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FLASHBACK
LEFT: Storeton Quarries before they were filled in BELOW: Chirotherium footprints, left, and footprints at Formby
Triassic
ABOVE: Chirotherium. LEFT: Hynchosaurus. BELOW: Human footprints on the Crosby shore
Merseyside!
THERE are few traces now of Merseyside before the IceAge, but there are some . . .
Prehistoric human footprints have been seen on the beach at Formby for a very long time, but recent high tides and stormy conditions on the Mersey have revealed some on Crosby shore too.
These can be seen as two parallel sets of tracks running for a length of around five metres.
Probably dating from around 4,000 to 6,000 years ago they are believed to have been made by three people, probably male, who each stood at around six feet tall.
What look like cattle hoof marks and tracks of other animals and birds, have also been exposed on our local, north western coastlines.Amonitoring process is now in place, keeping a lookout for more ancient prints.
However, some of our most fascinating prehistoric remains have been found in the ancient quarries at Storeton, Wirral.
These quarries are now disused and overgrown with woodlands, but it was the Romans who first excavated here, almost 2,000 years ago. They needed stone for their local buildings, and perhaps also for the road that they cut and that ran all the way from Meols to Chester, which they called “Deva” .
The Storeton quarries were used well into the 20th century, when a tramway built in the 19th century was still being used to transport stone throughout the area, and to the docks at Bromborough Pool.
It was in the Victorian era quarrymen began to find fossilised animal tracks in the stone slabs they were cutting, later identified as the prehistoric creature, chirotherium.
These slabs are now on display in the World Museum Liverpool.
In the Triassic Period – which was the start of theAge of the Reptiles around 250 million years ago – prehistoric Merseyside was prowled by this creature, whose name means “hand beast” because of the five-fingered shape of its fossilised footprints.
Chirotherium measured about two metres long; stood around one metre tall; and had a slim body and a long tail.Alife-size model is also on display in the World Museum.
But there was also rhyncosaurus, which means “snouted lizard” . This creature was a herbivore, and it had a long, hooked beak for grubbing up roots
It had powerful jaws and strong teeth for tearing down and chewing tough plants
They were also large – about one metre high and two metres long, and were obviously heavy enough to make deep impressions in the mud through which they plodded.
Unfortunately for rhyncosaurus, it was the main food supply of chirotherium!
Incidentally, Storeton Quarry was one of the areas that were filled in with spoil from the excavation of the Queensway Tunnel in the 1920s. It is now a nature reserve, popular with ramblers.
So, it is clear that the Merseyside region has been of great historical importance from the very earliest times.
KEN PYE is the Managing Director of Discover Liverpool, His latest book,
Liverpool Murders and Misdemeanours,
is available in all good bookshops or from Ken directly –see contact details at bottom of page.
n TICKETS are also
on sale for Ken’s
show – Curious Christmas Stories and Traditions – at
the Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight on Sunday 4 December. Call 0151 643 8757 to book your seats.
ANCIENT STONES: Route of the Roman road through Wirral
Jack teams up with Special Olympics
ENGLAND and Manchester City star Jack Grealish has signed for a new team – to fight for a cause close to his heart.
The country’s most expensive ever footballer has joined forces with Special Olympics GB, which provides year-round sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Grealish, 26, has committed himself to a long-term role with the nationwide charity, vowing to use his status to create opportunities for Britain’s 1.5 million people with learning disabilities.
The popular 26-year-old Premier League ace’s sister, Holly, has cerebral palsy. The two are close and he has described Holly as “my best friend” .
After becoming a principal ambassador for Special Olympics GB, the £100 million player said: “I’ve been thinking for some time about how I can best use the platform football has given me to create a positive change, and it had to be something really close to my heart.
“Special Olympics GB is such an important organisation, playing a huge role in tackling the lack of inclusion for hundreds of thousands of kids in the UK with intellectual disabilities.
“Nobody should be excluded from opportunities, and I can’t stand bullying or discrimination!
“In my new role with Special Olympics GB, I’m proud to stand side-by-side with all the children, young people and adults living with intellectual disabilities, and the incredible families who support them.
“I hope that everyone in Great Britain gets behind Special Olympics GB and its incredible athletes and volunteers. ”
An intellectual disability is defined as a “significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills, with a reduced ability to cope independently, which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development” .
Paul Richardson, chair of Special Olympics GB, said: “The fact that Jack’s made the choice to align his brand with Special Olympics GB is testament to the importance of the work we are committed to doing and the ambitious growth plans ahead. ”
SIGNING: Grealish backing Special Olympics GB
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HUNDREDS of disabled football fans have described how they are subjected to verbal abuse and cruel songs and chants while following their team away from home.
To make matters worse, many fans with disabilities report being seated away from fellow supporters, having a poor view of the game, and difficulty even buying tickets.
Supporters also raised concerns about poor levels of staff disability awareness, inaccessible public transport, and general access barriers at stadiums.
The bad experiences were related by supporters in a survey by the Level Playing Field charity, which represents disabled sports fans in England and Wales.
LPF chief Tony Taylor said: “The ability to watch a football game without blocked sightlines and fear of abuse or judgment is a basic expectation not being met. ”
The survey results showed the matchday experience for away games was significantly poorer than for home matches.
Of more than 600 disabled fans who
‘Clubs must stop shocking abuse of disabled fans’
responded to the survey, 43% said they had been subjected to some form of abuse or negative attitudes at an away game in the last five years.
More than a quarter said they had been subjected to verbal abuse, while about one in six had been the target of disabilityrelated offensive songs, chants or gestures.
LPF said the survey findings were “clearly unacceptable” , and that clubs had a legal duty under the EqualityAct to ensure there is a “clear process for disabled fans to report abuse, and that these reports are dealt with swiftly and appropriately” .
Mr Taylor said clubs had taken “significant steps” in recent years to improve things for disabled fan, but the survey showed there was “still much work to be done” .
The English Football League, which represents clubs in the second, third and fourth football tiers, does not yet compile figures on how many fans have been banned by clubs for discriminatory abuse, but it said it plans to start as part of a new equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.
An EFL spokesperson said: “Where reports of discrimination are made or abuse is witnessed by match day staff, the appropriate action will be taken which could include criminal prosecution and a ban. ”
The Premier League – which represents the top tier of English football – declined to comment on the experiences of away fans, and was also unable to say how many bans had been applied for disability-related abuse.
But a Premier League spokesperson said that all its clubs had “undertaken substantial work to improve disabled access for home and visiting fans” , which was “a priority for the league” .
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