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WIRRAL LIFESTYLE
MAG AZINE Autumn 2016 Edition
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FOOD & DRINK AWARDS 2016 CHESHIRE’S BEST DELICATESSEN
WEST KIRBY GRAND OPENING
10AM SEPTEMBER 10TH JOIN US AT 3 BANKS RD!
We open the doors of our brand new shop in West Kirby at 10am on Saturday 10th September! So what is it we do? Well, we call ourselves a food hall and wine merchants, stocked full of amazing continental, British and local food, alongside a phenomenal range of wines and spirits. Hand in hand with this, we’ll be serving locally roasted coffee, wine by the glass, our famous gin tasting boards, and a delicious selection of deli tapas. We will also be running a full calendar of wine and spirit tasting evenings, but be sure to book early if you want a place! Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for news, or visit our website for tasting dates and to shop online.
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EDITOR DI TREMARCO
Welcome to the Autumn edition of Living Wirral. We have plenty going on in this issue, literally something for everyone. Guys, we have a fabulous insight into the world of Tim Quinn on page nine, writer extraodinaire, once editor of Marvel comics amongst many other guises. He reveals why Spidey is his number one and what superpower he would most like to have. If running is your bag then you cannot fail to be inspired by Ryan Hogben, the Ultra Runner on page 18 who will make you tired just by reading the article! If the gym is more your thing then Creation PT on page 12 points out how to maximise your workout results. Telephone: 0151 558 1007 Mobile: 07772475445
Email: diane@livingwirral.com
Website: livingwirral.com Facebook: Living Wirral Twitter: @LivingWirral
Instagram: Living Wirral
CONTRIBUTORS Pauline Daniels Mandy Molby (on holiday) Dave Peddie Nik Ellis Barry Humphries
THE TEAM Sales Director: Sammy Peddie Email: sammy@livingwirral.com Media Sales Manager: Rob Thunder Email: rob@livingwirral.com Online Manager: Jade Thunder Email: jade@livingwirral.com Publisher: Mouse Media Website: mousemediastudio.com
Ladies, no beauty column in this edition, we are saving ourselves for the Christmas magazine, out on November 1st. We do, however, have boots on page 31. I always look forward to Autumn/Winter just so I can buy a new pair of ankle boots and this year, there are so many to choose from. Glam seems to be the theme and we have picked eight to get the retail taste buds flowing. The wonderful Pauline Daniels brings us up to date with life after cancer and boy is she living life to the max! I have known Pauline a long time but I have never seen her as happy as she is today, even though she is recovering from breast reconstruction surgery. A true inspiration. A guest writer, Barry Humphries, reminds us why we love Wirral and offers some interesting facts about our peninsular in his second article. In his first, he talks about a favourite topic of mine; the Beatles. Not many people are aware of the Beatles’ links with Wirral, and there are quite a few. We will be hearing more from Barry in future editions. We welcome Carolyn Hughes, Liverpool’s premier PR person. Carolyn will be joining us for every edition from now on, showcasing the best bits of Liverpool. We start with the launch of the Alchemist. If the photos are anything to go by, it looks like a cracking night out and one of the most intriguing venues I have seen for a while. There is so much more packed into the pages of Living Wirral. We make it our business to bring you good editorial content and not just a book of adverts. Next edition is out on 1st November and will feature an interactive online edition as well as an app. With an exciting new website, it is easy to see why Living Wirral is both the readers and advertisers choice. Ciao, Di
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Browse our selection of gifts and start your Christmas shopping early with us:
I NVITATI O N Join us at The Drawing Room on Tuesday 1st November 2016 from 10am to 8pm and be one of the ďŹ rst to view our inspirational Christmas ranges complete with festive cheer! Extra hours for Christmas: Sunday December 11 & 18th 11am - 4pm and Monday December 5th, 12th &19th 10am - 5pm
50 Christchurch Road, Oxton | Tel: 0151 652 8452
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50 Christchurch Road, Oxton | Tel: 0151 652 8452 www.drawingroom-oxton.co.uk
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Living
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CONTENTS
PAGE
CONTENTS
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MARVEL - OUS TIM QUINN
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CONSISTENCY, VOLUME AND INTENSITY
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FILM REVIEWS
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SHOW US THE WAY WIRRAL
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COME ON GUYS... PLAYFAIR
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ULTRA RUNNER - RYAN HOGBEN
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THE BEATLES AND WIRRAL
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LIVING MALE
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WE ARE AT WAR..... AND WE ARE LOSING!
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WONDEROUS WIRRAL
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DOIN’ THE DO
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PAULINE DANIELS - LIFE AFTER BREAST CANCER
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LIVING FEMALE
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WIRRAL GIN
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TOP PICKS FOR YOUR TABLE
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MERE BROOK BUY LOCAL AND SUPPORT LOCAL
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ÉPONINE
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FRESH AS A DAISY (CHAIN)
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BUY LOCAL SUPPORT LOCAL
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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LIVING HOME
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A MULTI-MILLION POUND HOME FROM HOME
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LOOK OUT FOR CANCER
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OUT AND ABOUT WITH CAROLYN HUGHES
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SPOTLIGHT ON LAURA JANE HALL
Living
INFO
Tel: 0151 558 1007 Email: hello@livingwirral.com
www.livingwirral.com Disclaimer
Whilst precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents of our magazine, neither the editors, publishers or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise there from. Living Wirral reserves the right to edit comments or choose not to publish selected comments, whether in printed, mobile or digital format. No part of any of our publication, whether in print or digital may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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Marvel-ous
Tim Quinn BY JADE THUNDER
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Tim Quinn was born in Liverpool in 1953, the very same year Beryl the Peril first appeared in The Topper. Coincidence? We think not! Educated by Irish Christian Brothers whose prospectus boasted, ‘We will instil a fear of God into your child’, it was little wonder Tim chose a life in entertainment. Starting his career as a Ringboy/clown at Blackpool Tower Circus he then leapt back in time to work on BBC TV’s Good Old Days music hall series where he started writing scripts for top comedians. It was a small jump into the world of comic books where he spent many happy years as scriptwriter, illustrator and editor on such noted titles as The Beano, The Dandy, Sparky, The Topper, Buster, Whoopee!, Bunty, Jackie, Dr Who Magazine, and Whizzer & Chips before heading Stateside to work for the mighty Marvel Comics Group on the world famous Spider-Man, X-Men and the Incredible Hulk.
The young Tim pictured above
Tim has also worked as a writer for the Guardian newspaper, editor for America’s oldest publication The Saturday Evening Post and producer for LWT’s The South Bank Show (amongst others producing a show on the history of Marvel Comics!). Today he is on a lecture tour of the UK discussing the humour and nostalgia of comics, runs a management company for recording artists, conducts workshops on cartooning and media and dreams of the day he will be bitten by a radioactive flea so that he can finally take over the universe. “I started with DC Thompson; a Scottish publisher. They published so many weekly comics in the 60’s – The Beezer; Topper; Bunty; Judy; Beano; Dandy; Buzz; Hotspur; Victor… so many! So, if you could hold a pencil, you were in! I found myself doing all sorts of things, even features and interviews for women’s magazines; another project within the company. They were better than women’s magazines today, they had personality! The kind of magazines that would be handed round the family; general interest magazines, not the narrow direction women’s magazines today have adopted in the last ten or so years. I enjoyed doing interviews, that was a fun thing to do. The first interview was great. It was with Lesley Judd from Blue Peter, she was lovely. She threw me a little; when I brought out the recorder, the back came off and eight batteries scattered across the floor, Lesley got down on her hands and knees and helped me find them. Then she sat there, still wearing her Blue Peter badge, rolling cigarettes during the interview and chain-smoking. The advice she gave me right at the end was to go out and buy “Blood on the Tracks” by Bob Dylan. She was a great first interview though because she was as relaxed as you could get. She was very kind.” Who’s your favourite superhero? “I worked on several superheroes in my time. Spiderman “Spidey”, The X-Men, Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Hulk… all the classics. Spidey is my favourite though, he got me. I was the perfect age when it came out. He was bullied at school; I was bullied at school. He was a bookworm; I was (am) a bookworm. He loved science as do I, and he was very introverted I guess, which I think I was at school. The connections were great and Stan was really cookin’ with that character. I mean, the costume itself – how that ever came out of anyone’s head is extraordinary. When he put his costume on it was an escape.” If you could have any superpower what would it be? “I would fly – you’ve got to fly haven’t you? I mean there is something so beautiful about that isn’t there? You’d just watch the birds, go so high and then float on the wind.” How old were you when you did your first drawing? My earliest memory is aged 2, being told by my mum to go and draw on my bedroom wall. We’d just moved to a big, old, Victorian house in Crosby and I was getting under her feet as she was bringing stuff in from the removal van. She gave me a stick of charcoal and said to go and draw on the bedroom wall. By sheer luck I drew something that looked like something… it looked like a hedgehog; an egg with scribble and spikes and little legs. I’d created a character. If you’re telling stories, that’s what you need, a character, and if you’re two years of age, you need a character that’s easy to draw. That’s possibly the most important thing I ever did in my life because it made me believe I could do it. As soon as I saw him on the wall, I wanted to know what happened next, so I then drew a rocket ship – it was the 50’s and we were obsessed with rocket ships. Luckily back then rocket ships were really easy to draw, because they were just a cigar shape with fins! The next picture was a porthole of the rocket ship with the
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hedgehog looking out and the rocket took off. I could do that because I’d seen how to draw fire in my brothers’ comic. It looked great on the wall! I was curious to know where it was going so I drew stars and the moon because it was in space. He was going to the moon and I knew how to draw that because it’s just jagged mountains and rocks. I’d heard that if you’re on the moon you can leap really high. I knew how to do that because my brothers comic had shown me these motion lines to draw so I added them to the picture with the hedgehog on the moon, leaping over the mountains. In five pictures I’d told a complete story. The following day I woke up and was blown away by it. I remember thinking I wonder what will happen to him today…” “One of my favourite quotes “Life is all downhill after the age of two” Did your job ever take you around the world? If so, where? “Well my brother is currently the editor of the Dr. Who comic “Dr. Who Adventures”, and he works mainly in India – we only recently saw each other at ComiCon in Liverpool after ten years! Funnily enough Dr Who Magazine have just put out their 500th issue and I was a part of that because I did a little spoof Dr. Who strip in it – which is remembered fondly, apparently by people from way back. I didn’t go to India, I went to the USA and that was where I met and married my wife, Jane.” Do you read comic books today? If so, which ones? “Campfire Graphic Novels from India are the best today. For me, they capture many of the directions you can go with storytelling and they still surprise me each month with what they put out. I didn’t particularly expect to get that big of a kick out of the story of Mother Teresa told as a graphic novel, but it’s extraordinary. Alongside that, they’ve been doing classic novels like Huckleberry Finn and Alice and Wonderland. You never quite know what’s coming next and that’s great because I think Marvel and DC Comics have lost that a little.”
I was speaking with Dennis Gifford, a comic historian, who wrote books about comics. I was chatting with him once and he said that the best comics were from the 1930’s. I was saying that the best comics were in the early 50’s and 60’s. We both realised that we were both pointing out the comics of our childhood. I think that’s how it works for most people. So, do I like ‘Spidey’ being 15 years of age in today’s comics? Yes, I love it. It ties in with the comics I started reading; the first issues that Stan (Lee) wrote. Stan Lee, The Beatles and Enid Blyton are my heroes.” Pick a superhero to solve the worlds’ problems today “Stan Lee - I’d put him in power! He’s great – I saw a clip of him from May 2016 at a convention, and a twelve-year-old child asked him “what advice would you give to me” and Stan said “Do unto others as you’d have done unto yourself”. Simple as that. He’s a super hero to me. He got it in one, it really is THAT simple. We’re all super heroes, we all have the potential. We don’t need to be bitten by a radioactive spider, you know. Just be nice.” What do you think of the TV programme S.H.I.E.L.D.? “I hate it. The reason is, again this ties into childhood you see, because back then in the 60’s a comic came out “Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.”. And it was one of the best things… The guy who took it on looked at what was happening in the secret agent world like James Bond, Danger Man etc. and he ran with it. His name is Jim Storanko – one of my favourite writers and artists in comics, particularly because of the work he did in the 60’s. When I heard they were going to do Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a TV show I thought great! But they’ve taken it in a completely different direction to the comics. For me, it can’t compete, which is hardly fair on the TV series, but that’s just how it is for me. I will always prefer the comic. The biggest budgeted movie will never be able to compete with the imagination of a writer and artist who can take it much further than a film ever could. I’ve seen a few clips on YouTube or Facebook of the latest Marvel films; I know they’ve reinvented Spiderman 3 or 4 times now. I kind of like that though.”
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CVI - MAXIMISING RESULTS NO MATTER YOUR TRAINING PREFERENCE… There are a multitude of fitness and exercise options for us out there today. The majority of these ever evolving routines or modalities pertain to maximise our fitness levels, help us shed those stubborn inches or reinvigorate us in a way far better than the last. In general most of these methods work and have been developed scientifically to maximise results. We don’t always get the results we want though right? Why is this? Quite often what limits the progress we try to make is our own ability to follow some of the most basic principles which can be applied to any participation in fitness and training when wanting to maximise results. No matter whether we are a ‘Cross Fitter’ ‘HIIT’ advocate, Run Clubber or ‘Gym Bunny’ there are simple steps to achieving your performance and aesthetic goals. Consistency, Volume and Intensity. Get these three things correct, no matter your fitness fancy and you will get where you want to be. Be consistent with your training week, don’t drop sessions! Make sure your volume of work is great enough for the type of exercise you are doing
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in order to elicit physiological adaptation. Finally make sure the intensity is correct for the type of session you are doing and the volume of work involved. Is your heart rate high enough? Is the weight really correct for the sets and reps you are doing? Have you pushed outside of your comfort zone in order to progress? Whatever you do to get a sweat on, think Consistency, Volume and Intensity to achieve the results you want. Think you could benefit from talking to an exercise professional about making sure your CVI is optimised for the results you wish to achieve? Contact the Creation team at our boutique, private, Heswall studio on 0151-342-0035 or visit www.creationpt.com for details of our full range of services.
FILM REVIEWS WITH A FILM PODESSEY STAR TREK BEYOND
Not so long ago anyone suggesting heading to the cinema to catch a showing of Star Trek was likely to enjoy the pleasures of being relieved of lunch money by the school bully before receiving a wedgy for good measure.
lucky folk who got to spend your lunch money every day this move away from the action packed 2009 reboot may mean it loses some of its wider commercial appeal, although I certainly think there is enough here to have a good time. To what level will depend upon how geeky you will let yourself feel!
PEAKY BLINDERS
The Peaky Blinders is a return to quality BBC programming which is all too uncommon these days. Set just after WWI in sunny Birmingham we follow the exploits of the notorious gang The Peaky Blinders - named so because of their distinctive clothing which included keeping razor blades hidden in the peak of their flat caps.
Thankfully times have changed and just as the legendary franchise reaches its 50th anniversary it now almost passes as cool to be a Trekkie. What’s more, with the January release of a brand new series we could soon be heading into another golden era of Trekdom! Star Trek Beyond is the third instalment of J.J. Abraham’s universe or the ‘Kelvin’ time line as it is now known. J.J. has since moved on to Trek’s arch nemesis Star Wars and after a rather turbulent passing of the baton Paramount eventually settled on Trek geeks Simon Peg and Justin Lin who promised to stay true to the original source material. Our story begins with the Enterprise having spent five years in the depths of space exploring. The crew has slipped into a routine and Captain Kirk has found himself having lost the va-va-voom that led him to the big chair in the first place. After answering a distress call the Enterprise finds it has bitten off more than it can chew, before crash landing on a nearby planet. The crew are split up and so begins the plot to reunite and get themselves off the ‘God forsaken planet’ in time to stop the bad guy - an energy vampire type thingy from carrying out the usual world destructing fiendish plans. So is it any good? Well the story line moves along well. The more character driven theme makes this a much more fulfilling experience that Star Trek Into Darkness and the personalities of the crew that made the original such a big hit are there at the forefront driving everything forward. The unusual pairings on the plan` means everyone gets decent screen time and golden comedy moments are aplenty. The action scenes are impressive if a little long winded but the scene involving the York Town space station is as much a Gene Rodenberry ideology as anything I have seen. The weakest aspect of this film by far is the bad guy. Idris Elba makes the best of what is a very bog standard nemesis. His plans, his reasons and his methods are as hollow as that school bully’s head. However, you just don’t care because Spock and McCoy are bickering like old ladies, Scotty is building warp engines from washing up liquid bottles and Kirk is strutting around like the coolest guy in the universe. Many have described this film a feature length episode of the original series - only with sets not made out of cardboard! If you’re a fan of Kirk and Spock’s escapades you’ll love this film. If you’re a Trekkie who was brought up on Star Trek The Next Generation in the 80’s and beyond you will thoroughly enjoy this return to Trek ideologies. If you were one of the
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It is a gritty and realistic portrayal of the struggles and camaraderie of those returning from the horrors of the trenches. Leading the fight to better themselves is Thomas Shelby who plans to work his notorious gang up the criminal food chain so he can take his family away from their otherwise depressing and industrial beginnings. Our protagonists are brilliant and you cannot help but root for their cause but make no mistake - these guys are not good people. The series pulls no punches and at times you will recoil with the sheer level of violence which was the norm in those days. These scenes are not gratuitous though and they all have context in excellent story and character arcs. A compelling watch if you think it is your thing, although it won’t be for everyone!
DEXTER
This is by no means a new programme but Netflix now have all seven seasons to watch and in my opinion that means there is no excuse for you not watching this brilliant masterpiece of TV. Dexter is a blood splatter analysis for the Miami PD. In case you are wondering, that means he turns up at murder scenes and figures out how the deed was done by looking at the patterns of the victims blood. It sounds gruesome and it gets worse, Dexter is a psychopath. To try and curb his desires to kill he focuses his attentions on criminals who have successfully slipped through the net and need to be brought to justice. He releases his blood thirsty desires on the baddies in a sort of anti-hero kind of public service whilst portraying the false façade of a normal Joe to his family, friends and work colleges. They are, of course, completely unaware of his totally nuts extra-curricular activities. It is important to stress to those who are of a more nervous disposition that this is not a gory series. It is jam packed with black humour and amusing scenarios caused by this most bizarre of conflicting lifestyles. As the seasons go on and the net gradually closes in on Dexter you find it becomes even more compelling. This the best series I have watched in a long, long time and until you experience it, your life will remain unfulfilled. T: @afilmpodessey
SHOW US THE WAY WIRRAL BY NIK ELLIS
The Wirral Way is one of the only true off-road cycle paths on the Wirral, completely free from the distractions and dangers of motor vehicles. However, we speak to a chap, who uses many other areas for mountain biking despite a smattering of no cycling signs. He alleges for example that in West Wirral one can go from West Kirby to Heswall barely touching a road. He would start at the column in West Kirby, through to Stapleton Woods, crossing over into Royden Park, which can then be traversed through to Thurstaston Common. After a lap or two one can then cross by the Cottage Loaf pub over to Church Farm and cycle through the fields behind coming out at the top of Heswall Dales, a few minutes later ending at the Delavor Road entrance to the Wirral Way, which of course can take one back to West Kirby, completing a great mountain biking circuit. So why is cycling forbidden in so many areas. We spoke to a warden on Heswall Dales recently who said that it was down to it being a local nature reserve and a site of special scientific interest due to it being a lowland heath. Fair enough, but couldn’t mountain bikes share the well-trodden paths with walkers and dogs? Apparently not. Our mountain biking contact had a similar story after being told off for cycling on Thurstaston Common. The warden told him that there were rare newts; despite promising to stick to paths and not squash any small reptiles (or mammals for that matter) he was informed that the paths were for walking and running only. We decided to ask this hooligan why he would wantonly vandalize these beautiful areas. Has he no respect for the flora and fauna? “For over 30 years I’ve cycled around the Wirral, on and off road. The Wirral Way is great but is a flat, straight path; not exactly challenging for a mountain biker. The nearest dedicated mountain bike course is in Llandegla, 45 minutes drive from here. The differing terrain offered by these public parks is ideal for biking plus they’re safe from the dangers of traffic.” We asked how much damage he caused. “As a Wirralonian I love this area and would never intentionally cause any damage. It’s a beautiful area with gorgeous views. Mountain bikes have inflated rubber tyres which do not harm pathways. I see more damage and mess caused by dogs and kids.” What about the public though? “In three decades I have only had a small handful of people moan at me riding; no different to the Wirral Way. Most are happy to stop for a chat. I tend to ride when it’s quiet, so typically early morning, late evening or sometimes during working hours. I don’t want to crash into walkers anymore than they would want me to crash into them. If the path isn’t wide enough to pass safely, I’ll stop and wait for them; I’m often grateful of the rest to catch a breath.” So what would be a great future to ensure the upkeep of these areas whilst allowing bikers to enjoy them? “Perhaps a few paths could be designated for cycling. How about a license ensuring the cyclist is aware of the rules and respectful of the environment? A cost could be levied for such a license that could assist funding the upkeep of these reserves and ensure numbers of mountain bikers were kept under control. We look forward to a day when park wardens and mountain bikers enjoy a symbiotic and respectful relationship.
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“
MOUNTAIN BIKES HAVE INFLATED RUBBER TYRES, WHICH DO NOT HARM PATHWAYS. I SEE MORE DAMAGE AND MESS CAUSED BY DOGS AND KIDS.
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Come on guys....
PlayFair!
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PLAYFAIR EVENTS LTD. PRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT FOR GOLF ON THE WIRRAL COMBINING CHARITIES, COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES Wirral based PlayFair Events (PFE) are expert providers of bespoke golf events and management solutions. Not just for Wirral, but the whole of the UK. They specialise in corporate events and community tournaments offering a range of personalised event management packages, including corporate hospitality and company incentives, giving confidence that the finest details are attended to.
PFE always provide a podium and official starter on the first tee, who calls out your name and who you represent ‘to test the nerves’ and to add to that first tee pressure during all their events, bringing a real life tournament feel just like the Pro’s, along with a photographer and film crew, to encapsulate that special moment and experience. They thrive on creating an atmosphere that no other golf event specialists has done before them.
They create tailored events and deliver golf packages to suit all budgets, giving an experience that you and your guests will never forget.
A short film of your event will be presented to every participant afterwards, showing how your day unfolds, from the first Tee shot to the winner’s presentation.
PFE is the brainchild of Wirral born Rob Johnson and Jamie Conroy, who have played all courses on this wonderful Peninsula for the past thirty years. Being organisers of many Corporate Events and local society competitions, they understand and appreciate the needs of fellow golfers. PFE are passionate about delivering a golfing experience with a difference, and have an enthusiastic team of golfers dedicated to this wonderful game, delivering to the amateur …
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PROFESSIONAL GOLFER!!
Rob proudly says “When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s normally a good one to pursue. You just have to pay attention to what people need and what has never been done before… Then always deliver more than expected!” Jamie adds “It’s not just about having that great idea, it’s about making those ideas happen. PFE provides a unique golfing experience and putting the amateur golfers needs first, is at the heart of everything we do!”
COMMUNITY TOURNAMENTS-SOCIETY DAYS OUTCORPORATE EVENTS
Both Rob and Jamie are highly professional in how they run these events but openly admit they have missed the opportunity to take part in a PGA Tour or any PGA Open Tournaments, and like many thousands of other amateur golfers across the UK, they only got to see such events take place on TV… until now!! “Watching the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson being introduced to the first tee box by an official “Starter” and being surrounded by TV crews whilst playing for huge prizes along with a brand new car for a hole-in-one, made us realise that as an amateur golfer, we miss out on playing in such a great atmosphere like the top professionals endear so much… So we decided to bring all of this to amateur level and give our fellow amateur golfers, a day in the life of a pro!”
PFE bring a whole new concept to amateur golf tournaments and corporate packages, something that has been missing in amateur status golf for so long.
COMMUNITY BASED TOURNAMENTS
Along with the filming and the Starter on the first tee, PFE team up with local car dealership companies on the Wirral, who sponsor every event by providing a brand new car worth £20,000 in view of giving multiple amateurs a chance to win this with a Hole-in-One shot on selected holes. Other local businesses are involved through sponsorship of these events and tournaments too, meaning some pathways, tee boxes and greens will be surrounded by sponsored banners & flags helping to create that real tournament feel. Playfair Events donate 100% of all sponsorship money to Wirral charities, their latest achievement is becoming a charitable partnership with Wirral Hospice St Johns, a charity close to theirs and most people’s hearts which receives 50% of total fundraising whilst the other 50% is donated to the chosen charity of that particular course where the event is being held.
PLAYFAIR EVENTS ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU ON THE FIRST TEE FOR A GOLFING EXPERIENCE YOU’LL NEVER FORGET WATCH OUT FOR THE LAUNCH OF OUR LATEST EVENT: www.playfairevents.com For more information contact them:rob@playfairevents.com Mobile: 07711 262351 jay@playfairevents.com Mobile: 07592 609018 For more information on sponsoring their latest event: info@playfairevents.com
We are grateful to the following companies and individuals who have already offered their support:
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ULTRA RUNNER Ryan Hogben 1. How old were you when you discovered ultra-running and whom or what lead you to it?
I’d been running since around 2009 and had been part of a running club since 2012. I’ve always had a love of the longer distances, my first race was a half marathon and my third race was a marathon. At some of the running expo’s I’d notice stands advertising “Ultra-marathons” and it somewhat intrigued me. A couple of friends at my old running club had done G2E (Glasgow to Edinburgh 55 mile ultra) the previous year and said it’s a perfect race to introduce you to ultras. In 2013 I’d decided that I would sign up for the following years race, unfortunately my father passed away shortly after I signed up, right there was my motivation to get it done, my dad had always been proud of my running and was there to watch me complete my first ever marathon. I still think he is there in some way to help me out when the times gets tough in a race. I completed the 55 mile in 10 hours and 47 minutes, I was instantly hooked.
2. What is the official definition of ultra-running?
An ultra-marathon is a race/event of any distance beyond a marathon, 26.2 miles. Races usually start from around 31 miles all the way up to 500+ miles. The more common distances are 50km, 50 miles, 100km and 100 miles.
3. Have you participated in any events that have taken you to far flung places? If so, where?
I’ve ran most of my marathons abroad in places like Spain, France and Italy, Ultra running has so far only taken me all over the UK but because I run trail and not road races I get to see some of the most beautiful and remote parts. Last year I went to Chamonix, the home of trail running. There is a race in August which is the ultimate dream of most trail runners, the UTMB, 105 mile race that circumnavigates the highest mountain in Western Europe, Mont Blanc. You run through three different countries and encounter around 10,000m of ascent. There are other races held over the weekend and the atmosphere in the town is like no other. Forget your big city marathons, UTMB is the place to be.
4. Is it costly from an emotional and financial aspect?
Running can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, you can run in an old pair of trainers or shorts or have all the new, most expensive gear available. Trail running and ultra-running can be a little more expensive, mostly due to the amount of kit you are required to have for most races. As you can be running through the night or in extreme weathers there can be and extensive list of kit requirements, all of which must be carried for your own safety. A good pair of trail running shoes for the terrain is a must in most races, prices range from £40-£140, I wear Salomon Slab Sense Ultra’s, and they’re at the top end of the market. You will also need a pack, I used the Salomon S-lab 12 Set, which at full price is £150 (you can shop about and get them cheaper). They come in all different shapes, sizes, makes, colours and most importantly, prices... Most races require you to carry waterproofs, top and bottom, things like this are worth paying good money for, the last thing you want is for the weather to close in on a mountain race and your waterproofs spring a leak! Race entry fees in Ultras tend to be better value for money, I race the round Rotherham 50 miler every year, it costs £13 and you get food at the checkpoints, a t-shirt, badge and two course meal at the end. To put it into context, the Great North Run is £54 to enter for 13.1 miles, you don’t get a meal at the end or food/snacks at the checkpoints.
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Emotionally it’s very tough, from the training to the actual running an ultra takes a great toll on your mind and body, sometimes it can take weeks or even months to fully recover. I’m very lucky that my partner runs with me otherwise it could put a big strain on us, especially at weekends when we head for a day or two of training and don’t return for hours.
5. What format does your training take? Are you constantly in training for the next event or do you get time off to indulge?
My training has developed over the years from reading many different plans and finding what works for me, running between 50-70 miles per week and add in cross training it is very time consuming. My job role as a business development manager for Heswall based Laird Assessors takes me all over the country covering a lot of miles in the car, luckily my boss, Nik Ellis operates flexible working which really helps me be able to fit my training and work together. I try and plan out my races for a year or two ahead, they take so much time and effort to plan and train for this is essential. I will tend you use some shorter races, marathons or 50km as a build up to the longer stuff. This year has been all about my first 100 mile race, it takes place in June in South Wales, it starts in Cardiff and takes in the Brecon Beacons before returning to Cardiff, in total 105 miles and over 6400m of ascent, training for this event has involved me running the Kielder 50km ultra trail, which I won and also the Highland Fling, a 53 mile race along the first part of the West Highland way, following that I spent a week training in the Alps. Because of the nature of the races I do (all involve significant hills/mountains and technical terrain) I have incorporated Cross fit into my training schedule, this helps make me stronger all over and hopefully prevents injuries.
6. Have you ever not completed a challenge?
Touch wood, I haven’t although strangely enough I struggle over short distance races, I did not finisha total of seven park runs which are run over 5km!!
7. Would you encourage others into the sport?
Definitely, Ultra running is becoming more and more popular, it’s still not a massive sport in terms of numbers of people participating but it is fast become more popular in people looking for the next challenge. Many people see a marathon as the ultimate running goal, the pinnacle of running challenges and taking nothing away from marathons they are an amazing achievement and hats off to anyone who completes one (or any running distance for that matter) but for those that want to push themselves that bit further and see what you really are capable of, give an ultra a bash, it’ll hurt but you won’t be disappointed.
8. Are your challenges charity driven or from a personal achievement perspective?
For me it’s a personal thing, I love nothing better than a day or two out on the trails with my partner and our Beagle, we are always looking to see how far we can push ourselves. My other half won a couple of races last year and also placed in a number of others, this gave me a push to work even harder as I had no trophies in the cabinet, now I finally have one to stand alongside hers and hopefully many more to come. As I run more races my confidence has increased and I have found myself not worrying about being able to complete the distance but pushing myself harder to compete in races.
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9. Are you a natural adrenalin junkie? Are there any other ‘extreme sports’ you have been tempted by or intend to try in the future?
Funnily enough no. Considering I love nothing better than running in the mountains, I am absolutely petrified of heights, it takes every ounce of courage I have to run mountain trails. I see people paragliding and base jumping and it completely frightens the life out of me, however if you had said three years ago I’d be running in the mountains I would have laughed at you. So you just never know….watch this space.
10. Has it brought you self-discovery or spiritual awareness?
I wouldn’t say any spiritual awareness but I have discovered things about myself I never could have without ultra-running. It is an amazing feeling to get to the point where you feel that physically drained you cannot move another step but then you find something else within that makes you realise you can go on and it is only your mind telling you “no you can’t”. Over the space of 30, 50, 100 miles you will go through so many high points and also many low points, the key is when you are suffering and feeling so low you have to keep telling yourself that feeling won’t last for ever and it doesn’t. Eventually something will click and you’ll feel great again, it’s these moments that moments that are special and really teach you something about yourself.
IF YOUR DREAMS DON’T SCARE YOU, THEY AREN’T BIG ENOUGH! Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
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THE BEATLES AND WIRRAL BARRY HUMPHREYS IS A LOCAL WRITER AND HISTORIAN WHO DELIVERS HERITAGE TALKS AND WALKS AS ‘THE TIMELINES’, CONTACT HIM DIRECT FOR DETAILS AT TIMELINES@TALKTALK.NET West, Birkenhead. There they were measured up, and handing over a £3 deposit, a few weeks later they each picked up their £40 grey brushed tweed lounge suits (pencil thin lapels and matching ties included !). In future they would look pro and to prove it they began wearing the suits onstage, starting with the Barnston Women’s Institute in Heswall. In the late 1960’s an American promoter offered The Beatles $1,000,000 for one live performance at Carnegie Hall. Just eight years earlier in Wirral they were getting anywhere between £10 and £35 a night and playing the most illustrious venues Wirral could conjure up, like the Apollo, Cooperative Hall and Haig Club, all in Moreton; the Embassy in Seacombe, the Victoria Hall in Higher Bebington, the YMCA, St Paul’s Church Hall and the Tech College, all in Birkenhead; Irby Village Hall or The Thistle Cafe in West Kirby. There were three other Wirral venues which carry an even bigger share of Beatles magic….
A few years ago one quiet summer afternoon a friend of mine was walking along Meols promenade when she recognised the man coming towards her, who was out walking his dog. As she drew level with him, she stopped and said “You’re Paul McCartney aren’t you ?”. So he stopped too, smiled and replied “I am….”. There was a pause… and then Paul said “Bye then…” and carried on his way. “My mind sort of went blank…” she said. So keep your eye out because Paul still does visit occasionally and pretty much always has. Liverpool was where they were from - obviously - but Paul and the rest of The Beatles had always had a familiarity with the Wirral. Paul had relatives in Bebington and Egremont, John had family in Rock Ferry and as kids all four of them regularly came across to the beach and the fair at New Brighton courtesy of Wallasey Ferries. When they became The Beatles, although it was Liverpool which played the prominent role in their early history, Wirral played its own important understudy part. For example, one of the first things that Brian Epstein did when he became their manager in December 1961 was to pick up the phone to Albert Marrion, the only photographer that he knew. The Beatles - John Paul George and Pete as they then were - duly turned up at 268 Wallasey Village on a cold and damp Sunday afternoon for their first official photo session. Albert Marrion later recalled that they messed about so much that 14 of the 30 photos he took were unusable, so he binned them. He also took exception to the fact that despite being almost bald, much to the pleasure of the rest of the band, John spent the whole afternoon referring to him as “Curly”. By this time they’d already played in Wirral, being regulars at the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard. It was to there one evening that their then manager Allan Williams had to travel over from Liverpool to rescue the band from the clutches of local Teddy Boy “Ronnie”. At the time The Beatles had no drummer and Ronnie had joined the band when John had asked if anyone could play percussion, but he’d threatened them with all sorts of shades of violence when - his talent on drums being in short supply - they asked him to stop. Despite the tales of the hard man that John Lennon was said to be, it was Allan Williams, the ex-plumber turned night club owner and short-lived manager of The Beatles, who had to come over to Wirral and cut Ronnie down to size. Ronnie is lost to history, unlike the venue, which now celebrates its Beatles connection with a blue plaque outside and a Beatles bar inside. It was, however, Brian Epstein who always had the big plans for his new charges. He had a vision of the direction it should all go in and the image that would be needed to take it there. So, by the end of January 1962 he’d convinced “the boys” that they needed to overhaul their look, and got them into his favourite bespoke-tailors, Beno Dorn, in Grange Road
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Firstly, the Majestic Ballroom in Conway Street, Birkenhead (in more recent years a Chinese restaurant) was proof that Brian had been able to step things up for the band. It was one of the national Top Rank Company venues. Playing there was a real status symbol and The Beatles were booked 17 times between 1961 and 1963. The demand for tickets the last few times they played there was such that extra shows had to be added. It was obvious that by 1963 The Beatles were on their way. In the meantime Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight (the second magical venue) had played host to the first appearance of the new-look Beatles. Pete Best had been unexpectedly sacked on 16th August 1962, and on 18th - after a two hour rehearsal - The Beatles line-up that the world would shortly come to know and love (the one with Ringo on drums) took to the stage for the Port Sunlight Horticultural Society After Show Dance. Tickets were 6/- each (that’s 30p !!), and included not only live music by The Beatles, but a buffet as well !. And the third of the venues with more than its fair share of Beatles magic, was the New Brighton Tower Ballroom. Their 27 appearances there between 1961 and 1963 is testified to by a plaque on Tower Promenade, which was unveiled in 2011 by 60’s promoter Sam Leach, who was the first to book them to play there. Sam’s first promotion at the Tower was so successful that he booked the venue again for two weeks on, and he had The Beatles back. So it was on that night, 24th November 1961 that the band performed to just over 4600 people. It was the largest audience that they ever played to on the mainland UK and it happened here in Wirral. It was at The Tower too, that on the final occasion The Beatles played - on 14th June 1963 - Paul had driven over from Liverpool in the second hand Ford Consul he’d just bought. As he left the venue that night, just after 11:30pm, he drove onto Seabank Road to head towards the Birkenhead Tunnel. As is the way with so many young men with cars, he put his foot down hard on the accelerator. He’d gone about a mile and a half when he was stopped by Police Constable Stephen Goodhall, because the Ford Consul was doing between 50 and 55 miles per hour in a 30 mile an hour zone! When he appeared at Wallasey Magistrates Court to answer the charge on 26th August, Alderman Hanaford, the Chair of the Magistrates chastised him for his two previous convictions for speeding and told him “It’s time you were taught a lesson…”. He then went on to impose fines totalling £31 and a ban from driving for a year…… A hard lesson indeed! If you do see Paul McCartney out and about, his conviction for speeding is always a good conversation starter!
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WE ARE AT WAR.....AND WE ARE LOSING! BY DAVE PEDDIE Ok, this will make people of a certain age smile. How many of you remember when you were a child, and you had just eaten a sweet and you had the wrapper in your hand, being told to put it in a bin or put it in your pocket until you got home? Ring any bells? Thought so. So what happened to that simple instruction? After all, it’s not rocket science, yet it seems to have vanished from normal everyday behaviour for a significant proportion of the population. The result is that our communities are being swamped by litter: plastic bottles, polystyrene containers, paper packaging, baby wipes, broken glass, old furniture, building materials and toxic waste. As a member of a volunteer beach cleaning group (The New Brighteners) the summer is a terrible time for litter on the beaches. The regeneration of the area has seen a dramatic increase in the number of visitors, and this is of huge benefit. But, in turn, it has seen a dramatic increase in litter in general, and on the beaches in particular, but during the school holiday period it becomes over-whelming. A typical evening beach clean, of the two beaches alongside Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton, can see 5 volunteers clearing up to 7 large bags of litter, a single day’s worth; it can take upwards of 2 hours. However, this is only the litter from the inconsiderate minority of visitors who simply leave their rubbish behind when they leave. Other visitors use the bins (small bins and large bulk bins), and they need emptying twice a day, which begs the question: Why is there so much rubbish and litter generally? The answer lies at the heart of our consumerist, throwaway society. Everything we buy, whether food, toys, drink, TVs, electrical goods, takeaways, is extensively packed. Order something on-line, and no matter what the size, it will almost always arrive in a huge box with a mountain of paper padding as well as its own normal retail packing. A perfect recent example of this was when I ordered a micro memory card for a camera. The memory card itself was about the size of a thumbnail. It was encased in plastic, inside its own sealed cardboard envelope, which only needed an address label and stamp, and it could have been posted, but no. It then came packed in a box large enough to contain approx 12 such sealed cardboard envelopes all padded out with about 6 feet of paper-strip padding. Once opened, all this packaging and padding lasted about 10 minutes before being consigned to our re-cycle bin. No wonder Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘War on Waste’ (BBC) is now targeting the whole packing nightmare. So here’s a challenge to everyone reading this: wherever you are and you have some litter in your hand - cigarette pack or butt, sweet wrapper, baby-wipe, etc. - please BIN IT or take it home, DON’T JUST DROP IT.
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WONDEROUS WIRRAL BARRY HUMPHREYS IS A LOCAL WRITER AND HISTORIAN WHO DELIVERS HERITAGE TALKS AND WALKS AS ‘THE TIMELINES’, CONTACT HIM DIRECT FOR DETAILS AT TIMELINES@TALKTALK.NET Where the scent of hawthorne lingers On the zephyrs wings at night. Lanes of Seacombe oft I’ve wandered, Gathering berries black and red With a simple crown of daisies Resting on my youthful head”. In the 18th Century over on the other side of Wirral, a small fishing village became a cultural centre and attracted the new moneyed classes from far and wide. It’s reputation grew as a preferred bathing resort and at the same time it established itself as the main port in this part of the country for sailing ships to depart for Ireland. Indeed, William II had already done a service in promoting the place when he and his troops set sail from there in 1690, on their way to war at the Battle of The Boyne. Parkgate was firmly on the map. Handel visited and stayed at Mostyn House and also travelled back to there from Dublin following the first ever public performance of his Messiah in 1742. Amongst other regulars were Jonathan Swift - author of Gulliver’s Travels - and John Wesley the Methodist preacher. Big names of the times attracted the curiosity of others to visit. Wirral…. roughly rectangular in shape, at its lengthiest around 18 miles long, averaging 7 miles wide, approximately 40 miles of coast and encompassing 100 square miles. It sits between two tidal rivers - The Dee and The Mersey and has an open to the Irish Sea northern coastline. Its geology and main mass is a plateau of 120 - 160 feet high sandstone formed around 200 million years ago during the Triassic period and which on various parts of the coast can clearly be seen at the edges of the Dee, the Mersey and the Irish Sea. The population of Wirral in the 2011 census was 319,800, a comparable number to those who live in Iceland. Within the boundaries of Wirral can be found what might be considered a microcosm of England. At first it may sound a little over-stated, but the mix of urban and rural, ancient and modern, history and heritage, craft commerce and industry effectively mirror the major features of the rest of the country. So start this journey with me today as I take you down to have a closer look at “Our Wondrous Wirral”. You don’t have to venture far to find that an awful lot of Wirral is still very rural. Historically this part of the country put the food onto the tables of the rapidly urbanising and growing city of Liverpool. Even what’s now a built up conurbation like Seacombe was still predominantly countryside in the late 19th Century. Seacombe’s agricultural produce made its way from the area now occupied by the ferry terminus and was delivered to a slipway which stood at the bottom of the steps at Our Lady and St Nicholas’s Church in Liverpool. That landing place - now long gone following the reclamation of land from the sea - was aptly known as “Seacombe Slip”. But as docks and industry arrived, so the face and function of Seacombe changed. It now seems so unlikely that anyone could have written a poem such as this from the 1880’s:“Lanes of Seacombe, green and leafy, Scenes that always bless my sight,
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The popularity of Parkgate burnt brightly, but it also burnt quickly. The maritime influence of Chester and the Dee slowly but surely faded and almost at first unnoticed it slipped away bit by bit to the rapidly expanding port of Liverpool. Parkgate saw its last sail ship leave for Ireland in 1820 and as its commerce disappeared so did its standing as a fashionable place to visit. It quickly reverted to its previous existence as a quiet fishing village and remained so until the 1930’s. By then, even the fishing came to an end due to the continued and unchecked silting of the Dee, which finally brought the mud and marsh grass right up to the seawall. In the 1891 census 60 fishermen had been recorded there, but fifty years later they were gone. But it’s almost as if when the focus on the town moved away, it became preserved somehow in a cocoon of its own, which has left it looking very much the same as it has for the last two hundred years. Fitting then that in the 21st century it’s become a picturesque attraction that has allowed it to return to being a genteel sort of pleasure resort, ideal for a quiet and relaxing afternoon and now famed for its teashops and ice cream parlours. The Romans had arrived on Wirral in the second half of the first century and remained for four hundred years, leaving a legacy of place names, such as Landican, Noctorum, Arrowe, Liscard and Tranmere. But it wasn’t until the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 895AD that the name of Wirral in a recognisable form arrived. “Wirheal” was a name derived from two words, “Wir” being myrtle, a dark evergreen plant…. and “heal” meaning corner. The literal translation of “Wirheal” then (and so of course of Wirral too)… is:- “the corner where the bog myrtle grows”. Once common on the Wirral peninsular, bog myrtle hasn’t found mention in any local flora guides since the 1830’s. Gone and - all but the name - forgotten.
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DOIN’ THE DO A LOOK AT THE LIFE AND WORK OF KAREN DAWSON, MANAGER OF GOSSIP HAIR & BEAUTY, OXTON VILLAGE.
Karen Dawson is the fun loving, hair sculpturess and Manager of Gossip Hair Salon in Oxton Village. Hair styling is an art form to Karen and her passion and enthusiasm for her craft is obvious in everthing she does. Karen has always loved art; as a child she would often copy her favourite Disney character, in fact, copy anything. But it wasn’t until she joined Majorettes that her creativity was noticed publicly. Karen was a painfully shy child. She would watch from afar as the groups of girls engaged in activities in the playground, longing to be in with the in crowd. She joined a local Majorette team and her life changed overnight. Who knew that braiding hair would make you so popular? A flair for hair mean’t that Karen would braid everyone’s hair on the bus travelling to tournaments. The precise way she copied drawings was applied to her team’s hair and she became little Miss Popular. At 14, a work experience week cemented her love of the locks when Karen had blonde and copper highlights for the first time. From then on experiments with box dyes became the norm with purple and blonde becoming firm favourites. She met and married husband Rob three years ago after meeting in the hair sector at Unilever. Karen was in testing and Rob a scientist with thick, dark, wavy hair and a nice bum. It is encouraging to know that your hairdresser has a good knowledge of haircare products, their ingredients and scientific structure. Her and Rob are the perfect combination in many ways. Although Karen loves evey aspect of hairdressing, she has fallen in love with colour. “I love to use hair as the fabric, first choosing colours, then create shape and texture; there is no end to what you can do, you are only restricted by your imagination. I believe in being honest with a client telling them what will and won’t suit them. I will, however, always encourage them to try something new and exciting”.
Hair by Karen Dawson
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Hair by Karen Dawson
48 Christchurch Road, Oxton Village CH43 5SF Tel: 0151 653 0333 Web: gossipoxton.co.uk Facebook: Gossip - Session Salon Twitter: @gossipsession Instagram: gossipsessionsalon
hairbykarendawson
Karen Dawson
Karen, pictured above (top, centre), has done lots of demo work and entered many competitions in her life. She adores stage work and has recently, through her dad, become involved in photography. It is that combination of fashion and media that she particulaly loves and Karen hopes one day to feature in the pages of Vogue Magazine. “I would love to set up a photo studio in the salon. Can you imagine how great that would be?” I really wish the readers could see Karen’s eyes light up when she talks about the salon and hair, it is truley inspirational. “I want to make people look and feel fantastic as well as to create pieces of art and I can do all of that with hair.” She has only been Manager at Gossip for three months but has some great ideas and plans to drive the business forward on every level. “The salon is buzzing with creativity, and playful banter and I think that is what makes it unique. We love to chat with our clients to really understand what they want and I want that to continue”. There are currently five stylists and a trainee stylist, but they are always on the lookout for more. If you are inspired by what you see, or think you would fit into this pool of creative types, drop your CV in, you never know, we could be writing about you next time.
JUST FOR FUN Fav colour: Teal or anything cool.
Fav food: Cheese. I used to sleepwalk as a child and be found on the kitchen floor eating a block of cheese. Fav drink: Any energy drink, non fizzy
Fav holiday destination: Mexico, spent my honeymoon there.
Fav TV programme: Masterchef, Bakeoff - anything arty or creative. Hair by Karen Dawson
Celebrity haircut wish: Please let me cut Claudia Winkleman’s fringe!
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PAULINE DANIELS LIFE AFTER BREAST CANCER WITH THE FIRST LADY OF COMEDY
Well this is quite novel because I’m writing this column whilst awaiting an operation in Clatterbridge, yes the time has finally arrived when I can take some time and start the breast reconstruction that I should have had sometime ago; better late than never I suppose. Everything has been done and checked a million times over and I’m on my own in the ward so I thought it would be a good time to write this piece. My surgeon had a lovely time drawing all over me with a big black felt tip pen and he did say in his dry witted way that he did actually enjoy annoying his patients by doing that; he admitted that it was the best part of the job. It’s a good job I know and trust him isn’t it? I’m supposed to rest for a week to ten days and I’m going to be a bit battered and bruised for up to eight weeks and this probably won’t be the end of the lypo modelling as he thinks I’ll have to have it done again before complete reconstruction on the other boob, but then... Look out, I’ll have the boobs of a 20 year old! I know that it’s part of my treatment but when I first told some people that it was what I wanted I couldn’t believe their response, some were in agreement with me that it was important for me to feel as normal as I possibly could after breast surgery but some actually questioned why, at my age, I would be bothered. I hope that I never get that old that I don’t care how I look or feel. Not every woman after breast cancer is the same but I have hated looking at myself for two and a half years now and I want to feel like the woman I was again, obviously, it’s a big decision and Frank quite honestly didn’t feel any different towards me but he knew how it made me feel and so after many discussions, I decided that it was the thing for me, of course lying here waiting now, I’m sort of thinking, well perhaps it’s not that bad, but it’s only because I’m scared stiff of operations and I’m hungry. I’ve had nothing to eat since last night and I would kill for a cup of tea. Yesterday wasn’t very pleasant either, I now have a prolapse womb, due to lack of oestrogen which is caused by the hormone blockers post cancer. What a mess, anyway it looks like I’m going to get that womb with a view very shortly, a hysterical rectomy is now on the cards. This of course means that my exercise regime has to go on hold for a
while which is a shame because I have done so well. Swimming in the morning, going to the gym and a couple of weeks ago, finally at the age of 61, learning to ride a bike. I was petrified but Frank was there to help. He’s a qualified cycle instructor but since his knee operation can no longer bend his leg enough to ride again, but he at least taught me. He did the usual, held my seat and I was riding round a small oval track, I got the shock of my life when I glanced over to my left to see Frank stood there and I thought I’d panic when I realised he was no longer hanging on, but I didn’t, I just kept riding with a massive grin on my face, I was so proud that I’d finally mastered the bike. Now I want one and when all this is over I’ll get one and do a bit a day. Until then though I have to find some gentle exercise to help me, I’m moving house soon and I’ll have a garden so I suppose a bit of gardening can be called exercise so I’ll give that a go. I’ve just returned from Florida and I have no idea how many miles I walked around the parks, but I swam every morning and night so I made sure that I didn’t waste the time or the wonderful weather. Not so easy in this awful weather though is it? Never mind I’ll find something. I did have some brain stimulation though, I swam with a very intelligent creature, Kayleigh, the dolphin it was a wonderfully humbling and relaxing experience if you get the chance then I suggest you do it. Hopefully next issue I’ll be well on the road to recovery but I am spending most of October fronting the Pink Party Campaign for the new breast cancer unit at the Royal in Liverpool. The new cancer unit there needs help and I’m hosting events and encouraging others to hold pink parties, like the Macmillan coffee mornings, if you want to help get in touch with the Royal it’s ‘Rcharity’ and they’ll send you a pack. I’m back on the radio too! I’m on Sandgrounder Radio every Sunday 111pm. You can tune in on ‘DAB’, on the Internet or on your device on the Sandgrounder app or ‘tune in radio’. Have a healthy time and I’ll see you soon October is breast cancer awareness month and we want you to host a Pink Party at home, in work or at school and donate the money you raise to the New Royal Liverpool Hospital’s Breast Unit.
PINK PARTY
FUNDRAISING PACK
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Annually around 48,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. With this in mind, the need for our services are more important than ever, so whether you can raise £30 or £300, every penny will be used to make a real difference to the cancer patients we treat. For further information on Pink Party registration and more contact: Angela McShane on 0151 706 3172 or via email at angela.mcshane@rlbuht.nhs.uk
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BOOTILICIOUS!
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HAViN A PAR g TY? FREE RO
ExCl
OM H
USiVE
iRE
bAR bESP OkE P ACkA gES lARg E PAR WElC TiES OME
H E S WA l l ’ S NEW RESTObAR Situated in the heart of Heswall we offer a contemporary & stylish setting with totally unique cocktails you won’t find
anywhere else & an a la carte menu that will leave your taste buds tingling. Quirky phrases and unique wall art is all around you that will stimulate the mind & add to the fun of your Paradox experience.
50% OFF FOOD £15 ANy PLATTER
E V E R Y W E D N E S D A Y
E VE R Y T H U R S D A Y
£5 ROAST DINNER
£4 COCKTAIL
E VE R Y S U N D A Y
O F T H E M O N T H
FREE PROSECCO
on you next visit with this voucher
C O N TAC T U S 1-3 Pensby Road, Heswall, CH60 7RA W: www.paradoxheswall.co.uk F: facebook.com/paradoxheswall i: instagram-paradoxheswall T: 0151 342 0301 32
www.livingwirral.com
RESTOBAR
50
Every % Weds
OFF FOOD
50% off menu
£5 ROAST
Home-cooked Roast Dinner Choice of meat & all trimmings
Local Sourced Food
Christmas @ PARADOX
Our food is locally sourced, prepared on site and served in style with our Head Chef Nathan Smith and his talented team.
Have yourself a very merry Christmas at Paradox. Book your Christmas party or meal with us and receive a FREE bottle of prosecco (min 6 ppl).
Our range of sharing platters are perfect for large groups and our 28 day matured steaks prove particularly popular for guests looking to enjoy an evening of fine dining in our restaurant area.
We are offering live entertainment every weekend in December from DJ’s to tribute acts to genre nights we are doing it all ! Find our Christmas Menus @ paradoxheswall.co.uk
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WIRRAL GIN Pinch is the jewel in the crown of a raft of new cool, independent bars and restaurants in Liverpool’s Castle Street area. Nestled within the architecturally stunning buildings just a stone’s throw from the River Mersey, this fantastic little bar and restaurant offers quality food and an innovative drinks list with something for everyone. Launched last year by local entrepreneur Tony Burns, he had the idea for a restaurant serving ‘pinchos’ when he was travelling around Europe. Pinchos are regarded as a cornerstone of Spanish culture and society and are typically eaten in bars or taverns while hanging out with friends or relatives. It is this friendliness and welcoming atmosphere that Pinch has created for its customers. There is also an extensive breakfast menu including classics like full English, eggs benedict and at lunch you can choose from a range of home-made baguettes, salads and soups. A killer cocktail list, gin menu and wide range of beers, wines and spirits make the perfect accompaniment for any meal. Pinch is passionate about supporting other local businesses and Wirral Gin is currently the best-seller on its new gin menu and is served with a grapefruit wheel. Pinch, 16 Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 0NE 0151 352 1316 www.pinchliverpool.co.uk @pinchliverpool (Instagram & Twitter) Facebook Pinch Bar
Expanding from its butchery roots in to quality homemade ready meals, deli items, bread, vegetables, wine, beer and spirits, Muffs meets all your foodie needs in Bromborough. Today, the shop is a food hall selling everything from meat, cheese, bread and vegetables to wines, local beers and Wirral gins, plus an extra special selection of, made on the premises, quality ready meals to cook up at home. There’s a hot meals and sandwiches counter too. John Muff’s dad Stephen began the business in Birkenhead before moving to Bromborough in 1974. In 2016, the shop expanded after moving a couple of doors down the street. “The butchers has some very special items now; value-added products like hunter’s chicken, chorizo chicken beef and pork wellington, and marinaded chicken and pork. They’re hand-made quality produced ready meals that customers can take home and put in the oven.” “We’ve won best in the UK for our old English sausages,” he said. “There are 20 different varieties and they change quite a bit to keep it interesting. At any one time there are around 12 varieties and they rotate on a daily basis.” The traditional butchery remains at the heart of the business. Muffs’ uses dry ageing fridges to mature and tenderise its beef, which, like the majority of its meat, is sourced through a slaughterhouse in North Wales. The local ethos is also apparent in the other items the shop stocks, from Wirral Gin to in-season asparagus from local growers. And it’s proving a long-term recipe for success for Muffs. Muff J & Sons 5-7 Allport Lane, Bromborough, Wirral, CH62 7HH T: 0151 334 2002 W: www.muffsonline.co.uk Facebook: Quailityfoodatmuffs
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Back in February 2016 Wirral’s first Gin distillery was opened on Claremont Farm in Spital. The distillery was set up to produce Wirral Gin, an exciting new Gin that used Bog Myrtle as its main botanical flavour. It is a little known fact that the name Wirral derives from the Ancient English “Wir-heal”, Wir meaning Bog Myrtle and Heal meaning Corner.
So there is no more fitting place for this Gin to be produced and distributed. The distillery is run and owned by Eric Healing and a small team of artisan gin specialists. The all copper still “Thumbelina” is used to make the gin using the “Vapour Infusion” method which sees the seven, special botanicals suspended in a muslin bag above the liquid in the still. This method produces a fresh tasting gin without the sulphates that can be released when botanicals are allowed to come in direct contact with the boiling liquids within a still. The rapid rise of Wirral Gin, to become a local favourite sold in scores of bars and restaurants across the Northwest, can be attributed to the support given by local independent stores. We asked Eric Healing how the gin came from nowhere to a staple in less than six months. “I put the speed of success down to the passion of the local retailers in promoting Wirral Gin to their instore customers and also to their extended customers across social media. We have a fantastic network of artisan producers and high quality stores that work hand in hand to ensure that the best products succeed. I was bowled over by the advice and support each of these retailers gave to me and the team when we launched.” The team have now released their new product Pink Dog Gin, a rose infused gin with a pink hue. This can now be purchased in all the stores featured here.
THE
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FARM SHOP
The Laycroft Longhorn Farm shop are proud to be stockists of Wirral Gin alongside it’s other local products. The shop is located on our small family farm where we rear our herd of pedigree Longhorn cattle and Shropshire sheep; all sold through our butcher’s counter. We source all our meat locally and are keen supporters of other local producers. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are always available much of which is grown in Cheshire and Lancashire, whilst local restaurant Nova supply fresh bread and cakes daily. We also stock a range of quality selected wines and local beers. Through the shop and up the stairs you will find our hidden gem The Hayloft where you can enjoy a hearty farmhouse breakfast, scrumptious lunches or a delicate afternoon tea with a glass of wine or Prosecco! The shop is open Wednesday through to Sunday and free parking is available right outside our door. The Laycroft Longhorn Farm Shop Tel: 0151 342 7449 W: www.laycroftlonghorn.co.uk E: info@laycroftlonghorn.co.uk Twitter & Facebook: Laycroft Farm
Whitmore & White is a food hall, delicatessen, and wine and spirits merchants. With stores in Heswall and Frodsham, their third store in West Kirby will be opening its doors in September. Whitmore & White source fabulous food and drink from across Europe, together with the very best of British and local produce. There is a fantastic range of food and drink on offer, including an impressive range of small-batch gin. Gin is most definitely ‘in’ at Whitmore & White, with locally produced tipples being by far the most popular. Wirral Gin is one of the best selling spirits in the Heswall store, and is sure to be the star of the show when their new store opens in West Kirby. Whitmore & White hold regular tasting evenings including their famous “Gin Crowd” gin tastings! Check out their website for next tasting dates. Whitmore & White: 17-19 Pensby Road, Heswall 3 Banks Roads, West Kirby 72 Main Street, Frodsham www.whitmoreandwhite.co.uk
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TOP PICKS FOR YOUR TABLE THE EDIBLE MUSHROOMS AROUND US As a nation of largely cautious individuals, wild mushroom picking is a pursuit that is seriously off-radar for most. Even just the picking part. Let alone actually eating one. We’re not known to be quite the gastronomes that the French and Italians are, but hey, at least we don’t have people dropping dead every autumn from picking the ‘wrong’ mushroom. For the majority, the case for and against wild mushrooms is presented and closed, without a further thought. But, in the interest of a fair case, I’d like to defend these fine fungal fruitings. Did you know that there are more deadly poisonous plants in the UK than fungi? There are just seven or eight known killers amongst our native fungi with most worldwide deaths attributed to just two closely related species – the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) and the Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa). Get to know the key features of the dangerous groups of mushrooms (most families of mushrooms have distinct features) and you can stay well clear of the riskier species. Approach wild mushrooms with a degree of caution, and considerable respect, then eventually the sheer breadth and depth of edible possibilities can come to the fore. And the rewards are pretty much endless. As a teacher of wild food courses for over fifteen years I can safely say that for the large majority of people I’ve encountered who have embraced this fascinating subject, the joys of wild mushroom foraging is the most potent, rewarding, and be warned, even addictive activity. Once turned on to the joys of a the pursuit of wild mushrooms, you may find it insinuates its way
CHANTERELLE (CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS) This real gem of a mushroom loves to grow in large swathes in damp native woodlands, especially under beech, birch and pine trees. The golden yellow of the Chanterelle stands out against the green background of the moss it loves to grow with. The cap is funnel-shaped and firm-fleshed, and gives off a mild aroma of apricots when fresh. It can be mistaken for the inedible (but not poisonous) False Chanterelle which has softer flesh and is orange in colour rather than golden yellow. Chanterelles can cause indigestion when raw, but when cooked they make for some excellent eating. They are wonderful when slowly sautéed in some olive oil or butter until most of the liquid has reduced, then serve with seasoning and a splash of cream.
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into you (and your families) life. Late summer and autumnal activities. I have friends who persuade their partners that a summer break in the Lake District is really the holiday that everyone needs. Just so as not to miss out on the perfect Chanterelles, and who knows what else, that will no doubt be bursting forth in huge numbers. The pursuit can be heady, and the rewards exquisite. Jesper Launder has a deep passion for wild mushrooms of all kinds, and teaches invaluable and entertaining courses on how to safely identify key edible species (and the poisonous nasties you want to avoid). Details of his courses and events can be found at www.jesperlaunder.com/events and includes a full day mushroom event at Ness Gardens, Neston, Wirral, on Sunday 2nd October. Details are on his website and bookings are made directly with Ness Gardens on 0151 795 6300. Here is are some of the most common, and easy-to-identify species to be found in summer and autumn in the UK. All are well worth keeping your eyes open for:
PARASOL MUSHROOM (MACROLEPIOTA PROCERA) These lofty and delicious mushrooms are found in unmown and unfertilised pasture land, having the appearance of an umbrella or ‘parasol’. The scaly stems can be over a foot tall, and the cap has distinct brown scales all over with a dark central spot. This mushroom has a fabulous flavour and makes the very best mushroom fritters you can imagine. I should add that the stem is generally considered too fibrous to eat, but they can be added to a stock or soup without a problem.
PUFFBALLS The best species of puffball for eating are also the largest and easiest to identify. The Giant Puffball (Langermannia gigantea) and the Mosaic Puffball (Calvatia utriformis) both grow in grassland, gaining the appearance of a football or even small sheep as they mature. The Giant Puffball is the largest of the two and can reach over 60cm in diameter. Finding a single specimen can provide an excellent meal for the family. When cut in half puffballs should be white inside. If they have a yellow/green interior the spores are reaching maturity making them inedible. If they are purple or black inside you most likely have the poisonous Earthball which are found under trees in woodlands. Puffballs can be breaded and pan seared in olive oil or bacon fat to make a fabulous breakfast addition. They also make an excellent soup with a taste similar to cream of mushroom soup.
CEP, PORCINI, OR PENNY BUN (BOLETUS EDULIS) This mushroom is widely revered, and for good reason. When fresh, the flesh is tender, sweet and nutty. Just delicious. When dried, the flavour becomes deeply aromatic and smokey making it an excellent ingredient to add to dishes such as lasagne, risotto, and soups. The Penny Bun is a member of the Boletus family which includes some other very fine edible species too. Instead of having gills under their caps, all Boletes have a spongelike surface which is made up of many hundreds of small tubes packed together. Whilst there are poisonous members of this family, there are some simple rules which you apply to guarantee one of these doesn’t end up on your plate by accident. If there are red markings on the stem or the tubes under the cap, avoid. If the flesh stains a blue colour on handling or on cutting, avoid. And if on nibbling a small piece of the flesh it tastes bitter, avoid. Stick to these rules and you’ll go far and live long in the world of mushroom foraging!
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Do you care where your meat comes from? We do! We are Malamb, a premier butcher from Birkenhead. We pride ourselves on the standard of our meat and the old fashioned customer service we deliver. All our meat is sourced from local, farms and all livestock is grassfed. Let’s take a closer look at our meat: Beef: Reared outdoors for a mellow flavour, before being traditionally matured for a minimum of 28 days for tenderness. Lamb: Our mature fresh English lamb is succulent and remarkably tender. All lamb can be marinated in Mint, Garlic, Rosemary for only 99p extra. Pork: It’s our attention to detail that makes our pork so moist and moreish. We pay close attention to all the factors which govern quality, from the field to your plate. All Pork comes with mouth watering crackling. Chicken and Turkey: Our birds are the best. Enough said. Gammon: Our bacon and gammon is extremely lean and flavoursome and desperate to hit your plate. We have many cuts of meat all prepared for you by a time served butcher, yes, we are old school here and proud of it. We will deliver weekly to your door and accept all major debit and credit cards.
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WE WILL DELIVER YOUR
LOCALLY SOURCED MEAT
FRESH TO YOUR DOOR
EACH AND EVERY WEEK
Call: 0151 666 2983
07927 611 566 Minimum order £20 and a £3 delivery charge will apply
ORDER YOUR FESTIVE MEAT AND HAVE IT
CHRISTMAS
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR ON 20 DECEMBER. £3 DELIVERY CHARGE WILL APPLY TO ALL ORDERS.
HAMPER ONE
• • • • • •
Mini Turkey Crown (min 2kg) 1kg Pork Joint 1kg Beef Joint 1/2 Leg of Lamb (min. 1kg) Med Gammon joint (min 1kg) 12 pigs in blankets
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JUST £
All our meat will arrive frozen vac packed. Meat lasts longer when it is vacuum sealed.This is because there is no contact with oxygen or air, resulting in a much longer lifespan. Vacuum sealed food can last up to 3-5 times longer than non vacuum sealed food. The taste of the food, for obvious reasons, is also much better after a long period of time.
The perfect centre piece to complete
your Christmas Feast
THE KING OF TURKEY CROWNS
King of Turkey Crown Stuffed with sage and onion. Malamb home made sausage, hidden chipolata sausage in the meat. Then finished off over the skin with mouth watering Danish cured streaky bacon. All ready for roasting!
CHRISTMAS
HAMPER TWO • • • • • •
XL Turkey Crown (min 4.5kg) 2kg Pork Joint 2kg Beef Joint XL leg of Lamb (min 1.6kg) Large Gammon joint (min 2k) 24 pigs in blankets
99
JUST £
Half King £24.99 | Full King £45.00
20 - 21 Country Produce, Birkenhead Market, Birkenhead CH41 2YW
0151 666 2983 | 07927 611 566 www.livingwirral.com
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MERE BROOK BUY LOCAL AND SUPPORT LOCAL THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF LOOKING AT LOCAL PRODUCERS AND WHAT THEY OFFER
Today we have been busy picking plums and conserving them for use all year around. Due to shortage of freezer space and as we have already made plum jam we have turned to the traditional method of bottling fruit. This was a new experience but helped along with a good cook book and Mr Google we came up with a methodology which seems to have worked – time will tell. A side product of our efforts has resulted in two jugs of delicious plum juice which I feel sure would go down a treat combined with Wirral Gin. Our ethos at Mere Brook is to use home grown or locally sourced whenever possible and being farmers wasting food is just not an option. It is hard to believe that twenty years ago many consumers took little interest in where their food was produced. The turning point was in 2001 when many farms across the country were affected by foot and mouth disease. This was a horrendous time for farming but one of the side benefits was that the general public became more aware of the distance that animals were being transported. Following this outbreak and to help get farming back on track there was a large regional initiative which I was closely involved with to increase sales of local and regional food and drink. A team of us developed food festivals, promoted local producers, assisted with the setting up of farmers markets and helped with distribution and product development.
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It is so nice for me to capitalise on this work at Mere Brook and to meet the desire of many of our guests in sampling and enjoying local and regional food and drink. We have our own vegetable garden and fruit orchard and James our Head Chef and his team at this time of the year just go and collect their vegetables and fruit as they need it. Surplus vegetables are turned into chutney and fruit into jam. Vineyard Farm shop, situated less than one mile from us top up and deliver what we don’t grow ourselves. Our meat comes from traditional butchers Whieldens at Higher Bebington who are experts in their selection and preparation of meat. Donald has turned into a bee keeper so we have our own honey and of course with 300 cows we are fortunate in being able to buy back our milk from Bates Dairy who we supply. Our surplus apples left over after we have stewed some for the freezer and made chutney are taken to a press at Dunham Massey and apple juice returned in large bottles for breakfast and small bottles for the bar. To accompany we have Wirral Gin and of course no bar is complete without a real ale and in our case it is Trappers Hat from Brimstage Brewery. Mere Brook are proud to support Living Wirral’s Buy Local Support Local campaign
BUY LOCAL
SUPPORT
LOCAL WIRRAL #blslwirral
Head Chef James picking vegetables from the garden at Mere Brook
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MERE BROOK HOUSE A: Thornton Common Rd, Thornton Hough, Wirral CH63 0LU T: 07713 189949 www.merebrookhouse.co.uk/ twitter.com/merebrookhouse www.facebook.com/merebrookhouse
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Mere Brook House is an imposing Edwardian country house on the Wirral. It offers high class bed and breakfast accommodation in eight bedrooms and has facilities for events, such as celebrations and business meetings. The house is situated in its own grounds extending to almost four acres that include a beautiful garden with sunken dell sheltered by mature trees, paddocks and a woodland area beyond that runs down to the Mere Brook.
WIRRAL BASED CHOCOLATIERS ÉPONINE PICK UP SEVEN AWARDS AT THE ACADAMY OF CHOCOLATE CEREMONY The Academy of Chocolate Awards 2016 saw Éponine amongst the chocolatiers celebrating. Entering for the first time this year, Wirral based chocolatiers Éponine have taken the Academy of Chocolate by storm, with all five of their entries picking up awards. One of their entries has also been selected as one of the “Magnificent 16” – the top 16 filled chocolates of the year, and will feature in a special chocolate box to be released exclusively through Selfridges in celebration of Chocolate Week later this year. Due to this unprecedented success from such a young and exciting chocolate company, Éponine were also honoured with the 2016 Academy of Chocolate ‘Rising Star Award’, presented at the awards ceremony at the Athenaeum Hotel in London in early July. The Academy of Chocolate was founded in 2005 by five of Britain’s leading chocolate professionals, united in the belief that eating fine chocolate is one of life’s great pleasures.
The Awards have attracted entries from producers all over the world, and recognise some of the world’s finest chocolates. The entries were blind judged by the Academy of Chocolate and a panel of international journalists, chefs, pastry chefs and experts in chocolate and food, headed up by one of the country’s top pastry chefs, Michael Nadell. Entry into the Academy of Chocolate Awards is restricted to only the highest quality artisanal chocolates. Entrants must consider the quality, provenance, ethics and treatment of the cocoa beans used to create their chocolate. Strict requirements are also placed on the minimum cocoa content of the chocolate, and the use of artificial additives, flavours and preservatives. Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards have been awarded to all entries that meet the required standard for those awards.
“As a tiny company of two self-taught chocolatiers, it is a huge honour for us to receive industry recognition from expert judges. These are the first awards that we have entered with our chocolates and pralines, and for each one to pick up an award makes us extremely proud of what we have achieved. Winning has been a huge boost to us, both in confidence and as encouragement to push the business forward. The first thing we are doing is to celebrate in true chocolatier style, with a chocolate pilgrimage to Brussels in Belgium! We have also started working on a complete redesign of our packaging to better present our products and make them more suited to food halls and other retailers. Currently we only sell our chocolates online and through a couple of local delis, but hope that the credibility offered by the awards will help to launch us into a national retail market. The dream of course is to open our own shop sometime in the not so distant future.” – Chris Sibthorp & Natalie Windsor (Owners of Éponine)
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FRESH AS A DAISY (CHAIN) BY ROB THUNDER
It seems to me that many people miss the human touch in a world where our lives are becoming more and more automated. How often can you go into a large supermarket these days and be greeted by a familiar face who asks how you are with a genuine concern for your well being? I’m guessing not very. Kazem’s approach to business is a refreshing throwback to the way things used to be. He is all about relationships with his customers, he loves meeting new people, chatting with them and offering a more wholesome experience of shopping. My wife and I buy all our fresh produce from his store, not only because the quality and price rivals the big supermarkets, but also because it’s simply an enjoyable experience. The level of customer service is unparalleled. Kazem Kohnechi is 61 years old and lives in Upton, Wirral. He moved to Birkenhead from Tehran, Iran in 1974 as part of a group of forty or fifty students. They did their A levels at Birkenhead College and then went off to different Universities. Kazem studied Civil Engineering at Leeds, returning to Birkenhead to do a postgraduate in Management Studies. He worked in Civil Engineering for a short while but didn’t enjoy it and he has had a variety of jobs since. He bought the green grocery about ten years ago and is a man with community spirited plans, which (apart from being a really nice guy) is why we like him. He likes the fact that he’s working with a natural product; that he gets to meet lots of people and (in his own words) “the old fashionedness of the job”. He’s recently purchased the neighbouring units on Oxton road and has plans for expansion. His vision is similar to Matta’s on Bold St., Liverpool, who offer a wide range of earthy products. There are two unused units next to his. The first he plans to turn into a delicatessen/local produce outlet and the other he wants to sell in one half plants and flowers and the other half turn into a vegetarian café. Personally I think that would be an excellent idea as it would be the only vegetarian place in the area and an ideal sister business for a green grocer. Kazem plans to use the new space not only for himself,
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but also for the local community. He wants to dedicate one day a week to the community and encourage local people to make and sell their own products like jams and chutneys. He’d like the local ladies at the WI to bake their own cakes and pies. He speaks about having additive free items made by local people and in turn he hopes to attract more people to his business. “I want a business that’s based on not just profit. It’s based on sharing and happiness.” His plans for the café mirror my own ideas for an eatery, in that there would be no menu. He would utilize whatever produce is fresh, tasty and in season, serving dishes like vegetable soup, guacamole, spinach risotto and roasted vegetable pasta. He seems passionate about his food to not only be fresh and tasty, but also wholesome and nourishing too. He encourages people to try new things that they may not be familiar with. He gives them samples and tells them simple recipes. He introduces me to the Mouli, a long white radish sometimes known as Daikon radish. Kazem says you can eat them raw in a salad, thinly sliced with a bit of lemon juice, or in a Chinese stir-fry, soup or curry. I took a bit home to try; they have a lovely fresh and slightly peppery taste with the texture of a crisp apple. He talks about Kohl Rabi, a bulbous shaped green vegetable that is nice to roast, stir-fry and in a risotto. It seems he gets a real kick out of introducing people to new things. He loves his customers and he loves his produce, the colours, and the fact that all the variety of produce comes from the same soil. “The magic of life is all around you”. We finish the interview by Kazem lending me the wisdom of his years. He talks about starting a project with good intentions and by doing so your body language, facial expressions and vocabulary may change and in turn attract the right sort of people into our lives. “When your intentions are decent and honourable and it combines love, you’re going to have no fear anymore. You just follow it.” Kazem’s daughter is called Daisy and his plans are to name his new business ‘Daisy Chain’. We wish him all the best and look forward to tasting fresh wholesome produce made by local people.
JOIN US IN OUR CAMPAIGN TO BUY LOCAL SUPPORT LOCAL WIRRAL #blslwirral
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REASONS TO BUY LOCAL SUPPORT LOCAL WIRRAL
KEEP MONEY WITHIN THE
BUY LOCAL
SUPPORT
LOCAL WIRRAL #blslwirral
Living Wirral Magazine will be showcasing, championing and supporting local producers and those who buy their products from them. We will feature them both in our printed edition, our interactive online edition and in our app. We will also be encouraging our readers to spend their hard earned money with our local businesses and actively campaigning via posters, stickers and newsletters to do all we can to boost our local economy. Our directory will be changing to list all the local suppliers and any businesses that use them or source other products locally. Entry to the directory is free so let us know if you would like to be listed.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN AND WOULD LIKE A POSTER AND OR STICKERS PLEASE LET US KNOW!
LOCAL COMMUNITY
Create more local jobs
SAVE THE ENVIROMENT BY
REDUCING FOOTPRINT
PERSONALISED SERV
ICE
LOCAL FOOD IS SAFER
LOCAL GROWN FOO D
PROTECTS OPEN SPA CE
Local business supports local events and charities
KEEPS BANKING SYSTEM LOCA
L
PROMOTES PRIDE IN
THE COMMUNITY
It is the future! When you get home , please pat yourse lf on the back knowin g that you have he lped keep your commun ity together, building a bigger and better fut ure for everyone!
#blslwirral livingwirral.com
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SOCIAL
MEDIA
Is Social Media (SM) just for kids playing on Snapchat or is it useful for businesses? The aim of most companies is ultimately to sell their products or services but SM is about so much more. The main examples are: Brand Awareness: Building up a loyal following and spreading the word of your firm, products and expertise. Customer Insights: How do your customers feel about your or your competitors’ products? Listening can help you evolve, adapt and increase sales. Building Relationships: SM is useful for engaging with your customers unlike any other form of advertising. Communication can often convert to sales. Increase Search Ranking: Every share or re-tweet moves your company higher up Google’s ranking which can also increase traffic to your website. So how is it done and what platforms are best for business? With Social Media being free there is a temptation to take a scatter-gun approach, posting or sharing tons of stuff across all platforms. Problem is people will only follow if your account is interesting and multiple postings can turn some away. Certain platforms work better with certain types of products, e.g. Instagram and Pinterest are pictorial so appeal to more visual products; watches, clothes, food rather than drainpipes or toilet fittings. Some work for more fun items such as Facebook whilst Linkedin tends to be more serious and professional services related. Timing is also important; readership varies between platforms and demographics so it’s important to post when the majority of your audience will actually see it. Clever analytics can help determine the best posting times. SM is easy to learn but tricky to master. Our dedicated experts can set-up and manage accounts to ensure that the right types of content are being posted (and seen by your customers) at the right times. They also monitor and adjust according to what’s working best based on the analytics that come in. The weekly costs are less than an average employee costs per hour; one of our clients landed a £1m plus contract from initial contact on their Twitter account that we manage for them. For a free consultation and coffee call
0151 342 6365
or email grow@whitfieldbusiness.co.uk
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QUIRKY OFFICE IDEAS FACTORY STORAGE TROLLEY in Industrial Style ÂŁ1295 | Cuckooland.com Vintage elegance meets practical style with this factory style storage cart. Wheel it in the lounge, living room or kitchen to get that added space or simply use it as a display shelf. Great for moving around cutlery at dinner parties or serving drinks on the go. Features and Benefits: Natural finish. High quality metal and wood used throughout. On wheels. Unique factory style furniture. Size: Weight 95kg Depth 45cm Width 256cm Height 105cm.
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QUIRKY OFFICE IDEAS
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OFFICE JEEP DESK With Drawers In Vintage Finish £1295 | Cuckooland.com Feel like you’re going on Safari with this unique Desk. An office table with soul, this Jeep styled workstation is a quirky addition to any interior. Great in the home office, these tables ooze sophistication whilst still being incredibly fun. Complete with two drawers, this Jeep is not just a pretty face. Features and benefits: Shabby Chic painted finish. High quality metal and wood used throughout. Coloured wood. 2 drawers. A stylish addition to any bedroom or office. Size: Weight 60kg Length 145cm Width 90cm Height 75cm.
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POST BOX SHELVING UNIT £165 | thegreatgiftcompany.co.uk Just how cool and fabulous is this Red Post Box Shelving Unit? It looks like a Post Box but hidden inside are shelves..... perfect for a trendy pad, a funky home office, the man cave, a hallway or entrance hall. This unusual storage unit is great for all ages and will look fantastic almost anywhere Fun and practical, this piece is guaranteed to raise a stir and send them (!) into a frenzy of “where did you get that? I need one now!” The Red Post Box Shelving Unit is made from a tough and hard-wearing metal and has been finished to look used and weather worn, giving it an authentic yet highly unorthodox look Measures H 100cm x 35cm diameter
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HOMESURE 0151 722 22 22
SAM PEDDIE PERSONAL ESTATE AGENT
Est. 2007
Offers over £890,000 | Strawberry Farm, Thornton Hough, Willaston
Premium property listing! A rare opportunity to purchase two properties for the price of one in the sought after village of Thornton Hough! The first of these properties comprises the original 1840’s detached sandstone farmhouse which on the ground floor boasts three reception rooms , a large kitchen with Aga, separate large utility room. On the first floor are 4 bedrooms, one with a balcony and a period family bathroom with free standing bath.
The second property is a modern, architect designed, ecofriendly 3 bedroom guest house with wet room and sauna. The properties stand in 7 acres of land with paddocks and shelter. As if that wasn’t enough, there is also an outdoor heated pool ! The guest house lends itself well to a high end holiday let business and the land could be used for agricultural or converted to livery yard/stable. Properties like this do not come around often so be sure to arrange a viewing to appreciate all these combined properties have to offer.
Sam Peddie: Whitfield Buildings, 188-200 Pensby Road, Heswall, CH60 7RJ | M: 07707 641 878 E: sam@homesureproperty.co.uk | W: www.homesureproperty.co.uk | FB: sampeddiepea
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HOMESURE 0151 722 22 22
SAM PEDDIE PERSONAL ESTATE AGENT
Est. 2007
Asking price £375,000 | Queens Avenue, Meols, CH47 0LX.
A spacious, well presented and largely modernised four bedroom detached house set in the quiet and highly sought after location of Meols. The property is within easy commute routes of Liverpool and neighbouring Hoylake, West Kirby. The highly desirable, open plan living accommodation to the downstairs comprises lounge, family room with an open aspect to an extended breakfast room. Modern white fitted kitchen complete with integrated appliances.
Spanning the entire length of the rear of the downstairs of the property are large modern folding patio doors which allow full unrestricted access to the garden, merging the interior with the attractive private and well established rear garden. Full length decked area leading to ample lawned gardens with mature shrubs and trees. To the upstairs, there are four good sized bedrooms, the master bedroom having fitted wardrobes. White bathroom suite and separate W.C. Driveway, Integral garage, Central heating and double glazing throughout.
Sam Peddie: Whitfield Buildings, 188-200 Pensby Road, Heswall, CH60 7RJ | M: 07707 641 878 E: sam@homesureproperty.co.uk | W: www.homesureproperty.co.uk | FB: sampeddiepea
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HOMESURE 0151 722 22 22
SAM PEDDIE PERSONAL ESTATE AGENT
Est. 2007
Offers over £449,950 from £475,000 | Ryder House, Frankby Road, West Kirby
Deceptively spacious ,laid out over three floors, Ryder House is a deceptively spacious five bedroom detached family home in the sought after west Kirby area. Standing within a secluded yet central location boasting a plot of approximately an 1/8th of an acre, the property enjoys the benefit of dual access from both Frankby Road and China Farm Lane. Beautifully arranged over three spacious floors and bursting with character at every turn. The lower floor not only has 3 spacious receptions rooms
but also a music and therapy room both of which could easily double as office or playrooms. Due to its superb aspect, the accommodation boasts light filled rooms with many retained original period features such as solid wood parquet floors, stained glass windows and original fireplaces. Mature secluded gardens with front, rear and side patio areas offer ample opportunity for recreation and relaxation. A great opportunity to purchase a truly unique family home.
Sam Peddie: Whitfield Buildings, 188-200 Pensby Road, Heswall, CH60 7RJ | M: 07707 641 878 E: sam@homesureproperty.co.uk | W: www.homesureproperty.co.uk | FB: sampeddiepea
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HOMESURE 0151 722 22 22
WOOLTON
Est. 2007
Offers over £489 950 (quick sale) | Lowland Farm, Plex Lane, Halsall, L39 7JZ
Homesure: 245 Woolton Road, Childwall Village, Liverpool, L16 8NA | M: 0151 722 22 22 E: mailto:nick@homesureproperty.co.uk | W: www.homesureproperty.co.uk | FB: HOMEsureProperty
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HOMESURE 0151 722 22 22
WOOLTON
Est. 2007
Asking price £700,000 | 14 Downham Way, Woolton, L25 4TX
Homesure: 245 Woolton Road, Childwall Village, Liverpool, L16 8NA | M: 0151 722 22 22 E: mailto:nick@homesureproperty.co.uk | W: www.homesureproperty.co.uk | FB: HOMEsureProperty
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HOMESURE 0151 722 22 22
WOOLTON
Est. 2007
Offers around £470,000 | 18 Downham Close, Liverpool, L25 4TY
Homesure: 245 Woolton Road, Childwall Village, Liverpool, L16 8NA | M: 0151 722 22 22 E: mailto:nick@homesureproperty.co.uk | W: www.homesureproperty.co.uk | FB: HOMEsureProperty
www.livingwirral.com
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Living HOME 4
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PROPER COPPER CHRISTMAS KITCHEN
ALL FROM WILKO.COM
1. Wilko Copper Effect Toaster £25 | 2. Wilko Copper Effect Kettle £25 | 3. Wilko Copper Effect Colander £5 | 4. Wilko Copper Effect Canister Set £10 | 5. Wilko Copper Effect Salt and Pepper Mills £10 | 6. Wilko Copper Tri Ply 18cm Sauce Pan £20 | 7. Wilko Copper Effect Knife Block £20 | 8. Wilko Copper Coloured Cutlery Set 16 piece £25
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A MULTI-MILLION POUND HOME FROM HOME
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A new private care home has opened in the heart of Heswall that offers residential, nursing, palliative and respite care on an ‘all inclusive’ basis. The new multi-million pound development at The Hazelwell, in Oldfield Road, has been designed and built to an exceptionally high standard of elegant design with luxurious en-suite bedrooms. But unlike many other care homes in the UK, residents at The Hazelwell are able to access all of the care home’s facilities without any additional charges. This means that a glass of wine in the care home’s piano bar, a visit to its hairdressers, or a trip into town in the chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz are all covered by the weekly fees. The Hazelwell’s home manager Liza Millington, who has more than 20 years of experience in the care home industry, said: “When you’re choosing the right care home for yourself, a family member or loved one, it’s important to know all of the facts. “At The Hazelwell, we want to make life as simple, straightforward and enjoyable as possible – which is why everything here is included in the weekly fee, there are no extra costs. “We are proud to offer an all-inclusive service our residents as we’re keen for every resident to experience all of the facilities, activities, and luxuries available at The Hazelwell. It also gives peace of mind to residents and their families that everything is covered.” The Hazelwell, also offers day care, and its facilities include a home cinema, salon and nail bar, gym, library, on-site chef, a stunning rooftop terrace and a full activities programme. The care home has 55 bedroom suites with en-suite facilities and specialist equipment such as nurse call systems. Rooms are spacious enough for residents to entertain guests and personalise. They can even bring in their own furniture, pictures and personal ornaments to make their room a home from home. The Hazelwell adopts an ‘open door’ policy at the home so friends and family can visit their loved ones at any time. Liza added: “Our entire ethos centres on the word ‘home’. It’s crucial that The Hazelwell feels like home and offers home comforts, whatever each individual perceives those to be. “Our chefs offer a high standard of cuisine but it’s also about the little things, such as choosing where you would like to eat your meal that day, having your morning coffee on the terrace in the sunshine or having some peace in the library to read your favourite book. “Our dedicated activities co-ordinator also ensures that there is always something interesting going on for our residents to participate in, which usually involves having lots of fun!” For more information call Liza on 0151 342 9654 quoting Living Wirral Magazine, email info@thehazelwell.com or visit www.thehazelwell. com
OUR ENTIRE ETHOS CENTRES ON THE WORD ‘HOME’. IT’S CRUCIAL THAT THE HAZELWELL FEELS LIKE HOME AND OFFERS HOME COMFORTS, WHATEVER EACH INDIVIDUAL PERCEIVES THOSE TO BE
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Looking to realise some of the value in your business? If so, have you thought about an equity release Merseyside Special Investment Fund offers funding to new and existing businesses across the North West, predominantly in the Liverpool City Region which includes Wirral. Funding of up to around £2m is available for a variety of business needs. Funding is available to most small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) companies with up to 250 employees and a turnover of €50million or less. Simon Thelwall-Jones oversees MSIF’s larger loans and equity investments (where funding is provided in return for a stake in the company). Here we look at options for business owners wanting to sell some of their shares whilst retaining some involvement in the business. This is known as equity release. What exactly is equity release? It’s where the shareholders of the company effectively sell a proportion of their shareholding in return for a cash sum. For example, if your company is worth £2million and you sold 30%, the shareholders would receive £600k.
Why would you do an equity release? There are several reasons. It may be that you want to bring the next tier of management into the business but feel you still need to stay involved if they are not quite ready to fully take over. Or, it could be that the shareholders want to retire but the business may not be in the right shape for a full trade sale. Another scenario is where the money is used to buy out one or more shareholders whilst the others remain. Is it suited to any particularly businesses? It could be used for businesses in most sectors, however the business must not be too reliant on the owners seeking the equity release and must have a management team they can bring through or in some cases, an external team to appoint. How does the process work? In most cases, a company will need some financial backing in order to complete an equity release. This is where an organisation like MSIF can help. Quite often the finance would be provided through a mix of equity and loan funding. How long does the process take? Depending on the type of investment it could take as little as a month but if it requires a new equity investment, could take 3 – 4 months.
Are you an advisor or professional working with new or growing businesses? Do they need funding to start or develop? We would like to invite you to join us at an informal networking lunch we are hosting to provide information on the funding we have available. Lunch will be held at The Wro, Grange Road, West Kirby from 12- 2 pm on Wednesday 12th October. The event will be a great opportunity to meet the MSIF team and other business advisors and professionals in the area. To book please email events@msif.co.uk stating ‘Wirral networking lunch’ in the heading.
For further details call 0151 236 4040 or email info@msif.co.uk www.msif.co.uk
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LET’S WORK CAN YOU TURN £50 INTO £1000 IN JUST SIX MONTHS? We are building a brand new hospital in the heart of the region we serve. Could your business help us raise £40,000 to fund a very special space for patients in our new hospital?
To take on the challenge, call us on 0151 556 5566.
Proudly sponsored by Mowgli
THE NEW CANCER HOSPITAL APPEAL
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Cancer Look out for with
Would you like to win double glazing for your whole house? Everite Windows of Hoylake have not only donated a house full of UPVC double glazed windows as a raffle prize, they are also fitting them in Spring 2017 for one lucky winner of this amazing raffle. EVERY PENNY RAISED (we hope in excess of £10,000), WILL GO TO THE CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER CHARITY. Cancer that’s diagnosed at an early stage, before it’s had the chance to get too big or spread, is more likely to be treated successfully. If the cancer has spread, treatment becomes more difficult, and generally a person’s chances of surviving are much lower. With statistics now running at 1:2, more people than ever will contract cancer. Of course it doesn’t mean 1:2 are terminal cases. Research is also showing great progress.
TICKETS ON SALE FROM 1st OCTOBER AND FULL LIST OF OUTLETS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON:
everitewindows.com livingwirral.com mousemediastudio.com Terms and conditions will also be on the websites.
www.everitewindows.com www.livingwirral.com
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ALL TICK ETS
JUST £1
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OUT AND ABOUT WITH CAROLYN HUGHES THE ALCHEMIST PROVES TO BE THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN FOR VIP LAUNCH NIGHT Over 400 glamorous guests made the most of the hottest tickets in town last night for the VIP launch party for The Alchemist Bar and Restaurant in Brunswick Street. Faces from the world of sport and television, including boxer Paul Smith, former Everton players Ian Snodin, Graeme Stuart and Graham Sharp, and LFC Legend John Barnes, joined actress Emma Rigby, X Factor and West End star Marcus Collins, Gemma Merna and a host of Hollyoaks cast at the star studded bash. Guests were told their fortunes by an impressive Zoltar machine and as well as enjoying a selection of signature Alchemist cocktails and an array of sumptuous canapĂŠs along with the theatrical delights of a nitrous
ice cream parlour. A Saxophonist and DJ ensured that the party went with a swing. Proving to be a huge hit in the heart of the business district in Brunswick Street, The Alchemist officially opened to the public on Monday and has already wowed guests with their unique style of adventurous molecular mixology, alchemy and craftsmanship. The Alchemist will open weekdays for breakfast from 8am and the food menu is an amalgamation of comfort food and cult classics, available all-day including Alchemist favourites such as blackened salmon, chicken in a basket, prawn lollipops and the sticky beef salad.
The Alchemist - 5 Brunswick St, Liverpool L2 0UU Telephone: 0151 236 4774 Website: thealchemist.uk.com
Kimberley Ventre, Brendan Darcy (General Manager, The Alchemist), Simon Potts (Managing Director, The Alchemist)
John and Andrea Barnes
Jade Ainsworth & Jenny Wright
Janine and Paul Smith
Chantelle Heskey, Jude Cisse, Rebecca Mellor, Gemma Merna & Francesca Lyons
Candy and Lorraine McCulloch
Kenny Dalglish and Boxer Paul Smith
Tina Malone and Boxer Marcus Collins
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EACH EDITION WE WILL BRING YOU THE HOTTEST NEWS FROM LIVERPOOL VIA CAROLYN HUGHES, THE CITY’S PREMIER PR Simon Potts, Managing Director of The Alchemist said “The feedback we have had so far during our first week of trading has been really wonderful to hear, from delight in the design, to how friendly our staff are. I am delighted that so many people have been able to enjoy tonight’s launch party and we look forward to welcoming them back in the weeks to come!”
Nitrous Ice Cream Parlour
Champagne anyone?
Emma Johnson & Alan Hartley
Victoria & Frank McKenna
Jude Cisse and Rebecca Mellor
Dariush Afshar-Hagigi, Brendan Darcy (General Manager, Alchemist), Alice Modder-Hughes & Jack Jones
Neil and Rebecca Mellor
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SPOTLIGHT ON LAURA-JANE HALL Laura-Jane, more often referred to as LJ, is the former Business Development Manager of Gusto in Heswall having recently moved to the prestigious Whitmore & White, independent food hall who are soon opening their third outlet in West Kirby on 10 September. LJ is a single lady who works hard and plays hard. She is a huge advocate of creative networking and very proud to have set up the PA network scheme which she will continue to co-ordinate in her new role. We were keen to catch up with LJ to see what makes her tick and the successful, driven woman we see today.
Night in or night out? Depends on the company! Facebook or Twitter? Facebook as I am addicted to ‘Allotment Life’! What’s your favourite App? Aviary, a photo app. What device do you prefer to use it on? I am an android phone girl through and through. What’s the last film you watched? I haven’t watched TV or a film in 16 years!
Quick Fire Apple or Android? Always been loyal to Andriod and I can’t see me ever changing! Ketchup or Mayo? Neither. Fresh chilli with everything-literally!
Laura-Jane Hall - LJ
Pepsi or Coke? Neither, yet again! Coffee in the morning. Sparkling water in the afternoon. Wine in the (early) evening! Cats or Dogs? Cats all the way. I have three…. ‘Black Cat’, ‘Pumpkin’ & ‘Romeo’. All were once strays.
My philosophy in life is ‘366 days of happiness’ meaning that I always try to take something positive from every single day
What’s the last thing you downloaded? I don’t download anything apart from apps, so it would have been something fun to do with photographs. Where is your favourite holiday destination? I’d like to go to Vietnam. I hear it’s scenery is breathtaking. What’s your poison? Red wine but if I can see through it, I won’t drink it
Whitmore & White opened their first Food Hall in Heswall, Wirral in April 2014 and opened their second in Frodsham, Cheshire, in February 2015! The team are fervent foodies and life-long lovers of wine. Between them they have a huge wealth of knowledge on various subjects mostly, but not entirely confined to, food, wine and spirits! The new West Kirby store opens 10 September 2010.
Chillies
Morning coffee
Vietnam
Red wine
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LAW...
But not as we know it!
SERVICE CHARGE RECOVERY EVICTIONS & ARREARS CONVEYANCING COMMERCIAL DEBT WILLS & PROBATE
Call: 0333 7000 200
Vantage Law Solicitors Limited: 188 - 200 Pensby Road, Heswall, Wirral CH60 7RJ E: enquiries@vantagelaw.co.uk | W: www.vantagelaw.co.uk www.livingwirral.com
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If you need new windows
You need Everite Windows! HONEST
RELIABLE
LOCAL
QUALITY
6 times winner of the Trading Standards Award for ‘Excellence in Customer Service’ We manufacture and fit replacement windows and doors in UPVC. See website for full list of services
0151 632 0099
www.everitewindows.com
Showroom: Carr Farm Garden Centre Birkenhead Road, Meols, CH47 9RE
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