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FORMBY

14 August 2019

Vol 26 Issue 33

Bruno Tonioli

Strictly ’s Bruno set to open the 90th Southport Flower Show ALL roads lead to Southport Flower Show this week when the event celebrates its 90th anniversary. And this year’s show promises to be one of the biggest garden parties of the summer! Thousands of visitors will head to Victoria Park for a packed programme including show gardens, family entertainment and top celebrity gardeners. Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli officially opens the four-day gardening extravaganza tomorrow (Thursday, August 15). This year’s theme is ‘Garden Party’ with designers, exhibitors and visitors all invited to get into the party spirit to help Southport celebrate its landmark year. Some of the UK’s leading gardening experts will be at the show including broadcasters and gardening experts Christine Walkden and Matthew Wilson, who will be joined by gardening authors Adam Frost and Nigel Colborn, both well known for their work on TV TV, radio and in newspapers. Michael Perry, erry, also known as ‘Mr Plant Geek’ will talk erry about some of nature’s quirkier plants. Visitors can journey into the past on Southport’s time V travel bus, going back 90 years on a tour hosted by Coronation Street and Mr Selfridge actor Leon Ockenden. Continued inside

CELEBRATING

25 YEARS

www.champnews.com

SQUIRREL POX DISEASE RETURNS TO RESERVE

Posters go up at National Trust site warning of new infection risk to reds

INSIDE THIS WEEK...

Back from the brink for artists

Report by Danielle Thompson WARNING signs have appeared in Formby’s National Trust site confirming the return of squirrel pox - the deadly disease that threatens the area’s red squirrel population. The trust told the Champion this week that pox cases at the reserve are now confirmed and on Monday, staff were urgently placing posters on trees urging visitors not to feed the squirrels. They are asking members of the public to be ‘extra vigilant’ and report any ‘sick reds or greys’ they come across to a member of staff. The return of the pox is devastating news for the National Trust. In 2008, there was an outbreak of squirrel pox which decimated the local population of reds, considered to be an icon of the town. Grey squirrels are carriers of the infection and can spread the disease to their red cousins. Continued inside

Rainbow badges for NHS staff CROSSWORD See Page 38

THE UK’S LARGEST LETTERBOX CIRCULATION BY AN INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER! 164,579

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