Liverpool Life issue 6

13th November 2012

Star cars race into Liverpool Dale Street in Liverpool city centre was transformed last night, Monday, into a movie set when car stunts, which will feature in the upcoming blockbuster Fast and Furious 6, were filmed.

News of the filming caused great excitement for film fanatics and photographs were soon posted across Twitter and Facebook, including this one (left) by nasserRD1.

Full story - see page 3

CITY BUCKS TREND ON POLICE POLL

by Josh Parry

An exclusive poll by Liverpool Life suggests Liverpool voters will be bucking the national trend for the election of regional Police Chiefs.

A Government think-tank has revealed it is expecting the lowest ever national poll turnout for this week’s Police and Crime Commissioner Election.

The elections seem to have been met by apathy from the public, despite the fact the commissioners will earn £100,000 a year, with the Home Office facing accusations that they have not adequately promoted or advertised the scheme or candidates.

Over a third of the 128 Liverpool residents questioned (37%) said they intended to vote in the election, which is more than double the national expected level of 15% published earlier this week by think-tank Policy Exchange.

Despite the high number of those

intending to vote in Liverpool, only one in five of the City’s under 25s intended to vote in Thursday’s election, with a majority (52%) unaware the election was taking place.

The poll suggested that the largest percentage of voters are over 60.

Over half of those asked in this age range said that they intended to vote.

Despite the relatively high number of people intending to vote, 36% of the 128 people we asked were unaware an election was even taking place.

The upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner Election is the first

of its kind, with 41 commissioners being elected to represent police forces outside of London, replacing existing police authorities as the watchdog of their local police budgets and will be given the power to hire and fire police constables.

Senior police figures have reportedly criticised the role, warning that it has the potential to politicise the police system and that police operational independence could be jeopardised. Possibly the most vocal of critics has been Sir Ian Blair, former Metropolitan police chief, who urged voters to boycott the elections.

The system has been met by much criticism, as two thirds of the candidates have no previous experience within the field of policing issues, and will have to draw up budgets within their first few weeks in office.

Additional reporting by: Rachael Leitch, Scott Rumsey, Josh Nevett, Lauren Murphy

More on page 5

What’s inside this week...

Nadine Dorries fails first bush tucker trial... See more page 4

Bellew set for boxing title decider... See more back page

Mayor Anderson backs taxi campaign...See more page 3

Life/News/2

Factory floor gallery

A gallery which was forced to close its doors following a row with the city council over noise levels has re-opened … as a factory.

At the weekend, Static Gallery reopened its doors as a venue for live music after Liverpool City Council forced it to cease its live events programme.

The arts space had been closed since March, when Static became another Liverpool music venue to cancel hosting music events following a noise abatement notice.

When the Roscoe Lane gallery came under scrutiny by the council’s planning enforcement division, it was revealed that the art space had no planning consent to run as a gallery, studio or a social space and was deemed as a ‘light industrial factory’.

This gave Static the impetus to use their newly-dubbed industrial space for a production line themed live gig, in collaboration with Liverpool based post-punk revival band, Clinic.

Now technically operating as a factory, they tip-toed around the red-tape and offered the gig audience a journey through the assembly line of a factory.

Artistic director of the project, Sam Wiehl, thinks the council perceives the art community as commercially dispensable and that stifling creative spaces with have adverse effects on the city culturally.

Mr Wiehl explained: “The council’s point is that because the original description of the building was listed as a factory and now it’s become a space for art, which in itself is not seen as being commercially important or viable.

“So we just said ok, we’ll turn the gallery into a factory for the night.

Let’s have a production line, producing something, a hard-core, hard-faced project.”

The factory installation was the brainchild of Paul Sullivan, foreman at Static who initially contacted the council’s planning department in attempt to resolve the issue.

Mr Sullivan said: “It’s not a case of defiance, it’s a case of this is what we do.”

Cash boost for young businesses 300 new businesses have been set up in Liverpool under the scheme launched last year

by Scott Rumsey

New businesses in Liverpool appear to be thriving as results of a Government scheme launched last year have been published.

The city has seen over 300 new businesses set up under the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), a scheme which gives young entrepreneurs the opportunity to have expert coaching and financial support to establish their own ventures.

The results in Liverpool are the highest number in any local authority nationwide. With the Wirral also not far behind, it was clear that the North of England dominated the list, with no southern authorities making the top 10.

Liverpool

Life Team Editor Emma Callum News Editor Sarah Bold News Sophie Marsden Kate Molyneux Cillian McGinn Elisha Storrow Features editor Jessica Etherington Features Maddi Cornforth Katie Croft

Granada chief visits JMU Journalism

Dani Baldwin Sport editor

Joel Richards

Sports Eivind H. Kleiven Picture Jamie Allen Daniel Farrell Copy Editor Sam McDonnell

For those who are not at the development stage of forming a business, there are other opportunities. LJMU have their own centre for entrepreneurship and use Twitter to encourage their under- graduates. One tweet read: “Interested in business? Then why not enrol in our Enterprise development programme this January.”

Conferences The initiative was one of the government’s key focal points following the recession and was seen as a solution to the downturn in British trade across the board. It is hoped that some of the ventures and the business brains behind them will go on to expand and contribute to the UK

economy rather than just having a local effect.

Ministers will be pleased with the results as this week marks the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week; a series of conferences and courses that are designed to show young business minds how to make the most of their ideas and money.

In total more than 8,000 businesses have been formed since the New Enterprise Allowance was launched.

Minister for Employment Mark Hoban has said: “These figures show people embracing the entrepreneurial spirit.

“It’s interesting to see which areas have shown the highest take up “I hope people in other areas will follow.”

Lucy West advised LJMU Journalism students of future careers

by Sam McDonnell With January work placements fast approaching, JMU Journalism final year students were offered an insight into the demands of regional television reporting, as ITV Granada’s Head of News gave a guest presentation.

Lucy West, who took the top role at Granada in March, pulled no punches in describing exactly what was expected of a journalist working for regional news, having previously headed up the Tyne-Tees region for ITV. If any further realisation was needed, hearing of the recruitment process being whittled down from 3,000 for just four jobs was a tough reminder of the world third year students will be entering into.

Lucy did explain how courses like the JMU Journalism degree are vital to gain the type of knowledge and experience needed to succeed in the world of news media.

She said: “You’ve got to know the theory. There are parts of journalism that you’ve just got to sit down and learn, like the law and the broadcasting code, but the more realistic it can be and the more it tests your skill working under pressure then that is

what equips you for the real world.

“You can pick up skills but you don’t really have that experience until you get tested. If you can go on a course that’s heavily waited to the practical side then that’s a really good thing.”

Lucy was in charge of Tyne-Tees news at the time of the Derrick Bird Cumbria shootings in 2010 and her team was credited heavily for a lot of the work which won ITV a BAFTA for its coverage of the story.

She explained the importance of a good news sense, saying: “Trust your own instinct and don’t ever be swayed by someone else saying it’s not that great a story. If you believe in it and you’ve got the evidence to back it up then stick with it. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t.”

Lucy went on to explain that persistence is the key when applying for jobs, and finished by explaining what would be expected of anyone on work placement at ITV Granada: “We’re looking for ideas. You need to be willing to speak up and make suggestions. They need to fit amongst the team and be diplomatic.”

She admitted that there is somewhat of a gulf between training and the real working and said that the JMU

Spreading fire safety message

by Emma Callum

Sixth form students are taking part in a new project across Merseyside which sees a hundred roads and streets ‘adopted’ by them.

The scheme, which is the first of its kind to be introduced in Merseyside, will involve young people spreading fire safety messages amongst the streets they have adopted to try and lower the risk of fires being started.

Launched by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, the Adopt a Street initiative has covered almost 100 streets by young people from ALSOP High School in Queen’s Drive, Liverpool, and Enterprise South Liverpool Academy (ESLA) in Allerton.

The pupils are encouraging people to put away wheelie bins as soon as they’re emptied, as well watching for derelict buildings and fly-tipping which can leave piles of rubbish that can be set on fire.

Sarah Wyatt, a Supervisory Advocate with the Liverpool Prevention and Protection team at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, gave talks at three schools across Liverpool about the scheme.

She said: “By supporting this project the young people are showing their neighbours that they do care about the community they live in

Enterprise South Liverpool Academy students © Tony Thomas: and, in turn, others may start to be pro-active too. This is about making a real difference in these streets, lowering the risk of potential fires starting in their area and generally improving safety.”

As well as being active on the streets, students are being encouraged to make referrals of vulnerable people in their areas to the community safety teams as well being able to go out and assist with on Home Fire Safety Checks at properties.

The fire service has provided leaf-

lets with safety tips on how to reduce the risk of fire in communities by simple steps such as putting your wheelie bin in secure places and taken off pavements after collection.

Shelby Wheelan, 17, attends Alsop High School and decided to take part in the scheme after seeing issues in her area. She said: “I am taking part in the project because I have seen some of the problems faced by the community first hand such as wheelie bin fires. I am also hoping to join the Fire Service as a firefighter when

I leave school so this gives me an understanding of some of the incidents that they get called out to.”

Another pupil taking part, Natasha Whaley, 17, was inspired to take part after becoming concerned for the vulnerable people in her community.

She said: “I have witnessed many cases of elderly people having to suffer through sleepless nights of fear for fires set to bins throughout times such as bonfire night and mischief night. What if there are grandparents and neighbours who aren’t being helped?

James Berry, a Group Manager in Prevention and Protection at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said: “These students will help to make their area safer and be the eyes and ears on the street, informing Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service of empty and abandoned properties, overloaded skips and combustible materials being stored in their area.”

“The aim of the initiative is to reduce the number of secondary fires, wheelie bins, skips, bonfires which blight communities lives and contribute to a feeling of unease within the community for certain groups.”

Firefighters from the community fire stations in Liverpool, the MF&RS Community Fire Safety staff and the Street Intervention Teams also support the initiative.

Life/News/3

Mayor support for hackney campaign

by Jonathan Bridge and Tara Lamb

A campaign to highlight the benefits of using hackney cabs in the city is being backed by the Mayor Joe Anderson.

The campaign is aimed at reminding local people, visitors to the city and tourists about the benefits of using hackney cabs and will feature on posters, in bus shelters and on branded taxis across the city.

Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “All forms of public transport are valuable to the city but this campaign is pointing out the benefits of hackney cabs which can sometimes take for granted.”

Mayor Joe Anderson said; “People should be aware of the advantages of hackney cabs. Taxis and hackneys operate at times when buses have stopped running. As one of the campaign slogans put it, “Is there a better sight when you’ve had a big night out” than seeing a taxi?

“But, of course you don’t have to pre-book a black cab, you just flag one down. Or you can use one of the ranks which are marshalled.”

“All the hackney carriage drivers are individually licensed having undergone stringent tests. For visitors to the city and tourists the drivers can be our best ambassadors – many of them have an unrivalled knowledge of the city.

“These taxis are one of our best assets and we should make the greatest use of them. I am delighted to support this campaign.”

Mayor Anderson also welcomed a freeze in taxi fares af-

Hackney cabs queued outside Lime Street Station, Liverpool. Inset, poster campaign for Hackney cabs ter drivers decided not to apply for an increase in the charges.

He said: “The drivers are to be congratulated on not trying to increase the burden on people in these difficult economic times.

“Despite being under financial pressures themselves they have clearly recognised that a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet and

this gesture will be appreciated.”

The freeze follows an increase of between 20p and 30p last year which was the first increase in three years.

Despite being entitled to an annual request, Hackney cab drivers across the city decided they would not apply to the council for an increase in the charges.

Taxi trade representative Terry

Stockton said: “With Christmas coming, a lot of our customers are going to be feeling the pinch this year and we did not think it was right that we should be asking for a fare rise.

“Like every other business we have faced increased costs but we have decided not to pass them on to our customers – we know this would cause real difficulties for

those who rely on Hackney cabs.

It’s our early present to those people who support the taxi trade.”

The current day rate for Hackney cabs is £2.20 for the first 330 yards, then 20p for each following 232 yards up to 11,002 yards. For each 330 yards after that it costs 30p.

At night – between 11pm and 6am – the equivalent rate is £2.75 and 25p.

Residents feel ‘isolated for a number of years’

Film fanatics gathered in great numbers on Monday night to watch the filming of Fast and Furious 6 as Hollywood came to Liverpool.

The scenes, featuring car stunts and extras, took place on Dale Street and surrounding areas from around 8pm until the early hours of the morning. Scenes included a red car and a silver car racing each other and performing spins and stunts.

News of the filming soon spread as photographs were posted across Twitter and Facebook. Although there was a lot of online hype about stars being in the city, none were spotted last night and publicist Carol McConnaughey confirmed this saying: “We will not have any cast in Liverpool we will have some driving action with our secondary film unit.”

Residents of a community in Cressington gathered on Tuesday to air their concerns after feeling that not enough was being done to help their community.

People living in Beechwood Gardens met at White Oak Lodge to put forward ideas and explain what they felt are key problems in the area.

Darren Williams, a Cressington resident said:” The community has felt isolated for a number of years due to issues with anti-social behaviour and are connecting with various organizations looking to improve their quality of life.”

One of the key problems brought up at the meeting was anti-social behaviour from youths as many residents felt that not enough

by Rachael Bentham

As crowds gathered around the scene, cars passing spectators on the Strand and aware of the filming decided to drive past in the style of the films car racing. Many cars waited at traffic lights, revving their engines before speeding off against one another in an attempt to entertain audiences.

The incident raises questions about the influence of the film and the dangers of glamourising fast driving. One young boy whilst watching the scene stated: “I can’t wait to get a fast car.”

The new film is the sixth in the Fast and Furious franchise which has had success worldwide and is due to be released in May next year.

The latest edition will see WWE star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Ludacris amongst others.

by Scott Fitzpatrick

was being done to keep them off the streets. One resident suggested a community centre for the area claiming that it would provide somewhere for them to go.

There are also plans to build blocks of flats in the area for new residents but some current residents have expressed concern for the problems that people moving in might encounter.

Mr Williams said:” A pathway near the plot of land where the new flats will be built has had racist and sexual graffiti on over the past few months. I contacted a councillor who said they would set up a scheme to stop graffiti, but nothing has been done yet.

The area is not that diverse at the moment and I would not like the

people that move in to take offence and have a backlash from it.”

Representatives from Liverpool City Council, Plus Dane, Liverpool Mutual Homes and Merseyside Youth Association all agreed that something needed to be done to help improve the area.

David Pye, Customer Involvement Officer for Liverpool Mutual Homes, said:” It might be an option to come up with four or five different options and allow the community to choose from them.

“We have run community schemes in the past, such as community gardening and some young people have willingly helped with them. We need to do more to help and we are open to any ideas you may have.”

£25 million regeneration plan is axed Liverpool City Council has pulled out of a £25 million housing scheme regeneration scheme in the heart of the city.

They have withdrawn from working with developer Leader1 (Liverpool) who was chosen to refurbish vacant properties

How I helped Obama,

by LJMU graduate

by Helen Dodd

Movie shoot takes over city centre

by Madelaine Cornforth

Graduate Helen Dodd

in Granby Four Streets, Arnside Road and Webster Triangle.

Leader 1 (Liverpool) were presented with a contract by the Council in August, however, the contract was not signed and as a result the Council have pulled out of the scheme.

Almost 200 homes were supposed to be refurbished or built by the developer, which was

formed in October 2011 but has not yet filed any accounts.

The Council has said it is are very disappointed that the decision had to be taken and local residents are also losing confidence in the plans.

Councillor Alan Dean said, “Leader 1 gave us the confidence that they would be able to deliver the scheme and, over

the summer, the City Council agreed with Leader 1 the details of the delivery plan but no work has commenced on site.”

The Council insist that the regeneration will still go ahead and they are looking for a new developer.

Alan Dean said: “These areas remain a priority for us. We are working as hard as we can to ensure this vital housing re-

newal is delivered as quickly as possible. We will be talking to residents very soon about how we plan to move things forward.

“I know how long local people have been waiting for this work to take place and I am disappointed that we are now in this position. Our priority is to ensure that the regeneration happens as quickly as possible.”

Since graduating from JMU in 2011, Helen Dodd’s work for Wirral South MP, Alison McGovern has led to her flying across the Atlantic to help Barack Obama win his second term as President of the USA. Here, she recounts her time in the decisive swing state of Ohio, coming within touching distance of Mr President, and tells of the impact that JMU has on her career: “Once in a lifetime opportunities are impossible to turn down, so when I was given the chance to work on Barack Obama’s US Presidential Election campaign in America I felt I had to take it.

Ohio was where I was based, in the key swing state which ultimately proved decisive on election night. No Republican has won Presidency without winning Ohio and I had to make sure that Mitt Romney didn’t take this crucial state.

My trip there was mostly spent campaigning for Obama, pounding the pavements and knocking on Americans’ front doors, also phoning them from the local Democratic Party headquarters to encourage them to vote.

I was a tiny part in the biggest event on earth at that time and to see ‘real America’ in Ohio’s small towns and cities was amazing. Everyone I met was so lovely… apart from the dog that attacked me. I wouldn’t have traded it for going to the Grand Canyon or New York.

One of the magic moments of my trip was seeing Barack (as I now call him!) speak at a rally in Hilliard. I was making sure everyone had signed their tickets for the event but after my work was done I got to watch the President’s speech inside.

The atmosphere was electric and there he was, standing right in front of me. He later came into the crowd to thank everybody and I was suddenly within touching-distance of him.

I could have reached out for ‘Handshake of the Century’ but I would have fallen off the platform if I had and the fear of landing at Obama’s feet held me back.

I also got to see the President again at an arena concert with Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen in the state capital, Columbus. I had to pinch myself to believe that I was actually there.

However, the biggest highlight of all was witnessing his victory at the Democrats’ official election results party at the Hilton hotel. Myself and the group I was with plus all the other campaign volunteers had worked so hard for this moment.

I work for a Labour MP and we went on a Labour MP staff delegation unofficial visit. The trip was fully funded by me and I used my annual leave to go as it was not a part of my job, though without it none of this would have happened.

School scheme

Plans to transform Liverpool schools in a £170 million development have been announced.

The scheme includes the rebuilding of 12 schools and will cost around £135 million. On Monday the Mayor’s Cabinet is also expected to approve splashing another £35m on schools.

Life/News/4

Dorries flops in first trial

by Joe Barnes

Liverpool born Nadine Dorries has made no more friends on “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here,” than she has in the Conservative Party after an embarrassing failure in her first “Bushtucker Trial.”

The controversial MP, who has been suspended by her party due to her participation on the reality television hit, was subject to the “Bug Burial” after a public vote.

Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan joined Dorries in the challenge but also failed.

The task consisted of each contestant being locked in underground crates before being covered in bugs, including maggots, crickets and cockroach-

es for ten minutes before a key was released to open the crate, winning their teams a meal.

Flanagan fled from the box within seconds, whereas Dorries lasted just four minutes, complaining after some 5,000 crickets were poured into the box.

After two minutes she began to shout: "You're going to bury me if you put any more in," as more maggots were poured into her crate.

Despite lasting in her box longer, the under fire MP still failed to secure her team a decent meal.

Dorries has come under fire from fellow MPs and also her constituents in Mid Bedfordshire, having signed up for the ITV show without consulting with the Chief Whip.

FAILURE: MP lasted just four minutes in her first trial

Wirral kennel faces closure

by Josh Parry

Wirral residents have reacted with anger after the Council announced a proposed closure to the Birkenhead Council Kennels, prompting volunteers to start a petition.

The propositions, which were put forward earlier this week, are one of a number of options making up Wirral Borough Council’s three year plan to save £100m and would see the kennels closed down and services moved to Halewood.

If the option is taken forward, there will not be a dedicated dog warden based on the Wirral, and owners of those dogs which are handed in to the kennel will have to travel to Halewood in order to collect their pets.

At the announcement, which took place in Wallasey Town Hall, the Authority’s Chief Executive, Graham Burgess told the meeting he would be announcing a package of cuts options, which totalled £49m, in order for “members of the public, staff and councillors” to choose.

Mr Burgess said: “Let me make it clear, that the options will be in excess of those required to give a range of choices.”

Staff at the kennels have been informed their jobs are officially at risk.

Friends of Birkenhead Council Kennels, a charity started with the aim of improving the conditions in

Volunteers have started a petition for kennel. ©Robert van Rijn the kennel, have begun petitioning to try to stop the cuts from taking place.

In an official statement, the charity urged its supporters to fight against the cuts: “It is regrettable that the service which has provided a vital and memorable role within the local community will cease to exist in its current

form. The Friends Group will continue to work with the kennels until such a time it is no longer possible.

“The Friends Group in its official capacity will make every endeavour to ensure a service can remain within the Wirral and invite the Local Authority to enter into open discussions relating to

how we can assist in this process.

Meanwhile, support for the campaign has been growing via Facebook with messages pouring in from supporters of the kennel. Dog owner, Amy Adkins says she fears for the safety of her pet if the kennels were to be closed: “I have a dog who was given up by her last owners as she kept escaping. I fear if the kennel operation was moved to Halewood and she got out, there would be no chance of getting her back.”

Supporters of the kennel have also argued that the closure would affect those who do not own dogs.

Wirral Resident, Nikki Greaves, said: “I live on a small estate where there is a problem with loose dogs.

Recently a dog was loose around the time kids were leaving school, it was a real comfort to be able to ring the local warden and know it would be dealt with promptly. I worry that if a warden wasn’t around, it could have ended with a child getting bitten.”

The e-petitions have gained more than 800 signatures in less than a week, however the charity has set a goal of 10,000 signatures in order to urge the council to consider other options.

Wirral Council was contacted, however there was no spokesperson available for comment.

More information can be found at https://www.wirral.gov.uk

Stagecoach buy out to create jobs in the city

by Joe Lanigan-Smith

Glenvale Transport, a subsidiary of the Stagecoach group, has paid £4.5million for First Bus services in the Merseyside area.

There is a significant chance that the acquisition will provide more jobs for the region, with Stagecoach hoping to add more services to those it already provides.

Around 290 staff will transfer to Glenvale Transport business under the arrangements of the deal.

Assets included in the deal are 110 vehicles as well as a depot site on New Chester Road in Birkenhead and another in North Wales.

Les Warneford, managing director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: "This acquisition will extend our operations in the North West of England, particularly in Merseyside. We believe there is significant scope to develop these businesses and improve their financial performance by investing in the quality of the bus fleet, as well as offering customers our good value fares and attractive network tickets."

Stagecoach said in a statement: "The acquisition will allow Stagecoach to expand its successful bus operations in the North West where our Merseyside and South Lancashire business already operates more than 300 buses .

Stagecoach £4.5m deal to create new jobs ©Phototransport

Headlines from the Liverpools around the globe

JMU Journalism is celebrating our common connection by contacting its many varied communities around the globe this year and we will be giving you a flavour of Liverpools far and wide. Here is the first in an occasional series of adventures across the planet to see what is making the headlines in places called Liverpool thousands of miles from home.

Pool rule in Oz homes

Bugs beat the Canada cold

In Britain we may be preoccupied by the onset of winter but not so in Liverpool, New South Wales as Aussies are warming up with summer on the horizon.

Home swimming pools are a common feature Down Under but new state legislation is making waves. All backyard pools in Liverpool, NSW must now be licenced, meaning property owners have 12 months to register… or face fines of $2,200.

Snow season is coming to Liverpool, Nova Scotia but Canadian public health officials are still concerned about the presence of unwelcome creepy-crawlies who are beating dropping temperatures.

Black legged ticks which can transmit Lyme disease have been found in Queens County and the Department of Health and Wellness strongly recommends that people take precautions.

Greenland gets ready for population increase

Liverpool Land is an area of outstanding natural beauty in Greenland, attracting many tourists on mountain climbing and dog sledging holidays, but the nation’s capital Nuuk is set for an influx of a different kind of visitor.

Plans are being drawn up for a huge iron ore mine near Nuuk, manned by Chinese workers who would lift Greenland’s entire 57,000 population by four percent if the £2.3bn scheme goes ahead.

Greenland Prime Minister Kuupik Kleist told Reuters: “This is not just a region of ice and polar bears. Developing countries are interested in a more political role in opening up of the Arctic. Greenland could serve as a stepping stone.”

New Beatles museum hits the right note in Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires has a suburb called Liverpool and the connections with our city do not end there.

Mathew Street may be home to the real Cavern Club but if you ever find yourself in Buenos Aires you can visit Argentina’s version of the famous venue by taking a trip down Paseo La Plaza .

Club owner Rodolfo Vázquez went one step further last year when he opened the doors on a Beatles museum at the same site, with 3,000 visitors arriving in its first month.

He told the Argentina Independent: “When I was 10 I was given a Beatles record by a friend of mine from school and I listened to the song ‘In My Life’. I have been a fanatic ever since.”

Life/News/5

Sgt Pepper Beatles art

auction

by Rachel Leitch

The artwork from The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is expected to fetch up to £80,000 at auction today.

The collage, created by Sir Peter Blake, is up for auction later today at Sotheby’s, London. It is the centrepiece of 18 works owned by the late architect, Colin St John “Sandy” Wilson, who died in 2007.

The auction is due to start at 5pm this evening, and the piece is tipped to fetch between £50,000 and £80,000.

Sir Peter Blake worked with The Beatles in 1967, and worked closely with Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon to create the iconic image.

The cover features the band surrounded by cut out famous figures, while the insert in the form of a collage illustrates Sergeant Pepper himself.

James Rawlin of Sotheby’s said: “Sir Peter Blake’s collage is a tangible slice of rock history. Sgt Pepper’s had a huge impact on the cultural landscape. It was the first concept album when music, story, image and studio expertise all came together.”

City named top ten in Europe

Liverpool has been named one of Europe’s top 10 fastest-growing tourist destinations on the TripAdvisor website. It came 10th on the list after UK cities Glasgow, Manchester and Belfast. The ranking is based on reviews and opinions from people all over the world. At the top of the list was Kiev in Ukraine followed by Moscow, Turin and St Petersburg.

Cave paintings

A new exhibition of Chinese cave paintings is in Liverpool making it the first city outside of China to showcase the works of art. The artist Xiaodong Yang works as a keeper of the cave paintings in the Maiji mountain and climbs the mountain daily, repainting the cave paintings before they fade away. They are on display at the View Two gallery in Mathew Street until Saturday.

Kennedy spells out crime plan

by David Williamson The Labour Party candidate for the new Police & Crime Commissioner is preparing for elections on Thursday of this week.

Jane Kennedy, who is a former minister and MP for Wavertree, recently spoke at the LJMU annual Law Lecture and informed students about the new upcoming roles of the Police and Crime Commissioners.

In an interview, Ms Kennedy said: “This is a brand new role. It’s not something we’ve ever tried before in British politics; it concentrates in the hands of one individual quite a high degree of power and influence.”

Jane Kennedy was the first woman Security Minister responsible for the policing in Northern Ireland. As a Government Minister she served in six different departments and has experience in administration.

She said: “I spent four years in Northern Ireland as a Security Minister responsible for policing and I was accountable to the press, to the public and to Parliament for the role the police in Northern Ireland were taking and this was at a very controversial time shortly after the Good Friday Agreement. So I believe that gives me a set of experiences that are almost unique in this election and I hope they will prove worthy and a benefit to Merseyside.”

One of Ms Kennedy’s main policies is to ‘stand up for our communities against the Tory/Lib Dem cuts to policing and the loss of over 600 police officers in Merseyside.’

She continued: “We’re seeing a dramatic reduction in the amount of resources that Merseyside has as a police force, that would be something I would want to raise with the government to see if we can’t make a case for Merseyside to receive more resources before any further steps are taken regarding budgets. I feel very strongly that for some communities on Merseyside, gun, gang and violent crime is destroying the neighbourhoods and therefore for me that’s got to be a top priority.”

The Labour candidate also believes that partnerships with the criminal justice agencies are of high importance.

Ms Kennedy said: “The title itself includes the word crime so it’s not just police, its Police and Crime Commissioner.”

Jane Kennedy visiting Liverpool John Moores University to speak to students © Neil Grant

Zero drug tolerance for Gubb

by Scott Fitzpatrick As the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner elections move closer, the Conservative candidate has staked his claim to the position.

Geoff Gubb sees the election as a chance for him to make a difference, but has distanced himself from the idea of it being a form of party politics.

Mr Gubb said: “I think it is important that the electorate of Merseyside should have more than one option. Many people see it as a political event but the Police and Crime Commissioner is answerable only to the public. It is about sup

New Archbishop urges winnings to be donated

by Lauren Kelly

The former Dean of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral has been appointed into the highest position in the Church of England after being named the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

Justin Welby, who held the post at Liverpool Cathedral from 2007-2011, and is the current Bishop of Durham said he was privileged to have been chosen. He said: “To be nominated to this post is both astonishing and exciting. It is something I never expected, and the last few weeks have been a very strange experience.”

The Prime Minister first announced that Reverend Welby will become the new Archbishop on the social networking site Twitter writing: “Downing Street

is pleased to announce the ap pointment of Justin Welby as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury”.

The Bishop also took to Twitter to express his joy at the news by light-heartedly tweeting: “Thought in the night, those who made money betting on me give it to their local church!

I suspect it was less than papers suggest.”

Reports from William Hill, the UK’s largest bookmaker, confirmed that their markets had shown substantial late support for Bishop Welby despite him not being the immediate front runner.

Spokesman for William Hill, Graham Sharpe said: “This is not the first time the church have been involved in a betting coup, I have been industry to see the last three or

four Archbishops and we have seen something similar in the past.”

Born in 1956, the married cler gyman who fathered six children, studied at the top institutions in the country, Eton and later Trinity College, Cambridge. After university, the 57-year-old took up a post as an oil executive for 11 years but despite his six figure salary, left the company in 1987 deciding to devote his life to God by becoming an Anglican priest.

A supporter of the anointment of female bishops, is seen as a popular figure within the Church of England, which is thought to have 80 million members worldwide.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury will officially replace Dr Rowan Williams in March of 2013 when he is formally ordained.

porting the police force and being transparent with the community.

He added: “It is important to restore confidence in the police force in certain areas of Merseyside. It is about us all working together.”

Although he may not be as experienced as other candidates, Mr Gubb is confident he has enough experience to perform to expected standards.

He said: “I am a consultant to numerous national organisations and have been asked to speak at Interpol. I have an understanding of what goes on. I have also spoken to organisations that campaign for justice to

see what changes they would want.”

A key part of the Police and Crime Commissioner job will be to ensure that crimes such as anti-social behaviour are tackled, as well as factors that may contribute to high crime levels.

Mr Gubb continued: “I think unemployment, social factors and drugs all have an effect in some areas as the schooling may not be effective enough, or some people are the result of multiple generations of unemployment.

“If I am elected I will have a zero tolerance stance on drugs and will look to ensure that there is more visible policing on the streets.”

Hotel bed boost for Liverpool

by Scott Fitzpatrick

Hotel bed sales have risen by 11 percent this year, with more than 800,000 beds sold before September as people braved the rain to visit the city.

The figures, which show there has been an 80,000 bed increase per month, suggest that the record figure of 1.12million set last year might be surpassed.

Councillor Wendy Simon, Cabinet member for culture, said: “City breaks have become more popular. There has been a change in lifestyle for younger people.

Less people from ages 18-40 are going abroad and they are looking for shorter breaks in the UK. “More people tended to stay as close to the city centre as they could because it is close to transport points and popular attractions.

These would include people coming to Liverpool to do shopping or visiting the Beatles convention.”

With a buzzing nightlife and events such as Sea Odyssey, more people are visiting the city than ever before. Even mid-week bed sales appear to be increasing with occupancy up to 71.8% for January to August 2012, compared to 68.7% for the same period in 2011.

Cllr Simon said: “There are a number of new hotels coming up in future, but it is important to develop the market to cope with the busiest times of the year. Hopefully the development of the cruise terminal will help to bring in more people and increase mid-week bed sales in the future.”

MP gives evidence The latest in the Hillsborough saga has unfurled with yet another meeting between the select committee assigned to look after the case.

Keir Starmer QC, has yet again announced there is no time table for the inquest to be completed but continued to say the families are still owed a ‘collective’ and ‘coordinated’ response.

However a full investigation is underway now retired policeman Norman Bettison, Dame Anne Owers DBE confirmed allegations were made against Bettison and they will be investigated, which could lead to a prosecution.

The committee also confirmed that 2,444 officers from 19 different forces will be probed in the investigations.

Life/Style/6

Why eight children in every classroom won’t get a present this year With Christmas fast approaching, parents are rushing to the shops to buy the latest must-have toys, and families are preparing to spend the holidays with their loved ones.

However, there is another side to the festive period that these families will probably

ADAM DAVIES AND MICHAELA ROUTLEDGE INVESTIGATE It is estimated that around 4 million children are currently living below the poverty line in Great Britain, with the same issue affecting one third of all the children in Merseyside.

This may come as a surprise to many people given the supposed wealth of the UK, but it is still an ongoing issue.

Figures released earlier in 2012 show shockingly high figures of child poverty in Merseyside, with Liverpool being the most affected area with a figure of 34% of children living on less than the legally required 60% of the average household income.

Although child poverty is arguably the biggest problem faced at this time of year, other problems include homelessness, food shortages and, with Christmas being such a family orientated holiday, there are a lot of people who quickly become depressed as they have no-one to enjoy celebration period with. As a result of this, many local charities are looking to make Christmas a happier time for all.

The Samaritans’ main aim this Christmas will be to ensure that people do not suffer alone if they are experiencing feelings of depression or are feeling suicidal. With a shocking increase of suicides rates over Christmas, the work of volunteers at the Samaritans will be more crucial than ever. By offering a comforting voice at the other end of the phone in strict confidence, the work done by the organisation may save many lives this year. Their main appeal on their website reads: “Talk to us any time you like, in your own way, and off the record.”

Every year, Radio City’s Cash for Kids charity has received more and more requests for gifts and toys for children. Their appeal ‘Mission Christmas’, which was previously called ‘the Toy Appeal’, has been running for 15 years and managed to raise £203,000 worth of toys last year, its best year to date.

Cash for Kids fundraiser Katie Harrison explained the importance of making sure that no age group is neglected: “The area that we particularly struggle with is for newborn babies and also for teenagers as when people do buy gifts they tend to buy for the ages of 4-10 and the other age groups often get overlooked. However, any cash donations that we receive we go out and buy extra gifts for the age groups that we struggle with so nobody is forgotten about.”

As well as underprivileged children, the charity also receives requests from social services, women’s refuges and children’s hospitals to name a few and last year they received over 200 applications, but managed to help 10,000 children.

Katie Harrison believes that it is important that people are made aware of the true reality of the problem.

She said: “This is a staggering amount and nationally it is said that eight children in every classroom are disadvantaged and are in danger of not receiving a present, so that puts things into perspective a little.”

Not only does the charity provide toys for those without, they also organize for children to go to pantomimes and

other shows.

The appeal runs from 12th November to 21st December and anyone is welcome to volunteer and help. Volunteers in the past have included groups from Ambulance services, Barclays bank and schools.

Cash for Kids is pleaing for people to contribute, no matter how small the donation may seem.

Katie explained why this year’s mission is so important.

She said: “When you are doing your Christmas shopping this year, please consider buying just one extra gift and drop it off around the city centre. Anywhere where you see a “Mission Christmas” poster you can drop a gift. We know without our help, the majority of the children on the applications would not receive a gift at all.”

Another issue facing underprivileged families at Christmas time is not having enough food to eat. These families are becoming increasingly reliant on specialist charities known as foodbanks, which provide a certain amount of food to those who need it most. These charities, such as Fareshare and Trussell Trust, have noticed an increase in the demand for food. Fareshare itself has seen an increase of nearly 60% of breakfast clubs needing to feed the children.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of FareShare said: “This research tells us an unprecedented number of people are going hungry across the country. We also know that around 3 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the UK. If just 1% of that waste was fit for human consumption and redistributed to FareShare, we could provide an incredible 70 million meals to those who need it most.”

Fareshare also works in conjuction with supermarket giant Sainsbury’s and tackles the issue of food waste, trying instead to redistribute perfectly good surplus food.

Mr. Boswell said: “We’re urging the food industry to look at what is happening to their surplus food and do the right thing with it. Sending it to FareShare will mean we can deliver even more to those who need it, and help feed some of the most vulnerable people in our community in a time of real need.”

The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Sharon Sullivan, has also urged people to contribute in any kind of way to make sure that Christmas is less of a worry and not such a dreaded time.

She said: “It is vital that people contribute in these challenging and hard times. I think we all need to declutter and ask ourselves do we really need that new pair of shoes or that sweater? When most of us reach a certain age it’s time to be thankful for what we have and turn our attention to those who have very little or indeed nothing at all.”

There were also two events by the Lord Mayor to raise money for various charities. The Lord Mayor’s charity appeal, which runs until 2013 is in conjunction with the Lord Mayor’s charity black and white ball, which took place a couple of weeks ago on Saturday 3rd November at Liverpool Town Hall.

Merseyside gets into the Movember spirit

By Jessica Etherington

Wallasey men are joining thousands of others across the country in getting into the spirit of Movember.

The month of November has been renamed by many as Movember and is being dedicated to growing a moustache all month to raise as much money as possible for male cancer charities.

The Boot pub in Liscard is putting on an entire month of events, with every Saturday in November dedicated to raising awareness and money.

The pub will have its own Movember photo booth to encourage everyone to log the progress of their ever-growing facial hair.

Sarah Wilson, Manager of the Boot said: “We are selling “tash cakes” every day and we sell wristbands for £5. It’s our way or raising money. When people buy a wristband they get drinks offers to encourage people to buy them.

“On the 24th November it’s our big fundraising event because it’s the last Saturday in November. We are doing competitions with the Joe usually has a shaven face moustaches: the person with the

most unique moustache gets a £50 bar tab and there are other prizes to be given away.”

The Boot works a lot with several charities and Sarah knew they couldn’t miss the chance to get everybody involved with Movember, and said she wanted to get as much hype around it going as possible.

The girls can get involved by buying fake moustaches from the pub with the proceeds going to The Boot Team Movember pot.

The “Big Shave Off ” will take place on the first Saturday of

December in the Boot, with local Turkish barbers coming in to remove the men’s facial hair.

University of Liverpool student, Joe Meadows, 20, from Wallasey, is taking part and spoke about the importance of raising money for prostate and other men’s cancers Joe said: “The reason I am taking part in Movember is that I wanted to set myself a challenge that would be of benefit to others, both financially and by giving others a laugh.”

Joe has a target of £500 and is already nearly halfway there although he has been tempted to

shave his usually clean-shaven face.

He said: “I always shave, I can't stand the look or feel of facial hair on myself. Some people think I won’t even be able to grow a moustache!”

All money raised in Movember goes to the Movember Foundation who then distributes it to the charities.

Anybody who wants to donate or take part can do so by going on the Movember website and searching for “Joefus” or “thebootliscard”.

More Movember news on page 10.

Life/Style/7 Liverpool

Life

Curtain rises on bullying drama

By Rosie Cameron

Local theatre company Altru are touring schools throughout the North West with their production “Sticks and Phones” in association with National Anti-Bullying Week.

The company, based in Huyton, are performing their anti-bullying play to students aged 5 – 12. It tackles the growing concern of cyber bullying and teaches youths how to deal with such issues.

Harriet Preston is a member of the cast, and she thinks the show has the ability to keep kids clued up about cyber bullying.

She said, “As social networking sites and mobile phones become more popular amongst young children, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tackle this new kind of bullying, as a lot of it happens outside school hours.”

The group also holds workshops for years 5 and 6 that are tailored to each school.

Harriet said, “One school asked if we could talk about homophobia in our workshop, as it was becoming an issue amongst their pupils. We are talking to the children about the real meaning of the word ‘gay’ and why it shouldn’t be used as a negative insult.”

The group will run the workshops up until 7th Dec. It tackles verbal and physical bullying as well as cyber bullying.

National anti-bullying week takes place from 19th-26th November.

What’s On...

Music Echo arena

14th November: BBC Radio 1Xtra Live-BBC Radio 1Xtra Live is back with a host of big named stars such as Plan B, East London’s Labrinth, Hackney quartet Rudimental and London rapper Devlin. Tickets are free.

17th November: Once In A Lifetime 2012-Once In A Lifetime will feature the crème de la crème of 70s superstars and hit singles from pop icons David Cassidy, Leo Sayer, Hot Chocolate and Smokie. Ticket prices £38.50.

29th November Elbow- Coming to Echo Arena on 29 November, Elbow will be joined on tour by special guests Here We Go Magic! Ticket prices £29.50 30th November: Alanis MorissetteMulti-platinum, Grammy winning artist Alanis Morissette will be returning to the UK this November, coming to Echo Arena 30 November 2012.

Ticket prices £32.50-£42.50 O2 academy Liverpool 16th November: Absolute Bowie- Sensational David Bowie tribute act, 7:00pm. Tickets from £13.80.

Liverpool The Kazimier

Liverpool theatre company Altru are teaching local children about bullying

1Xtra Live brings stars to Echo Arena

Music awards to honour local talent

By Rachael Laird

By Joel Richards

BBC Radio 1Xtra Live returns to Liverpool this week, with a host of artists performing on a free night of urban music on Wednesday.

Headlining chart topper Plan B, East London’s Labrinth, Hackney quartet Rudimental and London rapper Devlin will be tearing up the stage at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on the third night of 1Xtra Live, which also covers London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Also hitting the road with the talent are some Radio 1 presenters, including MistaJam, Charlie Sloth, Sarah-Jane Crawford, Twin B and Adele Roberts.

This year’s line-up marks the fifth consecutive year of BBC Radio 1Xtra Live, which bills itself as the biggest free urban music event across the country. Wednesday’s show from the Echo Arena will be live on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra and

Liverpool’s local music scene is set to honour its own heroes, alongside the current crop of talent that is entertaining the city.

The Liverpool Music Awards set to take place at the Dome Grand Central this Saturday and claims to provide an “opportunity to celebrate musical achievements which have gone beyond the borders of our city.”

With 15 categories including “Band of the Year” and “Female/ Male Artist of the Year,” competition is sure to be fierce with awards not being ‘genre specific’.

The nominees will be overseen by nine judges, including Liverpool Echo Music Editor Jade Wright. Although the eventual winners will have been decided via the public vote which has now closed.

Jade Wright offered her opinion

Singer Labrinth will be taking the stage in Liverpool streamed online at bbc.co.uk/1xtra, along with being on the red button from 7pm to 11pm.

Ahead of 1Xtra Live, presenters Charlie Sloth and Adele Roberts will start the party with a special live show between 4pm and 7pm, broadcasting from a secret Liverpool location. The following morning from 7am to 10am 1Xtra Breakfast Show host Twin B will reflect on the previous night’s proceedings live from the city.

on Liverpool’s current music scene.

She said, “I think it’s hard to categorise it as a single scene.

“I’d say there are lots of scenes that often work collaboratively while still keeping their own identity which is what makes it unique” The judging panel covers the spectrum of local music, including BBC Radio Merseyside DJs Dave Monks and Billy Butler, alongside the likes of Radio City DJ Lee Butler and Radio 2 presenter Janice Long.

The awards organisers insist they are taking the business of judging seriously by “carefully selecting and balancing the panel and doing all that we can to ensure as robust and transparent a process as possible.”

Wright is hopeful the Liverpool Music Awards will be a success and can become an annual event.

14th November: The Mystery Jets- Mystery Jets are an English five-piece indie band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. Concert starts at 8:00pm and tickets from £15.50.

Theatre Philharmonic

30th November: Jack and the Beanstalk- The biggest, brightest most magical rock ‘n’ roll panto in the universe is back to rock the dizzy heights of the playhouse!

Tickets £10-£23, 7:00pm

Comedy Echo Arena 22nd November-24th November: Michael McIntrye- £38.55-Funny man returns with his 3rd comedy show.

15th November: Paul Foot- Paul returns with a brand new show to delight and amuse his connoisseurs. Expect the unexpected from the man The Independent described as “sublime, original and brilliant”. Tickets £12.50

Fashion 18th November: Retro Sunday- This boutique vintage fair is the perfect chance to bag something stylish, original and highly affordable all in the relaxed setting of Leaf. First floor/free entry,11am-5pm.

Family Unity Theatre 22nd November: A Christmas carol- Entertaining family musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ festive novel.

The Civic, Crosby 17th November: Don’t stop believing- A tribute to the phenomenal hit TV show ‘Glee’ starts: 7.30pm / Tickets: £14 (£12 children & senior citizens)

14th November: Theatre of Attractions- Kenneth Hesketh’s Theatre of Attractions weaves early film footage of the city into a magical meditation on time and transience.

It’s part of 10/10’s contribution to the Cornerstone Festival 2012. The Cornerstone, Liverpool Hope University Creative Campus, 7:30pm. Tickets £10.

30th November: Cinderella- Cinderella promises good traditional pantomime fun for all the family. 7.30pm (Fri & Sat) / 2.30pm (Sat & Sun) / Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions), Family £30

Liverpool Playhouse

The Bluecoat

Tue 13 Nov to Sat 17 Nov: A government inspector- ‘Where there’s muck there’s brass’ ...and this hysterically funny tale of misdeeds, misadventure and mistaken identity has plenty of both! Evenings at 7:30pm, tickets £12-£21.

18th November: Gill Curry & Lisa Who: Passage-Part of the Biennial Festival 2012, drawings and prints by Merseyside and Australia-based artists presented upstairs at the Bluecoat. 10am - 6pm, free admission.

Arts

Do you have a story for our What’s On guide? Contact Liverpool Life on liverpoollifenews@gmail.com

Life/Style/8

Ever wanted to lose a friend on Facebook?

Now you can Have you ever felt the sudden urge to delete somebody from your Facebook newsfeed? Are they clogging it up with pictures and statuses that you frankly just do not care about? Do you ever feel too guilty to carry out this social snub? Well, this Saturday is your chance to get involved in the third annual “National Unfriend Day”.

The day gives Facebook users a “guilt-free pass” to unfriend people on the social networking site that are not really their friends.

The event was started by American comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel in 2010, who originally encouraged Americans to participate in unfriending on the 17th of November each year.

The event’s huge success however meant that it has spread to Facebook users all over the globe Jimmy Kimmel told viewers of his “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show: “On November 17, please, pull some weeds out of your life”.

“Friendship is a sacred thing, and I believe Facebook is cheapening it”.

William Shatner and Lisa Kudrow also backed the 2010 unofficial holiday.

So, do not feel bad about having a friend clear-out this Saturday.

EMMA KEMMERY celebrates Global Unfriend Day “I don’t want all of these people knowing my business. I used to accept anyone”.

Lucy Blackhurst, 20

“I’m always unfriending people for being annoying”

The annual Getintothis (GIT) Award is set to return for 2013, putting the city’s new music firmly back on the nation’s musical map after their inaugural prize in 2011.

Lauded by the NME as ‘Liverpool’s answer to the Mercury Prize’, last year’s award galvanised an eclectic array of musicians from across Merseyside to enter, gathering avid support from every creative corner of the city.

Resident music blogger for the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post, Peter Guy, founded the awards in 2011 after noticing there was a dearth of coverage of independent music in Liverpool. Having been writing his music blog, ‘Getintothis’ since 2007 he decided it was about time someone provided an award that celebrates the best of Merseyside music.

Steve Delany, 20 Olivia Brady, 19

“I’ve deleted people in the past when I’ve fallen out with them”.

Josh Handscomb, 20

GIT awards get ready for their return to the city

by Joshua Nevett

What do you think?

“I don’t know half of the people on my Facebook, so I’d delete them”.

Mr Guy said: “As I approached five years of blogging, I noticed just how much quality music there was happening in Liverpool and yet there was so few media channels reporting on it, so I came up with the idea of The GIT Award – to hopefully spread the message far and wide and give Liverpool music more recognition.”

Now the GIT Award is set to return in 2013 after putting the city’s most exciting new music on the national radar with entry for applicants officially opening on November 16th.

This Friday sees the official opening for applicants and also marks the launch of the 2013 Awards. The organisers have curated a special party in collaboration with recent MOBO Award winner and former GIT nominee, Esco Williams to commemorate the occasion.

The Award is open to music

of all genres; from punk to folk, electronica or metal as it showcases Liverpool’s rich musical diversity.

Entrants can apply by submitting a minimum of four tracks for consideration to a panel of esteemed judges that all have a direct link to Merseyside. Peter Guy is expecting a massive party at the launch and thinks the independent music scene within Liverpool is stronger than ever.

He said: “Just imagine if the Kazimier’s Atalonia had been staged in the capital, it would have trumped the Olympic ceremony.

I’m not kidding, Liverpool punches above its weight every year, we’re the Juan Manuel Marquez of the featherweight cities.

“I’m just excited. There’s a lot of great music around these parts and even more people wanting to get involved this year it’s a special .” time for the city.”

Dress made from real hair to go on display in Liverpool

by Rachael Leitch A dress made completely of human hair is on show at the Museum of Liverpool.

The 15 stone piece was created

by Artistic Director Ryan Edwards from leading Liverpool hair salon, Voodou.

It is worth £50,000, took over 300 hours to make and contains 1,500 crystals and 12 underskirts. 250 metres of hair were also hand styled and dyed by Mr Edwards.

The Voodou director said: “When we made the dress in 2011 it was a chance for us to show our creativity and originality and it’s a fantastic feeling to see the finished product on display in the Museum of Liverpool one year later.

“A lot of hard work went into making it so we’re all really proud of the exhibition which takes pride of place in the foyer.”

Famous Liverpool designer Thelma Madine, who found fame on Channel 4’s Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, also played a part in the creation, along with eight members of staff from her dress designing shop, Nico.

The dress was declared the winner at the Alternative Miss Liverpool pageant as part of Homotopia. It is on show in the museum to celebrate Liverpool’s annual festival of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) arts and culture.

Homotopia boss Gary Everett said: “This pageant embraced everyone, irrespective of gender, race, age or sexuality and I think our Homotopia boss Gary Everett said: “This pageant embraced everyone, irrespective of gender, race, age or sexuality and I think our participants reflected this. Miss Voodou’s dress was original, weird and wonderful and created with real artistry.”

The piece will remain in the museum until December, after which it will be moved to the Walker Art Gallery.

Elissa Corrigan modelling the dress last year for Voodoo.

Santa Claus is coming to town

Life/Style/9

Penguin sculptures hand-crafted from dry ice

By Karina Galli Liverpool One shopping centre has launched its first Ice Festival just in time for the festive season, with penguins popping by to help get the party started.

The festival, which is to be staged in Chavasse Park until January, is thought to be the UK’s biggest ever group of real ice attractions together in one place.

Thousands of people turned up to watch the launch, which included professional ice sculptors, street entertainment and a lantern parade in the evening.

The launch featured some special guests, as live reindeer and ‘celebrity’ penguins that have appeared on television shows such as Jonathan Ross and Alan Titchmarsh.

The penguins impressed their audiences by taking to the ice rink to ‘skate’ around and educational talks about the birds also took place every half hour.

Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the outdoor alpine ice rink and Santa’s grotto where elves will be ready to greet children with a special gift.

Over the next couple of months shoppers at Liverpool One will be able to enjoy drinks in the UK’s first ever pop-up real Ice Bar which features furniture made from crystal-clear sculpture, and the UK’s largest ever ice slide.

A massive 25 tons of crystal clear carving ice will be used to create the ice bar. The Ice Gallery and has

been brought to Liverpool by the team behind the world renowned London Ice Sculpting Festival.

Philip Hughes, Creative Head of the Ice Box, said: “Chavasse Park in Liverpool One is the perfect place for this to happen, not only does it look great, but it’s a central hub for shoppers and visitors to the city to come and enjoy the festival. We can’t wait to see the reaction of visitors to Liverpool.”

Donna Howitt, Marketing Director at Liverpool One said: “Liverpool One is proud to be bringing something of this scale to the city for the festive period.

Ice Festival will offer an arctic adventure where I’m sure all our visitors will form many happy memories.”

Visit Santa Claus and his real reindeer in the city during the festive season bringing the North Pole to the heart of Liverpool One

Penguins take to their skates at Liverpool One’s ice festival

Festive ice angels and larger-than-life illuminations and Christmas decorations take their place accross the city centre

How will you raise money for Children in Need?

By Lauren Murphy and Karina Galli

BAREFACED: Abbey Clancy

As the annual fundraiser Children in Need approaches, Liverpool prepares to get busy raising money for the cause.

Events are happening all over the city on Friday 16th November in conjunction with the BBC live show, with something for everyone to get involved in.

Last week, female celebrities took part in the new “BearFaced” campaign by going without make-up for a day.

Liverpool model Abbey Clancy participated and told the BBC: “I was so happy to go “BearFaced” and lend my support to this year’s campaign.”

In the past, Children in Need has

helped disadvantaged children in Merseyside and had raised money for Wirral-based children’s hospice Claire House.

The campaign aims to help disadvantaged children throughout the UK and provides grants to projects that assist young people. The vision of the charity is to provide a safe and happy childhood for all children.

Asda has been one of the main supporters of Children in Need for ten years and had raised over £10million for the charity. So far this year they have collected over £500,000.

Liverpool model Danielle Lloyd raised money for the cause by taking part in an “Alice in Wonderland” photo-shoot, which promoted Asda’s support for the charity.

Many schools across Liverpool will raise money on Friday by allowing

pupils to come in dressed in red, yellow or spotty clothing in exchange for a donation.

The Liverpool Guild of Students also started five days of fund-raising activities yesterday, including photos with Pudsey himself in the University of Liverpool courtyard, a bake sale and dance classes.

A ‘spinathon’ is taking place at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park in Huyton on Friday.

There will be ten back-to-back spinning classes from 9am until 7pm.

Also on Friday, there will be continuous sessions of new fitness craze ‘Bokwa-thon’ that mixes aerobics with African dance at Kirby Leisure Centre.

Last year the Children in Need appeal raised in excess of £26million.

Join Pudsey the bear and raise money for Children in Need

Life/Sport/10

Merseyside XI

by Rory Kelly and Jonathan Bridge

LJMU graduate accepts Celtic job

by Ryan McCann

As we approach Christmas, and winter evenings begin to settle in, there is a very fashionable accessory that many men are sporting at this time of year.

Is it a bag? No. Is it a scarf? No. A hat perhaps? No. Throughout the world, men (and some women) are taking the month of November as an opportunity to grow a much coveted moustache. These brave men, inspired by the ‘Mo Bro’s’ such as Tom Selleck, Charlie Chaplin, Hulk Hogan and Ron Burgundy, attempt to grow a moustache for 30 days, in all shapes and forms to feel that bit more manly.

‘Movember’, as it is now affectionately known, is a chance for men to grow their facial hair and raise money for Men’s Health and Prostate Cancer. The charity has been running since 2003, and has expanded from just 30 ‘Mo Bro’s’ back then to almost 900,000 in 2011.

LJMU graduate Jim McGuinness (above) is set to try his hand in a new sport after accepting a role as a performance consultant at Glasgow Celtic FC. Donegal Gaelic Athletic Association manager McGuinness will be joining the club to help with the development of players and will also be continuing his position with Donegal GAA.

As part of this year’s Movember programme, there have been Gala Partés arranged for ‘Mo Bro’s’ all throughout Britain and Ireland. These events are organised to spread awareness about Men’s Health, as well as rewarding ‘Mo Bro’s’ for their efforts during Movember. There will be one of these events held in Liverpool, on December 2 in The Stag.

McGuinness has become the first GAA manager to have been offered a role at a professional sports team outside Ireland and the opportunity was evidently too great for the Glenties man to turn down.

McGuinness, 40, spoke about how his LJMU degree set him on his current path: “My background is obviously in sports science and in psychology, and that’s transferable to any sport. It is, without a doubt, a great opportunity for me in terms of my own personal coaching development.

With a host of high profile celebrities taking part in the event each year, these people are frequently caught on camera at this time of year with a hairy upper-lip. The event is especially common among footballers, with players such as Everton’s Leon Osman, former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen and Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsay.

“But it will also benefit Donegal Gaelic football because I will be learning new skills in a professional environment.”

McGuiness had been heavily linked with a similar role at Liverpool after reportedly catching manager’s Brendan Rodgers’ eye with his impressive tactical approach to sport and his development strategies for young athletes.

McGuinness transformed an underachieving Donegal side into the best team in Ireland in just two years, securing their first All-Ireland title in two decades in the process.

This year, Donegal defeated Mayo in the All-Ireland Gaelic Football Final, a game that Celtic manager Neil Lennon was present at. “We are delighted Jim has agreed to join us,” said Lennon.

“He is a first-class coach and manager and a high-quality individual who has achieved so much already in sport.”

Michael Owen (Twitter) With many other ‘Mo Bro’s’ taking the stage at both Anfield and Goodison Park throughout the years, Liverpool Life Sport have decided to form a Merseyside Tache XI, consisting of the most memorable mo’s from the Red and the Blue of Merseyside.

McGuinness, who has a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology from LJMU, was a guest at Parkhead last week as Celtic defeated Barcelona in the Champions League.

Wirral primary pupil Reds’ NextGen face in cross-country glory tough Rosenborg test A Wirral primary school pupil is hoping for national success after winning Wirral School’s Cross Country.

Mason Pearson, from Our Lady & St Edwards Primary came first at last month’s event, despite training options being limited at his school.

The 10-year-old was inspired to take up the sport after the school’s P.E Teacher, Mr Sutton saw his

talents and encouraged him to participate.

Mason said: “My mum and dad are really proud and happy for me. Everyone at school has been saying congratulations and well done.”

The year six pupil, who is also a boxer, ran a total distance of 1,200 metres and is now hoping to go on to compete nationally at cross country running.

Liverpool’s Under 19’s will face Norwegian side Rosenborg in their opening home series fixture of the NextGen Cup tonight.

The Reds will play their Norwegian rivals at Langtree Park, home of St Helen’s RFC, at 7pm and will be looking for their first win in the competition.

To date, the Reds have been beaten by both Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund, and cur-

rently sit bottom of their group.

However, with call ups to the Under 21s and first team it has been a young ‘NextGen’ side that has gained experience so far.

Liverpool are expecting to have more senior players available to the team for the Rosenborg clash and are also looking forward to a massive crowd at Langtree Park.

Osman gets Three Lions chance

by Rory Kelly

Everton midfielder Leon Osman has been waiting a long time for his first England call-up. Six years after his manager David Moyes tipped him to break into the England set-up, the 31 year-old has finally been called up by England manager Roy Hodgson for tomorrow’s game with Sweden in Stockholm.

Osman is joined by his Everton team-mates Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines in the squad as well as fellow new-comers Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) and Wilfred Zaha (Crystal Palace).

With Sterling and Zaha both in their teens, the call-up is a late one for Osman, who admitted he has never given up hope playing for England.

Speaking on the announcement, Osman said: “I hoped my time hadn’t passed me by. As an English lad I had a desire to play for my country and I was hopeful it might happen.

“I had stopped looking for my name in the squad every time, but I never gave up hope.”

Osman, who has made 313 appearances for Everton, scoring 45 goals, has been an imperative part of the Blues’ good start to the season, in which they have lost just one game and sit fourth in the table.

Young boxers find local success

by Scott Fitzpatrick

Knowsley Vale ABC led the way for Cheshire and Merseyside as eight of their fighters secured semi-final berths.

Tom Aitchison and the emerging talent of Callum O’Brian won their bouts to secure a Kirkby double as they steamed through the quarter finals of the NABC Ambition championships.

O’Brian felled Junior ABC champion Louis Claridge in his bout for an impressive victory.

Everton Red Triangle will have three boxers in the next round in Sunderland as England star Peter McGrail won his bout to join compatriots Andrew Cain and Scott Rankin.

Hart of Rotunda’s Tom Whittikar, a two-time champion in his own right, is also through as he defeated Karmand’s Blondie Price to seal his place in the final four.

Class A (born 1996): 54kg Peter McGrail (ERT) beat Thomas Hodgson (Howdon); Callum O’Brian beat Louis Claridge (St Pauls); 70kg Alex Hatton (Birkenhead V) lost to James Tyers (Newbiggin) Class B (born 1995): 52kg Anthony Humphries lost RSC3 Kane Auer (Wellington); 54kg Tom McGuiness (Kirkdale) lost to Luke McCormack (Birtley); 75kg Tom Whittaker Hart (Rot) beat Blondie Price (Karmand).

Class C (born 1994/93): 63.5kg Jake Cotsopoulos (Higherside) beat Billy Pickles (Burmantofts); 71kg Michael Lyon (Warrington) won RSC3 Darren Boyes (Bridlington).

Life/Sport/11

Top of the table Rovers face FA Cup injury crisis

Tranmere Rovers celebrating a win against Millwall © Flickr/Rob Hayes

by Rory Kelly Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore is facing selection headache as his team travel to Braintree Town for tonight’s FA Cup tie without a number of key players.

Rovers, who currently sit top of League One, are without Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro, Abdulai Bell-Baggie, Paul Black and Danny Holmes through injury.

Loanees Jake Cassidy and Liam Palmer have also been ruled out, with neither being granted permission to play from their respective

‘We have to show people how good we are’ parent clubs, Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday.

One positive for Ronnie Moore, is the return of Andy Robinson from suspension, and he is expected to fill the berth left by Black in the Rovers midfield. With the initial tie being postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, the rescheduled fixture will be shown on ITV4 and Moore sees the exposure to a national audience as an opportunity for his players to show what they

are about, claiming that TV bosses will be hoping for an upset in the tie. “We are not on the TV because they like us. We are on the TV because they think Braintree can beat us. You could say that shows us a bit of disrespect.

“We really have to go there and show people how good we are, show people why we are top of the league. We are not flukes. You can’t be fluky to be where we are after 17 games.

We deserve to be in the position we’re in,” he said.

Moore has warned his side against complacency in tonight’s fixture, saying that his side must be professional in their approach to this game.

“If you go anywhere thinking it’s going to be easy, you won’t win.

Fortunately we have no prima donnas in our dressing room. I won’t have them and the rest of the lads won’t have that kind of attitude.

“I know there are a lot of young players in the squad but there are one or two older heads amongst the youngsters. And we have got Andy Robinson. No-one is going to mess about when he is around.

He has all the experience in the world and won’t have anyone thinking they are bigger than they should be.”

Tonight’s game kicks off at 7.45pm, with coverage starting at 7.30pm.

Skrtel North West player of the year

by Joe Barnes The city of Liverpool has triumphed at the North West Football awards, with no fewer than five awards being bestowed upon Liverpool FC and Everton FC. Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel picked up the big award of the night taking home the player of the year category.

The Slovakian defender fought of competition from Premier League champions Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany and Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia to take the award.

This is the second year running the accolade has been bestowed on a player from the red half of Mer-

seyside, with the defending succeeding Brazilian team mate Lucas Levia.

Skrtel’s Liverpool team mate Martin Kelly also came out on top of his category to be named the rising star of the North West.

Everton were honoured as the community club of the year for Denise Barrett-Baxendale and her team’s work around Liverpool, this is not the first time Everton’s community team have been recognised with them also winning ‘Best Club Community Scheme’ at the inaugural Football Business Awards.

Liverpool and their shirt sponsor, Standard Chartered were also recognised for their charitable contribution by being given the award for corporate responsibility for their work to

support charity for the blind ‘Seeing is Believing’.

John Manville rounded up the city’s success being awarded the Unsung Hero title, Mr Manville has worked at Everton for 33 years as a painter and decorator and said at the Award ceremony that he: “wouldn’t do any other job.”

The majority of the Awards was judged by a high-profile panel of judges with the likes of Gordon Taylor, Ryan McKnight, John Hudson and Emma Davies, among others.

In total there are 22 clubs that takes part in the North West Football awards.Although, the football playing related categories was adjudicated by the harshest of critics – the public.

Skrtel on international duty for Slovakia

Liverpool

LifeSPORT HURLERS’ NARROW DEFEAT IN DEBUT TIE 13 November 2012

By Rory Kelly

Liverpool Wolfe Tones GAA Club played their first ever Hurling match on Sunday, as the side travelled to face Yorkshire Emeralds in the final of the Mick Houlihan Cup. The game which took place in Hough End in Manchester, saw the Emeralds run out 3-14 to 6-01 winners against the newly formed Wolfe Tones.

Although the Emeralds claimed a four point win, it marked huge steps for GAA in Liverpool and the first hurling match to be played by a Liverpool club since the 1970’s.

With the Wolfe Tones’ home pitch in Wavertree being deemed unplayable, the game was switched to Hough End, home of the Fullen Gaels. One of the players to don the green, white and gold of the Tones, was Cork native Gary Coughlan. He was understandably delighted at the formation of the team, having been living in Liverpool for the last four years.

“Personally it was great to finally get back playing a game. Before now, the only opportunity to play was for Fullen Gaels in Manchester, and because of the travelling to both training and matches, it wasn’t too feasible.

“Thankfully, with the Wolfe Tones up and running, it gives me and other lads a chance to play more regularly,” he said.

Coughlan believes that the high number of Irish people in Liverpool should play a key role

and he says that with the numbers always increasing, the only way is up for Hurling in Liverpool.

“I think with the high population of Irish people, it became apparent that people wanted to get involved, so new faces came out of the woodwork so to speak.

“It’s great for the future of hurling in Liverpool, as we are not just making a team out of Gaelic football players, but players that played Hurling exclusively back in Ireland. We’re constantly encouraging people to join the club, be it to train or just get involved.

This will help sustain the numbers.

“We’re looking to lay the foundations next season, for a team that will be able to compete and not just participate, and hopefully the future of Liverpool Hurling.

“On Sunday, we lost by just four points when any of us hardly knew each other. This is positive going forward.”

Manager Michael Shine was pleased with his side’s efforts, and said that the team have gone down in both club and Hurling history.

“I think our boys deserve a lot of credit for taking part in the game.

“With it being the first Hurling match in Liverpool in around 40 years, the boys have put their names down in both club and Liverpool hurling history.”

With the weekend’s fixture concluding the 2012 season for the club, it is hoped that pre-season training for the Wolfe Tones’ hurling and both men’s and women’s Gaelic football sides will begin again in January.

Mission Accomplished: Liverpool’s first Hurling team for nearly 40 years hope to make a mark

Local boxers set for battle in bid to reach regional squad

By Scott Fitzpatrick

The ABA Seniors Championships continue tonight as twelve more names will be added to the region’s squad.

The national championship will head to Nantwich as Merseyside and Cheshire’s look to progress to a bout with Yorkshire on Sunday.

Four boxers have already secured their places on the team as Craig Smallshaw (Rydal), Jordan Berry (Bridgefoot), Jake Morton (Kirkby) and Carl Masher (Golden Gloves) all won their fights at the Dockers Club on Friday.

Tom Williams (Everton Red Triangle), Connor White (Birkenhead Venture) and Kenneth McKee (Birkenhead)

are amongst the fighters aiming to secure their place on the team tonight.

The bouts are as follows: Tonight’s Merseyside and Cheshire finals are: Class A (3x2 minute rounds): 67kg: Tom Williams (Everton Red Triangle) v Connor Waite (Birkenhead Venture).

71kg: Andrew Howarth (North Mersey) v Kenneth McKee

81kg: David Mawdsley (Long Lane) v James Maughan (Wildcard). 91kg: Ishmael Majid (Anfield) v Elliot Dillon(Phoenix Fire).

Class B (4x2 minute rounds): 54kg: Louis Jacobs (Knowsley Vale) v Marcel Braithwaite (Golden Gloves). 57kg: Ben Swarbrick (Bridgefoot) v John Edwardson (Golden Gloves).

67kg: Anthony Baker Owens (Birkenhead Venture) v Nathan Bennett (Kirkdale).

71kg Joseph Wood (Rydal) v Lee Jenkins (Gemini).

75kg: James McKeon (Warrington) v Paul Riley (Birkenhead Venture).

81kg: Dexter Makaza (Salisbury) v Michael Minard (Gemini).

Bomber predicts a ‘world of pain’ in WBC decider

Bellew hopes to set up a world title fight with a win

By Jonathan Bridge Tony Bellew continues his pursuit of a world title fight when he faces Robert Bolonti at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham on Saturday night.

Bellew’s bout with his Argentinian counterpart for the vacant WBC Silver is the chief support fight to Carl Froch’s IBF super-middleweight defence against Yusuf Mack.

A nineteenth career win for the 29-year-old will improve his WBC light-heavyweight ranking and increase his chance of a world title shot, it could take him within one fight of becoming the mandatory challenger to current champion Chad Dawson.

Bellew yesterday tweeted: “Got home to good news! Bolonti is in the UK and has brought his WBC ranking with him! One thing is sure, he’ll leave without it!”

The 33-year-old Bolonti boasts a record of 30 wins, with 19 of those by way of knock out and only one defeat to his name.

However this is the first time the Argentinian will have fought outside of his home country.

Bolonti spoke via an interpreter at the pre-fight press conference to say: “I’m very happy to be here and we’re glad Eddie (Hearn) has given us the opportunity to come here and show what we’re made of. We have trained very hard for this fight and hopefully we’ll get a result.

“We hope that Tony Bellew has trained as hard as we have because we’d like to see a good fight and hopefully we’ll take the belt back home with us.”

Bellew responded in feisty fashion. He said: “I’m happy for the opportunity. I’ve worked really hard, preparations gone great and that belt’s not going anywhere, it’s staying here. There’s just no chance I can lose this fight and he’s in for a world of pain.

Proud scouserr and Everton fan, Bellew stopped Edison Miranda in the ninth round of his last fight back in September.