Liverpool Life 8:4 October 30 2019 by Steve Harrison

Liverpool Life

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30 2019

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m free!

Meet the style detective Top award for Lord Mayor

Puppy parade

NEWS EVENTS LIFESTYLE SPORT FROM THE HEART OF THE CITY

Lord Mayor takes top award By BENJAMIN LYNCH Liverpool Lord Mayor Anna Rothery has won a prestigious award. Councillor Rothery won ‘Political Figure of the Year’ at this year’s Ethnicity Awards, among very wellrespected company in her category. She said she was ‘overwhelmed’ at winning the award and that she never expected to win. She told Liverpool Life: “I didn’t think I’d have any chance, I was among really high profile people so I was surprised when they read my name out.” The Ethnicity Awards are an annual ceremony displaying the best of the country’s ethnic minority pioneers. There is a range of awards, including political figures, businesses and artists. The category’s nominees included London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan and Tottenham MP David Lammy, while last year’s winner of this award was current Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott. Councillor Rothery has insisted that the award is for the young people of Liverpool. She said: “I feel as though when I do something of this magnitude, it is for everybody

By SOL MURPHY

PROUD: Councillor Rothery, fourth from left at the awards “I didn’t prepare a speech because I didn’t think I’d win, but I stated at the event that I was bringing back the award for the youth. I firmly believe that our youth should get a glimpse of what is possible to keep them motivated.” The award is the latest in a number of significant achievements by Councillor Rothery, which include becoming Liverpool’s first black Lord Mayor and being the first Liverpool City Council representative to speak at the United Nations in 2012. She has announced that she will be

standing for Labour candidate for Riverside MP after current MP Dame Louise Ellman resigned from the Labour Party earlier this year. “Everything I do is for our community and our city. I came into politics many years ago because of the lack of representation and to show people that politics is for everyone. It doesn’t matter what background you come from, politicians should reflect society,” she added. Liverpool-raised Amy Jackson was also among the evening’s winners as ‘Influencer of the Year’.

It’s kind of a sunny story

By DAN JONES Residents of Ince Blundell decided that renting a part of their village hall out might bring something new to the village. As a result, Bring Me SunShine has moved in. The initiative provides home help services, offering crucial assistance to families in the North Liverpool area. Stephen Mitchell, part of the Bring Me SunShine team, said: “We’ve grown from a simple business plan to a functioning home help service, open to those who may need it. We felt that Ince Blundell offered the best location for our business to grow.” Stephen and his wife have transformed the former snooker club into a safe space, with the help of their sons, the youngest of whom was born during the renovations.

Welcome for new £8m council care home

WELCOME: Ince Blundell village hal As more and more people are finding themselves cut off or forgotten, Bring Me SunShine can be there for those in need. Stephen added: “Some elderly people wake up and go back to bed seeing nobody and for us, we want to eradicate that. We want our visitors to come, meet new people, laugh and hear each other’s stories. “With the community in mind, we have also opened our tea rooms to

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everybody, our chef once made food for the likes of U2 and Take That hopefully, it’s good enough for the people of Ince.” Vicky Jones, a member of the village committee, said: “A good proportion of Ince’s population are 65-plus, many finding themselves isolated and have difficulty travelling to other places. “Bring Me SunShine has given our older residents a place to visit and belong to, on their very own doorsteps.”

CONTENTS

Merseyside’s newest care home has been greeted with a warm reception. The £8m Brushwood care home in Speke is the first council-built care home to be opened in Merseyside since the 1990s and aims to tackle the increasing demand for dementia care. It is the first of two care homes opening in Liverpool this year, the second being Millvina House in Everton which is due to open next month. Twitter comments following the opening were positive. Cheshire west councillor Lynn Riley said: “Innovation is everywhere with can do councils” “Congratulatons Liverpool City Council for opening its first care home in over 25 years.” @NickMooreSpain said: “What a wonderful initiative. Vital resource.” Fazakerly Councillor Paul Brant, who attended the home’s opening said: “Great to open the council’s new dementia care home in Speke today with @mayor_anderson” MP Maria Eagle said: “Great to help open Brushwood in Speke with @mayor_anderson, @PaulDBrant & Cllr Doreen Knight Great new local authority built facility meeting needs of older residents run by @ Shawhealthcare 60 beds, 80% of jobs taken up by local people.” Care at Brushwood is being provided in joint partnership between Shaw healthcare and Liverpool city council, who spend almost £50m a year in residential care. The home offers care for people living with dementia, including 60 beds, 48 of which are reserved for long-time care, and 12 for assessments. The new home also creates 80 new jobs. The name Brushwood was chosen from a public competition, it was the original name for Speke in the Domesday Book.

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TEAM

You have been reading ...

Knowsley LGBT group P3 Fast fashion VS charity shops P6

The style detective P7 2

Puppy parade P9 Pumpkin recipes P10

EDITOR: Jose Ruiz PRODUCTION TEAM: Charlie Burgess, Scott Clarkson, Tilly Kenyon, Hannah Martin, Scarlett O’Toole, Grace Plowman, Katie Preece, Jessica Rigg, Emily Roberts, Ash Rowe, Jose Ruiz, Ady Sargeant, Tammy-Lee Walsh, Danille Wilson

Football link to injuries P15

FRONT COVER PHOTO: Jose Ruiz

Gemz is bright idea as LGBT+ group tackles social isolation By DEMI WILLIAMS The first Knowsley LGBT+ adult network group to support local residents has launched. Stockbridge Gemz officially launched last Thursday at the The Craig’s Community Centre in Stockbridge Village. The idea came as a result of research into social isolation led by Lancaster University. Residents of Stockbridge undertook community conversations where they talked to other residents about what isolated them. It was found that there was a lack of LGBT+ support groups in Knowsley, with the nearest community centres being in St Helens or Liverpool, meaning residents would have to make lengthy bus rides. Liz Sharpe, Founder of Stockbridge Gemz told LL that safety had become a concern. With a rise in hate crime Stockbridge residents didn’t feel safe travelling so far for support. Liz spearheaded the idea of setting up the support group as a response from the research. She said: “With help and support from our social landlord for housing and Knowsley borough council, fellow community champions in Stockbridge village formed a committee for Stockbridge Gemz an LGBT+ support group for Stockbridge.” Stockbridge Gemz will provide a monthly support group at The Craig’s Community Centre from early 2020 Alongside the services provided will be social inclusion training

Egg ban to crack down on Halloween trouble By ADAM HIGGINS Merseyside Police have urged shopkeepers across Merseyside to remove eggs from their shelves this week in a bid to crack down on Halloween trouble. Items including eggs, flour and shaving cream have been flagged up as potential missiles that yobs may use as the police try to make progress on last year’s 462 reports of anti-social behaviour. Parents are also being reminded to watch what their children might be getting up to over the two nights and to provide assistance to vulnerable people around them. Constable Will Hughes took to Twitter to remind the public that they may be committing

Pictured above at the launch are (left to right) Mayoress Marie Roughley, Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Jackie Harris, Mayor of Knowsley, Sandra Richardson, Liz Sharpe, Tom Bosworth, Colette McKune, Group Chief Executive for ForViva, Steve Macfarlane, Steph Tomlinson © Knowsley News

and education. A number of special guests, including Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Jackie Harris, Mayor of Knowsley and representatives of social landlord ForViva, turned up to support the launch. The 40-year-old from Liverpool said: “I hope other communities engage with their hidden communities, and that larger conversations take place around the lack of LGBT+ support in Knowsley.”

an offence if they indulge in antisocial behaviour. He said: “This time of year can be exciting, there is a lot going on and we want you to have an enjoyable Halloween and Bonfire night. “If you throw a firework or a banger, this can be a criminal offence, as is the case if you throw flour, eggs or paint. “Throwing these at cars, doors or windows can constitute an offence of assault or criminal damage. “Stay safe, look out for others, and enjoy the occasion responsibly.” To report a crime, contact 999 in an emergency. Otherwise you can call 101, or contact @MerPolCC or @ CrimestoppersUK on Twitter.

Left, Liz Sharpe founder of Stockbridge Gemz Photo © Liz Sharpe

Charity Walk of Wonder

YOLO: Best foot forward By OLIVIA WAGG A charity that provides bucket list experiences for people with terminal cancer has completed an eight mile ‘Liverpool Wonder Walk’. The walk began at The Pumphouse on the Albert Dock. From there participants had the chance to take a selfie at every landmark throughout the city in order to win a prize. Charity T-shirts were also available to purchase. Participant Dayna Massey told LL: “The event was an amazing success, it was great to see the huge scale of

Picture by Olivia Wagg people that came. The support from the public was great and we hope to do more events like this in the future in order to raise more funds for the charity.” Yolo Jos charity was founded in December 2011 by Dave Williams after his wife was diagnosed with terminal, secondary breast cancer. During this time, they spent five years completing as many life-enhancing experiences as they could. He believes that this kept Jo going for much longer than they had expected and gave her a ‘real zest for life’. To participate in charity events, check ‘Yolo Jo’s’ Facebook page.

Food bank scheme is ‘long overdue’ By OLIVIA WAGG Wirral Foodbank has been boosted by a scheme to replace library fines with food donations. A trolley-load of food items were donated to libraries across Wirral as part of the national ‘Food for Fines’ initiative when a total of £1,900 overdue book fines were waived during the UK’s national library week. Locally, the scheme allowed borrowers to clear unpaid library fines

by donating food and toiletries to Wirral Foodbank Strategic Library Manager Peter Aspinall said: “We’d like to thank everyone who took part and showed enthusiasm for Food for Fines. It was a great success, with a substantial amount of food and toiletries donated to help families in-need across Wirral. ‘Food for Fines’ was introduced

following the success of the initiative in America with one library collecting more than 100,000 food items for local charities and food banks. Mr Aspinall added: “We hope this will have also encouraged people to come back into our libraries who may not have visited for some time. Thanks also go to volunteers at the foodbank for their support with the scheme.”

Get your fix at the Repair Cafe

Park protesters out in force against road plans By ADAM HIGGINS Protestors have been out in force in an attempt to resist the construction of a new road through Rimrose Valley in Litherland. ‘Friends of Rimrose Valley’ was formed in 2015 to promote and improve the Rimrose Valley Country Park, however in recent years the group has had to fight against an unwelcome force - Highway England’s plan to build a new road through the park, which has caused uproar. Protests took place on Thursday against Highways England as they held an information event about the projected bypass to be built across the Rimrose Valley between Crosby and Litherland Supporters of the group have demanded that better alternatives are researched. Member of the ‘Save Rimrose Valley Campaign’, Stuart Bennett, is one of many sceptical of the plans. He said: “We are looking forward to making our voice heard and to speaking to everyone who is able to attend these sessions about the devastating impacts such a road would

CAMPAIGN: Rimrose Valley Country Park have on our communities. “We want answers from Highways England. Given that this is such a controversial project, with huge implications for our health and the environment, why have we been given less than two weeks’ notice for these sessions?” Carl Stockton, Senior Project Manager for Highways England, said: “I think what’s important is why we run

these events, because there seems to be a lot of confusion out there. “The long-term solution we have chosen to use, based on stakeholder feedback and the local community and environmental assessment case, is that for the long term resolution, the best solution is to build a road through Rimrose Valley.” Additional reporting by Stephen Rawlinson

By MÄELLE FONTAINE Liverpool is the latest city to welcome a repair café initiative, giving people the chance to get their items fixed for free. Originating from the Netherlands, the scheme was brought about to give communities the chance of repairing things, as replacements can be a big expense. The café rents a room at the DoES Liverpool event centre, which allows people to rent out rooms for their own workshops and activities. The café fixes clothes, bikes, electrical items and even furniture. The Repair Café heavily relies on the support of volunteers and most of the equipment used is donated. Mike Gorman, an organiser and volunteer at the café, said: “There are less places where you can get things repaired now, so the idea is for people to bring things in to the café, and in most instances they will get them repaired for free.” Mr Gorman spoke about the importance of keeping the repairs free. He continued: “It is important to be free because not a lot of people can afford to have things repaired. “People who are more likely to get things repaired are on lower incomes. If we have to buy parts or replacement parts, then we expect people to pay the cost of those. A mains lead, a mains plug, or a particular part for equipment.” The café is planning to open every last Sunday of the month, from 11am – 3pm. Additional reporting by Faye Wasilowski.

Police appeal for help to find missing Mia By FAYE WASILOWSKI Police are appealing for information to help trace a 17-year-old girl, who has been missing from her home since Friday October 18. Mia Powell was last seen around 7:30pm on Friday in Victoria Road, Formby. Mia is described as white, around 5ft 5in in height, with straight blonde shoulder-length hair. She was last seen wearing a blue top, dark trousers with flip-flops and dark socks. She is known to frequent trains and stations, particularly Southport, Hunts Cross and Liverpool city centre. The police and Powell family are growing increasingly concerned about Mia’s whereabouts and anyone who has seen her, or has information, is asked to contact @MerpolCC, 101 or @missingpeople on 116 000.

CONCERN: Mia Powell has been missing since Friday October 18

Karen dives in at the deep end to support Alder Hey fund By LAURA KELLY A Liverpool woman is aiming to be the first British woman to complete the seven toughest open water swims on the planet, whilst raising £100,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. The Oceans Seven, a solo swimming challenge, has only been completed by 17 people. So far, Karen Ennis the head of Merseyside Police ICT department, has tackled the 21 miles of the English Channel, 22 miles of the Catalina Channel in California and the ‘ice mile’ – a gruelling mile-long swim in water below five degrees. Unfortunately, Karen had to stop during her fourth swim in Molokai last week. She was pulled out after passing out four hours into the swim, suffering from seasickness and stings from jellyfish. The 47-year-old said: “I wasn’t successful this time, but I will be back. I have the North Channel and Gibraltar booked for next year, so it’s likely to be 2021 when I return to Hawaii.” During her swim in Catalina, she was accompanied by dolphins. She told LL: “It was absolutely amazing, I’ve never experienced anything like it. I was swimming along two-thirds of the way when I started hearing them

whistling in the water and I stopped to shout to the boat ‘I can hear dolphins’ without realising they were already all around me. “It was absolutely phenomenal, they were swimming underneath me and having a look up at me. It was brilliant, they were literally flipping underneath me, flipping their eyes up to have a look then swimming off again. Rather amusingly, I was told off for wasting time. I didn’t worry about the times, but I was told I’d have finished 50 minutes earlier if I hadn’t played with the dolphins!” She began fundraising for Alder Hey with her husband, Gary, and together raised £24,000 before he died in April 2018 at the age of 43. Karen has continued to work towards their goal of £100,000. She told LL why the couple chose to raise money for Alder Hey. “I’ve worked with children and young people pretty much my whole life, I’m now in the police but I’m still loosely connected to that side of things. I was in children and young people’s services and had a job as a teacher, so I’m very aware of the fantastic work that Alder Hey does and they’ve also helped family members.” Discussing the Oceans Seven challenge, she said: “It’s helped me in a lot of

ways, after the loss of my husband it’s allowed me to put my mind somewhere else and concentrate on other things. “It is still tough, but not as tough as some of the other things I’ve been through. “I’m hoping to be the first British woman to complete this challenge and

I’m still on target to reach this goal.” Along with this goal, she is attempting a world record as part of the first all-woman relay team to complete a two-way of the North Channel. • Track Karen’s progress on her Facebook or donate to her JustGiving page (karenennis18).

IN THE SWIM: Karen, top and above, enjoys a break ©Karen Ennis

Warning to student voters not to miss out on poll By ROSIE PATEL

Graph taken from YouGOV.co.uk

Teenagers hoping to vote in the forthcoming General Election have had their hopes dashed. With the country now set to have a general election in December, Downing Street has ruled out lowering the voting age to 16 - but students in Liverpool are nevertheless being encouraged to register to vote. This is because students in the city are worried that the polling date may affect their vote. The proposed December poll date is likely to lead to fewer students voting, as it is going to be out of university term time. Many students are set to finish university on

December 9 and will be travelling home, so may not be registered to vote at their home address - or if they are travelling home on the date of the vote they won’t even get the chance to vote. Journalist and broadcaster Paul Lewis said: “There will be a General Election in early December. Make sure you can have your say. Students can register at your college address and at home address.” It is important to note voting at both places in the General Election is a criminal offence. YOUGov polling from the last election shows that 70% of students voted in their hometown.

By DAN JONES (modelling his latest thrifty find)

ast fashion is being blamed for contributing to the climate crisis as the factories that produce the clothes we buy emit greenhouse gases and many of the items end up in landfill. So, is it time to turn to more renewable sources of fashion? Walk down any high street in Liverpool and you will see a charity shop, if not several. Whether it’s Oxfam or British Heart store or a smaller local charity, these shops are filled to the brim with people’s donations. Vicky Moore is the manager of a Jospice charity shop in Crosby. She told Liverpool Life: “Everyday I go to work to see bags and bags of clothes ready to be removed. “Granted, not everything is great but we get some lovely coats, shoes, jeans and tops which are not expensive. We try to encourage people to come in and simply have a look, as they might be surprised.” But are shoppers ready to make the change? Liverpool Life wanted to find out and started by visiting Liverpool’s Bold Street, home to several charity shops. Meghan Willams, 24, said: “I don’t have a huge budget for clothes so, for me, charity shops are ideal. I can find unique clothes that can sometimes be brand new but also some vintage garments.”

STYLE: Models on the runway London Fashion Week © Oxfam

Can charity shop chic take on fast fashion? Some shoppers didn’t feel they knew enough about the effects of fast fashion and didn’t realise the potential for environmental harm. Also, not everybody feels that they would be able to switch to buying clothes in a charity shop. Student Aaron Robinson said: “I wouldn’t personally. I like the fact that I can go to a shop and get what I want in the size I need it, rather than gambling for what’s there. “I get why it’s a good idea and I see why people would do it, but it’s not for me.” Perhaps the next time you need an outfit for an event, why not look in your local charity shop, you really never know what you might find.

Charity shop in Liverpool© Dan Jones

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The style detective Laura Rider’s job is tracking down the latest celebrity fashion for savvy shoppers ROSIE PATEL meets her

Liverpool Student has become the latest answer to everyone’s fashion prayers. Laura Rider, better known as ‘the outfit finder’ on Instagram, can source all your inspired looks for no extra cost at all. Laura, 21, who is a third year Media, Culture and Communications student at Liverpool John Moores University, has managed to turn her love for fashion and online shopping into a money-earner. Her Instagram account was set up in 2017 and now currently has 105k followers. The outfit finder has built a reputation for being a go-to place to find all the latest clothes and items from all the reality TV shows, especially Love Island. As the account started to gain more followers and become an established account, top fashion brands started getting in contact. Laura said: “I am now affiliated with a lot of brands. The first brand to affiliate with me was Pretty little thing. Since then I’ve now affiliated with Missguided, Asos, Boohoo, Miss Pap, Topshop, Beauty works, Footasaylum, I saw

Instagram © Theoutfitfinder

it first, Schuh, Office and In The Style.” Laura’s love for fashion meant she was constantly shopping and would recognise outfits instantly and realise where they were from. Laura added: “I get around 50100 messages a day requesting particular outfits, I go through them and find the most popular requests and then post them on the page. “I’m working on a men’s outfit finder currently, since so many people have asked me to create one. I’m also looking to branch out on the Celebrities I post, I want to start posting more than just reality stars.” She launched the outfit finder in 2017 after realising that there is a huge gap in the market for it as people were constantly commenting on celebrities’ picture where their outfits were from Laura said: “I noticed that celebrities hardly ever tagged the details or responded to the comments.” Laura earns her money through affiliate links. Which means if someone buys the items through the link she has provided she will earn commission on the item brought.

‘

IN DEMAND: Personal shopper Laura Rider

I noticed that celebrities hardly ever tagged the details or responded to the comments

’

Laura’s Instagram © Theoutfitfinder

Path to change

New walking tour retraces race riots of 1919 By FAYE WASILOWSKI

riting on the Wall (WoW), a Liverpool-based arts group, are hosting a walking tour of the race riots of 1919 as part of the city’s longest-running literature festival. WoWFEST explores the forgotten stories of the victims of the Liverpool 1919 riots. The tour focuses on the history of one man, Charles Wooton, a black man chased to his eventual death by a mob of over 200 people. The tour takes people through Liverpool’s Chinatown, where the riots began in a local pub over a black man’s refusal to give two Scandinavian men a cigarette. Riots broke out at the same pub the next night. Police then raided the homes of black families and this end-

‘

ACTION: Above, and below, the performers and, left, a plaque to Charles Wooton © Faye Wasilowski

ed with Charles Wooton being chased by a mob to the docks, whilst pelted with rocks as he tried to swim away from the crowd. He died in the water, although no arrests were ever made. Janaya Pickett, one of the tour guides, told Liverpool Life why participating in the tour was important for her. She said: “I was doing my own family history, and found that my great, great grandfather was from Barbados and was in Liverpool around 1919. “I was able to research how my family got here, and the conditions in which they lived under. it really provided me with a sense of validation.” Madeline Heneghan, the co-director of Writing on the Wall, told Liverpool Life: “These race riot walking tours

are hugely important. It is important to raise awareness about the events of 1919, as well as the anti-black violence and anti-black sentiment which was prevalent in poor cities across the UK.” After the riots, the government wanted to deport black British citizens to their homelands. Ms Heneghan compares the government’s actions and the events of 1919 to today, telling Liverpool Life: “Look at the Windrush scandal, which is ongoing today. People have died, they have lost jobs and lost their houses.” Andrew Davies, a lecturer at The University of Liverpool, who is heavily involved in the tours, said: “It is about teaching the wider public

I think that it is

probably a story which has

inspired a lot of black people born in Liverpool

about the events of 1919. We are trying to enforce the notion that black history is British history. “It is not something which is just a minority issue.”

’

A BBC history project reported on the race riots in their series “Black and British” and in 2014 commemorated the death of Charles Wooton with a plaque at Queen’s dock.

Happy Halloween from all of us at

Find your Halloween spirit out in town

Puppy parade gives paws for thought By MEGAN STRINGER

og lovers of Liverpool were in for a treat at the weekend, as the annual Howl’Oween Puppy Parade came

to town. The event, organised by Brewdog, took place on Sunday, where canines of all breeds and sizes were kitted out in spooky attire in an attempt to be the best dressed. The parade was in partnership with Dogs Trust to raise money for their dogs’ home, and was the first time they had been involved with the event. For £1 owners could enter their pups into the Spookiest Pooch Competition and all proceeds went towards helping the charity. Sally Melia, who works alongside the Dogs Trust, told LL: “It’s great, it brings awareness and it encourages people to look at adopting, it’s nice to get people to our centres to see all our dogs that need homes. “All the dogs are beautiful today.” The parade comes after a similar

event due to be held at St Lukes Church on Saturday was cancelled due to bad weather, which saw 30 days-worth of rainfall in just 24 hours. Nevertheless, the sun came out for Brewdog’s event, and the bar was full of owners and their dogs eager to showcase their costumes even before the parade started. There was a variety of fancy dress, as dogs came dressed as superheroes, pumpkins, spiders. One of the most memorable pooches was a three-legged English Bull Terrier, whose owner dressed as a butcher and carried the dog’s “leg” in a plastic bag. Not only were there some new faces at the parade, there were also some regulars at the event, such as Lily, a 12-year-old pug, who was dressed as a pumpkin. Starting at the Brewdog, the canines and their owners set off for a walk around the city and once back at the bar; there were treats

Harvey and Henry: Superheroes to the rescue

for not only the dogs, but their very proud owners too. The winners of the Spookiest Pooch Competition are to be announced tomorrow. May the scariest pup win!

Lily the 12-year-old pumpkin-pug © Megan Stringer

See city’s spooky spots - if you dare! By MEGAN STRINGER

From hospitals to hotels, local legends state that Liverpool is home to some of the UK’s most haunted buildings. As Halloween approaches, Liverpool Life have rounded up the city’s scariest and spookiest buildings – read on if you’re brave enough ...

The Adelphi Hotel

Rumour has it that there are several ghosts roaming the halls of this hotel. Before the Adelphi was built, another hotel stood in its place until 1914, when the Britannia Adelphi Hotel officially opened its doors. One ghost, nicknamed ‘George’, is believed to have been a guest who fell out of one of the hotel’s windows in the

1920s. Several guests have reported seeing him on the fifth floor. Other ghosts are believed to be a bellboy, and a young woman with ‘weird staring eyes’.

Newsham Park Hospital

Before it closed its doors in 1997, Newsham Park Hospital was an orphanage then a medical hospital and, more recently, a mental asylum. Reports of the building being haunted have circulated for many years, with a nurse complaining of strange sightings whilst working at the hospital, she was later found dead on one of the wards. A 19-year-old from Wirral visited the site in March, and claimed he saw a strange face, who he believes to be the Devil, in one of his pictures.

The Empire Theatre

Despite the theatre dating back to 1866, the building we know and love is not the original, as it was demolished, re-built, and subsequently opened again in 1925. One of the ghosts is called the ‘Black Phantom’ and is said to haunt the dressing rooms, and actors who have used the rooms have reported seeing a dark shape reflected in the mirror.

Speke Hall

The house has stood for over 400 years, so it’s no surprise that at night time, people have experienced some strange happenings. Many ghosts are

believed to be roaming Speke Hall including a Victorian gardener, a priest, and a ‘werewolf beast’. People have often heard footsteps and children crying.

The Queensway Tunnel

Although this may not be a building, it doesn’t mean it is not haunted. Many have reported they have seen a woman roaming the tunnel, and she is believed to be the ghost of a woman, who was involved in a motorbike accident decades ago. Others have reported that they have seen a 1960s police car driving through.

Images (in order) © Rept0n1x, John Bradley, Rodhulladnemu. All via Wikimedia Commons.

...or stay home and keep it in the kitchen

Pic © Elavegan

Pumpkin bread This chocolate chip pumpkin bread was created by Elavegan. It’s moist, soft, spicy, and very delicious! The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, flourless, can be made refined sugar-free, and easy to make with simple ingredients. INGREDIENTS Dry ingredients: 200 g (2 cups) ground oats 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sweetener of choice 75 g (3/4 cup) ground almonds 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda A pinch of salt 2 1/2 tsp cinammon 90 g (1/2 cup) dairy-free chocolate chips + more for the top Wet ingredients: 240 g (1 cup) pumpkin puree 180 ml (3/4 cup) plant-based milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp lemon juice or lime juice DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line an 8-inch (20 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper. For the best results, measure the ingredients on a scale in grams. 2. Put all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to a bowl and mix with a whisk. You can also process the ingredients in a food processor 3. Add all wet ingredients to the bowl and stir with a whisk (or use the pulse function of your food processor) until just combined (don’t over mix the batter). 4. Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon. 5. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and add more chocolate chips on top. 6. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. You don’t want to over bake the pumpkin bread, but make sure the center isn’t wet anymore after inserting a toothpick in the center. It’s fine if it’s slightly crumbly though. Let the vegan pumpkin bread cool completely before you slice it. Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pic © Damien Creatz @ Unsplash Jack-O-Lantern. © Colton Sturgeon unsplash

You bought a pumpkin ... now what? Liverpool Life’s spellbinding ideas for tasty Halloween treats

By Hannah Martin he season of abandoned pumpkins is upon us once again. More than 8m pumpkins will be heading for the bin this year because the majority of lantern carvers will chuck them away.

It can take up to five months for these little orange beauties to fully grow and turn up for this season. Help them fulfil their Halloween destiny by turning down the scare, and turning up the tasty!

Roasted pumpkin seeds

1. Scrape seeds from your pumpkin 2. Clean all debris 3. Rinse in water 4. Spread on a baking tray 5. Season with sea salt and other spice cupboard favourites 6. Glug over some olive oil 7. Mix 8. Roast 180 degrees for 10 mins

Spooky macarons INGREDIENTS

For macaron shells: 100g (1 cup) almond flour 100g (3/4/ cup) powdered sugar 2 large egg whites (70-75gr) ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ cup (50g) sugar ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice bakery emulsion Orange/black gel food colouring, For pumpkin buttercream: 40g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 130g (1 cup) powdered sugar 1 tablespoon pure pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon double cream 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat oven to (150°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In medium bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside. 3. In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy. 4. Add cream of tartar and salt, and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat until hard peaks form. Add pumpkin spice bakery emulsion, and gel food colouring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute. 5. Sift the flour/powdered sugar mixture over the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the mixture then transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. Pipe the macarons on prepared baking sheets. 6. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. 7. Let the macarons rest and dry for 15-30 minutes. Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for 18-20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 15minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets. Prepare the pumpkin buttercream. Beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, pumpkin puree, salt and cinnamon. Beat until well combined. 8. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons.

L LL

Message behind the blue Halloween bucket By ETHAN JUKES-McNEE

s Halloween draws near and people are preparing their homes for the approaching trick-or-treaters, the message of inclusivity has begun to spread when it comes to children with learning disabilities. Many children that know they get to dress up in whacky costumes and receive a mountain of free sweets this time of year. However, for others, chaotic nights such as Halloween can be very scary. School Improvement Liverpool, an organisation that helps schools to provide for children and uphold inclusivity, made a statement on Twitter: “With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visiting your home. Be accepting. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues. The child who does not say trickor-treat may be non-verbal. The child who isn’t wearing a costume at all might have a sensory issue (SDP) or autism.” The big new trend that has started this year is that of the blue Halloween bucket. This is to signify that the individual has a learning disability and began by a woman in America posting about her son on Facebook, “If you see someone who appears to be an adult dressed up to trick or treat this year carrying this blue bucket, he’s our son! “His name is BJ and he is autistic. While he has the body of a 21-yearold, he loves Halloween.” The post was widely shared and the

The By FAYE WASILOWSKI

message has now spread throughout England, with various shops beginning to sell both orange and blue pumpkin buckets. However, not everybody has welcomed the gesture. Rhys Parry, an individual with autism, tweeted: “Check this out – apparently Poundland are selling blue Halloween buckets as an ‘autism awareness’ thing but the blurb on them is some of the most patronising, infantilising bo***cks I’ve ever read.” The blurb in question had the quote: “Trick or Treat … if you see someone who appears to be an adult dressed up to trick or treat this year carrying the

All the leaves are turning brown and the summer season is officially over. Saying goodbye to hot days and warm nights is always sad, but at JMU Journalism, the promise of a new season can only mean one thing: Halloween. Here are some of the top spookiest things to do this October in Liverpool 12

Raising awareness for autism

© Ethan Jukes-McNee blue bucket, he or she could be autistic. While they could have the body of an adult, they love Halloween. “Please help us keep his/her spirit alive and happy. So when you see the blue bucket share a piece of candy. Spread awareness! These precious people are not ‘too big’ to trick or treat.” Many others agreed, saying that the movement underlines the ‘otherness’ and does not promote full inclusion but the aim is that this will help those with low functioning autism to enjoy their Halloween as it is a clear signal that breaks communication barriers for the spooky holiday season.

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When you see the blue bucket, share a piece of candy. Spread awareness!

spooky season

1. Trapped in Wonderland Halloween Experience This event has sold out for three years on the run. The event takes its audience down the famous rabbit hole and has them solve the mystery of where in Wonderland Alice has been trapped. Huge props and dramatic surprises are all to be expected at this event. The adventure takes place tomorrow at Hangar34, Liverpool. 2. Twisted Circus Halloween Festival Brockbank and Mellor on Seel Street is host the ‘UK’s most terrifying’ Hal-

loween festival. After six years, the show is back and with promise to be better than ever. Crazy characters and death-defying acts are what sets this spooky circus apart from the rest, and one not to be missed this October. 3. RAW - Halloween in the Palm House This grade two listed building situated in the depths of Sefton Park will be party central this Halloween. Techno, House and Disco are just some of the genres of music to fill the glass Palm House. Of course, as it is Halloween, fancy dress is expected. 4. Halloween Floating Cinema Royal Albert Dock will have a floating cinema on its waters this month

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and early November. The event will showcase family friendly films such as Casper, Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice and Adams Family. If you want more of scare, films such as Rocky Horror Picture Show, Scream, Psycho and Nightmare on Elm Street will be screened for the adults.

Raising the heat By ADAM HIGGINS

own-goers had ‘pumpkin to talk about this weekend as the Katumba Halloween parade fired its way into the city centre. Combining Brazilian flair and Halloween scare, the ghoulish display engulfed the city with bright lights and roaring flames, as fire dancers and drummers mixed it with a plethora of creepy characters in a celebration of Halloween art and culture. The spooky event was organised by Katumba - a band of drummers whose pride lies deep-rooted in South American culture- and was part funded by Arts Council England to help the display explode into life. The band’s rallying call was ‘love and acceptance’ as the Halloween season dawns upon us. Feisty fire dancer Rachael Smith-Evans told Liverpool Life about her involvement in the event and how it has positively impacted the area, stating that the spectacle “can only be a good thing” for the city. She said: “This was the second time I performed at the Katumba Halloween Parade. “I performed at last years event too, I was part of the light group, I was one of two winged angels on either side. “Each section had a leading puppet - the dark side had a flying fire-spitting bat, which was made by Global Grooves, who also made the puppet for the light side, a colourful bird puppet. “It ended in a grand finale at Liverpool One with a battle of the drumming bands and the characters, which resolved itself into a celebration of

acceptance and love.” e Smith-Evans was also impressed websit with the large number of people who © Katumba attended the two-day parade. “The turn out for the parade was impressive on Saturday night with both adults and children in the crowds. “It was nice to see so many families enjoying a fun evening together, we always like to interact with the crowd too putting smiles on everyone’s faces! “I’ve worked with Bring The Fire

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Who are Katumba?

Combining Halloween scare and Brazillian flare

Katumba describe thmselves a s “A melting pot of UK big beat, Caribbean calypso and the carnivals of Northeast Brazil.”

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for four years now. I started off doing a four week fire POI course and never looked back! “I’m now a multi skilled performer- using many different types of fire props. I enjoy it so much! Since then I’ve performed in front of thousands of people and taught circus skills workshops to children all over the city.” Katumba have taken all of the plaudits for their incredible displays, and they will be back in Liverpool on Thursday, 31st October for a Halloween finale!

Katumba have a range of different performances, sometimes a small but high-energy eight-piece band, with the ability to expand to a roaring carnival. Not all of Katumba’s performances include fire, but it certainly adds to the flare when the fire dancers attend their performances. Katumba has opened ‘Katumba Culture Hub’ in Toxteth, which is a multi- purpose community arts and culture space, to explore new activities and develop new passions.

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From accountanc-i to Tai Chi By CHARLOTTE KENNY

MINDFUL: Daphne Richardson

Reaction to new soccer study By AOIFE MONAHAN A new study by the English FA, which has linked brain injuries in football with dementia, has been welcomed by Liverpool researchers. The researchers also investigated neurological disorders connected to the sport. The FA has published the results into its FIELD study of 7,676 ex-professional footballers. The research found that the footballers were around 3.5 times more likely to die of dementia than the matched population. Dr James Roberts and student Jake Ashton from Liverpool Hope University carried out a research project last year testing amateur footballers and discovered a rapid decline in the memory and eye speed of players. Dr Roberts told LL: “It’s worse for children because they’re heading balls which is adding pressure to the top of their head and a lot of the time their heading technique isn’t as good as adults.” Concerns surrounding health implications stemming from football heightened in 2002 after the death of Jeff Astle. A post-mortem carried out on the famous West-Brom number nine concluded that he died from chronic traumatic encephalopy (CTE). The disease, which stems from repeated brain injury, is most common in those who play contact sport. Although these are positive steps from the FA, it is thought that more research is needed to find the root cause of brain injuries from football.

After a corporate career as a qualified accountant who worked in accountancy, finance, corporate audit and risk management, Formby’s Daphne Richardson decided to go down the fitness road. Daphne attended Tai Chi classes and became a Tai Chi and QiGong Instructor. Tai Chi and QiGong are internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training, its health benefits and meditation. They are low impact, gentle exercises that deliver benefits to the body, mind and soul. They both work all major muscle groups without putting stress or tension on the body’s joints. Tai Chi improves balance and, according to some studies, reduces falls. Proprioception is the ability to sense the position of one’s body in space

— declines with age. Tai chi helps train this sense, which is a function of sensory neurons in the inner ear and stretch receptors in the muscles and ligaments. Tai chi is a non-competitive martial art known for its self-defense techniques and health benefits. “As a form of exercise, it combines gentle physical exercise and stretching with mindfulness Daphne said: “I set up Freshfield Fitness in 2017 so I could teach local classes, share Tai Chi and QiGong and provide health and fitness information. I have been teaching about two or three years now.” Being over 40, Daphne said she had a big push to get back in shape and it allowed her to recognise how fitness plays a big role in being able to enjoy a full and active lifestyle now as well as in future years. The Freshfield Fitness founder, de-

veloped a real desire to get fit and stay active so she thought that she would enjoy teaching exercise classes. Daphne said: “The great thing about Tai Chi and QiGong is that it is suitable for anyone, any age and fitness level. “It is good for older adults to keep them active with gentle exercise. It is a very effective relaxation and stress relief class for younger people too.” Daphne continued: “I wanted to set up some Free Classes promote Tai Chi, share its benefits, let people come along to try it for free and encourage everyone to stay active. “I’d hoped to also provide refreshments so that people could sit and have a chat afterwards, so they could see the lovely community we have, meet new friends and to show that exercise classes can provide a social activity/interaction too.”

Club marks golden anniversary with return to top flight By STEPHEN BRAMHILL Liverpool Basketball club are ready for the challenge in the top flight of British Basketball. The club are spending their 50th anniversary in the UK’s top division following promotion last season. After being founded in 1969, they have gone on to reach the top flight as well as creating seven other teams made up of females and juniors. The team have returned to the first division following two previous spells at that level. Karen Billingham, one of the club’s directors, is hopeful that Liverpool Basketball Club will perform well in the top tier of the NBL following their impressive 18/19 season. She told Liverpool Life: “We gained promotion with an outstanding season in the NBL’s 2nd Division, winning both the League with no losses, and the end-of-season play-offs. “We recognise that promotion

brings new and increased challenges, but the coach and players who gained promotion last season have earned the right to test themselves against the best in the NBL. “It will be tough in the 1st Division, but our aim is to be competitive and to establish ourselves in the Division so that in future years we can challenge for the Divisional title.” This season, which is also their 30th in the National Basketball League, they will be looking to contend in the league after victory away on Saturday against Bradford Dragons. The newly promoted side currently sit tenth in the league on the same points as Leicester Warriors and Westminster Warriors. The first division side play their home matches in the Sports Hall of the Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College on 55 Long Lane. The growth of the club is positive for the community as more people are involved and invested in the project.

Liverpool County FA laces up to support LGBTQ+ By AOIFE MONAHAN Liverpool County FA is taking a step in the right direction by supporting Stonewall UK’s Rainbow Laces campaign. The campaign was launched in 2013 to urge players and officials at both grassroots and elite level to ‘make sport everyone’s game’ and show their support for the LGBT+ community. This year, the county’s FA will be giving away 600 pairs of the rainbow laces on a first-come first-serve basis to teams and referees across Merseyside. The laces will be worn during games taking place on November 30

and December 1. Paul Amann, founder of Kop Outs - the LGBT+ fan group for Liverpool FC - believes Rainbow Laces is a good start to make sport inclusive. He told LL: “Rainbow Laces is a positive step, but a simpler oncea-year event needs to be followed through with continued activity through the year.” Some clubs have already received their free laces ahead of the campaign. Mossley Hill FC tweeted: “Rainbow laces through from @Liverpool_CFA for games on Saturday November 30. “Our lads will be proud to wear them and support the cause! Football is for all! #oneclub #familyclub.” The Rainbow Laces project has had

a positive welcome from teams and officials in Liverpool. Anna Long, Football Development Officer from LCFA, said: “The campaign already has been a massive success. “Last season we had over 230 laces distributed to 12 football clubs ranging from male and female, youth through to adult clubs. “This year we have already distributed over 800 laces to 29 clubs and 23 referees, and we’re in the midst of ordering additional laces to cater for demand. “Campaigns such as the Rainbow Laces, highlights to the LGBTQ+ community that football in Mersey side is FOR ALL,” she added.

LLSPORT Classy Blues book place in last eight

Aquatics Centre set to re-open after £½m repairs

By STEPHEN BRAMHILL

Wavertree Aquatics Centre is set to re-open in February following repairs costing £475,000. The 50-metre pool was originally closed in April following an electrical fault in a high-level light fitting which exploded and littered the pool with glass. As glass had entered the underside of the movable floor, the pool had to be drained. This unexpectedly led to the majority of the floor and wall tiles lifting off the concrete. To discover why this happened, investigative work has been taking place over the past few months that included

Everton claimed a 2-0 win against struggling Watford to advance to the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup last night. The Toffees outclassed the Hornets in the second half with Richarlison sealing it late on following a first Everton goal for Mason Holgate. The visitors were lethargic in their efforts, only managing one shot on target compared to Everton’s five. The first half was far from convincing for both sides with the only real talking point being the departure of Yerry Mina due to injury, a real blow for the Blues. The half-time change that saw Moise Kean replaced by Theo Walcott also frustrated the home fans, as the summer signing looked out of sorts. The veteran winger found himself inside the left side of the box and his delicate cross was headed in by Holgate who was in perfect position in the 72nd minute. Everton’s lead was then doubled by fan favourite Richarlison after he was played in by substitute Cenk Tosun. The quarter final draw takes place on Thursday at 8:45am.

By LAURA KELLY

the use of specialist x-ray equipment and the removal of rendering and tiles. Councillor Wendy Simon, Liverpool’s deputy mayor, said: “We absolutely appreciate and understand the frustration of swimmers due to the prolonged closure of the 50 metre pool at the Aquatics Centre. “We have encountered a number of unprecedented difficulties relating to defects from the construction of the pool over a decade ago. This has meant we have had to carry out detailed and complex investigative work to uncover the extent of the problem. “I hope people will understand that we have taken the time and care to look properly at the issue and work

out the best way to carry out a repair. We don’t want a situation where we have to take the pool out of service again.” The pool was due to be open in September, but the extent of repairs has delayed the reopening date and has cost Liverpool City Council £500,000. Councillor Wendy Simon said: “Despite the fact we have real financial challenges, we have found almost half a million pounds to carry out this work because we know how popular the Aquatics Centre is. “We will keep people informed of progress and if there is any change to the opening date we will let them know.”

Widnes sign ex-Reds striker By ROBERT CLIFTON BetVictor Northern Premier League Division One North/West side Widnes FC have signed former Liverpool forward Adam Morgan. The forward joins from division rivals Mossley. The 25-year-old has had spells at clubs like; Liverpool, Yeovil Town, Rotherham United, and League of Ireland Premier Division side Sligo Rovers. Widnes Co-manager Kevin Towey was excited with the signing. He said: “When Adam became available due to issues with travel commitments at Mossley, we couldn’t turn down the opportunity to sign him.”

INSIDE SPORT

Handball stars are looking up By BENJAMIN LYNCH LJMU Handball are looking still looking forward to the new season despite mixed results in their matches with the University of Liverpool last night. The team picked up one win and one draw, with LJMU Women picking up the win. The club are upbeat about the increase in membership and the positivity around handball in the UK. Club president Ruairi O’ConnorHarte is particularly optimistic about

Liverpool basketball ready for top flight

the team’s chances in the university chances this year. He told LL: “It seems to have taken off! We thought it might after the Olympics next year but we now have enough to put out two women’s teams. It’s probably the strongest team we could’ve had this year, we’ve only lost one player. “I hope we can make the semi-finals this year at the finals in Kent. We have a good enough team to do it, we were

From accountant to Tai-Chi instructor

only knocked out by a couple of goals last year and we didn’t have a full strength team.” The sport of handball is played by over 15 million people worldwide, but is not overly popular in the UK. The Great Britain men and women’s handball team have only qualified once for the Olympics.. O’ConnorHarte hopes that university handball will help to grow the game in the country.

Study shows dangers of headers