Lake January 2017

Issue 24 • January/February 2017

The local interest magazine for West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols and Caldy

‘Kirby Park’ Cafe • Calday Swimming ‘Bath’ • The Open at Royal Liverpool

Welcome to issue twenty-four of The Lake, the local interest magazine for West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols and Caldy.

We would like to thank our readers for your kind comments and to encourage you to keep writing to us with your thoughts and stories.

@lakewirral

We’d also like to thank our advertisers without whom this magazine wouldn’t be possible – we are extremely grateful to them for their continuing support.

The Lake provides local interest and historical stories on a bi-monthly basis and we hope you enjoy it. Please get in touch if there is anything you want to see in future issues, or if you have any stories or pictures of your own that you want to share.

Published by: Wirral Advertising Media Ltd, Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE.

Contact the Editor by email: jon@lakemagazine.co.uk Or by post to: Jon Bion, Editor, The Lake, Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE. Telephone 07796 945745.

Contacts:

Our team has years of experience in design, production and distribution.

The magazine is delivered door-to-door to 12,500 homes and businesses in the area and copies are available from various outlets.

Editor Jonathan Bion 07796 945745 jon@lakemagazine.co.uk

If you feel that advertising in The Lake would benefit your business, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you. Please contact Alan Strange on 07788 510868 or email: alan@lakemagazine.co.uk

Sales Director Alan Strange 07788 510868 alan@lakemagazine.co.uk

www.lakemagazine.co.uk Photographs and original material are submitted at the sender’s risk and must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope if you wish them to be returned. The publishers will not accept responsibility for loss or damage.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Wirral Advertising Media can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers. Any views expressed in The Lake are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

CONTENTS

Accounts accounts@lakemagazine.co.uk Delivered free to 12,500 homes and businesses in West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols and Caldy For distribution queries please call 0151 644 9475

04 ‘Kirby Park’ Cafe

26 ON46l Chapman

08 Caldy history on your doorstep

28 West Kirby Museum

10 Man’s Best Friend

30 Be your own publisher

11 Wine Column

31 Skincare: delving below the surface

14 The Open at Royal Liverpool

32 The Wirral Society

18 Wirral’s link with the Empire State Building

34 All Things Auctioneering

19 Replica T. rex skeleton comes to Hoylake

36 What’s on the Big Screen

22 Calday GGS Swimming ‘Bath’

37 Shorelines

24 Fragments from the Front

38 Fitness Queen

Let us know how we can help promote your events

The Editor, The Lake, Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE Email: jon@lakemagazine.co.uk • Telephone 07796 945745.

04 The Lake

Heather Chapman tells readers how a little bit of history has returned to West Kirby Old Village with the opening of ‘Kirby Park’ Cafe When I was taking visitors on an Old Village Heritage Walk last September I paused outside Bridge House Stores, lamenting the closure on Saturday 30 April 2016 of the last shop in West Kirby Old Village. (There is a financial advisor at the site of The Old Katharos Bakery and other businesses operating from The Oaks, but these are offices of course, not shops). One of my clients told me that Bridge House Stores was going to become a cafe, which immediately lifted my spirits. There have been several cafes in the Old Village during my lifetime and I was sure this one would be welcomed by residents and visitors alike.

To the right is the old West Kirby Hotel

The new café at 60 Sandy Lane is named ‘Kirby Park’ to commemorate the time when Kirby Park railway station was operational. The new owners have refurbished the building and you only have to look at the exterior with the two milk churns to realise that some thought has gone into bringing some history back to the Old Village

Kirby Park Station opened in 1894 and was a welcome addition for local people. It was used frequently by the ‘train boys’ travelling to Calday Grange Grammar School and ‘the ‘train girls’ travelling to West Kirby High School (after it opened in 1913) from outer parts of Wirral. Kirby Park Station also had a goods yard and sidings and several coal merchants operated from this coal yard.

The Old Village of West Kirby was originally the centre of West Kirby. When the railway came to West Kirby in 1878, shops and residences were built around the station vicinity which became the new centre of West Kirby.

In the early 1930s there was a sweet kiosk near the brow of the Sandy Lane Bridge. It was a temporary building erected on wooden stilts and the proprietor was Leslie Bryan. The kiosk later became unsafe and was demolished. In 1939 the Barnett family ran a tobacconist shop at Bridge House. The newsagent business has continued for over 75 years with various owners. The Parkers, The Whittles, Chris Moore and latterly Dave and Phyllis Watson continued the business.

In the latter part of the 19th century, West Kirby Old Village was still a busy community. In addition to the church, school, blacksmith and public houses, there were several shops and cafes.

The Hooton to Parkgate railway line was constructed by the London and North Western and Great Western Railway Companies and opened in 1866. Twenty years later, in 1886, the Hooton line was extended to West Kirby (making two stations at the West Kirby terminus). Several railway bridges were built between Parkgate and West Kirby. The Sandy Lane Bridge was built in 1885. Stations then gradually opened between Parkgate and West Kirby.

I have fond memories of ‘Barnetts’. Sweets had just come off rationing when I was a child and they were a real treat. Mrs Barnett looked after the shop. Both my brothers were paperboys – that was in the days when the paperboys had large rounds and carried large canvas bags.

The last passenger train on the Kirby Park line was in 1956 and the last freight train was in 1962. The old coal yard was also used as a boat repair yard.

The old railway line was lifted and landscaped to become Wirral County Park. This was the first designated country park in Britain and opened in 1973.

There were shops and a post office in the Old Village until the latter part of the 20th century, when gradually the few remaining shops were converted into residences. West Kirby centre, supermarkets, online shopping and out of town shopping took trade away from these businesses.

Building the Sandy Lane Bridge

The Kirby Park cafe opened in January and is open from 8.30am until 5pm Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

Our exquisite showroom in West Kirby is set over two large floors. On the first floor you will find over 100 of the most exclusive top designer gowns, available to order especially for you.

Carry on up the stairs to our Limited Editions Collection. Here we have over 80 beautiful designer gowns handpicked by our fabulous team for you to take away on the day.

We are authorised stockists of the following amazing designers: • Ronald Joyce • Mark Lesley, • David Tutera • Veromia • Amanda Wyatt • Donna Lee • Callista (for our plus size brides) • Snow by Annasul Y (Exclusive to the area)

Callista Designer Weekend 28th-29th January – over 20 gowns available for one weekend only

David Tutera Designer Weekend 18th-19th February – the whole collection available for one weekend only

Special offers available on the designer weekends.

You will receive an offer via text once your appointment is confirmed.

Book early as our designer weekends are fully booked quickly.

Our January sale continues, over 50 spectacular designer gowns most with at least 50% off Opulence Bridalwear, 19-25 The Crescent, West Kirby, CH48 4HL • Tel: 0151 625 9933 • www.opulencebridalwear.co.uk

UPCOMING EVENTS

Valentines movie night Saturday 11th Feb – 8pm

An Affair to Remember Starring Cary Grant

Dinner and a bottle of wine each for £20 Friday 24th Feb Comedy movie night

Golden Years 8.00pm

Saturday 18th Feb Live music with

Gary Murphy 8.30pm

Dinner and a bottle of wine each for £20

BOOKING ESSENTIAL FOR ALL EVENTS • AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE HIRE SOUTH PARADE, MARINE LAKE, WEST KIRBY • TELEPHONE 0151 625 3882

Look out for the return of our fantastic offers and menus for Burns Week, Pancake Tuesday, St Patricks Day, Mothers Day and Easter.

The Lake 07

What are the rights of unmarried fathers?

The rights of unmarried fathers are set to be a hot topic for the start of 2017. EastEnders is highlighting this issue through the storyline of Denise and Phil – Coronation Street is also echoing this matter in Steve and Leanne’s storyline. So what options do unmarried men have when their partner has a child?

At Lees Solicitors we understand that a breakdown of a relationship is upsetting and can be one of the most difficult times in your life. We will provide you with expert, professional and sensitive legal advice, helping you deal with divorce, financial matters and any questions you may have as a parent.

The first issue that needs to be addressed is ‘Parental Responsibility’. The mother automatically has this simply by giving birth to the child. The father can now achieve this in one of four ways:

What Lees Solicitors can do for you…

1. Marrying the child’s mother 2. Being named on the birth certificate 3. Parental Responsibility Agreement 4. Parental Order Parental Responsibility is important so the father can have a say in the following: • Choosing the child’s education • Agreeing to child’s medical treatment • Naming the child and agreeing to any change of name If an unmarried father wants contact with their child, the court has a main focus that will always be the same for every case they receive – and that is the welfare of the child.

A judge will only act in the best interest of a child and advise each parent accordingly, should the need arise. Cases vary from family to family and where one father may see his children once every fortnight, another father may see his children every other day.

• Fixed fee options available Jenna Ellison

When making arrangements for children, both parents will need to consider if the children are at school and their commitments, the work commitments of each parent (it may not be viable for a parent to have a child every weekend if they work shifts), or simply that it may not be practical for a child to move from house to house every weekend depending on their age.

Jenna Ellison, Solicitor at Lees Solicitors comments: “What should always be remembered is that as we enter 2017 there is more than one form of contact. Today is a modern world, ever advancing, and there are various methods for how children can have indirect contact with their fathers, either via emails, text messages or calls. Just because a father might only see the children every other weekend, does not meant to say that he cannot communicate with his children or wish them goodnight.”

• Out of hours appointments from 5–7pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

• Heswall office open on a Saturday (book an appointment) • Three local offices to choose from: West Kirby 0151 625 9364, Heswall 0151 342 6273, Birkenhead 0151 647 9381

Collaborative Lawyers If you are in need of family law advice, contact our team to book an appointment or to chat through your options. Call us free from either a mobile or landline on 0800 387 927.

08 The Lake

Caldy history on your doorstep – a new display at West Kirby Museum Caldy today is one of the most sought-after residential districts on the Wirral Peninsula. The attractive residences are the envy of many people. Caldy appears as the perfect English village with imposing homes. The conservation area includes the buildings around the church and manor, many built of local sandstone, some dating back to the 17th century.

In the early 1800s Caldy was little more than a small farming and fishing community. In 1834 the Caldy Estate comprised six farmhouses and a public house, with suitable outbuildings and other small tenements, with upwards of 452 statute acres of land let to good yearly tenants. Richard Watson Barton bought the estate.

It is difficult to imagine that in the 1840s Mortimer described Caldy as: “One of the worst villages in the neighbourhood, consisting of a few fishermen’s huts and small cottages. Its present neat appearance is due to the liberality of Mr Barton. He has rebuilt or renovated every house in the estate.”

Twentieth century Caldy saw many changes. The Caldy Manor Estate was sold in 1905, the Caldy Golf Club was founded in 1907 and Caldy got its very own railway station in 1909. Some rich and famous people have chosen to live in Caldy in large detached houses with extensive grounds, some enjoying far-reaching views across the Dee Estuary.

The Barton family were very instrumental in the improvements to this beautiful village. The Barton name is remembered in St Bridget’s Church in West Kirby, St John’s Church in Frankby, and the Church of the Resurrection and All Saints in Caldy. There is a Barton cross in memory of the Barton family at all three churches. The Bartons gave so much to the local community. How different Caldy might have been without their generosity?

The new display at West Kirby Museum, ‘Caldy history on your doorstep’, will be on show from January until March 25th 2017.

The Museum is part of St Bridget’s Centre and is open every Saturday between 10am and 1pm. Admission is free.

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10 The Lake

Man’s Best Friend When Carol puts them both in the car, Cash can barely sit still… he knows we’re heading to Royden Park.

Royden Park is a dog walker’s paradise and rightly adored by locals.

Sitting between Irby, Frankby, Caldy and Thurstaston, it offers a wide expanse of mixed woodland, heathland and paddocks that are desperate to be explored. The fantastic thing about Royden is that it’s big enough to explore for hours on end, yet you soon get to know every stile, pathway and fallen tree.

As we arrive and get parked up, all you can see are happy families and dogs of all shapes and sizes. Cash is bouncing about like a whirling dervish as we open the boot – he knows what’s coming.

Lloyd on the other hand looks unimpressed by his companion’s unbridled excitement. Sure enough, as we climb out of the car Lloyd looks around suspiciously and keeps himself to himself. Cash wastes no time introducing himself to potential pals, giving a friendly sniff to a somewhat startled Pomeranian whilst Lorenzio sheepishly apologises to the little dog’s glamorous owner.

Lloyd

Crisp winter days are guaranteed to rouse our spirits and encourage us out of hibernation, even if just for a morning. After the indulgence and excess of Christmas, most of us are keen to stretch our legs and breathe in the great outdoors. The sun hangs low in the bright blue winter sky, casting long shadows and glistening on frosty branches; this is the time when I wish I was a dog owner. Luckily for me, I’m fortunate enough to be acquainted with Lloyd and Cash – two faithful hounds who are always willing to let me tag along when I crave some four-legged company.

Dog is man’s best friend, or so the saying goes. The naive soul who came up with that old adage had clearly never met Lloyd, an aging Labrador with an attitude problem who insists on doing things his way. I’ve known Lloyd for many years and he has never exactly been friendly – but perhaps he just doesn’t like me! His owners, Carol and Lorenzio, assure me he’s just misunderstood and a tad grouchy; who knows what tough times he endured before they rescued him over ten years ago. Still, as long as his owners are close by, he’s always content and more than willing to trot peacefully by their side.

Cash is the chalk to Lloyd’s cheese. He’s an energetic six-month-old Labrador-Boxer cross who just wants to explore the world. Whilst Lloyd has seen it all before, Cash is still finding his feet and wants to make friends with everyone he meets. He’s a striking dog with a glint in his eye and he’s always ready for a bit of rough and tumble.

Cash

The five of us set off towards Roodee Mere, led by the dogs, passing the walled garden and miniature steam railway en route. These two attractions are well worth a visit on a warm summer day – the walled garden in particular really comes into its own when in full bloom and buzzing with butterflies and bees. As we approach the picturesque Roodee Mere, both dogs catch sight of a group of ducks bobbing about in the icy water. Cash looks confused and Lloyd looks hungry; luckily, they’re still both on the lead.

As we reach the beautiful pine woodland that runs from the Mere towards Irby quarry, Carol lets the dogs loose. All of a sudden, Lloyd is a changed man, rolling about in the pine cones and chasing Cash’s tail, much to the enjoyment of them both. They may be very different characters but they clearly enjoy each other’s company, continuing to have a whale of a time as we stroll past Benty Farm towards the awesome Thor’s Rock. Who knows how this impressive lump of sandstone came to sit where it does, but it never fails to capture my imagination.

With lunch on our minds after an hour or so of steady ambling, we can’t resist heading back to the car via Thurstaston hill. The views across to Wales are a sight to behold, particularly on such a bright, clear day. As we weave our way across the gorse-lined path that snakes across the hill, I can’t help but notice the wildlife. Most dog owners I know share a passion for woodland creatures, and winter walks in a place like this are perfect for spotting all sorts. Territorial robins chase each other through thick rhododendron bushes, squirrels hunt for their nuts and woodpeckers swoop through the pine canopy, chiselling at trees when they land. If only I’d brought my binoculars.

The impressively grand Hillbark Hotel is visible through the bare trees as we circle back to our starting point. I can’t help but notice Lloyd is flagging and in need of refreshments. Somehow I don’t think our dog walking attire is appropriate for a fine five-star eatery such as Hillbark, so we make an executive decision to head to the Farmer’s Arms for a swift half and a sandwich. Cash seems disappointed when he realises we’re back at the car park and walkies is over for another day, but I think he knows that it won’t be long before he’s back. After all, it’s a place we all know and love and is the first place I think of when I want a taste of the great outdoors.

Sadly, that fun-filled walk would prove to be the last time I saw Lloyd, who passed away shortly after our morning at Royden Park.

We may not have seen eye to eye all the time, but he was a loveable rogue who brought a lot of happiness to those whom he considered worthy of his affection. He may be gone but he will certainly never be forgotten.

The Lake 11

W NE COLUMN

By Graham Simpson, Whitmore & White

Something for your Valentine Ahhhh, Valentine’s! When restaurants are fully booked weeks in advance and bunches of roses seem to cost more than during the rest of the year. Love is in the air, New Year diets are long forgotten and big red hearts are everywhere.

To help you celebrate Valentine’s this year I’ve chosen five wines and spirits available from your friendly local independent merchants Whitmore & White, which will serve as excellent gifts for the one you love alongside a lovely box of handmade chocolates - assuming you love them enough to give these things away!

Vilarnau Cava Rosé £10.95 This would be a great gift with one of our chocolate box selections.

It’s also a superb rosé Cava in its own right and the bottle is visually stunning, with its Gaudi-inspired label. Chill down nicely and serve between two.

Billecart-Salmon Rosé £62.95 Nothing says “I love you” more than an expensive bunch of roses and a bottle of Champagne. And if you want to splash out on something wonderful, then Billecart-Salmon Rosé is the Champagne of choice.

Elegant and refined and it tastes like strawberries and cream. Who could ask for more?

Amarone, Torre del Falasco £29.95 Now this is the ultimate wine to have with a cosy, romantic meal for two at home. Pop to a good butcher and buy a couple of pieces of fillet/sirloin/rump steak. Cook to your liking, serve with chunky chips and veg and crack open this storming bottle of Amarone to drink with it. With this combination, it’s not only the steak that’ll be sizzling...

Pink Dog Gin £32.00 (50cl) From the team who bring you Wirral Gin, this rose-petal and lavender inspired gin is made with love and it’s difficult not to fall for those heady, floral aromas and delicately balanced flavours. Fast becoming one of our most popular gins, grab a bottle today for your loved one and see for yourself.

Morelli Crema di Cioccolato £12.95 (20cl) I couldn’t finish without something chocolate-themed, and this Italian chocolate liqueur is sure to get the heart fluttering with amore. Rich, velvety and extremely chocolatey, this will be the perfect end to a perfect romantic meal.

That’s all for this month. Remember to drink well but drink responsibly.

Graham Simpson, Whitmore & White

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We are extremely excited to announce that the award-winning SkinCeuticals have asked us to become their ‘Advanced Clinical Centre’ for the North of England!

This will bring with it their extensive training, the latest news in Medical Grade skin care technology and lots of exciting opportunities for our clients!

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Holmwood Drive, Thingwall, Wirral CH61 1AU 07764 615934 or 0151 929 5223 sarahwhiteaesthetics.com Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our latest offers

14 The Lake

Ryan Ferguson takes a look at the history of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Liverpool Wirral didn’t stage The Open again until 1924, as other courses were added to the host cycle. Walter Hagen, the most decorated player that side of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, triumphed by one stroke from Ernest Whitcombe. In 1930, another amateur won The Open at Royal Liverpool, as Bobby Jones completed part of his sensational Grand Slam of major championships in the same calendar year. He’s still the only golfer ever to accomplish this incredible feat.

When the world’s greatest exponents of any craft visit your home town or county, a certain pride is unavoidable. Such privileges aren’t afforded to everybody, and we should be thankful when they are extended to us.

Wirral residents should derive particular pleasure from the fact that, since 1897, the finest golfers on earth have flocked to our peninsula on a semi-frequent basis to compete in the most illustrious competition their sport can boast. It has contributed a beguiling chapter to our history. A chapter unlike any other.

The Open Championship, first contested in 1860, is the oldest of golf’s four major titles. At one stage, it was considered the de facto world championship, with professional and amateur players prioritising it ahead of everything else. The host venue changes on a yearly basis, and Hoylake’s Royal Liverpool Club has staged the tournament on 12 occasions, eking out a place in sporting folklore.

The club itself was founded in 1869, on the site of a racecourse owned by the Liverpool Hunt Club. The golf course was laid out by Robert Chambers and George Morris, designers who installed a lot of bunkers and rough grass to challenge all who played at Hoylake.

Liverpool was the second-oldest seaside links course in England, and it received a Royal designation in 1871. Swirling winds and tight playing boundaries added further intrigue, as steely precision was required to complete a round without major setbacks.

Royal Liverpool played a significant role in shaping the amateur game, but it wasn’t until The Open rolled into town that Wirral honed its reputation for golfing excellence. Hoylake hosted the championship for the first time in 1897, becoming just the second English venue to do so. Harold Hilton, an amateur player born nearby in West Kirby, won his second Claret Jug in a remarkable hometown victory. The odyssey had begun.

Wirral had to wait five years for The Open to return, but history was made once again in 1902. Using a new Haskell ball with a rubber core, Sandy Herd won easily. Following his lead, whole swathes of players switched to the new equipment. It became the most popular ball in golf, a genuine revelation for the improvement of play, and Royal Liverpool was a fine backdrop to the tale.

The course burnished its trailblazing reputation still further in 1907, when Arnaud Massy became the first foreign-born Open champion.

He still remains the only French winner, while the next overseas champion didn’t come until Seve Ballesteros in 1979.

Massy was so proud of his achievement that he named his newborn daughter Margot Hoylake, a permanent reminder of a place that brought him great joy. He later went on to write the first ever golf instruction book in a language other than English. Quite the character!

Around this time, golf was dominated by the Great Triumvirate of John Henry Taylor, Harry Vardon and James Braid. Together this trio pushed the sport into its modern incarnation, daring one another to find improvements at every turn. Between 1894 and 1914, one of these three men won 16 of the 21 Open championships. Taylor won his fifth Open title at Hoylake in 1913, drawing level with his rivals as the most successful player in the tournament’s history.

By 1936, the Hoylake course had been expanded. At 7,078 yards, it was the longest course ever used for an Open to that point. Alf Padgham, a leading British player of the day, won his lone major championship, to the delight of many fans. The one-stroke margin of victory provided a thrilling finish that kept the growing crowds intrigued until the very last.

In subsequent years, The Open became a less frequent visitor to Wirral. Royal Liverpool held just one tournament in each of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. Still, its penchant for creating new and historic stories held firm. Fred Daly became the first Irishman to win The Open at Hoylake in 1947. Nine years later, Peter Thomson became the first player to win three straight Claret Jugs in the 72-hole era.

And, in 1967, Wirral was host when Roberto De Vicenzo became the first South American to win a major championship.

“Vicenzo, the look of an emperor about him, strode towards a reception the like of which I had never heard before,” wrote famed golfing journalist Pat Ward-Thomas. “Its sustained warmth and affection were tribute to a fine human being as well as to a great golfer and a victory nobly won.” At 44, Vicenzo remains the secondoldest Open winner, and the account by Ward-Thomas captures the sporting knowledge and passion held by so many people on Wirral.

Unfortunately, Hoylake was subsequently dropped as an Open venue due to a lack of car parking facilities and a paucity of land in which to erect the tented village of shops, restaurants, bars and media outlets. As golf raced towards modernisation, The Open continued to expand, with more demanded of host venues each year. Those in charge of Royal Liverpool committed decades of hard work to reshape the course and make it fit for contemporary golf.

Room was made for all the necessary modern amenities, and golf’s greatest spectacle finally returned to these shores in 2006.

With a heatwave baking the peninsula, almost 230,000 spectators flocked to Royal Liverpool across the four-day tournament. This remains the second-largest crowd in Open history. Tiger Woods, typically considered the greatest player ever to grasp a club, produced a virtuoso display, electrifying Wirral.

Tiger didn’t use his driver much, opting instead to lay up short of the dangerous bunkers and rely on his exquisite short game.

After winning by two shots to Chris DiMarco, Woods dedicated the triumph to Earl, his father, who had sadly passed away a few weeks earlier. He also said that it was one of the best ball-striking weeks of his career.

A further eight years passed before The Open returned in 2014.

When it did, Rory McIlroy, one of the game’s new-age superstars, was simply outstanding in victory. The sight of him striding towards the 18th green, home to a 7,000-seat horseshoe ‘arena’ unlike many others in golf, was quite incredible. A whole new generation was able to fall in love with the romance of golf.

Of course, some local people loathe the disruption to traffic and transport whenever The Open arrives in town, and that’s quite understandable. However, hosting the tournament boosted Wirral’s economy by £76 million in 2014, according to some estimates.

In such difficult times, that’s always welcome. But perhaps more importantly, occasionally staging a world-class sporting event helps keep Wirral in the spotlight. It enables us to show our best face, and who can argue with that being anything but good?

The Lake 15

January sees the start of the Storm Season – is it time to check your trees?

With the storm season here no tree is entirely safe, given the possibility that an exceptionally strong wind could damage or uproot even a mechanically ‘perfect’ specimen. It is, therefore, usually accepted that hazards are only recognisable from distinct defects or from other failure-prone characteristics.

Wirral Tree Services would like to share some basic advice, the following are just a few tips but if in doubt please always seek professional advice.

Weak Forks and Branch Union In many tree species, weak forks appear to be the most frequent contributory factor to major failure above ground level. They are thus probably more important than decay as a cause of hazard, although decay can be very dangerous when combined with a weak fork.

Look out for ‘raised bark lips’ where the forks meet

Abrupt bend in branch An abrupt or ‘dog-leg’ bend is likely to mark the point where a side shoot has replaced a pruned, broken or dead portion of the branch. A combination of localised stress and decay, associated with the old wound, can sometimes lead to failure.

Look out for elbows above old wound points

Butt Swell Certain types of decay at the stem base, if extensive, may increase flexure sufficiently to stimulate extra growth of wood and create a bulge. In many cases, the extra growth is enough to maintain adequate support, but investigation is needed to ascertain this.

Wirral Tree Services are a Heswall-based tree surgery and garden maintenance specialist offering professional but cost-effective workmanship to the residential and commercial sectors, throughout Merseyside & Cheshire regions.

Specialist work includes large and technical tree dismantles, hedge reductions and maintenance.

FREE NO OBLIGATION ADVICE

Look out for stem cracks, cracks in ground around root plate area and fungal fruit bodies

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Telephone: 0845 862 0801 or 07444 507 204 Email: info@wirraltreeservices.co.uk • Website: www.wirraltreeservices.co.uk

16 The Lake

The Hazelwell opens its doors at Christmas A care home in the Wirral served complimentary Christmas dinners to elderly residents in the town in an effort to tackle what can be a lonely time of a year.

‘Early Doors’ menu at Burnt Truffle

The Hazelwell’s care home manager Liza Millington commented: “Christmas can be a very lonely time for lots of people and many may have ended up spending it alone.”

Burnt Truffle, the Wirral’s favourite neighbourhood restaurant, has launched an ‘Early Doors’ menu that has already got people ditching their desks. From Monday to Friday between 6pm and 7pm, the offer includes three courses from the renowned dinner menu, plus a glass of wine, for just £18.

Clocking off just got a whole lot better…

Guests enjoyed a glass of bubbly and a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings prepared by head chef Steve Devenport. The three-course charitable lunch was followed by an afternoon of entertainment for those who may otherwise have spent Christmas Day alone.

Burnt Truffle, which set up home on Telegraph Road in Heswall, is the ‘Scouser’ sibling of chef Gary Usher’s award-winning Sticky Walnut restaurant in Hoole, Chester. Funded by the people for the people, Burnt Truffle opened after securing over £100,000 from 891 people who pledged through a legendary Kickstarter campaign.

Liza Millington said: “Here at The Hazelwell we wanted to do something for the community in the lead up to Christmas that would give elderly pensioners, who have no family around them, some companionship and festive cheer. It also gave them the chance to see what life at The Hazelwell is like.

Having opened to huge success, people have travelled far and wide to sample the alluring food created by Usher and his team. However, he is passionately protective of the ‘neighbourhood bistro’ concept that he has built his business empire on, ultimately the reason why the ‘Early Doors’ concept has been introduced.

“Residents and guests enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner and some made new friends. It was a memorable day with a great festive atmosphere.”

Offering what is arguably one of the best Sunday lunches around, Burnt Truffle has also extended its Sunday Lunch openings from 12pm to 7pm. So whether it’s the ultimate remedy to a heady weekend, or quality time with the kids, three courses of sublime food will put a smile on anyone’s face.

The Hazelwell is a new £5.5 million-pound development, which opened last summer on the site of the old Cleaver Hospital. It is an ‘all inclusive’ residential, nursing, palliative and respite care home.

Leisure facilities at The Hazelwell include a home cinema, salon and nail bar, gym, library and a stunning rooftop terrace with views over the River Dee. For more information call Liza on 0151 342 9654, email info@thehazelwell.com or visit www.thehazelwell.com

Usher’s fourth venture, Wreckfish, is potentially set to open its doors on Slater Street Liverpool, later in the year. A Wreckfish pop-up restaurant is opening between 15th and 19th February, where diners are to decide the cost of their bill. All takings from the pop-up will go into the crowdfunding pot to open Wreckfish permanently. For further information, visit www.wreckfish.co

18 The Lake

Ryan Ferguson tells readers about Wirral’s link with the iconic Empire State Building had only one question for him: How high can you build it without it falling over? Using a plan similar to that of a child’s school pencil, Lamb completed his design and focus turned swiftly to construction.

When Wall Street crashed in 1929, the great building drive of New York City threatened to grind to a halt. A decade-long Depression put incredible strain on resources, for businessmen and residents alike. Raskob felt the pinch on his finances, and a loan was required to keep the Empire State dream alive. With creditors watching keenly, a swift construction time was mandated. Work began on 17 March 1930, with crews of up to 4,000 workers dedicating over seven million man-hours to the job.

New York is arguably the most iconic city on earth. Home to eight million people, it’s a veritable melting pot of culture and identity, taste and personality. The skyline, resplendent with skyscrapers, is a symbol of American ambition, and no structure captures that essence better than the Empire State Building.

At 443 metres high, it was once the world’s largest structure, a monument to bold dreams amid troubling times. Thousands of people flock there each day, to take pictures and marvel at the ingenuity.

Still, most people are surprised to hear that certain materials for the building were sourced here in Wirral – seemingly a world away.

Therefore, it’s time to shed some light on a most beguiling tale.

As the 20th century dawned, New York City was the gateway to a better life for immigrants flocking through Ellis Island. The Big Apple promised opportunity and comfort, work and community. In this fashion, the city soon coalesced into the globe’s greatest commercial powerhouse, as industry boomed and ideas bloomed. With that cachet came a great conundrum: how to make room for houses and headquarters in the 22 square miles of Manhattan island, crammed to bursting as people thirsted for a piece of the action. With little room to build outwards, people began to build upwards, towards the sky, under the aegis of Governor Al Smith, a little guy full of burning desire.

The Flatiron Building was a fitting example of this trend as planners made the most of the precious land they were given, regardless of its geometry. Advancements in the science of steel-framed buildings saw skyscrapers proliferate, while refinement to early elevator concepts also helped in this regard. Worries about some kind of dystopian future were prevalent, as many people feared buildings would grow so tall as to block out the sun. Regulations were eventually passed to ensure that buildings thinned out towards the tip, and, with that, the famous New York skyline began to take shape.

A race to build the world’s tallest building ensued. Of course, skyscrapers had long been a source of intrigue, dating back to the Great Fire of Chicago, when that fine city was rebuilt in a grand vision through the 1870s. But the latest round of building was catalysed by the completion of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889.

Americans yearned to compete on this front, and the Woolworth Building became the world’s tallest in 1913. The Chrysler Building, housing operations for the car magnate, took the title in May 1930, but all the while a far more risky plan was afoot just up the road.

John J. Raskob of General Motors wanted to push the boundaries of architectural ambition. The old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue fell into his portfolio, and Raskob vowed to bulldoze the plot and build something far more symbolic of American skill in its place.

William Lamb was drafted in to design the structure, and Raskob

Rising into the sky like a dominant phoenix, the Empire State Building became a physical monument to what America once was, and what it hoped to be again. By building it, and powering on through the darkest times to a distant glory, Raskob yearned to inspire the city and encourage its residents to do something similar in their own lives.

Like America, the building would climb its way to the heavens through hard toil, then look down with confidence, but without forgetting its roots. In every way, it was a triumph of thought and engineering.

The base consisted of two square acres of solid concrete, some 55 feet below sea level. From that foundation, 60,000 tonnes of steel and 10 million bricks were used to form an Art Deco structure that reached a quarter of a mile into the sky. With so many people eager for work, the Empire State Building rose in record time, all while normal life carried on nearby. Few roads were cordoned off, as one of the busiest streets in the world doubled as a construction site.

Ample blood, sweat and tears went into the project, and 14 people even lost their lives working in such perilous conditions.

In total, the project cost $40.9 million. Adjusted for inflation, in 2016 that’s approximately $637 million (£522 million). The steel came from Pittsburgh, America’s industrial heartland. Marble was sourced from Italy and France. But the most intriguing fact, at least for us, is that sandstone to clad the building was quarried in Storeton, a sleepy village near Bebington in Wirral. An outpost that once had strong Viking influence, Storeton featured deep quarries on a ridge that dates back to Roman times. From 1838 a tramway was used for transporting stone to the quayside at Bromborough Pool, while a branch onto the Birkenhead-Chester railway helped ferry produce further afield.

Indeed, the creamy stone of Storeton was used in construction of several significant buildings throughout Merseyside. Birkenhead Town Hall, Liverpool Lime Street station and Lever House at Port Sunlight are perhaps most notable. However, producing the material to clad part of the Empire State Building must surely be Storeton’s greatest claim to fame.

Quite how the village was chosen, and how the stone was transported, remains something of a mystery. The passage of time hasn’t been kind in this regard, and obtaining information on the subject is notoriously difficult. For instance, while researching for this article, I contacted Empire State Building officials, and even they could not provide additional details about its links to Wirral. Still, the story has been referenced in enough reputable places to convince me that it did happen, and for that we should be proud.

Of course, there’s another link between Wirral and New York in the form of Central Park, which was based loosely on the design of Birkenhead Park. I covered that story in an earlier feature for this magazine, and it was very well received. Now, you will have another piece of trivia with which to impress your friends: the fact that Wirral played a small but important role in completing what stood for nearly 40 years as the world’s tallest building. I suppose you do learn something new every day.

The Lake 19

Replica T. rex skeleton comes to Hoylake Last year, local artist Gavin Rymill spent six months creating a full-sized Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton which went on display at St Bridget’s Centre, West Kirby. The 40 foot replica fossil formed the centrepiece of an exhibition which included real dinosaur bones, alongside displays and artwork.

It ran for for three hectic days in August and an astonishing 1,180 people visited. As soon as it was over, enquiries flooded in asking whether the dinosaurs could visit schools or appear at different venues. One of the enquiries came from Birkenhead Priory and so a second event was organised for October.

The sequel, ‘Dinosaurs at the Priory’, saw even more visitors than the original run. By adding two extra afternoons and tweaking the admissions policy, a staggering 2,900 people came through the doors.

The response to the project was so positive that Gavin took the decision to leave one of his companies in order to devote more time to creating dinosaur displays for a third venue. As a result, the T. rex and her (yes, she’s female) travelling show will be reappearing at Hoylake Parade for three days during February half term.

Building on the existing exhibits, the installation in Hoylake will feature new artistic creations including a rather lively little dinosaur

and a creepy-crawly from the prehistoric sea. There will also be the opportunity to buy real fossils such as the teeth of well-known dinosaurs, and those of the giant sea monster that starred in ‘Jurassic World’.

In addition to the daytime opening hours, there will be a talk each evening called ‘Living with Dinosaurs’. This will look at how our understanding of dinosaurs has changed from the old-fashioned view of ‘giant lizards’, to the modern discovery that birds are close cousins of animals like the famous Velociraptor.

‘Dinosaurs in Hoylake’ runs from Tuesday 21st to Thursday 23rd February 2017, 10am to 4pm at Hoylake Parade Community Centre, Hoyle Road, CH47 3AG. Admission for the exhibition on the day is £3 for adults and £2 for children.

The talk entitled ‘Living with Dinosaurs’ is at 7pm (for 7.30) each evening in the exhibition space under the watchful eye of the T. rex.

The venue will remain open after the talk, giving guests a chance to look at the displays. Tickets are £5 and must be bought in advance from www.bit.ly/dinotalk

Search Facebook for “Wirral Dinosaurs” or visit www.bit.ly/wirraldinos

Could advertising in The Lake help your business?

Our distribution covers over 12,000 homes and businesses in West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols and Caldy

Contact Alan for further information Telephone: 07788 510868 • Email: alan@lakemagazine.co.uk

T H E

R E S T A U R A N T

Set within the centre of West Kirby and only a pebbles throw away from the Wirral coastline. This fine local eatery has a stylish modern look, with sophisticated decor, original works of art, crisp white napkins with cool jazz playing in the background.

With food that is prepared with obvious care and served with great expertise, the staff of MILAN will make your visit special.

Sunday Roasts Open from noon – £16.00 for 2 courses

Fizz Fridays From 7pm each Friday – £30 per person 3 course meal and unlimited prosecco Available every Friday

Tuesday 21st February Our head chef is a finalist in ‘Best Young Chef of the Year’ which requires him to produce a 3 course meal. £18.50 per person for 3 courses.

Valentine’s Day £25 per person 6pm or 6.30pm or £30 per person 8.30pm or 9pm

0151 625 6767 www.milantherestaurant.co.uk 95 Banks Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 0RB

NEW MENU COMING THIS MONTH

The Lake 21

Local businesses get set for Stick ‘n’ Step’s 50/50 Challenge Legal eagles at 2020 Legal Limited have soared to the peak of the highest mountain in Wales to raise funds for local charity Stick ‘n’ Step’s 50/50 Challenge. A group of intrepid employees at the law firm have reached the summit of Snowdon and raised over £1,688 for the charity.

The 50/50 Challenge is designed to get local businesses together to raise money for charity in the most creative and fun way possible. Stick ‘n’ Step provides each business with £50 which is used to kick start the fundraising in a bid to raise money collectively for the charity.

Stick ‘n’ Step has signed up 17 local companies so far to its 2017 50/50 Challenge. These include Woods Squared, Fireman’s Arms and Mandy’s Place from Birkenhead, Black Phoenix Media from Northwich, Propergeeks from Wallasey, Wirral Fire Protection from Wirral, BlackBerry Grove from New Brighton and Xpress Tek and Luxé from Moreton.

Nick Banks, Clinical Negligence Solicitor at 2020 Legal, says: “Our staff have been really enthusiastic about getting involved in the 50/50 fundraising and our Snowdon challenge is just the first of several initiatives we have planned over the coming months.

Stick ‘n’ Step does such amazing work for children right across the region and we are delighted to contribute.”

Anyone interested in getting their company involved in the 50/50 Challenge or for more information about Stick ‘n’ Step should contact Hettie Miles, Community and Corporate Fundraiser at Stick ‘n’ Step on 0151 638 0888 or email: hettie@sticknstep.org Stick ‘n’ Step provides support services to children with cerebral palsy and their families. The charity works with over 70 children, allowing the children to gain the skills they need to live independent lives through conductive education sessions.

The specialist sessions are provided free of charge to the families by Stick ‘n’ Step.

@lakewirral

22 The Lake

Calday Indoor Pool from the Sport Fields (1965)

Calday GGS Swimming ‘Bath’ Part 3 – Glasspool Legacy prolonged

by Rastus and Heather The summer 1963 issue of the Caldeian, the magazine of Calday Grange Grammar School, reports that the ‘bath’, even though it was in a state of disrepair, was still being used – when it was full of water! Mr Kennerley, was jokingly referred to as “the only Master-in-Charge of swimming on Merseyside with no water in his bath”.

long hair – and if the hair styles don’t get shorter, hair-nets may have to be issued”… “it looks as if ‘Please Sir, I’ve forgotten my hair-net’ is going to be yet another excuse for the lower school.”

If only the Beatles had crew cuts?

Although the bath was losing about 4,000 gallons a day through seepage, it was still being used. It was reported that: “A man came to tell us how to use liquid chlorine in the chlorination plant, which we had not got!

We continued to sprinkle the chemicals over the pool with a watering can. Microbes or not, Calday took to the water, and as far as we know there has been no appreciable increase in the local death rate. Times, however, were getting grim and sad – the writing (or slime) was on the wall – it wouldn’t be long before the bath would be condemned!

Indoor Pools in Wirral

“All the pink boys who jumped in one side and clambered out blue at the other will be pleased to know that shortly the bath is to be radically altered. The bath and its surrounds are to be covered in, changing accommodation will be constructed and the water will be filtered and heated. The proposed modernisation, if accepted, would give Calday GGS a swimming bath of high standard in keeping with the new school buildings when completed.”

Although the “rehabilitation” of the bath turned out to be a bigger undertaking (and more expensive) than was first planned, the Cheshire County Council approved and built the first indoor heated bath in the HUDC. The Caldeian reports that the “swimming pool slipped quietly into existence in the spring of 1965, unheralded by a ducking of the headmaster, with a short opening speech by Alderman Dewes.”

The first major concern for the rehabilitated and modernised bath is the fact that the “water in the bath is going to stay there for ten years and we are worried because the filter plant has already been blocked with

The new, heated, indoor ‘bath’ was now known as an Indoor Pool.

At the time the new ‘Pool’ was opened at Calday GGS there were three indoor public baths in Wirral – Livingstone Street (Birkenhead), Guinea Gap (Wallasey) and Byrne Avenue (Rock Ferry). 1965 before the era of leisure centres. The Oval, Woodchurch, West Kirby Concourse, Leasowe and Europa pools were yet to be built.

Before Calday Pool was opened, the Hoylake and West Kirby Swimming Clubs trained in the evenings during the winter months at Livingstone Street Baths.

Calday GGS ‘Bath’ becomes a New Indoor Heated Pool The new indoor pool was a great bonus for West Kirby. The Cheshire Education Committee used Calday Pool for swimming lessons for West Wirral schools. The first Swimming Instructor was a Mrs Dawson and a Mrs Logan replaced her when she retired. This new, warm, indoor pool was welcomed by local school children who formerly had swimming lessons in the cold water outdoor pools at Hoylake, West Kirby and the Liverpool Boys Club at Heswall.

Joe Evans (a former employee at West Kirby Baths) looked after the pool plant and was the pool supervisor. Joe ran the pool efficiently and was a popular manager.

Gradually leisure centres and indoor swimming pools were built across Wirral. The Calday pool was run by Leisure Services until 1996. Schools used the pool during the daytime and the pool was hired out to clubs and user groups during the evenings and school holidays.

The Lake 23

Calday Indoor Pool today

The Trust Years In 1996 Leisure Services decided not to renew its lease for running the pool and this was taken over by the Calday Grange Swimming Pool Trust (CGSPT). Nigel Briers was the head teacher at Calday Grange Grammar School and gave the trust his full support.

The CGSPT is a registered charity (No. 1056069), formed in September 1996 by a group of pool users who took over the running of the pool after the Local Authority decided not to renew its lease option. The pool is now on a long-term lease from Calday Grange Grammar School and run by CGSPT staff, the Trustees, a Management committee, with input from user groups. The Trust’s main aim is to provide the use of Calday Grange Swimming Pool for the benefit of the local community.

The majority of pool time is hired out to various voluntary groups as well as sessions for local primary schools and Calday Grammar School.

In addition there are some commercial groups who hire the pool for the provision of swimming lessons.

The pool is the only deep water indoor pool in Wirral and users enjoy a diverse range of water activities. The pool is also a designated training centre for RLSS National Pool Lifeguard Courses. The CGSPT run children’s swimming lessons on Saturday mornings, children’s intensive swimming lessons during the school holidays and adult swimming lessons on Tuesday evenings. www.caldaypool.org.uk The original ‘bath’ was built using manual labour from pupils, Old Boys and parents in 1922 – satisfying the then headmaster, Mr Reginald Thomas Booth Glasspool’s dream of a collaborative project. I wonder what centenary celebrations are planned in 2022? It would be nice to acknowledge this visionary headmaster.

I only hope that the foundation stone, which was prominently placed under the diving board, has been located for this impending momentous occasion at my old school.

Long may the Glasspool legacy continue!

24 The Lake

Fragments from the Front This series of short articles by Rastus and Betty look at a soldier’s close connection and correspondence with his West Kirby family from the Western Front trenches during WW1.

Joseph’s post-war activities In this series we have followed through his postcards and those of his friends, Joseph Ellerker’s involvement at the Western Front in WWI. We now look at his post-war activities.

We are indebted to Heather for tracking down these wonderful old postcards. It is amazing to think that this part of Joe’s life, nearly 100 years ago, would never have been revealed without this find. We hope you, the readers, have enjoyed Joe’s adventures. We have enjoyed sharing them with you.

Joe was demobbed in January 1920; he must have been very happy to leave the war-torn lands around the Western Front.

We have learnt that before Joe left for the Western Front, he had served his apprenticeship as a gardener at ‘The Grange’ on Meols Drive, Hoylake. After he was demobbed, he became the gardener at the Ring O’ Bells in West Kirby in May 1920 and married Lily Tiernan in October that year. He stayed in his position at the Ring O’ Bells until 1923, when he applied for and obtained the job of gardener at one of the big, newly constructed houses in Caldy. Joe and Lily moved into the ‘Gardener’s Lodge’ at the front gate of the house.

When his started this job, he was confronted with a virgin field, which he single-handedly, over the years, transformed into a beautifully landscaped garden. This consisted of an orchard, a well laid-out and continuously productive vegetable garden, rockeried terraces, a tennis court, a rose-garden complete with sundial, and well-stocked herbaceous borders. The garden was surrounded by a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, which soon became established.

Joseph and his family lived in one of the prettiest cottages in Caldy and he was employed by each of the first five successive owners of the big property until he died aged 81 in 1978. All this time he tended his beloved garden.

We can only imagine what it must have felt like for Joseph, to contrast all the devastation he had seen in his early years at the front in wartime with the beautiful and tranquil garden he created over the next 55 years.

The following poem by Edward Young, succinctly epitomises Joseph’s love of his home in Caldy.

On Caldy Hill at morn, many times I’ve stood,

And on my pine staff leaning, gazed at the scene below,

West Kirby lies straight out below me. The sun shining on Marine Lake and Dee. My home in yonder cottage, and dear it’s memories to me.

Lane End Lodge, circa 1930

The Welsh Hills in the distance throw off their misty shroud.

The golden sands of the estuary stretch as far as the eye can see, Until, at last they reach the Irish Sea.

I turn my head and look below me, It is a different scene I see, Of a valley so verdant, and foliage, so green.

There is no place in the world, can match that view, Oh Home, sweet Home, to me.

‘The field’ – Croft Drive, Caldy circa 1920

Joseph Ellerker, 1952

26 The Lake

ON46l Chapman is now settled in her new home

By Helen Carr where she became a plaything for children. Standing outside in all weathers the boat begin to deteriorate, which concerned the owner of the park who, recognising that she was something special, decided to try to find a secure future for the lifeboat.

She was acquired by someone from the Midlands who transported her to the Douglas Boatyard, Tarleton on the Ribble Estuary.

Unfortunately she was left uncovered and rainwater saw her condition deteriorate further. The engine bed rusted badly and this penetrated her timbers. Each gunnel burst and she began to rot badly.

When John Parr and his father, Bill, visited the Douglas boatyard in 1998, Peggy was in a sorry state. She was full of leaves and rubbish and also home to a small sycamore tree. However, she was and always will be the last Hilbre Island Lifeboat and thus, unique.

Chapman on display in the Hoylake Lifeboat Museum

ON46l Chapman, a Liverpool Class Pulling and Sailing Lifeboat, was built 1900/1901 at Thames Ironworks. She is 35ft long with a 10ft beam. The height to the top of the gunwale is 5ft and she originally weighed 4.5 tons. She is probably nearer three tons now.

Built in the era before engines, she was designed to be rowed and sailed by 15 men (12 oarsmen, a coxswain, second coxswain, and a bowman). The boat hull is entirely made of original Honduran mahogany, sadly no longer available as all these trees are gone.

Chapman was originally stationed in Groomsport, County Down until 1920. When Groomsport closed, Chapman joined the RNLI reserve fleet and in October 1920 she was sent to Cromer where she was briefly coxed by Henry Blogg, the most famous of all lifeboat men.

Henry was awarded three RNLI gold medals, four silver medals, the George Medal and British Empire Medal during his 53 years of service in the RNLI. In 1924 Chapman was sent to Hilbre Island where she was operated by the Hoylake Lifeboat Crew. The introduction of motor lifeboats saw the demise of ‘pulling and sailing’ lifeboats – the Hilbre Island Station closed in 1939 and Chapman left Hoylake. It is believed that Chapman joined the war effort as a working boat on the opposite side of the River Dee estuary at Point of Ayr Colliery.

The next we know of her is in the early 1950s. By then she had an engine installed and had been renamed Harbinger and was taking out day-trippers into Morecambe Bay. A Lancaster man, Harold Gardner, and his brother, Thomas, bought the boat on March 10th 1956. She was fitted out for piloting in the River Lune Estuary by James Nicholson Ltd of Glasson Dock and commissioned for piloting on May l6th that year. Harold and Thomas renamed her Peggy.

John purchased the boat and brought her back to the Wirral to the Laird Foundation in Birkenhead. The expectation was that she would be restored by apprentices working at what was in effect the shipyard’s training school. She was fully inspected by John Kearon, Keeper of Historic Vessels at Merseyside Maritime Museum. There was a great deal to be done; the go-ahead was given and she was restored by a team of apprentices under the leadership and guidance of Graham Steedman, shipwright and training instructor.

The project was financed by John Parr and his father, Bill, who proudly renamed the lifeboat Chapman at Hoylake’s Annual Lifeboat Day in August 2003.

For the next three years Chapman formed part of Wirral’s historic warship display in Wallasey, until this sadly closed in 2006 and she was put into storage. With the vision of a lifeboat museum finally realised in 2011, Chapman finally returned to Hoylake 72 years after she left at the end of her RNLI service. Under the painstaking leadership of Jon Britton, who spent countless hours over the winter of 2011 and spring 2012 and volunteers at the Hoylake Lifeboat Museum, some original features were reinstated, bringing the Chapman even closer to her original appearance.

Although the museum unfortunately closed, the Chapman has found a new home. She is now settled at the Lytham Old Lifeboat House next to the Windmill Museum. She was delivered on Monday l7th August 2015. As the oldest surviving example of the Liverpool Class Lifeboat, of which around a 100 were built, Chapman is of national importance and listed on the national register of historic vessels. A local and national treasure indeed.

Peggy served as the Lancaster pilot boat for 35 years, being moored off Sunderland Point. On one occasion she resumed her role as a lifeboat, being summoned by Lancashire police to save two men from a capsized dinghy in Glasson Dock.

Harold Gardner sold Peggy to Hoylake RNLI mechanic Alan Tolley on October 9th 1992. Alan sailed her back to Hoylake under her own steam in order to convert her into a tripper. His intention was to return the lifeboat to her original RNLI livery. He removed the wheelhouse, decking and engine, but was unable to complete the project. The boat was donated to the Burbo Caravan Park, Meols,

Chapman now settled in Lytham

The Lake 27 ADVERTISING FEATURE

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder An article by getyouseen for the Bowen Therapy Professional Association

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by traumatic and distressing events which many military service men and women often suffer from after serving in the Armed Forces.

The time length when someone suffers from PTSD can vary massively. It can occur straight after a traumatic incident or can be triggered years later. Someone who is suffering from PTSD often relives the incident through nightmares or flashbacks triggered by everyday situations. The symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can vary depending on the individual’s experience.

People normally find that Bowen Therapy is a gentle and relaxing experience. The sessions generally last around 30 – 60 minutes. Only 1 – 3 sessions may be necessary to see and feel a result, however, depending on the severity of the PTSD the individual is suffering, they may require more.

If you think you suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or know somebody who does, we recommend that you visit your local GP for a full diagnosis and then choose to receive Bowen Therapy post diagnosis.

Symptoms may include:

To find out more about how Bowen Therapy can help you, contact Nicholas Tobin on 0749 659 6969

• Re-experiencing

Email: ask@bowentherapy.org.uk

When the individual relives the traumatic event resulting in physical changes such as erratic behaviour, pain or trembling.

www.bowentherapy.org.uk

• Avoidance and emotional numbing Avoiding certain people, places or objects which remind the PTSD sufferer of the traumatic incident. They might also avoid discussing the event completely.

• Feeling on edge • Depression • Anxiety • Headaches Between 2005 and 2014, 1,390 claims were awarded under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme for mental disorders, including PTSD. With the Armed Forces withdrawing from Afghanistan and Iraq, it is likely that these stats will unfortunately increase.

Bowen Therapy can help to relieve the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as it relieves stress from deep inside the body which can help reduce the symptoms of PTSD and can encourage the individual to regain a normal life.

The Bowen Technique is a finger and thumb rolling movement which is applied to specific points of the body. It is performed on muscles, ligaments and soft tissue using only the amount of pressure appropriate for that person. No hard manipulation or force is needed or used. The Bowen Technique encourages the whole body to restore its natural hormonal and physiological balance, resulting in a release of deep stress from the individual’s body.

Bowen Therapy is not forcing the body to change, but asking the body to recognise the treatment and make improvements accordingly.

28 The Lake

Let us know how we can help promote your events St Bridget’s Centre, St Bridget’s Lane, West Kirby CH48 3JT The museum is open every Saturday morning 10am – 1pm Free admission West Kirby Museum is situated within St Bridget’s Centre alongside St Bridget’s Church. The refurbished museum opened in 2013 and tells the story of a thousand years of St Bridget’s Church and the ancient history of West Kirby village and the parish.

Forthcoming events Friday 27th January 2017 Our 4th Annual History Quiz at St Bridget’s Centre £5 a head, teams of 6/8 preferred 7.00pm for 7.30pm Message from the quizmaster – ‘Mirth rather than Mastermind, fun rather than furrowed brows.

Usual rubbish prizes, so no incentive to cheat. Raffle is the best chance of a decent return on investment’.

Please note that the same quizmaster will be at the same venue on Friday 24th February 7.00pm for 7.45pm to host the Annual Macmillan Mammoth Quiz - tickets £5 from 625 5158.

Friday 31st March 2017 ‘New Archaeological Discoveries on Hilbre The 2016 Community Dig’ Illustrated talk by Dr Rob Philpott Tickets £3 7 for 7.30pm at St Bridget’s Centre, West Kirby Changing exhibitions in our new display cases.

These small exhibitions are changed every few months.

The Editor, The Lake, Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE Email: jon@lakemagazine.co.uk • Telephone 07796 945745

Oxfam shops in Merseyside raise over £500,000 Oxfam shops in Merseyside managed to raise over £500,000 in 2016 to support the charity’s work around the world.

The money raised will go towards Oxfam’s projects such as supporting thousands of people who are displaced or refugees that the charity is working with in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Greece.

David Jones, Oxfam area manager for Merseyside, says: “We are so grateful to the generous people of Merseyside who donate to and buy from our shops. This support raises absolutely crucial funds for Oxfam’s work helping people in desperate circumstances. It is thanks to our determined staff and volunteers, and our very generous donors and customers that Oxfam can provide life-saving water, food and emergency supplies to thousands around the world.”

According to the charity, we are living in a time when more people – almost 60 million - are displaced from their homes than at any time since the Second World War.

April/May Hilbre Archaeology – the 2016 Community Dig

He said: “We are helping those arriving in Italy by providing food, clothes, shoes, and personal hygiene kits as well as longer term psychological and legal support. In Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, we are providing life-saving clean water, sanitation and vital support for families who have lost everything. With £36 Oxfam can provide clean and safe water to families, and with £100 toilets and washing facilities for dozens of people made homeless.”

For more information, visit the website www.westkirbymuseum.co.uk

Mr Jones says that more than ever Oxfam shops need donations to raise crucial funds for its work to end extreme poverty and suffering around the world.

January/February/March History of Little Caldy

He adds: “This year’s achievement is a whole team effort; our precious volunteers enjoy friendships, job satisfaction and of course a good cup of tea when they give their time in our shops.

If you can spare even just a couple of hours, please pop along to one of our Merseyside shops to find out about how your skills can make a difference.”

He concludes: “As the need around the world grows, we urgently need to scale up our work, and we cannot do this without the people of Merseyside. So please keep donating, volunteering and shopping with Oxfam, it really does make a huge difference to the lives of people around the world”.

The Lake 29

30 The Lake

Be your own publisher

By Pam Bloom

3. Get a cover designed. Even if you’re just publishing an e-book, you need a cover, and people do judge a book by its cover, so get a good one. A professional designer could cost £200–250, but if you can’t afford this there are people online who will do it for less. If you can’t afford anything and have a good sense of design yourself, it can be done free, or almost so, at sites such as Canva. If you’re publishing a paperback, of course, you need a back cover and spine as well. Try to make it genre-appropriate.

Like many people, I always wanted to be a published author; they say there’s a book inside most of us.

The trouble was that no one seemed interested in my first novel. It didn’t fit into any of the best-selling genres traditional publishers want to sell – there wasn’t a vampire in sight, there was no spanking, and no celebrities on the cover.

At first I admitted defeat, but then, after I was about to put it on a shelf, someone told me you can now publish books yourself.

Not vanity publishing which is getting a couple of paperback copies made for family and friends – but actual publishing. To sell to the general public. For money.

The rise of e-books – electronic books – which can be downloaded onto an e-reading device such as a Kindle, or even onto a mobile phone, laptop or tablet – has been huge in recent years. Amazon, the biggest by far of all the e-book publishers, provides a free and easy way for anyone – anyone, note – to publish an e-book. There are other publishers, too, but Amazon is huge: there are millions of books, electronic and otherwise on there, selling all round the world.

Once your book is on Amazon, you can set your own price (you get a different royalty depending on the price, but it’s good). You can edit or delete the book when you want, change the cover if need be, give it away for a while to boost sales of later books, offer it at a sale price –whatever you want, really, and the beauty of it is that once it’s been published, it’s there forever (well, as long as Amazon lasts, anyway). No publisher is going to pull it off the bookshelves and stop printing it.

4. Start marketing. What will work for one type of book will not work for another, but the general advice is to create an online presence to get your face and name known. The best way to do this is through social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ – the list is endless, but if you’re not already on at least three of these, get on them long before you publish. You need to build followers, but also to connect with like-minded people/ possible readers. Forums related to your genre, or to general writing, such as KBoards, will help you immensely, putting you in touch with people who can and will help.

5. Create an author’s website. Again, not easy – not particularly cheap, either – but if you want to be taken seriously you need one. Mine took three days and cost around £300 to set up – and that’s with me doing all of the work. On your website you need to have the facility for people to sign up to your email list so you can keep them informed about your works. This is by far the most important element in any website as it helps you to drive sales. Featuring a blog will bring more in readers too.

6. Publish the book! Amazon makes it pretty straightforward, as does Lulu. In no time at all your book is up for sale, and you’re a published author.

7. Keep marketing. Your book will not sell itself. You need lots of good reviews. You may need to pay to advertise. There are dozens of ways to market, depending on the genre of the book.

Do your research.

8. Repeat! You need more than one book on sale to make a living.

Series of books sell better than Lulu.com. Now where was I? Oh yeah: Chapter 1…

And making a paperback is also possible, with a little effort.

Print-on-demand publishers, such as Lulu.com allow you to publicise your paperback for sale on various websites, including Amazon, right next to your digital copy. You can buy hundreds yourself, then try to sell them to local bookshops, arrange book signings or whatever, or people can buy a single book at a time.

So how do you self-publish? Here’s a very basic step-by-step guide: 1. Write the book. Not as simple as it sounds, to be honest, but if you want to write, you will find a way. I know of people with full-time jobs and families who get up at 4am every day to get in a couple of hours’ writing.

2. Edit and revise the book. If you’ve got the money, a professional editor can help you do this, but if you haven’t, leave it alone for at least a month; when you go back to it, it will seem less familiar and easier to spot any mistakes. Ensure spelling, punctuation and grammar are spot on, and if possible get someone else to read the book first to find any story/factual errors. Good advice is to read it out loud.

Pam Bloom’s first sci-fi novel, Whole New World[s], is available as an e-book and paperback on Amazon. She will soon be publishing Running, the second novel in the Parallel Universe Adventures series. Her website is www.pambloomauthor.com

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Skincare: delving below the surface Finding the right combination Unfortunately, tackling ageing is not as simple as slapping on sunscreen (although you should do it every day). But, as the factors that cause skin to age are numerous, it takes a multi-pronged, tailored approach to make a real difference. It’s my firm belief (and I’ve seen the results time and again) that combination treatment programmes – targeting different levels of the skin – produce optimum results. But, once again, there is no magic equation – what is equally vital is that treatment is geared to the client’s individual skin and takes into account environmental factors, hormones, lifestyle and medication.

Knowledge base This is where knowledge is key. A skincare specialist will look at a client’s skin and assess it (visually rather than using a computer programme) and work with each client individually to produce a treatment plan and simple homecare regime that will gently exfoliate, feed the deeper skin tissues, and incorporate ingredients that penetrate the dead epidermal tissue. The latter is vital, as most products (including many ‘miracle’ creams’) only affect the surface level. While these may make the ‘dead’ layer look better, they do not treat ageing. As a result the effects are temporary because they sit upon the dead layer of skin.

In the 25 years I’ve worked in the skincare profession I’ve seen many changes. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the belief that there’s a one-stop ‘miracle’ cream/treatment out there. Sorry to burst the bubble, but it simply doesn’t exist. That doesn’t mean you can’t achieve fantastic results in terms of ageing, texture, tone and complexion – it just means that you (or rather your therapist/ clinician) need to mix things up a little and use the right combination of treatments to achieve optimum results. This makes sense when you really think about what your skin goes through and what it’s designed for.

Back to basics We tend to think of our skin as something to cover the inner workings of our body, but it’s also our largest organ. It protects from environmental ‘aggressors’ such as bacteria and UV radiation; repels water from the outside, yet controls water loss from within; and supports our blood vessels, nerves and internal organs. Add internal factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, medication, hormones, and even your genetic make-up (which all have a real impact on ageing), and it’s no surprise that over time your skin begins to show battle scars. These appear in the form of lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, inconsistent texture and loss of volume.

Delving deeper The number one culprit that causes the visible signs of ageing is, without doubt, UV radiation and photo-ageing. This damage occurs deeper within the skin at a cellular level and has been proven time and again; one theory is connected to the production of free radicals.

When UV radiation comes into contact with the skin it initiates the production of free radicals (unstable cells), which then ‘crash around’, causing damage to other cells. As they try to stabilise, not only is the cell itself damaged, but the surrounding tissue, too. The knock-on effect is that collagen fibres are depleted – one of the main factors in producing the signs of ageing – in particular, wrinkle formation and loss of skin volume. As this damage occurs at a deeper level, to put it bluntly, a jar of SPF30+ sun cream would offer more protection from free radicals than your £60 jar of ‘miracle’ product.

Experienced aestheticians have years of experience in combining different treatments to address ageing. These usually include manual product and equipment-based treatments to stimulate fibroblast cells (collagen), decrease melanin production (brown spots), tighten the skin, and reduce fat (e.g. under chin) for an overall improvement in the face, eyes and neck as a whole (remember the early days of face lifts when the neck was always a giveaway?).

The right balance Think of your skin as you do your diet and body. You can lose weight by replacing meals with a sachet, but this is a short-term fix, and without exercise you still won’t be toned. But, with a well-balanced diet and exercise plan you can achieve superior, lasting changes. With combination skincare programmes the same is true. As any good aesthetician knows, the most important factor in the fight against ageing is producing big, fat, well-fed cells that form the mattress of the skin (well-balanced diet) and if you redefine muscles, you also need to sculpt the skin to avoid sagging (exercise).

Think of it as marathon training rather than a crash diet and the results will be superior, tangible and lasting.

Tracey Tracey Locke, Lead Clinician

Serenity Clinic Ltd, 162 Banks Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 0RH T: 0151 625 6256 www.serenity-clinic.co.uk

32 The Lake

Chairman Rod Tann discusses current issues concerning The Wirral Society Liverpool City Region In the September/October issue, I said the Society was aware that the first Mayor for the new Liverpool City Region (LCR) was due to be elected in May this year. As the Mayor will have strategic planning powers over the Region – and as that part of the new City Region will include Wirral Borough, we are still trying to clarify what the likely impact of this major change is going to be.

We recently heard that the new Manchester City Region, which is ahead of us in its formation (and will also have the similar arrangement of a Mayor with strategic planning powers), has already identified substantial tracts of Green Belt land in the south of its Region for building. As we suspect, the land identified was not already earmarked in the respective District Local Plans – we are concerned that once our new City Region is established, it will also override the plans for existing Districts. While we accept new houses could well be needed, we will be lobbying to see that land presently underused – especially in Liverpool – is made the first priority for development.

Fire Station Application at Saughall Massie Much to the surprise of many, the Planning Officer’s recommendation to approve this application for a new fire station at Saughall Massie was narrowly rejected by the Council’s Planning Committee recently.

The majority of the Committee accepted the very slender argument in the report that there were ‘Very Special Circumstances’ which would allow a new station to be built on Wirral’s Green Belt to replace the Upton station one mile away. However, the Application was subsequently rejected because of its close proximity to sheltered housing.

Having spend so much public money on failed attempts to build this new station, first in Greasby and now in Saughall Massie, we are concerned the Fire Authority will now appeal to the Government to overturn this locally made decision. We note the Upton station (along with Heswall) has successfully served the north-west corner of Wirral since the closure of the West Kirby station in April 2015, and there seems to be no good reason for change.

Manor Farm, West Kirby Old Village In the last issue, I spoke of the excellent work being done to restore the Manor Farmhouse in West Kirby Old Village; specifically complimenting the new owners on the way the sandstone walling both in and around the building had been sensitively restored, using lime mortar. Here are some further pictures showing the front and the gable ends of the building.

New Buildings While we rightly support the restoration of historic buildings, we are also pleased to compliment new buildings in the area that we consider are sympathetic to their surroundings, use building materials imaginatively, and are attractive to the eye.

So we congratulate the Croftwood Care organisation for the recently completed ‘Westhaven’ care home in Valentia Road, Hoylake, and will be entering it for the Society’s annual ‘Civic Design’ Award.

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Have you protected yourself with a lasting power of attorney?

The sad fact is that 94% of over 65s have not!

DON’T BE CAUGHT NAPPING!!

Fully certified lasting powers of attorney including all registration documents

£99 single £175 couple (excluding OPG registration fees)

Our fees include 2 home visits and VAT

Call Mike Barnes at Wirral Estate Planning on 0845 052 2757 The over 65s are now rapidly approaching a staggering 25% (that’s 15 million) of the UK population, and it is an age at which we should be thinking of protecting ourselves and our families by putting lasting powers of attorney and wills in place.

Around 65% of over 65s do not have wills; however, a staggering 94% have not put lasting powers of attorney in place! In fact just over one million lasting powers of attorney have been registered, since their inception in 2007, covering all age groups. Generally, despite there having been many press reports of horror stories, many people still seem unaware of the necessity to draw up lasting powers of attorney.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 states that should you have some form of incapacity (permanent or temporary) which prevents you from looking after your day-to-day affairs – then you must have attorneys in place. If you have a registered lasting power of attorney in place, then all is well and those attorneys can act immediately, without further fuss.

If you have such an incapacity with no power of attorney in place then there is an extremely onerous, complex and very expensive procedure for your family or close friends to undertake. This involves making application to the Court of Protection by family or friends. This complex process can take over six months and costs can easily exceed £2,000, with no guarantees of success!

Should you have no family or friends able or willing to undertake the rigours of such an application, then indeed there is a much worse case scenario that can occur. The court has the power to immediately appoint attorneys for you, called deputies. These deputies will take full control of your finances and divert your pensions to themselves.

Your bank account will be closed and cheque books, bank and credit cards cancelled.

Your appointed deputies can be a solicitor, an accountant and even the County Council official and this worst case scenario is when it becomes wickedly expensive. They will charge £800 per year before they do anything and they charge for every single transaction they undertake on your behalf. Costs and charges can easily exceed £3,000 per year. There is even a final ‘winding up’ fee of £290 when you die. You have been warned!

Visit our website: www.wirralestateplanning.co.uk Email: info@wirralestateplanning.co.uk

Having the right will in place is very important these days to ensure that your main assets are protected and that the maximum possible will eventually pass to your children and grandchildren.

We all know that many thousands of homes have to be sold each year to pay for long-term care home fees. Such fees are always burdensome and could easily exceed £700 per week.

You can ensure that your home and other assets like cash and valuables cannot be lost and are protected by writing protective asset trusts into your wills, or by setting up an asset protection trust.

All our wills and trusts are drafted by our nationally acclaimed wills and trusts barristers, Messrs Spicer Finch Ltd, so you have complete peace of mind, knowing that you have the best protective documents in place.

Lasting Powers of Attorney for Health and Welfare and Property and Affairs are the other vitally important documents to have in place during later life. We can prepare these for you at the lowest prices available today: £175 single person for both, and just £299 for couples, for all four. These prices include VAT and home visits.

SPECIAL OFFER We will produce your lasting powers of attorney totally free of charge for clients instructing asset protection trusts within the next two months.

We also offer free consultations, free reviews of existing wills and signing appointments, all within the comfort of your own home (weekend appointments included).

HAVE YOU PROTECTED YOUR ASSETS WITH THE ‘RIGHT’ WILL? We can ensure that your loved ones inherit the maximum possible.

DON’T LET CARE HOME FEES OR THE TAXMAN TAKE YOUR ASSETS. HAVE YOUR WILLS AND TRUSTS DRAFTED BY OUR SPECIALIST WILLS AND TRUSTS BARRISTERS.

We offer FREE home visits and free Will reviews.

Our fees include home visits.

Call Mike Barnes at Wirral Estate Planning for a no obligation chat on 0845 052 2757 (std rate)

34 The Lake

All Things Auctioneering

by John Bathurst Crane

Once again it is a pleasure to be able to share some thoughts and images with you about the interesting world of discovering objects with which collectors are able to adorn their private homes.

A question I am often asked is ‘What are people buying to put in their houses these days?’.

The answer is simple – items that are rare, decorative, high-quality, the right scale, size and colour. Even quality ‘quirky’ and ‘focalpoint’ objects can attract many bidders at auction, which we will see later. Fashion and trends play a part in desirability, but it is mainly colour, size, and top quality that attracts the big money.

Silver and jewellery were making high prices at the auction and seem to be increasing in value again, as are gold sovereigns. Our next auction has a consignment of over 100 in fine condition and all our auctions are busy with many lots of fine jewellery; many of which bring very high prices for the desirable designs and quality.

C18th K’ang Hsi ovoid vase

Cato Crane office in Heswall

Cato Crane Auctioneers and John Crane Fine Arts has opened an office at 48 The Mount, Heswall in Wirral, which is already becoming extremely busy with appointments by phone on 0151 342 2321 and is open every Friday morning without fail!

John Crane Fine Art arranges the sale by auction or private treat to collectors of good quality pictures; some are quite valuable.

Recently we brokered the sale of a picture by the c19th artist John Atkinson Grimshaw for a client and I have illustrated some detail from the work. I don’t wish to reveal the price we achieved by negotiation with the buyer, but suffice to say that for the same amount of money you could have bought a small detached house in Heswall! Our vendor client was, needless to say, delighted with the result!

purchase price of six guineas (about £6.30 in today’s money). It was purchased in Liverpool from a fine art supplier called Phillips & MacConnal who had premises in Castle Street in the busy city centre.

So why was this broken vase still desirable?

Quite simply it was rare, and extremely old or ‘early’ as we say. It was made in China about 1780 in the K’ang Hsi period and it has survived. The shape was good and the colour and design very appealing. What would it have made if it were perfect, you may ask.

Probably five times as much! So here is the rule. If a piece of china is very early and rare it is probably worth restoring and not for the bin because you may well be throwing away a great deal of money without realising it.

I can still remember the 1950s when Liverpool had several high-quality antique and fine art retail outlets. Even buying then with great care would now produce a healthy profit!

While this broken vase was not the ‘lost’ £1,000,000 vase that we and others are still looking for, the vendor was pleased with the result.

Sold for undisclosed but substantial sum!

An object of great beauty is a joy forever across several generations. We had a very successful auction of 700 lots at the beginning of November with a mid-month auction, again achieving satisfactory results with high prices.

So, how much would you pay for a broken vase? Probably not very much! A bidder in our November Fine Art Auction was prepared to pay several hundred pounds for the illustrated broken and glued Chinese c18th ovoid storage jar; these are often referred to erroneously as ‘ginger jars’. The original china cover was missing being replaced by a carved wooden one. This particular pot still bore a label on its base from about 1920 with the original

£2,400,000 Chinese c18th teapot

A Chinese teapot recently made £2,400,000 in auction and most of these major discoveries are found at the back of kitchen cupboards.

One of our clients recently bought a picture at a charity shop which is worth hundreds of times what she paid for it. So discoveries are still being made around Merseyside and the prize for finding a good object can be a huge pay-off which will buy a new car or even pay off the mortgage!

Wirral ‘Viking’ Sword

Occasionally extremely interesting objects are brought in to us for research and then sale.

They are so rare that they don’t appear on the open market very often. One such item was brought into our Wirral office in Heswall last week. The client had telephoned me to say she had a ‘Viking’ sword and I expected that I would actually be looking at a modern reproduction. This was not in fact the case and I remember discussing this sword with the current owner’s late father about 30 years ago. The sword is about a metre long and is in ‘excavated condition’; rusty in other words, but most of them are! These weapons generally date from 800–1100 AD and it is amazing that they have survived at all buried underground for several centuries. Our ‘Viking’ sword will be in one of our forthcoming auctions but only after further investigation by me, as Viking swords usually have a three- or five-lobed pommel (the end cap of the grip).

Other Viking weapons denoted the status of warriors, and these included spears, javelins, wooden shields, battle-axe, and bows and arrows with a range of two or three hundred metres. Only wealthy Vikings would own swords and even fewer owned metal helmets and armour. Swords were sometimes buried with warriors, and were often intentionally broken or bent to deter the plunder of graves to gain possession of these prized items of battle and social status. Luckily my client’s sword escaped such damage.

The Lake 35

A local Wirral Viking sword story is a much more romantic tale than a Roman North West European ‘ regular issue’ legionnaire’s sword story! Some family folklore tales of digging up metal objects in Wirral gardens in the moonlight sometimes have to be somewhat discounted in order to achieve auction cataloguing accuracy! More on this in the next issue.

The Vikings have a reputation for conquering new territory and Wirral was no exception.

Near Thingwall in Wirral was a Viking settlement and parliament, and Wirral has many villages with names derived from the Norse. Thurstaston it is said is derived from Thor’s Stone, a sandstone promontory on Thurstaston Hill. In 1938, the Railway Hotel in Meols was rebuilt and resited further away from the main road as motor traffic had increased and a car park was required. During the excavation a clinkerbuilt Viking ship was discovered, buried about ten feet down in the clay and mud. The site manager gave instructions for this priceless discovery to be covered over immediately as any investigation by archaeologists, local museums and historians would delay the

Miniature Cloisonné vase

progress of the new building and profit for the brewery. Sadly it still remains underneath the car park to this day. Just as a footnote, there is actually no evidence that Viking helmets had cows horns protruding from them – Hollywood has a lot to answer for to the serious historian.

Chinese Sectional Ivory Chicken Boat

Oriental objects continue to attract interest at auction from overseas buyers and four miniature cloisonné vases (one illustrated) made over £200, and an ivory Chinese chicken boat made over £650 with premiums.

1922 portrait signed ‘KH’

Finally, accessing correct information sometimes takes time and it is usually knowing exactly where to delve for information, so here is a challenge for you. The good quality portrait illustrated is by an artist who signs his work with initials KH. See if you can find out who he is and join the professional antique researchers and discoverers. I do know the answer but it will be interesting to see if you can find out too!

Call me on 0151 342 2321 for our Wirral Office or 0151 709 5559 for information from our main Auction Rooms in Stanhope Street in Liverpool opposite Liverpool Marina.

CatoCrane.co.uk for our website.

Finally, finally ... a quirky object for a gardening enthusiast. This is a ‘must’ for listeners of Gardeners’ Question Time...

Discovered in an apartment in a former Wirral mansion … it made the perfect Christmas gift! Happy New Year.

The perfect Christmas gift

36 The Lake Hidden Figures – Oscar Tipped!

Welcome to The Lake magazine’s film column.

Each issue will provide a rundown of what’s on over the next few weeks, including blockbusters, independent films and arts screenings that are available for you to check out in your local cinema.

JANUARY La La Land – Oscar Tipped!

Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), La La Land tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.

the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon. As an army medic, Doss single-handedly evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines, braved fire while tending to soldiers and was wounded by a grenade and hit by snipers. He was the first conscientious objector to ever earn the Congressional Medal of Honour. This war epic is directed by Mel Gibson and also stars Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, and Vince Vaughn.

Also this January Manchester by the Sea – Oscar Tipped!

Jackie – Oscar Tipped!

Lion – Oscar Tipped!

T2 Trainspotting Sing

FEBRUARY The new year doesn’t have to be all about serious Oscar noms, so here’s some fun and games set to release in February!

The LEGO Batman Movie

Live By Night – Oscar Tipped!

Live by Night is set in the roaring ’20s when Prohibition hasn’t stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies.

The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police Superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll. The fiery affair ends in tragedy, setting Joe on a path of revenge, ambition, romance and betrayal that propels him out of Boston and up the ladder of Tampa’s steamy rum-running underworld.

Ben Affleck directs and stars in this period crime-drama, alongside some utterly fantastic co-stars that include Zoe Saldana, Elle Fanning, Sienna Miller, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Cooper, Anthony Michael Hall and Chris Messina.

Hacksaw Ridge – Oscar Tipped!

Hacksaw Ridge is the extraordinary true story of conscientious collaborator Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He believed the war was just, but killing was nevertheless wrong; he was

In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up. Will Arnett reprises his starring role from The LEGO Movie as the voice of LEGO Batman, aka Bruce Wayne. Zach Galifianakis (Muppets Most Wanted, the ‘Hangover’ films) stars as The Joker; Michael Cera (TV’s Arrested Development) as the orphan Dick Grayson; Rosario Dawson (TV’s Daredevil) as Batgirl and Barbara Gordon; and Ralph Fiennes (the ‘Harry Potter’ films) as Alfred.

John Wick: Chapter 2 Keanu Reeves returns in the sequel to the 2014 hit as legendary hitman John Wick who is forced out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.

Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) – the brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanised the world. The visionary trio crossed all the lines of race and gender to inspire successive generations to dream big.

Also this February Who’s Your Daddy 20th Century Women – Oscar Tipped!

The Great Wall Patriots Day – Oscar Tipped!

God Particle Logan

During January and February, The Light Cinema New Brighton is hosting a wealth of live cinema including theatre, opera and ballet.

ROH Live: Il Trovatore – Jan 31st Il Trovatore is one of the great operas of the Romantic period, a story of passion and blood, love and vengeance, disaster and murder.

NT Live: Amadeus – Feb 2nd Music. Power. Jealousy. Lucian Msamati (Luther, Game of Thrones, NT Live: The Comedy of Errors) plays Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s iconic play, broadcast live from the National Theatre, and with live orchestral accompaniment by Southbank Sinfonia.

BOLSHOI: Swan Lake – Feb 5th By moonlight on the shore of a mysterious lake, Prince Siegfried meets the bewitched swan-woman Odette. Completely spellbound by her beauty, he swears his love for her. However, the Prince realises too late that fate has another plan for him…

ROH Live: Woolf Works – Feb 8th The pioneering literary work of Virginia Woolf is the inspiration for multi-award-winning choreographer Wayne McGregor’s brilliant triptych for The Royal Ballet.

NT Live: Saint Joan – Feb 16th Gemma Arterton is Joan of Arc, broadcast live from the Donmar Warehouse.

Exhibition On Screen: I, Claude Monet – Feb 21st In this striking film from award-winning director Phil Grabsky, we take a new look at arguably the world’s favourite artist – through his own words.

ROH: The Sleeping Beauty – Feb 28th A perennial delight and a much-loved classic, The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty combines the best of classical ballet, with all its charms, virtuosity, splendid music and talented dancers.

Craig Barton is the co-director of Pilot Light TV Festival and works within film exhibition at Multiplexs and Film Festivals and is a former lecturer of film and creative media.

Release dates are subject to change and are provided by Launching Films and The Light Cinema.

The Lake 37

Shorelines

By Stephen G Baker

This time of year can be a lonely time for many people! Everyone has their family, or do they? There are a lot of people about who are very private and keep themselves to themselves. They would not trouble anyone with their problems and would not presume that anyone else is interested.

I have news for anyone who is reading this who thinks like that. I know someone who is interested in you – the Lord Jesus. He is recorded as saying in the Gospel of John – “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

The Lord Jesus is personally interested in each one of us. For no other reason than He wants the best for us! If you doubt that, then read one of the four Gospels in the New Testament part of the Bible. The record about Jesus says that: “He went about doing good.” For three years He dispensed the blessing and forgiveness of God to the people He met. He healed them both physically and spiritually. By doing this He was proving that God is interested. That God is caring! That God has time for you! Even His amazing miracles demonstrate that God cares. The one who can heal the body can save the soul!

You can come to Him quietly, by praying to Him, wherever you are. We have all sinned against God and need His forgiveness. When we agree with God that we have disobeyed His commandments and ask for His forgiveness then He will forgive.

Why and how, you may ask?

Why? Because we are in danger. God is just and must judge wrong. Our wrongdoing has consequences because breaking God’s law is damaging.

Just as fire burns, so sin hurts and has ongoing consequences. This is why we need God’s help. The Bible states that God “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”.

How? God can save us from the consequence of sin because His Son, Jesus, died on the cross for our sins. The Bible says: “Christ died for the ungodly.” He died for you, and I, and can forgive us because He took the punishment for sin. Jesus was sinless and so was qualified to pay the price on our behalf.

When you trust Lord Jesus Christ with your life and soul you will be forgiven – why not believe today. It works – He saved me and has been part of my life for fifty years now.

As one of your New Year resolutions, why not promise yourself that you will look after your spiritual health this year. Here is a challenge for you.

Start reading a little every day in the New Testament section of the Bible. I think you will be amazed at the difference it makes to your life.

Wishing you a happy and successful 2017.

www.findingthemissingpeace.blogspot.co.uk www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Appeal to support Merseyside’s most vulnerable during the colder winter months Community Foundation for Merseyside aims to raise vital charitable funds for the vulnerable this winter The Spirit of Merseyside Winter Appeal aims to raise funds and awareness of the combined effects of winter on individuals across our region who may be more vulnerable than most, especially due to natural disasters, fuel poverty and loneliness.

With colder weather forecasted for our region over the coming weeks, the community foundation wants to act as a vehicle to collect and distribute donations to vulnerable people and the groups who help them across Merseyside.

The UK has one of the highest increases in winter-related deaths amongst the elderly in Europe. Each winter one older person dies every seven minutes from the cold. Additionally, Merseyside alone has approximately 77,000 households that experience fuel poverty during the winter months.

For the past five years, the Community Foundation has been raising funds to help support vulnerable people survive the winter. The Appeal acts as a vehicle for generous pensioners to ‘recycle’ their Winter Fuel payments and has now developed into a giving portal for anyone to donate to support vulnerable people in their communities.

Karen Morris, Philanthropy Director at the Community Foundation said: “Winter is a dangerous time for the most vulnerable people and we want to tackle the issue of social isolation and help the many households living in fuel poverty.

“Merseyside is one of the most generous counties in the country and we hope many people will support the Appeal to demonstrate their spirit of Merseyside to support those less fortunate this winter.”

All donations will be used to support community groups, charities and individuals across Merseyside.

To donate online to the Spirit of Merseyside Winter Appeal, please visit: www.cfmerseyside.org.uk/give/spirit-of-merseyside or the dedicated My Donate page at www.mydonate.bt.com/ events/spiritofmerseyside. Donations of £1 upwards are welcomed!

Individuals and groups can apply to the fund by visiting www.cfmerseyside.org.uk/apply

38 The Lake

What I mean by that is I see many people come along all focused and committed to reach a goal for a particular holiday or event, and then, after all their hard work to get there, they just stop. This is crazy.

Let’s say you work mega hard to loose two dress sizes for a wedding and then of course take some time off, but after that you should have a plan to continue on the journey! This is the easy bit. Enjoy weekend treats and keep your toe dipped into some kind of fitness to just stay on top of those results you worked so hard for. A lot of people let themselves get out of good habits because they took a break. So next time you hit your goals, have a maintenance plan to stop you going all the way back to square one.

Being around people who have similar goals will really help you stay on track! Throughout January and February we are offering to help you out with a workplace challenge.

Our lifestyle blog is brought to you by Personal Trainer and Fitness Queen founder, Hayley Lundy.

We aim to educate, motivate and inspire our readers to live a healthy, active life.

I love this time of year! It’s great when the madness of Christmas has settled down and you get some time to sit back, focus on yourself and your goals, and plan some ‘me time’ in which to take action. People often feel guilty about taking time to work on their own goals and ambitions, especially if they have a young family, demanding job or other time-consuming activities.

The thing is that when you do take the time to focus on yourself, the people around you will benefit too. For example, doing a couple of workouts a week and eating healthier will help you feel better.

You will have more energy, sleep better, feel happier, and maybe feel better about the way you look. If you’re feeling better in yourself, then the people you spend time with will be around someone who is making a positive contribution to their own well-being.

Starting a health and fitness journey is not about looking perfect in the mirror, but waking up feeling energised and ready to enjoy the day ahead! Having energy and feeling good just makes life better and that’s what we want to do right? Make the most of life?

Let’s be honest, a good holiday, night out, time out, or time to overindulge is good for the soul, but I’m sure most of us feel overindulged and ready for a full body clear out now we have hit January. So what’s the secret to keep that health and fitness journey lasting throughout the year? How do you keep on track for the long term? Personally I find people go wrong by not having an exit plan when they hit their desired goal.

It makes sense for us to offer a challenge that you can do with your work colleagues, as work is where you spend most of your time. You can contact us with as little as three people and we can come and talk you through our five steps to success. We are offering our free nutrition talks either at lunchtime or the end of your working day.

We have limited spaces of course, but will try to visit as many businesses as possible! Give us a shout if you want more info or feel it could benefit your workplace. There is too much conflicting information when it comes to starting a healthy eating plan, so we aim to keep things simple with our five steps to success.

Contact us for further info.

M: 0773 547 0326 W: www.thefitnessqueen.co.uk F: Fitness Queen E: Hayley@thefitnessqueen.co.uk

Hayley x

2017 WORKPLACE CHALLENGE Would your workplace like to take part in our workplace challenge? Do you have three or more colleges who would like to team up to hit some New Year goals? We can help you shift those unwanted pounds and work together to feel your best!

We offer one-to-one personal training, small group training and nutrition consultations. You can see us as little or often as you like (depending on availability) with a complementary in-between workout plan to help you maximise results.

Contact us for further info.