Museum.

With events such as Lichtenstein: A Representative; Glam: The Performance of Style and various others set to take place in the coming months, Tate provides the arty type with the feeling that Anfield or Goodison Park will offer the first-time football fan.

S

hould you get hungry while visiting the city, the lure of a nearby Starbucks, McDonald’s or Burger King often offers a quick fix. However, hidden near the Metropolitan Cathedral is Cuthbert’s Bakery. Instead of indulging in a feed of greasy chips, or a pre-made sandwich, discover the home-made selection of breakfasts, sandwiches, pastries and breads available in a bakery which looks like you’ve just walked into a quirky woman’s dream home. With friendly staff and rare beverage options, trust me, it beats sitting in a packed restaurant eating a cold burger.

A

nd whilst the men indulge in gambling and drowning their sorrows in a few pints at Aintree, their respective ladies can sample the exclusive boutiques in the hidden treasure that is Cavern Walks. Based on Mathew Street alongside the countless Beatles requiems, this shopping centre is small in size, but anything in there is sure to be massive in price. Just a tip for the men – don’t give them your wallet to go there!

Aigburth: The seventh coolest place to live in the UK! The Times newspaper published a guide to the top thirty places ‘populated by cool people’. Anne Ashworth, Times Property and Money Editor, described Aigburth as ‘A classy urban village where trendy mums run yoga classes and families take their recycling awfully seriously’.

Dave Mumby, 25, moved to Aigburth to study as a teacher. He said: “I love it here. It is friendly and youthful. We are never short of anything to do! There are good schools near-by so it is popular with families but obviously students commuting to the city centre too. It’s a good place to live!”

22-year old Alex Smith said: “I think it’s cooler than 7th place! It is a really nice community, and with Lark Lane and Sefton Park, it has a lot to offer to all ages. I will really miss it when I leave.”

Mark Farrent, 21, said: “It’s great, the train station is close so it’s quick to get into town, lots of nice places to go out on Lark Lane, I share a nice big house here with my friends so I love it! The Victorian houses round here are popular with sharing students, but it’s a good mix of everyone. That’s why it’s so nice and friendly.”

Life/Sport/17

Liverpool fans stand up for cheap tickets

Joe Barnes Takes a look at how Liverpool fans are making are protesting against football’s leaders and the constant rise in ticket prices which have meant future fans have to stay away from Anfield after being priced out of the game.

Young Liverpool supporters have taken it upon themselves to lead an initiative that they hope will go nationwide.

The fans, who have travelled the country and continents in support of their team are self-funding and creating visual displays at away fixtures in protest against ticket pricing that continue to spiral out of proportion.

Each week, the group, aged from 15 to 30, gather to work on ideas and create the banners that have been seen and photographed in away ends across the country from Southampton to Wigan.

One fan, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We are really working hard to make football more affordable for everyone not just ourselves. In the top European leagues, they have far cheaper tickets and remain competitive.

“For example Dortmund, a team competing in the European Cup and doing well have season tickets for less than 200 Euros, our cheapest season ticket in Anfield is £715, which is an insult to fans, considering our recent performance as a club on the football pitch.”

Amongst the most creative banner, a Comparethemarket. com styled advert displaying the differences in ticket prices at several different clubs, above the statement: ‘Same game-same league-different prices’. (Pictured to the right of the page) The latest addition to the collection, Football’s Fat Cats was displayed at Southampton with the idea to criticise the game’s governing bodies and the ones profiting from the pricing.

One fan was keen to comment on the misconception of their campaigns on websites, said: “It’s unfair that we receive stick, but we will not be militant about it, we are here to educate and bring fans together but to separate them, we

have been described as consumers and customers, but the fact is we are not that, we are supporters.”

But that is opposite to the banner makers’ idea, they do not want to give in and concede in the fight against ticket pricing and believe what they are doing is not just for themselves but for supporters across the country.

A local artist has been instrumental in the campaign, helping to complete the initial design and artwork for the banners, as well as the Black-e arts centre which is providing an area for the group to work and meet to produce the banners.

It is not just Liverpool supporters that have produced banners campaigning against the modern game.

Sunderland fans produced and displayed a banner at Queens Park Rangers.

They were subsequently ejected from the ground ,for making complaints at QPR officials for having some of the most expensive tickets in the league, despite being bottom of the table.

The fan said: “It is great to see other fans joining the campaign, as we have said before this is not just our fight, this is a joint thing, we had a banner at Manchester City. At first the stewards and City fans didn’t understand what we were attempting to do, but once our message was passed across we managed to create a display of unity between both sets of fans, making a stand about pricing.”

The group wants fans from each of the 20 Premier League clubs to come together to produce a league-wide protest.

The displays have been only seen at away matches, but on the 7th of April, the group plan to bring the protest to Anfield for the first time, creating a spectacle in all four stands, rather than the tradition of displays being kept to the Kop.

Supporters make a stand against the constant rise of ticket prices. Top Southampton away, above Wigan away and below Udinese away.

Life/Sport/18 Rovers falling away

by Eoghain McKane

Tranmere will look to bounce back this week, after their disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of MK Dons on Saturday.

The defeat now means the Wirral side have dropped out of the top six of the nPower League One, with seven defeats in the last ten matches.

With seven matches left, Tranmere will hope to drastically improve their form and push for a promotion place with a win against Stevenage.

Manager Ronnie Moore will hope that his depleted squad’s fortunes will improve in the run-in.

Rovers must still plan without long-term absentees James Wallace and Andy Robinson for the tie, while striker Adam McGurk is still a fortnight away from playing.

Moore has urged his side not to give up, saying, “We’ve got to make sure we can at least stay in there and have something to fight for on the last day of the season.”

Allen out for season

by Ryan McCann

Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen will undergo surgery on his shoulder later this week, which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Liverpool midfielder has withdrawn from Wales’ squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Scotland and Croatia and has decided to go ahead with the shoulder operation, after being troubled with the injury since he moved to Anfield in the summer.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and Allen were hoping to get to mid-April before addressing the problem but the international break has enabled the club to take action now.

It is estimated that Allen will need at least three months to recover, which means he should be ready to return in pre-season training at the start of July.

After making a bright start to life at Liverpool after his £15million move from Swansea, Allen suffered a dip in form, and has seen the return of Lucas Leiva hamper his progress at Anfield. He was substituted at halftime during Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat at Southampton on Saturday.

Third years to face Alumni in cup final The Alumni side defeated second year team in the JMU journalism semi-final last Sunday in a dramatic match at IM Marsh and will face the level 3 team

by Arild Skjaeveland

The third years face the Alumni side in the final of the JMU Journalism World Cup this Sunday, as they chase their first title in the prestigious tournament.

The Alumni reached the final after beating Level 2 last weekend, in a dramatic match at IM Marsh.

Alumni, wearing lucky emerald green, had a comfortable 3-1 lead, but let the second years into the match. When referee Keith Hill blew his whistle for full time, the score was 3-3, and it had to be decided from the penalty spot.

Captain Chris Shaw, John Mathews, Neil Leatherbarrow and Dan Burke showed their experience and converted the penalties for Alumni. Nathan Potter missed the decisive penalty for Level 2, and Alumni could start to prepare for the final against the tourna-

ment team looking like Barcelona.

Alumni captain Chris Shaw said: “I’m very optimistic after a highly impressive performance on Sunday. We have injury concerns, but I’m confident of lifting the trophy myself and the lads have craved for three years.”

Level 3 captain Rory Kelly is not nervous about facing the team that beat Level 2. One year ago, the losing semi-finalists famously battered his team 8-3: “We’re going into the game full of confidence. Having gotten past the taboo of not winning a game, we’re really up for the final now.”

“With it being against the Alumni, that obviously adds to it. But we need everyone to be at the races that day, and it’s a huge opportunity to get our hands on the trophy.”

“I think we need to be solid at the back. Joel Richards commanded our back four well in

the semi-final, and I think Eivind Haugstad Kleiven would strike fear into anyone. If the defence stay tight, the front four will have no trouble creating chances.”

Level 3 had an impressive 15 players available for their semi-final, but are likely to be without Jamie Allen in the final, who injured his ankle in the semi-final, for what he describes as: “likely to be the last game of my career”. Arild Skjaeveland’s lucky moustache helped the team through the semi-final, and he has grown a new one for the final.

Level 3 have had three weeks rest since their impressive semi-final, where they powered through with an impressive 4-1 win against the first years. Alumni were forced to loan in players from Level 1 – and if they do the same for the final, then Level 3 will face some motivated losing finalists. Manager Joe

Barnes is confident his red and blue boys will go on to win: “I hope we’ll take the title for the first time. We are really up for Sunday, and we’re a very well organized team. We’ve got a great bunch of lads, and we are buzzing. We will batter them!”

Alumni player-manager John Mathews has witnessed both semi-finals of this year’s competition, and scored his penalty in the penalty-shootout this Sunday. He is keeping his line-up a secret until the two teams line up at IM Marsh: “I’m going to keep my line-up secret, but I can tell you that there will be some guest players there. And I might unleash myself from the bench.”

“I’m excited to be in our first final. I think, winning the semi-final like we did on penalties has got the boys buzzing. I didn’t see anything to be afraid of when I watched the Level 3 team in their semi-final.”

by Tara Lamb

ie got the fourth for the Merseyside team before Williams completed her hat trick as she took the ball around the keeper.

Williams had the chance to make it four as she took a penalty after Rolser was brought down in the box, but she struck the post.

Liverpool will now play Sunderland in the sixth round of the FA cup at the end of March, while the Women’s Super League will also begin later this weekend with a Merseyside derby.

The Liverpool ladies will play host to Everton at Halton Stadium on Saturday in the

first round of the Continental Cup competition, the equivalent to the men’s League Cup. Everton, despite their cup clash being postponed, will be encouraged after a great display from their girls in the Cyprus Cup competition, which saw England crowned champions.

Jill Scott, Toni Duggan and Rachel Brown were all involved in the Cyprus Cup win for England with Duggan gaining her first international goal in the 4-4 group match against Scotland.

A flurry of swaps across Merseyside has happened in the

STAR MEN

Alumni captain Chris Shaw: Powerhouse central midfielder will have a job on his hands.

Level 3’s Ryan McCann: The hairy dynamo is equipt at both getting forward and defending.

FA cup win gives Liverpool ladies hope for next season A hat trick from debutant Fara Williams helped Liverpool Ladies through to the fifth round of the FA cup after a comfortable 5-0 win over Aston Villa.

England international Williams opened the scoring with a strike from 25 yards before Louise Fors converted a penalty just before the break after a foul on Nicole Rolser.

Williams got her second goal 12 minutes in to the second half with a neat lob over the keeper. Striker Natasha Dow-

lead up to the Women’s Super League start with sisters Vicky and Kelly Jones have made the switch from Liverpool to Everton in November.

Liverpool has signed 12 new players for the 2013 campaign including ex Everton players Lucy Bronze, Natasha Dowie and England international Fara Williams. Liverpool have finished bottom of the Women’s Super League for the previous two seasons but with major investment this season hope to challenge Arsenal to league honours.

Local boxers reach seniors quarters

by Eoghain McKane

Three boxers from Merseyside and Cheshire will go to the quarter finals of the Senior Amateur Boxing Association Championship, later this month.

Adam Farrell and Tom Simpson made statements of intent by dumping out last year’s finalists in their 75kg and 67kg bouts respectively.

Farrell exacted revenge on Wellington’s Peter Martin after being beaten by the North East man last year in the semi-finals.

Salisbury ABC’s Farrell gained revenge on Wellington’s Peter Martin after the North East man defeated the Liverpool boxer in the semi-finals last season.

Finally, Knowsley Vale’s Simpson in his fourth fight of the competition saw off 2012’s beaten ABA finalist Lewis Riston (Forest Hall).

Other local winners were Wirral’s Alex Foulkes, who opened his account for the season after winning against Aaron Humbery, in the 54kg division.

Life/Sport/19

Leading trainers bid for National glory

by Ryan McCann

With the 2013 John Smith’s Grand National just over two weeks away, it is Irish-trained horses who currently dominate the ante-post betting following the unveiling of the weights.

But, this year, there’s every chance that it may be time for the Welsh trainers to step up to the mark and break the longstanding hoodoo in the world’s most famous steeplechase.

Evan Williams’ Cappa Bleu and the Rebecca Curtis-trained Teaforthree are already being touted as potential winners It has been 108 years since a Welsh-trained horse won the National, when Kirkland romped to victory in 1905. But this year, four Welsh-based handlers will be aiming to bring victory after an elusive wait.

Tim Vaughan will send the 2011 Scottish Grand National winner Beshabar to Aintree, while Peter Bowen’s triple Topham Chase hero may decide to step up this year and compete in the prestigious race.

Cappa Bleu, who finished last year’s National in fourth place, is arguably most appealing.

Evan Williams has successfully placed a runner every year since 2008 and it is evident that the trainer knows how to prepare his thoroughbreds for the grand stage.

State Of Play ran a terrific race in 2001, finishing fourth, and based on last year’s display, it appears Cappa Bleu has inherited his former stablemates’ love of Liverpool.

He has been forced to sit and wait for his prep runs due to the bad ground but will hopefully be back on track this weekend.

Wherever he goes prior to Aintree he will be spot-on come the day from a trainer who knows what it takes to prepare a horse for the National.

Rebecca Curtis’ Teaforthree is aiming to go one better than the Welsh National when he was pipped at the line by Monbeg Dude.

The nine-year-old jumps well and will relish the long distance trip at Aintree having landed

the four-miler at Cheltenham last March and at 20-1 he looks a solid each-way ante-post bet.

The lightly-weighted David Bridgwatertrained Wyck Hill, at around 28-1, is another who could be in the shake-up.

Last year’s winning trainer Paul Nicholls was dealt a harrowing blow last month when the rejuvenated Tidal Bay was ruled out of this year’s National.

Tidal Bay’s stable-mate Join Together - second over the National fences in the Becher Chase in December – could surprise a few people and is a reasonable bet in the absence of Tidal Bay. Join Together’s experience of the National fences will stand him in good stead.

Last year’s third place Seabass is another horse who seems to thrive on the Aintree racetrack.

The Ted Walsh trained filly is sure to be in the shake-up again, while other Irish raiders - the Willie Mullins’ duo Prince De Beauchene and current National favourite On His Own.

On His Own 9/1 Seabass 11/1 Prince de Beauchene 12/1 Cappa Bleu 14/1 Colbert Station 18/1

Sefton secure title Sefton have been crowned Merseyside County Sports Partnership Physically Disabled Cricket champions by defeating St Helens by 40 runs in the final.

The event was held at Clare mount Specialist Sports College in Birkenhead, where school children from Sefton displayed excellent team spirit to overcome their opponents.

Speaking after the final, competition organiser Jon White said: “All the players competed with determination, honesty, passion, respect, and self-belief. They continued to display these school games values throughout the day’s play.

“The competition was umpired

by Keith Beggs, a selector for the England Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) team.

“The players also received some high-quality coaching, during breaks in their matches, from the world’s number one SEND cricketer, who is also an outstanding coach.”

WINNER: AP McCoy rides Don’t Push It to victory in the 2010 Grand National at Aintree beating Black Alapachi

Crunch ties for Home Nations

by Rory O’Reilly

Saints on march

by Ian Bolland

Liverpool St Helens continued their march towards promotion after a 27-8 home victory at Rochdale.

The Moss Lane side are now six points clear of second placed Sale at the top of North One West after their third successive victory, after bouncing back from their setback against Vale of Lune, scoring 98 points and only conceding eight.

They face a top of the table clash against Sale on Saturday at Moss Lane, where a win will take them a massive step closer to the title, with three games remaining after that.

© Liverpool Echo

Each of the home nations will play crucial World Cup Qualifiers this week, with England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all in action this Friday.

Roy Hodgson’s England will be undoubtedly favourites against minnows San Marino. Hodgson’s side are two points behind Group H leaders Montenegro with six games to play. Concerns over Wayne Rooney’s recent form along with some notable absentees have left the England boss with plenty of issues to be resolved.

Liverpool trio Glen Johnson, Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge have all been selected whilst Everton’s Leon Osman and Leighton Baines have also been called up. England’s defensive options suffered a blow following the withdrawals of Rio Ferdinand, and Michael Dawson whilst Gary Cahill has been ruled out with a knee injury but could be fit to

face Montenegro later in April.

In a home nations encounter, Newcastle’s Steven Taylor has Wales face Scotland in Gordon been called up for the first time.

Strachan’s first competitive game Meanwhile, Republic of in charge, at Hampden Park on Ireland’s injury worries have Friday, before meeting Croatia mounted ahead of Ireland’s in Swansea on Tuesday. The World Cup qualifiers against two sides currently sit bottom Sweden and Austria. Giovanni of Group A after poor starts to Trappatoni’s side their qualifying will face Sweden Liverpool’s Steven c a m p a i g n . in Stockholm this L i v e r p o o l Gerrard, Daniel Friday, before midfielder Joe Sturridge and Glen Allen has been playing Austria in Dublin four days Johnson , along with ruled out of later.

Wingers Chris Coleman’s Leon Osman and Aiden McGeady Wales squad for Leighton Baines of the game with a and Anthony Pilkington have Everton, are included shoulder injury, been ruled out while well edited. through injury, along with Hull Gareth Bale has been included in City defender Paul McShane. The the squad. The 23-year-old has absence of McGeady may present been in phenomenal form of late an opportunity for James McClean and will pose the biggest threat to and Robbie Brady, while the Strachan’s team, after picking up a notable absence of Kevin Doyle knock against Fulham on Sunday. from the squad, could mean Conor For Scotland, Norwich City Sammon of Derby may earn his defender Steven Whittaker has first competitive cap. been called into the squad ahead

of their World Cup qualifiers.

Whittaker’s inclusion follows the withdrawals of James Forrest, Ross McCormack and Danny Fox. Cardiff’s striker Craig Bellamy is again included in the Wales squad after dismissing reports of retiring from international football, while Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey is also back after being a late withdrawal for the game against Austria.

In the toughest game of all, Northern Ireland play host to Russia at Windsor Park as Michael O’Neill looks for his first win as boss. The side will be hoping for a big result as they have only accumulated three points from four games so far in Group F. Kyle Lafferty and Chris Baird are unavailable for the game due to suspensions. Jamie Ward, Will Grigg and Billy McKay have all received further another call ups and will be aiming to impress ahead of the Russia game, when O’Neill will need a replacement for Lafferty up front.

Gerrard©clotheyesFlickr

Liverpool

LifeSPORT 19 - March - 2013

OWEN REACHES FINAL FURLONG Former Liverpool striker announces retirement at end of season

by Eoghain McKane Former Liverpool striker and England international Michael Owen has announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old Stoke player has had a glittering career with stints at Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United and now Stoke following his Anfield exit.

Owen, originally hailing from Chester, notched up 158 goals in 297 appearances for Liverpool after making his first team debut at 17.

He went on to make 89 appearances for the England national team, having debuted in 1998.

Owen said in a statement today: “It is with an immense amount of pride that I am announcing my intention to retire from professional football at the end of this season.

“Having progressed through the ranks at Liverpool to make my first team debut at 17, before embarking upon spells at Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, not to mention representing my country on 89 occasions, I now feel it is the right time to bring the curtain down on my career.”

Owen has had a glittering career scoring a total of 220 club career goals, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League and Uefa Cup as well as becoming the first Englishman to win the Balon d’or (European player of the year) since Kevin Keegan won it back in 1979.

After bursting on the scene, Owen went on to make himself a first team regular for Liverpool winning a League Cup, FA Cup and Uefa Cup treble in 2001.

He then left Anfield to sign for Spanish giants Real Madrid during their ‘Galactico’ era in 2004, joining England team-mate David Beckham and other stars such as Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo in

Biography; 1979: Born: Chester 14th December 1989: Attending school, scouted 1991: Approached by clubs while at Lilleshall 1996: Wins Fa Youth cup with Liverpool. Signs professional contract and makes first appearance - scores his first goal ..

1997: Made Liverpool debut in May. 1998: Awarded player of the seasn award for ‘97 season.

1998: Makes full England debut against Chile in February.

1998: Scored famous goal against Argentina.

1998: Named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

the Spanish capital.

His time with Stoke hasn’t gone as he would have hoped. He has made just six appearances, scoring one goal Owen continued: “I have been very fortunate in that my career has taken me on a journey that like many young players starting out, I could only have dreamt of.

“None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support I have received from managers, coaches, fellow players, back room staff, the supporters and my own personal sponsors.

“I would like to thank each and every one for the huge role they have played in helping me reach the top of my profession.

“Most of all though, I would like to thank my family.

“To my beautiful wife Louise, for her continued love and support through the many ups and downs in my career and for affording me the most precious gift of all, our children.

“To my Mum who has always taken the brunt of my frustrations yet continues to keep our family so tight-knit, a trait that has formed the foundations of my own success.

“Her dedication to me and my brothers and sisters is immeasurable.

“I’d like to thank Terry, Andy, Karen and Lesley for being so understanding and creating the perfect environment to grow up in. Last but not least, my Dad. We did it my old mate! .”

Tweets of support have flooded in since the news came out.

Former Newcastle teammate Joey Barton tweeted: “Far too early mate.

“If you’re injury-free, you still have a lot to offer. Understand there is more to life. Sad to see you go.”

Former England striker Gary Lineker also tweeted: “Happens to us all Michael.

“You’ve been a credit to the game. Wish you all the very best.”

2001: Scored in final against Arsenal, treble winning season 2003: 100th Premier league goal scored.

2004: Moves to Real Madrid for £8 million 2005: Moves to Newcastle for £17 million, breaks metatarsal bone in December.

2006: Suffers serious knee injury in the first minute of Englands opening World Cup game.

2009: Signs with Man United, scores injury time winner against rivals Man City.

2011: Wins Premier League medal with Manchetser United.

2012: Released by United, signed for Stoke on a free transfer.

2013: Announced retirement.

Injured marine races to the line

by Ryan McCann

A Liverpool marine who lost his leg in Afghanistan was one of the hundreds of runners who completed the city’s half-marathon at the weekend.

Andy Grant, 24, injured his leg during his second tour of duty and endured 18 months of gruelling rehabilitation with a cage around his leg, before deciding to have his limb amputated in 2010.

On Sunday, the dad of two completed the half-marathon and was understandably overwhelmed with his performance.

He said: “All the training and hard work has paid off and I am just glad to get it over and done with. I’m very proud of my achievement. I set myself a twohour target for finishing the race and I’m over the moon that I achieved that too. It couldn’t have gone much better.”

Before deciding to run in the half-marathon, Andy had been keeping himself in good shape by bike riding for the Help For Heroes charity, and has revealed the road running was beginning to take its toll on his leg.

Difficult

Marksman: Owen scored 158 goals in 297 appearances for Liverpool

Career Highlights

1. With 40 goals to his international record, Owen will be remembered mostly for his solo goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. With a mazy dart past Jose Chamot and Roberto Ayala, Owen finished with aplomb past the keeper to and announce his arrival on the world stage.

2. In the 2001 FA Cup final, Liverpool looked destined to be runners up, but only for Owen to score a brace late on against Arsenal and turn the match on its head to crown Liverpool winners.

3. Owen will again be remembered after he helped England to beat Germany in a 5-1 thrashing with a memorable hatrick on a historic

night for England.

4. Owen made his Liverpool first team full debut in May 1997 at Selhurst Park against Wimbledon asnd netted a debutt goal. He went on to be joint top scorer in the Premier League the folowing season with 18 goals to his name.

Six months later he went onto to net his maiden ahat-trick in a League Cup tie against Grimsby.

5. A goal in the 2003 League Cup final at The Millenium Stadium in Cardiff against bitter rivals Manchester United sealed a 2-0 win for the Reds. Again Owen raced onto a pass and finished past the goalkeeper. to help Liverpool on thier way to taking the trophy.

© Trinity Mirror

Five things you didn’t know about Michael Owen 1. Once trained to be a helicopter pilot.

2. Became the youngest England international of the 20th century when he made his debut against Chile in 1998.

3. The only Englishman to have scored in four major tournaments. and is fourth on the all-time goalscoring list.

4. Has spent more time on Match of the Day this season than on the pitch for Stoke 5. Scored fewer Premier League goals than the much-maligned Emile Heskey since 2004.

“Cycling is a lot better for the leg because it’s non-contact. If I’m honest, it was becoming increasingly difficult to motivate myself. The running on the hard roads in the cold winter months began to put a lot of strain on my leg, so I’ll go back to a bit of cycling now and try strike a balance for my body that isn’t putting unnecessary pressure on my body. I really have to be careful.”

In order to complete the marathon, Andy needed to use a special running blade with additional springs so the pressure on his leg was kept to a minimum.

“When it comes to running, the blade is great. But it is almost impossible to walk with which is strange, so even if I had been struggling in the marathon there’s no way I could have stopped.”

Andy signed up for the marines when he was 17, and will be donating all the money he has raised to Help For Heroes, who helped Andy and his family in the aftermath of his injury.

Since leaving the marines, Andy has been working as a motivational speaker, inspiring people with his story and helping them deal with similar experiences.

“I really want to show people that it’s not the end of the world if you sustain a serious injury. There is still hope and this marathon, I suppose, was a way of showing people what was possible. It’ something I would definitely encourage others to do. It comes with its personal benefits, you immediately feel proud. But it also has its health benefits.”

His partner Leonie and children Brooke, four, and Payton, seven, were there to cheer him over the line.

Andy is due to take part in a charity cycle for the Help For Heroes Heron Ride in June and is hopeful of taking part in an IronMan competition in the future too.