Liverpool Life 3:16 March 17 2015

17 - 03 - 2015

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE...

NEWS

PAGE 2

ASTRONOMICAL: The North West prepares for the solar eclipse. © Wiki Commons: Russavia

LIFEextra PAGE 16-17

SPORT

EGGS-CITED: Treats and tips to sweeten up your home at Easter. © Wiki Commons: pisanki

ROBSON FOUNDATION: Liverpool Ladies support Widnes Vikings. © Twitter: @LFCladies

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FIGHTING FOR STEPHEN

‘We will do anything we can and we won’t stop until we reach our target’

By GEORGIE WHITWORTH

JOURNALISTS: Reflecting on our time in the news room.

Picture © Liverpool Life

It’s the end of our time as the Liverpool Life team 2014/15, so we’re saying our goodbyes to the newspaper in our special issue. But first ..

Let us take a #SELFIE!

The family and friends of a threeyear-old boy from Garston, who was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer are putting their hearts into a campaign to raise funds for life-saving treatment.

With the total now standing at £70,000, the fundraisers are always thinking of new ways to help Stephen Erangey, whose family was told just days before his first birthday that he was suffering from neuroblastoma - the only child in Liverpool to be diagnosed with the condition.

Following the devastating diagnosis in October 2013, nine of Stephen’s family and friends started a campaign called Stephen’s Appeal to fundraise for his treatment. Through various family fun days and sponsored events the group has managed to raise around £70,000 to go towards their target of £250,000 that is needed to send Stephen abroad for preventative treatment currently unavailable in the UK. Garston’s very own Queen Elsa will dust off her best party dress to attend a special Easter party, to be held at Garston Urban Village Hall on Saturday April 4th, raising money for the brave little party Prince, Stephen.

Last year his family were told that there was no longer evidence of the disease in his body, however the cancer has a very high relapse rate of 80% and, if it does return, will most likely come back more aggressive than before.

BRAVE: Stephen Erangey ©Picture: StephenAppeal Claire Humphries, a member of the fundraising team, said: “Stephen is such a cheeky little chappy and looking at him you would have no idea how much he’s been through but the cancer has such a high relapse rate and it is vital that we get him the preventative treatment.

“We will do anything we can and we won’t stop until we reach our target.”

Up to 200 children’s tickets are being sold for the party that will include food and drink, a disco, games, optional fancy dress, bouncy castle, and face painting. Special characters will also attend as guests to the event, including guaranteed favourite Queen Elsa from the Disney sensation Frozen.

Speaking of past events and the support the appeal has received, Stephen’s mum, Joanne McQueen, said: “The support people have shown means everything to me. If people didn’t help, I wouldn’t want to think of the outcome. I couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone.

I just want Stephen to have the best treatment available.”

Life|News|2

Eclipse set to stun across city

Luxury hotel is cat’s whiskers for feline guests

By GEORGIA DUNNING

By ADAM JONES Sky-watchers are set for a treat on Friday as a partial solar eclipse is set to take place.

While the phenomenon will only be partial for the whole of the UK, at its peak it is expected that 90% of the Sun will be blocked by the Moon.

Experts are warning that, even though so many of the Sun’s rays are going to be blocked, they are still dangerous, and the phenomenon should not be viewed without the proper equipment.

Jonathan Marchant of the LJMU Astrophysics Research Institute said that the best way to view the eclipse was either to buy special goggles, or to project the sun’s rays on to a piece of card through a pin-hole in a piece of paper.

The astronomical event will last for over two hours, with the best coverage of the Sun happening at 9:30 am at an altitude of 26 degrees, providing a deep partial eclipse for the majority of the UK. The last solar eclipse viewable from this region was in 1999 and the next won’t be until 2090.

Honour for St Paul’s eye unit

Renovation hope for Georgian quarter

By JOSH KELSALL

By HOLLIE BRADBURY St. Paul’s Eye Unit, based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, will be awarded Freedom of the City of Liverpool at an honorary ceremony held tomorrow.

Representatives from the Eye Unit will be formally presented with the Freedom Scroll at Liverpool Town Hall in the company of staff and former patients who have benefited from the services provided by those working at the unit.

The ceremony will be part of a programme of events that the unit is running throughout the week to mark the Freedom of the City. “Eyes Revealed” is a special exhibition whereby members of the public will be able to experience a wide range of interactive demos to showcase the workings of the eye and new treatments.

Life

PAMPERED PET: A furry guest enjoys his stay at the hotel

A row of empty Georgian houses in Toxteth are to be made available to developers in an effort to fill unoccupied houses in the city.

The nine vacant properties on Percy Street are Grade II listed and are partly owned by Liverpool City Council and leased to Sanctuary Housing, similar Georgian houses in Liverpool sell for around £600,000-£900,000.

The houses were originally owned by Cosmopolitan Housing, which owned nearly 14,000 houses in the northwest, but the company nearly collapsed in 2012 when the housing market downturn lead to a cash flow crisis as well as accounting errors by the company.

The firm was rescued by Sanctuary Group, Britain’s biggest housing company by homes, who now own the period houses and are working with the council to restore the houses back to their former glory.

Cllr Ann O’Byrne, Assistant

Team

Bringing you the news every Tuesday

Editor James Tomlinson News Editor Steph Bewley News Alice Kershaw Georgie Whitworth James Busby Josie O’Sullivan Features Editor Kaltun Abdillahi

A luxury cat hotel is to open in Southport which will offer feline friends a five-star stay whilst their owners are away.

The Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel in Birkdale, offers picturesque view of the seaside and is set to open at the end of March.

Feline guests will enjoy pampering sessions and spa treatments along with music and the finest ‘A la Cat’ menu selection. The five luxury heated suits include themed rooms as well as wrought iron beds. There is furthermore a safe play area for the cats both inside the hotel and in the garden. Prices range from £17-£22 a night per cat and goes up to £45 for an ‘enormous’ room.

The feline hotel will be the eighth luxury cat hotel in the UK opened

by Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel Group. Set up by cat lover Abi Purser in 2010 as an alternative to a large, impersonal cattery. The company has gone from strength © Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel to strength with many of the ho-

tels being fully booked months in advance.

Owners who may be missing their beloved pets are also catered for with hotel staff sending updates including texts and pictures of their cats throughout their stay, a service no other cattery offers.

All Longcroft hotels are based in homes. Southport owner Harvey Summers said: “I enjoy pampering and making animals feel at home and relaxed, so that will be a real pleasure.

“I can’t wait to offer clients a truly unique experience of looking after their cats and being able to hand them back stress-free and happy.”

Owner of Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel group, Abi Purser spoke to Liverpool Life and said: “We have been absolutely inundated, and we’re really delighted. Southport is a brand new area for us and the reception has been amazing, everyone has been lovely and really supportive.”

Abi, who runs the hotels with her husband, added: “We really treat our guests like they belong to us.”

Features Lauren Pulford Bradd Chambers Imogen Sweeney Josh Handscomb Dan Wright Katie Dodson Sports Editor Melissa McFarlane Sports Michael Glynn Angharad Millington

Mayor and Cabinet member for Housing at Liverpool City Council, explained that empty houses are a big concern for the city.

She told Liverpool Life: “We introduced a 10 point pledge into cabinet to deal with our vacant homes within the city because we recognise that this is something that we need to tackle if we are ever going to deal with the housing issue in the city.

“Also, the blight that empty properties bring to the community, so it’s about working in partnership with the private sector and looking at new and innovative ways to make sure we use every tool available to deal with empty homes.”

Cllr O’Byrne expressed her desire to bring the homes back to life given their desirable location in the picturesque Georgian Quarter.

“We have been working very closely with Sanctuary them to bring these types of properties back into use because we’re concerned that such beautiful homes

have been left empty for far too long and given their position in the city, right on the edge of the city centre and part of the Georgian Quarter.

“It was something I was determined to tackle as quick as we possibly could and I would love to see these properties brought back as homes or as sympathetically as we possibly can.”

The houses on Percy Street are expected to generate a lot of interest and the council and Sanctuary Homes will be listening to a host of potential developer’s concepts for the houses, and refuse to rush into anything if it doesn’t fit their blueprint.

“We want to see what you can do with them, how much you can refurbish them for and how much you think they are worth to the city, then we will look at the ideas and work with either the individual or the organisation who has the best idea and most imaginative scheme to bring the old and tired properties back to life.”

EMPTY: Georgian houses in the city centre © Josh Kelsall

Sound City seeks student volunteers

By GEORGIA DUNNING Liverpool Sound City has teamed up with Liverpool John Moores University in an exclusive partnership which will see students get hands on industry experience through paid placements.

The three-year partnership will give students the opportunity to put their skills to the test and gain experience in roles such as; conference assistants, artist liaison officers, green room assistants and sponsorship fulfilment assistants.

Furthermore, there is the opportunity for ten Liverpool Screen School students to work with Sound City TV. These roles will include; producing, filming

and editing for their online platform. The film will also be used as promotional material for future Sound City festivals.

Some courses are also offering the work placement as part of module credits.

The highly successful three-day festival, which has been running for five years, has seen the likes of Ed Sheeran, Bastille, Clean Bandit and Royal Blood perform, all of whom have gone on to achieve huge success all over the world.

Alex Simmonds, marketing manager for Liverpool Sound City spoke to Liverpool Life and said of the partnership: “We’re delighted to have LJMU on board as our cultural education partner for Sound City 2015.

“We’re partnering up with LJMU on a number of initiatives including students from the LJMU Special Design Course working with the amazing STAX Creations to help us deliver an incredible post-apocalyptic festival site. We can’t wait for you all to see it!”

This year, the internationallyrecognised festival will be hosted on the Docklands and will see The Vaccines, The Cribs, Everything Everything and Peace perform.

Organisers are hoping the festival will bring the waterfront back to life with the previously abandoned Dockland area being rejuvenated for the event.

Many warehouses and water-

front buildings will be especially adapted for the festival in a ‘postapocalyptic’ theme which LJMU students will design and build.

LJMU’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr Edward Harcourt said “Sound City is one of Britain’s major contemporary music festivals.

“Hundreds of our students already attend the event and our three-year partnership with Sound City will enable many more students to enjoy the festival, adding to their experience of Liverpool’s contemporary culture.”

Liverpool Sound City festival will run from Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May this year. The tickets cost £35 for a day or £65 for weekend and are on sale now.

Life|News|3

TEA AND CAKE: Fiona Phillips with campaign supporters © The Missing People

Parties to find missing people

By KAYLEIGH WATTHEY Merseyside has welcomed a new campaign to support missing people after it was revealed that the city has one of the highest rates in the UK. The Missing People’s charity has launched the campaign ‘Everything Stops for Tea’ which aims to encourage people to hold a special tea party for family, friends and colleagues on or around Friday 20th March to support those who are missing and their loved ones.

It is reported that over 4,000 people go missing in the UK each week.

Josie Allan, Regional Manager for Missing People, told Liverpool Life: “We have had a great response so far. Parties have been organised across England, Wales and Scotland by a whole variety of people getting involved.

“From corporate partners’ head offices to supporters’ own homes, Friday will see lots of tea being drunk and cakes being eaten. We’re hoping to raise £10,000 with this campaign.”

Everything Stops for Tea is being championed by Missing People Ambassador, Fiona Phillips.

Fiona Phillips, said: “I know from spending time with parents of missing children that these families go through the most indescribable pain. Everything Stops for Tea is a brilliant idea because everyone loves a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a natter.

“But what makes it really special is they will be helping to offer a lifeline when someone disappears.”

People can get involved and support the people that go missing every year, as well as the families suffering the heartache of searching for them, by visiting www.missingpeople.org.uk/ everythingstops or texting TEA to 70660 to get a Party Pack.

The Everything Stops for Tea Party Pack includes fundraising event tips and materials to help readers host their own event.

You can also join the fun on Twitter and Facebook by sharing a 'mugshot’ with special stickers included in the pack.

Every pound raised will go towards the work that Missing People does to help search for those Josie Allan, added: “Fundraisers like this are so important for the charity and it’s really positive for people to get involved.

“We hope that everyone that holds a party on Friday will realise the impact that they’re having for those that are missing a loved one. By holding an event they are being a lifeline for those families.”

Mayor spells out top five pledges

By DAN GOULDING Liverpool Mayor, Joe Anderson, has stated his five key priorities for the Merseyside region as the government prepares for the annual budget meeting on Wednesday.

The Mayor has expressed that he is looking for a fair funding formula from the government, “not one that penalises cities like Liverpool” and has put this at the top of his list.

He said: “Between 2010 and 2017, government grants to Liv-

erpool City Council will be cut by 58% – some £330 million.

“The scale of cuts we are dealing with is unprecedented and unsustainable beyond 2017. In fact, if we were just facing the average national funding cut, we would be £80 million a year better off.”

Chancellor George Osborne has assured there will be “no giveaways, no gimmicks” as he sets to announce how the UK’s money is spent over the next year.

Number two on the list is the HS2 issue.

The Mayor wants the HS2 line

to be extended so that it goes through the city, as it would bring 14,000 new jobs to Merseyside and an extra £30 million in business rates as well as an estimated £8.3 billion boost to the city’s economy.

Mr Anderson also stated his commitment for a “Metro-Mayor” for the Liverpool region in the hopes of helping the city to become part of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’.

He emphasised the need to gain more control to improve transport connectivity, as well as inte-

grated NHS services with social careby targeting “real devolution of decision-making and budgets”.

Mayor Anderson also touched on the council’s plans to implement the Care Act next month, which will set new national standard for assessing care needs.

However, cuts to the council’s grant will force them to reduce adult social care by £42 by 2017.

He said: “If we are to bridge the aspirations of the Care Act with the reality of a shrinking budget,

then the government needs to act.”

Finally, he spoke about his plans for children centres, suggesting that they be “ringfenced.”

He added: “We have decided to guarantee an extra £2.2 million to keep all our 17 children’s centres open until 2017.

“If the government is equally serious about giving our kids the best start in life and practical support for families there is a simple remedy for all parties.”

Greens deny Aintree rumours

By DAN WRIGHT Liverpool-based members of the Green Party have hit back at claims that they intend to ban the Grand National should they be elected into power following the general election in May. The party came under fire from both the Telegraph and the Daily Mail newspapers following the release of plans to discuss banning all commercial horse racing at Spring Party Conference which took place in Liverpool last week.

Addressing the conference, party leader Natalie Bennett claimed that the proposals would create a 'peaceful political revolution' amongst followers, but some media reports criticised the party’s consideration of plans for animals to be given human rights as well as the introduction of a so-called ‘nappy tax’.

However, Greenbank council-

DEBATE: The Grand National © Vegard Grott / JMU Journalism lor and Green Party member Lawrence Brown rubbished the criticism, stating: “The motion regarding the commercialisation of animal racing that appeared on the agenda for the party's Spring Conference last weekend was not discussed or voted upon due to lack of time. It is therefore impossible to say whether the

proposal has support within the party or not.

“The Green Party's policy does not propose to ban all horse racing for commercial purposes but it does seek to outlaw the exploitation of animals in racing.

Liverpool Green Party supports the current national policy on animal racing but that would not necessarily mean a banning of the Grand National, it would however mean changes being made to that, and other similar races to achieve improvements in horse welfare.”

The party is yet to publish its General Election manifesto so it is not clear what policies, if any, will be included in relation to animal racing, and if there will be any support for those policies. However, Liverpool Green Party leader John Coyne added: “I agree with an immediate ban on the use of a whip - I disagree with banning all horse racing.”

Merseyside offers #HelpingHands

By SARAH HANCOCKS A campaign will be launched tomorrow by Sefton Council and Merseyside Police ito support National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day. Local authorities across Merseyside will be working alongside police to use tomorrow’s awareness day as a springboard for a 12-month campaign called ‘Listen to My Story’.

Posters will be distributed to schools and wallet cards will be given to young people and professionals working with children.

A spokesperson for Sefton Council told Liverpool Life: “We want to be proactive in helping you to be aware of the risks that your child may meet, whether face-to-face or virtually through social media and the internet.”

The National CSE Awareness

Day has been organised by charity the National Working Group (NWG), which will highlight the issues surrounding CSE - encouraging everyone to speak out against abuse and adopt zero tolerance towards adults developing inappropriate relationships with children.

Councillor Jane Corbett, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, told Liverpool Life: “It is vital that we all know what the signs of CSE are, which is why we are launching this really important campaign. “ It could be that you are a young person and either you or one of your friends is being taken advantage of.

“Or you may be the relative or friend of a young person and you recognise some of the signs.

“Whatever your situation, our message is that we want to know

about it, that you will be listened to and that your concerns will be taken seriously.”

Residents are also encouraged to write a personal pledge on their hand and post a photograph of it to their social media account with the hashtag #HelpingHands to help raise awareness nationwide - reaching a network of friends, family and other social groups.

St Helens Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools and Lifelong Learning Councillor Sue Murphy said: “Child sexual exploitation and abuse can have a devastating impact on young people throughout their lives.

“On average it takes a victim seven years to tell someone what has happened to them - either because they are ashamed, they have no-one they can trust to believe them, or no-one actually asks in the first place.”

UPBEAT: Councillor Richard Kemp © Richard Kemp / Twitter

City’s party leader hopeful for future

By SAMUEL PEERS After hosting the Liberal Democrat spring conference in the city this weekend, the party’s leader in Liverpool, Councillor Richard Kemp, has told Liverpool Life why he is feeling upbeat about the party’s future.

Though they have lost ground both nationally and locally, losing official Liverpool opposition status to the Greens last year, Councillor Kemp believes the conference has helped bolster the party’s image locally.

Councillor Kemp said: “It’s always hard to judge how they’ve gone, but it was nice to have it in Liverpool.

“It was great, there was a buzz even though people expected us to be full of doom and gloom.

“I really liked Nick Clegg’s comment during his speech that cows moo, dogs bark and Tories cut.”

He added: “We do get carried away sometimes but Michael Crick, the investigative journalist, said Nick Clegg’s speech was the best leader speech for years.”

After five years of coalition government and criticism that they have failed to resist Conservative policies, the pressure is now on for the party to distance itself as the General Election approaches swiftly.

This was reflected in Clegg’s

numerous swipes at the Conservatives while speaking at the ACC Convention Centre, including his description of a “glint in George Osborne’s eye as he announces cuts”.

Councillor Kemp explained: “We’ve been differentiating ourselves from the Tories.

“Some things we would have done anyway, such as increasing pensions, but some elements like the bedroom tax we wouldn’t have done.

“There’ll be no overall majority at the election, so we need to be clear, and have a clear list.”

During the conference, Councillor Kemp told activists that an assembly should be set up to govern wider Merseyside, with around 23 councillors.

He stated: “We have the Westminster Government, dictated to

by Tories.

“We get people making decisions about which we have no control.”

He added: “There are a number of options for this. One is a mayoral model like London, but I don’t think it would work very well.

“There could be a regional mayor plus scrutiny bodies.

“However I think an assembly is the only way we could have a candidate to be leader in a democratic sense.”

Life|News|4

Children’s centres face cuts

By ADRIAN SPEED

Protests against cuts to children’s centres by parents took place outside Wallasey town hall last night.

The protest was held before councilors met to decide budget changes and the salary for the new incoming Chief Executive.

Parents and children held up placards and banners asking councillors not to cut money from children’s services they deem vital. In cost-cutting plans, local early learning and communities centres would have funding dramatically reduced or even be forced to close.

Parents using the affected centres have been told they can use the remaining ones, this however has caused an outrage amongst some parents as travel costs for some could be up to £15.

Those who can afford to travel have been turned away from other facilities as they are increasingly oversubscribed.

Council leader Phil Davies has said no centres will be shut under the new proposal, instead the 16 centres would be reduced to four main hubs with smaller centres in the community. He also added that schools could take over the role of many of the centres. Nothing has been decided and the council is willing to listen to concerns.

In a statement last month Cllr Tony Smith said: “In putting forward this consultation our aim is to get the views of as many people as possible to ensure that the services we offer, and the providers of those services, remain progressive and fit for purpose.” it was agreed that the new Chief Executive would be paid a salary of £165,000 a year when he takes up the position in April.

The Green party is opposing any changes to childcare facilities and Parliamentary candidate Kenny Peers said: “The council plan to make 67 staff redundant based on an Early Years Review that is not fit for purpose.

“If people are to lose their jobs it should be with the knowledge that no stone has been left unturned to safeguard those jobs, based on this review that clearly is not the case.”

Liverpool puts out the flags for Paddy’s Day By

SEAN PURVIS

The Irish community filled out Liverpool as they celebrated St. Patrick’s Day today.

The Liverpool Irish Flute band and Cambria Band from Wales parade kicked off on Silvester Street before moving along Vauxhall Street, heading into the city centre and finishing up at Cockspur Street.

The roads were a mist of green and orange as people, young and old joined together to celebrate the Irish national holiday.

Celebrations continued long into the night as many packed out the many Irish themed pubs and clubs across Merseyside.  More St Patrick’s Day fun: page 8

Flat fares blasted by transport chief

By HOLLIE BRADBURY

Merseyside’s transport chief has criticised large bus companies operating across Liverpool for their imbalanced fare structure.

Cllr Liam Robinson, chairman of Merseytravel, has challenged bus operators to explain why a flat fare is implemented across Merseyside, yet in Manchester and other areas they have variable fare structures which make shorter journeys cheaper.

New figures reveal that 90 per cent of passengers are generally satisfied with the level of bus services across Merseyside apart from the price of fares.

Cllr Robinson, said: “Really disappointed to see that value for

money is still the lowest scoring measure of customer satisfaction at 67 per cent, which is really not good enough, with Arriva, our biggest bus operator, scoring only 61 per cent. While some week and season tickets can offer good value, these are not a viable option for those people who don’t have the money and can only pay as and when they need to use the bus. These are the most vulnerable customers who are being penalised by this structure.

“Bus cash fares on Merseyside for shorter distances are also very expensive compared to other areas. The structure means that a ‘short hop’ of just a mile or so on a commercial route at £2.20 can cost the same as a journey from

Bootle to Aigburth, which again is ridiculous for the customer.”

Cllr Robinson went on to say that he is: “keener than ever to ensure Merseytravel work’s hard with partners to improve the passenger experience, but also to address affordability issues and ultimately see further growth in patronage, which has seen a huge decline over the years.”

Improving the service is one of Merseytravel’s key priorities with the transport executive currently working on developing a comprehensive bus strategy for the Liverpool City Region as part of a multi-modal transport approach.

One example has been the introduction of MyTicket, a £2 flat

fare all-day bus ticket for under16s in partnership with the operators. Cllr Robinson wants to see that extended to older teens and those in education and training, especially with the leaving age rising to 18.

Today, bus passengers gave their opinions on the situation.

Jo Hillman, 28, Southport, said: “I think they are reasonable in the city centre, back at home in Southport the bus companies don’t do a student fare but they do here. I think compared to them, Arriva are reasonable.”

Alice Critchley, 54, of Formby, said:“I got a shock when I knew how much fares can be, In Formby only a few stops costs a lot of money.”

And Peter Dunningham, 37, Kirkby, added: “So many people have cars and passes or aren’t using the buses at all, the bus staff wages need to be paid somehow so I guess that’s why the fares are so high.”

Chelsea Penk, 21, Manchester, said: “As a student I get the discounts available so I haven’t had to face a full fare yet but I understand that a day rider can cost near up a fiver which if I was paying that a few times a week it would be crippling” And Rich Wilson, 30, from Liverpool, added “Transport will always be expensive won’t it?

Prices of fuel going up and the increase of student influx in the city, it all has to be paid for.”

History behind Liverpool’s remaining ‘Special’ postbox

By KAYLEIGH WATTHEY Enthusiasts are hoping to track down the remaining historic Liverpool Special postboxes.

The Albert Dock is home to the last remaining fully-working ‘Liverpool Special’ in the country and celebrated its 150th birthday in January 2013 and is the only remaining, still-.

The Liverpool Special stands out even beside other relatively rare Victorian pillar boxes because only seven were made.

A couple of the postboxes are preserved in museums but the Albert Dock specimen is the single so-called Liverpool Special to survive the decades.

Andrew Young, Letterbox Study Group chairman, said: “We know a fair amount about the Liverpool Specials but I am sure there is much more to record. For instance, though we know that the first Liverpool Special was erected in January 1863, we do not know the

precise date. I do hope we can find that out.”

It is unclear where all the boxes were, but records show that six were located outside Lime Street Station by St George’s Hall, near the Town Hall, St Anne Street Islington, at the junctions of Sheil Road and Huntley Road at the corner of Breck Road and Everton Road and Church Road and Edge Lane.

The Liverpool Special in Albert Dock was the one originally at Sheil Road and Huntley Road.

As well as the one on Albert Dock, there is also one that is no longer in use at the North Liverpool delivery office, which came from Breck Road/ Everton Road and spent part of its life at Copperas Hill.

They were believed to have been created when the city’s mid-Victorian postmaster argued that boxes designed for the nation as a whole were not adequate to cope with the heavy postings experienced in Liver-

pool where – unlike London – the posting of newspapers as well as letters was allowed.

Reports were also received from the public and the Liverpool Constabulary about boxes being filled to overflowing. After a long battle with London, the postmaster was permitted to draw up his own design for a box and the Liverpool Special was born. These boxes were based on the large first standard pillar boxes with a couple of notable additions, the most significant being the large crown on the top.

Robert Cole, from the Letter Box Study Group, said: “There is also one in The British Postal Museum Store in Debden, Essex.

Altogether that makes three accounted for, but we have no idea where the other four have gone.

They could be still in Liverpool, maybe even in someone’s garden.

“It’s such a shame, because they are such an iconic piece of

REMAINING: Liverpool’s ‘Special PostBox’ © Rept0n1x / Wikimedia Commons

the city’s history, and we would love to see as many as still exist put back into use so the public can enjoy posting their letters in them.”

Life|News|5

Director scoops major award

By JOSH KELSALL The Director of a Cheshirebased company has scooped two prestigious business awards.

Richard Law, Chief Executive of GB Group, has won the Institute of Directors North West Overall Director of the Year The awards ceremony was held at Manchester’s Midland Hotel which saw over 13 awards given out and was attended by over 250 business people from all areas of the North West.

Richard Law has been the boss at GB Group since 2001 and the company works to prevent identity fraud and is based at Chester Business Park.

Mr Law expressed his delight at being awarded the esteemed prize and said “I've learned so much since taking over the helm of GBG in 2002, not least of which is the role the CEO needs to play in setting a clear vision and recruiting and developing inspirational and fantastically talented people to achieve sustained growth.

“I’m very proud for what GBG has achieved as a business but I’m most proud of our team which in my opinion is the best, most cohesive and most accomplished team any business could wish to have.”

Mike Perls, chairman of the IoD North West, said: “As the chief executive of one of the North West’s fastest-growing tech companies, Richard is a very worthy overall winner.

“He’s an excellent example of how a director should operate, demonstrating extensive business knowledge and excellent people management skills Mr Law will now be competing for the National IoD Awards.

Obesity ‘leads to greater cancer risk’

By KATIE DODSON

Women in Liverpool are at a high risk of being diagnosed by cancer if they are overweight.

New figures have found that obese women in the UK have a 40% greater risk of getting one of the weight-related cancers.

Liverpool has formerly been named the ‘Cancer Capital’ of Europe and a reported 45% of all cancers diagnosed in Liverpool are lifestyle related, with things like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and obesity being to blame.

The new figures from Cancer Research UK found that obesity increases a woman's risk of developing at least seven types of cancer - including bowel, postmenopausal breast, gallbladder,

womb, kidney, pancreatic and oesophageal cancer.

Professor Daniel Palmer, Chair of Medical Oncology at The Royal Liverpool Hospital, spoke to Liverpool Life last year about his concerns and said: “I think there’s lots of work to be done there are reasons to be optimistic.

“A lot of research is always being done, particularly here in Liverpool to try and identify patients who might be at a greater risk and to develop more sophisticated tests that may allow earlier diagnosis.”

Cancer is the biggest killer in Liverpool and people are 20% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer in this area of the UK than anywhere else.

Dr Julie Sharp of Cancer Re-

Chester Zoo has remained the most popular paid-for tourist attraction in England outside London.

The zoo attracted 1,432,867 visitors in 2014 which was a record in the zoo’s history, in a year that saw many new arrivals.

It is the fourth year that the zoo has come out on top. against the most popular museums, galleries, palaces, castles, cathedrals, zoos, stately homes, games, heritage sites and leisure attractions.

A new project named the Island development will be the biggest of its kind in Europe and will recreate habitats for South East Asian islands.

The project due to open in June will have Sumatran tigers, Orangutans and a new baby Visayan warty pig.

Managing director, Jamie Christon said: “Islands will drive visitor figures up even further.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with where we are at today.”

SCALES: Women could face higher risk of cancer if deemed as overweight ©Flickr/catd_mitchell

Merseyside campaign is shortlisted in national awards for energy saving

By KAYLEIGH WATTHEY

Chester Zoo is UK favourite

By ADRIAN SPEED

search UK said: “Losing weight isn't easy, but you don't have to join a gym and run miles every day or give up your favourite food. Just making small changes that you can maintain in the long term can have a real impact. To get started, try getting off the bus a stop earlier and cutting down on fatty and sugary foods.”

With Liverpool’s high cancer rates and the percentage of overweight or obese people in in the city at 67.2% compared to the English average 63.8%, the combination of the two should be alarming to locals and authorities.

The cancer incidence rate in Liverpool is 498.4 per 100,000 – English average is 398.1 per 100,000

Energy saving: ©Flickr/ Martin Cathrae

A campaign to help cut energy bills has been shortlisted for the UK Housing Awards 2015.

The Collective Switch Campaign has been shortlisted for an award which ‘recognise outstanding work by organisations that seek to improve the lives of people in their communities’.

The Merseyside Collective Switch is a not-for-profit partnership between Energy Projects Plus, Halton Council, Knowsley Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council, St Helens Council and Wirral Council.

Energy Projects Plus is one of six left in the running for the Outstanding Campaign of the Year Award, for their Switch Together, Save Together Collective Switch campaign.

Peter Owen, Chief Executive of Energy Projects Plus, told Liverpool Life: “As a charity focused on helping reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions, we are really pleased that our

work has been recognised in this way. We are working in close partnership with all the local authorities across Merseyside and to be shortlisted from so many entries shows the value of this approach.”

“When our message to residents is competing with so many others, the shortlisting gives even greater credibility to our campaign and hopefully reinforces the message to residents that the campaign is one they can trust.”

Collective switching is when a large group of people get together and use their collective buying power to negotiate a better deal from energy suppliers.

The more people who are involved in a switch, the bigger the buying power and the better the deal is likely to be.

Mr Owen, added: “Our current switching window closes on March 22nd, however we intend our next collective switch to take place in the autumn.

“We are happy to add resi-

dents to a waiting list and will contact them when the next campaign starts, however it does not mean that residents have to wait until then to explore the benefits of switching.

The Save Energy Advice Line is available all year round, and residents can contact it to find out more about switching.”

He said that while at the registration stage they cannot give individual savings reports to residents, the fact that the average saving is over £200 per household (based on previous campaigns) demonstrates the potential savings to be made.

Once the collective switch offers are received from the suppliers, and the best ones chosen, the collective switch provide this information to residents by their chosen preferred method – email, phone or post.

People who wish to sign up to the Collective Switch can sign up at www.lcrenergyswitch. co.uk or phone the Save Energy Advice Line, 0800 043 0151.

Lift-off film festival displays city’s talent

By ADAM JONES The Liverpool Lift-Off Film Festival took place over the weekend, with film-makers across the city showing off their talents in packed out venues for the whole period.

This is part of an international series of festivals which will also travel to the likes of London, Tokyo and Los Angeles. The festival is also set to expand to Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Vancouver in 2017.

A number of the films this year were screened at Fredericks bar in the city centre, with the awards ceremony held at the Plaza cinema in Crosby.

Co-founder of the festival, James Bradley, praised the city of Liverpool for fitting in to the brand of Lift-Off perfectly,

saying that it was great to be a part of the thriving culture in the city.

He told Liverpool Life: “The culture here is excellent. You’ve got poetry, art, film and it’s not because they want to be famous or rich, it’s because they want to do the work and make the film.

“What we’re trying to do is basically try and create a platform for film-makers starting their professional lives.

“Every night has been completely packed out. Thursday night we started and we had to get more chairs in from a neighbouring venue.

A short film called “A Complicated Way to Live” about a man with learning disabilities struggling to deal with the benefits system was one of the highlights of the festival this year.

The film stars local actors such

as Rob Jarvis and Andrew Schofield and won the Best Narrative award at the London Lift Off Festival in 2014.

Director Ged Hunter said that it was amazing for film-makers to have the chance to see their film being shown around the world, something which Lift Off Festivals offer its participants.

He told Liverpool Life: “You go to Sundance, or Raindance or even Cannes and they’ll show your film; but once it’s been shown, it’s done. But what these guys do; you win an award with them and they take your film around the world with them.

“You’re not making a short film to get famous or to get on the television or anything like that, you’re making a short film to show your skills off and you need industry professionals to see your skills.”

Filming: Film festival displays creativity ©Flickr/ David Tames

Life|Focus|6

Why jobless rate remains disaster for city’s youth

By ANTHONY FISHER

T

housands of young adults across Liverpool are getting ready to leave education and enter a job market that is arguably overcrowded.

According to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), as of May 2014 there are 58,060 people in Liverpool who are claiming some type of out of work benefits. 18,000 of these people are aged 18-24, showing that the poor job market and its failure to grow is having a disastrous impact on young people and their ability to move forward in the world of work.

Michelle Smith, directing manager of MPower People, a company that aims to empower people towards living heathier, more independent lives along-

side offering them assistance with CV writing and interview techniques, told Liverpool Life: “Employment for youth in Liverpool is shockingly bad, the only real opportunities are for Apprenticeships, but this depends on your circumstances.

“I work alongside people of all ages looking for jobs and as a rule I do believe that the younger you are the more employable you are. My advice to any students looking for post-graduate work would be to just be persistent and really show employers what you have got to offer and what makes you different.”

Liverpool, alongside Glasgow, Wolverhampton and East Ayrshire & North Ayrshire Mainland has been in the top five jobless areas for the last ten years since records began back in 2004. However, it has recently

been overtaken by Nottingham who currently stands as the number one jobless blackspot.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) believe that the common relation among these areas is that they have all been industrialised heavily in the last century.

Liverpool has a large manufacturing base and one of the UK’s largest docks, both of these have been in decline since the 1970s and as a result cut a large number of jobs in the city that have not been recovered.

However, according to ONS business demography 2014 there were 33 business closures per 10,000 population at the end of 2012 and 57 business start-ups.

These figures suggest that the economy and the job market in Liverpool are might finally be on the rise.

• In May 2014, over 58,000 people living in Liverpool were out of work.

• Liverpool has been in the top five jobless areas for the last ten years.

DID YOU KNOW:

SEARCHING: Over 18,000 young people are jobless ©Steve Rhodes/Creative Commons/Flickr

• 18,000 young people aged 18-24 are claiming out of work benefits.

Newlyweds saying ‘I do’ to pre-nups

By SOPHIE LOCKETT

N

othing can kill romance like the suggestion of a prenuptial agreement, otherwise known as a ‘pre-nup’.

For those who don’t know, a pre-nup is a contract signed by both people about to get married where they agree on what would happen if they were to get divorced.

Here, things like who gets what and how much would they each get are decided between the

couple so that they know where they stand if a marriage broke down.

It also means that if, for example with celebrity couples, one person makes more money they would not end up losing a lot of their assets, as usually in divorce it would be divided evenly between them.

Some believe that it shows mistrust in their relationship, as it is almost suggesting that a divorce could be on the cards.

However, according to new research by divorce-lawyers Slater and Gordon, more than half of under-35s see the agreements as a ‘completely normal’ consideration and a third said they would happily sign one.

Vicky McGlynn, a lawyer for Slater and Gordon, said: “I don’t think anybody entering into a marriage looking at it, or wanting it to fail.

“The reality is, those people we spoke to are just realistic

about the possibility of a relationship breakdown and that is a positive thing, going into it in an open and realistic way.”

The research showed that one in four Merseyside couples would sign a pre-nup and 35% wouldn’t be offended if their loved one asked them to sign one.

Additionally, 35% would feel comfortable asking their partner to sign a prenup while 46% think pre-nups are normal now.

WEDDING BELLS: It may start well - but how will it end? © Leland Francisco / Creative Commons / Flickr

Liverpool Life took to the streets to see what people think: Darren Bell, 41, Liverpool: “I’m divorced and I think that if I had signed something like that before getting married I would’ve been much better off. A divorce is a painful and stressful thing to be involved in especially for children and I think having that contract beforehand could help.”

Hannah Lynes, 29, Widnes: “I feel like if you get a prenup you’re almost suggesting that you expect something to go wrong. I understand why celebrities get one if they marry a gold-digger but I think unless a lot of money is involved they aren’t necessary. I didn’t have one and I don’t regret that decision.”

Catherine Brady, 22, Manchester: “I’m in two minds about it. My first feelings are like ‘You should trust your partner enough to be able to not have a contract’, but then, if I actually come to separation through no fault of my own it would be sensible to have one set out so I know what’s going where.”

Tony Hartley, 70, Liverpool: “I’ve been married for 50 years. In my day there was nothing like one of those contracts. If you were married you were married and that was that. I’ve been married for 50 years now and I don’t think my wife and I would’ve even considered an agreement like that even though we were quite young.”

Jade Glasgow, 21, Manchester: “Although some people might think that signing a prenup undermines the importance of marriage, getting a divorce is often about whose fault it is and people end up getting aggressive and bitter. For that reason I think I would personally prefer to sign a prenup.”

Danielle Broadhead, 31, Birkenhead: “I’m all for them! I’ve always told my partner that if we ever get married he should get one. If you love someone, their financial position shouldn’t matter and if they love you and want to take care of you there are ways to ensure that in death. I’m a firm traditionalist in ‘til death do us part’ and all that!”

Keith O’ Connor, 22, Liverpool: “If I was to marry Selena Gomez, for example, I’d understand she’d want to keep her millions she had before so I would. If I was a footie player marrying a normal girl with no job I’d get one to protect my money and assets. For me, if I just got married now to someone normal I feel like we wouldn’t need a prenup because we’d be creating our own life together.”

Pic © Joe Christian Oterhals / Creative Commons / Flickr RESEARCH: Divorce books Pic © Daniel Oines / Creative Commons / Flickr

Life|Arts|7

The dream job can be a bit of hard work away W

Georgie Dunning talks to LJMU journalism graduate Sam Rogers about her experiences in the world of work and life after university.

orking in digital journalism was something JMU graduate, Sam Rogers, had always dreamed of.

From being an editor on JMU Journalism to content editor when she graduated, the online world was her niche and Sam put her all into landing the dream job.

Sam, who is originally from Mexico City, moved to Liverpool to study International Journalism in 2007 as it was the only course which combined journalism and international relations. Sam says she couldn’t have asked for a better education; “I feel like every module at JMU was geared towards a real practical purpose and I’ve taken those skills and I’ve built on them.”

After graduating in 2010, Sam

CELEBRATIONS: Sam on her graduation day.

didn’t want to return home so moved to London to pursue a career in journalism. After months of applications and briefly working as a recruitment manager, she finally landed the role many graduates dream of; a paid internship at the world’s most successful luxury travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller.

Speaking to Liverpool Life, Sam said; “Leaving University was daunting but you’ve got to do it.

“I guess moving to London was always the plan, but I didn’t quite expect the rent prices to be quite as extortionate.”

However after being away for five years it seems the small city of Liverpool had a big effect on her; “I miss it every single day. If I could get a job and do what I do here, in Liverpool, then I’d do it in a heartbeat. I miss it so much.”

After her time at Condé Nast Traveller, Sam was offered the role of content editor at the hugely popular wedding magazine, Brides. Speaking about JMU Journalism and the platform it gives students, Sam said: “I can’t tell you how valuable it is, it really, really is.” The 25-year-old also praised the staff whose dedication made her degree the best it could have been. Speaking about JMU Journalism curator and teacher John Mathews, Sam said: “His dedication and his investment in JMU Journalism really meant the world.”

The 25-year-old has now landed another dream job, online editor for Wallpaper magazine, which she was appointed to just four weeks ago.

Covering design, art, fashion, architecture and travel, the magazine has over 635,000 unique online visitors each month.

Giving her advice to budding journalism graduates, Sam said: “Put the hours in and if you’ve got

‘Be prepared to work hard, really hard, and stick to your guns; perseverance really is everything.’ the right attitude you’ll definitely get there.

“Don’t expect to go somewhere and start writing straight away, be prepared to work hard to get to where you want to be, it doesn’t happen overnight unfortunately.”

K

nowing what it is like job hunting for internships, Sam stressed the difference between being persistent and pestering: “Be in touch and be around, let people know your availability but

don’t overdo it.”

When asked what she looks for in interns at Wallpaper magazine she said: “Having been there and interned you can really tell who wants it. There is a difference between the people who want it and those who want it but not quite enough to really put the work in.”

Giving advice about applying for jobs, the graduate said: “If you are relying on your CV to do the talking it needs to be immediately captivating and informative. Take a step back and look at your CV and cover letter from the eyes of your potential employer.” She stated the importance of keeping it short and to the point, suggesting one page for your CV and half a page for the covering letter. Sam finished on this final piece of advice: “Be prepared to work hard, really hard, and stick to your guns; perseverance really is everything.”

PORTER’S CLASSIC HITS A HIGH NOTE

By Samantha Gaulter-Green Cole Porter’s Anything Goes UK tour hit the Liverpool Empire on Monday evening, the first of six shows at the theatre.

The performance followed Billy Crocker, played

by Matt Rawle, in his pursuit of the woman he has fallen in love with, Hope Harcourt, played by Zoë Rainey.

Many musical numbers featured throughout, but it was the dance numbers that filled the show full of sass and pizazz, and had the audience applauding.

Leading lady Reno Sweeney, played by Debbie Kurup, proved that not only has she got a big bellowing voice, but is an exceptional dancer. Her enactment was packed full of character and energy that was infectious.

Her finest moment was at the first half in a tap-dancing number with the rest of the chorus tapping along to the most memorable song of the show, Anything Goes.

Reno continued to shine throughout the performance but was outshone by the English toff, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, played by Stephen Matthews.

His rendition of ‘The Gypsy in Me’ had the crowd roaring with laughter as he pranced around the stage in a pair of white boxer shorts, a white vest, a dressing gown and white socks with sock suspenders.

Although many of the songs were unrecognisable, and the amount of musical numbers grouped together did at times get a little tedious, it must be said that overall Anything Goes is a fabulous feel good musical that did not disappoint.

From the excellence of the actors and the Jazz band in the pit, to the stunning wardrobe featured particularly on the women, it was an excellent portrayal of a love story set in the 1930s.

Life|St Patrick’s Day|8

‘May your blessings outnumber, the shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you, wherever you go’

Traditional Irish blessing

Happy St Patrick’s Day ... with a difference Millions of people across the world are thinking green today as anyone who wants to share in the fun of the Emerald Isle celebrates St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick was born in Britain and taken to Ireland as a boy of 14, but the first St Patrick’s Day celebrations actually took place in America in 1737.

St Patrick was said to have insisted that everyone should have a

© Hongreddotbrewhouse / Wikimedia Commons

drop of the ‘hard stuff ’ on his feast day after hearing of an inkeeper who had served a short measure of whiskey. The tradition continues today with thousands of gallons of Guinness and whiskey being downed in memory of the patron saint of Ireland. Here at Liverpool Life we occasionally enjoy a little tipple, but if you want to wake up tomorrow without the headache, here are a few ideas for you.

St Patrick’s Day Parade

Catch some live Irish music

Hunt for the Pot o’ Gold

Dine in style with a top Irish chef

The streets of Liverpool were set to be packed with a sea of green today as the Liverpool Irish Flute Band took to the road for their annual march.

The parade began as participants gathered at the top of Silvester Street at around 1:30pm.

From there, it marched down Vauxhall Road before making its way through the traditional Liverpool Irish centre of Vauxhall and Holy Cross.

Irish dancing is synonymous with St Patricks day so have a little Irish jig whilst watching some top talent in a relaxed atmosphere without necessarily having a drink.

The Liffey Bar on Renshaw Street was showing live Irish musicians throughout the day starting at 1pm with The Bog Standards. Steve O’ Malley was set to take to the stage at 3pm, Conleth at 6pm and Reel Time at 9pm.

Staying sober over St Paddys can be tough, particularly if you’re frequenting the pubs and clubs around the city.

However, this year O’Neills in Hanover Street is holding a kind of Irish treasure hunt which could see one lucky visitor leaving with a cash prize.

The Irish pub has hidden a gold coin somewhere inside the venue and the lucky leprechaun who spots it could win a £250 jackpot!

It may not be Irish food but NYL restaurant which is inspired by the food and culture of New York, is sure to impress you. They have a brand new menu waiting for you to come and try in time for St Patrick’s Day. You can expect only the finest of dining experiences as executive chef Rob Scott, hailing from Northern Ireland, was awarded the title of Northern Ireland chef of the year by the institute of hospitality.

Make your own Irish mocktails Turn your kitchen into a private Irish hub where you can have a good ol’ knees up minus the alcohol.

Simple non-alcoholic Irish Cream recipes mean that you can make your very own Baileys-style treat without stepping out of your door.

Easy Irish Cream • • • • • • •

1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 pint whipping cream 3 eggs 1 1/2 tablespoons chocolate syrup 1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

If Baileys isn’t your thing, why not make a minty Shamrock Shake?

This vanilla-mint milkshake was actually introduced in McDonalds in America to commemorate St. Patrick’s, but isn’t sold in the UK. Now you can try it out by following our simple guide! © Wikimedia commons /Clément Bucco-Lechat

© Anushu_si / Flickr

Serves 6-8, 10 mins prep.

1.

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and refrigerate.

2.

Shake and stir before serving. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice and enjoy!

Shamrock Shake

• 2 large scoops vanilla ice cream • 1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk • 5 drops peppermint extract • 5-6 drops green food colouring • Whipped cream, for topping • Glacé cherries, optional Serves 2, 5 mins prep.

1.

Blend together the ice cream, milk, peppermint extract and food colouring.

2.

Share between two tall glasses, top with cream and garnish with a couple of glacé cherries.

© Jenni

Words by Sophie Lockett & Josh Handscomb

Picture: Flickr / Alejandro Escario Méndez

Life|Goodbye|9

Life|Goodbye|10

tors of each 9am: The day begins. The edi ’s stories ody ryb section make a list of eve

10am: Conference. The editor ial and design teams meet with lect urers Kate and Steve to compile the day ’s content

am plan out the 11am: The design te on ge, and get to work content for each pa their layouts

A day in the ts , features and spor 12.30pm: The news ten Of complete stories. teams toil away to ws ne to cover breaking they have to leave

ir creative 2pm: The design team put the es of Liverpool minds to work, and the pag Life start to take shape

1pm: Complet ed stories mak e their way to the design team via the copy ed itors, who proof-read ever ything for mist akes

4pm: The plan com es together as finishe d pages make their wa y onto the wall

6.30pm: Job done! The issue is finalised by Kate and Steve and uploaded to Issuu.com

Life|Goodbye|11

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Life|Goodbye|12

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PR d a job doing “I have securein Birkenhead for a company oking for a flat in lo and I will be . I found the job re nt ce the city ade durcontacts I m through the ience at my local er ing work exp e course has taught newspaper. Thfor my chosen me key skills blic speaking which career like pu of my job descripis a huge part ugh my journalro tion. Also th e gained the skills I’v se ur ism co role.” cceed in a PR needed to su

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Lisa hasn’t I graduate, set it in stone that I’ve however I ke secured a jo keeps sayin b when ep in touch g until you’re ‘I want to keep you on with her and she b with her an ack’. I’m just keeping a in May, I can’t wait d doing with catching up with her good relationship to th start in May e business at the mom find out what she’s ent, so when I will be up to sp I do based half an hour away in eed with things. It’s on ly Birmingham so it’s perfe ct!” ©Oliv ia Sw ayneAther ton

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Life|Arts|13

r e m m u s e . . h . t p o u t d d n r u a o r w r n o o f s ’ k t o a o h L w r u o h t wi

The clocks are set to go forward on March 29, meaning summer is just around the corner. Liverpool Life’s Josie Timms has found you the most exciting things to look forward to this summer in Liverpool.

y One MagnificstenOt nCeitMagnificent City; seven

ool ho ude: will see Liverp events will incl e es Th . ty ci e Summer 2015 f th t will in celebration o h the waterfron ic h w in , 5 weeks of events 2 d e an ions to coincid ces on May 23 ct ra je G ro e p e re iv Th ss e re Th of imp sey fe with a series ternational Mer In e Th s. n be brought to li ee u s of ships l of the Three Q explore all kind to u with the arriva yo w lo al ing l n June 5-7 wil plays, flyboard o is l d va at ti o es b F el d er o iv R ws, m l be a e tours, air sho City in July wil t n ce ifi n and will provid ag M e s. Ending On iverpool back in L m o fr g in il sa and water sport tlantic f the first transa re-enactment o 1804.

Eat the Atlantic Food Festival

The weekend of July 4 and 5 will also be host to the Eat the Atlantic Food Festival.

The festival will take place on Liverpool’s Mann Island as party of the One Magnificent City event, providing you with scrumptious food from cakes to chilli and cupcakes to scouse. The Festival will celebrate the Atlantic Salmon, that has swum thousands of miles between the UK and North America long before the transatlantic ships, with some great salmon dishes cooked by talented local chefs. If you have more of a sweet tooth, baking enthusiasts can sign up to recreate their favourite Liverpool or New York landmark in their favourite cakes. The free event offers food tastings and cookery demonstrations for the grownups, as well as fishy tales storytelling and food art workshops for the kids to keep the whole family entertained.

The Very Big Cat The Very big walk Catwalk, ano ther of the e Magnificent vents includ City, will be ed in One attempting to world record break the Gu of most mod inness els on a catw on Saturday alk at the Pie July 4. To bre r Head ak the world models will record, over be needed an 3,500 d the organis volunteers ri ers are appea ght now to h li ng for e lp out. The Ver to be an aud y Big Catwalk io, visual fea st showcasin is set expressive, h g the city’s w umorous an e lc o d m fun-loving sp ing, Liverpool aro irit that chara und the worl cterises d, and a spec gotten. This tacle never to will then be followed by be forwhich will b Th e Very Big Aft e an upliftin er Party g evening of early R&B, M northern sou otown, l, funk, disco and house.

Afric

a Oyé Africa Oy é, the UK’s celebratio largest no to return to f African music, is Sefton Par k June 20th and Sunda Saturday y June 21s It has prev t. io artists from usly played host to nations ac ross Afric South Am a, erica and The Carib bean. UK soul legen d, O already be en confirm mar, has year’s line ed for this -up and w il l b e joined b Mali’s BKO y Q Not only d uintet and Lindigo . oes the fes tival provid music but e lo ment, inclu ts more entertainding stalls selling the best food, drink, arts a nd cr and fashio n from Afr afts ica.

What to do AND Where to go...

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Elvis

Presley musical Elvis Presley’s musical is set to shake up Liverpoo l this summer. ‘Love Me is inspired by and will fea Tender’ ture music from the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Based on moving tale of a guitar-p a laying Hound Dog motor cyclist, it is set on a small in 1950s America. It will town include 25 of the Presley ’s greatest hits and be pa of comedy, rock ‘n’ roll an cked full d second chances. Written by award-winning Mem the Musical writer Joe Di phis Pietro, the show is likely to have people up and da in their Blue Suede Shoe ncing s. The musical will play in the Liverpool Empire in August, with tickets goin g on sale this Friday.

Life|Health|14

Why we need to talk about diabetes...

Liverpool has a growing diabetes problem, which in some cases, can easily be prevented.

Lydia Morris reports With over 75,000 people in Merseyside living with diabetes, this is one of the worst places in the country suffering from the lifelong health condition.

According to the charity Diabetes UK, Liverpool has an average of 5.9% of people living with the condition compared to the UK average of 6.2%.

Diabetes is caused when the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. This happens because the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin to help glucose enter the body cells.

Clinical Advisor for Diabetes UK, Libby Dowling explained there are two types of diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2.

She said if you suffer from diabetes, your body either makes too much insulin or not enough. Type 1 means you don’t make any insulin at all and Type 2 means you’re not making quite enough insulin or what you are making isn’t working.

There are a number of things that can cause diabetes Type 2 such as ageing, being overweight or obese or having a close family member with diabetes.

Professor of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases at

Liverpool Hope University, Ebrahim Naderali told Liverpool Life that Merseyside has one of the highest rates of diabetes because of obesity rates and lifestyle in the Merseyside area.

He said that over three million people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes and one-and-ahalf million people have the condition but do not know about it.

If the condition is not treated properly, Professor Naderali said that diabetes can damage the body and lead to additional serious health conditions such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, amputations and also dementia.

“We are beginning to see more and more evidence that there is a strong link between diabetes, obesity and dementia. If the number of diabetics is increasing, this can later result in more people being diagnosed with memory loss and dementia.”

©L

nto aka

He added that this can create a burden on the wealth of the NHS and the families of these patients.

Libby Dowling told Liverpool Life: “We’re seeing a big increase in people who are living with the condition but Type 2 can be delayed or prevented.

If you know you are carrying a bit of weight then some lifestyle changes such as keeping active and eating the right thing can help.”

Professor Naderali added that the NHS spends roughly about £10billion each year on diabetes and management for the condition which breaks down to around £1million per hour.

He said: “We need to teach our children for future about the risks of obesity and this is proven to be a difficult task. There needs to be education at a young age for children to understand the importance of exercise and eating healthily.”

© Illustration/Thinkstock

‘You have to make sure you constantly eat. You cannot miss a meal’ Speaking to Lydia Morris, Angharad Millington gives an insight into living with diabetes Since the age of two, Liverpool John Moore’s journalism student Angharad Millington has been living with Type 1 diabetes.

The life-threatening condition can lead to serious health related issues and change an individual’s life forever. Angharad’s pancreas does not work at all so she is completely insulin dependent.

Until the age of thirteen she would have four daily injections in her legs, arms and stomach.

She is now dependant on her insulin pump which is a tube that goes into her stomach and acts like the pancreas giving her a constant supply of insulin.

She told Liverpool Life: “I know it’s a serious condition, but I don’t let it hold me back.”

“Every time I eat I have to work out how many carbs I have and then convert that into insulin. It’s just my life, I’m used to it. You

have to make sure you constantly eat, you cannot go a day without missing a meal. So when I’m feeling hung-over and I really don’t want food, I have to force myself.”

For those living with diabetes, the condition comes with the high risk of other related health conditions such as blindness, heart and kidney conditions and amputations. Angharad shared her concern that her condition could cause other complications.

“When I decide I want to start a family, I know I have a risk of having a still birth, and that does worry me. When I do decide I want children, I will have to be monitored throughout the whole process.

“It’s really important for me to keep my sugar levels balanced because if I don’t, that’s when the complications start happening.”

Hypoglycaemic attacks can be

very common with those who suffer with diabetes and can sometimes lead a person into a diabetic coma. This is caused by blood glucose levels falling below a set point. Angharad said there has been a couple of times where she was rushed into hospital because she has not woken up from an attack.

“People sometimes think I’m talking stupid because when I am about to have a hypo attack, I don’t know what I’m talking about and I start to say rubbish.

They happen at times where I don’t watch what I’m doing.

Angharad admitted that as a diabetic, she does not take as much care as she should. She said: “My mum has a heart attack when she knows how much I drink on a night out. Alcohol has a lot of sugar, which makes your sugar level really high.”

© Josh Kelsall

Life|Health|15

Don’t look away now

Liverpool Life’s Josie Timms investigates why homelessness is such as issue in the UK, and particularly in Merseyside.

Josie Timms investigates why homelessness is such an issue in the UK, particularly in Merseyside

© The Whitechapel Centre

Wrapped up: dog sleeping on streets in Liverpool City Centre © Flikr Creative Commons/Beverley Goodwin

How you can help Have you seen someone sleeping rough? Are you worried about someone who may be sleeping on the street tonight? If you know someone who could use our help, simply complete the form below, call us on 0300 123 2041(low cost) or e-mail through the Whitechapel website.

The Whitechapel Centre co-ordinates the Liverpool City Region (Merseyside) outreach response to rough sleeping as part of the No Second Night Out campaign. By providing them with information about someone you think may be sleeping rough you will be helping us ensure no one ever needs to sleep for a second night on the street.

Their vision is that no one will live on the streets of Liverpool City Region and no individual arriving on the streets for the first time will sleep out for more than one night.

R

ecent figures have revealed that the number of people sleeping rough in the UK has risen dramatically since Prime Minister, David Cameron, came into power in 2010; prompting six of the UK’s leading homeless charities to write a joint letter to the prime minister, calling for a review on the help available for the homeless.

Homelessness in the UK is said to have increased by 55% since Cameron came into power in 2010, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has revealed.

This increase has led to six of the leading UK homelessness organisations to join forces and call for better support for the homeless.

The letter signed by Crisis, Shelter, Centrepoint, St Mungo’s Broadway, Homeless Link and Housing Justice, reads: “Dear Mr Cameron, homelessness is a devastating experience. It’s isolating and frightening and often leaves people feeling invisible and ignored. At its most extreme it results in people being forced to sleep rough, with devastating consequences: the average age of death for a rough sleeper is just 47 and homeless people sleeping on the street are 13 times more likely to be a victim of a violent crime.

“Research shows nearly eight in ten of all homeless people, including those offered respite in temporary accommodation, have some form of health problem.”

“

The letter continues: “As members of the country’s leading homelessness organisations, we are calling on political parties to carry out a review of the assistance given to homeless people in England. The review should consider options for improving the assistance provided by local authorities to single homeless people who are not currently classified as priority need, while ensuring that vital protections for families and those considered priority need are maintained.”

J

on Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, one of the six organisations to sign the letter, hopes the letter will spark some action to be taken, he states: “I hope this joint call from leading voices across the homelessness sector, backed by 45,000 members of the public, spurs political leaders into real action.

“Anyone being abandoned to the streets in 21st Century Britain is nothing short of a scandal.

“As the general election approaches, it is vital that MPs put pressure on their parties to ensure a commitment to end this injustice is included in their manifestos and made a priority by the next government.”

The Department for Communities and Local Government figures also show that homelessness in Merseyside has increased by almost a quarter in just one year, with 30 people believed to be sleeping rough across the region each night.

The Whitechapel Centre is

the leading homelessness and housing charity across the Liverpool region; Offering the homeless a range of service including providing them with a safe and warm place to stay, regular meals, and also help to get back into employment.

Whitechapel’s fundraising manager Ruth McCaughley told Liverpool Life: “Last year we worked with 2,485 people which was an increase of 32% over the past 3 years. Sadly we expect to see a continuing increase in demand on our services.”

In 2013-14 alone Whitechapel responded to 484 calls reporting someone sleeping rough to their No Second Night Out campaign, which aims to ensure that no one has to spend a second night sleeping on the streets. Thanks to this campaign’s response, 99% of those reported did not have to spend another night sleeping rough.

Their 2013-2014 impact report tells how the main reason for homelessness is family breakdown, followed closely by drug use, unemployment, debt or mental health issues.

While the issue looks set to continue here in Merseyside, Ruth McCaughley told Liverpool Life how Whitechapel are always available to anyone at the risk of becoming homeless, adding: “There is always more that can be done to end homelessness.

“We offer a range of services available to people who are at risk of homelessness and we work hard to give long-term support and lasting solutions.

“Anyone who is at risk of sleeping rough tonight can call us on 0300 123 2041.”

Dear Mr Cameron, homelessness is a devastating experience. It’s isolating and frightening and often leaves people feeling invisible and ignored

”

Life|Celebration|16

SWEETEN Y UR H ME Words by LAUREN PULFORD AND IMOGEN SWEENEY

S

ESSENTIAL EASTER TREATS

hops are filling up with Easter eggs and chocolate goodies in time for Easter celebrations this year.

However, Easter isn’t just about the sweets, spring has arrived and it’s time to brighten up your homes with some seasonal homeware.

The custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life so why not celebrate by giving your home a new look?

We have a small collection of whats on offer in stores to help accessorise for the Easter holidays.

Don’t forget that there may be some disruption with store opening hours over the Easter weekend.

Friday 3rd Liverpool One stores will be open 9.30am-8.00pm, Saturday 4th 9.00am-7.00pm and Sunday 5th 11.00am-5.00pm.

Some stores will not be opening on Easter Sunday and you can find further information on which stores on the Liverpool One website.

However, if you plan to get away then we have the best holiday deals for you and the family located in the UK or abroad.

Or if you are looking to celebrate Easter in a more adventurous way then you can experience the infamous Spanish Easter festival which is suitable for everyone.

VINTAGE CANDLE TRAY NEXT: £20.00

RABBIT EASTER DECOR TIGERSTORES: £2.00

LIFE IS GOOD CUSHION NEXT: £22.00 BUTTERFLY WALL PLAQUE NEXT: £20.00

WOODEN EGG HOUSE DOTCOMGIFTSHOP: £29.95

SCALLOP EDGE WALL CLOCK NEXT: £60.00

EASTER BISCUIT TIN BISCUITEERS BAKING: £44.50

RABBIT COASTERS HOME CANDY: £13.50

FLORAL TABLE LAMP NEXT: £25.00

VINTAGE HANGING HEART NEXT: £12.00

Life|Celebration|17

TIME T GET AWAY?

©Jeremy Thompson/Flickr

FOR KIDS: Give your kids a bit of a thrill during the Easter Weekend by treating them to a theme park break at Alton Towers for two nights starting on the 5th of April. A treat for a family of four in a family room B&B, booked directly with Alton Towers at Splash Landings Hotel. Plus they’ll throw in two park entrances and one day water park entrance for kids under aged 10. Total: £615 - so £153.75 per person.

Will you be holidaying at home or away?

With less than two weeks to go until the Easter Holidays, now is the perfect time to book a couples or family getaway.We have found the top deals and bargain breaks you can book today!

FOR THE FAMILY: ©Bert Kaufmann /Flickr

©Douglas Hoyt/Flickr Take your kids to have a splash at Blackpool’s beach and stay in the Hilon Hotel for three nights from the 3rd of April. Including a family room of four with bed and breakfast when you book with booking.com. Total: £435 - kids under 5 go half price.

FOR COUPLES:

Fancy a relaxing city break? For a family of four stay in Rome for four nights from the 3rd of April. Stay in a three-star hotel including bed and breakfast booked directly with TravelSupermarket.com. Save 10% on day trips organsised by the hotel when booking with them. Total: £518 - so £129 per person.

FOR EVERYONE:

©SykesCottage

Visit this romantic retreat just perfect for two people this Easter.

This secluded Cornwall cottage booked through Sykescottage. com sleeps two people located right across the seafront giving you gorgeous distant views.

Staying at this welcoming ground floor stone cottage you can enjoy the local bars and restaurants with it being less than a mile from main village Tintagel.

Total: 7 nights in April from £261.

©Edmund Gall/ Flickr The Seville fair is held in Spain and lasts for six nights the week following from the Easter weekend. Each day the fiesta begins with the parade of carriages and riders and lasts until midnight. You will find large crowds partying and dancing in the streets wearing fancy dress. Free entry for all.

Life|Sport|18

Liverpool Ladies back Robson foundation

By KATIE DODSON

GOOD CAUSE: Liverpool Ladies support Widnes Vikings

© Twitter @LFCladies

As the city celebrates, we take a look at some of the most influential Irish footballers to grace Merseyside

Players from the Emerald Isle

John Aldridge © Twitter

Seamus Coleman

Mark Lawrenson © Flikr/ BBC World Service

Wikimedia Commons © Kevin Sheedy/Bidgee

John Aldridge:

Seamus Coleman:

Mark Lawrenson:

Kevin Sheedy:

LFC 1987-89

EFC 2009 to date

LFC 1981-88

EFC 1982-92

Local-born Aldridge played for the Republic of Ireland thanks to Irish relatives and managed to score 19 goals in his 69 games for his adopted country.

Joining Anfield at the late age of 28, following a career in the lower leagues, Aldridge racked up 63 goals in just 104 games for the club, winning a League title and FA Cup winners medal in the process.

Donegal native Seamus Coleman joined Everton for a nominal fee of £60,000 from Sligo Rovers in 2009.

His first game saw him make a valuable contribution helping Everton gain a point again Spurs, before being loaned to Blackpool in 2010. He has since become a fans’ favourite and regular in the Everton team.

Preston-born Lawrenson won 39 caps for the Republic of Ireland due to his mother’s Irish heritage.

He arrived at Anfield from Brighton for a club record of £900,000 in 1981 and went on to be one of the best defenders the club had seen. He has since been a popular radio and television pundit for the BBC and other broadcasters.

Sheedy began his Merseyside football career at Liverpool FC in 1978 before moving to Everton, where he became a legendary player from 1982.

He scored 97 goals at his time at Everton and picked up two league titles and the European Cup Winners Cup, where Sheedy scored the clinching goal in the Rotterdam final of 1985.

Words by KATIE DODSON

Liverpool Ladies have backed the Widnes Vikings as they support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation with a special black and white jersey for the Super League Magic Weekend at St James’ Park in May. The jersey features the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation logo and 100% of the proceeds from the sales of the shirt will go to the charity.

Liz Luff, from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled that Widnes Vikings have chosen to support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation with their special shirt.

Sir Bobby was a fan of many sports and I’ve no doubts he would have been interested in seeing rugby league being played at St James’ Park.”

The Viking’s intend to raise money for the charity set up by late Sir Robson in 2008 after beating bowel cancer in 1992, a malignant melanoma in 1995 and being treated for tumours in 2006 which were diagnosed as terminal. The charity works to

find effective ways to detect and treat cancer and focuses on treating people in the North East and Cumbria.

Former Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle player Peter Beardsley has been confirmed as an official Widnes Vikings Ambassador in the lead up to the event.

Ex-Red Beardsley said of the initiative: “The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a charity which is close to the hearts of everyone in Newcastle so it’s great to see Widnes Vikings offering their support ahead of the Magic Weekend at St. James’ Park.

I’m sure Widnes’ black and white shirts will be very popular with Newcastle fans and we look forward to welcoming the club and all of Super League to the city in May.” The special black and white playing jersey will be worn in the Super League Magic Weekend at St James’ Park, Newcastle on May 30th 2015.

The Widnes Vikings’ Magic Weekend shirt is available to pre-order now and Tickets for the Magic Weekend are available from the Vikings on 0151 495 2250.

Winning ways for St Helens

By SEAN PURVIS St Helens needed a big second half show to maintain their 100 per cent Super League record with a 30-20 win at Widnes.

The home side deserved their 14-6 interval lead before the reigning champions ran in 24 second half points.

Lance Hohaia crossed for two of the visitors’ five tries, with others from Vea, Thompson and Turner.

The Vikings made a flying start with O’Carroll charging over from short range after Danny Tickle was held.

Tickle had no problem with the straightforward conversion to fire his side into a 6-0 lead. But St. Helens hit back after 15 minutes with Hohaia scampering over from the line, with Burns adding the goal to level at 6-6.

Widnes Vikings’ Patrick Ah Van scored their second try to push the hosts ahead, and Marsh struck a penalty before the interval to make it 14-6 and Saints could have no complaints after sloppy handling.

Teenage forward Thompson forced his way over to give Saints the lead for the first time after 53 minutes with Burns’ kick edging them ahead 18-14, and daylight emerged between the sides four minutes later after a burst from the impressive Vea with Wellens in support to send Turner over again and make it 24-14.

Widnes managed a late consolation try from Heremaia but it wasn’t enough to prevent them slipping to their second

FORM: Brendan Rodgers

© Geoffrey Hammersley/Wikimedia Creative Commons

Race for top places

By SEAN PURVIS

Liverpool warmed up for their crunch game against Manchester United with a 1-0 win over Swansea last night.

In-form Jordan Henderson was the difference between the two sides as his goal in the 68th minute ended the home side’s spirited resistance, putting Liverpool within two points of United.

Everton eased their relegation worries, recording a first home league win of 2015 with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Newcastle.

Goals from James McCarthy, Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley eased the pressure on underfire boss Roberto Martinez. The Toffees now look forward to Thursday, as they look to secure qualification in the Europa League against Dynamo Kiev.

Meanwhile, in League Two Tranmere Rovers need to pull out of the relegation zone as they take on Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium tonight. Micky Adams’ side fell to their fifth defeat in a row in a 1-0 loss to Northampton Town on Saturday.

Rovers are in 23rd place in the league, two points from safety.

Life|Sport|19

DERBY: Rivalry fierce ©Liverpool Basketball @ULWBC/ Twitter

Bounce to the final

By JOHN ELSWORTH

University of Liverpool’s Women’s Basketball Club recorded a victory over Manchester Metropolitan University this weekend with a score of 57 to Manchester’s 43.

This follows a 62-59 win against York University in the cup semi-final two weeks ago.

The basketball team are currently second in the BUCS Basketball Northern League, nine points behind Liverpool John Moores and three points ahead of Edge Hill University.

The team are currently resting in preparation for the Cup Final against LJMU which will take place this Wednesday in Durham.

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Basketball tweeted: “Good preparation and rest needed for the Cup final in Durham against JMU on Wednesday #letsdothis @SportLiverpool”.

Liverpool Life spoke to Danielle Farrell, the Assistant Sports Development Officer of Liverpool University said: “They’ve had a good run over the course of the league and it’s the first time they’ve played against LJMU so they’re very excited.”

Speaking of their performance throughout the sporting year, Farrell said: “They’ve done very well to get to the final and have played well to get where they are. They’re very proud of how they’ve played and we’re confident we can beat LJMU.” Should they win the BUCS league and cup this year, the team will be promoted into League 1.

Coaches urged to aid disabled sport

By OWEN SWIFT

Coaches in Merseyside need more support to improve disabled people’s sporting experiences.

A recently released report report by English Federation of Disability Sport has found that although coached sport generally has a positive effect on disabled people’s sporting experiences, disabled people themselves found they have a less acceptable experience than their non-disabled peers.

The report found that while the majority of disabled and non-disabled adults enjoyed

coached sports more, young disabled people feel that coaches are less effective at being able to communicate with them and so have fun. Adding to this, the report concluded that coaching is a positive provided the coach in question can ensure equality between disabled and non-disabled people.

Sports Coach UK Development Lead Officer, Sarah Milner said: “We know that some coaches lack the experience and confidence to work with disabled people. We’ve developed a range of workshops and other resources which can be used by coaches from all sports to give them the skills required, and we’re pleased that these are now being used. Our long-term

goal is for every coach to have the ability to work effectively with every participant.”

The study suggests that whilst young people want to take part for fun or to get fit, they do not see coached sport as the best way to achieve this.

Emma Spring, EFDS Research and Insight Manager said: “This research highlights that whilst coaches are generally doing a good job in supporting disabled people to take part, more needs to be done to ensure disabled people receive a quality experience. EFDS and sports coach UK will use the research to offer the relevant support and guidance to coaches to address some of the areas of concern.”

MILNER: Inclusion Lead at Sports Coach UK ©Sarah Milner/ LinkedIn

Everton and Newcastle join forces to campaign for lower ticket prices

By Adam Jones

Everton and Newcastle fans joined forces at the weekend to show their support to a campaign to lower ticket prices for football matches across the country.

Supporters from both clubs put their backing behind the “Twenty’s Plenty for Away Fans” initiative before the two sides played each other on Sunday.

The Premier League sides entered into a reciprocal agreement at the start of the season, meaning that away fans for both fixtures between the clubs this season would only pay £20

for their ticket.

Simon Magner from The Blue Union said that the Everton fan group have tirelessly campaigned to get ticket prices lower for fans visiting Goodison Park.

He told Liverpool Life: “I personally think that the £20 price helped on Sunday. It could work out as more money for the club this way. It is definitely something that we need to be seeing more of.

“All it was on Sunday was ourselves and the Newcastle Supporters Trust just saying thank you. The same fixture last year was quite poorly at-

tended from Newcastle’s point of view and we’ve always been of the belief that if you lower ticket prices, more people will come to the game.

“Obviously the end-game is seeing all away tickets capped at £20 and ideally we’d to see the club entering in to more of these reciprocal deals next season. It varies between different clubs, it’s quite strategic by them.”

The “Twenty’s Plenty for Away Fans” campaign is a national scheme directed by the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), which has already saved away supporters up to

£500,000.

Launched in January 2013 amidst a number of high profile cases of away fans being charged drastic amounts for match tickets.

Michael Brunskill, spokesman for the FSF, said that they were proud to see Everton and Newcastle fans showing their appreciation to their respective clubs at the weekend.

He added: “We don’t want to rest on our laurels, we know there’s a long way to go. There’s a lot of money in English football, and we just think that fans and grassroots initiatives should be able to benefit from

Gymnasts lead summer of sport

By JOHN ELSWORTH

The next couple of months are set to be jam-packed full of sporting events for Liverpool with the Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics British Championships taking place on the 27th29th of March, Aintree Grand National starting on the 9th of April, the rescheduled boxing match between Derry Matthews and Richar Abril taking place on the 18th of April and Steven Gerrard’s final home match taking place at Anfield on May 16th.

Grand Opening Day for The Crabbie’s Grand National 2015 will take place at Aintree Racecourse on Thursday April 9th and has been described by the Crabbie’s as ‘the curtain raiser for the greatest show on earth’.

Ladies Day will take place on the 10th, giving the ladies a chance to show off their finery, competing for the chance to be crowned Best Dressed and Aintree’s most impressive fashionista. Tickets for this elegant spectacular start at £39 per person.

Saturday is Grand National Day, where 40 horses and jockeys

will race to be this year’s winner, which is set to be viewed by 600 million people across the world.

It will be champion jockey Tony McCoy’s last Grand National.

Tickets for the British Gymnastics Championship are now on sale, which will be taking place from March 27th-29th at the Echo Arena, ranging from £8.50£142.96.

The British Championships will see our very own Olympic, World and European stars fighting for a number of prestigious titles.

Echo Arena officials have

stated that “the audience will be treated to a great exhibition of awe-inspiring performances from Britain’s best.” With Louis Smith confirmed to compete alongside Max Whitlock and Liverpool’s own Rebecca Tunney, the event is set to be a star studded spectacular for all ages.

The world title boxing fight between Derry Mathews and Richard Abril has been rescheduled, meaning the Liverpool lightweight will not get his shot at the world title until April 18.

Mathews will fight alongside fellow Scousers Kevin Satchell,

Jazza Dickens, Liam Smith, Tom Staler, Stephen Lewis and Lancashire hot-shot Jack Catterall at the title packed show, where Catterall will be defending his WBA Continental title.

Steven Gerrard’s final home match for Liverpool is to take place at Anfield on May 16th, and with tickets being auctioned off online for almost £2000, it is set to be an emotional farewell.

A ticket for a seat on the lower tier for the match against Crystal Palace reached £1,985.56 to see the Kop hero play on home turf for one last time.

UNITED: Cheaper Tickets

©DavefcKelly/Twitter that.

“What we want to see is that, they’ve got so much money now, I think we need to go above and beyond to extend the Away Fan Initiative so that it’s bigger.”

Race for tickets There are limited tickets left for the Grand National in April. The news of an increased demand has come three weeks sooner than last year. Tickets are still available for the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival on the Grand opening day on Thursday 9th April, as well as Ladies Day. Keen racegoers are encouraged to act sooner rather than later if they want a ticket due to the high volume of people ‘snapping up’ the remaining spots.

Liverpool

LifeSPORT

GB SUCCESS FOR LIAM

By DAN GOULDING

A Liverpool student has been offered a place in the British snowboard squad this summer, with higher hopes to compete at the 2018 winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Liam Kempton-Robshaw, 18, has been given a spot after flying out to Austria earlier this year to have his ability assessed

by Britain’s coaches. He will now spend his summer back in Austria, training, with the added possibility of competing across Europe.

The 18-year-old was immediately keen to accept his place in the squad, telling Liverpool Life: “It was awesome being given a place on the squad, it has been one of my dreams for a number of years now.”

The snowboarder fell into the sport aged 12, and managed to have five sessions as a Christmas present. By the end of the first session he knew he was hooked.

He now trains three times a week on dry slopes, as well as working-out for two hours a day and riding his mountain bike.

The 18-year-old’s top speed on the slope is an impressive 120kph but he has had some injuries when in action, mostly broken fingers, bruised ribs but the worst to date is the loss of a testicle, whilst spinning off the kicker.

Shaun Bellas, who has been coaching Liam since he began almost six years ago praised his ability and hopes to help him improve in the nearby future, telling Liverpool Life: “Liam has

NEWBIE: Teen Liam Kempton-Robshaw on the slopes © Mark Smith an insane, fearless ability on a snowboard, his mind processes the terrain in front of him like a super computer. As his coach I feel that this combined with his raw talent can take him all the way to the top.”

The British snowboard squad target may have been achieved but Liam’s hopes and dreams don’t stop there, as he aims to

represent GB at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

It may be just under three years away but Liam is already planning his preparation for the games- training seven days a week in Austria from the end of summer to March next year but one issue that stands in the way is funding.

All members of the British

Snowboard X team are required to fund around £12,500 per year to pay for coaching, travel, equipment and medical insurance.

Liam added: “To compete in the Winter Olympics has always been something I’ve dreamed of since early on in my snowboarding career. To be in the position where I could actually achieve this is beyond my wildest expec-

tations and gives me a great sense of self pride.”

Liam’s older sister, Claire has also been offered a place in the British snowboard squad but is undecided on whether to take up the offer.

If you wish to help contribute to Liam’s training costs, please visit: http://liam.kempton-robshaw. com/donate/

Sporting rivals set to lock horns for 21st Varsity clash

By OWEN SWIFT

2015

Liverpool Varsity is fast approaching and the anticipation is palpable.

The 25th of March sees the annual event pit Liverpool rivals Liverpool John Moores University and University of Liverpool,against one another in a sporting spectacular.

An eclectic mix of sports makes up the competition, from badminton and basketball, to tennis and trampolining.

There will be 20 mainstream and alternate sports altogether, in both men and women’s categories spread across a single day makes for a burst of determination, stamina and effort.

Now in its 21st year, the Varsity games are still as relevant as ever, considering the turnout last year had over a thousand spectators for the majority of the events.

Last year’s fixtures ended with a 60-48 victory to University of Liverpool, playing on their home turf.

John Molphy, Liverpool John

Moores University’s rugby league chairman, said: “It’s a massive rivalry but it’s not bitter. After the game, we’ll have a good laugh, we’ll shake hands.

But on the pitch, it’s tough.”

A timetable for the event is available on the Liverpool Students’ Union’s Facebook and Twitter.

Inside Sport

© Wikicommons

Players pay tribute to Bobby Robson p18

Coaches urged to boost disabled sports p19

© Amazon

St Paddy’s tribute to top Irish footy stars p18