Liverpool Life 4:1 October 14 2015 by Steve Harrison

14 - October -2015

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE... NEWS

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Does tikka leave your tongue tingling?

SPORT

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Young Everton fan signed by Man Utd

Not so Octobrrrrrr

©Keith Hecky

©wikimedia commons

Harry Potter comes to Liverpool

LIFEextra

It may be coming up to winter, but the summer weather isn’t going anywhere just yet. This picture taken by Conor Allison captures the autumn sun shining yesterday morning.

SHIPSHAPE By HANNAH ROGERS

The world renowned Cammell Laird Ship Repairers has been named as the preferred candidate for a project that would see a £200 million research ship being built in Merseyside. The Birkenhead ship building yard has fought off competition from all over the world, including companies based in the Far East and Europe. Cammell Laird was founded in 1828 and is based on the River Mersey in the Liverpool City Region on the west coast of Britain. The company’s Birkenhead site expands across 130 acres and includes four dry docks, a large

Cammell Laird to win contract for £200m research ship

modular construction hall and extensive covered workshops. It is at the centre of a marine and engineering cluster with easy access to support services and port state authorities. Construction on the state of the art vessel is due to start in November this year and will include high tech gadgets such as robotic submarines and marine gliders. The proposed assembly will also create more than 400 jobs in the area, as well as up to 60 apprenticeships.

Steve Birss, 56, Birkenhead, works in an outlet that caters for the workforce. He said: “It’ll be really good for the area. Any jobs coming to Birkenhead is going to be good for the community and the 60 apprenticeships will be great too. Cammell Laird is a highly skilled place and the young need to learn these skilled jobs.” In January 2015 nearly 1500 people in Birkenhead were unemployed and claiming jobseekers allowance. If Cammell

Laird get confirmation that they have won the contract, it could make a drastic difference to the unemployment rates in the area. When the ship is finished, it will travel to both the Arctic and Antarctic to gather new observations of polar oceans and wildlife. All the marine research will be available to the research community. Cammell Laird was selected by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), with funding supplied through the

Government’s science capital programme. NERC Chief Executive Professor Duncan Wingham, said: “The Natural Environment Research Council funds polar research so that as a nation, we can develop policies to adapt to, mitigate or live with environmental change. This new polar ship will be a platform for a broad range of science, researching subjects from oceanography and marine ecology to geophysics.”

The Director of British Antarctic Survey, Professor Jane Francis, who is in control of the ship, said: “This new research ship will be a tremendous asset to the UK polar science community. Crucially, the ship will have the capability to deploy advanced technologies being developed currently in the UK. These will allow us to capture new ocean and ice data from places that would otherwise be inaccessible. This is a very exciting time for UK polar science.”

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Festival vows to end mental illness stigma By

Barry Rocks

Saturday marked World Mental Health day across the globe. Charities from around Merseyside gathered in Liverpool city centre in a festival of celebration, aimed at abolishing the stigma of talking about mental illness. “Everyone has Mental Health” was the slogan of the festival which included live music, dancing and circus acts. There were also speeches from the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and Luciana Berger MP. The performance area was ringed by stalls from Barnardos, Liverpool talk, the Whitechapel centre and the Armistad Centre. Myles Hodgson of Mersey Care wanted to target specifically men under the age of 50. He said: “Men under 50 don’t tend to talk about their problems… We want them to sit down with their mate or their partner and say over a cup of tea “look I’m struggling” and then going to get help.” Mr Hodgson explained the initiative: “We do everything from mathematics to things that you and I would take for granted such as financial management. Basically life skills. Sometimes when you’ve had a really bad mental illness you can’t do things as simple as going to get a

carton of milk and a paper, you forget how to do the simplest of thing.” Afra Kassam, a volunteer with Fresh CAMHS, a group which works in association with Alder Hey hospital to help Children and Adolescents, said: “[We are] encouraging people to talk about mental health as mental health is so stigmatised. Hopefully today says let’s be together and let’s talk about it. There is information and support for you to get help”. Their stall encouraged members of the public to write anonymous messages of kindness and attach them to balloons. Miss Kassam added: “The idea of the balloons is you write something inspirational, something that makes you feel happy, makes you feel better. Then wherever it lands, whoever reads it, they’ll tweet us and maybe we’ll have brought some happiness”. In front of the main stage was a dance area included dance group Movema which incorporated an “Afro fusion” into their performance as part tribute to Black History Month. Later the “BIG Choir Off !” sing off had the crowd of hundreds in raptures. Visit Merseycare.nhs.uk for more information.

An art exhibition in support of World Mental Health Day has reached the end of a successful run. The Dignity in Mental Health exhibition was organised as part of Liverpool’s World Mental Health Day festival and showcased work from artists across Merseyside who have suffered from mental health issues themselves. The artists channelled their own experiences to communicate their thoughts and feelings on mental health through their artwork. Liverpudlian Emma Hall, whose piece ‘I’m stronger than you know’ was on show, praised the event’s organisers for raising

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awareness for such an important cause. “As I myself am a sufferer of a mental health illness I find it important for days like these to raise awareness for such a taboo subject. It’s hardly ever spoken about and it makes people suffering feel isolated and alone.” “My art is a way to express how I feel and I think showing my art in such a positive light was an amazing experience. I even have people interested in buying my piece,” she added. The exhibition returned for a second year following its success in 2014 and ran from Friday October 9th until last Sunday at the Baltic Creative CIC in Liverpool after being opened by world renowned artists The

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City beer Festival opens today

By BETH COLLINS

World Mental Health Day: One of the stalls at the festival Pic © Barry Rocks.

Art puts understanding in the picture

By LUCY NIXON

Oktoberfest beer. Pic © Gustavo Kunst / Wikimedia

It’s nice to see people uniting together to show sufferers that they’re not alone.” Liverpool Mental Health Consortium will continue to run various events throughout the month in support of World Mental Health day. For a full list of events go to www.liverpoolmentalhealth.org.

ART THERAPY: Examples of the art showcased at the festival. Singh Twins. Mental health issues are a cause close to Liverpool’s heart after it was revealed that an estimated 26% of the Liverpool population suffer from mental health issues every year, and the exhibition was just one of many events organsed as a way of challenging

the stigma that often surrounds mental health. Student Rachel Jones, 20, was pleased to see Liverpool coming together in support of those with mental health issues. “A lot of my family members have suffered from mental THERAPY: Selection of art health issues and the stigma surrounding it can be upsetting. being shown. Pic © LN

Farming community tackle wiﬁ ‘not spots‘ with Cheshire MP By AMY COLE

A Cheshire MP is fighting to improve wifi ‘not spots’ with her new petition. Recent figure show that the constituency of Eddisbury ranks 601 out of 650 seats on broadband speed, which averages to a speed of 12.8Mbps, a figure which Eddisbury MP Antoinette Sandbach, finds unacceptable. Studies also show that only 43% of properties in Eddisbury have available Superfast Broadband. The Conservative Government stated in their 2015 manifesto that they aim to have 95% of the country with access to Superfast Broadband by 2017 and to provide basic broadband for all by 2016. Eddisbury’s slow broadband and

limited mobile phone reception really impacts local businesses. The Country Landowners Association represents over 33,000 landowners, farmers and rural businesses in England and Wales, the issue of ineffective broadband is a devastating burden on progress for businesses and puts them at a disadvantage to businesses in urban areas. Dr Charles Trotman, CLA Senior Business & Economics Adviser said: “Access to fast, reliable broadband can be the difference between success and failure for rural businesses. “That is why the CLA continues to press for Government to commit to a legal Universal Service Obligation of at least 10Mbps for provision of a fast and reliable broadband.”

The National Farmers Union is working to stress the importance of this issue. NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “This is a hugely important issue and our member experience will prove invaluable for identifying both the barriers and technological solutions for the delivery of fast, reliable and affordable mobile phone signals and broadband on farms. “Farmers and growers are increasingly using digital technologies to farm more efficiently, and using government digital services as well as to enjoy family life.” Mrs Sandbach is calling for people to sign her petition and complete her survey to improve connections and to help the surrounding outskirt areas of her constituency.

A five-day celebration of all things German is hitting Liverpool next week where punters will be able to get their fix of beer steins, schnitzels and bratwurst sausages. Around 6,000 party goers are expected to attend the event, which starts on October 14th at the Exchange Flags, bringing a taste of German hospitality right to the centre of Liverpool. Oktoberfest is a 200-year celebration that began in Munich to celebrate the gathering of the harvest and has since gone global. The event is free to attend when it opens on Wednesday. However the Thursday, Friday and Sunday require a £5 entry fee. Those going on the Saturday face a £10 entry fee. A VIP package is also available which includes beer, food and seat reservations which will set you back between £34 and £44 per person. Activities will include exclusive beer tasting along with lots of dancing and sing-alongs to shclager music. Guests will be sat under a blue and white coloured tent whilst being served the delicacies of Germany by waiters and waitresses dressed head to toe in the traditional dirndl and lederhosen dress. Those who will be attending the Sunday event will have the opportunity to experience Bavarian family culture with a traditional lunch. Organisers have even brewed their own Oktoberfest Beer, transported all the way from Bavaria.

Cream says ﬁnal goodbye

By AMY COLE

The first of Cream’s farewell events kick off at Nation next Saturday night. The sold-out event will see sets by Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez, Timo Mass, Seb Fontain and many others across the three rooms. The Grand Finale was announced after Nation, and all the nights included, will be relocating to a new venue. The finale includes three farewell events, the second will take place just one week after the first, and the final event ending the year with some Boxing Day antics. The new venue will be expanding up to 10 storeys, leaving space for shops, cafes and the new and improved club. Nation has played host to Cream since 1992. DJs attending the goodbye events will be blasting out emotional performances as they bid farewell to their electronic home.

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Fundraiser to run for PC’s family

By CAOIMHE HARKIN

A Wirral man is to run three marathons in three days to raise funds for the family of PC Dave Phillips who died whilst on duty in Wallasey last Monday. Adam Woods, 21, who is a regular fundraiser, was on holiday in the Carribean when he read on twitter the tragic news about the police officer. He said: “My friend and I could not believe the news when we read it on twitter. As soon as the police force and general public got on board I knew I had to do something”. The runner said: “I’ve run two marathons before, London and Liverpool. I’m genuinely fit and healthy and in the gym most

days, with only a week to train I will just be in the gym maximising cardio. I can see some of the marathons being walked, but as long as I complete the mileage I’m happy”. Adam aims to raise £500 and has only got one week to do so. His ‘3 in 3 for PC Phillips’ JustGiving page is currently just under half way and he is hoping with the help of the public he will reach his target on time. He said: “So far I’m on about £200 but the public have been very supportive. Still £300 to go but I’m confident we can make it.” The 21-year-old began fundraising when he was just 18 years old. His activities have boosted his own charitable cause The K

Woods Foundation, which included him taking part in cycles, marathons and charity concerts. Once he overcomes the three marathons he has more fundraising plans in mind. He said: “I have two concerts planned, one this month and a huge one in February in The Floral Pavilion. It’s a variety night headlined by The Take That Experience”. The runner will be crossing the finish-line at the initial incident site on Sunday at 4pm. If anyone would like to help Adam get closer to his fundraising target they can donate to his JustGiving webpage. Teenager Clayton Williams, 18, has been charged with the murder.

WARNING: Police commissioner Jane Kennedy © Merseyside Police

TRAGEDY: Woods will be raising money for Phillip’s family © Merseyside Police

Design talent takes to Liverpool catwalk

By LISA RIMMER

The biggest UK catwalk show outside of London brought designers, models and keen spectators to the Liner Hotel on Monday night, as Liverpool Fashion Week 2015 began. Fashion Week’s opening session embraced its shipshape surroundings as the show’s organiser, Amanda Moss, told JMU Journalism: “I wanted the nautical theme to tie in with the 100 years of Cunard and it’s a nautical city, so it seemed right to do it at The Liner.” The evening kicked off with a parade of designer-clad tweenies, dressed head-to-toe by the event’s sponsor, Childsplay Clothing. The backing of the Essex-based kid’s fashion company - made famous by the TV programme ‘Minors in Designers’ - bore testimony to the clout that Liverpool’s reputation is having beyond its borders. The store’s owners, the Bassi family, used Liverpool as the stage to showcase their Essex-style influence. With Prosecco-a-plenty, stylish Scousers looked on as young designer, Erica Wildflower, split her ‘Diamonds are Forever’ collections into two halves. The first was a sequin-heavy ‘Studio 54’ vibe, set against a disco soundtrack, courtesy of Juice FM. With heels of nosebleed heights, the models confidently paraded

the vintage-inspired collection in front of the city’s couture connoisseurs. After a short break, Wildflower returned in a more sombre mood. A collection boasting 50 shades of black, heavy textures and a gothic edge, the pieces were a world apart from the previous line-up. The mood wasn’t dampened though, with Merseyside duo ‘Oh Deary Me’ following on by treating the crowd to an acoustic mash-up of Fleetwood Mac and Beyonce. Still on a high, the evening drew to a close after collections by clothing giants, John Lewis. True to current trends, models adorned the catwalk in bohemian-influenced pieces, with tweeds and heavy fabrics, appropriate for the season. Liverpool Fashion Week guru Moss was clearly delighted with the opening night and the opportunity to support local businesses and charities, speaking with pride about being an ambassador of the James Bulger Memorial Trust. James’ mum Denise Fergus and charity patrons were at the event, raising awareness and funds to send underprivileged children on holiday. With shows running until Thursday night and tickets still available, full details of the programme can be found on Liverpool Fashion Week’s website.

Liverpool has suffered one of the slowest employee growth rates in the country, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics. The figures, calculated between 2009 and 2014, reveal that employee numbers in the city region only grew by 1.4%. Compared to Britain’s other major city regions, Liverpool came second to bottom in the league table produced by ONS with only Glasgow has experiencing slower growth rates.

The figures, from the Annual Business Register and Employment Survey, measured growth in employee numbers as the UK economy started recovering from recession but excluded self-employment. The ONS statistics also reveal that employee growth in the South of England recovered faster than the rest of the UK. The growth rate in the South was 7.5% while the North only experienced an increase of 2.2%. Manchester was the best performing city in the North of England, with a growth of 2.7% in the last five years.

By STEPH BOCKING

Crime commissioner Jane Kennedy has written an open letter to the people of Merseyside, after it was announced last week that hundreds of PCSOs risk losing their jobs as a result of government budget cuts. In the letter, Mrs Kennedy has warned that the drastic cuts will put local communities at risk. She said: “The cuts now being considered are harmful to the wellbeing of the communities of Merseyside. “I am personally appalled that I am in a position where I am forced to make such cruel and damaging decisions.” Mrs Kennedy revealed that the government has demanded that the police force needs to make cuts of £48m by the end of the 2018/2019 financial year. This figure could be raised even higher, as the government are expected to announce further cuts in November. In total, it is expected that 364 PCSOs and 21 members of the mounted team will lose their jobs. However, the force said no final decision will be made until the February.

Zoo’s orange plea to Mersey businesses By CONNOR LYNCH

No movement for employment rates By STEPH BOCKING

Police chief in cuts alert

Chester Zoo are appealing to businesses across Merseyside to join there Go Orange campaign in the name of Orangutan conservation. The campaign is encouraging businesses across Merseyside to get involved in Orange themed fundraising events to raise money and support for the Bornean and Sumatran Orangutans. A number of events have already been planned by the zoo, such as the sustainable Pine Oil challenge, which is helping to promote companies who have pledged to support the manufacture of sustainable Pine Oil, as its manufacture has held to the massive destruction of their natural habitat.

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Is the price of this Students Titanic memoir invited taking the biscuit? to global battle By STEPH BOCKING

By CONOR LYNCH

The World Education Games started yesterday offering over five million students the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test in a global online event. The competition which was originally branded as World Maths Day, has been expanded this year to include World Literacy Day and World Science Day, allowing participants to select multiply subjects, or even just one they feel most suited to. Each day of games is dedicated to a specialist subject, with literacy starting of the proceedings followed by maths and science. The event began in 2007 and it is open to any student between the ages of 4 and 18. Winners of the games will be invited to an award ceremony in November 2015 at the Sydney Opera House. The complete list of various prizes and cups over the years can be found in the official website of World Education Games at http://www.worldeducation games.com.

A biscuit stored on one of the Titanic’s lifeboats is to be sold at auction later this month. Auctioneers believe it could become the most valuable biscuit in the world, with estimates of between £8,000 and £10,000. The Titanic, which was registered at Liverpool’s White Star Line building, stored the biscuits onboard lifeboats as part of survival kits. The Spillers and Bakers “Pilot” biscuit, now over a century old, is believed to be the only one in existence. It was kept as a souvenir by James Fenwick, a passen-

ger on board the SS Carpathia, which was the first ship to come to the aid of Titanic survivors. Mr Fenwick saved the biscuit in a Kodak photographic envelope, complete with an original notation “Pilot biscuit from Titanic lifeboat April 1912.” The Titanic sank during its maiden voyage, after colliding with an iceberg on April 14 1912, taking around 1,500 lives. The Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people. The biscuit will go under the hammer at Henry Aldridge & Son The Devizes Auctioneers in Wiltshire on 24 October alongside the Fenwick archive.

Brothers in brain drug breakthrough AUCTION: The Titanic docked in Southampton. INSET: The Titanic biscuit.

By LISA RIMMER

Heart attack death toll soars By STEPH BOCKING

More than 1,000 Liverpudlians are dying every year as a result of heart attacks or strokes, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF). New figures released by BHF also revealed that there are close to 56,000 people with cardiovascular diseases living in the city. According to BHF, there are around 2.3 million people in the UK living with coronary heart disease. The shocking statistics also estimated that 361 people under the age of 75 are killed every year as a result of a stroke or coronary heart disease. With heart disease now believed to be the biggest single killer in the UK, the new figures have triggered health chiefs to urge the public to cut out smoking, obesity and promote a healthier lifestyle.

MEDICAL: The Hanson brothers, above, have set up a company named Neurolab ©Facebook

Two brothers from Runcorn are making medical history by pioneering a new drug to improve brain health. Matthew Hanson, aged 28 and his brother Max, 26, are both pharmacy graduates who have been working on the drug, Memoraid. It’s the first of its kind to specifically target improved brain health. Their company Neurolab, launched Memoraid a month ago but it is already attracting attention from potential investors all over the globe. Matthew said: “We have had calls from China, Iran and Saudi Arabia and also had a lot of pharmacies and wholesalers wanting to stock it.” The brothers told Liverpool Life that they had developed the idea after Max had been studying for his exams at university. He had fuelled his late night revision sessions with caffeinated drinks that had effected his diet and overall health. Max said: “The side effects could be so severe that I wasn’t able to study effectively.” As part of his dissertation, he researched ‘cognitive enhancing drugs’ and discovered that students were buying prescription drugs online and putting their health at risk to maintain their focus whilst studying. Matthew said: “We want to be pioneers of brain health. We hope that a university will carry out a clinical study on Memoraid. There needs to be somebody leading the way on brain health.”

Bike scheme hailed as a success By SOPHIE SEAR

Liverpool’s citybike hire scheme has passed a major milestone just 16 months after its official launch, with an estimated 500,000 mile travelled on the noticeable green bicycles. The popular form of transportation is already the largest outside of London, used by commuters, students, shoppers and tourists. Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Liverpool City Council cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “Since citybike was launched, people have really embraced it. Citybike has raised the positive profile of cycling in Liverpool and trips being made by bike across the city continue to

increase.” To ensure this, the council are continuing to add more new bike stations across the city. As well as this, universities and businesses are being encouraged to give their employees access to citybike for shorter journeys instead of using a company car. Tim Craswell, from citybike operators Hourbike, said: “Half a million miles is a significant milestone. “We have been really impressed with the way citybike use has continued to grow consistently in Liverpool. People really do seem keen to use the scheme rain or shine, whether city residents or tourists.” It costs £3 per day to rent a bike from one of the 130 stations throughout Liverpool.

SUCCESS: Citybike hub, Mount Pleasant ©Sophie Sear

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Dr Lydia Papadimitriou © Aleksandar Zikov

Cinema screens Balkan ﬁlms

By SOPHIE CORCORAN

Liverpool film fans will get a chance to see Balkan Cinema with special screens this month. Cultural identity and memory, are from Kosovo, Croatia and Bulgaria and will be shown at FACT. Bulgarian-Greek co production The Lesson by Kristina Grozeva and Pete Valchanov, premieres on October 20th and Vinko Bresan’s comedy The Priest’s Children will be shown on October 27thand comes from Croatia/Serbia. All three films have been shown and have won awards at the Thessaloniki International film festival in 2014 and 2013. The season has been organised by Liverpool John Moores reader in Film studies, Lydia Papadimitriou. Dr Papadimitriou said: “I wanted to show the public of Liverpool some films from a different part of the world. The three films selected are from three different countries in The Balkans. They tell different kinds of stories and in different genres, but they are all easily accessible. “FACT offers an excellent opportunity for research, whether academic or creative, to communicate to the broader audience what we do and enable the wider community to benefit from our research expertise”.

Fantastic beasts to roam our streets By AMY COLE

Wondering where to find your fantastic beasts? Look no further than our very own home. It has been announced that the Harry Potter sequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will hit the streets of Liverpool to capture our iconic old buildings in 1920s New York style. St George’s Hall has been no stranger to star-studded scripts being filmed on its doorstep, and the Harry Potter crew have utilised our streets before. The mysterious metal fencing surrounding St George’s has left Liverpool curious for days, but now we know there is something magical happening behind. For those expecting to see the usual Potter gang’s familiar faces will be disappointed, but will definitely get the JK Rowling jolt they have been hoping for. The film, that is set before Potter’s adventures, stars The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamnder,

the author of Fantastic Beasts. Producer of all eight of the previous Potter films, David Heyman, says he knows these streets well as his mother is from Liverpool and he has fond childhood memories. He is positive that his crew will receive a warm welcome. The Twittersphere has exploded with excited over the Potter update. Debbie Clappison tweeted: “Eeeek so exciting! Can I be an extra please?! #FantasticBeasts #liverpool #HarryPotter” Emily Strong tweeted: “Excited for the news of #FantasticBeasts being shot in #Liverpool! Looks like I picked the right city to move to. @ jk_rowling @wbpictures” JK Rowling is yet to update us on her thoughts of the news. You will have to hold on just a little bit longer with the film not due to hit theatres in November 2016. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for magic and famous faces around the city.

Behind the scenes: Harry potter begins ﬁlming at St Georges Hall, Liverpool © Hannah Rogers

Tickets released for evening with Elvis Costello By AMBER PRITCHARD

Green homes scheme By STEPH BOCKING Work has begun on the £6.5m scheme to build eco homes in Knowsley. Over 50 energy efficient homes will be built on the former site of Buckels Garden Centre. The development, by Liverpool Mutual Homes, will see 24 two-bed homes, 22 three-bed homes, four homes with four bedrooms and two bedroomed bungalows. To make the new homes ‘eco’ friendly, energy efficient boilers and modern heating systems will be fitted. All of the homes will be well insulated. Over £1m of the grant funding support came from the Homes and Communities Agency.

In Action: Elvis Costello on stage performing

‘Everyday I Write the Book’ may be among his best-loved songs, but for singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, it isn’t every day that he gets to publish a book which tells his life story. But that’s what happened yesterday when his first official autobiography hit the shelves. ‘Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink’ will reflect the musician’s five-decade long career including many stories about his renowned co-writers and co-conspirators. There will also be a variety of images taken from Elvis’ personal archive. Born Declan McManus in London and brought up in the Wirral, he changed his name to Elvis Costello when he signed to his first record label in the 1970’s. The rock and roller was raised by a musical family, his father a jazz musician and his grandfather a trumpet player on the White Star Line ship during the mid-1920’s and 30’s. During his time in Liverpool he joined a band called ‘Rusty’ which soon became a duo comprising of Elvis and Allan Mayes, playing at venues such as the Temple Bar in Dale Street, St George’s Hall and Liverpool University. He then took the music world by storm as a solo artist before he was 24-years-old. Costello pays tribute to his up-

bringing in Merseyside, with the song ‘Little Palaces’ which speaks of ‘chocolate town’ referring to the terraced houses of Birkenhead and the nearby Cadbury’s factory in Moreton. Publishers, Penguin Random House, said: “This is his story, written himself, rich with anecdotes about family and fellow musicians, introspective about the creation of his famous songs.” Since Costello became an author his concerts have taken a turn to storytelling. A gig earlier this year in Florida saw the singer talk about personal experiences between songs. In an event hosted by Waterstones at the Royal Court Theatre on October 26th, the singer will return to his hometown for an evening with crime writer and lifelong Elvis fan, Mark Billingham. There will be a chance to have books personally signed. Liverpool Waterstones event’s organiser, Sarah Hughes, told Liverpool Life: “Tickets have been selling really well and it looks like they will soon be sold out. It should be a very busy event and is special in particular for Elvis as his mother used to work at the Royal Court theatre, he’s really chuffed to be having it at that venue.” Tickets will be available online at www.waterstones.com/ events/tickets

Chemical spill causes panic in Widnes Lennon turns 75 By JAMES GAMBLE

A chemical spill at a factory on Lower Road in Widnes sparked a large emergency response from Merseyside Fire & Rescue on Sunday afternoon. The spill at Pentagon Fine Chemicals was attended to by six fire engines plus incident command support at around 4:20pm on Sunday 11th October. The chemical spilt is said to be Benzoyl Chloride, which is listed as hazardous as it can release poisonous gases in fire, and can cause irritation if breathed. Thankfully there were no casualties, but local residents in Widnes were been advised to close their doors and windows

as a safety precaution. Merseyside Fire & Rescue said: “As a precaution people in the area are advised to keep doors and windows closed and to avoid roads in the area due to road closures.” Benzoyl Chloride is a colourless liquid with a pungent odour, it is toxic by ingestion and is irritating to the eyes, mucus membranes and respiratory tract. The chemical is also flammable and has said to be moderately explosive when exposed to heat or a flame. The A562 was closed in both directions following the incident, which disrupted traffic going towards Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

By STEPH BOCKING

Music fans around the world united to mark what would have been John Lennon’s 75th birthday on Friday. In Liverpool, Beatles fans celebrated the milestone birthday throughout the city. In Mathew Street, fans left flowers and tributes at his statue and outside the Cavern Club, the place where it all began for the Beatles back in the early Sixties.

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ALBERT DOCK: ©Liverpool Life/ Steph Bocking

Tall ship raised from dock By Sophie Corcoran

The historic Zebu tall ship, which sank in the Albert Dock in September, has been pulled up. The boat was originally supposed to be pulled up in early September after it sank but after various unsuccessful attempts, the date was pushed back. Once the boat has been pulled up it is expected it will be moved to a dry dock where the damage to it can be assessed. The Zebu was formerly a Baltic timber trader for 30 years and sailed around the world. The boat was found with just its mast showing above the water when emergency services found it sunken. The Zebu has been situated in the Albert Dock since 1988 and is now owned by the Mersey Heritage Trust. Efforts to raise the boat have been happening since it sunk with several unsuccessful attempts. The sinking wasn’t the first time the boat had found itself in difficulty. In August 2013, Merseyside Fire and Rescue services sent two appliances and special pumping equipment to stabilise the brigantine which was listing to port.

SEGWAY: Mini version still selling well ©Wikimedia Commons/ DraXus

Segway sellers aren’t stressed

By Amy Cole

Top Segway sellers aren’t fussed by the announcement their product is illegal. Balance Board UK, a company based in Liverpool, say that their sales have increased since official tweets have stated that the boards are illegal on public streets. Defenders of the new transport craze say that rollerblades and skateboarders don’t get fined, so why should they. The company is sure that people won’t ride them unless they know what they are doing, and are expected for their business to continue booming on the buildup to Christmas.

Hundreds sleep rough to support homeless charity

SLEEPING ROUGH: ©Wikimedia Commons/Buddyonline77 By Ryan Jones

Over 200 people experienced what it was like to live on the streets of Liverpool last Friday in order to raise money for the White Chapel Centre. However, for some people sleeping rough is their reality. The homeless population of Liverpool is on the rise, with nearly 3,000 homeless men and women. There are a number of programmes which aim to help the homeless get back on their feet, with one in particular organising an innovative night once a year to raise money. The Liverpool Whitechapel centre hosted their second sponsored “Sleepout” which involved people sleeping rough for the night in makeshift cardboard shelters that they had built themselves. The centre opened in the 80s and started by providing food and washing facilities for the homeless. It has since been expanded into an outreach program that aims to tackle the problems that lead to homelessness, such as mental health issues and drug or alcohol dependency. One man to benefit from the work the centre does is Gary

Groves, a former addict who has turned his life around and now works for White Chapel as a patient mentor. He said: “I was an addict for 34 years, and I’m just coming up to 3 and a half years sober. The centre did help me, and I ended up volunteering at the treatment centre I went through, and I’ve got all sorts of qualifications behind me now. This is the job I love doing, helping others.” October 9th was chosen as the date to host the fundraiser as it meant that when those who participated woke up the next day, it would be both World Homelessness day, and Mental Health Awareness week. The centre is proud of its “No Second Night Out” scheme aims to help homeless people by sending specialist staff out onto the streets of Liverpool to offer help and support. Former Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Gary Millar is heavily involved with the Whitechapel centre, and he said: “The ‘No second night out’ scheme is very important in Liverpool right now. If you see someone sleeping on the streets you can call the Whitechapel Centre and they will come and take care of them – because nobody should be forced to sleep out on the

streets for more than one night.” Mr Millar, whose father was once homeless for a while, is extremely passionate about eradicating the homeless issue, and has raised around £200,000 for charity, and he believes the people who are making the decisions in London may not be seeing the link between legislation they bring in and the increase in people becoming homeless. He said: “Welfare reform and the bedroom tax is also a big issue. People will argue that ‘they are living in a house that’s too big for them’, but they were originally put into that house because the government wanted to reanimate a deprived community.” Last year 150 people were involved and they raised £25,000. This year, with an additional 100 people taking part, the organisers are hoping to raise much more than that. Brendan Hobson, 25, from Bristol, raised around £600 for the charity, and he said: “We’re here this evening because homelessness in Liverpool is something very noticeable, having grown up in the south east of England. You wouldn’t see this in other species in animals, the neglect that is showed from one human to another.”

LIVERPOOL LIFE’S Connor Lynch spent the night at the ‘Sleepout’ to experience what a night of rough sleeping feels like: © LIVERPOOL LIFE

Liverpool’s elderly ‘denied care’

By Sophie Sear

Hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people have their requests for help with social care declined in England according to data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The findings show, of the 1.85 million new requests for adult social care support dealt with by local councils in 2014/15, almost a third resulted in

no services provided and a further 31% resulted in the person being referred to other support, for example charities or help groups. According to the HSCCIC, Liverpool received 4,795 of the 1.85 million new client requests, an average of 13 per day and more than half of those from Sefton. George McNamara, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Society, believes the social care system

is in crisis. Every week the charity organisation hears from people struggling to access dementia care local to them. Only 23% of Liverpool’s requests resulted in long term support, 69% of which were from adults aged 65 plus. He said: “We know that a lack of local support has led to a huge increase in unnecessary hospital admissions and early entry into care homes.

“Its people with dementia, their families and carers who shoulder two-thirds of the £26 billion that dementia costs the economy every year. Other diseases receive significantly more support on the NHS and it is unacceptable that people with dementia, who often need long-term care, are left to fend for themselves. The current system is failing and we desperately need adequate funding.”

NEGLECTED? ©Wikimedia Commons/Pacian

Life Focus 8

Let’s stand up to hate crime As new figures are release detailing the extent of hate crimes in the UK, a new campaign aims to raise awareness of the issue. Caoimhe Harkin reports.

ore than 52,000 hate crimes were recorded by the police in the last year. Hate crime is defined as ‘any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic.’ There are five centrally monitored strands of hate crime, these included: race or ethnicity, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity. Now, Hate Crime Awareness Week aims to give the problem a higher profile and encourage victims to report crimes. The purpose of the campaign is to tackle the issues by raising awareness of what Hate Crime is and how to respond to it. It aims to encourage reporting, and promote local support services and resources. Its purpose is to encourage local authorities, such as the police and the council, to work in partnership with local groups and community organisations to host a series of events. This will take place throughout the UK and Abroad in the week leading up to the International

Day of Hope and Remembrance, for those affected by Hate Crime. Joe Lavelle, from the ‘OUTreach’ orgainisation said: “It is really important that as many people as possible report hate crime. Historically, the LGBT community has tended not to under-report Hate Crime Awareness week is an obvious opportunity to raise the issue of hate crime, but it is important to say that all organisations involved in supporting people to report hate crime do so week in and week out.” There are four training sessions planned for today, which will have eighteen participants from a very wide range of organisations. The next training session is planned for 18th November and it is likely to have similar numbers. Lavelle said: “Our training has been developed by the National LGBT Hate Crime Partnership, a national partnership of 31 LGBT organisations. It is a community response to LGBT hate crime.” The home office website has today released some statisticstics from 2014/15. This publication provides information on the number of hate crimes

from police recorded data in England and Wales from April 2014 to March 2015. The bulletin covers the extent and trends in hate crime for all forces, with additional analysis based upon more detailed data supplied by 22 police forces on the types of offences associated with hate crime. The publication includes information on racist incidents in England and Wales recorded by the police from April 2014 to March 2015. A ‘racist incident’ is any incident including crime, which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race or perceived race. The report also provides estimates from the CSEW on the level of hate crime in England and Wales, based on combined data from the April 2012 to March 2015 surveys. The CSEW also provides information on the victims’ experience of hate crime and whether they told the police about the hate crimes. National Hate Crime Awareness Week will also be promoting the need to promote hate crime reporting via social media. Last year they were overwhelmed with the support they received.

In 2014/15, there were 52,528 hate crimes recorded by the police, an increase of 18% compared with the 44,471 hate crimes recorded in 2013/14. o 42,930 (82%) were race hate crimes o 5,597 (11%) were sexual orientation hate crimes o 3,254 (6%) were religion hate crimes o 2,508 (5%) were disability hate crimes and o 605 (1%) were transgender hate crimes. Home Ofﬁce statistics on hate crime in England and Wales, 2014/15

Pictures of Equality and Diversity in support of Hate Crime Awareness week. © Astra Newton

A celebration of excellence By KAMARA SAMUELS

ith Black History Month in full swing, Liverpool Students Union have launched Equality and Diversity Week with a focus on black, minority and ethnic students. LJMU buildings will have giant maps featuring ten places of cultural interest in Liverpool, with stickers for students to place on them if they have visited any. The Students Union are doing this to increase awareness of the city’s cultural history. There will also be a competition for all students. Vicky Andrews, Campaigns Coordinator at Liverpool SU, said: “We are doing it to encourage students to visit the different places. They will need to take

a photo of themselves at the location and then Tweet us or post it on our Facebook page.” Every time a student does this they will be entered into the prize draw, which includes a meal for four people at Raggas, Bold Street, and 10x £10 Amazon vouchers. Lorraine Sebastian-Francois, President of Liverpool SU is running the campaign. She said: “I want to celebrate the people who have excelled in LJMU who identify as BME and the range of culture across the city.” LJMU career service and Liverpool SU have teamed together to hold a seminar for BME women next month. They are running the event in an attempt to help BME women settle into employment. As a BME female herself, Lorraine said: “My motiva-

tion behind this stems from my personal experience of being in full-time work after graduating, but also due to the challenges of being a black woman - I felt BME women in particular needed support with keeping their identity in the workplace and becoming a professional.” Lorraine said from a young age it seems everyone is only educated about European history, so Black History Month is an important part of society. She said: “Black History is everyone’s history too, from Asian and Caribbean people fighting in WWI and WW11to now with influences of BME artists in the charts. I also need to see people that look like me in Higher education in order for me to feel that I belong in this environment and so I can be inspired.”

Liverpool SU President, Lorraine at Chinatown.

Life|Lifestyle|9

Do you binge or do you budget? Connor Lynch investigates student spending

tudents are finding themselves under great pressure financially, as they struggle to cope with the costs of living away from home and spending what money they have wisely. Although it is still early in the first term, they will already be finding themselves under monetary strain, as they discover they may have indulged on their student loans a bit too much. John Moores University student advice centre has noted an increase over the years in students seeking access to their financial support services, for a wide range of issues. Beverly Williams, from the advice centre, said, “At the beginning of term the main issue for students tends to be delays to their student support loans, usually because they didn’t apply for them early enough. “Apart from that we mainly help people learn how to budget correctly, so that they make sure that their student loans are put to the best use, as most people find that the amount they are given doesn’t last them long enough.” The Student Advice Centre also highlighted a number of highly risky methods that students can use whenever they find themselves in trouble, such as payday loans, and the opening of numerous student bank accounts specifically for the instant overdraft. Beverly Williams said, “While some students may think that these are opportunities for quick cash, they often find themselves in a much worse situation afterwards, especially once they realise the consequences of not paying these loans back correctly.” Online Gambling has also been an issue that the advice centre has noticed has been on the rise, as more students have been arriving in, after gambling most of their money away. Beverly Williams said, “We never tell students that they must not have a gamble if they want, but we want to emphasise that sometimes people are doing it too much, and the ability to make a quick bet on your smartphone while watching the football is all too easy

at the moment.” Liverpool Life spoke to a number of students about how they manage their loans, and other measures that they take to ensure stability. One main issue that was highlighted is that the maintenance loans students receive are only able to cover their rent, leaving them with almost nothing afterwards. This means that finding a job is a necessity, even if it is a challenge to try and balance university. Duncan Heenan, 26, a master’s student who also works full time as a chef said:“It’s difficult because you have two workloads, I do forty hours a week in the kitchen, on top of university and to be successful at both you really have to be organised for both. “My student loan barely covered my rent, so if I didn’t work then I didn’t eat. But I do feel however that the experience taught me how to juggle such a large workload, despite the stress.”

number of students have tried to make the most of their time away from university in the summer working to save up enough money so that they can live comfortably without the need for a job during term time. Although it is not always the case that students feel that they are under pressure for money, many also feel that they are able to manage their money just fine, without any need for a job or to seek other help. Rurari Johnson, 23, has just finished his degree, but knows all too well the issues that arise from taking out multiple overdrafts from different banks. He said, “To be honest I was just really silly, I went to a bunch of different banks and told each of them that I was going to put my student loan into each of them. Well after a while the banks realised that I had not used the accounts for anything other than the overdraft and wanted their money back. “I tried avoiding them for a while but pretty soon had debt collectors and things coming after me and contacting my

Money makes the world go round: home looking for the money, it really wasn’t worth it when you consider all the hassle I went through”. Another student, Rachel Stewart, 19, who believed that means testing can punish students who have large families, as they are expected to be supported by their families at home more. She said, “I am always having to ring my parents, and the system is really unfair the way they base it on family income, I have a large family and although my dad makes a good wage, he should not have to bail me out whenever I find myself in trouble.”

©WikiMedia Com-

Here’s what you said: Shaun Singh, 22:

Felt that he was able to get by on whateer financial support that they are given, however Shaun felt that the way that loans were distributed was inherently flawed. He said, “I’m quite good at budgeting so I don’t struggle, but the loan doesn’t give me enough, I look at my friends who are in the same position as me, with the same upbringing, and for some reason they are allocated a lot more money.”

Lorraine Wilson, 22:

Has just finished a degree, however felt that working full-time was a major problem for her studies saying, “I really didn’t do well because I was always, working, it meant that money was never issue but it got to a point where I was working so much that university really became a second priority, I never would have went in if I had a shift.”

Savvy students have a treat with #Shopsocial By SOPHIE CORCORAN

St Johns Shopping Centre ©Sophie Corcoran

The students of Liverpool flocked to St John’s shopping centre last week for the last day of the city’s #shopsocial event. The centre offered a variety of one-off promotions and discounts as well as entertainment for students to enjoy. The event ran from 7pm to 9pm each night. Guests were greeted with a glass of champagne and as well as a chance to win a trip

to Amsterdam. Natasha Oglethorpe, 20, a Law student from LJMUsaid: “I was only coming out for a new dress. I didn’t think there would be all of this; I just thought there would be discounts in the shops”. The #shopsocial event, which started on earlier this month, held at St John’s and saw the centre join up with various businesses throughout Liverpool.

Shoppers were treated to a surprise in the form of Made in Chelsea star Oliver Proudlock. He was standing in for his

co-star Stephanie Pratt, who was unable to attend.

Guests were handed “goodie bags” containing sweets and perfume samples on their way around the stores. This was the first ever student event for St John’s and was deemed a “real success” by the team who hope to host the event again next year.

St Johns Shopping Centre ©WikiMediaCommons/ Chatterbeat

Life|Food|10

Top of the poppadoms 10

Spiceways Located on Childwall Road, Spiceways prides itself on providing dishes from the “most exotic Indian sub-continent that Merseyside has to offer”.

Indian Delight A spacious restaurant located on Renshaw Street with a traditional tandoori cuisine. Has a BYOB policy and offers student discount.

By LUCY NIXON

Yukti Ranked as #5 on trip advisor, this curry house is worth taking the trip further out of the city centre to Prescot Road, Old Swan.

he 18th National Curry week kicked off on Monday and restaurants across Liverpool are hosting special curry nights to mark the event. The week, which runs until 18th October, invites not only curry restaurants but all caterers to embrace one of Britain’s best loved dishes. Restaurants taking part in Liverpool include Mayur on Duke Street, Mowgli Streetfood on Bold Street, Yukti on Prescot Road and Guishan on Aigburth Road. In previous years the week has raised money for various charities including Oxfam and Action Against Hunger. Since 2010 however all money raised has been for The Curry Tree, a charitable organisation who raise funds for causes such as Find Your Feet and Water Aide.

With an estimated 23 million curry lovers in the country, the week has grown vastly since its origin and Britain’s curry loving public can get involved in various ways. Curry fans can enter this years ‘Getting Speedy for the Needy’ competition which contains three major events: The World Poppadom Tower Challenge, The Speed Eating Challenge and The Poppadomathon. The current record for the number of poppadoms eaten in one minute is three which was set by Perry Hughes in 2009. Global chain Pizza Hut are also getting involved by creating a special food fusion for the week. The naan pizza will come in two versions, Chicken Masala and vegetarian Chana Masala. For more information on events happening throughout the week visit www. nationaleatingoutweek.com to curb your curry craving. Here’s our top 10 guide of curryhouses in Liverpool...

Blue Mango Restaurant This spacious curry house is situated in Dane Court shopping centre, Prescot. It even hosts live music entertainment.

U.N.I This traditional Indian cuisine restaurant opened its doors on Renshaw Street back in 1970. The restaurant offers customers a unique experience, allowing diners to sit in cubicles with curtains, dimmer switches and a button to call the waiter.

Remora Tucked away on South Hunter Street, Remora is ranked as #9 on trip advisor. This restaurants offers Indian, Asian and Bangladeshi cuisine.

Sultans Palace This family-run business is located in the centre of Liverpool, on Victoria Street. They use traditional fire clay ovens to cook their dishes.

Million Tandoori This family-run business has been established since 1998. You can find it on Allerton road.

8 7

Simply Indian This is located on St John’s Road, Prescot, and offers contemporary Indian Nepalese Cuisine.

Mowgli Street Food Located on Bold Street, Mowgli Street Food claims to be “a million miles away from the curry house experience”. All of their dishes are low fat, gluten free, high in antioxidants and free from any artificial ingrediants.

Life|Travel|11

Once in a lifetime

Liverpool Life’s CHRISTY JADE BIGGAR looks back on an eye-opening trip to China this summer When you think of a once in a lifetime experience, what comes to mind? For eight Liverpool John Moores students, it was our month-long journalism and film expedition to China to visit one of the leading universities in media, Zhejiang University of Media and Communication, ZUMC. From the get-go, we were immersed into Chinese culture. Learning to speak Mandarin, taking Chinese calligraphy classes, attempting to sing Chinese opera, visiting ancient temples, pagodas, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. We were never still. We visited two of the biggest cities in China; Shanghai to shop and see the magnificent skyline and to Beijing, for the Great Wall. Our month was packed full of adventure, halfway across the World. Our presence caused a huge stir in ZUMC campus routine. One thing that was apparent was a love of everything Western. Every day hundreds of pictures were taken of us, some with our permission, some without. Gangs and swarms of the young and old screaming "selfie" at us, and especially at the four, tall male students. On our trips out of town, we were admirably followed by groups of Chinese families, handing us their children to take photographs with. It was insane. Matthew Crosby said: "It is crazy how obsessed they are with the Western World. I felt like a celebrity, like the Pope."

Like those at LJMU, the facilities at ZUMC were state of the art. News studios, a 40-foot satellite broadcasting truck, television stations, and a campus radio station, Future Star, which has over 7.2 million listeners per year. All run by the students, for the ZUMC and East China. Preparing for a career in media, this university has it down to a T. Laura Gilchrist said: “The people were so welcoming and friendly. It really made the trip unbelievable. I was also really surprised at how good ZUMC was. The facilities they had were of such good quality and it was a real insight into what it would be like to work professionally as a journalist.” The most surreal part of the trip was visiting The Great Wall. The smell of fresh air in the hills above smoggy Beijing, the midday scorch of the sun, and a sea of thousands of people walking with us on the ancient, concave stone steps; old, young, Eastern, Western, we blended together, an ocean of adventurers. Leigh Kimmins McManus, said: “Arriving in Beijing and just tasting the culture straight away, the feel of the place. Being able to see one of the biggest cities in the World in the way we did, was amazing.” The Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven Park were also high up on our list of favourite moments. Astra Armitt said: “I

‘The hardest thing was leaving. Knowing you may never again see the country you’ve grown to love, and made so many friends in, was heartbreaking’

SIGHTSEEING: Our team of travellers got the chance to take in many historic sites including the Great Wall of China. Photo-

graph by Christy Jade Biggar remember going to the Park on the Sunday we were due to leave Beijing, and I felt incredibly bonded to everyone. Walking through the park and seeing hundreds of people from all walks of life, together, playing music and games, exercising. Their way of life is so different. It’s admirable. I was in awe of their motivation.” Food was a big part of the trip. We've all heard of different types of Chinese food, usually named after the area. Peking duck from Beijing, spicy Schezuan food, but Hangzhou food was strange and sometimes scary. Leigh said: "I was horrified when they served up a chicken head." A local delicacy was 'Lotus root', literally the root of a lotus flower.

We soon mastered the art of using chopsticks to eat, but were readily offered forks after more food was in our lap than in our mouths. Egg fried rice was my best friend, I'll never forget the Chinese, "Chow fan". When we all stepped off the plane in Manchester and onto the cold tarmac, we knew we would miss the friendships we left behind. Visiting China was the best part of my summer and one of the most memorable times of my life. The hardest thing was leaving. Knowing you may never see the country you’ve grown to love, and made so many friends in, was heartbreaking. Our tans have now faded and the photographs have been filed away into scrapbooks, but reminding us of our month-long adventure is

NEW SKILLS: The gang go live in the studio (above left) and try their hand at Chinese calligraphy (right). Photograph by Christy Jade Biggar.

the friendship between us; Astra, Christy, Laura, Sophie, Matthew,

Leigh, Lewis and Daniel, with shared memories we will always treasure, and the Chinese adventure we will never forget.

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All the news, all the sport, all the arts. All you need... Liverpool Life every Wednesday

Life|Lifestyle|13

Sláinte* to Liverpool’s annual Irish festival

he Liverpool Irish Festival is ready to start its 10 days of celebrating with music, performances and art. The festival kicks off on Thursday 15th October, celebrating the Irish and Liverpool traditional and contemporary culture. The 10 days of celebrations will include, 56 events, over 30 venues. Music is a big part of the festival and will be showcasing a modern and classing palette of Ireland, from folk and trad through to electronica and urban. Laura Brown, Public Relations for the Liverpool Irish Festival spoke about the growth of Irish culture in Liverpool, she said: “This is our 13th festival celebrating the cultural connection between Liverpool and Ireland, so as you probably know Liverpool has a huge Irish population. When the Irish famine happened the population in Liverpool swelled by 4 times as much as the number of Irish migrants coming over to the country. It’s really shaped the culture of Liverpool, they call Liverpool east Dublin for a reason. These cultural connections have kind of developed this huge wave of music, art and performance and when the festival started it was before Liverpool was European capital of culture, they saw this gap that there wasn’t this festival of Irish culture.” As well as the music, the city of Liverpool will be overwhelmed with Irish

art, one of the exhibitions being the Meta-Perceptual Helmets which will be making their way around the city for 6 days. Mrs Brown said: “We have Meta-Perceptual Helmets which are wearable sculptures, you put them on and see through the eyes of the animal, they use vision perception to see how the world changes around you. There are five helmets, they are a hammer head shark, Cheshire cat, camellia, giraffe and a horse, and we have them for 6 days around different venues across the city centre, that’s really cutting edge Irish art because it by two Irish arts men.” Kelly’s bar in Smithtown is also joining in on the celebrations, and will be having a special night with Irish music and drinks. Liverpool is not afraid to have some fun and to celebrate everything good about the city, so this year is looking like its best so far. Laura Brown was keen to share her enthusiasm towards the city: “Liverpool is an incredible city to have a cultural festival in, because the thing you have here is people who don’t mind looking silly. A lot of people don’t want to look weird, but the people in Liverpool will give it a go, the people in Liverpool are really proud of their culture.” The Festival is going to be a beautiful blend between the traditional Irish and Liverpool culture and the contemporary Irish and Liverpool culture. Words by Lucy Darbyshire

GDM Academy of Irish Dance put on a show at the Albert Dock Michaela Routledge, JMU Journalism

*Sláinte- Cheers in gaelic

Great news for beer lovers

e all know that the temptation to just buy the cheapest drink at the bar is sometimes just too hard to resist. However, should you choose to venture beyond a £2.60 pint of Carlsberg you may be surprised by the amazing craft beers that Liverpool’s bars have on offer. From the monasteries of Belgium to the banks of the river Mersey, there’s something for everyone in the land of posh beer. To celebrate the announcement of yet another beer festival in Liverpool; this time set in the Crypts of St Antony’s Church, beginning tomorrow and running until Sunday; Hannah Rogers gives us a rundown of some of the best places for craft beer in Liverpool:

OUTSTANDING: The Brewdog in Colquitt Street

©Hannah Rogers

Font Bar, Mount Pleasant

A student favourite. If you can manage to tear yourself away from £2 cocktails, you will find The Font has all the craft favourites you need. For fruity lovers, they have the Timmermans fruit range. Definitely worth a try if you’re moving into the world of craft beer. Also worth a try is the Chimay range, a recognised authentic Trappist beer, made from Abbey monasteries in Belgium. Go red label for a dark beer, white label for a blonde, or blue label for a golden beer with a creamy head.

Brew Dog, Colquitt Street

Brew Dog has become one of the better known craft beer bar chains, but they’re well known for a reason. BrewDog Liverpool’s offering has an outstanding thirty taps with an ever changing array of beers. You’d be lucky to catch the Cocoa Psycho, it’s an acquired taste, but if it’s your taste, the chocolatey stout really is something special. Be wary of some of the bottles though, it’s not unusual for the bigger ones to creep up to £9. Check out their website to see what’s on offer now!

The Baltic Fleet, Baltic Triangle Head on down to Wapping Dock for a proper traditional pub atmosphere, where scouse is served by the bowlful and the pumps are ever changing. Even if you’re not a fan of real ales, they often have flat craft ciders on too –which allows you to cheat your way onto the craft beer aficionado list. If you’re lucky, you’ll visit when their occasional Amarillo pale ale is on, crafted from their very own Wapping Brewery.

Life|Sport|14

Cheeky devil to Red Devil By LISA RIMMER

ootball is the bread and butter of Liverpool, and for most, pride for its red and blue occupants is as high-ranking as pride for your own flesh and blood. Rivalry, therefore, is a sport all in itself, and the Liverpool/Manchester divide is something that has transcended generations of football fans in both cities. For proud Evertonian dad of four, Keith Hecky, 32, from Croxteth, experiencing pride for his son’s latest achievement is bittersweet. His 7-year-old son Harley has just been signed to neighbouring city rival Manchester United’s youth team. It follows on from two years in the Manchester City youth academy and trials at both Everton and Liverpool. Keith said: “I’m bursting with pride but it’s that ‘Wayne Rooney effect’, isn’t it? A blue at heart but having to swallow our pride and let him flourish at a Manchester team. I’m made up for him, though. Its hard work but he’s a credit to us and we just want the best for him.”

as adults do. Harley couldn’t understand why it wasn’t the best idea for him to turn up to his first training session in an Everton kit. But kids are innocent, so I let him.” “At the end of the day, just like Rooney, Harley is a Croxteth blue at heart and he doesn’t want to change that.” “Regardless of what team Harley plays for, everybody in his family are proud of him.” Only the future can tell whether or not the 7-year-old will be a permanent fixture as an adult in top-flight football. One thing that is for certain, though, Croxteth is producin some great grass-roots talent.

Harley follows in Wayne Rooney’s footsteps

arley and his brothers are often seen in headto-toe royal blue and it’s a bitter pill to swallow for the Croxteth family to see one of their own in red. Football runs in Keith’s veins, as he also coaches small team Barnton FC in Cheshire. Keith said: “It’s harmless rivalry and kids don’t see it the same

COMMITTED: Training in red. Photo: Keith Hecky

EV TO RED: Harley will switch royal blue to Manchester red. Photo: Keith Hecky

‘Beefy’ now has ‘Sugar’ on his plate By LEWIS CALVERT

oxer Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith is the newly-crowned WBO Junior Middleweight champion, after he overcame John Thompson in seven rounds. Smith, 27, never looked troubled by the power of Thompson, but his opponents’ pot-shots and flurries proved enough to win three of the first four rounds, according to the judge’s cards. Ultimately, though, this led to his own downfall. All the effort from Thompson was absorbed by the high guard of Smith, who seemed to be sapping energy from his opponent round after round. As the fight progressed, the Liverpudlian, with his menacing grin, stalked his prey around the

ring, landing hard body shots. Thompson, 26, for all of his impressive footwork and elusive circling of the ring, began to tire. In the sixth round, Smith exploded into action with crunching blows to the head, and a clearly buzzed Thompson was noticeably glad to hear the bell. ‘Beefy’ roared as he went back to his corner, sensing the end was nigh. The seventh began in the same punishing fashion as the sixth had ended, with Smith landing huge head-shots on the drained Thompson. The eventual knockout blow came at 1:44, flopping the Apollo Kidd face first on to the canvas. No sooner had the words “and the new” been announced, speculation began as to who Smith should face next. Before the fight, boxing legend

‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley (48-9-1), talking to IFL TV, described his annoyance at what he sees as lesser fighters calling Smith out. He feels other British contenders should do likewise and work their way up, rather than try and rush themselves into a big money fight with him.

osley chimed in with his thoughts after the fight, too, fanning the flames of a potential title bout with Smith. He may not be the best fighter in the division, but he is no doubt one of the most recognisable names to the casual fans. Despite falling short against all of the elite level fighters he has faced – including Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez he does boast two wins against

Mexican legend Oscar De La Hoya. He took to Twitter after Smith’s win, saying: “I don’t run from fights. I run to them. Anyone want these hands can get it. Sugar is bad for your teeth. Thought you knew. I’ll fight the best fighters at 147-154 [pounds]”. Clearly Mosley has a vast amount of experience at the top level, and this could prove invaluable if he were to fight Smith. However, the Scouser would have to be the favourite with his relative youth and power potentially too much for the slow, aging star. Smith comes from a family with rich boxing pedigree, with three brothers also professional fighters vying for success. Fans will have to wait and see if the new world champion ‘Beefy’ meets ‘Sugar’.

Preview Toffees, Reds & Rovers By JAMES GAMBLE New Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp faces his first challenge at the helm for the Reds, as his side take on Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in the premier league. Two of his players made good impressions when they played for England as they beat Lithuania 3-0 on Monday night. Adam Lallana started and played well, and striker Danny Ings later made his debut for his country, and nearly scored with a snapshot from just outside the box but for a good bit of goalkeeping from Lithuanian keeper Arlauskis, who had a great game. However Everton’s English talent stole the show, with Ross Barkley scoring England’s first with a deflected shot, and Phil Jagielka proving to be a very worthy captain. The Toffees face Manchester United at Goodison on Saturday, but the Blues will be up for the challenge having already beaten a strong Chelsea side at home this season. Tranmere Rovers were drawn with Lincoln in the first round of the FA Cup proper, while Southport face a lower league competitor in the form of either Salford City or Bradford Park Avenue in the Emirates FA Cup fourth qualifying round.

Netball team goes for glory By LUCY NIXON LJMU netball will be hoping to recreate previous success when they kick off their season today. The girls, who were last year named ‘Team of the year’ by Liverpool Student Union, will take on Durham at the IM Marsh campus in Liverpool this afternoon. Led by club captains Megan Melbourne and Dale Ingram, the team will be looking to the squad of 2013-2014 for inspiration. Then, the team were named BUCS (British University and Colleges Sport) champions after the team’s most successful season yet. Following the arrival of this year’s new recruits, students are being invited to show their support for the team by attending their games throughout the coming season. For more information about the team’s fixtures follow @ JMUNetball on twitter.

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LJMU rowers take it to another Level By BARRY ROCKS

John Moores Rowing Club are shooting for the stars in their eight boat this season but first they want to establish themselves as an official club. The student outfit trains in the docks on the Liverpool waterfront and borrows all of its equipment from Mersey Rowing Club. However a historic grievance for the JMU rowers is that despite having relative success, it has always been under Mersey’s title. But now this finally this looks like the year when they can gain official independence. Vice Captain Steven Parish is looking forward to a promising year ahead, he said: “Hopefully we will be affiliated by November and that will be the birth of John Moores Rowing Club and with that comes funding.” Funding has always been a major issue for the club which has to borrow all its equipment. But they have gained city nightclubs Walkabout and Level as their sponsors for the season ahead both coming with financial support. Steven added: “With funding, we can buy a new eight boat and more space in the cage at the water sports centre (which they share with Mersey Rowing Club) technically it’s their boats

The LJMU rowing team pose for a photo after winning last year’s Trafford race. © LJMU Rowing Club Facebook we’re using, it’s a bit of a pain, we’d rather have our own boats.” Even though they may use the same facilities don’t underestimate the divide between Mersey and LJMU. Mersey recently posted on their Facebook page that they aimed to dominate LJMU this year, to which Steven replied: “There is a rivalry between us both as we beat them in pretty much everything. For example in the Mersey cup (competition at the end of season held only between Mersey and LJMU) we had our eight out and smashed them in it and left them for dead. In the races as well throughout the year we beat them, there wasn’t one race they won in their eight.”

The club is also going from strength to strength in terms of size, with over 80 freshers coming down to the taster sessions recently to try their hand in the boats. As they continue to grow LJMU want to get their name out there by competing and winning as many races as they can. Steven said: “We came back with two or three medals last year and we want to double it.” It’s a tale of David versus Goliath in terms of the competition they face at every event, backed by limited funds and racing in borrowed equipment long past its best, but the men’s vice captain insits the sky is the limit.

Scousers united for homeless football

By BARRY ROCKS

Liverpool Homeless Football Club has been shortlisted for an award in the upcoming Times and Sky Sports Sportswoman of the year awards. The club which celebrated its eighth birthday recently, was set up to support vulnerable homeless people by giving them an outlet through football. Speaking to Liverpool Life, chairman John Finnigan said: “The idea was that it was just a

kick about between a couple of hostels. But the support workers began seeing the benefits, the lads’ attitudes changing, they were getting healthier and were becoming more positive”. One of the female coaches “Pockey” has been earmarked as a key figure behind the clubs nomination for the Community Award- for individuals who have actively engaged with different groups of women within their community through sport. John added: “Pockey, is a

young woman, really motivated about our women’s program, she gets all the women motivated and gets them out of the hostels on a Wednesday between 11 and 1. She does exercises with them and then they have a little kick about”. Sky Sports will be filming this week’s session on Wednesday with the footage to be shown in the build up to the awards. The ceremony itself is shown live on Sky Sports 1 on 6th November.

Great British Bike Off By LUCY NIXON British Cycling are continuing their campaign to get more women involved in cycling with an organised cycle ride in Merseyside on Sunday. The bike ride is organised by British Cycling’s Breeze network and is one of many events set to happen over the coming months aimed directly at women. The team of amateur cyclists will set off from Halewood Environment Centre, embarking on a 20 mile course. Following the success of female cyclists at the London 2012 olympics, British cycling are aiming to get one million more women cycling by 2020.

Becki Morris, British cycling’s Women’s Cycling Project Manager, said although the aim is ambitious they are dedicated to achieving it. “British Cycling’s Breeze network is the biggest programme ever to get women cycling for fun. We acknowledge there is a significant gap between men and women in the sport, and are working to bridge this gap and encourage more women to participate at all levels” she said. Anyone interested in taking part in Sunday’s bike ride needs to sign up online beforehand at www. britishcycling.org.uk

Liverpool

LifeSPORT WEDNESDAY, 14-OCTOBER-2015

Rowers aiming to dominate

LJMU rowers are aiming to become an independent club - full story: Page 15.

LJMU FOOTBALL TEAM IN LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN By SOPHIE SEAR

Liverpool John Moores University’s football society are reaching out to male students as they attempt to start their own football league following an overflow of interest at this year’s Fresher’s Fair. Over 700 people signed up for trials this year and with only two teams the society have taken it upon themselves to create an intramural league within the university. The inspiration behind the idea came from the society’s co-chairmen, Dale Hodge and Martin Blain, both third year Sport Development students. Dale Hodge, 22, player in LJMU’s first team, said: “The

league we’re setting up is for JMU students who want to be a part of the football society who didn’t quite make it on to the first and second teams. So they’re going to be playing in the other teams that we create. “Anyone can join, as long as you’re a student at the university in any year. You’ve just got to be interested in football and commit week in week out.” As well as having the university’s student union behind the idea, the society have also contacted the Liverpool Football Association, who will be helping to set up the league. Wayne Wardle, Football Development Officer at Liverpool County FA, is involved in establishing the intrmural

‘Football is inspiring to others, it gives people freedom to express themselves outside of the university and people change for the better on the football ﬁeld league at LJMU. He told Liverpool Life: “We want to keep in touch with everyone playing football on a local level and to be a help more than anything. “Having gone to university myself, I know football is a massive deal for the social side of things. It’s about getting to know more people

as well as keeping fit. It’s also a love of the game. Liverpool is a hot bed of football and a melting pot for massive interest.” The FA will also be creating opportunities for players who are interested in officiating to gain a refereeing qualification, funding by the Association. Martin Blain, co Chairman of LJMU’s football society,

agrees that the league should be about more than just creating opportunities to play. He added: “The whole point of this is to get more money. Funding didn’t work in our favour so now we only have two teams. Hopefully by next year there will be three, potentially four, teams playing in the university league. It gives the society a better reputation. “Football is inspiring to others, it gives people freedom to express themselves outside of the university and people change for the better on the football field.” The society are arranging a presentation in the upcoming weeks for anyone interested in joining LJMU’s intramural football league.

PLAYERS HEART-FELT THANKS By JAMES GAMBLE

18 year old Anthony Jacobs, who suffered a heart attack whilst playing football has been reunited with the players and spectators who helped save his life. Anthony stopped breathing when he had a heart attack on the pitch whilst playing

football for Yew Tree FC in Kirkby. Paramedics used a defibrillator to revive Anthony, and said that the quick thinking of the people who came to his aid helped save his life. Those who came to Jacobs’ rescue, and performed CPR and mouth-to-mouth resusci-

tation whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive, have formed a new team by the name of Jacob’s FC. Anthony will no longer be able to play contact sports like Rugby and Football, and his mother Maxine Farah has set up a Just Giving page to raise money to buy defibrillators for amateur sports

clubs and sports pitches. The page has already exceeded its target of £2,000, with its total now around £3,240. Anthony said: “The recovery is slow, but I’m getting better. It’s a real honour to have a football team named after me.” Anthony works as a sports coach for youngsters, and

wants to slowly ease his way back into his work. He may have to be on medication for the rest of his life, to ensure his heart maintains a regular beat. The club, Jacob’s FC, is being managed by John Moorcroft, who gave Anthony mouth-tomouth after he collapsed.

LJMU WOMENS NETBALL SEASON PREVIEW: PAGE 15

CROXETH BOY, 7, SIGNS FOR UNITED PAGE 14

ORGANISED BIKE RIDES FOR WOMEN IN MERSEYSIDE PAGE 15