The Challenge March 2022

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Issue: 417 March 2022

KNOWSLEY AND NORTH LIVERPOOL’S BIGGEST NEWSPAPER

Christmas Tractor Run raises over £65K for charities - Page 3

Residents launch appeal against medical waste disposal facility in Simonswood

APPEAL LAUNCHED AGAINST MEDICAL WASTE APPLICATION A planning application by Lancashire County Council to build a medical waste disposal facility on Stopgate Lane, Simonswood – close to the Knowsley boundary – is currently being objected to by Knowsley residents and Knowsley Council.

The site for the proposed plant is outside of the Knowsley boundary, meaning the planning application will not be determined by Knowsley Council.

However, there is significant concern that its impact will be felt within Knowsley – specifically in the area of Kirkby close to the proposed facility, which would be impacted in terms of both emissions and traffic.

As a result, Knowsley Council has lodged a formal objection with Lancashire County Council and is sharing information with residents about how to find out more.

The applicant is a company called Culzean W2E Ltd. They are seeking permission to demolish some existing buildings on Simonswood Industrial Estate and replace them with a purpose-built high temperature treatment facility for managing medical waste.

It would burn 4,000 tonnes of waste annually – both hazardous and non-hazardous – using a process called ‘pyrolysis’, where materials are thermally decomposed. The facility would include a 14m tall chimney (roughly about the height of three double decker buses stacked on top of each other).

The incinerator, set to be just 1.5 miles away from three primary schools as well as six large housing estates, has the potential to affect approximately 40,000 residents of Kirkby as well as inhabitants of other surrounding wards such as Lydiate, Ormskirk, Melling, Maghull, Skelmersdale and Bickerstaffe.

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2 March 2022

APPEAL LAUNCHED AGAINST MEDICAL WASTE APPLICATION • Continued from Page 1 If approved, the facility will burn up to 3,600 tonnes of medical waste a year, as well as put 24 HGVs on the road, with many residents showing great concern regarding how safe it will be to live in such proximity to a facility burning hazardous and toxic waste.

The waste that could be burned will be infectious and contaminated with bodily fluids including sharps, dressings, used equipment and parts of the human body.

Due to the level of dioxin emissions that medical incinerators pump out, The World Health Organisation is openly against the burning of medical waste altogether.

In a bid to raise local awareness of the application, Amy Seddon and Jen Bamber have formed an online community to ensure that all residents of Knowsley and surrounding areas can submit valid objections to Lancashire County Council.

Jen said: “It is disgusting that as the people who are most likely to be affected by this incinerator, we were not informed or deemed important enough to have a say in what goes on in our neighbourhood.

“I thought it was vital that the residents were told about the plans so they could make an objection if they wished, which is why we decided to bring people together and make a united stand. There are so many issues with this planning application, and we simply can’t allow it to go ahead.

“If we stand together, there is no reason why we can’t stop the build and show that as a community, we won’t be bullied by businesses who want to use our area to make money with no

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regard for the residents.”

Formed on Facebook, the group titled ‘Stop the Simonswood Incinerator’ currently has 2,800 members and grows daily. The aim of the group is to raise awareness of the plans and the dangers of incinerators, as well as assist members who want to submit their own objections.

Amy added: “The response we have had in just a week is mind blowing and all residents of surrounding areas are on the same page – we simply don’t want this incinerator on our doorsteps where we live; we have the right to not breathe in carcinogenic air.

“However, we are keen to extend our message to other surrounding areas who may not yet be fully aware of the repercussions of such a site being built, and we will be leafletting in Maghull, Bickerstaffe, Ormskirk, Melling and other nearby wards this week. It is important for residents to understand that the incinerator will affect them negatively, too.”

The group currently holds fortnightly Zoom meetings to discuss progress as well as listen to and express concerns that members have. A public meeting is set to be held on Wednesday 16 March at St Andrew’s Church, Tower Hill, with an open invite extended to anybody who wishes to attend in both personal and professional capacities.

Due to demand, a fully functional website is also being built.

For those who wish to join the community, please visit: www.facebook.com/stopthesimonswoodincinerator where full details can be found.

Lancashire County Council have stipulated that all objections received on and before Thursday 17 March will be considered.

Headteacher of Bickerstaffe CE Primary School, Miss Kirstin O’Kane, said: “As headteacher of Bickerstaffe CE Primary School, I completely oppose these plans. The incinerator will have an incredibly negative impact upon where our Kirkby families live, as well as when travelling to and from school. The hazardous fumes could seriously affect their health, whilst the additional heavy goods traffic on the road could cause endless problems.

“Being three miles from the planned site, there is a high chance our school and local community will also be exposed to these fumes, depending on wind direction.

“One of the main benefits of the school’s location is the beautiful surroundings and the clean air that our children get to enjoy when outdoors. If these plans go ahead, it will really affect the way our children learn and play.”

Angela Driscoll, who is a Bickerstaffe resident, said: “We have formed a group in Bickerstaffe to highlight what is happening with the incinerator, we believe that a lot of people who live in the immediate area do not know about the application and the effects it will have on residents living close by, it was only by chance that a local resident spotted by application on the Lancashire County Council website that we came to hear about it.

“Already we have had over 2,000 people contact

Knowsley Councillor Tony Brennan whose ward, Shevington will be affected by the proposals

us within 48 hours of us breaking the news and have offered their support and voiced their objections.

“We are urging people who live in the area to attend the meeting in St Andrew’s Church on the 16 March and make their voices heard.”

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council have also officially objected to the application, as have local councillors from a variety of political parties.

At that stage, there were no firm details of what this might involve. However, Knowsley Council made it clear to Lancashire County Council in November 2020 that it was concerned about the information submitted.

Kirkby ward members and council officers requested a meeting with the developer behind the potential plans that meeting occurred in early 2021.

At that meeting the developer was advised by the elected members of their opposition to any such development.

Knowsley Council also contacted several neighbouring local councils, councillors and MPs, to seek their support in opposing the plans.

The application states that there would be up to 24 HGV movements per day associated with this facility. It also says that these vehicles would not use Shevington’s Lane and Headbolt Lane, where weight limits are in place.

However, HGVs travelling to Simonswood Industrial estate regularly flout these rules and continue to use the weight restricted roads. As a result, local residents are already suffering noise, pollution and disturbance. Even if only a few of the 24 additional HGVs travelling to site also use the weight restricted roads, that would lead to an unacceptable harm to local residents.

As well as noise and disturbance, the HGVs already travelling to Simonswood Industrial Estate are often poorly loaded, and spill material onto the surrounding roads.

Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, economy and skills, said: “As a ward member for Shevington, which would be living in the shadow of this development, I’ve lodged my own personal objections, and I’m urging anyone worried about this proposal to do the same.

“Not only am I extremely concerned about the potential negative impact of emissions on health, I also know that any increase in HGV movement around this site would have a negative impact on the environment and the safety of people locally.”

March 2022 3

Christmas Tractor Run raises over £65K for charities fter the success of the 2020 Liverpool tractor run visiting Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Fans Supporting Food Banks, Olly Harrison and his team of tractor drivers took to the streets of Liverpool to raise vital funds again.

Local farmer and organiser of the event Olly Harrison started the convoy after seeing this done on the Isle of Man where farmers decorated their tractors and taking to the streets to provide a spectacle for people to see, he decided to organise one here in the city.

The event which took place on Sunday 19 December, and started at Ollie’s farm in Tarbock Village was bigger and better than last years smashing the previous year’s fundraising amount (£43k with gift aid) by managing to raise over £65K. The target last year was to raise £5,000 from the event to help raises funds towards the pioneering work of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Funds help ensure the 330,000 children treated each year have access to the best facilities and equipment. The event is also encouraging food donations to Fans Supporting Foodbanks.

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The three hour tractor convoy lit up the streets of the city, in aid of raising funds for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, as well as provide food for food banks.

The vehicles were festively decorated in lights and tinsel once again, with some of the tractors at last year's event featuring snowmen and reindeers on them!

The vehicles saw thousands of people take to the streets of Liverpool to cheer and wave the festive farmers on along their journey into Liverpool.

Cath Harding, head of community fundraising, Alder Hey Children’s Charity said: “On behalf of everyone at Alder Hey I’d like to say a huge thank you to Olly and the entire farming community for putting on another amazing spectacle of an event and for raising such an incredible amount of money in support of children and their families treated at Alder Hey. “Thanks also to the amazing volunteers who helped to marshal on the night, and everyone in the community who turned out to watch and who donated. We can’t wait to welcome the Tractors back to Liverpool this Christmas Tractor Run organiser Olly Harrison presents a cheque of over £65K to Cath Christmas.”

Harding, head of community fundraising, Alder Hey Children’s Charity

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4 March 2022

Shining a light on Stockbridge Village

Park View residents have discovered the write way to keep young The power of the pen is helping residents at Park View Nursing Home roll back the years!

For a new pen pal link between the Kingsley Healthcare home in Ullet Road, Liverpool and The Belvedere Preparatory School is bridging the generation gap - and putting a smile on everyone’s face.

Home manager Lyndsey Gladden said: “It’s not just older people who have felt isolated during the pandemic. Children have also missed valuable contact with grandparents and other important figures in their life from the older generation.

“We thought it would be a lovely idea to start a pen pal link and we are really grateful that pupils at The Belvedere school have taken up the idea so well.”

It started with residents colouring Valentine’s cards for the pupils and resident Eileen Rigby, pictured, met one of the youngsters to hand them over.

Residents have since received personalised letters from the pupils and it hoped to continue the blossoming friendship.

Miss Gladden said: “Contact with children is so important for older people and it often brings back happy memories of their own childhood.”

Stockbridge Village tenants see their memories, hopes and dreams come alive in atmospheric tower-block light show More than 1,600 people visited Stockbridge Village to see the latest event in Knowsley’s year-long Borough of Culture programme.

Tall Tales was a stunning large-scale community artwork that saw Merecliff – a residential 16-storey tower block in Stockbridge Village owned

by ForHousing – animated and illuminated with heart-warming stories from the local community.

Landlord ForHousing, Knowsley Council, light and sound artists Illuminos, and, importantly, the people of Stockbridge Village collaborated to bring this dramatic projection to the heart of the community.

The site-specific projection, unique to Stockbridge and Merecliff high-rise, opened with the scene of a pot of tea, pouring everyone a cuppa from the windows on the block. Voices from the community were overlaid, sharing their stories about riding chopper bikes through the old subways, the pride of football on the estate and the beauty of the Craigs Community Garden, creating a vibrant, immersive celebration of the borough.

“I was so excited to see my picture in Tall Tales,” said Connor Dowle, aged 11, who had his story featured in the projection.

ForHousing worked closely with the community to encourage tenants and locals alike to get involved by sharing stories and memories of the place they call home. Tall Tales captured the community spirit, heart and supportive place that Stockbridge is to live in.

Abigail Winstanley, neighbourhood strategic lead at ForHousing, said: “Seeing tenants share their stories, and having images that bring them to life projected onto a living canvas made up of their homes and the homes of their friends and family, has been really special. It has given tenants a voice – which is so important for creating a place people are proud to call home.

“It’s wonderful to see tenant’s pride in where they live shine through in this celebration of the local community.”

Green light for 350 homes at Halsnead Garden Village Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey can start redeveloping 40 acres at the Knowsley scheme after the council signed the project off.

Knowsley Council granted provisional approval for the project last summer but a final decision notice for the 350-home development was signed last week.

The scheme, which features three- and four-bedroom homes, lies north of the M62 and forms part of the south-eastern parcel of land within Halsnead Garden Village.

Halsnead was one of the first 14 sites in England awarded Garden Village status by the Government in 2017.

The Halsnead masterplan, led by Knowsley Council, plots the development of 1,600 homes, 55 acres of employment land and 81 acres of green space across the 430acre former Cronton Colliery east of Junction 6 of the M62.

Alongside Taylor Wimpey, Stewart Milne Homes and a joint venture between Bloor Homes and Maro are advancing plans for further residential elements at Halsnead.

March 2022 5

Kingsley Healthcare’s new luxury care home serving your local community Lyndsey Gladden, manager of our new flagship care home in Liverpool, is a nurse with 14 years of experience and proud to call herself a local girl.

She is experienced as a nursing home manager and regional manager and has enjoyed success in national care awards.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party from 1pm to 3pm on Saturday Saturday, ay y, April 23.

Families Families are invited to join us for our St George’s Day celebration.

Free Free party food and refreshments. Free Free Easter egg hunt for children.

Children invited to dress up for our Mad Hatter’s fancy dress competition and win a prize!

“Park View is the only purpose-built nursing and dementia home in the area and we are passionate about forging really close links with the community.

“I would love to show you around. Please call me to arrange a visit.”

Make Park View your first choice for nursing, dementia, residential and respite care.

56 spacious bedr bedroom oom suites suites Be Beautiful autiful int interior erior de design sign ges and dinin g rrooms ooms Spacious loun lounges dining F amily rroom oom / Pr ivate dining dining Family Private C afé/Shop / Home theatre theatre Café/Shop Be autifully landsc aped garden garden Beautifully landscaped

Call us today to book a visit. 0151 515 0075 P Park ark View Nursing Home, Home 14 Ullet Road, Liverpool, L8 3SR. 0151 515 0075 www.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk PPart art of the Kingsley Healthcare Group

6 March 2022

KNOWSLEY ARK Bringing history alive Behind Closed Doors In the Archive, we aim to carry out a full stock take of the collections on an annual basis. Since 2017, this has been the case – except for 2021, when COVID restrictions meant that we were unable to carry out the task.

This year, the stock take took place over two weeks in January.

The stock take is important as it gives us an opportunity to tackle some of the jobs that are difficult to complete under normal operating conditions, such as examining all the collections to ensure that they are complete and housed correctly. We also assess the condition of the collections and identify items for conservation by a professional, accredited conservator. Other tasks include assessing, listing and preparing the collections due for cataloguing and making sure that any box listings are up to date. The whole process of stock taking helps preserve the integrity of the collections, makes sure that we are using the limited space in the store efficiently and ensures that all items can be retrieved effectively when requested by researchers.

As we examine the collections in our care, we are on the lookout for dangers lurking within the records. Stainless steel paper fixings such as staples, paper clips, document tags and pins will, over time, oxidise and form rust. The rust eats away at the paper, creating burn-like damage to the document.

To prevent this happening, we replace these damaging fixings with brass paper clips, which don’t cause long-term damage to paper. Other materials, such as rubber bands, are also removed as they deteriorate over time and cause damage to the documents.

The stock take also highlights documents that need to be repackaged in acid free materials to preserve the records. It’s important to use specially produced, archival storage materials that will not react or degrade and cause damage to the collections over time.

Individual documents or photographs can be slipped into acid free polyester pockets and larger items or volumes, such as minute books, can be wrapped in acid free folders and sleeves. Very large volumes, for example, rates books, can be enveloped in soft archive wrap for protection.

The contents of heavy boxes are divided up and carefully repackaged into

smaller boxes, to make sure that the documents aren’t crushed. Health and safety is also a concern – splitting the boxes means that people can safely lift and transport them. We aim to house all the collections in archival quality boxes to protect and preserve the contents.

White gloves are often associated with archives. When handling archival records, we sometimes use the white cotton gloves to prevent oils and microscopic dirt from our hands from affecting the items. We also use dust masks to protect us from dust particles that can gather on ancient volumes.

One job which continues throughout the year is monitoring for pests. Bugs of various forms can attack paper, leather bindings and the glue that holds books together. Precautions are in place to prevent infestation, for example, new acquisitions which could carry a pest burden are placed in the Quarantine Room while they are assessed. Traps for insects and other pests are set and checked regularly to make sure that the Archive remains pest-free and the collections are kept safe.

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Amongst the run of the mill, day-to-day correspondence, a particular letter that concerns a royal death

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Some of the pests in our rogue’s gallery of insects to look out for are: silverfish, which feed on damp paper, books and textiles; carpet beetles, whose larvae eat wool, fur, feather, silk and skins; woodlice – which can be a sign that there may be a damp problem, as they attack rotting wood and vegetation – and the common booklouse. This feasts on the surface of damp paper and books, causing damage to the documents. Whilst the archive store remains pest-free, we are very conscious of the importance of biosecurity and the potential havoc that an attack of hungry insects and beetles could cause!

Interesting discoveries A very positive aspect of the stock take is that we can delve deeply into collections which we might not otherwise explore – giving us an

opportunity to share some interesting stories. Sometimes, looking through a single box can uncover a lot more than expected. Such was the case with a collection relating to a former Town Clerk of Prescot Urban District Council.

Henry Cross and Son was a law firm operating from offices at 2 Derby Street, Prescot in the 19th and 20th centuries, before amalgamating with A.E. Tickle and Son and S. Hall and Co. Henry Cross was also Clerk to Prescot Urban District Council and his son, William Arthur Cross, was similarly involved in civic life, being the last Steward of Prescot Court Leet. The seven bundles in the collection contain various materials relating to Prescot, Knowsley and the Cross family’s involvement in the life of the township, from items such as share certificates and documents relating to civic and parish duties to correspondence and photographs.

A bundle of letters concerning Prescot Urban District Council from the period 9 Sep 1909 - 7 May 1912 is representative of the time when Henry Cross, solicitor was Clerk to Prescot Urban District Council. His son, W.A. Cross, acted as his deputy at this time.

Amongst the run of the mill, day-today correspondence, a particular letter that concerns a royal death and a great statesman stands out. Dated 15 June

1910, it is a single sheet of quality paper, edged in a strong, black border to signify mourning, with the Home Office crest at the top. The letter, sent from The Home Office, Whitehall, is addressed to the Clerk to the Prescot U.D.C. It conveys acknowledgement of and thanks for a resolution of sympathy on the death of King Edward VII passed by the Council - the King had passed away on 6 May that year. The signature is also interesting: ‘I am, sir, your obedient servant: Winston Churchill’. As these letters were sent to local authorities, societies and institutions across the country, they were printed with space for the handwritten insertion of the specific organisation and its contribution.

Likewise, the signature is not handwritten, but is a stamp of Churchill’s actual signature. This letter is a wonderful example of local involvement in historically significant national events, and is currently on display as part of our ‘Letters from the Archive’ mini-exhibition at Kirkby Library.

You can find out more about our heritage by visiting our website http://archives.knowsley.gov.uk/ email infoheritage@knowsley.gov.uk or call 0151 443 4291/4365. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and find Knowsley Archives on Flickr, WordPress and Soundcloud.

March 2022 7

HALEWOOD CHARITY RECEIVES £1200 BOOST Leading housebuilder Bellway has made a £1200 donation to Knowsleybased dementia charity Memory Lane in Halewood.

With two new developments coming soon to Halewood, the housebuilder was keen to support the valuable local service and provide a cash donation towards daily running costs and the creation of a wonderful new wonderland community dementia garden.

Based at the Arncliffe Sports and Community Centre on Arncliffe Road, Memory Lane is a community interest company that provides support to those living with dementia and also to their families.

It was established by Patricia Mairs who became passionate about improving community dementia support services following her own experiences when caring for her mother who suffered with dementia for 10 years.

Run by a group of experienced volunteers, all of whom have cared for a

loved one with dementia, Memory Lane provides advice, empathy and understanding, not only for those living with dementia but also those who care tirelessly for them.

Using a family-based approach, the group invites dementia sufferers and their families to the centre to take part in singing, dancing, tai chi and occasional parties and day trips.

The sessions are ideal for information sharing, support and offering a new perspective for those dealing with dementia to share in social and enjoyable activities and enable families to discuss the unique challenges of caring for a dementia sufferer through informal chat.

Founder Patricia Mairs said: “We are so grateful to Bellway for the kind donation, all of which will be used to enhance the services that we provide for our users at Memory Lane.

“When my own mother was diagnosed with dementia, I had lots of questions and didn’t know where to

turn for help.

“Services were limited and I struggled to get the advice and support that I so desperately needed leaving both mum and me feeling isolated and lonely. I knew something had to change, and with the support of others who felt the same, we set up Memory Lane using our knowledge, skills and experiences to provide answers for others and reassure them that they are not alone.”

Sales director at Bellway, Jenny Bell, said: “When we first heard about the

work done by Patricia and the team at Memory Lane we knew that we wanted to help. Providing such an easy-toaccess and valuable local service in the heart of the community, we were happy to offer a donation and are pleased to see that it has already been put to good use.”

A voluntary service, Memory Lane relies entirely on donations. To help fund its day-to-day operations, users pay a small weekly usage charge of £5.00 to attend events at the centre.

8 March 2022

Double, double toil and trouble…

A new trail of quirky creatures has appeared in Prescot town centre.

The sculptures represent some of the animals mentioned in the witches’ chant from the well-known Shakespeare play Macbeth. They create a fun trail of animals across the town for people to find and enjoy.

In 2020, a frog and newt were installed in Market Place and now a further 12 animals are perched on pillars and other unusual locations across the town.

The eye-catching artworks have been installed to link in with Knowsley’s celebrations for its year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture and ahead of the opening of the Shakespeare North Playhouse in the summer when thousands of new visitors are expected to visit the town every year.

Celebrating the town’s connections to William Shakespeare, the artworks create an interesting talking point about Prescot’s heritage and make a fun and engaging trail for people to enjoy.

Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development said on the sculptures: “These sculptures are a great addition to

Prescot. How lovely to have Shakespeare themed animal sculptures to help celebrate the town’s special history and heritage, Knowsley’s year as Borough of Culture and of course the Shakespeare North Playhouse.

“It is all contributing towards our transformation of Prescot town centre, we’ve achieved so much already from major upgrades at Prescot railway station, physical improvements to buildings and areas in the town, new wayfinding signage and some striking pieces of public art. It’s great to see everything coming together and the town being ready to welcome the thousands of new visitors we are expecting when the Shakespeare North Playhouse opens in the Summer.”

The steel animal sculptures have been created by father and son artists Brian and George Fell and have been funded through the Liverpool City Region Mayoral Town Centres Fund, which was established by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to support local authority plans to revitalise their town centres.

The sculptures are also a key element of the council’s overall ambition to

transform Prescot town centre and to make it an even more attractive and welcoming place for local residents and visitors.

These bespoke animal artworks are part of the wider connectivity strategy for the town which saw bespoke inner

gateway signs installed late 2020 and a family of new wayfinding signage installed across the town centre in early 2021. There are also striking pieces of public art in place at key roundabouts leading into the town and at Prescot railway station.

Jaguar Land Rover ‘Plant a Tree (70) for the Jubilee’ The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.

Everyone from individuals to Scout and Girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates will be encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees.

With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.

This month, Knowsley Chamber CEO, Lesley Martin-Wright and the LordLieutenant of Merseyside – Mark Blundell, (who is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s personal representative in the region) visited a team from Jaguar Land Rover, Halewood, to officially unveil the plaque for their new Queen’s Green Canopy Orchard.

The trees (and plaque) were planted by Jaguar Land Rover employees, who volunteered from all parts of the factory to came together as one team to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year. This spectacular orchard and sustainable ecosystem is made up of 70 trees, a mixture of apple, pear and plum, one to mark each year of the Queen’s reign. It will also be used as a place of wellbeing and reflection

on site for employees for many years to come.

As well as Knowsley Camber’s CEO Lesley and the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, The JLR team were also joined by The Merseyside High Sherriff, Nigel Lanceley, Deputy Lieutenant, and Queen’s Green Canopy Lead for Merseyside, His Honour John Roberts.

Investment confirmed for improvements at Prescot bus station Transformational upgrades to the Liverpool City Region’s busiest bus corridors to create ‘Green Bus Routes’ will begin this month, starting in Knowsley.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is investing £1.9m from its Transforming Cities Fund into improvements at Prescot Bus Station. The investment will improve bus services and the passenger experience and support the nationally significant Shakespeare North Playhouse development.

The improvements at Prescot Bus Station include public realm enhancements, such as improved streetlighting, new high quality bus stops and appropriates measure to ensure accessibility for users, including adding tactile paving.

Prescot will also benefit from

improvements to the number 10 bus route, with the introduction of new ‘bus boarders’ at various stops in the town.

Work on the bus station will start immediately and will be completed in time for the opening of the Playhouse in the summer. As a result, Prescot bus station will remain closed temporarily and the alternative bus stop positions on the Sewell Street/Kemble Street junction will continue until the improvement works are completed.

Coupled with the completion of the Prescot Rail Station upgrades last summer, this latest set of uplifts should encourage more people to travel to and from the Playhouse and town centre via public transport and complement the existing attractive gateway into the area.

March 2022 9

Kirkby man receives life sentence for murder of father A Kirkby man has been jailed for life with a minimum of 19 years after being convicted of the murder of his father.

At around 11.25pm on Monday 17 May last year, emergency services were called to Kirkby Row, Westvale, to reports of two men fighting.

Neil Farrington, 51, was taken to hospital with head injuries but sadly died four weeks later. His son, Neil Badrock, 28, of Kenbury Close, Northwood, Kirkby, was detained nearby.

Following an investigation he was charged with murder and found guilty following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

He was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 19 years before being considered for parole.

Detective Superintendent Helen Bennett said: “This is a terribly tragic incident. Neil Farrington died as a result of head injuries suffered during an assault by his own son.

“Neil’s family have struggled to come to terms, not only with his death, but in the manner in which he died and the subsequent arrest of his son.

“Their devastation has been further compounded by having to

hear the graphic details of what happened that night played out in a courtroom.

“I hope that the verdict will give them some sense of closure and allow them to finally move on and grieve the loss of a loved one.

“Neil Badrock will now spend a

considerable period of time behind bars reflecting on the consequences of his actions on that night.”

The family of Neil Farrington have said: “This past week has been especially harrowing and heart breaking for my whole family as each day we have had to sit through Neil Badrock’s trial for the cowardly, brutal and totally senseless murder of his own father and our much loved and much missed brother Neil Farrington.

“We will never forgive Neil Badrock for taking our brother from us in this way and for the devastation and heart break he has brought to all our lives.

“We would like to thank the team at Merseyside Police for their fantastic support throughout. From 17 May 2021 when the attack happened right through to the guilty verdict today their professionalism and compassion has shone through.

“We would also like to thank the many members of the Kirkby community who came forward with valuable information and testimonies to help us secure justice. Life will never be the same for any of our family but today’s verdict will help us a little as we try to rebuild our lives.”

Council getting tough on irresponsible dog owners Knowsley Councillors have reaffirmed that ‘we’re not messing’ when it comes to dealing with irresponsible dog owners who let their pets foul the streets.

Following an increase in dog fouling incidents across Knowsley, council leader Cllr Graham Morgan and councillors have met with the Council’s Dog Warden team to discuss residents’ concerns and look at ways of tackling the issue across the borough.

The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for the control of dogs grants the council the power to hold dog owners to account for dog fouling, including issuing fixed penalty notices of £100 if the rules aren’t followed.

Anyone found guilty of breaching the order could be fined up to £1,000.

Knowsley council leader, Cllr Graham Morgan said: “We know that most residents are responsible owners and pick up after their dogs.

However, the selfish and irresponsible actions of the few create a blight on our streets, neighbourhoods and our beautiful parks and green spaces.

“We are listening to the concerns of residents and will take robust action where we can to penalise those irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets to foul the streets. We want to educate people and remind them their actions have consequences. We all have a part to play in keeping our streets and neighbourhoods clean for us all to enjoy. I would urge anyone with a dog to ensure they pick up after them.”

COBALT HOUSING RECOGNISED A KEY PARTNER Cobalt Housing has been selected by Liverpool City Council to help deliver a £350K Partnership for People and Place initiative in Croxteth, as part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda.

Bringing together health, housing, policing, local authorities and community organisations, the initiative aims to take a community-led approach to tackling a broad range of issues including increasing apprenticeship opportunities, tackling crime, health disparities, youth unemployment and poverty.

Selected local authorities will receive up to £350,000 over a two-year period from the HM Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund, to fund their locationspecific initiative tailored to meet the needs of different resident groups.

As the only housing association to have been selected to co-lead a PfPP initiative, Cobalt Housing’s leadership of the project could set the blueprint for similar projects across the region, demonstrating the pivotal role community-focused housing could and

should have on local residents.

Alan Rogers, chief executive at Cobalt Housing, said: “We are delighted to have been asked by Liverpool City Council to help deliver the initiative in Croxteth, and it is testament to the great work we’ve been doing alongside community partners over the past few years, particularly during the pandemic, which saw us take a really hands-on role to supporting groups and organisations in the community to deliver their services.”

A truly local focus following Cobalt’s demerger in 2017 has also supported the development of a local partnership network for Croxteth, working with local GP surgeries, Mersey Care NHS, Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council to bring a holistic approach to improving lives in the area.

These local partners are currently working together to develop the “Our Croxteth” project, giving £50K to local community projects through participatory budgeting, funded by partners (including some money from

(L-R): Dr Cheryl Lowes, GP at Jubilee Medical Centre; Chris Brees, department for Levelling Up, housing & communities; Jill Roberts, Croxteth Neighbourhood manager at Cobalt Housing; Kathy Allen, divisional manager localities, co-ordination and engagement at Liverpool City Council on a visit to Jubliee Medical Centre, Croxteth.

Merseyside Police’s proceeds of crime), and supporting residents in the community to take the lead on making sustainable changes to tackle key issues, and opportunities for growth, as identified by people in Croxteth.

Nick Grubb, head of neighbourhoods at Cobalt Housing, said: “Cobalt has developed key partnerships with other organisations and the local community,

leading to better joint working and a true joint approach to local issues and opportunities. This is a unique opportunity to build on this and to really drive further improvements.

“We are delighted to be at the heart of this initiative that will co-produce a strong local approach to service delivery and community empowerment in Croxteth. ”.

10 March 2022

CHALLENGE EDUCATION Round up of education news Prescot Primary awarded ‘Area of Excellence’ for tech rate above the national average • Develop leadership and improvement capacity and knowledge at school and system level • Develop a world class, self-improving and sustainable system that contributes to national research and policy-making Following a quality assurance review through Aspire Hub, Prescot Primary School has been accredited with “Area of Excellence” for the use of technology to enhance learning.

The accreditation process followed a rigorous quality assurance review by another school leader from the Challenge Partners network of excellence. A team visited the school to review their practice across their curriculum.

This means that Prescot Primary School becomes an acknowledged school with expertise to support others in the

Prescot Primary School has been awarded an Area of Excellence for tech for its use of technology in lessons and across the school curriculum.

Knowsley, along with Bolton, Bury and Tameside, has formed a Challenge Partner’s partnership, known as The Aspire Hub. The Hub consists of 19 Primary and Secondary Schools and Prescot Primary School is a member.

The Hub collaborate to support school improvement, leadership development and sharing expertise and knowledge which can be used in every day practice to benefit pupils and aims to:• Improve pupils’ examination results at a rate above the national average and accelerate progress of disadvantaged pupils • Enable all our schools to improve at a

Challenge Partner National Directory.

Other schools across the country will be looking to Prescot Primary to learn how to use technology to enhance learning in their own schools This is the third school within Knowsley to achieve an Area of Excellence status from the Hub – the other two schools are St John Fisher Catholic Primary School and Knowsley Lane Primary School.

Headteacher, Stephen George said: “It’s all about good practice and how we practice it, we meet regularly with other schools to share ideas and knowledge.

“At Prescot every pupil receives an ipad when they start and use it with their schoolwork, this has also ensured that when COVID-19 hit we were able embrace new ways of working and to work remotely.

“The award means that we are able to share our use of technology with other schools and see how we, as a school embrace it.

“A lot of thanks must also go to our staff at Prescot and particularly Lisa Seddon who not only encouraged us to apply for the status but who has also been at the forefront of our application for status as an Area of Excellence.”

Kirkby High School student receives commendation

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Kirkby High School pupil, Josh Williams receives his Certificate of Commendation from Ian Moran from Stagecoach and congratulations from Mrs Conefrey, headteacher of Kirkby High School

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Our Virtual Open Evening is availab v le online at www w..kirkbyhighschool.net

Free school uniform for all Year 7s Oversubscribed for September 2021

Headteacher Mrs Conefrey, Kirkby High School, Bracknell Avenue, Kirkby, L32 9PP. Tel: 0151 477 8710 email: admin@kirkbyhighschool.net

A Year 10 Kirkby pupil from Kirkby High School has received a Certificate of Commendation and gift vouchers from the drivers of the Stagecoach school bus for his selfless act of kindness and compassion towards a fellow student who was injured in a road traffic accident.

A student was crossing the road after getting off the bus and was hit by a car, Kirkby High student Josh Williams immediately went over to console the injured student, sitting in the middle of the road cradling his head and talking to him whilst awaiting the emergency services.

Josh did not know the student who was in Year 7 when he went to help, the driver of the school bus, Ian Moran said: “This makes the outstanding intervention

by Josh even more meaningful and remarkable and shows a level of maturity and fellowship beyond his years.

“Josh is a credit to himself, his parents and school. This was a true act of courage, generosity and decency in assisting the other student during his time of dire need”.

The student is doing well and recovering at home.

Rochelle Conefrey, headteacher of Kirkby High School, said: “Well done Josh, Kirkby High School are very proud of you.”

March 2022 11

Follow the yellow brick road to Rainford High 80 talented students from Rainford High will be taking to the stage as part of a double cast production of the Wizard of Oz later this month.

Set to be the biggest production to date, students from across all year groups are excited to perform for the local community after the school was unable to hold its annual show last year, due to the pandemic.

Due to the sheer amount of talent, the performing arts team has decided to double cast three of the production’s major roles.

Year 11 student Katie Wrangles said: “I think it is so popular this year because we have missed being part of a show and being able to do something normal and fun.”

The play will take place in the school’s auditorium and will run from Tuesday 15 March to Friday 18 March.

Year 8 student Jacob Sayer said: “The whole school production was one thing I really looked forward to joining when I came to Rainford High. I was disappointed when we couldn’t do a show last year because of COVID. “I am so glad I can be in it this year, and I am even more excited because I

am one of the Tinmen!”

Taking centre stage as Dorothy will be year 11 student, Isla Burrows, who has been part of the school’s productions for the last five years.

Isla said: “I was so happy when I found out I had got the role, I actually screamed with excitement!”

Curriculum manager of drama at the school, Helen Gillard, said: “We are extremely excited to be able to put on The Wizard of Oz this year and showcase our talented students.

“We were disappointed not to be able to put on a show last year and so this time around we are really going all

out. Audiences should expect to be wowed!

Helen added: “We like to ensure that everyone plays a part in the production, whether that is on stage or behind the scenes, as this supports our school ethos of ‘Everyone Matters, Everyone Helps, Everyone Succeeds.”

OXBRIDGE OFFERS ARE IN FOR CARMEL’S HIGH ACHIEVERS The application process to study at Oxford and Cambridge is a rigorous one. As well as stringent entry requirements, the process itself is tough, requiring lots of dedication and preparation.

At Carmel we offer the High Achievers+ Programme which encourages and supports students who are applying to Oxbridge and other competitive institutions, as well as for highly competitive degrees such as Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. Delivered by our specialist High Achievers+ Co-ordinators, the Programme offers students activities, events and support throughout the year.

Students who have received offers to study at Oxford include former Cowley International student, Faith Wild who will read English at Lady Margaret Hall; Elisha Ainsworth from Rainhill High who will read Human Sciences at Keble College; Joseph Lester, formally of St Francis Xavier’s College who will read Engineering at Hertford College and Rachel Christensen from Deyes High School who will read Law at University College.

Faith Wild said: “I really enjoyed my interviews, talking to expert academics about the subject I’m passionate about. They asked such interesting questions and we had some really interesting discussions. They were really approachable and overall it was a great experience. In the future I’d like to teach English abroad.”

Cambridge offers were received by former Sts Peter & Paul Catholic College student, Ryan Smith who will read Engineering at Trinity College; Jacob Walsh from De La Salle who will read Medicine at Magdalene College; former Cowley International student, Lauren Welsby-Riley who will read Human, Social & Political Science at Homerton College and

Claudio Mecklenburgh from Wade Deacon High School who will read Natural Sciences at Pembroke College.

Rachel Christensen said: “Carmel provided excellent support throughout the application process.

The High Achievers+ Co-ordinator for Law, Dan Saunders, was always happy to read through my personal statement and gave me really helpful comments to make it stronger. I was also able to do multiple mock interviews to allow me to gain the

experience of answering the style of questions I would be asked. My future career ambition is to hopefully become a criminal defence barrister.”

Head of the High Achievers+ Programme, Dan Saunders said: “The HA+ team are all really proud of the success of our 8 students who will be progressing onto Oxbridge. This is the result of months of hard work and practice with the guidance of our fantastic HA+ coordinators and subject staff.

Congratulations!”

12 March 2022

Winstanley student scores football scholarship with top US school Ben Rowlands, an upper sixth form student at Winstanley College, has successfully secured a scholarship with US based American Football School Union College.

Ben, who joined Winstanley in 2020, is an avid football player and is passionate about studying the sport at higher level. He currently plays for Winstanley College’s men’s team but has his sights set much further afield – Ben will soon be studying sports and exercise science with Athletic Coaching at Union College in the States!

Since establishing contact with First Point USA, a scholarship agency, Ben has strived toward making his dream of playing football at high level a reality. First Point have given Ben the opportunity to play at some of the best facilities in the country, including St George’s Park: the home of England’s teams.

Ben, who is currently in his second year here at Winstanley, said: “The support with learning at Winstanley has been incredible. All of the teachers are very welcoming, helpful and enthusiastic about their subjects – especially during the difficult times of COVID and online learning.”

The college can’t wait to see how far Ben goes when he leaves Winstanley and takes the next step towards achieving his dream.

Knowsley Council’s school attendance work highlighted as best practice by the DfE In June last year, Knowsley’s Attendance Strategy for 2021-2024 was endorsed at cabinet which encourages partners to work collaboratively to secure good attendance at school and tackle issues of persistent absenteeism.

The attendance strategy builds on pre-pandemic successes and learning gained during lockdowns with a view to narrowing the gap between local and national attendance rates (11.3% absenteeism rate in Knowsley compared to 8.3% nationally).

Prior to the pandemic, Knowsley experienced high levels of persistent absenteeism, meaning children were missing out on vital learning and socialisation with their friends.

However, over the last eight months, Knowsley’s absenteeism rate has matched the national average which is a significant improvement from prepandemic figures.

Following the implementation of the strategy the Department for Education offered an attendance advisor to work with the council and its partners to evaluate the approach and identify areas where our work may be further strengthened. The main focus of the Department for Education’s work to date has been acknowledging the best practice which underpins Knowsley’s approach. The Department for Education now intends to share Knowsley’s work with other areas nationally.

The attendance advisor visited Knowsley on 28 January and met with the Council’s education improvement team, headteachers, collaborative and school attendance leads and the vulnerable children attendance group.

The review focussed on leadership and management; data and systems; relationships and communication and intervention.

Feedback has been received from the visit where the attendance advisor thanked the council for an “interesting and comprehensive opportunity to observe the council’s excellent work.”

Local students set to become published poets Year 7 and 9 students from The Academy of St Nicholas, Garston, are to have their poems published in a book.

As part of a nationwide competition set by Young Writers, students were tasked with writing a poem with an ‘empowered’ theme.

Young Writers aims to encourage young people to engage in creative writing and has worked with schools, parents and young writers since 1991.

The Academy of St Nicholas ran the competition alongside National Poetry Day and Black History Month last year, using these awareness days as a springboard for what empowerment means for students.

In their poems, students described the personal experiences they have faced, specifically over the last 18 months which have been difficult for them due to school closures, isolation and general disruption to their education.

Judges from Young Writers have personally selected 37 poems by students, from the academy, that were inspiring and evoked a positive response. The poems will be published in a book later this year.

A poem by Adi Akeleke, aged 13, will be included in the book.

What is it about this world?

What is it about this world that racism exists?

What is it about this world that inequality exists?

What is it about this world that injustice exists?

What is it about this world?

Is this the world we really live in?

Is this the world we truly breathe in?

People dying up and down Yet we still make no sound?

What is it about some people?

Blinded by their privilege Many affected by climate change Isn’t this too brutal and bad?

Why don’t we all speak up?

Stand together as one.

What is it about this world?

That makes it all so harsh.

Head of KS3 English, Mrs Jamie Watts, led the competition in school. She said: “The Young Writers competition is a great way for students to express themselves and help their creative writing.

“We like to take part of every year and this year’s ‘empowered’ theme really struck a chord with our students. I’m so proud that 37 of our students will have their work published in a book. We are all very excited to see them in print.”

The Academy of St Nicholas is a unique joint Catholic and Church of England Academy in South Liverpool close to the border of Knowsley. For more information about places for Year 7 intake 2022 please visit http://theacademyofstnicholas.org.uk/

March 2022 13

Knowsley Safari ‘Springs into Adventure’ with children’s mental health Knowsley Safari is launching a new series of wildlife-inspired mental health and wellbeing sessions for local primary school children, following the success of its Autumn Wild and Well programme.

More than 600 early-years school children from across Knowsley took part in Wild and Well, inspiring the Safari to create its new series, ‘Spring into Adventure’.

Running from the end of March until May half-term 2022, the Safari is creating a larger programme featuring 900 free-of-charge places for school children right across Knowsley.

‘Spring into Adventure’ enables school pupils to take part in a series of team challenges, which test their abilities to survive and thrive in the great outdoors.

The programme takes place in the Safari’s woodland walk area and sees children tackling an obstacle course, mastering den-building skills, learning about how animals use speed and agility to catch prey, as well as discovering all about different natural habitats and the animals that call them home.

Nikki Burton Mallott, head of learning and discovery at Knowsley Safari, said: “Our Autumn Wild and Well programme helped children to build confidence and social skills. Being outdoors and connecting with nature was at the heart of this and created experiences the children really enjoyed and that they remembered for long afterwards.

“By expanding the size of the programme, hopefully Spring into Adventure will create even more opportunity to benefit the mental health and wellbeing of children throughout Knowsley.”

‘Wild and Well: Spring into Adventure’ is also supported by The Knowsley Safari Foundation. The recently established charity helps to fund learning resources, including pupil packs for children taking part in the programme.

The Safari-based sessions have been designed for school Years 2, 3 and 4, and schools wanting to book places on Spring into Adventure, should email: learning@knowsley.com Spaces are limited and early booking is advised.

Nikki Burton Mallett, said: “There’s growing awareness of the importance of children’s mental wellbeing, as recognised by the recent national Children’s Mental Health Week and different studies looking at problems like anxiety and the impacts of disruption caused by the pandemic on learning and living.

“Our aim is to continue to draw on Knowsley Safari’s long-established connection with wildlife to provide our local community with engaging ways to improve mental health. Wildlife inspires so much passion and intrigue amongst people of all ages, and especially children, and creates a unique opportunity to support wellbeing.”

Halewood swing night Halewood Town Council are holding a night of entertainment featuring ‘The King of Swing’ Asa Murphy in aid of the Mayor’s Charity.

The event takes place on Friday 4 March at The Arncliffe Centre, Arncliffe Road, Liverpool L25 9PA. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets cost £7.50.

To purchase tickets contact the centre on 0151 428 1929 or email: dave.murphy@knowsley.gov.uk

Making space Making Space who are a national UK charity providing health and social care services for adults with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, dementia and their carers are running a Men’s Mental Fitness Support Group.

The group are running Wednesday fortnightly fixtures with refreshments provided. Events run from 5pm until 7pm and include monthly guest

speakers, sports, physical fitness, mental fitness, support and a chance to talk.

Making Space are based at Bryer Road, Community Centre, Bryer Road, Prescot L35 5DW. To find out more call them on 0151 305 8712 or 07773 226 038 to find out everything you need to know.

Family meditation Family Friendly meditation with sound healing will take place on Tuesday 8 March at 17:30 – 18:15 at Centre 63, Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, Liverpool L32 5TH. It includes a 45 minute session focusing on the breathe, movement and meditation. Using sound healing for a calming, restorative self care practice. Connecting each other through energy exchange allowing ourselves a moment to just be.

For further information call 0151 549 1494.

ALDER HEY SAYS BIG THANK YOU TO SANTAS Alder Hey Children’s Charity has publicly thanked fundraising Santas who recently dashed through the streets of Liverpool to raise muchneeded funds.

Santas pulled on their festive running attire in December to take part and fundraise for Alder Hey, official event charity partner for the Appreciate Group

Liverpool Santa Dash. Collectively they raised more than £15,000 towards the specialist hospital’s new £3m surgical neonatal appeal.

Funds were also raised through a Santa Dash day bucket collection and merchandise stall. Charity mascot Oli the elephant also proved a hit on the day by starting the 1K Mini Dash.

Alder Hey’s Surgical Neonatal Appeal was launched last Autumn and is being championed by Liverpool Football Club legend Jamie Carragher, who spent the first six weeks of his own life in Alder Hey’s neonatal ward.

The football pundit was invited along on Santa Dash day to join Alder Hey patient and guest of honour, four-yearold Betty from Warrington, who was given the all-important job of officially starting the fun run. Betty and Jamie were joined on stage by the Lord Mayor Of Liverpool Councillor Mary Rasmussen, and In Demand Radio DJ Lee Butler.

Alder Hey’s Surgical Neonatal Appeal will help develop a state-ofthe-art unit for newborn babies and their families. The new Surgical NICU is a joint project between Alder Hey and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust as the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership. It will offer 22 neonatal cots for Liverpool, including

18 individual family rooms where parents can remain alongside their poorly newborns receiving expert care.

Adam Dixon, community fundraiser for Alder Hey Children’s Charity, said: “The Appreciate Group Liverpool Santa Dash 2021 was the perfect way to end a busy year for Alder Hey Children’s Charity. To see so many Santas running for Alder Hey was absolutely amazing and the amount raised will go directly towards our Surgical Neonatal Appeal. Thank you to everyone who supported us by either fundraising or donating, and well done to special guests Betty and family and Jamie Carragher who started the Santa Dash in festive style.”

This year’s Liverpool Santa Dash takes place on Sunday 4 December 2022 entries are open. The entry fee covers all costs to organise and deliver the event including road closures, safety measures, Santa suits, medals, goody bags, and entertainment.

14 March 2022

HAUNTED MERSEYSIDE with Tom Slemen THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW Musings on the possibility of travel through time were once beyond the fringe of what was then called respectable science, and most scientists believed it was simply impossible for a person or object to travel through time.

I remember my science teacher at school stating that it was impossible to ‘go through time’ – and so I asked him how he and I and everyone else in the classroom were moving through time at a rate of one second per second into the future.

“That’s not real time travel,” replied the teacher, but in fact, it is, and if I boarded a rocket that could travel close to the speed of light, then orbited the sun for five years at that speed, I’d return to find fifty years had passed. It would be the year 2072, and yet only five years have passed, according to my clock onboard the rocket.

This is known as the “Time Dilation Effect”, and has long been scientifically proven, using subatomic particles in the Large Hadron Collider and by measuring the time on immensely accurate atomic clocks on supersonic planes.

So, we can move through time by travelling at a phenomenal velocity, but it’s a very primitive way of achieving time travel.

From the thousands of reports of time anomalies I have collected over the years, it would seem that we can travel back and forth through time under very unusual conditions, both mentally and physically.

People have apparently seen the future – and the past in dreams – which hints at a faculty in the human mind where we can look up and down the fourth dimension – a type of corridor of time.

That is a type of mental time travel, but there also seems to be a method by which a person can physically travel through time which seems to be connected to our mental state, and the following story is a case in point.

For reasons that will become clear, I have had to change the names of the people in this bizarre but intriguing story.

In March 1995, a 20-year-old Huyton woman named Sophie had what was then called a nervous breakdown – a term that is no longer used in modern psychiatry; in fact there is no agreed-upon definition of the term anymore.

Sophie experienced a dissociative disorder, and she had amnesia, unable to fully remember who she was or where

she was, and at some point she left her home and found herself in the city centre, near Bold Street. This is known as a dissociative fugue – a feeling of amnesia and the sense of having a new identity.

Sophie eventually recalled who she was as she entered a café on Bold Street, where she ordered a coffee and a cake – but when she tried to pay for the items, the woman behind the counter said Sophie’s money – a five-pound note – was not legal tender.

“

What are you passing off foreign money for?

Are you broke?

”

Sophie said there was nothing wrong with the five-pound note, and she offered a number of pound coins, but again she was told to pay in ‘proper money’.

“Here, give us that back,” said a waitress at the café, and she reached out to grab the tray with the coffee and cake on, adding, “act soft and I’ll buy you a coal yard, eh?”

A policeman who looked as if he was in his thirties entered the café and the woman behind the counter told him how Sophie had tried to ‘pass off foreign money’ to pay for her coffee and cake.

The police man looked at Sophie, and smiled, then said:, “I’ll pay what she owes, and get me a mug of tea and a few

Chocolate Olivers.”

The waitress seemed annoyed at the policeman – PC Arthur Goodridge – paying for the girl, and she glared at Sophie, who was ushered to a window seat by the policeman.

“What are you passing off foreign money for? Are you broke?” asked Arthur, and he smiled at Sophie in a way that told her he fancied her.

“There’s nothing wrong with the money, look!” Sophie handed a pound coin to the policeman and he inspected it. He saw the words ‘One Pound’ on one side, and the head of Queen Elizabeth II – and the date – 1994 – and he shot a puzzled look at Sophie.

“No coin’s worth a pound,” Arthur said with a smirk, then he added: “And it says 1994,” and Sophie didn’t catch his drift, and then Arthur said: “It’s 1964.”

Sophie seemed stunned, and then the penny dropped. She looked out the window at the old-fashioned cars, and the peculiar quaint fashions of the people passing by. It looked like the 1960s.

“Oh my God, what’s happened?” asked Sophie, and she suffered an anxiety attack as the waitress was bringing Arthur his tea and biscuits, and somehow the policeman calmed the young lady down as all eyes in the café turned to her.

PC Goodridge was a simple man, and yet he slowly realised what had

happened; the girl he was sitting with had somehow travelled from the future, and he told Sophie what had happened.

“How do I get back?” the girl asked him, “I want to go home,” she continued, and began to hyperventilate.

“I don’t know, but if you can’t, you’re more than welcome to live with me,” replied the policeman, and he squeezed Sophie’s hand. There were looks of disapproval from the waitress when she saw Arthur holding Sophie’s hand.

Sophie calmed down and said she wanted fresh air, and Arthur left the café with her. He walked on his beat to the top of Bold Street, asking Sophie how she felt almost every minute, and he told her his name, and that he was single, and then, as the two of them turned left onto Renshaw Street, 1964 started to steadily fade away, and Sophie felt Arthur’s hand melt away, and she looked into his eyes, and they seemed to sad.

“Oh no,” he said, and suddenly, 1995 had returned. I looked up PC Arthur Goodridge in the old directories; he died a bachelor in the 1970s.

Sophie made a complete recovery from her illness, but cannot explain how she travelled back almost 30 years in time.

• The Haunted Liverpool 34 audiobook is available from Amazon and iTunes.

March 2022 15

PUBLIC NOTICES KNOWSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL HIGHWAYS ACT 1980 (PARADISE LANE / BISHOP DRIVE, WHISTON) TRAFFIC CALMING 2022 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council in exercise of its powers under Sections 90A and 90C of the Highways act 1980 and the Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999, intends in not less than 21 days from the date of this notice, to install the following traffic calming measures at Paradise Lane/Bishop Drive/St Nicholas Road/Long Hey and Willis Lane, Whiston:-

KNOWSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) (M62, HUYTON) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING TRAFFIC REGULATION) ORDER 2022 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in order to facilitate essential bridge and gantry inspection works (“the Works”) and in order to facilitate traffic management, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council made the above named Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (“the Order”). The effect of this Order will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from proceeding along: i) M62 Junction 5 Westbound on slip – for its entire length (Sunday 6 March 2022) ii) M62 Junction 6 Westbound on slip – for its entire length (Saturday 26 March to Sunday 27 March 2022) The diversion routes for vehicles affected by the M62 Junction 5 Westbound on slip closure are via:

Speed cushions, in sets of two and three, the dimensions of which will be 2000mm x 1600mm x 75mm High

• Roby Road and Bowring Park Road

Four sets of two cushions at Paradise Lane at:i) a point 57 metres south of its junction with Greenes Road ii) a point 132 metres south of its junction with Greenes Road iii) a point 119 metres north of its junction with Willis Lane iv) a point 30 metres north of its junction with Willis Lane

• M62 J6 Roundabout, Cronton Road, Tarbock Road and Roby Road

Six sets of two cushions at Bishop Drive at:i) a point adjacent to no. 60 Bishop Drive ii) a point 38 metres south of its junction with Long Hey iii) a point 60 metres north of its junction with Priory Close iv) a point 13 metres south of its junction with Mitre Close v) a point 15 metres north of its junction with St Nicholas Road vi) a point 40 metres south of its junction with St Nicholas Road Three sets of two cushions at St Nicholas Road at:i) a point 39 metres northwest of its junction with Windy Arbor Road ii) a point 37 metres east of its junction with Bishop Drive Two sets of three cushions at Long Hey at:i) a point 21 metres west of its junction with Windy Arbor Road ii) a point 51 metres east of its junction with Banner Hey One set of two cushions at Wiliis Lane at:i) a point 30 metres east of its junction with Paradise Lane A copy of this Notice, a plan showing the position of the speed cushions, and a statement of the Council's reasons may be inspected on the Council’s website: www.knowsley.gov.uk/consultations Further information regarding the proposed traffic calming measures may be obtained from Mark Hetherington - email mark.hetherington@knowsley.gov.uk or telephone 0151 443 5946.

Any objection must be in writing, state the grounds on which it is made and be sent to Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Legal Services, 2nd Floor, Municipal Building, Archway Road Huyton Merseyside L36 9YU quoting reference (Legal/K Davies/Willis Lane Estate/SLZO) within 21 days of the date of this Notice.

DATED 21 February 2022 MIKE HARDEN Chief Executive

The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 NOTICE UNDER REGULATION 30 (PARA 1) OF DECISION ON APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Planning Application Reference 20/00417/FUL I give notice that Knowsley Council has approved planning permission on 9 February 2022 for the following application for whom Taylor Wimpy are the applicant: Residential development comprising of the erection of 350 no. Dwellings together with the construction of vehicular access off fox's bank lane (comprising signalised junction), suds ponds, landscaping, boundary treatments and other associated works (including demolition of existing farm buildings) at Fox's Bank, Halsnead Garden Village, Land West Of Fox's Bank Lane And North Of M62, Whiston, Knowsley, L35 3SS, which was accompanied by an environmental statement. Members of the public may inspect a copy of the decision notice at the Knowsley Council Offices at Municipal Building, Archway Road, Huyton, L39 9UX. Alternatively the decision notice can be viewed on the Knowsley Council website at the following link: https://planapp.knowsley.gov.uk/online-applications/ using the above reference number.

M Harden Chief Executive DATE OF NOTICE: 22 February 2022

KNOWSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) (HILLINGDEN AVENUE, HALEWOOD AND CHARNWOOD AVENUE, ROBY) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING TRAFFIC REGULATION) ORDER 2022 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in order to facilitate essential carriageway resurfacing works (“the Works”) and in order to facilitate traffic management, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council made the above named Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (“the Order”). The effect of this Order will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from proceeding along: i) Hillingden Avenue, Halewood – for its entire length ii) Charnwood Road, Roby – for its entire length The diversion route for vehicles affected by the Hillingden Avenue closure is via Leathers Lane, Roseheath Drive, Barncroft Road and vice versa.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the Charnwood Road closure is via Dinas Lane, Page Moss Lane, Western Avenue, Church Road and vice versa.

It is anticipated that the works on Hillingden Avenue will take place from Sunday 20 February to Sunday 27 February 2022.

It is anticipated that the works on Charnwood Road will take place from Monday 14 March to Tuesday 22 March 2022.

The Order came into force on Sunday 20 February 2022 and will have a maximum duration of 18 months.

Dated 21 February 2022.

Mike Harden Chief Executive

The diversion routes for vehicles affected by the M62 Junction 6 Westbound on slip closure are via:

It is anticipated that the Works on M62 will be undertaken on Sunday 6 March 2022 and from Saturday 26 March to Sunday 27 March 2022.

The Order will come into force on Saturday 6 March 2022 and will have a maximum duration of 18 months.

Dated 21 February 2022.

Mike Harden Chief Executive

KNOWSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) (VARIOUS ROADS) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF DRIVING TRAFFIC REGULATION) ORDER 2022 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in order to facilitate essential carriageway resurfacing works (“the Works”) and in order to facilitate traffic management, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council proposes than in not less than seven days from the date of this Notice to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (“the Order”). The effect of this Order will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from proceeding along: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi) xii) xiii) xiv) xv) xvi) xvii) xviii) xix) xx) xxi) xxii) xxiii) xxiv) xxv) xxvi) xxvii) xxviii)

Warwick Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 15 March 2022.

Gloucester Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed from 15 March 2022.

Dorset Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 15 March 2022 Oxford Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed from 15 March to 16 March 2022.

Essex Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 16 March 2022.

York Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed from 16 March to 17 March 2022 Chester Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 17 March 2022.

Devon Way, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed from 17 March to 18 March 2022.

Lancaster Road, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed from 17 March to 18 March 2022.

Wallace Avenue, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 18 March 2022.

Jacqueline Drive, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 21 March 2022.

Wallace Drive, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed on 21 March 2022.

Hurst Park Drive, Huyton – For its entire length. Closed from 21 March to 22 March 2022 Hartwood Square, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed from 22 March to 23 March 2022.

Hartwood Road, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 23 March 2022.

Dalry Crescent, Kikrby – For its entire length. Closed on 23 March 2022.

Chadlow Road, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 23 March 2022.

Rhosesmor Road, Kikrby– For its entire length. Closed on 23 March 2022.

Croxteth View, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed from 23 March to 24 March 2022.

Roughdale Close, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 24 March 2022.

Bunter Road, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 24 March 2022.

Old Farm Road, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 24 March 2022.

Roughdale Avenue, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed from 24 March to 25 March 2022 Digmoor Road, Kirby – For its entire length. Closed on 25 March 2022.

Felspar Road, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 25 March 2022 Shirdley Walk, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 25 March 2022 Shirdley Avenue, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed from 25 March to 26 March 2022 Ribblers Lane, Kirkby – For its entire length. Closed on 26 March 2022

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Warwick Road’ road closure is via Hurst Park Drive, Longview Drive, York Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7069.

TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 KNOWSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL KNOWSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL (PARADISE LANE / BISHOP DRIVE ESTATE WHISTON) (20MPH SPEED LIMIT) ORDER 2021 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (“the Council”) proposes to make the abovenamed order (“the Order”) under Section 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the Order will be to introduce a 20 miles per hour speed limit zone on the following lengths of highway in Whiston Knowsley for their entire length Cronton Avenue Halsnead Avenue Ravenhurst Way Parren Avenue St Nicholas Road Bishop Drive Mitre Close Priory Close Long Hey Halton Hey Banner Hey Stone Hey Holly Hey Coalgate Lane Willis Lane Willis Close Paradise Lane Hostock Close A copy of a draft of the Speed Limit Zone Order, plans showing the roads and areas affected by the Order and a statement of the Council's reasons for proposing to make the Order may be inspected and viewed on the Council’s website at the following link www.knowsley.gov.uk/consultations Further information regarding the proposed Order may be obtained from Mark Hetherington, email: mark.hetherington@knowsley.gov.uk.

Any objections and representations relating to the proposed Order together with the grounds on which they are made, should be sent in writing to Mike Dearing Head of Legal Services, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Legal Services, 2nd Floor, Municipal Building, Archway Road Huyton Merseyside L36 9YU quoting reference (Legal/K Davies/Willis Lane Estate/SLZO) before 25/02/2022.

Dated 10/02/2022 Mike Harden Chief Executive

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Gloucester Road’ road closure is via York Road, Dorset Road, Oxford Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7070.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Dorset Road’ road closure is via York Road, Gloucester Road, Oxford Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7071.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Oxford Road’ road closure is via Essex Road, Hurst Park Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7072.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Essex Road’ road closure is via York Road, Warwick Road, Hurst Park Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7073.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘York Road’ road closure is via Whiston Lane, Huyton Lane, Longview Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7074.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Chester Road’ road closure is via Hurst Park Drive, Jacqueline Drive, Lancaster Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7075.

There is no diversion for vehicles affected by the ‘Devon Way’ road closure as it is a no through road. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7076 The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Lancaster Road’ road closure is via Wallace Avenue, Jacqueline Drive and vice versa.

As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7077.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Wallace Avenue’ road closure is via Hurst Park Drive, Longview Drive, Wallace Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7078.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Jacqueline Drive’ road closure is via Wallace Avenue, Wallace Drive, Hurst Park Drive and Vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7079.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Wallace Drive’ road closure is via Hurst Park Drive, Huyton Lane, Longview Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7080.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Hurst Park Drive’ road closure is via Huyton Lane, Longview Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7081.

There is no diversion for vehicles affected by the ‘Hartwood Square’ road closure as it is a no through road. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7082.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Hartwood Road’ road closure is via Roughdale Avenue, Shirdley Avenue, Bewley Drive and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7083.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Dalry Crescent’ road closure is via Hartwood Road, Roughdale Avenue and vice versa.

As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7084.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Chadlow Road’ road closure is via Dalry Crescent, Roughdale Avenue, Shirdley Avenue and vice versa As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7085.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Rhosesmor Road’ road closure is via Old Farm Road, Croxteth View, Bunter Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7086.

Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 NOTICE UNDER ARTICLE 15(4) OR (5) OR ARTICLE 16 OF APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION Notice is hereby given that the following applications have been submitted to the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley.

Application No: 22/00062/FUL by Eccleston Properties at Thompson Travel, 33 Eccleston Street, Prescot, L34 5AQ - DEMOLITION OF EXISTING REAR OUTRIGGER GABLE WALL AND ERECTION OF NEW REAR OUTRIGGER GABLE WALL Application No: 22/00099/FUL by Knowsley Redevelopments Limited at Contract Chemicals Ltd , Penrhyn Road, Knowsley Business Park - ERECTION OF AN INDUSTRIAL/LOGISTICS BUILDING (USES B2, B8 AND E(g)(iii)) WITH ANCILLARY OFFICES, SECURITY GATEHOUSE, TRANSPORT OFFICE AND ASSOCIATED WORKS Members of the public may inspect copies of the application, the plans and other documents submitted with it at One Stop Shop, Municipal Building, Archway Road, Huyton, between 9.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday or view the application online using Public Access at http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/residents/building-and-planning/planning Anyone who wishes to make representations about this application should write to the Council at Regeneration and Economic Development Department, Municipal Buildings, PO Box 21, Archway Road, Huyton, L36 9YU or online via the above website within 21 days of the date of this notice.

Should this application be heard at planning committee and you wish to speak at the meeting the procedure to follow can be found at: https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/residents/building-and-planning/make-aplanning-application/speaking-at-planning-committee M Harden Chief Executive DATE OF NOTICE: 22 February 2022

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Croxteth View’ road closure is via Old Farm Road, Rhosesmor Road, Bunter Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7087.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Roughdale Close’ road closure is via Bunter Road, Roughdale Avenue and vice versa.

As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7088.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Bunter Road’ road closure is via Roughdale Avenue, Old Farm Road, Croxteth View and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7089.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Old Farm Road’ road closure is via Roughdale Avenue, Bunter Road, Croxteth View and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7090.

There is no diversion route avilable for vehicles affected by the ‘Roughdale Avenue’ road closure, access will be maintained for residents. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7091.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Digmoor Road’ road closure is via Shirdley Avenue, Ravenhead Avenue and vice versa.

As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7092.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Felspar Road’ road closure is via Shirdley Avenue, Ravenhead Avenue, Heskin Road and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7093.

There is no diversion for vehicles affected by the ‘Shirdley Walk’ road closure as it is a no through road. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7094.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Shirdley Avenue’ road closure is via Bewley Drive, Rockford Avenue, Ravenhead Avenue, Heskin Road, Ribblers Lane and vice versa. As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7095.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the ‘Ribblers Lane’ road closure is via Moorgate Road, Bewley Drive, Shirdley Avenue and vice versa As shown on the drawing numbered PT/TM/7096.

It is anticipated that the works will take place from Tuesday 15 March to Saturday 26 March 2022.

The Order will come into force on Tuesday 15 March 2022 and will have a maximum duration of 18 months.

Dated 21 February 2022 Mike Harden Chief Executive

16 March 2022

Challenge Sport Sport from around the region

Cables agree loan move for Bristol Rovers keeper Prescot Cables have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Jed Ward on a one month loan deal from Bristol Rovers.

A club spokesperson said: “Jed comes to us highly recommended and is involved with the England under 19s. He made his first team debut for Rovers on the final day of the 2020-2021 season and has made a number of appearances in the EFL Cup for them this season.

“The club would also like to place on record it’s thanks to both Bristol Rovers and manager Joey Barton for making the deal possible.”

Jed will go straight into the team in place of Mitchell Allen who will miss the next three games through suspension following his red card at Mossley.

The club can also confirm that they will not be appealing the decision.

PE students put through their paces at St George’s Park Students studying PE at Rainford High Sixth Form recently got to visit St George’s Park as part of an exclusive educational experience with a renowned sport psychologist and a strength and conditioning coach.

St George's Park is the home of England’s national football teams. The day was tailored around students who are currently learning either A-level PE or NCFE PE with sessions on sport psychology and physical training.

Kicking off the first session was Fionnula Barnes, who currently works at Manchester United FC as a sport psychologist and has worked with athletes from GB Sailing and GB Gymnastics.

Fionnula shared valuable real-life experiences in her field and discussed potential careers in elite sports with pupils. She spoke to students about what sports psychology is and told them the importance of integrating psychology into the younger generation of sports performers.

The sixth formers then got to meet Caitlin Garden, who has prepared Olympic sprinters for Olympic events and has worked with professional sport teams such as Leicester City FC. Caitlin spoke to students about her experience in profiling personalised gym sessions for elite performers, and then let students complete their own profiling for strength and power. Students were excited as they overlooked the replica Wembley Pitch that England players use to prepare games.

Students had the chance to complete a 30m sprint test using technology with infrared lighting that tracks all movement speed from the start.

Caitlin led the session and challenged students to beat the speeds they got, giving them top sprinting tips in the process.

They also got to try out the countermovement jump which records the power produced from both legs and then single legs. Students were able to compare their own results, not only with each other, but also players of England men’s first team.

One student received 37, compared to England and Everton FC striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s impressive score of 60.4.

Later they got to immerse themselves between hot and cold contrast pools in the hydrotherapy suite to aid recovery, a typical recovery and mobility session used by the England team after a match.

Principal of Rainford High, Mr Ian Young said: “Here at Rainford High Sixth Form, we are fortunate enough to able to offer our cohort unique, hands-on experiences such as this and bring to life what has been taught in the classroom.

“Our students had a great day, not only getting to use facilities and equipment that elite performers use, but also meeting Fionnula Barnes and Caitlin Garden, who have since inspired them to explore the careers opportunities in sport psychology and physical training.”

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