Liverpool Life issue 5

POPPY PRIDE The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal pictured in Liverpool city centre. More appeal news on page 3.

Why we’re paying tribute to our heroes

by Alice Kirkland, Hayley Minn, Ian Bolland Liverpool is a city that is proud of the work its servicemen and women do, and the sacrifice they make for their country, which is why thousands of people gather each year on Remembrance Sunday at St George’s Hall to show their respect.

And today, the poppy appeal is still very well supported throughout the city by people of all ages, young and old.

We are living in difficult times.

Money is tight and people are struggling to get by. Yet, despite all of this people are willing to put their hands in their pockets to support the appeal. It is recognition of how thankful we are to those who have fought, and continue to fight, on the front line.

Almost a century since the outbreak of the First World War, Liverpool Life went out on the streets of Liverpool to ask what the poppy appeal means in 2012, with recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan fresh in the memory.

Stephen Le Good, 51, who was collecting funds and selling poppies said: “You’re giving money to people whose loved ones have given their lives for the country.

“It’s got better over the last five years because people can see what’s going on the TV.” Jed McGuigan, an ex-soldier and Poppy Appeal Volunteer said it’s used to educate people and make people aware of their work.

He said: “The poppy appeal

spends £1.7 million a week. It’s not just for November it’s also for the lads in Afghanistan it should be remembered all year round.

You should wear your poppy with pride. It should never ever be forgotten.”

The Royal British Legion is aiming to raise over £42million this year with the help of 300,000 volunteers.

James Tracey, secretary of Mossley Hill British Legion club said: “Armistace Sunday is important as wars still continue and people hurt as a result of these wars, like the lads who come back from Afghanistan. People who were in World War two, and their families, still live in hardship and these funds really do help them a lot.”

Many people are unaware of the help that the poppy appeal offers to those who are currently serving for our country.

Chris Corness of the East Liverpool Royal British Legion (RBL) club said: “We support people in the forces who go out and fight for our country who may come back and need financial help.

“People could have come out of the forces and be living in squalor and not be aware of the welfare side that RBL can offer them. We can help with moving house, bills etc.”

Those that have returned are rightly looked upon as heroes.

Children want their pictures taken with them which is a sign of how much they are admired, and are seen as role models for future generations.

Children’s charity facing store closure

by Madelaine Cornforth

A Liverpool children’s charity launched its Christmas appeal on Thursday, just one week before one of its main sources of revenue is due to close down.

KIND, based between the city centre and Toxteth, had a shop on Bold Street which is due to close this Thursday because the building has been sold by the owner.

The charity is hoping to raise £50, 000 in order to give disadvantaged children and families a happy, stress free Christmas and has been doing it’s Christmas hamper appeal for the past 37 years.

It provides families in need with

a large food hamper containing around three to five days’ worth of food, a fruit and vegetable basket and toy parcels.

Stephen Yip, founder of KIND, said: “I think we all look at our own families and think what we’re going to do for Christmas. I think it’s important that we look at other members of our community.”

Liverpool born comedian and actor, Les Dennis won the charity £5,000 on ITV’s hit show, All Star Mr and Mrs and they have also had a donation of £1,000 from local insurance broker Griffiths and Armour.

Mr Yip said: “It’s a starting point and we’re hoping that a lot

of people on Merseyside will get behind it and help some of those most in need within our community.

“I think it’s important for families and children to know that other people in the community do care about them and do worry and do want to help them and want to help address their problems.”

However, despite these generous donations, Mr Yip is worried the charity will not meet its optimistic target. Each hamper costs £50 and the KIND staff are worried, because of the closure of the charity shop, that not as many will receive the parcels they need this year.

For more information or to donate to KIND visit www.kind.org.uk.

The KIND charity is hoping to raise £50,000 for their Christmas appeal.

The news this week...

Liverpool Communities introduced activities night in Crosby Park to discourage youngsters from causing trouble on Mischief Night…

See more page 2

Liverpool Vision blueprint unveils inspirational city centre plans which will happen in the next 15 years...

Olympian from Merseyside, Chris McDermott speaks out about his ‘on-going battle’ to fund his 2016 Olympic dream...

See more page 5

See more page 11

Life/News/2

Liverpool skies light up on Bonfire Night

by Joe Lanigan Smith Thousands of people took to the parks of Liverpool to celebrate Bonfire Night and watch fireworks across the city.

Organised displays took place in Sefton Park and Newsham Park as poor weather did not deter the determined crowds. Other events also took place in Southport, Kirby and the Wirral.

There were reports of disturbances in Toxteth and Wavertree where youths were seen throwing fireworks at each other and at police but overall antisocial was down 20% on last year.

On November 5th this year there were 73 fires from anti-social behaviour across the Merseyside areas, which were attended by firefighters, down from 90 in 2011

and 117 in 2010.

Last week a joint venture by the Merseyside fire service and Liverpool Council cleared over 20 tonnes of material that was deemed flammable.

James Berry, Prevention and Protection manager at Merseyside Fire Service said: “Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is delighted with the figures following the joint campaign with our partners to reduce deliberate secondary fires during the run-up to Bonfire Night and over the bonfire period. Our teams have been working hard as part of our bonfire campaign to clear streets of items and rubbish that could have been used for fires.

We have worked extremely hard this year to get these successful figures, particularly during a time of dry weather. It is a fantastic result.”

A view of the fireworks from Liverpool waterfront

Keeping out of mischief

by Rachael Bentham

Around 700 people attended a floodlit night of activities in a Crosby park in an attempt to deter the vandalism and crime which usually occurs on the infamous Mischief Night.

Teenagers and children were encouraged to attend the event in Coronation Park last week which took place for a couple of hours from 6pm, to carry out sporting and craft activities and dissuade them from causing trouble.

It was organised by Sefton Council’s Parks and Greenspaces Service along with Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue and other local community groups and leisure centres.

The free event included water sports on the lake such as water zorbing and ‘Paddle in the dark’ which involved Kayaking supervised by coaches from Crosby lakeside and Canoe England.

A number of sports such as football, tennis and basketball took place and orienteering and Halloween crafts such as making spooky lotions and potions and carving pumpkins were available for less sporty youths.

Refreshments free of charge were provided by Subway, Dominoes and Friends of the Park group. The Friends provided hot chocolate and tea and are involved in several community events such

Liverpool

Life Team

Editor Josh Parry News Editor Rachael Bentham News Emma Kemmery Philippa Probert Joshua Nevett Paul Collins Features editor Rachael Leitch Features Rachael Laird Joe Barnes

Features Rachael Laird Joe Barnes Sport editor Jonathan Bridge Sports Rory Kelly Adam Davies Picture editor Michaela Routledge

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Lauren Murphy Scott Fitzpatrick

as litter picking and working alongside schools.

Glow sticks were given out to light up pathways and many also brought flash lights to help find their way around.

Christine Moore, from Sefton Park Ranger Service said: “We were brought in to address antisocial behaviour in the park. It’s a stronger community now having progressed from when we started working closely with Merseyside police on Mischief Night 4 years ago. It’s been a successful partnership and this year was a big event. It created a good family community and atmosphere.”

“We’ve had evidence back already from Merseyside Police

in Crosby that the night reduced crime as it is usually a lot higher and it’s one of the quietest mischief nights they’ve had in years. Our main objective was to stop traditional behaviour like smashing in wing mirror and egging houses, so instead people came down and turned it into something positive.”

Mischief night is a wellknown tradition in parts of the UK, America and Canada. In Liverpool, it takes place on the 30th October where teenagers take part in pranks usually resulting in vandalism such as throwing eggs and flour at houses. In other areas it is the night before Bonfire Night.

By 9pm this year, police had

attended over 600 incidents but had only arrested 39 people which is down from 49 last year.

Superintendent Rowley Moore, talking about Mischief Night and Halloween said: “Parents have clearly listened to our advice to make sure they know what their children are doing for Halloween and the young people themselves have taken advantage of all the things put on for them.”

“We have seen far fewer instances of groups of young people out of the street after dark getting involved in anti-social behaviour and the high numbers of officers we have had on duty has meant people have felt reassured and got a swift response.”

Spotlight on gun crime

©BBC: Scene from the Terriers

by Lauren Kelly A play written for Liverpool students about the effects of gun crime and gang life will be shown tonight at the Royal court.

The Terriers, by local playwright Maurice Bessman was commissioned by Merseyside Police in 2008 and has since been added into the curriculum of key stage 3 English in Merseyside.

Students were able to study the play in depth after a CD-Rom was

produced which featured character monologues and thoughts, games, and other learning activities, to help students with their role playing exercises.

It is thought that by using a modern style of teaching through videos and games gets pupils more involved as it is a lot more fun and interesting.

Following its success in the past few years having been studied by over 40,000 students in the area, The Royal Court has agreed to show the play to other interested members of the public who have

heard about the play and want to know more about the message it is trying to get across.

Not only has the play been effective academically, it has also informed students of the consequences of getting involved in the wrong crowd and how their actions now will influence the rest of their lives.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Richardson, head of the Matrix team, said about the play: “The Terriers brings home the stark reality that people do die when guns are used.”

Journalist in fresh plea to Leveson

by Vanessa Gainford

Professor Christ Frost, of Liverpool John Moore’s University, has taken issue with the Guardian editorial on press regulation.

Chris Frost is one of 20 leading academics to have signed a letter stating that the Guardian has sided with David Hunt of the Press Complaints Commission and Guy Black of the Telegraph.

The letter comes at a time when Sir Brian Leveson is set to release a report on the ethics and standards of the British press. However it is said that the judge is unlikely to be much impressed by vocal lastminute campaigning by either side of the current debate.

The letter states that it is “little more than a reinvention of the same system of self-regulation which has failed the public and journalism for the last 60 years.”

The letter goes on to say, “were it not for the Guardian’s commitment to courageous and outstanding investigative journalism – in the teeth of bitter resistance by the PCC and its controlling press interests, we would never have discovered the true scale of abuse and corruption in parts of the press.”

When asked about the letter Professor Chris Frost said, “No single letter can make a difference but it can build to a campaign.

The Guardian is beating off any regulation. I support stronger regulation. I want to see what Leveson comes up with. Anyone who disagrees with regulation can just walk away from it.”

Student inspires pupils JMU Journalism has visited a Wirral primary school in order to give a talk to pupils about studying journalism.

Our Lady & St. Edwards RC Primary School welcomed the visit. Year Six pupils from the school had the chance to ask questions about being a reporter.

The talk made up part of the year six curriculum, as part of the pupil’s creative writing task was journalistic writing and so the children were keen to find out about life as a reporter.

Mrs Parry, year 6 teacher from the school said that the talk helped give the pupils an idea about how to become a journalist.

“For some of the children, it is too hard to imagine being an actual journalist, so for them to speak to someone who works for a newspaper made it really realistic,” she said.

Website Editor, Josh Parry who delivered the talk, said: “It was really nice to be able to speak about journalism and hopefully get some children excited about it. They asked good questions and hopefully found out a lot about the industry.”

The pupils also got the chance to be reporters-in-training by writing a news report on the visit from JMU Journalism.

Life/News/3

Remembrance Sunday ‘twilence’

by Hayley Minn

Residents tidy the war memorial outside Earlestown town hall.

by Ian Bolland

Members of Newton and Earlestown communities gathered to clean the war memorial outside Earlestown town hall ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

The event, organised by Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron brought people of all ages to try and build a community spirit in the area, and the first activity of a recently formed community group.

He said: “We wanted something that would be quite easy to do that we could do before Christmas as a group.

“It was an easy way to test the water to see who’d get involved and getting started with the community group. I think it just shows that people are interested in just the willingness to get involved.”

Cllr Gomez-Aspron said that it is a fitting tribute to have the memorial clean ahead of Armistice day, and that people are taking pride in their area.

He said: “It does go to show we do have quite a lot of ties with the area with the army cadets and the naval cadets. There is quite a big interest and we do have quite a good turnout on parade day.

“It is good people are willing to chip in and see if we can get a bit of pride back around here. It’s a deprived area defined by coal fields and all sorts of other things so it’s nice to see other people coming out to put a bit back in.”

Marion Cropper, 60, hinted at further projects from the community group: “We’re going to do small things to raise funds towards the town show.”

Vicky Lleweleyn, 37, described the feeling around the event. She said: “It’s brilliant, the whole atmosphere, the community coming out in force. We need more of it.”

The City’s annual Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 11th November 2012 at St Georges Hall, and there will be various road closures in place to support the event.

Lime Street (between Commutation Row and St. George’s Place) and Lord Nelson Street (between Hotham Street and Lime Street) will be closed between 10.30 am and 12.00 noon. William Brown Street will be between 6.00am and 1.00pm.

St. Johns Lane, St. George’s Place, Queen Square and Skelhorne Street (from its junction with Bolton Street to its junction with Lime Street) will be closed between 10.00am and 12.00noon.

Lime Street (from its junction with Elliott Street to its junction with St. George’s Place); Lime Street (from its junction with Ranelagh Street to its junction with Elliott Street); Old Haymarket (between Byrom Street and St. Johns Lane/Preston Street); and Lime Street at its junction with Elliot Street will all be closed between 10.00am and 12.00noon.

All closures will be signed and stewarded, and will remain in force only for as long as is deemed necessary.

Along with real life events there will also be commemorations online as the Royal British Legion will become the first UK organisation to use social media to observe the Two Minute Silence on Remembrance Sunday.

It will use Thunderclap to allow Twitter and Facebook users to automatically send the same message, “I’ll be remembering the fallen at 11 o’clock #2MinuteSilence #LestWeForget”, at 9am on Sunday.

Helen Hill, Head of Remembrance at The Royal British Legion comments, “We hope to cre

Hillsborough petition mercy for terminal cancer sufferer

by Arild Skjaevland

A new e-petition was set up to bring a Hillsborough victims inquest forward, after his mother Anne was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

She has been fighting for 23 years for a new inquest for her son who died at Hillsborough, and it is now getting urgent. She was recently moved into a hospice in Southport, and tweeted: “PLEASE BRING FORWARD KEVIN WILLIAMS INQUEST. please help I would luv to have my inquest before I die”.

Kevin Williams, 15, was one of the 95 people who died at Hillsborough. The 96th victim, Tony Bland, was left in a coma and died in 1993. The original verdict says that it was accidental death, and that all victims were dead by 15.15. However, Anne Williams has evidence that her son was still alive at 16.00.

PC Debra Martin spoke to the BBC in February: “He was still breathing at 3.15. I stayed with him, I was definitely sure that between 3.50 and just gone four o’clock that is when Kevin died.

He didn’t die at quarter past three.”

The former policewoman said she was pressured to change her written statement on the tragedy.

Dr James Burns believes Kevin

would have survived had he been given oxygen and the right care.

On September 12, the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report revealed that as many as 41 lives could have been saved. The Attorney General has announced that he will apply to have the verdicts of the 96 deaths quashed. It’s this process that people sign up to forward as fast as possible, because of Anne’s illness.

The new e-petition had reached 29,500 signatures by Monday night, when the Attorney General replied: “The Attorney General is deeply saddened to hear the of Anne Williams’ diagnosis. He continues to give this matter priority and, as explained in his statement to the House of Commons on 16 October 2012, he is consulting the families on his application.

“He recognises the additional urgency this sad news brings to the process and will make his application as soon as he possibly can.”

If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate by the Back Bench Business committee. An e-petition that ended in January this year started by Anne Williams and Hope for Hillsborough reached 118,467 signatures, and a debate took place on 22 February 2012.

The e-petition will close on January 29th.

Flowers and tributes at the Hillsborough memorial site.

ate the largest ever show of online Remembrance by using the communicative power of social media to remind millions of Britons that they have a very personal opportunity to honour the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

The Royal British Legion is also allowing Twitter and Facebook users to wear a poppy on their profile picture, to coincide with the national Poppy Appeal.

Users are invited to share their support with friends, to learn more about the Legion and its work, and to donate £3 to the Poppy Appeal.

To take part in the online Two Minute Silence, go to https://www.thunderclap.it/ projects/547-two-minute-silence.

To spread the word and upload a virtual poppy, go to this website: http://twibbon.com/support/poppy-appeal-65

War dead field’s last tribute

by Alice Kirkland

Former pupils of Birkenhead Institute School are calling for “one last chance” to pay their respects to the fallen on Remembrance Sunday before their memorial playing field is developed into a housing estate.

The Ingleborough Field, in Wirral, is currently a training ground for Tranmere Rovers football club.

However, despite a massive campaign by those who wanted the field to remain a memorial for the 88 old boys of the school, permission has been granted by Wirral Council to build up to 90 houses on it.

Dean Johnson, who helped lead the campaign against the planning application by Tranmere and is a former pupil of the Institute himself, has written to the football club seeking permission to access the site on Remembrance Sunday.

This request has been made to give the alumni the opportunity to pay homage to the young men of Birkenhead Institute at a place special to them for what could be the last time.

Mr Johnson said: “The timing of this planning decision was very regrettable, being to near to Remembrance Day; this year it falls on a Sunday and we have written to Tranmere Rovers Football Club to allow us to hold a short service.

“In past years when the school was in existence, we could honour and remember our fallen there and would be grateful if TRFC if they would grant this simple request.”

The public have been invited to leave a poppy outside the Field gates as a gesture to those who have served in the armed forces.

Life/News/4

How could anyone do this?

Maggie and Matilda are now being cared for at Freshfields Rescue Centre after they were dumped and doused in chemicals earlier this week ulcerated eyes, had been left in confirmed that he believed they today at a cost to the rescue of appealing to the public to make a

by Hayley Minn Two abandoned puppies have been found in a Merseyside park, after having been doused in a chemical.

The two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, who both have a very bad skin condition and severely

a park in Bootle, and given to Freshfields Animal Rescue, from a vet in Crosby.

After seeing an onsite vet yesterday, the two 4-6 week old dogs were immediately referred to an ophthalmic specialist, who

had some sort of chemical spilt on them. The ulceration of the eyes, as a result, is so bad that one, Matilda, is blind and the other, Maggie, desperately needs an operation to try to save her sight.

The operation will take place

£2000.

Freshfields said: “We cannot begin to express all that we feel concerning the mistreatment and abandonment of these two innocent little creatures.”

Staff at the animal rescue are

donation to the puppies’ care.

More information can be found at www. freshfieldsrescue.org.uk.

Blow to ‘silent killer’ charity

by Sara Ainsworth

Carbon Monoxide Awareness was established by Lynn Griffiths in 2005 after she and her family suffered the devastating effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Lynn, who lost her husband, Albert, to the ‘silent killer,’ still has health implications, as do her four children.

In 1999 the Griffith family had their fire condemned because it kept cutting out. It was then that they realised they had been exposed to noxious gasses for the past 11 years. Lynn’s two youngest children Kelly and Paul were both poisoned in the womb.

Albert died in 1999 due to lung cancer, but Lynn believes that his death was a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Lynn established Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week which will begin on November 19th this year. Since her charity started out it has gone from strength to strength. After visiting the House of Lords last month she has also launched carbon monoxide community groups over various parts of the UK.

The charity which is a voluntary organisation will be forced to cease its activities in December if funds are not forthcoming which is a big worry for Lynn. For the past seven years she has been passionate about helping people from unnecessary suffering. From 2007 to 2009 the charity received £25,000 per year from the Department of Health, but since then Lynn has been struggling for upcoming funds. Lynn now works ceaselessly to promote the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Common poisoning symptoms include persistent headaches, flu like symptoms and confusion.

Figures from the Department of Health this year show that 4,000 people are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning each year, 200 are hospitalised and there are approximately 50 deaths.

Lynn said, “These figures are most certainly an under estimation and the tragedy is that all these carbon monoxide deaths could have been avoided.

“I believe knowledge is the key to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. In most cases of accidental poisoning victims don’t realise that the carbon monoxide is being produced. Everyone needs to know about the dangers and how to protect themselves from this noxious gas.”

by Michaela Shaw

A Liverpool girl is setting her sights high and climbing Kilimanjaro for charity.

Nicola Calland, 22 from Aigburth hopes to raise £2,650 by July next year in order to climb the mountain for HOPE charity which specializes in helping orphaned and exploited children around the world.

“I was drawn to the charity as it supports the most disadvantaged children, often in areas un-reached by other organisations,” she said.

Having discovered the Kilimanjaro challenge at a fresher’s fair earlier in the year, she decided to turn the opportunity into a way to raise money.

She said: “I find myself worrying about such trivial things in life and forgot how lucky I really was and wanted to give something back.”

Nicola, who is currently studying veterinary science, has been bag-packing in supermarkets, collecting on the streets and organizing bake sales and has already raised £500 of her £2650 total, as well as training hard to tackle the mountain.

Merseyside is UK’s greatest

by Rory O’Reilly Liverpool is the UK’s number one place for producing musicians with million-selling singles.

New research from the Official Charts Company shows that artists from the Liverpool area make up a fifth of all those who have contributed to singles which have clocked up seven-figure sales.

Liverpool’s unbelievable run of artists has included the likes of Ken Dodd, Lightning Seeds star Ian Broudie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Beatles.

Epstein film announced A big screen adaptation of the graphic novel about the Beatles manager is officially in the works.

Producers have said the project would mark the first time a feature film about the band had secured rights to include Beatles songs.

‘I believe more and more people will fall victim to this poisonous gas’ She added, ”Due to shrinking incomes and rising living costs the last thing on people’s minds will be getting their gas, oil or coal burning appliances serviced.

I believe more and more people will be getting their gas, oil or coal burning appliances serviced. I believe more and more people will fall victim to this poisonous gas without even knowing it.”

You can email Lynn at: Lynn@covictim.org

Student’s peak climb

Model’s US dream Aimee Ormesher, 21, set for international success as she prepared to jet off to the Bahamas for a major beauty contest, Miss American Dream after winning the UK equivalent in Liverpool.

Quest: Lynn Griffiths is desperately searching for funding

Life/News/5

City regeneration plans revealed

by Josh Kilner

Ambitious plans to regenerate Liverpool City Centre have been unveiled, which draw inspiration from some of the world’s finest cities .

New York, Boston, Melbourne and Hamburg are among a number of cities that Liverpool Vision looks to emulate with their latest plans for the city.

A 140-page document released

by Liverpool Vision outlines the blueprint for a number of major projects within Liverpool city centre, prioritised for investment over the next 15 years.

These include the continued redevelopment of the Liverpool waterfront, a revamp of the area surrounding St. George’s Hall and the city centre, and improvements of the Liverpool Knowledge Quarter and Commercial District.

The scheme hopes to turn the area surrounding St. George’s Hall into ‘a new heart of the city centre, where parades, celebrations, street carnivals and trophy-raising will take place’ and replicate the likes of London’s Trafalgar Square.

A ‘Great Street’ initiative means Hope Street, Dale Street and Water Street will also be the focus of a physical investment programme over the next 10-15 years.

The 2012 Framework hopes to increase the residential population of the city centre from 32,000 to 42,000; the largest of any UK city in the core of the City Centre.

Investments have also been highlighted for the city centre’s infrastructure, looking at improving airport links, bus and rail services, car parking, cultural attractions, social facilities and more ‘green

space’.

A number of strategic initiatives will also be put into place, focused around ‘Enterprise, People and Place’.

Within the document Max Steinberg, Chief Executive at Liverpool Vision, said: “The regeneration of Liverpool has succeeded because the partners responsible for its delivery focused upon a limited set of key projects. We prioritised.

“While we are all rightly proud of our achievements, I also recognise there is still more to do.

“Our success has not made us complacent. The economic climate has not diminished our ambition.

In fact it has made us more intelligent, more innovative.

“This document is the foundation for continuing our success.”

A new £40m Exhibition Centre is due for completion in the King’s Docks in 2015, and there are plans to build an International Migration Centre as well as an ‘extreme sports visitor destination’, which will offer sports facilities as well as relevant food and retail outlets.

An all-season walkway will take pride of place along the waterfront, to improve links between the city centre.

Matthew Biagetti, City Centre Senior Development Manager at Liverpool Vision, told JMU Journalism that the time is right to document further plans for regeneration: “The last report recommended a broad range of projects, including the Arena and Convention Centre and other developments.

“Many of those projects are either complete or would benefit from a refreshed approach.

Tributes have been paid to Wirral Cllr Anne McArdle who sadly lost her battle with cancer last week.

Cllr McArdle who was the Labour councillor for Leasowe and Moreton East passed away on Friday following a long illness.

She had only stepped down from office two weeks ago due to poor health.

Cllr McArdle was first elected in 2010, joining the cabinet with responsibility for adult social care. She had previously worked as a teacher and a schools inspector before becoming an election agent and office manager for Wallasey MP Angela Eagle.

Ms Eagle said: “I am extremely sad to hear that Anne has lost her long and brave battle against cancer. Wallasey has lost a true champion who relished serving her local community….I have lost a loyal and irreplaceable friend.”

Maria Eagle, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport was and a friend of Anne, tweeted: “RT“@LiverpoolLabour: Warm words for late #Wirral #Labour Council as Anne McArdle passes away... So sorry to hear.”

Cllr Steve Williams, Conservative Councillor for Moreton

AMBITIOUS: Liverpool Vision’s blueprint of waterside regeneration plans “Given the progress that has been made in the city centre since 2000, the principles contained within the last Framework are still valid but they are outdated.

A refreshed approach was required which embraced new priorities, focused on economic growth sectors, and created a new vision for the city to aspire to.”

Although no financial figures or funding arrangements are mentioned in the investment framework, Mr Biagetti insists meas-

ures have been taken to ensure funding will be afforded: “The projects will be funded in a variety of ways.

“Delivery will differ across the projects but will include a mix of private sector investment and public sector funding sources.“ In a foreword to the plans, Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “Liverpool’s recent renaissance is of international significance.

The City Centre has experienced considerable growth over the last

ten years and despite the current challenging economic climate it continues to have enormous growth potential.”

He added: “Perhaps most encouraging for the future is that this unmistakable sense of recovery is now widely recognised outside of Liverpool.

The city is, once again, seen as a place can deliver projects of international quality and significance and compete in mainstream markets for jobs and investments.”

by Josh Parry

three Young Lord Mayors from special schools across Liverpool.

Danny Williams from Aigburth High, one of the three Young Lord Mayors from special schools, is proud to take part in the scheme. The 14-year-old said: “I feel excited and very happy to be given the chance to make a change by giving young people a voice. I’m going to try to make Liverpool equal for all people.”

Danny’s learning mentor, Ann Price said the role has given him high hopes for his future. She said: “It’s been a huge boost to his confidence; it’s given him a voice. Now he wants to be Prime Minister!”

At a ceremony in the Town Hall, the 26 young people were sworn

in, with Lord Mayor Sharon Sullivan giving them her best wishes, saying: “I congratulate all Young Lord Mayors and wish them a successful term in parliament. I am so proud to give these awards to such wonderful young people.”

The Lord Mayor later praised the scheme: “It makes young people aware of the polticial process. One of the big issues that worries me is the low turn-out to voting, and so I think the more young people that are aware of the process, and the structure, the better for them.

The Young Lord Mayors will each be given a set month over the coming year in which they will be required to carry out civic duties whilst shadowing the Mayor.

Young people from across Liverpool have been sworn in as Junior Lord Mayors.

The 26 pupils from Liverpool schools have been elected after being nominated by Liverpool Schools’ Parliament The scheme gives them a chance to get a taste for civic life; shadowing Lord Mayor Councillor Sharon Sullivan at events over the coming months.

The team of ‘mini mayors’ is made up of 11 Junior Lord Mayors who represent local primary schools, 12 Young Lord Mayors from local high schools, and

West & Saughall Massie, said: “Very sad that Cllr. Anne McArdle has passed away. A dedicated councillor particularly in her work for Adult Social Services.

RIP.” Cllr Kevin Peel, Counciller for City Centre ward, said: “Deeply saddened to hear of the death of Wirral councillor Anne McArdle. I met her several times & she really was one of the good guys.”

The official Wirral Conservatives Twitter page tweeted: “We are very sorry to hear that Cllr.

Anne McArdle has passed away after a long illness. RIP. Our condolences to her family and friends.”

Rimmer enters police election battle

by Scott Fitzpatrick

Tributes paid Liverpool elects 26 to council’s new ‘mini mayors’ justice fighter

by Rory O’Reilly

CANDIDATE: Paul Rimmer

With the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside elections looming, the English Democrats have announced their candidate.

Paul Rimmer, a former member of the Conservative Party, Labour Party, UKIP and the British National Party, has been put forward for the inaugural position on 15th November. He has promised zero tolerance for anti-social behaviour in what could be his first major position after missing out in the Mayoral elections in May. He said: “Obviously the focus is on crime and reducing crime figures. The main problems with crime right now are anti-social behaviour, burglary and car theft.

I feel that since the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit was shut down the levels have gone up again, making it a bigger issue again “The police are facing a budget cut of up to £310million over twenty years. This is at a rate of 5% a year, meaning they would be losing £15million each year.”

As crime figures went down by three per cent between September 2010 and September 2011, any elected Police Commissioner would be required to maintain this trend. They would also be required to combat thefts and burglaries, with figures for these crimes rising in the same period.

Mr Rimmer said: “Crime levels went down because the average age of the city increased. An older population means there is less crime. The way to maintain this is to ensure proper policing measures combined with the right strategies in schools.

“Thefts have to be a priority.

There is a lot of crime in parts of the inner cities, such as in Toxteth and Wavertree. There are different focuses for different crimes.

Burglars are more likely to target places like Southport and Formby as there is more money in these areas, where as the inner cities are poorer.”

Dudek shirt sold

by Arild Skjaeveland

© Garath Jones 26 young people of Liverpool have been sworn in as Junior Lord Mayors

Jerzy Dudek’s shirt which he wore in Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League final has been sold at an London auction, according to the Liverpool Echo. The Polish goalkeeper will always be remembered for his heroics, and how he saved Andriy Shevchenko’s penalty for Liverpool to bring home the trophy from Istanbul.

The winning bid was £8,300, and the money raised went towards a charity for sick children in Poland.

Life/Style/6

Have your say

Gordan Whitehead, 65:

“If there’s any good banter then I would but that’s about it. I haven’t got any interest in the English side never mind America.”

America Decides

Jean Lavery, 72:

“I’ll watch it; I’ll stay up to watch it, if it’s not too late.

“I like Obama but doubt whether he can carry it out. Like any of them that get in, they do what they want as long as they get the votes. I definitely will stay up as I quite like Obama.”

Obama images on show

By David Williamson

Margaret Anthoney, 59:

“I’m so interested in world politics and I like Obama, but two in the morning is a bit late for me.

“However I will catch up on it all tomorrow as it’s one of my interests. I’m quite excited for the outcome.”

On the eve of the US presidential election the Walker Art Gallery has announced the first European display of seven silkscreen prints which tell the story of Obama’s 2008 presidential Campaign.

‘In Seven Days’ is a study by artist Nicola Green which saw the election of the USA’s first Black President and is set to go on display from 19th January to 14th of April 2013.

Director of Art Galleries Sandra Penketh says: “There is a monumental story behind In Seven

Days, Nicola’s work is a wonderful example of how art cannot just record great events, but so beautifully capture the emotion and spirit of the time.

“We’re really pleased to be the first gallery in Europe to show In Seven Days…. Liverpool has a global history which resonates with the themes of race and identity within the work.”

Nicola was able to visit Obama’s campaign in the US on six separate occasions. The themes in the story are shown through seven iconic images, each a denounce-

A view from Liverpool...

Liverpool Life has reached out across the Atlantic to seek results and reaction from the various Liverpools in the US, and next week we will be providing news about how its citizens voted in the race for the White House.

Liverpool, New York

by John Mathews You may think that Tuesday’s US Presidential Election does not directly affect the people of Liverpool.

However, there are thousands of Liverpudlians with a stake in whether Democrat Barack Obama is re-elected or Republican Mitt Romney becomes the 45th President of the United States.

Our city is just one of many places called Liverpool worldwide and no fewer than five of them are located in America.

Voters will be going to polling stations to decide the fate of the most powerful man on the planet in Liverpool, New York; Texas; Pennsylvania; Ohio and Illinois.

2008 state result: New York Obama/Biden (Democratic Party) Fact: Captain Israel Adams of Liverpool was the scourge of the British army during the territorial war of 1812 with the fledgling United States. A £100 reward was offered by the British for his capture, but he lived to tell the tale.

Liverpool, Texas

2008 state result: Texas – McCain/Palin (Republican Party) Fact: In October 2009, Liverpool Mayor Mike Peters was found dead on the Union Pacific railroad tracks that run through Liverpool. officials believe that he committed suicide. In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18.

ment of photographs, sketches, conversations and prints the artist completed during and after her journey.

‘In Seven Days’ takes no political stance, Nicola said: “The work is a deconstruction of what hope really is; a reflection on what future generations can take from this moment in history.

“It seemed natural and important to me that I should make a portrait of Obama, not least because when I looked at my sons I saw his face in theirs; saw their hope and their future.”

The seven images have a formal order that depict the campaign in different stages. Light, Struggle, Hope, Change, Fear, Sacrifice/ Embrace, and Peace.

The display announcement came as the Presidential race had begun.

Early votes across 34 states Tuesday morning had totalled thirty million, and numbers are expected to be close to the 130 million votes cast in the 2008 election.

The US presidential election will be decided by just a handful of ‘battleground’ states, Ohio is the critical state, as a swing state

it could decide the election, and no Republican has ever made it to the White House without a victory there.

On Tuesday morning The BBC News average of national polls, showed Obama with a single point lead over Romney. Obama stood at 49% compared to Romney’s 48%.

In a campaign that has cost more than $2 billion dollars, should Mr Romney win he would be the first ever Mormon president of the United States.

Liverpool, Pennsylvania

2008 state result: Pennsylvania Obama/Biden (Democratic Party) Fact: Legend has it that a village in the Liverpool area and another near Mexico, Pennsylvania fought sporadic Native American tribal wars, with stores raided and women being captured. The losers would have to pay homage to the winners by sharing their catch.

East Liverpool, Ohio

2008 state result: Ohio – Obama/Biden (Democratic Party) Fact: East Liverpool is not to be confused with another Liverpool Township in the same state which is home to Valley City, ‘The Frog Jump Capital of Ohio’. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Frog Jump in 1962.

Liverpool, Illinois

2008 state result: Illinios – Obama/ Biden (Democratic Party) Fact: 19th Century settlers usually arrived by boat but one passenger brought a cholera epidemic that swept the area in 1848, killing 13 people.

Liverpool

Life

Carlos performs What’s On... his heroes’ hits

by Sara Ainsworth The people of Liverpool may not be familiar with Carlos Bonell yet, but one of his biggest fans is responsible for putting the city on the world’s musical map.

Because the Internationally-acclaimed classical guitarist counts Paul McCartney amongst his followers and he has had the honour of creating a Beatles tribute album, with Sir Paul’s approval.

On Saturday Carlos is performing at St Barnabas church, Liverpool. He has waited until this month to tie in with the 50-year Beatles celebrations in Liverpool and chose the church because it is situated off Penny Lane. The songs he will be performing will highlight the Fab Four’s famous hits and money raised by the concert will go towards church funds.

Carlos, who is Spanish, has performed in more than 40 countries and his discography includes 20 CDs and DVDs. He was five when he developed a taste for music because his father was a keen amateur guitar player and his mother an amateur singer. As soon as he could read he started to learn how to read music at school and he then dedicated his time to playing the violin and the guitar.

Classical Guitar magazine has described him as one of the greatest communicators of the guitar world.

“It means a great deal to be called one of the greatest communicators, it is incredible being able to make people listen, this creates a moving, communal experience for them,” he said.

In 2006 Carlos began helping Sir Paul McCartney compose a concerto for guitar and orchestra.

Carlos’ current album Magical Mystery Guitar Tour, which was released in May this year, is a compilation of Beatles songs.

Carlos said: “Paul said he liked my music very much and that gave me the green light to go ahead with the classical type of renditions on my album.”

Carlos says his first excursion at crossing the invisible divide from classical music to rock and pop was in 2008 when he created an album Queen Guitar Rhapsodies, which is a concerto style arrangement of Queen songs for solo guitar and symphony orchestra.

He first performed his album in Venezuela and says that re-creating Queen songs was particularly difficult because of their unique sound, but lead guitarist Brian May praised Carlos for the album describing it as “absolutely exquisite.”

In May this year Carlos reached number 1 in the classical iTunes top ten, beating Pavarotti and he also entered the ITunes top ten alongside Coldplay and Adele.

He added: “When my manager rang me up with the good news it totally took me by surprise. I remember it well. “ I was having my supper with friends and I don’t normally answer the phone when I’m dining, but on this occasion I did and it made my dessert taste even better.”

Carlos is performing at Saint Barnabas church, Saturday 11th November at 7.30pm and at the Williamson Art Galler, Wirral on Friday 16th November at 7.30pm.

Echo arena

Slaughter house Liverpool

9th November: The Killers- -The Las Vegas rock group will showcase their Battle Born world tour supported by Canadian indie band Tegan and Sarasold out.

6th November Take A Stand - In Partnership with LFC Action for Health- - tickets- £10 adult/ £7 concession

11th November: Andrea Bocelli- Italian tenor is regarded as one of the best opera stars of all time- tickets £45-£120 Philharmonic 10th November: Charley Pride- Grammy award winner is one of the highest selling country music singers of all time.

Tickets £35, £40, £45 Static Gallery Static need old cassette players/recorders for the forthcoming CLINIC gig- Tickets £9-8pm Leaf On Bold Street, Liverpool Spotify Wednesdays - Wedneday 7th November 2012 – Playing everyone’s favorite tunes- Free

Theatre Liverpool Playhouse November 6th-10th Steptoe and son - Darkly comic, shows the surprising dance relationship between father and son

Carlos has performed in more than 40 countries

by Ian Bolland

accents that were heard through the television in the 1960’s and 70’s, with Kneehigh and West Yorkshire Playhouse putting a Cornish slant on the sitcom, with actors Mike Shepherd and Dean

Comedy

10th November: Lionel Richie- 25 years into his career the American superstar returns to Liverpool joined by special guest Rebecca Ferguson- ticket prices £40-£65

Steptoe at the Playhouse It is a comedy classic about a father and son that don’t really get on in Shepherd’s Bush in London and possibly has the most memorable theme tune out of all sitcoms that have gone by.

The characters of Albert and Harold Steptoe have been reincarnated for the stage and it comes to the Liverpool Playhouse this week, with four episodes, that were originally written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, fused together to make a two hour stage performance.

The characters are the same, but there are a couple of small twists.

You won’t be hearing the London

Music

Nolan. The other twist is that it will take place with a clean set which doesn’t quite resemble the conditions of scrap merchants, but there are reasons for that.

Kneehigh theatre writer Emma

Rice said: “I wanted to get a sense of their isolation.

“I’ve done a bit of a mash-up but the genius is theirs.”

It has been described as “darkly comic, and deeply moving. “ Emma Rice said:“There’s probably a seven minute adjustment period of realising it’s not a tribute show.

But once you’ve got through those first minutes it rocks along.”

A woman features prominently, something which didn’t happen in the TV series.

It might answer one of the questions surrounding the series, just how would Albert and Harold react to a prominent female figure?

The show is running from Tuesday 6th November-Saturday 10th November.

November 10th The Mersey Beatle- - One of the leading Beatles tribute bandsEpstein theatre- Standard Ticket £13.50 November 10th Lavender Girls- Unity theatre- The Homotopia comedy club Lavender Girls returns following the success of 2011’s show!- £10 adult £8 concession

Echo Arena 22nd November-24th November Michael McIntyre- £38.55- Funny Man returns with his 3rd comedy show.

Fashion 7th November Harvey Nichols opening at Liverpool One.

Family Empire Theatre 7th-10th November The Sound of Music A classic and all time family favourite- Tickets £10-£24 Unity Theatre 10th November Egg Sat Price: £8.00 / £6.00 concessions The Civic Liverpool Sat 10th November Suitcase Stories: Tell Tale Hearts Theatre Company The Civic, Liverpool- A storytelling show aimed at children and their parents toocall the box office on 0151 928 1919

Arts 7th November FACT: Liverpool Biennial 2012 Film Programme- FILM-The Box- The Creator.

12A £4/£3

Life/Style/8

“I’ve never done that!”

by Ryan McCann Believe it or not, a recent survey showed that some of the British public have ever been in a plane, eaten McDonald’s or sent an email.

For millions of us living in the modern world, such experiences are the norm and borderline essential.

However, a remarkably high percentage of our public have never tried every-day experiences of the contemporary age such as sending emails, travelling by plane or buying a takeaway coffee.

Twenty-three per cent of British society has never been inside

From skate-boarding to online shopping - the everyday experiences millions of us haven’t yet tried

an airplane, and in our neighbour country France.

Perhaps the most startling statistic of all concerns the 19 per cent of us who have never set foot inside a McDonald’s, and almost one in three have never had a takeaway cappuccino or latte.

In the ever-changing digital age, it

may seem astonishing to hear that 16 per cent have managed to elude the wonderful world of electronic mailing, and around one in twenty have never used the internet or a mobile phone.

Other strange answers found in the research conducted by internet search engine Ask Jeeves, were: •28 per cent have never watched the X Factor on TV •54 per cent have never sung at a karaoke evening.

•9 per cent have never seen a James Bond film •18 per cent of adults have never owned a car •68 per cent of people have never been skiing •36 per cent have never been to a football match •37 per cent of people have never read any of William Shakespeare’s work

•14 per cent have never got drunk •17 per cent have never wired a plug An Ask Jeeves spokesman said: ‘It is surprising to find that significant numbers of people have

Rebecca Ferguson joins opera star

Award winning singer Rebecca Ferguson, picttured, has confirmed she will join Andrea Bocelli on his UK tour.

The Liverpool born singer will appear as a special guest with

the classical music superstar in London at the O2 arena on the 14th and 15th of November.

Ferguson, a mother of two, who has enjoyed great success since her X-Factor days, said she was

honored to be singing with such a legend.

Other special guests who will sing with the opera star include Bulgarian soprano Svelta Vassileva, and conductor Marcello Rota.

Skiing (Left), Flying (Above) , eating a burger and getting drunk. Just some of the things that Britons have admitted to never having done never tried things that other take for granted in their everyday lives.

‘From air travel to emails and even mobile phones, it seems some people are managing to get on perfectly well in their lives without modern day distractions Here at Liverpool Life, we decided to ask the people of Liverpool were there any notable ‘life experiences’ that they feel they have missed out on.

Lucy Nicholl, 19, said: “I’ve never had a cup of tea. My friends think it’s weird that I have never had a nice cuppa!”

James Truestale, 22, has also

neglected the hot beverages and admitted: “I’m like Lucy, I’ve never had a cup of coffee, which is weird considering the coffee houses around.”

Jen Gibney, 18, said: “I have never used a skate-board.”

Samantha Gaulter-Green, 18, said: “As a student, I’m ashamed to say this, but I have never ironed.”

Amy Nicholson, 20, rluctantly admitted: “I have never done a full week in university.”

Mark Goodrick, 20, has quite a few gaps in his life experience log, saying: “I have

never roller-bladed, been ice-skating or, believe it or not, been to London.”

Emma Green, 18, said: “I have never been on a friend’s holiday, which is very common for people my age who have just left school.”

John Morris, 19, said: “I’m ashamed to say that I have never been to a concert. That’s inexcusable considering I’m from Manchester and have been living in Liverpool for over a year.”

While Sarah McCartney, 21, said: “I have never shopped online, that’s pretty impressive.”

Review: Sleeping Beauty

by Hayley Minn English National Ballet has attempted to create one of the most beloved fairytales of all time in The Sleeping Beauty, and although long at a running time of three hours, it did not disappoint.

Performed at the Liverpool Empire, the tale is one of good versus evil, as Carabosse puts a curse on Princess Aurora that she will die when she touches anything sharp, while the Lilac Fairy tries to prevent this from happening by putting her in to a deep sleep instead.

The ballet opens in the gardens of the palace, where guests are celebrating the christening of Princess Aurora. The dancers looked so majestic, as they whirled around the stage, to Tchaikovsky’s well known score, in their opulent ball gowns and luxurious suits.

Costume designer Nicholas Georgiadis’ talents were shown off the most when Carabosse, played

by Fabian Reimair, entered on a big black cart with his minions; sporting a red wig, black and gold gown, extra large ruff and a flowing cloak. He looked like an evil Queen Elizabeth I, completely contrasting with the pretty Lilac Fairy and her attendants, in their pastel coloured tulle tutus.

Kenneth MacMillan’s choreography pushes the dancers to their limits in the second act, especially Erina Takahashi, who plays Princess Aurora.

This act sees the kingdom celebrating Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday, where she has to choose a husband out of four princes.

Takahashi is mesmerising, as she dances with all four men one by one, keeping en pointe on one foot for around 10 minutes, with virtually no help from anyone else.

As she glided so effortlessly around the stage, there was no doubt as to why she was chosen to play such a demanding lead, and received rapturous applause at the

end of the ballet.

Act three sees Prince Desire, played by Esteban Berlanga, searching for Princess Aurora in a dream sequence. Set designer Peter Farmer excels here in creating such an ethereal atmosphere, and the illusion of a forest.

The final act is where the Prince and Princess get married, and is where, once again, Berlanga and Takahashi are able to take centre-stage and show off their awesome dance abilities and chemistry. Shiori Kase and Laurent Liotardo, as the Bluebird and Princess Florine, also stood out, and received nearly as much as applause as the ballet’s two principles.

English National Ballet’s version of the classic story, Sleeping Beauty showcased some of the best dancing this country has to offer, and provided everything we’ve come to expect from a fairytale; comedy, drama, romance, a fantastic set and a very happy ending.

Life/focus/9

by Tara Lamb The clocks have gone back, the dark nights are here and the weather is cold. That doesn’t mean you can’t be looking super hot.

This winter we look at the best knitwear to keep you snug in these winter months.

The weather outside may be dull but keep your outfits bright with a splash of colour and great patterns. Winter can often leave you feeling deflated and depressed.

Your outfit doesn’t have to look the same. Here are the best accessories that will heat up your life this winter.

Time to wrap up warm TOPSHOP KNITTED YAMA CARDI Price: £42.00

NEW LOOK NAVY AZTEC FUR LINED HOODED SCARF Price: £9.99 NEW LOOK BROWN AZTEC OPEN FRONT CARDI Price: £24.99

ZARA OVERSIZED CABLE KNIT CARDIGAN Price: 59.99

TOPSHOP CABLE POM POM HAT Price: £14.00

RIVER ISLAND CREAM AND PINK AZTEC PRINT BEANIE HAT Price: £12.00

TOPSHOP KNITTED YAMA CARDI Price: £42.00

ASOS CHUNKYMIXED KNIT BOYFRIEND BEANIE Price: £10.00 ASOS PATTERN HOODED CARDI Price: £45.00

ASOS FAUX FUR SNOOD Price: £20.00

ASOS FAIRISLE HEADBAND Price: £8.00 ASOS FAUX FUR LAPEL COLLAR Price: £22.00

RIVER ISLAND GREY METALLIC AZTEC PRINT JUMPER Price: £32.00

Wise words dads love

by Hannah Ashraf and Ian Bolland Dads are renowned for their sayings, and a poll was published this week listing their top 20 catchphrases.

The most popular answers were, not surprisingly, to do with money.

Students at Liverpool John Moores University recognised many of the phrases on the list … but what phrases did they recall that weren’t in the top 20?

Yassin Yonis, 19, who studies accounting and finance, said: “When he was young, things were hard. He didn’t have what I have.

When he was young he didn’t have education. ‘Money was hard, so always look after your money’.

And if it isn’t about money, it’s about giving advice.

Hannah Nicholas, 21, a part time legal practice student, said: “He says success doesn’t come without hard work, so don’t try and jib your course, and he also says ‘I’m not a taxi, you’ve got your own car’

The poll was conducted by Twentieth Century Fox. Top 20 dad phrases: 1. Do you think I’m made of money?

2. Money doesn’t grow on trees 3. He’s thick as two short planks 4. When I was your age ...

5. I’m not sleeping, I’m just resting my eyes 6. I’m not going to tell you again 7. Were you raised in a barn?

8. Don’t talk back to your mother 9. If you were told to jump off a cliff, would you?

10. They don’t make them like they used to 11. Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about 12. Don’t tell your mother 13. Waste not, want not 14. You’re not going out in that 15. We were grateful to have an orange for Christmas 16. Now, don’t go spending a lot on me 17. A little hard work never hurt anybody 18. You’ll understand when you’re older 19. You don’t know you’re born 20. Don’t let the bedbugs bite

TOPSHOP FAUX FUR COLLAR Price: £35.00

10 winter super-foods to keep you happy and healthy

by Ryan McCann

Fish: Vitamin D is produced by the body when it is exposed to sunlight and a deficiency of it over the winter months is thought to be one of the causes of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). High levels of vitamin D might help relieve mood disorders by increasing the amount of serotonin - one of the neurotransmitters responsible for the ‘feel good factor’ - in the brain.

Eggs: The omega-3 fatty acids found in eggs are natural mood lifters and may even help alleviate depression. Eggs are also full of phospholipids, which allow nutrients to pass into the brain more effectively, thus helping to keep your memory and brain function sharp.

Water: Proper hydration is probably one of the most important things that you can do for your health. Two thirds of the human body is made up of water, so keeping a regular intake allows us to function adequately.

Chocolate: Everyone knows chocolate can make us feel better; it’s especially good for you if you stick to good quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content

ty of nuts contain selenium, a

and steer clear of sugar-rich, inferior products. New Choxi+ is processed in a much gentler way in order to preserve two to three times more of the natural antioxidants in cocoa. According to its makers, two squares of Choxi+ provides enough antioxidants for a whole day but fewer calories than a typical apple.

Oranges: As well as vitamin C, oranges are also high in folate.

Folate is thought to be important to enhancing moods and, like vitamin B12, is believed to play a role in the creation of serotonin - the brain’s happy chemical!

Nuts and seeds: The majori-

vital supplement for fighting depression which is good for stabilising good mental health.

Wholegrain cereals: Long known to be important for overall digestive and heart health, as well as maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, they are also high in vitamin B12, which is thought to be linked to helping prevent depression.

Natural live yoghurt: These products contain active and living bacterial culture, aiding our immune systems by helping to maintain the balance of bacteria in your bowel. Overgrowth of candida yeast has been linked to emotional symptoms and poor

mental health, and eating yo ghurt can reduce these feelings.

Spinach and peas: Green vegetables like spinach and peas are packed full of iron, which plays a vital role in preventing anaemia.

More common than you might think, anaemia sufferers are likely to have difficulty concentrating and feel tired during the day.

Fruit sugar: Xylitol is a natural sugar alternative found in many plants and fruits. Whilst it looks and tastes just like sugar, it has a number of functional benefits.

One of these being that, unlike sugar, it releases the energy it contains very slowly (it has a GI value of just 7, around ten times lower than sugar). When we eat normal sugar, the energy is released very quickly making us feel great for a short while, but soon afterwards we feel tired and lethargic; causing mood swings and cravings. Xylitol, on the oth er hand, releases its energy much slower and helps keep mood more stable, it also means your body is substantially less likely to convert the energy to fat. Xylitol is available in the UK under the brand name Perfect Sweet.

Life/Sport/10

Everton taking the praise but not points

by Arild Skjaeveland

A late Fulham equaliser denied Everton all three points and meant the Blues have now drawn thier last four games, but Evertonians will hope that people will look at more than the result at Craven Cottage – as Fulham manager Martin Jol compared them to Barcelona.

Steve Sidwell’s 92 minute effort salvaged a point for the home side in what had been a game dominated by Everton. Fulham took the lead via a David Ruiz free kick that bounced off goalkeeper Tim Howard into goal, but after that it was all Everton.

The Blues dominated the match, and finally got their reward through Marouane Fellaini in the 54th minute. The Belgian was in inspired form and deservedly put Everton in the lead with his strike in the 71st minute. But the Blues failed to capitalise on their dominance, despite 26 efforts on goal

during the 90 minutes.

David Moyes couldn’t believe his side didn’t win the game and take all three points which they had seemingly deserved, saying: “I can’t believe we’ve only got a draw out of that, it’s quite incredible. We were terrific at times, but we couldn’t get the goals, and I’m frustrated because if we want to try and hang on to the boys at the top we need to try and win the games when they come along.”

Fulham manager Martin Jol compared the Blues playing style to the intricate passing and fluid attacking style of Barcelona: “They dominated us and Kacaniklic was nearly playing left-back, while Duff over the other side was the same. We had a spare man in midfield, but they were almost playing a 4-2-4 and Fellaini was more of a striker than a midfield player today and it’s a very good and brave style.

“The only good thing that I can say that’s positive is that we never

Gymnast Beth Tweddle

Mersey sports awards shortlist revealed

gave up. Everton were stronger than us, they are a very good team and they pressed us and their fullbacks were almost playing like Barcelona’s do,” he told the press after the match.

by Arild Skjaeveland

Fans were frustrated that their good play didn’t get rewarded with three points. Fan “chris350” on the NSNO forum wrote: “Glad we’re getting plaudits, but we aren’t getting the points! Four draws on the bounce is not good enough. Especially when we were the better side in all four games.”

Merseyside Sports Partnership has released the list of nominees for the prestigious Merseyside Sports Awards.

The ceremony will be take place at the Adelphi Hotel on Friday 9th November, hosted by Olympic Gymnast Craig Heap.

There will also be a question and answer session with local Olympians and Paralympians from London 2012.

Jol’s praise for Everton’s style is a contrast to the label of ‘playing like Stoke’ which Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard expressed following last weeks Merseyside Derby. Gerrard claimed Everton play a lot of long balls despite statistics suggesting otherwise.

The Toffees will look to take all three points when they face Sunderland at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Everton are currently fourth in the league table with 17 points.

It is the 12th annual awards, celebrating the sporting talent of Merseyside and raises funds to help future athletes. John Moore’s University is one of the main sponsors, and is responsible for the Young Sports Person prize.

Last year, 17-year-old boxer, Sarah Ronstron, was named the 2011 John Moores Young Sports Person of the year, beating Liverpool FC’s Raheem Sterling.

The Young Sports Person award is presented to an individual under the age of 18. Liverpool’s nominees include 16-year-old Rebecca Tunney, who was Team GB’s youngest competitor in gymnastics in the Olympics.

Other nominees include Oliver Nugent, Alex Dunk, Joshua Neal and Ricky Langlands. The youngest nominee is 11-year-old Connor Webb from Halton, who specialises in wheelchair sports.

The nominees for Sports Club of the Year are Runcorn Rowing Club, Knowsley Harriers Athletics Club, Gemini Amateur Boxing Club, Blundellsands Archers, St Helens Girls’ Rugby League Football Club and Birkenhead Community Development Committee.

Coach of the Year nominees are Helen Shaw (trampoline), Kevin Quigley (girl’s football), Amanda Reddin (gymnastics), Kevin Stockley (football), Sam Jollah (tennis) and Glen Costain (hockey).

Nominees for Young Volunteer of the Year are Yasmin Ellis (disability sports and athletics), Luke Benbow (girls football), Jamie Hughes (basketball), Conor Porteus (tennis) and Georgina Ellison (young ambassador in sport).

All the news from the heart of the city

Volunteer of the Year will be chosen from Rob and Lynn Johnston (football), Doug Lace (volunteer), John Jacobson (handball), Jason Keating (police officer), Andrew Carter (football) and Jim Mulholland (gymnastics).

The final prize is for Lifetime Achiever. The nominees there are John Tofts (football), Mike Dooling (athletics), Alan Lynch (boxing), Peter Thomas (hockey), Margaret Strong (tennis) and Stella Stevenson (aikido).

Narrow defeat for Mersey Tigers

by Arild Skjaeveland

Mersey Tigers came close to getting their first points in the British Basketball League, and was just a single point adrift at 74-73 against Chesire Jets in the fourth quarter with the clock winding down.

Life/Sport/11

Funding battle for Olympic hopeful

In the end, it was the same old story, as they ended up losing 7973. It was the closest the Tigers have been. Before the match on Sunday, a 71-91 loss to Durham Wildcats was their best result of the season.

Tony Walsh’s men had their best period in the third quarter, scoring 11 unanswered points in under 2 minutes. New signing Martin Calvo scored six of the 11 points. Calvo and Chris Bigley were the top scorers for the away team, scoring 16 points each.

The Tigers are still without a win this season, and met a Chesire Jets team who had good support from the home fans: “The fans were amazing throughout the whole game from start to finish, making a lot of noise particularly at the end,” said Jets coach Matt Lloyd to the Chester Chronicle.

Next for the Tigers is One Health Sharks Sheffield at home at the Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park. They will hope to win their first match of the season, as they meet the team closest to them in the table. The Sharks have so far won one and lost five of their games in the BBL.

Good win for LJMU Rugby League

by Ian Bolland

Liverpool John Moores remain bottom of British Universities & College Sports rugby league national north table despite claiming their first win of the season.

The 24-6 victory at home to Sheffield Hallam came after three consecutive defeats against Newcastle University, University of Liverpool, and Leeds Metropolitan University.

David Garner, who plays second-row for LJMU believes the team is getting gradually better, even after the ambition of finishing top of the table.

He said: “After seeing how good Newcastle are, and how they are basically semi-pro and train almost every day of the week, we have now focused on just improving every week, and taking the season a week at a time.

“We got a lot of new first year players this year so it has taken a bit of time for everyone to gel, especially in the half backs, and to get over the loss of some key players from last year.”

Garner said that he was pleased with the team’s response after losing 74-0 away at Newcastle.

He said: “We had to regroup after and showed a great performance the week after against the Uni of Liverpool. We unfortunately lost 6-4 but our defence was a big improvement from the week before.

“It was probably catalysed by a mix of training and playing together more but also by our off field social activities.”

LJMU play Edge Hill away on Wednesday.

Christopher McDermott in action for Great Britain (© Michael Barnett)

by Josh Parry Merseyside Olympian Christopher McDermott has spoken to Liverpool Life Sport about the “ongoing battle” to fund his 2016 Olympic dream.

The 23-year-old London 2012 handball player, who hails from Birkenhead, faces the possibility of not making the Rio Games in four years’ time after the UK Sport agency announced possible funding cuts for various Olympic sports.

Chris said: “It looks likely we won’t be getting any funding at

all. It’s sad because, the public have fallen in love with the sport; I get messages asking how to start up playing every day.

“We’ve fulfilled the ‘Inspire a Generation’ mission statement.

Why are we being left out of funding?” he asked.

As the likelihood of a funding crisis looms, Team GB’s Handball team has taken to Twitter to appeal for backing with some success according to Chris, who said: “We’re all individually doing things to fund our day-to-day training costs.

We’ve all had a great response from social media. Last week, one user donated £200 to one of my

Striker crisis for Tranmere

by Joe Lanigan-Smith and Rory Kelly

Tranmere Rovers are dealing with a mounting injury list ahead of a back log of fixtures due to postponements.

Rovers’ fixture against Braintree Town was postponed at the weekend because of a water-logged pitch and the tie will now take place on the 14 November, meaning that both teams do not miss out on vital television money, with the rescheduled tie being broadcast on ITV. Manager Ronnie Moore was in no doubt that the tie should have been called off, saying that the safety of both sets of players was paramount. Although the pitch itself was playable, the outside of the pitch was under around 5 inches of water and there were fears that a player could easily slide into the advertising hoardings, causing an injury.

Moore said: “The rain came down at the wrong time and the referee had no option but to call it off. It’s a pity because we could both do with the money from the TV.” Despite a fantastic start to the league season, the Prenton Park outfit have been dogged

by injuries with on loan Blackpool striker Nathan Eccleston returning to his parent club after picking up a hamstring injury in training, and top scorer Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro being ruled out for three months and Jake Jervis unavailable for two weeks.

Having already taken Eccleston and Jervis on loan, Moore fears that his other on-loan stiker, Jake Cassidy may leave the club when the transfer window opens again in January. The hotshot, on loan from Wolves, has scored 10 goals this season already, and may return to his club to play a part in the Championship.

Moore said: “Jake is due to go back to Molineux in early January because Wolves want to have a look at him, to see if he can progress with them. If they decide to let him out on loan again, we will have the first option on him.

“Wolves will be having a look at him, probably for a fortnight.

If they want to keep him then we have to go fishing to find another striker. By the time Christmas comes Jake might have scored 15 goals for us, so replacing a player like that will be very difficult.”

team-mates.”

The ‘strong possibility’ of funding cuts comes after UK Sport’s funded training centre was disbanded, meaning Christopher has moved around Europe in order to keep practising his sport. He has lived in Germany, Slovenia, Iceland and Denmark pursuing his sporting dreams.

tinue to play, I worked as a painter and decorator” To cover his training expenses, Chris needs around £3,000 per year, this when UK Sport give around £20,000-£30,000 per year to its elite athletes.

He revealed: “My travels haven’t always gone to plan, In Slovenia I was evicted from my flat and I had no money- all because I was training and playing there.

“Team sports are hit the hardest. We are in a catch-22 situation where they say we need to win medals to secure funding, but how are we supposed to win medals if we’ve got no money to train?” said Chris, who currently plays for Icelandic Team Afturelding.

“When I was in Denmark, in order to get enough money to con-

A UK Sport spokesperson gave a statement to JMU Journalism,

which said: “Our strategic investment decisions, and our continued support of sports through the Rio cycle, will predominantly be based on the extent to which the sports can illustrate a clear vision to sustain or improve performance on the Olympic and Paralympic stage.”

Team GB did not win any of its handball matches at London 2012.

The final decision regarding Olympics sports funds allocation will be made in December, with the new funding cycle beginning in January.

6 - November -2012

SKIPPER GERRARD’S 600-GAME MILESTONE

by Joe Barnes

Steven Gerrard made his 600th appearance in a Liverpool shirt as the Reds were held to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at Anfield. Gerrard could not cap the landmark with a Premier League winner after Luis Suarez produced a sublime piece of skill to cancel out Newcastle’s first-half lead.

However the Liverpool skipper was as committed to the cause as ever.

His career began as a late substitute against Blackburn Rovers in 1998 and since then Huyton-born Gerrard has seen many highs and lows. After making his debut as an 18-year-old he went on to represent his country just two years later, scoring his first international goal in a famous 5-1 victory against Germany.

In the same year, all before his 21st birthday, he helped Liverpool launch themselves back into limelight with a trophy haul including the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and League Cup at the end of the 2000/1 season. On the 15th October 2003, the midfielder was given the captain’s armband by former boss Gerard Houllier.

While 2004 saw the departure of Houllier and the introduction of Rafael Benitez as Liverpool manager, the pre-season saw one of Gerrard’s low points in his career, as he considered a move away from the club he loved and had supported since a young child.

However, Chelsea’s advances could not tempt Gerrard away, who decided to stay at Anfield and he went on to have a career-defining season that saw him put in amazing individual performances that led his side to a Champions League win against AC Milan in Istanbul, in what was described one of the greatest comebacks ever. Despite the European title, he was once again swayed by

league champions Chelsea, who almost secured a big- money move for the midfielder in the summer, only for Gerrard to pull out of dea; the at the 11th hour by signing a new contract for Liverpool. He marked the signing of his contract with his first 20+ goal-haul and put in another talismanic performance to lift the FA Cup from the clutches of defeat against West Ham in 2006.

by Joel Richards

A group of Liverpool FC fans is planning to walk a mile for each life lost in the Hillsborough disaster from Sheffield to Anfield to raise funds in the fight for justice.

The Reds’ Rose Walkers, who will also be joined by former Liverpool players Neil Mellor and Dominic Matteo, aim to take in nine football grounds as part of their journey in a relay effort which begins on Friday 14th December and ends at Anfield the next day, shortly before Liverpool’s home match against Aston Villa.

Co-organiser Cherie Brewster revealed she has been overwhelmed with the response from the public so far.

She added: “It’s just happened so quickly. When the Independent Panel’s report was released in September we saw it as an opportunity to raise funds for the causes associated with the disaster i.e. the Hillsborough Justice Campaign (HJC) and Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG).”

Although living in Stocktonon-Tees, Brewster explained how the idea came about.

She said: “It was essentially prompted by the report from the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

“We wanted to take on a challenge which would honour the 96 and would pay tribute to the long, arduous struggle of their families and friends for truth and justice. Everyone was so inspired by the dignity and fortitude that the families of the victims have displayed for 23 years we felt it was time to show our support in a way that only the ‘Liverpool family’ knows how.”

Gerrard continued to lead Liverpool from the front, adding 96 appearances and 45 goals to his already impressive tallies as well as runners-up finishes in both the Champions League and Premier League, the only domestic title to elude him.

As the midfielder reaches the twilight years of his career he has been blighted by injury seeing him miss large chunks of the previous seasons but still remaining in his manager’s first team plans whenever he is fit.

Fellow organiser Mike Wilson, 47, of Halifax has added motivation having survived the crush on the Leppings Lane terrace with his dad David.

LFC V Anzhi preview

He said: “I once stood looking at the Hillsborough Memorial wondering if things had happened ever so slightly different.

My dad’s name, my name or, God forbid, both of our names could be there.

by Scott Fitzpatrick Brendan Rodgers is likely to prioritise the Premier League match against Chelsea on Sunday, and rest his two star players for the Europa League clash with Anzhi.

Liverpool are top of group A after Udinese surprisingly lost 3-1 at against Young Boys in Berne – but the Reds have struggled in the league, winning only twice in 10 games.

Chelsea are second in the league, 12 points ahead of Liverpool. Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard were meant to be rested in the Capital One Cup tie with Swansea last week, but as Rodgers’ side was 1-0 down at half time, they both played 45 minutes in the game as the holders crashed out.

Fans walk for 96

Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard celebrates a goal with team mate Andy Carroll: ©Trinity Mirror

Supporters complaint succesfully upheld

by Joe Barnes Liverpool FC supporters’ union ‘Spirit of Shankly’ has successfully lodged a complaint against Durham Police after they prevented coaches stopping on the way back from an away game in Sunderland.

Roy Bentham, Spirit of Shankly’s Travel Officer, said that he believes this is a landmark ruling:

“It could potentially affect how police escorts are carried out for future matches.“It’s only through cases like this can we change some of the authoritarian endemic mindsets from previous generations within policing at football matches .”

In response to the complaint Durham Police said : “ Durham Constabulary had no involvement

in restricting the movement of coaches or preventing them from accessing the Bob Paisley memorial.

“Our policing operation was carried out in response to local motorway services in the Durham Constabulary police area who had requested police assistance after disorder and criminal offences on their premises linked to fans.”

“For me what came out was the proof rather than the truth, because we knew the truth already.”

Having gained the support of the HJC and HFSG, Brewster feels that the Hillsborough disaster has now been acknowledged as “a wider issue” since September’s report.

She added:“Anyone could have been affected. This walk gives us a chance to tap into fans of other football clubs and hopefully they can show their support by raising ‘£96 for The 96′, the main method of our fundraising.”