My Planet Liverpool :: Issue 22

ISSUE 22

READ ONLINE www.myplanetliverpool.co.uk

IMPROVING YOUR GOLF How a visit to the Liverpool Golf Centre and the Elite Golf Academy could help your game

HAREFIELD BARN COFFEE SHOP Rainhill venue is enjoying great success Come and view the Alpacas too!

MERSEYSIDE SPECIAL INVESTMENT FUND Does your business need a growth boost?

THE PROPELLER CLUB Driving a shipping revolution

NO EXCUSES Nutrition & Fitness Prescot Road business looking to spread ‘Wellness from Nutrition’ message

ART IN LIVERPOOL A look at the local art scene with Patrick Kirk-Smith

PLUS LOTS MORE INCLUDING...

LOCAL HISTORY FOOD & DRINK BEAUTY & FASHION LOCAL BUSINESS & PEOPLE CHARITY

This issue is kindly sponsored by DARTSWIFT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

PROUD OF LIVERPOOL’S MARITIME HERITAGE www.dartswiftintl.com

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF FREIGHT FORWARDING

FLOWERS AND GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS

F L O W E R S

B Y

E L I Z A B E T H

326 Smithdown Road, Liverpool L15 5AJ Tel: 0151 378 2962 Mobile: 07759 966 108 www.flowersbyelizabeth-liverpool.co.uk

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DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE SALES DOJO TEAM THE PAST THE PRESENT THE FUTURE

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14 16

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MY PLANET LIVERPOOL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Arthur Gold email: goldsnapper@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTIONS

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Angela White • Joel Jelen • Rev Philip Waldron

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Front Cover photograph: Adam Kendrick The publisher cannot accept responsibility for the views expressed by contributors to this issue of My Planet Liverpool or for the accuracy of claims made by advertisements appearing in this edition.

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9 The past & present of Ullet Road Unitarian Church 40 New look for Lady Of Mann Dale Street hostelry gets makeover 46 No Excuses Nutrition & Fitness Local mother Shelley Roe’s successful health venture is proving popular with locals and businesses alike 52 Promedica24 Turning Care for the elderly on its head in Merseyside 54 Harefield Coffee Barn Tasty food, great coffee – and Alpacas!!!.

Unique Rainhill venue serving up delicious treats and a chance to see a well known South American breed of camelid.

60 Mersey Special Investment Fund (MSIF) How speaking to MSIF may help you start or grow your own business 90 UNION 22 Brand new men’s designer boutique heads revival of historic Victoria Street building

DOORS NOW OPEN The Sales Dojo team are leading and experienced sales professionals who want to bring other sales and BDM professionals together to: • Share BEST PRACTICE • Learn NEW SKILLS • Learn how to BE THE BEST • SMASH SALES target • EARN those big bonuses and to finally become a SALES Ninja!

To discover more contact: E: improve@the salesdojo.com W: www.salesdojo.com

REGULAR FEATURES

email: info@myplanetliverpool.co.uk

Dave Evans • Ray Farley • Diane Thompson

Issue 22

SPECIAL FEATURES

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES:

William Brown Street • Jordan Casstles All Things Auctioneering • John Crane Art In Liverpool • Patrick Kirk-Smith Wynn’s World of Wine • Michael Wynn Vintage Fashion • Sue Gannon-Kendrick Propellor Club • Steven Jones Did You Know? • Rob Lynch

LIVERPOOL CONTENTS

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9

MY PLANET

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6 Local History 14 All Things Auctioneering John Crane of Cato Crane Auctioneers takes a look at the world of auctioneering 16 Art In Liverpool Patrick Kirk-Smith looks at the local art scene 27 Wynn’s World of Wine Michael Wynn of Cultural Wine begins a new series looking at some of the wine regions in Northern Spain, combining selected vineyards with titbits of their region’s history.

74 Schools News 86 Vintage Fashion Mooshy La La’s Sue Gannon-Kendrick reports on her role in Liverpoo’s vintage fashion scene 92 Local photographer ‘Dave ‘The Pap’ Evans looks at some of the many glamorous celebrity ladies he snapped in Liverpool in 2016 PLUS CHARITIES • CITY CENTRE PUBS • FOOD & DRINK HAIR & BEAUTY • HEALTH & WELLBEING • HOME LEGAL & FINANCIAL • PEOPLE • SPORT

MY P L AN E T LI V ER P O OL • 5

IN MY LIVERPOOL HOME

William Brown Street 1897

WILLIAM BROWN STREET William Brown Street, October 2016 by Arthur Gold

T

by Jordan Casstles

Shaw’s Brow

he City of Liverpool has always had an exceptionally strong connection to the past, with parts of its history bleeding into the streets through the many classical stone facades that intermingle with the myriad hyper-chic structures that seem to rise from nowhere. There are now hyper-modernist temples dedicated to the latest in technology and high fashion, such as those edifices that now stand atop the invisible ruins of Paradise Street and are continuing to spring up at an alarmingly fast pace all over the city. The clocks tick on and on, and the world “that will be” grows slowly between the cracks left behind in the fabric of “the world that once was.” However, Liverpool still has many areas where the past remains an important part of our city’s future.

Take the historic, cobbled thoroughfare that is William Brown Street, for example. This is a street that has long been remarkable for its concentration of public buildings. It runs alongside St. John’s Gardens, which is attractively laid out to the rear of the magnificent St George’s Hall and is home to the Central Library, which was renovated in 2013, making it one of the largest and most beautiful public libraries in the United Kingdom. The street also contains Liverpool’s World Museum, the exceptional Walker Art Gallery, the historic Steble’s Fountain and a towering memorial to the Duke of Wellington - plus the County Sessions building, which is currently closed to the public. It is no surprise that this thoroughfare is sometimes referred to as the "Cultural Quarter" and gives its name to the William Brown Conservation Area. It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Area.

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Yet, it was never even originally part of the town of Liverpool itself. It served as a coaching road to the east of the town and was named Shaw's Brow, after the Shaw family who owned several potteries on the site during the 18th century. During this period, the Brow was lined with potteries, soap works and grinding mills but in the mid 1850s, when plans were drawn up for a new museum and library, Shaw’s Brow was to be transformed and renamed as the street we now know it by!

In 1851 the Earl of Derby commissioned for a Free Public Library and Derby Museum to be built, with the latter of these two structures to be designed to hold the Earl’s personal natural history collection, so presenting it to those that would wish to see it. As a result, the Derby Museum was opened in a hastily-built home at the junction of Duke Street and Slater Street. However, the museum proved to have a far greater draw for the public than had originally been estimated and it quickly became apparent to the Earl and the Town Council that a new building would have to be designed and purpose-built to cope with the unexpected influx of bodies moving through it to look upon the Earl’s collection. Step forward William Brown!

Early William Brown Street

William Brown was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, in 1784 and had come to Liverpool in 1810, already a successful businessman. His wealth continued to accrue and he rapidly became involved in the Liverpool Civic scene, playing a large part in the town’s affairs. In 1853, when the idea of constructing the new Free Public Library and Derby Museum had gathered pace, William offered to donate £6,000 towards the cost of a new building, providing the council found a suitable site for it.

When Brown made his offer, the council chose Shaw’s Brow as the location for the new building. The Brow was a steep difficult road, fringed by dilapidated houses and dingy shops, with ‘low class’ public houses on every corner, but it was selected as the site on which to develop an ambitious group of civic buildings, which would reflect the growing power and confidence of the town of Liverpool. Near the top of Shaw’s Brow was Lime Street Station, while opposite the station the council was building an all-in-one concert hall, court house and assembly hall – St George’s Hall. Shaw’s Brow was widened and the rock at the top of

the hill was cut back to reduce the gradient of the road. The Liverpool Improvement Act of 16th July1855 allowed the enforcement of the acquisition of the land and buildings and these were purchased and demolished to make way for the new building.

Work on the fine new Library construction began in 1857 but the sloping site necessitated extensive foundations, along with the construction of a huge terrace from the higher part of the street to the entrance of the new museum and library building. The council had to cover the escalating costs of regenerating the site and all the required demolitions, and, as costs of the building itself also increased, William Brown guaranteed to pay for the work.

By October 1859 the old houses around the site had nearly all been cleared away and the roof was on the new library and museum. While William Brown had initially offered £6,000 towards the overall costs, it is believed that by the time of its opening he had actually provided around £40,000 (which has the modern value of approximately £4,560,000, in

case you were curious).

It was on Thursday 18th October 1860, the day was declared a public holiday in Liverpool, when William Brown formally handed the new Free Public Library and Museum building over to the Mayor of Liverpool. The library opened for business on 3rd December 1860 but the museum did not officially open its doors to the public until 18th October 1861 - exactly a year after the building was first handed over. In return for his gift to the people of Liverpool, the Town Council renamed the street after its benefactor, William Brown.

Over the course of a very colourful 165 years, William Brown Street has developed from being a relatively unimportant coaching road, serving an emerging town of only seven streets, to becoming the fully regenerated Cultural Quarter of one of the most iconic urban city locations in the United Kingdom.

B & W Pictures: Courtesy of Archives Dept at Liverpool Central Library

MY P L AN E T LI V ER P O OL • 7

Spotlight on...

REV PHILIP

WALDRON

Minister at Ullet Road Unitarian Church 57 Ullet Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17 2AA IN WHICH AREA OF LIVERPOOL WHERE YOU BORN? I was born in Sefton General Hospital and raised in Allerton. I find it ironic that the place where I was born was just a stone’s throw away from Ullet Road Church.

WHICH SCHOOL(S) DID YOU ATTEND? My first school was Joseph Williams Primary School, from where I went on to attend New Hey Community Comprehensive before going to Bishop Grosseteste University. I then attended Luther King House Theological College.

ST. JOHN’S GARDENS Sloping away from St George's Hall toward the Queensway Mersey Tunnel entrance, St. John’s Gardens is a picturesque landscape of well-tended lawns and planting beds divided by symmetrical paths.

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PENED in 1904, St John’s Ornamental & Memorial Garden is an area of public green space within the heart of Liverpool’s City Centre. Located behind St. George’s Hall, it takes its name from the St John the Baptist Church, which stood on this site from 1783 until 1887. During the mid-18th century, Liverpool was undergoing a rapid phase of expansion and the enclosed garden was used as a general burial ground, complete with a small mortuary chapel. It was in 1775 that the first stones were laid for the Church of St John’s, which was eventually completed in 1784. The cemetery, containing an estimated count of between 27 and 28,000 bodies, was closed in 1854 and at the end of the 19th century, in order to improve the prospect of St George’s Hall and adjacent buildings, the area was laid out as a terraced garden by Thomas Shelmerdine, the City’s Surveyor. It is now part of the William Brown Street conservation area.

The formal layout of the garden encompasses an amphitheatre, a terrace and also holds one of the most important collections in the country of public sculptures and statues from the Victorian & Edwardian era. These monuments, the garden, the gate piers and terrace wall are now all listed, reflecting their national and architectural significance. The statues commemorate the Liverpool

reformers who addressed some of the most pressing social problems of the nineteenth century, the most notable of these being William Ewart Gladstone. Others commemorate a variety of people known for their personal philanthropic works and social improvement projects. The Gladstone Memorial was erected in 1904 and was designed by Sir Thomas Brock. William Gladstone was a Liberal Statesman who consequently became Prime Minister.

He was born in Rodney Street in 1809 and died in 1898. The tall pedestal between the seated female figures of ‘Truth’ and ‘Justice’ carries a relief entitled “Brotherhood”. Gladstone stands holding a roll of parchment and books.

Other notable statues include The Rathbone Monument, in honour of William Rathbone VI, a close friend of Florence Nightingale and founder of the Liverpool Training School and Home for Nurses, which later led to the District Nursing Movement. You will also find a plaque with a Memorial Tree that commemorates World Aids Day in 1993, a monument to the Kings Liverpool Regiment 1905 and a memorial to the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association in remembrance of those who have died since the British tests on Christmas Island. In a tribute to the city’s most famous pop group, there are also memorials dedicated to the memory of John Lennon and George Harrison.

St John’s Gardens takes you on an incredible and fascinating journey into Liverpool’s historic past and is worthy of a visit, especially for the peace of what truly is an oasis of welcome tranquillity amongst the hustle and bustle of city life.

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IN WHICH AREA OF LIVERPOOL DO YOU NOW LIVE? I live in Gateacre.

WHAT FAMILY DO YOU HAVE? I have a wonderful wife, Lucy, and I have three sisters.

I also have nine nieces, one nephew and two great nephews.

WHAT IS YOUR CAREER BACKGROUND? It's fair to say it has been an eclectic employment journey for me. My past jobs have been varied since I left school in 1987, from an Industrial Paint Sprayer, Shot Blaster, Barman, Care Worker, Theatre Practitioner and Lecturer. I also worked for the Criminal Records Bureau for nearly ten years.

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU START TO GET INVOLVED IN UNITARIANISM? I actually got involved with Unitarianism by accident. In 2004 I was running a Theatre group in Gateacre Chapel Hall and was invited to a Sunday Service by one of the Chapel’s members. Since the age of 19 I have been on a spiritual crusade to find a church that suited my theological outlook, but nothing ever felt comfortable until the day I visited Gateacre Chapel. Listening to the minister, I knew I had found my spiritual home and that I had found a church that would nourish me spiritually. Unitarianism for me is a faith of liberation, not constrained by dogma or creed, I believe the divine makes itself known by various means and Unitarianism allows for exploration.

WHEN DID YOU BECOME THE MINISTER AT THE ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH? I became the minister of Ullet Road Church in July 2015. I am privileged and honoured to be the minister for the Ullet Road Church and I invite you to attend our services. One of my influential Unitarians is Ralph Waldo Emerson who said "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." My path took me to Unitarianism, I hope you find yourself here too.

WHAT HOBBIES OR PASTIMES DO YOU ENJOY? I collect historical prints of Liverpool, specifically if they have a Unitarian emphasis. I also love going to the cinema and the theatre.

HOW CAN YOU BE CONTACTED AT ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH? Email: philipunitarian@gmail.com

M Y P LA N ET L I V ER PO O L • 9

ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH The Unitarian Churches on Merseyside have a history stretching back over 400 hundred years and many members of their subsequent congregations have over that time played a prominent part in many important areas of life in our region. The historic Grade I listed Unitarian Church on Ullet Road was opened in June 1899, with its hall and cloisters being added in 1902.

In 1727 this Castle Hey congregation moved to a new chapel in Benn’s Gardens, which was the site and home formerly owned by John Benn who was Mayor of Liverpool in 1697 and now lies below the site of the Elizabeth II Law Courts. The Benn’s Gardens congregation stayed there for 80 years, becoming true Unitarian believers during that time, before moving to a chapel on Renshaw Street in 1811. At Renshaw Street the congregation were led by a series of powerful orators and strong minded ministers, including Henry Winder, John Hamilton Thom and Charles Beard. Unitarianism was now in its hey-day and the Renshaw Street Chapel was regularly full to overflowing, with the congregation including the likes of William Rathbone and Robert Durning Holt who would both have great influence on Liverpool’s growth and prosperity and who also became Mayors of Liverpool. One of Liverpool’s greatest ever 1 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

citizens, William Roscoe, links both Benn’s and Renshaw Street Chapels, having been baptised in Benn’s Chapel in 1753 and buried in Renshaw Street Chapel graveyard in 1831.

In the late 1800s the church council recommended a move to a vacant site on Ullet Road opposite the newly opened Sefton Park and despite much opposition the construction of the new church began. The congregation at that time included many wealthy Liverpool people and it was decided that their new place of worship should be modelled on the designs used for mediaeval parish churches and although Gothic style was becoming unfashionable the chosen architects, Thomas Worthington & Son decided to go with this type of elaborate design. The son, Percy, was more forward thinking than his father and he would execute the majority of the plans, producing a church, cloisters and hall that combined neo-Gothic with art-nouveau and touches of mediaeval designs, making the Ullet Road Church one of the last types of neo-Gothic constructions of the 19th century.

Benn’s Gardens Chapel

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HE origins of the Ullet Road Unitarian Church can be traced back as far as 1689 when following the 1662 Act of Uniformity the Church of England lost from its ranks those who would not conform to the use of the Book of Common Prayer. By the end of the 17th century many of these non-conformist congregations were well established and one such gathering became the origins of the present day Ullet Road congregation when in 1689 a group of worshippers, mainly Presbyterian sympathisers, began to meet at a non-conformist Meeting House located on Castle Hey, believed to be on or close to the present day Harrington Street, off Castle Street.

Renshaw Street Chapel

A BRIEF HISTORY (with thanks to Len Mooney)

The smoky polluted atmosphere that pervaded the Liverpool of 1899 persuaded the Worthington’s to use a hard shiny brick for the exterior walls of the church and they selected Ruabon Red, whilst Westmorland slate was used for the roof. Thanks to the generosity of Mrs George Holt the extra costs of lining the interior of the church with red sandstone, sourced from the Runcorn Hill quarries and used in the construction of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral and Chester Cathedral, was covered, enabling the Ullet Road interior to offer a beautiful, warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Klein, who remained as minister until 1903, and the communion table was so placed in order for him to stand behind it, facing the congregation during Communion Service.

On each side of the chancel are the choir stalls featuring finely carved motifs and inscriptions. The organ and pipes are hidden from view in a side transept. Above the south choir stall there is a magnificent wooden canopy cornice presented to the church by members of the Tate family in memory of Henry Tate founder of the Tate Sugar Company and has small tiles depicting the Tate family coat of arms.

The heavy oak main and side doors feature beaten copper cladding designed by Richard Llewellyn Rathbone, who was an instructor in metal work at the School of Applied Art at Liverpool University. The doors were put together at the Liverpool Art Sheds of the School of Applied Art and remain as wonderful examples of Art-nouveau. The metal work on the inside of the main door is a memorial to Thomas Aston Rathbone. The Rathbone family in general have always contributed greatly to the wellbeing of the Unitarian Church and to our city also.

There are just too many other delights at Ullet Road Unitarian Church to describe fully in this feature but if you have the opportunity please go along and introduce yourself to its minister, the Rev. Philip Waldron, who will be delighted to welcome you. See for yourself the wonderful collection of stained glass windows that catch the eye and provide a magnificent highlight of any visit to the church. View the chancel windows and the brilliance of the Rose window that provide such an uplifting sight for the congregation as they leave the nave. There is the library, with its elaborate allegory of the Triumph of Truth, the cloisters that afford a place of remembrance for several famous Liverpool people, including Roscoe and Holt, while also recording a history of Unitarianism in Liverpool and its contribution to the city’s life. The spacious hall, with its high steep and sloping mock-Tudor ceiling, gives the appearance of a wonderful mediaeval banqueting hall and provides a venue suitable for a varied selection of local community events, while the gardens of the church contain a memorial, memorial trees and plaques honouring those members of the congregation who gave their lives during the two World Wars.

The main doors open onto a large, dignified vestibule and a well proportioned screen of stone colonnades. Pleasing carved oak doors with glass inserts split the vestibule from the nave, the main body of the church, which is wide with a central aisle marked off in seven bays on either side by sandstone pillars supporting the clerestory walls. The outer pews are accessed from narrow side aisles and on entering the nave the length and height of the building is impressive to the eye, with a long sweep of the centre aisle and the curved walls of the chancel steps to the magnificent stained glass windows of the apse. The inscription – To Us there is One God the Father – spans the width of the apse and the wooden reredos located below the apse windows was carved by H.H. Martyn of Cheltenham. The centre panel of the reredos is a representation of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”.

A visit to Ullet Road Unitarian Church and a chat with Philip Waldron is a rewarding one.

The Ullet Road Church’s first minister was the Rev. Louis Leopold Ullet Road Unitarian Church 57 Ullet Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17 2AA Tel: 0151 733 1927 Email: philipunitarian@gmail.com

The Church today (see overleaf)...

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 11

ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH

THE CHURCH TODAY

ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH

Today the Ullet Road Unitarian Church plays an important role in the local community.

The Church Community is the essence of the church and under the leadership of Rev Philip Waldron the church provides a welcoming meeting place for a wide variety of groups who hold their activities in the wonderful church hall, while Sunday School attracts many local youngsters, along with those travelling from further afield.

P

HILIP welcomes everyone who wishes to come along to Ullet Road and join in the activities, which are run by the various groups who utilise the space here. Philip also holds informal meetings with anyone who wishes have a chat with him over a cuppa. Whether you attend any Unitarian congregation, or even if you don't, and want to have a chat, Philip will be happy to see you. He will also be available to meet in the other two areas that he serves – on Wirral and Southport. To arrange a cuppa and a chat with Philip please ring him on 07828 883484 or if you are on Facebook then check out his availability.

WEDDINGS There are no tests of faith you have to pass to be married at Ullet Road.

Unitarians view marriage as the holy joining of two people in an act of commitment, love and celebration.

Ullet Road Unitarian Church is happy to marry couples seeking a spiritual, individual, unique, alternative or traditional ceremony. The church is registered for same-sex marriages and Unitarian weddings reflect the ethos of Unitarianism but there are no set patterns and Philip will work with each individual couple to create a ceremony that is right for you.

Couples are actively encouraged to decide the form of language and the elements to be included in the ceremony. If you want a wedding that reflects your values and beliefs, then here may be the right place for you.

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FUNERALS Unitarians believe that it is the individuality of people that makes them human; that everyone is free to choose what they believe – or don't believe - in this life; and the Ullet Road church believes that a funeral should reflect the true nature of a person – without imposing inappropriate words or beliefs on their memory or on to you. Together the church can create a funeral that feels only right and natural.

THE CHOIR The Choir at Ullet Road exists to help lead the worship with its singing, and to continue the tradition that music has played an integral part of the life of this church for hundreds of years. The current Choir is proud to continue, maintain and develop this excellent singing tradition at Ullet Road, providing music of a very high standard to complement the liturgy. The Choir sings on the last Sunday of each month and also sings at additional services to mark the passage of the church's and the city's year. Such services include the Advent and Christmas Carol Services, which are attended by a sizeable congregation, as well the Easter services. The Choir takes the social aspect of its 'role' very seriously and this is present in the happy and positive environment it aims for during rehearsals: the core belief is hard work and fantastic results achieved by a truly fun and enjoyable time. For information for prospective choristers, please contact the Director of Music, Thomas Barlow, by emailing thomasbarlow1994@hotmail.com or phoning 07857462267.

The church has some beautiful spaces within its walls, including the Church library, the Church Hall and the main body of the Church itself.

If you are interested in hiring space for parties, activities, conferences, wedding parties, interfaith rites of passage, filming or other events then the church is happy and able to provide the services you require wherever possible.

If you are divorced, this is no problem. If you are a mixed-religion couple, or one or both of you are atheist or humanist, this is no problem either.

Unitarian wedding ceremonies are spiritual but it is understood spirituality in a broad and inclusive way. Material from different religions or from secular sources too can be included in the service and you do not need to be a Unitarian to marry in the Church. However, Philip asks that you attend some of the church services, as it's important for you to get know the religious community in which you are going to get married.

ceremony will depend on discussions between the child's parents and Philip. The resulting ceremony will be something unique to that child.

The ceremony can be performed during the Sunday Service or at a time suitable for the family, friends and Minister.

SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES SUNDAY Sunday Service begins at 11.00am every Sunday with a Sunday School during the service.

Everybody is welcome.

Evening Service "Sacred Contemplation" Every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 6.00pm to 6.45pm.

All Are Welcome MONDAY 6pm – 7pm: Yoga – Contact Jacqueline on 07905 299408 6pm – 7pm: Yoga for Kids – Contact Tina on 07522 469486 TUESDAY 2pm to 4pm: Table Tennis. All are Welcome!

7pm – 10.15pm 'Tangoaires' Tango Dance Beginners Welcome.

More information www.tangotimetable.com/venues/15/ullet-road-church/ WEDNESDAY 9.30am - 11.30am Parents and Toddlers. Everyone Welcome.

6pm - 7pm: Yoga.– Contact Jacqueline on 07905 299408 THURSDAY 9.45 – 2.45: Liverpool Community Art. Everybody Welcome contact Paula on ptlgreatart@gmail.com 10.30am –12noon Coffee morning and a 'chat'.

Everyone welcome

CHILD BLESSINGS The Ullet Road church is not bound by religious rules and customs and so can offer a personal ceremony to welcome the birth of a new child into the family. The ceremony may be called a Naming, Dedication, Blessing, Thanksgiving Ceremony or Baptism. What is important for the church is the commitment by the community, as well as the parents and friends, to offer the child love and support through their journey growing up. The form and content of the

REV. PHILIP WALDRON Philip says, “Unitarianism is a church of faith and reason, not constrained by dogma or creed, I believe the divine makes itself known by various means and Unitarianism allows for intellectual exploration. Our searching for meaning has been explored since humanity set foot on earth, Unitarianism allows Freedom of inquiry, Reason to argue and Tolerance to accept others opinions and beliefs in God. One of my influential Unitarians is Ralph Waldo Emerson who said "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

My path took me to Unitarianism, I hope you find yourself here too.”

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. My path took me to Unitarianism, I hope you find yourself here too.”

10am – 11am: Yoga.

11am – 12noon: Le petit atelier francais, The Little French Workshop, for more information please contact Pauline on 07854810974 or email: LePafLiverpool@outlook.com Every 2nd Thursday in the month, Liverpool EFT Tapping group: 7.30pm to 9.00pm.

7.30pm – 9.00pm Thursday Club.

New members welcome.

FRIDAY 9.30am – 11.30am Parents and Toddlers.

Everyone Welcome.

If you are interested in running an activity at Ullet Road Church, please email Rev. Phil Waldron Church Office Hours: Every Tuesday from 11am to 5pm, Please call 07828 883484 to confirm Rev. Philip Waldron will be in church.

Ullet Road Unitarian Church 57 Ullet Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17 2AA Tel: 0151 733 1927 Email: philipunitarian@gmail.com

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 13

The Cato Crane Auction Rooms in Liverpool continue to be busy and successful, achieving high prices for vendors of fine quality furniture, pictures and items of vertu. Our Online Worldwide Live & Local Auctions is a good system to use for achieving good results. Every lot is photographed and published on the Internet on specialist sites to enable bidders worldwide to see your items. Taiwan and Australia seem to be very active bidders for desirable objects at the moment.

J O H N C R A N E & C ATO C R A N E ’ S

ALL THINGS AUCTIONEERING John Crane founded John Crane & Cato Crane's Auction Rooms over thirty five years ago. John’s experience in the valuing and selling works of art and antiques has led to him becoming a well-known television and radio personality, while he also writes for regional, national and specialist publications.

John kindly features an article in each issue of My Planet Liverpool.

After 35 years I recently took the decision to expand our business. John Crane Fine Arts with Cato Crane Auctioneers has opened an office on the Wirral at 48 The Mount, in Heswall (pictured above). We do have many willing buyers for items of high quality and this new location enables clients in Wirral to visit us for valuations and appraisals and to bring in items for sale by auction or private treaty.

There is on-road parking most of the time outside the office and we will be open there on Friday mornings from 8.30-12 mid-day and ALL other days by appointment.

The telephone number is 0151 342 2321 or 01244 680055.

Another enjoyable evening was held at Shotwick Parish Church, my second talk there, where a group of antiques enthusiasts and I (see picture) discussed the possible age of the mahogany frame of a low-seated armchair. Settling on the age of such an object is often a matter of opinion, with people rarely agreeing!

The church’s amiable Vicar was also in attendance and not in the pulpit – and no, I was not in the pulpit either!

The season of my annual winter round of talks and presentations has proved to be both entertaining and very successful. Forty five people attended a talk 'All Things Auctioneering' at Irby Methodist Church where an enjoyable evening was had by all – I think! Me included.

Shotwick Parish Church Group

In September, a small oil painting was brought into our Liverpool Auction Rooms. The painting was done in 1895 and depicted the tugboat named the Andrew Jolliffe, which was built in Tyneside and launched in August 1894. This sturdy vessel was used by the Admiralty in the First World War but was broken up after a life of service in 1935. I was able to contact a member of the Jolliffe family in order for him to acquire this picture to add to his collection.

One person attending the evening brought in a good Gallé French glass bowl, although this was sadly chipped and cracked. I managed to locate a glass restorer who was able to stabilise the damaged piece by using a clear acrylic filler; this should prevent any further splitting. It is possible to totally disguise most of the damage on items such as the bowl by using a coloured and textured acrylic filler, but as far as I know this technique is only available in the USA and the cost would be prohibitive and more damage could occur in transit.

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A small 5'' ceramic 19th century Pixiu (pictured), one of the five auspicious animals in Chinese mythology, made over £500.00 in a recent sale, despite its considerable damage, which is not shown in the image. The Pixiu has a dragon's head, a horse's body and the feet of a unicorn, the reasons for which which I can only leave to your imagination. It feeds on gold and silver and brings good f ortune and enhances the ability of those entering universities for advanced learning studies.

The other four auspicious animals are the dragon, tortoise, phoenix and the Chinese unicorn.

Our Annual Beatles Auction was held at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool this year and had many good results, with the market appearing to be stronger and more buoyant than the previous two years, drawing a good international attendance. The 'lost', and then discovered by Cato Crane, Paul McCartney recorded demo disc ' It's For You', which he wrote for and sent to Cilla Black in 1964, made over £22,000, including premium and VAT. This is the equivalent to £270.00 a second for the short recording. It was bought by a private collector from the Midlands.

Early 20th century bronze and ivory figures, like the one illustrated on the right, are still popular with collectors and if put up for sale this one, made circa 1925 by Claire Jeanne Robertine Colinet (1880-1950), and with a fair wind to push bidding along, could be expected to make something towards the £10,000 mark. A few years ago it would have easily made half as much again, showing how it is always important to know the right time to sell. To judge that time of course we need to do a lot of gazing into a Crystal Ball, but experience of the art market's ebbs and flows enables an experienced auctioneer to assist in decision making – to which some clients take heed and others don't.

For the really serious collector, the first prize has to go to the pony collector - Polo ponies. They start at about £4,000 each and the very best may cost up to £100,000 each. I know a person who owns 600 in stables around the world and funds his own polo team. I won't mention the cost of maintaining this collection but the feed bill alone is over £15,000 a week – worth every penny as the ponies are extremely beautiful and agile athletes. But “hey ho” I am proud of my Miniature Hosta Collection in Wirral.

I have found that collectors come in all shapes and guises and from all sections of society. A wealthy football club owner said on television recently that he thought that most people were unambitious and generally satisfied with their lot in life. This does not apply to collectors. They are restless souls, constantly searching for rare objects. I heard it said of a person locally that he regarded the objects in his collection as his personal friends and his personal friends as objects! I hope this is not true, as I will give you one guess as to whom they were referring. I enjoy visiting spectacular collections whether it is rare plants, tractors, buses, old cars, with which owners find it impossible to part, pictures or silver or clocks. There are people who flaunt, somewhat distastefully in my view, two or three enormous motorised ocean going 'yachts' but I don't set myself up as being the arbiter of good taste ... very often!

So there we are! Another small glimpse into the life of one passionately and totally engaged in a fascinating world. Meeting nice people makes my world go around and it is a biographical adventure as everyone has collecting stories to share - and I promise you, you will NOT be treated as an object but made very welcome.

Share the experience of a lifetime of discovering and auctioning objects and sample our tea and biscuits - sitting in a comfy chair.

Please call in to any of our offices and see my colleagues or me, or if you would like to send an enquiry or email photos through our online form please visit our website at: www.CatoCrane.co.uk

Cato Crane are actively looking for Fine Art Auction Agents in Cheshire to assist with the expansion plans for 2017. If you would like to find out more please contact us at any of the offices below.

Cato Crane & Company • 6 Stanhope Street • Liverpool L8 5RF Details from our Liverpool office on Tel: 0151 709 5559 • Wirral on Tel: 0151 342 2321 or Chester on Tel: 01244 680 055 Email: info@catocrane.co.uk • Mobile: 07836 209 995 (John Crane) or follow us on twitter@CatoCrane Better still! Why not come to one of our auctions or listen to us on the internet.

We also operate under the name of 5CountiesValuationCompany and John Crane Fine Art, which advises on the best method of the disposal of the finest objects such as Pictures, Silver, Jewellery, Bronzes and Early Books.

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 15

Mona Lennon

dot-art Gallery

ART

by PATRICK KIRK-SMITH

IN LIVERPOOL

Patrick Kirk-Smith writes a regular blog for ArtinLiverpool.com and My Planet Liverpool is delighted that Patrick has kindly agreed to write a feature on Merseyside’s art scene in each issue. We look forward to hearing from readers on Patrick’s articles and receiving ideas for future issues from you.

i

N June of last year I had a bomb dropped on me, ArtinLiverpool.com, Liverpool’s most popular site for news, jobs and events in the arts since 2004, was facing closure.

The website’s founders, Ian and Minako Jackson, were planning on an incredibly well deserved retirement following twelve years of voluntary service to the city. As far as I can tell no other person has made a contribution that comes close to their dedication to art in this city. As soon as I heard the news I knew that something needed doing, so since July 9th 2016 I have had the pleasure of being at the helm of Art in Liverpool, and I have no plans to stop any time soon. Liverpool deserves a site that lets people immerse themselves in our culture, so we won't stop doing what we're doing.

You may still hear “Tate of the North” batted around, but the truth of the matter is that Tate Liverpool has been producing exhibition after exhibition of work unseen in Britain for decades, before its partners in London or St Ives.

Think back to Capital of Culture, when the Mona Lennon, created by one of our own local artists, Alex Corina, was hung from one of the tallest buildings in the city, greeting visitors to our city as they stepped out of Lime Street Station and becoming an icon of the 2008 year. More recently, last year’s colossal Gay Pride March saw nearly every iconic landmark in the city centre (and further afield at the football stadiums) lit up in the Pride Flag. Or go back to Liverpool Biennial 2006, where Ron Haseldon’s work lit up South Liverpool for nearly a year.

Since taking over I have been plagued by the amount of work Ian and Minako used to do.

For anyone who believes that Liverpool is a quiet voice in the arts, you are wrong, and to anyone who believes we have loud one… well, it could be louder, and artists, galleries, theatres and museums are trying every day to make it so. This article explores the rich history that got us to 2017.

I am biased, but Liverpool’s creative industries have always been at the forefront of our culture. I don’t just mean music and art, and I’m not overly fussed about The Beatles either. I mean shopping, and how insanely obsessed we are as a city with our purple bins. I recently considered moving to Knowsley but the idea of having a charcoal grey bin for my general waste just seemed absurd. Liverpool has a culture that is so ingrained in its residents that it seems to have begun seeping out.

The turning point, fairly undeniably, was the 2008 year as European Capital of Culture, where our city came together and stopped separating music, art, theatre, dance, shopping or football. It just seemed like the divides dissolved. Capital of Culture made us a leading force culturally across the world and not just the UK. It gave Liverpool Biennial a much bigger stage and gave new life to The Walker and Tate Liverpool as galleries that no longer had to define themselves as Northern. They became names in their own right.

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It is difficult to fit an entire history of Art in Liverpool into these pages, so perhaps it is better to focus on the future. Who are the most exciting groups leading the visual arts in Liverpool right now? And who are the ones making noise on international levels? Those combinations of local and national, individuals and groups make this city feel like no other.

From artists using traditional techniques to dive into new visual territory, like Claire McCarthy, to those opening up new paths for questions that have been left unanswered for decades, like the progressive thinking that keeps pouring out of The Royal Standard. There are artists in Liverpool making quiet noises that get the ball rolling elsewhere. Exploring visual circumstances which have yet to be explored and inspiring people in all occupations.

Millais - Isabella (c) National Museums Liverpool

The Walker, just this year, brought an exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood work to the city that had never been shown before in that way. And, I am proud to say, that of the 32 Turner Prize winners in the history of the award, nearly one in ten have been from Merseyside, Mark Leck, Sir Tony Cragg, and Assemble, an architecture collective who won for their project in Granby last year.

These are projects and people that infiltrate our daily lives. The only difference between them and football is that art is rarely on a billboard, and our stadiums don’t seat 54,074 people. On average, they fit about one hundred people in comfortably at a time, and they’re available through the week.

And not long before our 2016 Christmas preparations were due to get underway, in fact the day before Liverpool City Council announced the news that the city’s budget was being cut by almost half (with a strangely positive devolution spin), Culture Liverpool, the council’s all-encompassing cultural umbrella, announced that in 2018 we will be looking forward to 2028, not back to 2008 European Capital of Culture, and within that they want to focus on the art of football – hopefully using Anfield and Goodison Park (or wherever Everton may be playing at that time), as international stages for the arts, as well as stages for sports stars.

Presently though we have seen some important milestones reached; Bridewell Studios celebrated their 40th birthday in 2016; Baltic Clay has just completed its hugely successful first year; Lucy Byrne’s dot-art.com celebrated its 10th birthday in 2016 and her new gallery also passed the half way mark of its first year; MAKE Liverpool and Royal Standard start two incredible new journeys in brand new homes and Bluecoat is celebrating its 300th birthday throughout 2017.

‘‘

Ship at Rest on Sandon Dock 2 by Claire McCarthy

From DaDaFest to Homotopia, Liverpool is an inclusive city. A city that voted Remain, flies the pride flag proudly as you enter from the M62, and has just pioneered an international programme in museums for supporting visitors with Dementia.

Liverpool is a city for everyone, and that starts with art”.

Through the upcoming issues of My Planet Liverpool, I will try to explore some aspect of all of that and slowly pick the city’s history apart.

Patrick Kirk-Smith (Editor: Art in Liverpool) • www.artinliverpool.com M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 17

ART

IN LIVERPOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spotlight on...

LUCY BYRNE Managing Director dot-art 14 Queen Avenue, Liverpool, L2 4TX. dot-art.com

......................................................................................................................................................

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND EDUCATED? I was born in Warwickshire and went to school in Warwick.

After completing an art foundation course I realised the practical side of visual art was not for me and moved to Liverpool to study The History of Art. WHAT IS YOUR CAREER BACKGROUND? I always knew I wanted to work in the arts, however, when I graduated there were very few jobs in the industry. I worked as a bar manager while taking a variety of courses and programs in business management and start up, and continued to work part time while the business got off the ground. I have never had what I class as a “real job”!

WHY AND WHEN DID YOU SET UP DOT-ART? One of the main reasons I chose to move to Liverpool was the city's fantastic, internationally renowned visual arts infrastructure. When I graduated, I spent a lot of time meeting people in the industry and kept hearing the same thing – that the lack of commercial galleries meant that artists were struggling to find appropriate outlets for their work. I was also sure that I could not be the only person who did not want the same generic, mass produced print on my living room wall, but would rather buy unique work from talented local artists. I was also meeting large numbers of artists who did not know where to go for help, support and opportunities. The idea of building a website to sell art that would also offer a package of support to local artists slowly evolved from there. dot-art was born out of this idea in 2006, with the aim of providing talented visual artists in the North West a range of support and promotional platforms for their work, and addressing the demand for high quality, affordable, locally sourced art work in the region; I have been developing the organisation and diversifying its services and offering ever since.

HOW DOES DOT-ART WORK? dot-art supports visual artists and champions art as an integral part of everyday life. We do this by selling locally sourced, affordable art, working with businesses to put art in the workplace and public realm, running art classes and working with schools and community groups. dot-art works with over 100 artists to provide an unrivalled choice of affordable, high quality, locally sourced art work for home or business, both through our city centre gallery, comprehensive website and external exhibitions. In addition we source and supply artists for a wide range of other projects, including workshops, training and community participation events.

We offer a comprehensive, flexible and affordable service to our corporate clients, from consultancy and sourcing to framing and hanging. Work can be acquired on a purchase, commission or rental basis, and can be built into wider marketing, branding or CSR objectives using a variety of bespoke approaches, including exhibitions, artist talks, promotional launches or events and staff workshops.

All our work supports our not-for profit arm, dot-art Services CIC, which exists to support North-West based visual artists, both emerging and established, through a range of services and opportunities designed to help them develop their careers and gain exposure and promotion for their work, as well as delivering a programme of art classes across Liverpool; and dot-art Schools, our innovative inter-school art competition, which was launched in 2012.

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INDEPEN NDENT GALLERY WHAT ARE YOUR AIMS AND AMBITIONS FOR DOT-ART? Our vision is for art to occupy a vital place at the heart of every home, school and workplace, inspiring creativity in all.

We have recently expanded our schools programme into Cheshire, thanks to a new partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, and are currently recruiting schools across the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire, to take part this academic year.

Our programme of adult art classes, started in 2011, continues to grow year on year; in 2017 we are looking at trialling new venues in both North and South Liverpool.

Key to our growth and development is our gallery, opened in February this year. Situated in the business district of the city centre, it acts as a hub for all our activities, as well as hosting regular exhibitions and allowing people to see for themselves the range of products, services and activities we offer. In 2017 we aim to raise the profile of the gallery in the city and the wider region and ensure we are a one-stop shop for art for both businesses and the public.

ORIG GINAL ART LIMITED EDITION PRINTS

LOCA AL ARTISTS Find the dot-art Ga aller y in the heart of Liverpool ’s commerical district and less tha an five minutes walk from Liverpool ONE at

14 Queen Aven v ue,, Castle Street, Liverpool L2 4TX

OUTSIDE OF YOUR WORKING HOURS WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE HOBBIES: I enjoy running, snowboarding, travelling and reading.

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET IN TOUCH WITH DOT-ART? The dot-art Gallery is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.

You can find us at 14 Queen Avenue, (just off Castle Street, by the Town Hall), Liverpool, L2 4TX. Tel: 0345 017 6660 • Email: info@dot-art.com Website: http://dot-art.com

0345 0176660

dot-art.com .

dot-art

@dotart

do otartliverpool

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 19

ART

IN LIVERPOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Lark Lane Art Works on Lark Lane re-opened just before Christmas, following a short break for refurbishment, launching with an exhibition entitled ‘The Liverpool Philharmonic meets Black Dyke Mills Brass Band’, which features recent work created by well-known local artist Alex Corina.

A

LEX is best known for his work ‘The Mona Lennon’ (see pages 14 & 15), a giant 80ft by 50ft version of which was used to capture the spirit and humour of Liverpool in the run up to the European Capital Of Culture 2008, and was the first thing the COC judges saw when they arrived at Lime street station.

Recycling is a recurrent theme in his work, with Alex reclaiming and up-cycling materials that include drink cans and galvanised dustbins, along with scrap metal and a variety of musical instruments, such as violins, tubas, trumpets and trombones that have often been salvaged from school musical services. For his exhibition Alex has lovingly created a variety of stunning luminous wall and free standing sculptures that have risen out of the renovation and reconstruction of musical instruments and furniture no longer used.

Lark Lane Art Works also includes work by recycling artists Ian Taylor, Mike Rule (Artist/Wood Turner), and Box Maker Steve Porter, and it is a venue that is making art accessible, at affordable prices, with something for everyone.

Whether you are a collector or first time buyer you will be warmly welcomed.

When you walk in you will immediately experience its vibrant and inspiring atmosphere, with bags of contemporary arts and crafts, original art, cards, prints, ceramics and much more for you to observe and enjoy.

Alex says of his gallery, “There is only one place you could have a gallery like this outside the city centre and it is here on Lark Lane. If you are serious about buying art, prints, ceramics and sculpture we have a wide range here – and everything is a lot cheaper than London.”

Whether you are a collector, investor or first time buyer you will be warmly welcomed at the Lark Lane Art Works, where you can browse for your enjoyment and inspiration and share in Alex’s passion for the arts.

‘‘

LARK LANE ART WORKS CELEBRATES RE-LAUNCH WITH EXCITING NEW EXHIBITION 2 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

Alex Corina

There is only one place you could have a gallery like this outside the city centre and it is here on Lark Lane.

If you are serious about buying art, prints, ceramics and sculpture we have a wide range here – and everything is a lot cheaper than London.”

Lark Lane Art Works, 33 Lark Lane, Liverpool L17 8UW www.alexcorina.com • Tel: 07763 388 509 Email: alexatartworks@btinternet.com

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 21

Waterfront (2016)

ART

IN LIVERPOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Cold Day

Leaving Liverpool

A

S an Artist, Claire evolves through different phases to achieve a contemporary evocative portfolio of paintings. Distinctive watercolours are foundations to all her large acrylic and oil fine art pieces, which are purposeful, and have intention to connect to the viewer.

Part of Claire’s art transpired from her nephew’s life sadly being cut short by a mountain climbing accident in 2008. The land and seascapes represent the harsh nature and energetic movement of water and air over land surfaces. Her mood brought her to throw aside the paintbrush and use her hands or a stick from a branch to lash paint on hardboard and canvas, giving ability to define the changeable movement of nature.

Through this creative deliberation and reflexion, she experienced a renewal of spirit after such a difficult time.

In 2012 Claire painted “Council House Window and Kitchen Sink in The Morning”, which was accepted by the prestige Threadneedle Prize Exhibition at London’s Mall Galleries, FBA (Federation of British Artist). It was inspired by her having a vivid dream, being a child again and spending time with her late father at her birth place in Croxteth. Like many of her paintings, this sold to an art collector.

CLAIREMcCARTHY CLAIRE McCARTHY IS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST WHO STARTED HER PRACTICE IN THE MID-1990’S, WITH “URBAN SPIRITUAL EXPRESSION”, OBTAINING A FINE ART DEGREE AND PGCE WITH FULL QUALIFIED TEACHER STATUS IN LIVERPOOL.

Not long after, Claire had to take time out from exhibiting in order to care for her mother who has Alzheimer disease.

Observing the decline of her mother’s memory, Claire painted non- figurative works of Windows and Spaces in 2014. These paintings representing the sense of love, spirit and life that shines through her mother, despite the memory loss.

In 2016 she returned fully to her art career, courageously painting onboard Mersey Ferries and landing stages, creating a new exciting collection titled “Expressive Art on the Mersey”.

These new paintings, some of which are pictured, will be shown at an exhibition in the Spring of this year at the Williamson Art Gallery in Oxton; another exciting venue is yet to be confirmed. The two exhibitions will each be a celebration of Liverpool’s amazing docks and continue the themes of living connections with our surroundings, environment and the River Mersey.

Claire’s “Hidden View” (83 x73cm) Print above (with bespoke mount and frame) is for sale @ £450.00.

This is a Limited edition of 25: Contact: art@clairemccarthy.co.uk

www.clairemccarthy.co.uk • art@clairemccarthy.co.uk

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M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 23

The Ethical Glass

UBIQUITY AT JAM Ubiquity PR hosted its first networking event of 2017 at JAM restaurant on Sir Thomas Street Liverpool City Centre, with the audience drawn from Ubiquity’s client base that is focussed on food & drink, health, wellness, education, diversity, retail and lifestyle.

Ubiquity’s contacts have been evolving since 2001 when the company was founded and now offers an almost unrivalled and extensive network in the Merseyside & Cheshire region. Joel Jelen who heads the network said: “We reached a point early in the business where we had accumulated so many great contacts across multiple sectors that it made sense to share them. We then set about looking at venues that pride themselves in how and where they source their food from...Jam being the latest in highlighting that when you put on quality food daily and at an event, it stands out a mile.”

Photographs by Ray Farley • 07771 997 574

You may remember the place as Bacco’s but now we’re The Ethical Glass; Liverpool’s best kept secret.

Here you will find a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy a drink and do a little bit of good for others at the same time.

Each month 5% of our profits go to local charities – so just remember it’s for a good cause the next time you order your next drink.

Come in and get cosy on the sofas while listening to the sounds of the best music, past and present, Liverpool has to offer the world. Every weekend our resident Beatles tribute act,‘The Beaters’, give us their rendition of the Fab Four’s greatest tunes.

We also have fresh new acts, as well as our old favourites, coming to play for us throughout 2017.

Don’t miss them!

The Ethical Glass is available to hire for FREE – any day of the week.

We can also offer EXCLUSIVE use Monday – Thursday.

As an added bonus, for private functions, we have unlimited bottles of Prosecco for only £10 each!

JAM is open from 8am right through to 11pm, serving brunch until 6pm, and a casual dining offering from 6pm onwards.

Jam Restaurant 7-11 Sir Thomas Street • Liverpool L1 6BW • Tel: 0151 306 2567 email: menu@jamrestaurants.co.uk • www.jamrestaurants.co.uk

SO GET IN TOUCH TO BOOK YOUR EVENT!

Harrington Street Liverpool L2 9QA www.theethicalglass.co.uk

We have a good selection of drinks on draft and a wide range of bottled beers and spirits – all at a great price.

If you fancy something different though, you could always sample one of our wonderful cocktails.

OPENING HOURS

MONDAY 5pm – 8pm 10 selected drinks for only £2.50 TUESDAY SORRY WE ARE CLOSED WEDNESDAY 5pm – 11pm House wine only £10 per bottle THURSDAY 5pm – 8pm Live music from 8pm FRIDAY 1pm – 2am The Beaters live from 7pm SATURDAY, 1pm – 2am Live music from 7pm SUNDAY 3pm – 9pm Live music from 4pm BOTTLES OF BUD/BECKS/STELLA £2.50 ALL DAY EVERY DAY!

E-mail: theethicalglass@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 0151 236 1403

Mike Wynn is a partner in Liverpool based wine company Cultural Wine, a specialist wine company that he helped to establish along with colleagues Paul Malkin and Ian Clarke.

Mike continues his series of features that are exclusively written for My Planet Liverpool.

WYNN’S WORLD OF WINE “A day without wine is like a day without sunshine.”

Writing “Wynn’s World of Wine“ for My Planet Liverpool on behalf of Cultural Wine is great fun and allows me to tell you about my favourite wines and some of the places that I have visited. With the help of my colleagues Paul Malkin and Ian Clarke this will be the 13th issue of My Planet Liverpool that we have contributed to (but there is no superstition here though). I hope that you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

At this time of year we begin to think of the coming warm months and so I thought you might like to dream and escape (and also take in a little bit of Spanish history along the way) with me to the Northwest of Spain, a beautiful and unspoilt part of that wonderful country. Our journey will take us from the Basque region along the Cantabrian coast and into Galicia. It goes without saying of course that it will be an advantage on this trip if you like sea food.

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I am starting this new series outside San Sebastian, at Getaria, a delightful coastal town on the Bay of Biscay. Getaria lies 25km west of San Sebastian, in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. The poet and playwright, Federico Garcia Lorca, who was assassinated on the orders of the Nationalist Governor during the Spanish Civil War, is dear to the hearts of the Basques and sums up the region as follows; “Verde que quiero verde. Verde viento. Verde ramas.” This translates into, “Green I love you green. Green wind. Green branches.”

Getaria is famous in Spain for being the birthplace of Juan Sebastián Elcano’s, a seaman who is well-known for being the first man to completely circum navigate the earth. He was captain of the Nao Victoria, the one ship in Magellan's ill-fated five-ship fleet that completed the historic 1519-1522 voyage that was to be the first circuit of the globe. Magellan did not complete the entire voyage, as he was killed in the Philippines during the Battle of Mactan in 1521 and Elcano commanded the surviving ship and its small number of crew on the final leg of its journey from the Moluccas to Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

The town is also the home of Emilio Agerre's vineyard, which has been in the Agerre family for three generations. The family owns 15 hectares (37 acres) planted on the slopes of a mountain overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Getaria.

The vines range from

Txakoli vineyard Getaria

10 – 30 years old, with the Atlantic climate the perfect habitat for the Hondarrabi zuri. The soils are sandy loam over gravel of Tertiary origin. The soil quality and steep incline allow for good drainage.

The vineyards face east to maximize the sun exposure and protect the plants from the wind coming from the west. The vines are trained to a height of around 6ft. This method is chosen to avoid the moisture from the ground and maximize ventilation.

The Agerre vineyard is famous for producing one of the wines I am featuring – Txakoli (pronounced “Tcha-Ko-Lee); it is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine, with high acidity and low alcohol content. Made from the native Hondarrabi Zuri grape, it is served in the pintxos bars and poured with style, always from a great height into small tumblers. The green tinted liquid turns chalky white, settles and retains a lively spritz. Here at Cultural wine on our quest to find different wines from the regions of Spain we are lucky enough to have sourced this Txakoli – and it has proved to be a great success with our clients, especially as an excellent accompaniment to seafood and, if you are brave enough, rabbit.

If you have been following my wine features then you will recall that I like staying in the Paradores style accommodation, mainly due to their consistent quality. As we are moving west along the coast into Cantabria I recommend a stay at the Palacio De Eguilior, which is located in Limpias. This was originally built as a 19th Century palace that was used as the summer headquarters of the Council of Alfonso XII. It is a perfect place to sample Anchovies from Santona, clams from Pedrena, and fish from the Cantabrian Sea, all accompanied by Txakoli of course.

The Basque wines are still found here, but Rioja is very popular, with the usual Tempranillo reds, but also dry white and rosé. You will perhaps remember that in previous issues of “My Planet” I described the wines of our friends at Bodegas Vallemayor – and they are worth mentioning again, particularly the barrel-aged Barrique Blanco, which is made from 50-year old Viura grapes.

These grapes are picked at full ripeness and then double fermented in oak. This is a powerful wine, smelling of vanilla with a taste of ripe pears and an obvious ‘oakiness’, a perfect match for the local anchovies.

The theme of our searching for rare wines continues and we have found a most unusual Tempranillo Blanco called Nivarius, which is made from 100% white Tempranillo.

The Bodegas Nivarius is Rioja's first white winery, and is located in the Riojan village of Nalda, near to the castle of Clavijo, where in the 9th century the famous battle of Clavijo between Arabs and Christians took place. This Bodegas has the world’s largest planting of Tempranillo Blanco and this produces a wine that has a floral smell and a rounded a crisp freshness, with just hints of fennel.

For the red wine fans there is a wide variety to choose from. Sticking with Vallemayor, we are currently enjoying Vina Encineda single estate, which is made with 100% Tempranillo from 40-year old vines and aged initially in new American oak for four months before being bottled unfiltered. There is only one thing to say about it – WOW!

In the next edition of My Planet Liverpool we will explore other delights of the Galicia region, featuring Rias Baixas, Bierzo, Toro and Rueda.

To discover more about the wines supplied by Cultural Wine please contact:

Mike Wynn: 07747 052 890 E: mike@culturalwine.co.uk Paul Malkin: 07747 803 041 E: paul@culturalwine.co.uk

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 27

‘‘

Pinch is all about little bits of deliciousness. People like the casual dining experience, where they can share lots of small plates in a relaxed environment. No one wants to go out for a big formal meal anymore, it is all about going out for a few hours and ordering food as and when you need it, with a good selection of drinks on the side!”

NEW QUALITY FOOD AND EXQUISITE COCKTAIL MENU LAUNCHED AT PINCH

Tony Burns

With its second anniversary coming up this year, Pinch Bar has launched a new food and cocktail menu. Situated in Liverpool’s lively Castle Street area, Pinch has built a reputation for serving quality food and exquisite cocktails and we caught up with owner, Tony Burns, to find out more...

Tony said: “We have been listening to our customers’ feedback on what they really like and what they’d like to see more of. Pinch is all about little bits of deliciousness. People like the casual dining experience, where they can share lots of small plates in a relaxed environment.

No one wants to go out for a big formal meal anymore, it is all about going out for a few hours and ordering food as and when you need it, with a good selection of drinks on the side!”

“Our new menu draws inspiration from street food from around the world. We have kept some of the favourites from our Pinchos menu, such as patatas bravas with garlic aioli and homemade chorizo sauce, meatballs and calamari, which are very popular, while our new additions include Sicilian chicken thighs with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, pan fried chorizo with onions and croutons, slow cooked spiced belly pork with chilli and blackened pineapple and we have also introduced a delicious baked halloumi wrapped in serrano ham and a salsa Verde.”

Tony is very much aware of the likings of the bar’s patrons and Pinch has also added more fish to the menu, including South American fishcakes with lemon and lime zest, fennel seeds, chilli and fresh mint and Moules marinieres – fresh mussels in garlic and white wine with chunky chips.

He adds, “Our customers said they would like to see some more vegetarian options so we have added dishes such as sweet potato

with saffron aioli, a balsamic glaze topped with fresh spring onion and red chillies, homemade avocado hummus with flatbreads and cayenne pepper and a tasty homemade falafel with house hummus and tzatziki. The breakfast menu, which is served until midday, also has more options, including smashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs and feta cheese, while we are still keeping our popular Big Pinch breakfast, which is created from locally sourced products.”

Tony and his Pinch team are very passionate about supporting other local businesses, and they source all its food and produce locally whenever possible - and even include their own local blend of coffee on the menu.

While the food is plentiful and delicious, a visit to Pinch isn’t complete without sampling their killer cocktails. The Pinch team includes experienced mixologists who each take pride in continually inventing exciting new recipes. While introducing a new range of cocktails, regulars will be pleased to know that Tony has decided to retain the bar’s classic cocktail list and that these will still be available for £5 between 5 – 7 pm every night. Tony continued: “We are renowned for our specialist cocktails as well as our classics, so we have added more variety. We like to take well known cocktails and add our own twist to them.”

One drink the patrons of Pinch can look forward to is the new’ Pinch Porn Star Martini’. This intriguing new addition to the drinks selection

is made using Ron de Jeremy rum as a base. Ron Jeremy is a famous 1980s porn star who has launched his own rum, so it is a great back story to tell customers while creating their drink.

The rum is mixed with passion fruit liqueur, passion fruit purée and served with a side of prosecco. Pinch has also added their own take on the Singapore Sling. The ‘Sling of 16’, named after the bar’s address at 16 Castle Street, adds some interesting new flavours to this classic.

Pinch is not just about cocktails and food however. The wine list is made up from wines carefully selected from around the world and each proudly takes a place on Pinch’s large bottle racks, which are located parallel to the beautiful and

original 150-year old stain glass window that is situated at the rear of its bar. Opposite the wine display you will find an equally impressive selection of whiskies, gins and liqueurs, surely enough to satisfy anyone’s particular needs!

When the weather allows, patrons can take advantage of Pinch’s outside seating area, which merges onto Castle Street’s well-laid out wide pavements, while the whole bar embraces the general hustle and bustle and cosmopolitan atmosphere that Castle Street, once a ‘dry’ area of Liverpool City Centre, offers today – thanks to its large and varied array of bars and restaurants.

P I NCH I S B OT H I N N OVAT I V E A ND W ELCOMI N G – A VI S IT HE RE I S ON E T H AT YO U W I L L E N J OY

Pinch • 16 Castle Street L2 0NE • Liverpool • Tel: 0151 352 1316 Email: info@pinchliverpool.co.uk • www.pinchliverpool.co.uk

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M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 29

New Britwrap website for Bootle Based Packaging Company W EIR & CARMICHAEL, the long established packaging experts behind the bestselling Britwrap mattress covers, have announced the launch of their new website for both UK and international markets. The award winning business launched their first Britwrap website in 2011. Since then sales of Britwrap products have seen fantastic growth and the new site includes some exciting developments for the Britwrap brand.

Traditional transport packaging methods such as disposable polythene and cardboard are expensive and damaging to the environment.

Weir & Carmichael have designed the Britwrap Reusable Transit Covers, a new concept in transit packaging which offers a more cost effective solution for transporting bulky products.

Reusable protective packaging shields products during transit, eliminating any risk of damage, whilst also cutting costs on transport packaging. Britwrap has also been

Managing Director, Martin Ellioth, stated ”The site has seen amazing success over the last 5 years, with mattress bags in particular being a massive hit with both removal companies and home owners. The increase in demand necessitated a new Britwrap site with a much broader range of products. We wanted a one-stop shop for the removals and storage sector”.

The new site is designed to have a more mobile friendly format allowing easy navigation, a better streamlined ordering process and much improved usability for customers. A new handy “Size Guide” on the site provides help for customers, ensuring you choose the most suitable cover for your mattress.

The new and much broader product range offers a one-stop shop for removal and storage companies, retailers and householders.

New products include rug and carpet bags, floor protection fabric, storage sacks and moving bags.

All the new products are made from heavy duty materials and complement the Britwrap ethos of complete product protection.

designed to make manual handling easier for hard to carry and difficult to handle products such as Mattresses and Kitchen Worktops. Their reusability makes them one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable forms of transit packaging.

Through various rollouts with major DIY outlets, home delivery companies, removals companies and homeowners alike, the Britwrap covers have proven to eliminate all product damage encountered during transportation and have helped to massively reduce transit packaging costs.

The Britwrap Protective Packaging has been designed with usability in mind. Transporting and manoeuvring these products are well known for being difficult, especially around homes and into vans and trucks. The Britwrap protective packaging and our patented, reinforced handles ensure that it is much easier to carry mattresses or kitchen worktops, taking the stress out of the delivery process.

The Britwrap online protective packaging shop also provides a range of complementary products to protect products during removals, storage or delivery. These include – handy moving bags, floor protection fabric, nylon storage sacks and reusable rug sleeving.

Managing Director Martin Ellioth

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Weir & Carmichael have over 60 years experience in packaging products and are continually investing in staff, IT and state of the art equipment. The company is committed to expanding the business and offering the best possible service and packaging products through traditional and online channels. The company is also committed to increasing their product range to provide a full one-stop shop for all their trade and household customers.

For more information on Weir & Carmichael’s full range of recycling sacks and for bulk order discounts and bespoke sacks, please speak to one of the company’s sales team at:

100–130 St John’s Road • Bootle • Merseyside L20 8BH Telephone: 0151 934 1250 • Email: info@weirbags.co.uk www.weirbags.co.uk (including Online Shop)

BRITWRAP PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE AT: www.britwrap.com M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 31

Home away from home in the “House that love built”

24 YEARS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALDER HEY THE BIGGEST AND BUSIEST CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN EUROPE

Visit us for the Grand National Festival & Super League Thursdays 8 CASK ALES 2 regular and 6 rotational guest ales daily by brewers local to us as well as nationwide

We provide the following services:

CARE AT HOME INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES EVERGREEN WELLBEING CLUB

For more information on how you could help support Ronald McDonald in the following ways please contact us by ringing:

DEMENTIA SUPPORT SERVICES

Tel: 0151 252 5869 or via Email: enquiries@rmhalderhey.org.uk www.rmhalderhey.org.uk

TRANSLATION & INTERPRETATION

l Family Fundraising, organise an event at your workplace, community or school l Deed or covenant or Direct Debit l Payroll giving l Company sponsorship l Legacies

CRAFT BOTTLES & CANS VARIED SELECTION OF DRAUGHT BEER/CIDER including 10 Craft Beers

Chinese Wellbeing is a small charity working mainly with the Chinese community in Liverpool.

Ronald McDonald House • Alder Road • Liverpool L12 2AZ

VOLUNTARY OUTREACH For further information on Chinese Wellbeing and how you may be able to support the charity please contact Di Burbidge, Service Development Manager at: diburbidge@chinesewellbeing.co.uk.

Chinese Wellbeing Staten Court, Tradewind Square, East Village, Duke Street, Liverpool L1 5BG Telephone: 0151 709 2643 Email: info@chinesewellbeing.co.uk www.chinesewellbeing.co.uk

A GREAT ARRAY OF BOTTLED BEER/CIDER WHEAT BEER QUALITY CHOICE OF WINES WHITE, ROSE, RED, SPARKLING GIN BALLOONS A VARIETY OF RUMS, BOURBONS, AND MALT WHISKY’S VARIED SELECTION OF SOFT DRINKS BRAND NEW FOOD MENU LAUNCHING END OF MARCH SUNDAY ROAST BUFFETS CATERED FOR FUNCTION ROOM AVAILABLE FOR HIRE

THE FLY IN THE LOAF • 13 HARDMAN STREET • LIVERPOOL L1 9AS Tel: 0151 708 0817 • www.flyintheloaf.co.uk

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M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 33

CHAR ITABLE LI VER POOL

MENCAP LIVERPOOL

Ronald McDonald House ‘The House that Love Built’ enjoy Cake On fundraiser

2017

ARE YOU OUR NEXT LIVERPOOL IDOL? UNEARTHING LIVERPOOLS HIDDEN SINGING TALENT

Valentine’s Day was the ideal day to share the love and the cake as Bolland & Lowe, together with Professional Liverpool, hosted a Valentine’s Cake On in the Old Hall, at the Cotton Exchange on Old Hall Street to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House, the West Derby based charity.

Could your company have a hidden individual or group with singing talent?

Local charity Mencap Liverpool, who provide a range of support services for adults with learning disabilities and those on the autistic spectrum in the city, will be holding their annual ‘Liverpool Idol’ singing contest on Thursday 30th March starting at 7pm, at The Shankly Hotel, Millennium House, Victoria Street, Liverpool L1 6DN.

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HE charity is looking for companies to sponsor an entry into the Mencap Liverpool Pop Idol event, which takes place on Thursday 30th March. This great charity show has in the past unearthed some really talented artistes whilst achieving its main aim of raising vital funds for Mencap Liverpool. In 2016, local singers Tom and Laura took part in the event before going onto star in the X Factor series.

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ONTESTANTS were asked to bake a cake to compile with one just one rule – ‘What does love taste like on a plate? Fourteen creative cake bakers each provided their offering, all created with love, and their cakes were marked on creativity appearance and taste by the two judges, writer and journalist Jade Wright and renowned local Chef, Sean Paul. Over 70 guests enjoyed sampling the cakes, along with a nice cup of tea, all helping to raise £400 during the lunchtime fun event.

There were two winners on the day. The winner according to the two judges was Glenys Underwood, who baked a flourless chocolate orange cake. RunnerUp prizes went to Ann Clark, who entered on behalf of the Liverpool Organic Brewery with a chocolate stout cake, and John Lowe, Managing Director at Bolland & Lowe, who baked a peanut butter cheesecake. The people’s vote went to Rachel Brooks, of concept 22 creative studio, who created a special Valentines Drip Cake'.

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John Lowe said, “We decided to host this event to raise awareness to Ronald McDonald House as this is an independent charity in Liverpool, supporting parents at a time when they need it most when their children are seriously ill.” Gill Willson, Head of Fundraising from Ronald McDonald House added, “We were delighted to have this event in our support as it raises the charities awareness in the commercial sector and helps us to share the love we have at the house.” Alex Clark, Operations Manager at Professional Liverpool, said, Professional Liverpool and our members were delighted to support such a good cause. It was also great to see such an amazing turnout and witness some of the hidden baking talent in our city. We would like to thank Bruntwood, Morecrofts Solicitors and everybody who turned up to support the event.”

Pictured: John Lowe, Alex Clark, Rachel Brooks (Peoples Vote Winner), Gill Wislon and Sean Paul Sean Paul, Jade Wright and her daughter Bea, John Lowe, Gill Wilson, Alex Clark and drawer of raffle Noah Goodwin John Lowe (Runner-Up), Glenys Underwood (Winner) and Ann Clark (Runner-Up)

The event gives Liverpool businesses and individuals who work for them a fantastic one-off ‘pop star’ experience, with the chance to be crowned ‘Liverpool Idol 2017’ while also helping Mencap Liverpool in reaching their event target of £12,000!

This significant total will really help this small local charity continue the great work that it does in our region.

The event will showcase the talent of 6-8 budding stars from the business community who will practice a song with a vocal coach and a professional band in the run up to the event and then perform the song on the evening, with the live backing band and in front of an audience of their peers. There will be a judging panel of local celebrities to offer their expert opinions and a great prize on offer. Ultimately the audience decide on the winning act by paying to vote for their favourite contestant on the night.

The winner is crowned Liverpool Idol champion.

‘Liverpool Idol’ will help raise vital funds for Mencap Liverpool to continue supporting individuals with a learning disability and their families in Liverpool. This unique event will reveal Liverpool’s budding music stars! See your fellow colleagues as you have never seen them before and make excellent new connections while enjoying a great night out, all in aid of Mencap Liverpool.

Mencap Liverpool Fundraising Manager, Kevin Byrne, commented: “We are delighted to be holding this exciting event again in 2017. We rely on voluntary income to fund our work and this is a fantastic way of engaging the local business community to support Liverpool people with a learning disability and their families. Liverpool Idol offers businesses the unique opportunity to see fellow colleagues as you have never seen them before, make excellent new connections and have a great night out, all in aid of Mencap Liverpool.

We are proud to be working with The Shankly Hotel and Go Events and hope that the event will be a huge success”.

Glenys Underwood with her winning entry Gill Gaskill Frankie Dougherty John Lowe

Gill Wilson

To find out more about how to get involved please contact Kevin Byrne on 0151 707 8582 or kevin.byrne@mencapliverpool.org.uk Tickets for the event cost £10.00pp and are now available through Eventbrite at: ahttps://liverpoolidol2017.eventbrite.co.uk or by calling into the Mencap Liverpool Office on Lydia Ann Street (to the rear of Duke Street) in the city centre.

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 35

CHINESE WELLBEING CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE ROOSTER

Chinese Wellbeing is a small charity based in Liverpool delivering adult social care and helping people to continue to live independently. The charity has been working with the local community for over 25 years and provides a range of services designed to assist older people in their day to day living.

Chinese Wellbeing held its’ Chinese Year of the Rooster Fundraiser at the Tai Pan 2 Restaurant on Hanover Street, city centre and all attending declared it a fantastic event.

The evening started with a traditional Lion dance performed by the Liverpool School of Cantonese Kung Fu, the Lions delighting the audience by ending their show with some dance moves to Bruno Mars Uptown Funk.

The Sing Me Merseyside choir led by musical director Billy Hui sang a medley of Tamla Motown classics and then the Chinese theme was restored with a fashion/dance show from the ladies of the Phoenix Qipao Group followed by songs from Ms Lin Chen.

The Chinese Banquet dinner included Roast Duck, Sea Bass, Salt & Pepper King prawns, Pork with Aubergine, Chicken, Char Siu and Beef dishes, digestion was aided by bottles of red and white wine and Chinese beer was used by many to toast the New Year. After dinner the guests were entertained by the inimitable Mr Steve Macfarlane, who had the audience singing along to some classic songs from well-known musicals, followed by a few pop classics that had almost everyone in the room up and dancing.

The whole event was organised to raise funds to support the work the charity does in raising awareness around health issues and especially dementia. Thanks are due to all our sponsors, donors, performers, trustees and staff for their invaluable contribution to the evening and our ongoing work. Special mention must also go to: J & B Properties Holdings Limited; Steve Macfarlane; Crowne Plaza Liverpool; Holiday Inn Lancaster; 16 Hospitality; Morecrofts Solicitors; Ray Farley; John Lowe; Joel Jelen; Andrew Hart; Tai Pan 2 Restaurant.

ALL PICTURES COURTESY OF RAY FARLEY 3 6 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

www.chinesewelLbeing.co.uk M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 37

This feature kindly sponsored by Durastic Flooring & Decking, Liverpool and Hallmark Jewellers, Heswall

Cash for Kids Ambassadors (L-R) Mandy Molby, Claire Gallagher and Trudi Brooks

Cash For Kids Ambassadors enjoy 104,000 reasons to celebrate

By Trudi Brooks

Charlie C, Pete Price and Patrick McBride

An amazing £104,000 was raised at the 2016 spectacular annual ‘Cash For Kids’ Ambassadors Ball, which took place at Thornton Hall Hotel.

Jan Molby

The event was sponsored by Hallmark Jewellers and Durastic Flooring & Decking and hosted by Radio City's Pete Price, with Liverpool Football Club legend Jan Molby and Radio City's Claire Simmo assisting in the live auction. The auction contained some fabulous prizes, including two "golden tickets" for the 2017 Champions League Final in Cardiff!

John Martin

There were also some very special guests at the event, including our gorgeous Milk Tray man, Patrick McBride, while fabulous entertainment was provided by comedian John Martin and legendary local DJ Charlie C, who played some great memoryjerking music well into the early hours!

Carol Clare, Charity Manager at ‘Cash for Kids’, showed an emotional video featuring some of the children and families who had benefited from part of the money raised at last year's event and there was not a dry eye in the room when this was finished.

The three Ambassadors who founded and organise this annual event, Mandy Molby, Claire Gallagher and Trudi Brooks were completely overwhelmed by the generosity and support of everyone on the night saying "We are speechless, and believe us that takes some achieving! The amount raised is just unbelievable and this money will make such a difference to so many of our local children, changing their lives for the better.

We simply cannot put into words how grateful we are on their behalf. We never in our wildest dreams expected to raise over £100,000. The generosity of the people here tonight has been incredible – thank you so very much to everyone involved."

ALL PICTURES COURTESY OF DIANE THOMPSON 3 8 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 39

Great new look for

LADY OF MANN Liverpool city centre’s Lady of Mann pub has completed the second phase of an extensive refurbishment and its new look is proving very popular with regulars and visitors alike. Created out of a building that was part of the former home and bonded warehouse area owned by former Liverpool Wine Merchant, Alderman Thomas Rigby, The Lady of Mann takes its name from the famous car ferry that sailed to and from Liverpool and the Isle of Man for some 29 years.

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ESTLING on Dale Street, at the rear of the courtyard it shares with ‘sister’ pub Thomas Rigby’s, this popular Okell’s brewery pub (a third Okell venue is The Fly In The Loaf on Hardman Street) was closed for two and a half weeks while the second part of its renovation was undertaken.

Managed for the past seven years by the welcoming Matt Haycox, this venue truly is one of the city centre’s hidden gems and has been allowed by Matt’s skilful management to develop its own unique identity and has a different type of feel to other city centre pubs.

refurbishment will further help add to our own distinct identity.” Regarding its clientele, he explains: “On Friday evenings we have a younger crowd frequenting here compared to Rigby’s but in the summer, when the courtyard is rammed, the two pubs “The refurbishment has opened share a lot of the same customers and the whole pub up, as it used to on Saturdays we attract a lot of tourists, be two separate rooms. It now being close to Liverpool ONE and the has a really open feel, while we waterfront and so we definitely appeal have also extended the bar area to a wide cross-section of people.” and ripped out and replaced Matt and his staff also ensure that the the toilets, which are located bar’s premium spirits are served correctly, downstairs. We have also changed the professional pouring of Gin Balloons the whole decor, adding a nautical being an example of the detail in place theme, including port hole style to ensure that customers are able mirrors and new paintings.” to feel confident in the pub’s ability

This is a ‘Lady’ that offers a welcoming and friendly spacious indoor and outdoor venue that Matt Haycox to serve quality beers and spirits and ..................... serves up an extensive and to run an excellent bar. refreshing range of cask, craft and world beers, alongside The Lady of Mann is a great place in which to relax. well-delivered cocktails, ranging from the classics to As with many city centre hostelries, customers are able in-house specials. It also shares with Rigby’s one of the best open air beer facilities in town, this being the large to enjoy their drink while watching all the major sports courtyard that divides the Lady of Mann from its sister events and it is also a great venue for your private pub, and which provides a great place to sit and enjoy function. Matt and his team are able to offer a choice of delicious buffets for your enjoyment. The interior can the more clement weather. cater for up to 60 people sitting and for that informal Matt adds, “We have also installed four new HD TVs and event this can be increased up to 100. a new coffee machine and although we no longer have the deli facility we do offer a variety of delicious, and very filling, pies and sausage rolls. We have traditional values here but we do follow modern trends and are well-known for our craft beers, gins and rums. This

For more information please contact: The Lady of Mann Tel: 0151 236 5556 Email: ladyofmann@heronandbrearley.om Lady of Mann @LadyOmann

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M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 41

SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION FOR MARK n Report by Ubiquity PR

Managing director of Blankstone Opticians, Mark Blankstone, is celebrating 25 years in business this year.

Here he sets out how he established and grew the business and why he's as enthusiastic as ever about the future.

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am a proud Liverpudlian, born into a city that’s always loved its labels. In the so-called ‘militant 80s’, whilst national media were busy focusing on Derek Hatton and Liverpool’s politics, I was busy planning on launching a boutique practice aimed at the city’s office market and discerning shoppers.

To say we've never looked back would be to hide all the ‘swings and roundabouts’ of running a successful business!

We first opened for business in 1992 and have seen the wealth creation in the city, from when urban living was first mooted to the present day, where (thankfully), some customers buy specs and sunglasses from us like they buy shoes. The world of optics is a very different place from 1992 too. The quality threshold all around has improved markedly and we have been at the forefront of the industry, ruffling a few feathers along the way! For example, our recent media campaign educated the public on the health, safety and frequency of check-ups required for contact lens wearers, highlighting what the multiples don’t tell you. We have also spent a great deal of time and money travelling throughout Europe over the last two and a half decades, continuously seeking products that are substantially higher in quality.

As a result, we now have approaching ten brands on our books that are household names in luxury lifestyle and we are the only store in Liverpool to have these brands...some are exclusive to the North West of England. For example, we are in the illustrious 3% of companies in the UK authorised to sell Chanel. Now, technology and innovation, affordability and flexible (i.e. longer!) working hours means the products and service customers get from their optician match those of their favourite other shopping destinations, stores and showrooms.

We have also spent a huge amount of time helping customers identify us as much more than a place to get their eyes checked out.

Of course, the competition has grown and that creates its own pressures on running a business but that’s the beauty of longevity. There are 25% more dispensing opticians out there in the UK market now than compared with the 1990s.

That has affected us because of our reach but it is all positive and we now attract customers within a 100 mile radius these

days. We have built up a good reputation for being discreet in our approach to helping customers, whether it is a member of the public or the many office-based businesses that we supply our services to, including VDU health checks. It is definitely the secret of our success.

We are also a big fan of affinity partnerships with other local businesses and our location in the business district, coupled with being close to Liverpool One, has really complemented our growth. I guess we got a touch lucky there! Not many opticians have had the good fortune to eventually be located next to the largest shopping centre of its kind in Western Europe but, like the legendary golfer Gary Player, I do believe that the harder you work the luckier you get!

There are also lots of new restaurants opening on nearby Castle Street, while, when the English weather allows, al fresco dining is also helping our business.

Such an activity requires the most desirable sunglasses to be seen in whilst sipping that cold glass of wine. In the last 12 months we have continued the pattern of growth experienced over the last three years, with a 20% increase in like for like sales across sunglasses, spectacles and contact lenses. We have also just enjoyed our best ever Christmas with a 40% increase.

As a proud independent business in Liverpool, it is our emphasis on luxury lifestyle and customer service that has brought this success. We have been able to increase our volume of business across all departments by focusing on the exclusivity we enjoy with global brand suppliers across Europe.

These messages have attracted strong customer enquiries and we have been able to explain more about our wider business offer and how we are different from the multiples on the high street.

We have backed ourselves by investing heavily in technology over the last three years, including a substantial five figure sum in a digital retinal scanner and we have also invested another substantial five figures in purchasing a new piece of optical equipment that gives us a state-of-the-art piece of kit for eye tests.

This may well be our 25th year in business, of which we are rightly proud, but we have no plans to slow down and these investments are a testament to this.

Sports Injury • Deep Tissue Massage • Indian Head Massage Cellulite Buster • Foot Massage • Reflexology

Nadine Doyle and Deborah Farr have worked in the therapy industry for a number of years. They have now come together to combine their expertise in their own specialist fields, offering a bespoke treatment package for each person. In essence, tailoring their service to their clients’ requirements.

Deborah is a practising RGN. Holds an IHHTT Diploma in Holistic Therapies and is BAWMA Lic. Ac. including cosmetic facial acupuncture.

Nadine has a BSc in sports and exercise rehabilitation, a Personal trainer, massage therapist and is BAWMA Lic. Ac. including cosmetic facial acupuncture.

“After three weeks of suffering very severe pain in my right arm, a visit to my doctor and a walk-in centre, along with numerous and various painkilling tablets, I spent ONE HOUR with Nadine and Deborah and just a half later I was almost pain free.

It was incredible. Just wish I had known about them earlier” E.M. (Liverpool City Centre)

Contact: Na dine Doy le: 07 5 90 6 43 70 5 Blankstone Opticians • 2a Derby Square • Liverpool L2 9XW Tel: 0151 236 5392 email: admin@blankstoneopticians.co.uk www.blankstoneopticians.co.uk

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De b or a h Fa r r : 0 785 8 2 52 11 0 13 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ Email: kneadles.l1@gmail.com www.kneadles.co.uk

M Y PL A N ET L I VE RP O O L • 4 3

Nutritious food during work hours... iverpool mum Shelley Roe has one ambition in 2017 o and that is to help even more mums, dads and the general public across the city to become aware of the power of nutrition in their family's health.

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Shelley's company, No Excuses Nutrition & Fitness, is located in one of Liverpool’s suburbs on Prescot Road, at its junction with Batley Street, close to Derby Lane, Old Swan. She began the business with the aim of helping families to obtain healthy, naturally delicious meals and treats through her own unique recipes and knowledge.

Such has been the extent of her success, she is now reaching out to businesses across the city that lack the time and supply of nutritious natural breakfasts, lunches and dinner.

"Last year was a momentous one and we have built up a strong client base, particularly amongst the general public. Our aim now is to continue more recent collaborations with companies and organisations such as Health at Work and Debenhams, who have a requirement for our products in the city. Our delivery service, which already helps customers across Liverpool, will now work more centrally in the city centre as well, catering for the demands of those wanting nutritious food and, in some cases, combined with specific dietary requirements.”

Shelley added: "More people than ever before are aware of how certain foods affect them.

Giving people an alternative choice is very important to us. We are able to supply no refined sugar-based sweet treats and a variety of main meal options, including meal preparations, whether carnivore, vegetarian or vegan, that can be gluten-free and are loaded with nutrition. These options are proving very popular and we are regularly asked for advice when customers are making their orders."

To find out more about Shelley’s range of healthy and nutritious meals and drinks or to place an order, please contact: NO EXCUSES NUTRITION & FITNESS 546 Prescot Road Liverpool L13 3DB Tel: 0151 345 4603 Email: hello@noexcusesliverpool.co.uk Website: coming soon...

Mother of three Shelley knows from first-hand experience through her own health and that of her young son how important nutrition and natural foods are, not only in alleviating a variety of health conditions but also in bringing flourishing health and happiness. Shelley was educated via a friend in how to fuel her body in the right way, with good nutritious food following struggles with yo-yo dieting, learning to love her body and herself as part of the process.

She latterly used that knowledge built up from her own experience and in developing her business to help one of her sons overcome ADHD. "You can imagine how passionate a mum, or in fact anyone, becomes about nutrition given what it has done for me and my family and now my business!"

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M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 47

Liverpool Golf Centre launches

Golf Simulator Studio and Club Fitting Centre

Following further expansion last year, Liverpool Golf Centre & Driving Range (LGC), based in South Liverpool, says it will continue to build on its status as one of the North West’s leading golf facilities, following the installation of a top-of-the-range golf club fitting studio and a state-of-the-art golf simulator studio.

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WNER and Manager of LGC, Adam Maher, said: “Getting your clubs fitted correctly can massively improve your game and bring down your handicap. At a club-fitting session we will evaluate your current clubs by undertaking a shaft analysis and measuring carry, distance, spin, axis and trajectory. We will also use Trackman 4, which is a high tech system that interprets and analyses real ball data. “Our team of experienced and knowledgeable PGA professionals and staff are on hand to assess you in the fitting process and offer advice on fitting your clubs to enhance your performance on the course. We record your shots launch angle, spin rates, face angles, ball speed, shot dispersion and consistency from a choice of different club specifications. Statistics are then compared against each other to establish the best fit, providing you with the most powerful and accurate clubs for your swing and skill level. Everyone has a unique swing so whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, properly fitted clubs will enhance your game helping you hit the ball further and with more accuracy. This almost always results in a reduction of your handicap.”

The Golf Centre has formed partnerships with a number of leading golf brands, including Mizuno, Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping and Wilson and Adam adds, “Some club-fitting centres only use one brand but by working with different suppliers we can try out different head and shaft combinations to ensure that our customers are fitted to their exact needs. The Trackman 4 technology we use for the club fitting is the best on the market in terms of accuracy and results. It also has the added benefit of delivering

a top of the range golf course simulator package and this is something that has become really popular.”

The simulator gives visitors to LGC the opportunity to experience the challenges provided by several of the world’s top golf courses, including Gleneagles, Pebble Beach, The Belfry, Troon North and many more, as well as a Par 3 mountain course and a Par 3 ocean course. Up to four players can utilise the simulator to play any of the courses at any one time and is a good outlet for something a bit different to do with your mates or colleagues, especially when the weather is too harsh to play a real course and LGC has launched some exciting corporate packages, which work really well for team building, away days and corporate hospitality.

“The excellent and varied facilities that we now have here mean we can provide a variety of packages which make full use of the whole facility. All our facilities are suitable for people who have never played golf before, as well as those who do play regularly. Our classrooms upstairs, which are used for our Elite Sports Academy students, are also ideal for breakout rooms.”

Adam Maher

For more information about Liverpool Golf Centre visit:

www.liverpoolgolfcentre.co.uk or call: 0151 487 3744.

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MY P L AN E T LI V ER P O OL • 4 9

The Slaughter House

Great food, music, laughter & live sports coverage Sky Sports & BT Sport

This historical city centre pub offers one of the best all-round ‘real pub’ experiences in Liverpool. The Slaughter House is a great venue for your night out with a difference. There are regular live music and comedy nights, while wide-screen televisions show all the big sporting events. The pub also has a downstairs mini- theatre where, thanks to Laughterhouse Comedy, audiences are able to enjoy some great fun courtesy of the many talented comedians that appear on selected evenings.

Live bands and solo artists perform here every weekend (see March listings below) and there is always a good crowd to watch the acts, so get in early to claim your place. The Slaughter House really is a great venue in which to enjoy your evening and have good night out with your family, friends or work colleagues.

MUSIC AT THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE – MARCH 2017 – Friday 10: Saturday 11: Sunday 12:

The Vinyls (10pm) Lumpkin (10pm) Camilla (5.30pm) Billy Strand (7.30pm)

Friday 17:

St Patrick’s Day: John O’Connell (6-8pm) Rodimus (10pm)

Saturday 18: Sunday 19:

The Cubans (10pm) Camilla (5.30pm) Billy Strand (7.30pm)

Friday 24: Saturday 25: Sunday 26:

The Dawn (10pm) Little Black Dog (10pm) Mothers Day Special Acts to be announced Please ask at bar for details

COMEDY

AT THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAUGHTERHOUSE COMEDY

The Laughterhouse Comedy Club presents regular comedy nights at the downstairs theatre and, since the Club’s launch in 2004, The Slaughter House has reverberated with the laughter generated by many talented comedians, several of who have gone on to become household names. John Bishop, Sara Millican, Dara O’Brien, Alan Carr, Stewart Lee, Mark Thomas and Jason Manford have between them told hundreds of jokes over the years of the Comedy Club. The Slaughter House offers a great venue for comedy, with many of the acts who have appeared here saying that the stage’s close proximity to the audience and the low ceiling are two main reasons why it has earned a deserved reputation for hosting a great fun night out.

For information on who is appearing at The Laughterhouse Comedy Club in the coming weeks please visit: www.laughterhousecomedyclub.com Tel: 0800 177 7575 THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE 13-15 Fenwick Street • Liverpool • L2 7LS Tel: 0151 236 0704

THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE 13-15 FENWICK STREET • LIVERPOOL • L2 7LS Te l : 0 1 5 1 2 3 6 0 7 0 4

5 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

We W e off ffe er a genuin i e alt l ernativ i e to residen id tial i l care homes. Our mission is to give elderly and vulnerable people the opportunity y to remain safe ely in their own homes by proviiding 24 hour, live-in care. Each carer is matched to you based on personality, hobbies and interests as well as overall care needs. This means th t ere’s some common ground fr f om da d y one and genuin i e friendships blossom.

Maybe you’re cared fo or by a family a y member who just needs a break, or you need help e getting back on your fee e t after a hospital sta s y. Perhaps you simply require a companion to help with day-to-day tasks such as cooking, cleaning and shopping. Our packages cover all this t and range

ffrom sh hort term solutions l i thr h ou ugh h to ongoin i g support. We also offe er complex care packages fo or those with more advanced car c e needs such as Dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s and palliative end-of-lif - e care.

Because our care packages are tailored to meet your individual needs, we ensure you retain as much independence and dignity y as possible.

The standard of care and atteention to detail making sure Mum was well cared e fo or and had all she needed was excellent. They took t time to get to know Mum, listen to her storiies, look at photos with her, learn her likes and dislik kes and show an interest in Mum’s life experien p cess.

Joanne L. - August 2016

Yo our one-to-one live-in co ompanion/car c e package starts from m just £695pw If you would like an inf i o ormal chat or you would like to know more please get in touch with Stella on 07939 834 780 or 0151 8 808 0369 or visit our web bsite www.pr . omedica24.co.uk/liverpo ool

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

TURNING CARE FOR THE ELDERLY ON ITS HEAD IN LIVERPOOL

AND SURROUNDING AREAS Elderly care isn’t something many of us think about until our loved ones begin to struggle at home. At that point, many of us would take the typical route of looking into residential care homes.

And that’s the point we are faced with an enormous decision…

Should I remove the person I love from their home and belongings?

This conversation can upset and disrupt families to no end.

Combine this with the guilt felt by many modern families that live great distances from their parents, and the implications this can have are severe. But there is a solution…

Stella Sass of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, has recently opened the Liverpool branch of Promedica24. Covering the whole of Liverpool, from Blundellsands to Woolton, Crosby to Garston (and all places in between), Stella plans to tackle the increasing problem her region faces.

Promedica24 offer a 24 hour live-in care service as a genuine alternative to residential care homes. This service can be simple companionship and support, with everyday tasks, to more

advanced requirements such as dementia, disability and end-oflife care, all provided within the comfort of one’s own home.

Stella is an active member of the Liverpool community and helps with many local activities and events in order to promote live-in care as a viable and affordable option. Her dedication to her community, along with years of experience in business, means Stella has both the enthusiasm and expertise to make a difference.

Stella commented “I believe passionately that we should all have the choice to live comfortably, in safety, and with dignity, surrounded by the memories that have shaped our lives.”

Knowing particularly well the challenges that arise for the elderly living in the Liverpool area, Stella also added that “Families in this area turn to residential care as it is believed to be the only affordable way to put their mind at rest. Live-in care is not for the elite, it is very much affordable, costing around the same per week as your average residential home.”

A RECENT UK STUDY SHOWED US THAT 70% OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WOULD RATHER REMAIN AT HOME THAN GO INTO A CARE HOME. Healthcare professionals and the families of those affected now recognise the benefits of caring for patients in the comfort of their own homes. Live-in care helps the elderly to retain as much independence and dignity as possible whilst safely receiving an individual service, tailored to their specific needs.

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PROMEDICA24 Founded more than a decade ago, Promedica24 now have a highly skilled workforce of over 5,000 care staff – and those within the UK are regulated and monitored by the Care Quality Commission.

Promedica24 have a national network of branches which enables them to respond quickly and efficiently when a need for care arises. Typically, they aim to put care in place 3–5 days from the first point of contact. And it’s not just a case of getting a qualified carer into the home, as Stella explains: “We take time to understand our client’s needs, design a care plan to suit their specific requirements and match them with a carer to complement their interests, personality and lifestyle.”

Stella continues: “Having spent my life up to my late teen’s travelling with my parents, I know first-hand how difficult it is to care for loved ones such as parents and grandparents from a distance. At Promedica24 your carer of choice resides with you in your home, constantly ready to ensure safe, personalised care.

Because our carers are matched to you, your carer becomes your personal companion and friend. You receive care with no shift changes and are free to continue to live your life exactly how you choose to.”

“Families in this area turn to residential care as it is believed to be the only affordable way to put their mind at rest. Live-in care is not for the elite, it is very much affordable, costing around the same per week as your average residential home.”

Stella Sass

For more information on Promedica24 in Liverpool and surrounding areas, including Hightown, Lydiate, Crosby, Litherland, Kirkby, Bootle, Everton, Knowsley, Huyton, Halewood, Hale, Garston, Blundellsands, Woolton, Speke, you can contact Stella on 0151 808 0369 or visit www.promedica24.co.uk/liverpool.

WHAT IS LIVE-IN CARE? Live-in care means that a carer lives in your home with you, full time. Because they live with you, a live-in carer can provide one-to-one, truly personalised care in the comfort of your own home. Our live-in carers help to preserve your lifestyle so that you can remain as independent and active as you like. Our carers will help you with things like cooking, cleaning, gardening, shopping and socialising. They’ll help with morning and night-time routines, meaning that you can plan out your days exactly how you choose to. A live-in carer can provide companionship and because you keep the same carer for months at a time, you build a genuine friendship. Live-in carers are highly trained to support you with more advanced conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s and stroke.

HOW DOES LIVE-IN CARE DIFFER FROM RESIDENTIAL CARE OR HOURLY CARE? Our live-in carers help to preserve your lifestyle so that you can remain as independent and as active as you like.

Our carers will help you with things like cooking, cleaning, gardening, shopping and socialising. They’ll help with morning and night-time routines, meaning that you can plan out your days exactly how you choose to. A live-in carer can provide companionship and because you keep the same carer for months at a time, you build a genuine friendship.

HOW MUCH DOES LIVE-IN CARE COST? Our live-in care is totally personalised to yours or your loved one’s needs. We don’t have a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to care and so costs are dependent on things like the level of support and the number of carers needed.

A typical example of a simple companionship package is £695 per week.

HOW QUICKLY CAN LIVE-IN CARE BE ARRANGED? We know that care can sometimes be required at short notice. No matter when you call us or what your needs may be, we can have care in place within 3–5 days.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR CARERS? At Promedica24, quality carers are the core of our business.

We have dedicated recruitment offices across Poland and our carers are carefully selected, trained, language tested and security screened before they come to the UK. We take personal and professional references and look for carers with previous care experience.

Most of our carers are more mature and have chosen care as a vocation. They love what they do and we are proud to have them as members of our high quality team.

Stella Sass

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 53

HAREFIELD COFFEE BARN A FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT PROVIDING THE PERFECT BLEND OF FOOD & DRINK

Open Monday to Sunday 9.30am – 4.00pm

A

visit to the family run Harefield Coffee Barn is so much more than a trip out to enjoy a daytime meal with a difference.

Located on Warrington Road at the Stoops, Rainhill, this popular venue is a great place in which to appease your hunger. Apart from all the fantastic fresh air that pervades the area, helping to work up a healthy appetite, this new, purpose built eaterie is spacious and comfortable and provides a fantastic family environment for diners of all ages and status.

Harefield Coffee Barn truly is unique. Where else can you satisfy your hunger whilst gazing out at a paddock containing a herd of Alpacas, walk a few yards to pick up your meat order, purchase your garden plants or arrange for a special hand-carved garden feature to be created?

Opened in March 2016 Harefield Coffee Barn is a family run establishment and has proved to be a very popular addition to the local area. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and seven days a week a wide range of people make the journey to enjoy the culinary delights on offer here. Locals and visitors are enjoying stopping off for a tasty treat and to also take the opportunity to make a visit to the adjoining Harefield Farm Shop or take a short stroll around the newly opened Hot Pots and Planters garden centre.

The owners of Harefield Coffee Barn are firm believers that successful cuisine starts with the using of first class ingredients and for this reason they only ever use fresh and locally sourced fruit and vegetables when preparing the daily

menus. Consequently, diners are able to enjoy a great variety of wonderfully fresh, hand-cooked meals, all of which are prepared in the Coffee Barn's own kitchen.

Freshly filled sandwiches and rolls, perfectly baked pastries and cakes, along with tasty locally sourced ice cream - you name it, Harefield Coffee Barn has got it, and all the food is wonderfully fresh and hand-made on the premises. There is also a variety of speciality drinks from which to choose. Cappuccinos, Lattes, Iced Tea Hot Chocolate and a variety of teas and fruit drinks are all available - and if you fancy something different just let the staff know and they will make it for you if they can – it is something they really enjoy doing.

Whilst enjoying your food and drink you can enjoy the unique experience of gazing out over the spacious patio to the paddocks containing the herd of Alpacas that reside here. These delightful domesticated species of South American camelid resemble a small llama in appearance and are amusing to watch as they go about their daily routine - the kids will love them.

Either before or after your meal there is the opportunity to walk the few yards to the Harefield Farm Shop to choose a choice piece of meat to take home for your evening meal or you can have a word with Matthew Brown, the owner of Hot Pots & Planters, a small garden centre to the side of the Farm Shop, and he will be happy to show you some of his unique hand-carved garden features or provide you with a variety of garden plants for your home garden.

LARGE CAR PARKING AREA Harefield Coffee Barn Warrington Road The Stoops Rainhill Merseyside L35 6PG Tel: 0151 329 2800 Email: info@harefieldcoffeebarn.com www.harefieldcoffeebarn.com

5 4 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 55

WELCOME TO

A DEVIL OF A BEER In our last issue of My Planet Liverpool we told of how a Liverpool father and son have introduced a tasty range of Belgian speciality bottled beers to our region and throughout the UK. Businessmen Alan and Drew Hutchinson are Directors of Hutchinson Imports Ltd, Liverpool and are the exclusive UK importers for Brewery De Block, a small, independent brewery based in Merchtem, Belgium, of their range of Satan, Dendemonde and Kastaar beers

N

OW, with 2017 underway, we are delighted to report that Satan Beers is being stocked at a number of our region’s bars and is being enjoyed by those who like to sample new beers and tastes.

Two of the latest bars to stock Satan Beers have a contrasting background. Marantos is the legendary family run bar and restaurant on Lark Lane, which for over the past 30 years has been a favourite watering hole for local drinkers, with fathers and mothers and now their sons and daughters, having frequented and still frequenting this endearing piece of Lark Lane’s history. Steve Maranto says he is “delighted” to be stocking the Satan range of bottled beers and being able to offer customers another great option to their choice of drink.

Jenever (Dutch Gin) is the wonderful Gin Bar opened a couple of months before Christmas by well-known local comedian William Miller and his partner Lee. Located on Hope Street (next to the Casa) and formerly known as the Side Door – the entrance being at the side of the building – Jenever stocks a wide range of gins and selected specialist beers and Willie is looking forward to seeing Satan Beers become a popular choice of specialist beer with his customers.

5 6 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

The Belgian brewery of De Block’s, which supplies Alan and Drew’s exciting new range of Satan Beers has a history dating back to the 14th century when the first brewing guilds were becoming very popular. A gentleman by the name of Henricus De Bloc, as a vassal of the Duke of Brabant and Bourgundy, had already obtained the brewing rights. However, it was Louis De Block, (the k had by now been added to the Bloc surname) a miller and agriculturist who was married to a brewer’s daughter from the rural area of Baardegem, who would initiate the beginnings of the foundation of the Brewery De Block in 1887.

Supported by their children and friends the De Blocks found great pleasure in their work.

Everyone really enjoyed the beer they produced and the whole family was honoured and recognized for the great job that they were doing in satisfying the tastes of the local drinking population.

With ambition, persistence and a love of hard work, Louis and his wife succeeded in their new brewing venture. Louis was always progressive in the finer points and details of the brewing trade and he found great pleasure in the brewing of their special beers.

Since that time, generations of De Blocks have carried on Louis’ good work and these days it is Mieke De Block, together with her husband Paul Saerens, a Master Brewer, who head and run the historic Belgian brewery. The Hutchinson’s have long been good friends of Mieke and Paul and it was one September evening last year, while Alan and his wife, Kate, were enjoying a few Satan Beers and chatting with their hosts, that the subject of introducing Paul and Mieke’s specially brewed Belgian Beer into the UK came up.

Alan explains, “During our conversation, Mieke and Paul were telling us about the 400-year history of brewing by the De Block family and how the beers were being regularly exported around the world, including USA, Canada, Korea, Australia, Japan, Singapore and many parts of Europe – but not the UK. This latter revelation surprised Kate and I, and so I asked the question why not?

Their answer was that quite simply no-one had ever asked them to. Well, ‘naturally’ I asked if I could – and now the De Block’s are exporting to the UK – with us!!!”

Alan and Drew quickly began to establish connections throughout the UK, including their home city of course.

They formed Hutchinson Imports Ltd and towards the end of 2016 started importing De Blocks' fantastic variety of refreshing and varied Speciality Beers. The duo arranged a series of special taster days and evenings and orders for Satan Beers were soon coming in.

The range includes Satan Gold (8%), a beautiful goldyellow, fruity and spicy beer, Satan Red (8%) which has the perfect balance of ruby-red, creamy, strong aromatic hops, and Satan Black (8%), which has a sweet, spicy bitterness that goes well with all meats and desserts, especially dark chocolate. Then there is the speciality Satan White (5%), with delicious citrusy after tastes and on the whole very different to other white beers. Abbey Beer, Triple Dendemonde (8%) is a full bodied, deep fruity drink that is brewed by the De Blocks to the same ancient formulae that the original monks used for several hundreds of years, with deeply aromatic hops and authentic spices. Last, but certainly not least, is our Kastaar (5.5%) beer, which has a delicious harmony of taste that hovers between sweet and bitter, spirited with a subtle after taste, wonderful for a lager beer.

Left: Marantos Below: Jenever Bar

‘‘

Our range of Satan, Dendemonde and Kastaar Speciality Beers will only be available in selected locations, bars and restaurants.

Each of our venue stockists are selected for their dedication to speciality beers and which are run by people like Steve and Willie, people who understand the importance of consistent quality of the beers that they are serving their customers. It is also important to us that the bar’s owners/management are able to acknowledge the history of the beer’s origins and the ethos of a family that created such a fine brewing tradition – one that has existed for over four hundred years – and of course, most importantly, people who want their customers to enjoy some of the best Belgian beers on the market.”

Drew Hutchinson

Satan is Here! Enjoy!

If you would like to know more about Alan and Drew’s range of Speciality beers, or to become a stockist please contact: Email: hutchinsonimports@gmail.com or Alan Hutchinson: Mobile: 07785 797919 Drew Hutchinson: Mobile:07971 882330 www.hutchinsonimports.co.uk

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 57

YE HOLE IN YE WALL WHERE HISTORY MEETS THE PRESENT AND WHERE ‘GIN NIGHTS’ ARE PROVING TO BE A TONIC

Spotlight on...

CLAIRE WELCH Director DOBSON WELCH RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND EDUCATED? I was born in Liverpool and I am proud to be a Scouser born and bred! I attended Savio High School in Bootle and achieved 7 GCSEs and 1 A Level.

WHAT IS YOUR CAREER BACKGROUND? I worked for Natwest Bank for 10 years. I started out in their back office and worked my way up to Regional Trainer. I then joined a recruitment agency in Liverpool where I was head hunted to work for an agency based in Mayfair in London. This obviously meant a move down to London for me but I returned to Liverpool in 2010 and joined a recruitment firm in Manchester, opening their office in Liverpool. I was appointed as a director and became a shareholder before I took the decision to leave in order to set up Dobson Welch, which launched in 2015.

T

HIS historic and popular public house stands proudly on Hackins Hey, one of Liverpool’s earliest thoroughfares, running between Dale Street and Tithebarn Street, two of the city’s original seven streets.

Ye Hole In Ye Wall is truly unique in its collection of spirits. For those who enjoy their gin, vodka, rum or whiskies, there is a remarkable selection of nearly 250 kinds of spirits available behind the bar, including a wonderful array of over 100 gins, 20 rums, 25 vintage vodkas and 74 classic bourbons and whiskies.

“I love to hear about different spirits available around the world and I will try and get hold of one if we do not already stock it. Obviously we cannot stock every single one but we certainly have more on offer here than most bars do.

People do come in and try and catch me out but there are not many spirits I do not sell if I am aware they exist.”

TELL US ABOUT DOBSON WELCH? We are a recruitment company offering a wide range of recruitment services to the private sector. This includes permanent and fixed term contracts, head hunting, executive search/senior level recruitment, direct hire and high volume recruitment ie. sales, customer service and call centres.

The popularity of Gin throughout our region has been on the increase for several years now and Ye Hole In Ye Wall present ‘Early Evening Gin’ gatherings, for those aficionados wishing to enjoy the delight in discovering a wide variety of gins they may never have come across prior to a visit here. The previous ‘Ginfest’ was completely sold out and another one is in the planning – so make sure you ask at the bar for details or watch for twitter feeds and Facebook notifications for the confirmed date.

The latest addition to the amazing collection of Ye Hole In Ye Wall has a lot more to offer than gins was only mixed and named on Wednesday delightful gins of course. There is always a great 1st March and is the result of the efforts by James variety of ‘ales’ on offer, including a selection of Wood of local company Beer Cellars and Darren 6 regularly changed Cask beers and 15 international Gilligan of Halewood Wines & Spirits who beers. The bar also has several other unique combined a heady cocktail of 50ml of JJ Whitley highlights, including a cellar that is upstairs, as is Nettle Gin, 2 sliced cherries, 3 sprigs of mint and Manager Steve Hoy the Ladies toilet, a back-to-front clock and a couple an Elderflower Tonic to create the newly of oft-seen ghosts, all attracting drinkers from far and wide.

Christened ‘Whitley’s Garden’. Those lucky enough to be in the bar’s ‘Gin Corner’ at the time of James and Darren working their magic were Ye Hole In Ye Wall is what every pub should be... great beer and treated to an unexpected ‘taster’ of this newly created spirit – and all welcoming atmosphere. So here is to the next couple of centuries of were impressed with the results. great beer, good food and the famous Liverpool hospitality.

Ye Hole In Ye Wall • 4 Hackins Hey • Liverpool L2 2AW Tel: 0151 227 3809 Email: info@yeholeinyewall.co.uk www.yeholeinyewall.com yeholeinyewallpub yeholeinyewall

5 8 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

Whilst we cover all sectors, we have particular expertise in the IT/telecoms, financial services, accounting and finance, professional service, fashion and retail industries. Our client base is growing rapidly and includes companies from all over the UK, many of which we have longstanding relationships with.

The candidates on our books are some of the best in the market and we can turn vacancies around within 24 hours, which is something that sets us apart from other agencies. We always take the time to get to know our clients well and we focus on sourcing quality candidates that not only have the right qualifications for the role but are also the right fit for the business and its existing personnel. For these reasons, the majority of our placements fulfil their potential and stay in the role long term, a factor that is really important to our clients.

WHAT ARE YOU AIMS AND AMBITIONS FOR THE COMPANY? Our ambition is to continue to grow the business and expand into new markets. Since we launched, we have

rapidly expanded the business and, in addition to our head office in Liverpool, Dobson Welch now has a presence in London. We also now have two experienced recruiters working for the business on a consultancy basis. Laura covers all aspects of the commercial sector and Dominic, who is based in London, has particular expertise in the fashion industry.

Another recruitment consultant is joining us soon and he has specific experience in the legal sector, which is an area we would like to focus on growing, as well as continuing to drive business through our core markets. We also have a full time employee who helps to run the office and a marketing consultant who is helping us to raise the Dobson Welch profile and also create a marketing strategy HOW CAN YOU BE CONTACTED? Tel: 0333 323 0960 Mobile: 07525 346 958 Email: claire@dobsonwelch.co.uk Website: www.dobsonwelch.co.uk

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 59

Since MSIF launched in 1994 the organisation has invested more than £163million into over 2000 businesses, creating or preserving around 15,000 jobs.

Here are a few examples of businesses MSIF has recently supported:-

Does your business need a growth boost?

Have you got a great plan for a new business?

1

If the answer is yes, you should speak to MSIF...

MSIF offer business funding of up to £2million to businesses based in the North West but predominantly in the Liverpool Region. Funding is available to most SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises); with up to 250 employees and a turnover of €50million or less.

MSIF invests in businesses from most sectors, for a variety of purposes including: l start-ups l development/growth capital – equipment, staff, premises, stock, export, work in progress l management buy-outs – where an existing management team buys the business l management buy-ins – where an external management team buys the business l acquisitions – where a company buys another business

3

Funding is provided by way of loans or equity investments (where a stake is taken in the business) through a number of different funds. We can develop a package of funding to suit your investment needs. Grant funding is also available for businesses wanting to expand or relocate to the Liverpool City Region, where they will create or preserve jobs in the area.

Grants can total up to 20% of the overall project cost with the remainder coming from other sources of finance or the applicants’ own funds.

5

‘‘

Lisa Greenhalgh, Chief Operating Officer of MSIF, tells us her thoughts about the year ahead: We’ve had an extremely busy start to the year and are seeing lots of new enquiries for funding for start-ups or businesses wanting to expand. Last year I think a lot of businesses were initially concerned about the Brexit vote and how it may affect confidence in the marketplace. However our experience is that there has been no immediate impact from the Brexit vote. Other than the exchange rate movement, businesses have steadily got over the initial shock and carried on with business as normal. Consumers have continued to benefit from low interest rates and low inflation plus rising wages (above the level of inflation) meaning they have felt more confident in spending and indeed taking on more debt to do so. This in turn has helped with business confidence.”

6 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

4

1. Pasta Cosa is anItalian take away eaterie located on Castle Street, Liverpool City Centre.

2. Safer Surfacing is based in Ellesmere Port and are manufacturers of recycled rubber 3. Bakewell Horner are estate agents located in Wallasey

“New funding is also available for businesses in the Liverpool City Region through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund which will launch imminently. This fund will provide over £400m of lending and investment to smaller businesses to boost economic growth and productivity in the Northern Powerhouse region (including Liverpool, Warrington, Lancashire and Greater Manchester). This fund and the money we already manage means that there are lots of opportunities for entrepreneurs wanting to start a new business or for existing companies to expand. We are seeing a wide variety of propositions across a range of sectors from manufacturing, retail and professional services.”

“We have backed a large number of restaurants and eateries recently, particularly in the area in and around Castle Street, which is really thriving at the moment. It’s great to be able to support small, independent businesses like these, which contribute to the vibrant social scene in Liverpool. Something that is particularly pleasing is the number of businesses wanting larger scale investment. The number of applications for loans and equity investments of between £500k and £2m is at its highest level for some time which suggests improved confidence in the market.”

2

4. Colin Tunstall & Associates are Chartered Accountants and are based in St. Helens 5. BeerEngin is a micro pub located in Whiston 6. CS Financial Solutions are a team of employee benefits advisors located in Liverpool

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The best way to find out if we can help you is to get in touch!

Lisa Greenhalgh

For further details call 0151 236 4040 or email info@msif.co.uk www.msif.co.uk

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 61

LIVERPOOL LEGAL

New faces at Hillyer McKeown

John Ballam

New President for Liverpool Law Society John Ballam is the new Liverpool Law Society President. John was appointed to the role in December 2016 and is a well-known character in legal circles in the North West.

He is a consultant Solicitor Advocate at FPH Law Solicitors of Birkenhead and has been a director of Liverpool Law Society since 1998.

John has been in practice in Hamilton Square for over 48 years. In 1968 he walked into the Square and after calling on local solicitor, Arthur Russell, he got himself a job. He set up his own practise in 1983 and eventually became part of local firm DP Roberts, Hughes & Denye as a partner. Changes in legal practise later saw John creating his own firm again and more recently he has become part of FPH Law – again in Birkenhead. He is qualified to represent clients in the Crown Court without a barrister and recently appeared at the Old Bailey, London.

Remarkably, John “retired” in 2015, which involved him reducing the days he works every week from seven down to five. This has allowed him to devote more time to tending to his 50,000 bees, which he keeps in hives on the Wirral.

Like the bees he tends to, John remains extremely “busy”. He is a keen Liverpool Football Club supporter and spends as much time as he can at matches, as well as spending time with his three adult children and granddaughter. John also enjoys consuming the many pots of honey produced by his hordes of bees. Speaking about his appointment, John said: “I am very proud to have been associated with Liverpool Law Society for 18 years and to be elected President for 2017. I hope to be able to emulate the success of my predecessors, particularly Alison Lobb, from whom I have taken over. It is my intention to keep Liverpool Law Society at the forefront of promoting excellent client service and to promote Liverpool itself as a leading professional city.”

6 2 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

Hillyer McKeown are delighted to announce the recruitment of Claire Worthington, Hannah McGuire and Dominic McGinn. Claire joins the firm’s growing property team whilst Hannah takes on a new role as PA to the Liverpool office. Dominic joins the litigation department specialising in the Sports sector. Since opening its commercial offering in Liverpool in the summer of 2015 the firm has experienced significant growth in all sectors. Originally based in the Tempest, the firm has had to look for larger premises and is looking forward to the opening of its new offices on the ground floor of Exchange Station in March. Paul Marsh, the managing partner of Liverpool office said ”Our continuing investment in Liverpool, by way of ongoing recruitment, together with our new offices in Exchange Station, demonstrates our confidence in both the City and our ability to make our mark here. We see Liverpool as a tremendous place to do business which gives both us and our clients’ significant opportunity for growth over the coming years”.

Hillyer McKeown • Exchange Station Tithebarn Street, Liverpool L2 2QP Email: enquiries@law.uk.com www.hillyermckeown.co.uk

Want crystal clear legal advice?

(Back L-R) Hannah McGuire (Office PA), Peter Marsh (Managing Partner and Head of Insolvency) and Claire Worthington (Senior Associate Solicitor) (Front) Jennifer Lockhart (Senior Associate Solicitor)

L-R: Emma Palmer, Paul Gallagher, Hayley Catherall, Nicola Harris and Brad Armstrong.

MSB APPOINT FIVE NEW PARTNERS FOLLOWING MAJOR RECRUITMENT DRIVE Leading Liverpool law firm MSB Solicitors has appointed five new partners after staff numbers rose by more than 30 per cent in 2016. Brad Armstrong, Hayley Catherall, Paul Gallagher, Nicola Harris and Emma Palmer joined nine existing partners with effect from March 1.

Brad Armstrong joined MSB just last year to manage the expansion of the firm’s plot sales department. The team marked a record year, which saw them complete more than 1,250 units in the Liverpool city region. Paul Gallagher heads up Crown Court litigation at MSB and joined the firm when it was founded in 1988. Paul has been an accredited police station representative since the inception of the scheme in 1996 and predominantly represents clients in serious crime cases, including murder and drug importation. Nicola Harris graduated in law from the University of Liverpool in 2004 and joined MSB as a trainee solicitor the following year. She qualified as a solicitor in 2007 before working as an associate in the firm's matrimonial department and is on the Law Society Children’s Panel.

She is also a Resolution-accredited specialist in domestic violence and children’s issues.

Emma Palmer joined MSB in 2007 having graduated from University of Leicester. With particular expertise in women’s and children’s matters, Emma is on the Law Society’s Children Panel and is a Resolution accredited specialist in child abduction, domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour based violence. Hayley Catherall has been with the firm for more than 10 years and qualified as legal executive in 2000 and a Fellow in 2002, having taken up work as an assistant in a solicitor’s office after leaving school. She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of family law and is an accredited Resolution specialist in the areas of co-habitation and domestic violence. Partner and head of the family team at MSB, Emma Carey said: “I am beyond delighted that three of my team have been invited to be partners with the firm. Not only is this testament to their hard work, commitment and capability – but also to the firms promise to support, enable and promote all members of staff.

We won’t bombard you with buzzwords & complicated terminology, it’s not our thing!

Our friendly, experienced staff are available to advise on: • Wills & probate • Personal Injury • Family Law • Education • Litigation • Conveyancing • Commercial law • Property • Employment & HR • Advice for Business • Services for the Elderly

For more information call us today on:

0151 236 8871 or email info@morecrofts.co.uk Liverpool City Centre

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Morecrofts LLP offers legal advice on a broad range of services for individuals and businesses LLP No. OC333433

RIGBY’S A TRUE FLAVOUR OF

LIVERPOOL

HOSPITALITY ...................

Spotlight on...

SANDRA DRISCOLL Practice Manager at BWMacfarlane 6th Floor, Castle Chambers 43 Castle Street, Liverpool L2 9SH www.bwm.co.uk

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND EDUCATED? I was born in Wiltshire, as my father was serving in the RAF, and my parents returned to Liverpool when I was a few months old.

I attended Blackburne House High School, on Hope Street, and went on to Liverpool Community College.

WHEN DID YOU JOIN BWMACFARLANE? I joined the company in July 2016 WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT BWMACFARLANE? I am responsible for the successful day to day running of the Administrative and HR function of the practice and my responsibilities cover reporting to the Partners, financial management, management accounts and payroll.

WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN QUALIFICATIONS? I have AAT qualification and Business Admin NVQ, along with over 30 years of work experience!

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THOMAS RIGBY’S • 23-25 DALE STREET, LIVERPOOL L2 2EZ • 0151 236 3269

6 4 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

WHAT IS YOUR CAREER BACKGROUND? I started my working life as an Accounts Assistant for the Ministry of Defence and have worked as a Finance Assistant for Merseyside Improved Houses (now Riverside) and in the Housing department of Wirral MBC. I also worked for six years in Houston, Texas as a Career Counsellor/Administrator for Champions School of Real Estate.

Since returning from the US, I have worked for various companies in the Accounts/Finance function, with my previous role before joining BWMacfarlane being as Finance Manager with Panorama Kitchens in Anfield.

WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS AND AIMS WITH BWMACFARLANE? In the five months that I have been with BWMacfarlane I have been able to settle into the role required of me and I am enjoying the challenge, as well as looking forward to growing with the company.

OUTSIDE OF WORK HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME? I swim most mornings before work and enjoy running, cycling and walking. I also like to spend time with my grandchildren, who live in Somerset, so I do a fair bit of travelling up and down the motorway.

I recently acquired a VW T4 Campervan and quite often go camping in Scotland and Wales and hope to take it over to Ireland next summer.

ARE THERE ANY PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS OR EXPERIENCES THAT YOU ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? I have taken part in a number of half marathons, including Benidorm, Amsterdam, Liverpool (of course!) and Edinburgh, but my best experience was taking part in this years’ Great South Run in Portsmouth. This was so amazing and I finished 14,728th out of about 22,000 participants, not bad for me! However, I am particularly proud of taking part in the ‘Women v Cancer Cycle Challenge China’ in 2014 when I joined 100 other women (including my two sisters) to cycle 450k across the Beijing province of China to raise funds for three women’s cancer charities – Breast Cancer Care, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action.

On the non-sporty side, last year I took part in the Macmillan ‘Brave the Shave’ campaign and raised over £1,000 from friends and family to have my head shaved. As part of the fund-raising we had one particularly fantastic day in the garden and raised even more money from the proceeds of a raffle, a ‘killer pool’ competition and a tombola.

HOW CAN YOU BE CONTACTED AT BWMACFARLANE? Via Email: sandra.d@bwm.co.uk Telephone: 0151 236 1494

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 65

Located at Castle Chambers on Castle Street, one of Liverpool City Centre’s most historic thoroughfares, BWMacfarlane is an eight-partner firm that is one of the leading independent chartered accountancy practices in Liverpool, providing a wide range of accountancy and business support services to organisations and individuals predominantly in the North West of England. The firm is acknowledged for providing excellent customer service, an ethos that is embedded into the firm and is reflected through all areas of business practice, from creating a welcoming environment for clients, with well-trained and amiable staff; to ensuring frequent client contact and providing a diverse programme of seminars, events and social gatherings.

In this issue of My Planet Liverpool, BWMacfarlane looks at a Government initiative that will revolutionise the way businesses keep track of their tax affairs:

MAKING TAX

DIGITAL HMRC is clearly and determinedly pushing ahead with ‘Making Tax Digital’ (MTD) so that by 2020 the vast majority of businesses, self-employed people and landlords will be required to keep track of their tax affairs digitally and to update HMRC at least quarterly via their digital tax accounts.

But from April 2018 all unincorporated businesses and landlords will otherwise be required by law to keep their records on accounts software (hence ‘digital’) and file quarterly. This deadline is only 14 months away and how ready are you? Other larger businesses don’t have that much longer to react and plan. l Create a tax system that is more effective, efficient and easier

for taxpayers by eliminating the burden of annual tax returns.

CLOUD ACCOUNTING & BOOKKEEPING SOLUTIONS Beyond the need for businesses to comply with HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ record-keeping requirements in the near future (see facing page) there are many other key advantages to accounting and bookkeeping in the ‘cloud’.

EFFECTIVE DATA SHARING With Cloud accounting, your financial information is instantly and automatically shared between everyone in your team who has the authority to access it. It can be updated in real-time with the minimum of data entry and easily accessed through any computer, tablet or handheld device. So, with your permission, your accountant sees the same information as you, allowing them to proactively provide expert advice, and help you to make more informed business decisions.

add-on such as Receipt Bank (which extracts key information from bills, receipts and invoices, and inputs the data into the accounting system) can significantly increase functionality as well as saving time and improving accuracy.

REDUCED HARDWARE COSTS With most of the software processes and data storage handled by the ‘back end’, cloud computing systems place much smaller demands on the ‘front end’ devices that your staff use to do their jobs. This means that you can streamline your hardware: you don’t need powerful processors or large volumes of data storage locally because all of that capacity is provided by large servers elsewhere in the world, and paid for by the service provider.

The team at BWMacfarlane can advise you on the most useful add on applications for your business. They offer a free, no obligation meeting to discuss cloud accounting in more detail and to demonstrate the software options to you. You can arrange this through Vicki Harper (vicki.h@bwm.co.uk).

REDUCED SOFTWARE COSTS In the past, if you wanted everyone in your workforce to have a particular piece of software installed on their computer, you would have to pay for licences for each and every one of them.

With cloud based software such as Quickbooks Online you subscribe with a monthly subscription, and can access it through as many devices as you like.

There is great uncertainty over the detail especially what will define “small” entities so as not to be caught (small was originally defined as income of less than £10,000).

Why is it changing? HMRC “claim” this will:

OTHER ADVANTAGES OF

BWMacfarlane's Peter Taaffe (Managing Partner), Vicki Harper (Director of Client Services) and Andy Oakes (Client Development Partner)

l Simplify accounting for more businesses by allowing them to

INCREASED RELIABILITY AND SECURITY Whenever you upload anything to the cloud, it’s stored on a server and automatically backed up by at least one other copy stored on a different machine. Cloud computing systems have inbuilt redundancy which means they are never being used at full capacity so there is always that redundancy to allow for outages on any part of the network. Of course it’s important as always to take great care with log-ons and passwords security and follow best practice guidance in this respect. It’s worth mentioning that having a reliable and speedy broadband service is key too!

account for tax on a cash in and cash out basis l Ensure customers have confidence that their tax return is right,

allowing them to plan their cash flow more effectively.

CONCERNS Peter Taaffe, managing partner of BWMacfarlane, worries that Making Tax Digital will be costly and chaotic for thousands of Liverpool city region firms and says many small firms face falling foul of a punitive penalty regime for making simple filing mistakes.

The scale and speed of the proposed changes has prompted concern from all sectors, business, professional and parliament about the ability of tax payers to achieve the robust deadlines and demands that HMRC is placing on them with MTD. There is a very real risk of the unwary giving HMRC grounds for investigations though inconsistencies and also that tax relief claims may suffer, not to mention the stiff penalties that may be incurred for non-compliance.

Vicki Harper, Director of Client Services, can be contacted at BWMacfarlane via email: Vicki.h@bwm.co.uk or telephone: 0151 236 1494

6 6 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

For a few years now BWMacfarlane have been working with leading Cloud accountancy software providers and have been helping clients to move from desktop software to cloud based platforms such as QuickBooks Online, which is relatively inexpensive and user friendly. They offer free demonstrations at their Liverpool office or over the internet – so please get in touch with their Director of Client Services, Vicki Harper, if you would like to know more.

As Peter Taaffe says, “The public sector is not actually renowned for successful delivery of major IT projects and this has to be one of the most complicated and monumental projects they have taken on.”

But MTD is coming, so do watch this space for further information and feel free to speak to the experts at BWMacfarlane Chartered Accountants about the implications for you.

QUICKBOOKS ONLINE TRAINING As Platinum Partners of QuickBooks Online, BWMacfarlane accountants are kept up to date with the latest software developments so that they in turn can help their clients get the most out of the technology.

ADD-ON APPLICATIONS Cloud accounting systems can be connected with many other applications (for instance see apps.com for a vast list that are compatible with QuickBooks Online). For example, using an

Other very popular applications such as Futrli produce useful management reports against your specific KPIs, insightful dashboards and business modelling and forecasting. They can also plug into other information sources, such as Google Analytics, allowing you to view financial results alongside non-financial outcomes.

‘VIRTUAL FD’ SERVICE Working collaboratively with you using cloud accounting software and real-time information means we can easily provide a ‘Virtual Finance Director’ service. The idea is to give you the high-quality financial and business expertise that you would expect from an in-house Finance Director but on a part-time basis at a fraction of the cost of a full-time FD. A Virtual FD acts as a sounding board and provides financial sanity, allowing you to make the right decisions for your business and to allow you to grow profitably and safely.

SPEAK TO BWMACFARLANE TODAY ABOUT HOW CLOUD ACCOUNTING CAN TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS. www.bwm.co.uk If required we can provide a free IT audit service to assess software, hardware, and connectivity/ security before you start a cloud project.

PAULA ABBOTT-O’HARE Accounts Senior Paula joined BWMacfarlane in 2016 and is AAT qualified, with over 5 years’ practice experience.

Her portfolio consists of a number of different business sectors, working with limited companies, sole traders and partnerships.

Paula also has a vast amount of experience on a number of accountancy systems, including QuickBooks Online and Xero.

6th Floor, Castle Chambers 43 Castle Street, Liverpool L2 9SH Tel: 0151 236 1494 Email: enquiries@bwm.co.uk www.bwm.co.uk

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 67

L IV ERPO O L F OOD & DRINK

DELIFONSECA DOCKSIDE NAMED RUNNER-UP AT BUTCHER’S SHOP OF THE YEAR AWARDS Report by Pink PR

Delifonseca Dockside, a multi-award winning independent company, has begun 2017 still celebrating, as part of its collaboration with Edge & Son, having been named runner-up at the prestigious Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards 2016.

The award-winning Brunswick Quay eatery and deli, along with its in-house butchery concession, was honoured at an exclusive awards ceremony where the two outlets were commended in the ‘Food Hall Butchery Business of the Year’ category.

Proprietor of Delifonseca, Candice Fonseca, said: “It is fantastic that since we have joined forces with Edge & Son earlier this year our combined efforts to offer locally sourced, good produce have been recognised by such bodies as Meat Trades Journal’s prestigious Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards 2016.� The in-house Edge & Son concession sells the very best meat from local, free range, British, native and rare breed livestock.

Owner of Edge & Son, Callum Edge, said: “It has been an utter pleasure joining Delifonseca in the heart of Liverpool and providing the best tasting traditionally bred and fed meat to our customers, new and old in Liverpool. It is an honour to be included in the distinguished list of finalists so soon after joining Delifonseca!�

For more information about Delifonseca visit www.delifonseca.co.uk or call 0151 255 0808.

Pictured above: (L-R) Lavinia Cooke, General Manager of Delifonseca Dockside, Callum Edge, Owner of Edge & Sons and Rod Addy, Editor of Meat Trades Journal.

St. Helen’s RLFC team up with Fazenda St. Helens Rugby League Club has teamed up with Fazenda, The Rodizio Bar and Grill, which has restaurants based in Liverpool, Manchester, Chester and Leeds. The ‘Saints’ are pleased to strike up a tasty partnership this season as Fazenda become the club’s ‘Official Restaurant Partner’ for the 2017 campaign. Inspired by the high-end rodizios found across South America, Fazenda brings the true essence of a gaĂşcho experience, blending all the tradition behind the unique way of serving – 'churrascaria-style'. Saints' General Manager, Dave Hutchinson, said: "Saints are very grateful for the support of Fazenda for this new season, and with venues in Liverpool, Manchester, Chester and Leeds we look forward to offering some great promotions to our loyal fans so that they have the opportunity to sample the delights of these great restaurants. The club relies heavily on support from commercial partners and we are proud to have such a prestigious brand, one that not only the club but our fans and members can enjoy too.â€? Tomas Maunier, Sales & Marketing Director for Fazenda Group, said: "We are extremely passionate about sports at Fazenda, so to be partnered with one of the most successful rugby league teams within the country is a great honour for us and we are looking forward to a fantastic season and to supporting the team throughout."

Graffiti Spirits Group's year of accolades The Graffiti Spirits Group team

Lunya's Spanish winter warmers and Gin Lovers’ Hampers proving popular Single figure temperatures in Barcelona this winter is a reminder that Spanish cuisine isn't always about summer cooking. The award-winning Liverpool One deli, cafe bar and restaurant is providing a Spring menu that is full of slow cooked comfort food designed to get us through the early months of the year in Liverpool. For instance, one of co-owner Peter Kinsella's favourite dishes during the winter time is Estofado (Ox cheek stew) & Garbanzos, with butternut squash and apricots.

He said: "It is true that we are known for the likes of our incredible range of Spanish Artisan cheeses and cured meats, which are both best sellers all year round but this time of year people also want to graze on a wider selection of hot meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. For example, our Estefado dish is a slow cooked and full flavoured rich Catalan beef stew infused with orange and aromatic cinnamon. The addition of some PX Sherry gives the dish a dark sweetness and the beef is actually PX cheek, cooked until soft and glutinous."

Peter and the rest of the Lunya team are also celebrating after featuring in The Observer food monthly magazine highlighting the quality of the city's eating out scene. After introducing an extensive new menu, Lunya has got luxury lifestyle commentators in London talking about its extreme gin lovers’ hamper, which is selling for £995. The hamper includes all 25 bottles of their Spanish, Liverpool and Manchester Gin, including Ballon Glasses and Savouries for Gin & Juniper Berries. "It is the ultimate present for real gin lovers and we are delighted to feature in the Observer publication, highlighting the quality of eating out in the city.� said Peter.

Lunya •18-20 College Lane • Liverpool L1 3DS Tel: 0151 706 9770 • www.lunya.co.uk 6 8 • MY P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

Made to measure business rescue.

The Graffiti Spirits Group enjoyed a year of growth in many ways in 2016. The Group opened Santa Maluco on Castle Street and continue to search for more sites in the latter part of the year and proof of how Graffiti Spirits has further matured was evident in their accomplishments in being nominated for several prestigious awards during the year.

They were included in the top 5 regional tourism businesses at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards at the beginning of 2016 and at the Merseyside Independent Business Awards in the summer, Graffiti’s directors were shortlisted from more than a thousand businesses and all were highly commended in the Independent Business Person of the Year category. One of the highlights of 2016 was founders John Ennis and Matthew Farrell being included in North West Business Insider's highly acclaimed ‘42 under 42’, the class of 2016's entrepreneurs and pioneering achievers in business. The Group was also voted by judges as one of the Top 50 companies at the Northern Restaurant Bar Awards 2016 and they will be targeting a number of equally high profile regional, trade and national business awards in 2017. Next up after the 2016 launching of Santa Maluco is the pop up launch of El Bandito in London in Spring 2017... a sign that Graffiti Spirits is surely one of THE leisure groups to look for throughout this year. www.graffitispiritsgroup.com

:KDWHYHU ÂżQDQFLDO SUREOHPV \RX DUH H[SHULHQFLQJ LQ \RXU EXVLQHVV ZH FDQ KHOS

Call us for a consultation on:

0151 227 4010 John Fairbrother, 3DUWQHU Jason Greenhalgh, 3DUWQHU %HJELHV 7UD\QRU 1R 2OG +DOO 6WUHHW /LYHUSRRO / +) www.begbies-traynor.com

OfďŹ ces across the UK. www.begbies-traynor.com Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP, a limited liability partnership, registered in England and Wales No: OC306540. Registered OfďŹ ce: 340 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LY A member of the Begbies Traynor Group: Specialist Professional Services. www.begbies-traynorgroup.com

HOW IS REDUNDANCY PAY CALCULATED? The average redundancy claim for a company director is around £12,000 which, for many, proves to be a significant and unexpected windfall. Some find it hard to comprehend; especially if the company is struggling financially and possibly closing down due to potential insolvency.

Any member of staff employed continuously for a period of two years is eligible to receive statutory redundancy pay should your company enter a formal insolvency process with the amount largely dependent on their age and length of service.

One of the most respected and experienced business rescue specialists is BegbiesTraynor, a leading business and recovery practice, operating through a national network of offices across the UK. The firm enjoys a reputation for providing businesses, financial institutions and professional advisers with quality advice in the areas of finance, recovery, investigation and risk management.

Begbies Traynor is the corporate recovery and insolvency division of Begbies Traynor Group.

Their Liverpool office is located at No. 1 Old Hall Street in the heart of Liverpool’s business community. ....................................................

Payments are calculated with regard to weekly pay and full years of employment: l Aged 18-21: half a week’s pay for each full year of employment l Aged 22-40: one week’s pay l Aged 41-65: one and a half week’s pay At the time of writing there is a cap of £479 per week on the amount payable, with 20 years being the maximum length of service taken into account.

Employees owed money by an insolvent company become preferential creditors, and you may also be able to claim backdated salary and holiday pay.

Begbies Traynor Group

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? Directors of a struggling company often fail to consider their redundancy entitlements as they assume that, in an insolvency process, there is simply no money left in the company and 'that's the end of that'. But this is often an incorrect assumption.

Understanding a company director's entitlement to redundancy pay

The money you claim will come from the National Insurance Fund, a giant government insurance scheme set up after World War II into which we all pay as we work – otherwise known as National Insurance Contributions. The government’s Redundancy Payments Service is there to offer a parachute to employees and employers alike when they lose their jobs or businesses.

Company directors are almost pre-programmed to recognise the term 'redundancy' as something that relates only to employees. However, what is often misinterpreted is that directors also have personal statutory entitlements, including possible redundancy from their own company.

Understanding the rights of your employees in redundancy is an important part of any insolvency procedure but it's important to remember, as a company director paid via PAYE, this includes looking after 'No.1'.

UNDERSTANDING STATUTORY ENTITLEMENTS To put redundancy claims into perspective, more than 75,000 people received redundancy pay through the Redundancy Payments Service in 2015; of which many were company directors. The total amount of these successful redundancy claims was almost £277 million, paid out from the National Insurance Fund, which is where National Insurance Contributions are held and used to pay for statutory schemes such as redundancy and the state pension.

Despite this, many directors – with companies that are either in liquidation or have been liquidated within the last 12 months – do not realise they could have a legitimate claim to redundancy. If you do meet the criteria, claims can be made from the National Insurance Fund via the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), and are tax-free.

You can ask for a form from the liquidator, or request one online.

You may also be able to claim unpaid wages of up to eight weeks, and a maximum of six weeks’ holiday pay. The money is taken from the aforementioned National Insurance Fund.

7 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

HOW TO CLAIM Begbies Traynor provides a free, no obligation consultation to all company directors. Although we cannot advise you directly of your potential claim value, we can assess your initial right to claim and once this is established, we can introduce you in confidence to the UK’s leading redundancy claim specialists.

WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR CLAIMING DIRECTOR REDUNDANCY? First and foremost, directors need to meet certain criteria in order to apply for director redundancy payments. The quickest and easiest way to ascertain whether you have a strong claim for director redundancy is to consider four crucial aspects: l

Are you the director of a company which is currently trading or has traded in the last 12 months?

l

Is your company currently in an insolvent liquidation process or are you considering liquidation?

l

Has your company been incorporated for at least two years?

l

Do you, as a director, have a PAYE number?

If you can answer positively to these four queries, there is a high chance of a valid director redundancy claim.

Pictured left: John Fairbrother (right) and Jason Greenhalgh

If you are a director and you believe you may have a valid claim for director redundancy, please contact: John Fairbrother T: 0151 227 4010 E: john.fairbrother@begbies-traynor.com Jason Greenhalgh T: 0151 227 4010 E: jason.greenhalgh@begbies-traynor.com Liverpool Office: 1, Old Hall Street • Liverpool L3 9HF www.begbies-traynor.com

The UK’s leading business rescue and recovery specialist

1 Old Hall Street • Liverpool L3 9HF T: +44 (0)151 227 4010 F: +44 (0)151 227 4009 www.begbies-traynor.com

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 71

ONE OF LIVERPOOL’S MOST HISTORIC PUBS. BUILT IN 1869, MA EGERTON’S STAGE DOOR IS NAMED AFTER THE PUB’S LONGEST-SERVING LANDLADY, MARY EGERTON. As well as running various pubs in Liverpool, Mrs Egerton was a registered theatrical agent and entertained many of the visiting performers that were working in the city including; Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr, Tom Jones, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and Harry Houdini. Indeed Ma’s is still a favourite haunt of performers from stage and screen.

Please visit our history and recollection pages at www.maegertons.com for more tales from this pub’s fascinating 150 year history. Ma Egerton’s Stage Door is open seven days a week 11am – midnight, serving fine ales, wines and spirits. Ma’s legendary Old Fashioned Pizza Shop will delight with rustic homemade Pizza named after our famous patrons along with Ma’s Showtime Cheeseboards which are available midday-midnight, seven days a week.

At Ma’s we pride ourselves in offering a comfortable, safe environment steeped in theatrical history. Please also visit our events page; highlights include Tina Malone’s Monday Night Quiz and our ‘old time sing-song piano night Sing Along at Ma’s on Friday nights.

MA EGERTON’S STAGE DOOR 7 2 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

9 Pudsey Street, Liverpool L1 1JA • Telephone: 0151 345 3525 • www.maegertons.com Opening Hours: 11:00am–12:00pm

Schools news

..............................................................

SAVIO SALESIAN COLLEGE

NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC COLLEGE

STUDENTS INSPIRED

BY CAREERS DAY AT LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB

Savvy Savio teacher nurturing the (martial) art of confidence, discipline and personal development

A

religious education teacher at the highly acclaimed Savio Salesian College in Bootle is nurturing the art of respect, discipline and confidence mixed with exercise and sport with great success. Mr. Bennett, who is known throughout the College for his dedication to martial arts, especially ju jitsu, has created extra- curricular midweek classes, which have proved very popular with students.

He said: “I have seen some big changes in students attending the classes. Some were reticent and apprehensive at first but once they had attended the first session they were telling all their family and friends about it. Moreover, I’ve witnessed significant changes overall in all the students in particular, regarding their personal development.”

Mr. Bennett added: “I know I am biased but I think the likes of ju jitsu, and martial arts in general, should be taught in all schools, given the broad, highly positive benefits it brings as part of a young person’s education.”

Resonate Music Hub looking to raise £2500 to fund Liverpool’s young musicians to attend activity weekend

Saviosalesiancollege.com @Savio_Salesian

ST. JULIE’S HIGH SCHOOL Three Year 12 students from St. Julie's High School in Woolton have been individually selected to join a prestigious UK Engineering Education Scheme just launched this term.

A

group of students from Notre Dame Catholic College in Everton were inspired recently when they visited Anfield, home of the ‘Mighty Reds’ for a careers event.

The initiative was organised by teacher Mr Sweeney, himself a Liverpool FC fan, who was keen for the students to meet some of the reds legends, including Ian Rush. The former Liverpool and Wales striker along with LFC’s outgoing Chairman, Ian Ayre, gave an inspiring talk on their career journeys, speaking about the need to work hard and be resilient.

Mr. Sweeney commented: “ We had a fantastic day. I don’t mind admitting that both myself and the students came away from the event absolutely buzzing! Critically, the students’ feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, as they listened intently all morning to the careers advice given by Mr Rush and Mr Ayre.”

Isobel Dawes, Samantha Smith and Emily Chapman-Roe will be collaborating with Kier Construction on a six months project surrounding the demolition of St. Julie's vacated buildings on the current school site in south Liverpool in preparation for the new build that is due to be completed by September 2017.

Headteacher Tim Alderman said: "The pupils have been chosen from a wealth of talent at our school and we are very proud of them."

Mrs Pat Naylor, Assistant Head of Service at Resonate Liverpool’s Music Hub is driving the fundraising effort and feels passionately about the importance of the young people being able to attend.

She said: “We educate and nurture thousands of young people in music through Resonate’s work. We are very proud of our success and want to keep on enhancing what we offer. Young people gain a tremendous benefit in their personal development from taking part in these kinds of initiatives.

Mrs. Naylor added: “It is the first time we have tried to organise a particular event like this and we have approached Kingswood/Colomendy, who organise activities around communication, building positive relationships and team work with lots of outdoor learning opportunities as well as practical music sessions too. We will be putting a choice of activities to the group to help organise the weekend so it is tailored very much to their wants and needs.”

EVA CARROLL HONOUR The school is also especially proud of Year 10 student Eva Carroll, who was officially inaugurated recently as one of the ten Young Lord Mayors of Liverpool for 2016-17.

The ceremony was conducted by Liverpool Schools’ Parliament and the current Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Roz Gladden. A delighted headteacher, Mrs. Frances Harrison, explained: "Eva was elected by her peers to serve in this role, which is testimony to her drive and determination to represent the voices of young people across the city.

She will support the Lord Mayor in fulfilling her civic duties during the month of April 2017. We are extremely proud that a Notre Dame student has been given this honourable position. Well done Eva!"

7 4 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

A music service that provides a wide variety of music education services to a diverse range of young people in Liverpool between the age of 8 and 18 is looking to raise £2500 to give students attending the service a social/team building weekend away.

If you are able to give your support to Resonate you can do so via: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/resonatemusichub

(L-R) Olivia Hobson (Science and Maths Teacher), Ron Francis (Kier Construction), Year 12 Students, Isobel Dawes, Samantha Smith and Emily Chapman-Roe, Bryn Jones (Kier Construction).

Resonate Music Hub is led by Notre Dame Catholic College 180 Great Homer Street • Liverpool L5 5AF Tel: 0151 235 1640 • Fax: 0151 207 0904 www.resonatehub.co.uk resonatehub@notredame.liverpool.sch.uk @resonatehub M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 75

PURE WHITE AND DEADLY PEELHOUSE DENTAL CARE

by Matt Lawler

DENTAL CARE AS PART OF HOLISTIC HEALTH

I am sure by now that we all know that sugar is bad for our health. But when did we find out?

As early as 1957 the British scientist and academic Professor John Yudkin was writing about the danger of sugar, culminating in his seminal book, Pure white and deadly; the problem of sugar, first published in the year of my birth – 1972. Unfortunately for him, and the whole of the western world, his science wasn't all that good, but that doesn’t mean he was wrong – in fact he was dead right.

i

N the meantime, the American scientist, Ancel Keys, was conducting the large scale “seven countries study”, concluding that saturated fat was linked with coronary heart disease. This effectively resulted in the perpetration of one of the biggest lies on society in recent times; the low fat diet.

Matt Lawler is practice principal and clinical director in Peelhouse Dental Care based in Widnes Cheshire.

He shares his passion for dental care as part of holistic health in his social media commentaries and in print, online and broadcast media on a regular basis.

He has just embarked, with that same audience, on a campaign to raise awareness of the less mentioned dangers of sugar to health . . . as Matt puts it . . .

“all the advice I give is based on what's good for our body...the subject matter goes way beyond just oral health and sugar's impact once it reaches our mouths.”

Matt's latest blog (facing page) includes Northern colloquialisms, for which he makes no apologies!

7 6 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

Whilst John Yudkin merely failed to consider other risk factors when analysing the damaging effects of sugar on health, Ancel Keys reputedly excluded those countries whose data didn't support his argument. Incredibly, the governments and advisory agencies of the western world, such as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), adopted his findings and the low fat diet was born. These agencies started to recommend diets rich in refined carbohydrates – so-called healthy whole grains and America and the rest of the western world started to get fat.

By 1972, and in the face of criticism from the likes of Keys, John Yudkin retired to write his book. In so doing, he compiled his findings that sugar and refined carbohydrates caused tooth decay, diabetes and obesity. Of course, he was not alone – Dr Robert Atkins, famously known for the Atkins diet, was treating thousands of patients with a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet and with remarkable success. In Europe, Austrian physician Wolfgang Lutz published a book in 1970 titled ‘Life without bread’!

So here we are in 2017, the press widely reporting now of the discovery that sugar is bad for our health and yet we've known this for at least 50 years! This debacle is eloquently recorded in an excellent book entitled ‘Why we get fat and what to do about it’ written by the American journalist Gary Taubes.

In 2012, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, almost 50% of the population of the USA had a form of diabetes. In the UK today, teeth extraction under general anesthetic remains the number ONE cause of hospital admissions in children. The good news is we can change all this.

On the subject of children's health, here are some top tips for preventing tooth decay and improving your children’s health: Brush your teeth twice a day – It is essential to brush morning and night. Plaque, that sticky bug-containing film, builds up more rapidly while you are sleeping, so it’s important to brush it all off first thing in the morning.

And last thing at night, with all the day’s eating and drinking activity taking its toll, you should brush thoroughly again before you go to bed.

Use a good toothpaste containing fluoride – Fluoride is by far the most effective weapon we have in the fight against tooth decay. When used in small quantities and in the right form it’s perfectly safe – most good toothpastes contain the right concentration of fluoride and if you brush effectively and don’t swallow it you will be getting a significant health benefit Avoid snacking – Having a snack between meals can increase your risk of getting tooth decay. Even snacks you don’t think are sugary can be harmful – rice cakes, raisins, even crisps, have the potential to produce acids in the mouth that can damage the teeth’s protective enamel. Healthy snacks that don’t contain refined carbohydrates are fine – cheese, meat, nuts, olives etc. – all good stuff!

Chew gum – Yes, it’s true! If you are going to have a sugary snack, chewing gum immediately afterwards stimulates saliva production – this is your body’s natural defense against the bacteria in your mouth that produce acids by feeding on your food. Saliva produced by chewing gum rapidly neutralizes these acids and protects your teeth.

Avoid foods with hidden sugars – Be suspicious of anything that comes in a tin, packet or microwaveable plastic box.

Almost all these foods have sugar added to them. Even healthy foods like baked beans contain lots of sugar – don’t get me wrong, beans are an excellent source of protein and vitamins, so as part of meal they are fine. Breakfast cereals, ready meals, ketchup and any low-fat sauce are all loaded with sugar.

Go to the dentist regularly! – Yes really! Your dentist should be giving you advice about dental health and prevention of tooth decay and gum disease, as well as examining your mouth for early signs of decay. Having X-ray pictures of your teeth at appropriate intervals is essential for the detection of decay – your dentist will recommend what’s best for you.

Peelhouse Dental Care • 23 Peelhouse Lane, Widnes WA8 6TN T: 0151 424 2516 E: info@peelhousedental.co.uk www.peelhousedental.co.uk Twitter: @PHDentalCare Instagram: @mattlawlerpeelhousedental Facebook: Peelhouse Dental Care Linkedin: Matthew Lawler

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 77

FOR SMOOTHIES AND JUICES PACKED WITH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND NUTRIENTS USING THE FRESHEST INGREDIENTS

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The delicious selection of drinks and raw power shots give you the fastest delivery of nutrients possible whilst on the go – perfect for a pre-work boost or post-work revival.

E č / 9

As well as delivering healthy juices and smoothies to customers in the city centre, The Juicery also provides a selection of juicing diet plans.

Consultant Surgeon in Weight Loss Surgery

Pre-order your juice by calling 0151 236 7637.

Customers can choose from three menus of Raw Juices – the Greens selection is packed with leaves such as spinach and kale, the Golds revolve around carrot, orange and pineapple, while the Earths make use of root vegetables like beetroot, celery and cucumber.

Also on the menu are Raw Powershots – a small "shot" of 100% fruit and vegetables that provide an instant hit of health benefits. The apple and ginger shot can kickstart digestion, while the garlic and lemon shot helps with blood flow.

Mr Alan Li Contact Lorraine Crofton, Bariatric Nurse on 07786 294710 Email lorrainecrofton@gmail.com or visit www.alanlisurgery.com

Surgical Specialist

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CLINICS AT LIVERPOOL ONE & CHESTER FOUNTAINS MEDICAL CENTRE Operating out of: The Alexandra Hospital (Che>dle), Spire Manchester Hospital (Manchester), ÕÀÀ>Þw i ` ë Ì> ­7 ÀÀ> ® > ` ,i}i VÞ Ã« Ì> ­ >VV iÃw i `®

THE JUICERY E XC H A N G E F L A G S • L I V E R P O O L • L 2 3 Y L 0151 236 7637 Follow The Juicery on Twitter and Facebook for updates on daily offers.

Open: Monday to Friday 8.30am – 6.00pm

7 8 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 79

Samantha Mitchell Nails & Beauty Clinic

How to get your

winter body summer ready!

treatment, although we recommend booking a course of six to maximise the benefits fully. With regular treatments, the skin increases its collagen and elastin formation, giving you a naturally firmer and rejuvenated appearance.

Building on this, the gentle vacuum action gives the facial muscles a mini-workout each time, providing an immediate lifting effect and an on-going improvement in tone.

A good body treatment which includes a good scrub will get rid of dead skin cells that can make your skin appear dull and is also a great way to prepare if you want a fake tan. We offer a range of different tans, including Fake Bake and St Tropez, which give a fantastic glow and can also make you appear slimmer. Of course it is not just glowing skin that we want to show off. Without as many clothes to hide under, getting the perfect silhouette is high on the list of priorities.

The winter months can certainly take their toll. Cold weather and central heating can play havoc with your skin, making it dry and flaky, so the first thing I always recommend is to book a course of facials. French women have flawless complexions because they book frequent facials that are as much a part of their beauty routine as getting their nails done, however in the UK we tend to only go for facials if we are going somewhere special, have had a bad breakout or have a specific skin issue.

Our Crystal Clear facials are one of the best on the market.

This microdermabrasion procedure takes years off your complexion by gently exfoliating the outer layers of skin.

Because it is a safe and controlled method of skin resurfacing the treatment can be used to solve a wide range of skin concerns on both the face and body.

Microdermabrasion provides immediate and visible results for ageing skin, lines and wrinkles, open pores, blackheads, pigmentation, blemish scars, acne scars, stretch marks and so much more. You will see the difference after just one

8 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

A customised shape for every client is chosen to suit individual face shapes and whether or not the client wants a stronger look or an enhancement of their natural brow shape. We always offer our clients a free top up after six weeks, just to ensure you are happy with the shape and colour and to check there are no gaps.

LVL lashes are brilliant if you don’t want to have to wear mascara.

The treatment straightens rather than curling the lashes to give you a great amount of length, thickness and uplift resulting in gorgeous eyelashes that make your eyes look wide awake. The treatment takes around 45 minutes to apply and can last for up to 6 weeks, depending on the length and quality of your natural lashes. The great thing about this process is that it doesn’t harm the fine hair of your own lashes.

We finish off the treatment with a lash tint which makes your new longer looking lashes really stand out.

Samantha Mitchell is the owner of a popular Liverpool based Beauty & Nail Clinic located in the heart of Childwall, at 48 Hattons Lane, off Woolton Road.

Sam and her team of trained professionals specialise in nails and all other beauty treatments.

N

The process is an extremely thorough process that takes around two hours to complete. The results will last for up between 12 - 18 months before beginning to fade, so it’s crucial we take our time and pay so much attention to detail.

This can be achieved without going under the knife. We have seen some fantastic results through our LPG treatments, which use the latest technology from France. LPG helps budge stubborn areas of fat and smoothes away cellulite.

Advice from Samantha Mitchell

OW winter is almost over, it’s time to start thinking about getting your body ready for when we finally lose the chunky knits and tights and trade them in for bare legs and short sleeves. With one eye on holiday season, it’s time to start prepping your beach body. Even if you’re not going away, many of you will have already started hunting down your outfit for Aintree and once we (hopefully!) start seeing a bit more sun, you want to feel like you can show a bit more flesh.

If you are off on holiday, then getting your brows and lashes done is a good way to look great on the beach without having to wear make-up. One of our most popular brow treatments is microblading.

This procedure is perfect for those who want to fully reconstruct, define, cover gaps, or fill-in over plucked brows. It is a very natural option that delivers semi-permanent results.

LPG is a completely safe, pain free treatment that gives dramatic improvement in your hips, thighs and bum.

LPG lipo massage is very effective at treating cellulite in all areas, saddlebags, loose sagging skin and localised fat.

Unlike some other methods and products that superficially tackle cellulite or just heat up the skin with lasers for temporary tightness, LPG gets to the root cause of the problem. The deep massaging action increases circulation of both blood and lymphatic by 200% (manual massage increases circulation by 60%) and helps expel toxins and any abnormal fluid build-up. The skin’s structural connective fibres are stretched and restored, resulting in a smoother, firmer and more refined shape. We have seen some great results on our customers. I always recommend that you do a short burst of exercise – a 10 minute HIIT session will do – to help the body drain away the broken down fat cells.

We are offering

20%

DISCOUNT off all treatments to My Planet Liverpool readers.

Just mention our advert to receive your discount.

Samantha Mitchell Nails & Beauty Clinic, 48 Hattons Lane, L16 7QS Tel: 0151 722 3386 Instagram: @smbeautyclinic Facebook: Samantha Mitchell Nails & Beauty Clinic Twitter: @smbeautyclinic

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 81

ABENSONS

THE EXCELSIOR DALE STREET

Experience a haven of

GREAT BEER AND TASTY FOOD

OPENING HOURS:

Monday – Saturday: 11.00am until 11.00pm Sunday: 12 noon until 11.00pm FOOD IS SERVED DAILY Monday to Friday: 12noon until 8.00pm Saturday: 12 noon until 6.00pm Sunday: 12 noon until 5.00pm The Excelsior 121 – 123 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2JH Tel. 0151 236 6486 @The_Excelsior excelsiorpubliverpool

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SOLICITORS

A BEAUTIFUL CONTEMPORARY GIN BAR SITUATED AT 29A HOPE STREET, LIVERPOOL, THE ONLY STREET IN THE WORLD THAT HAS A CATHEDRAL AT EITHER END.

Welcome to

Jenever

O

FFERING, over 90 types of gin, speciality jenevers (gin's delicious predecessor), a cocktail menu that is not to be missed and a range of excellent beers, a stroll around the Hope Street area of our city would not be complete without sampling a little something from Jenever, whether it be a pre-theatre drink, a lazy afternoon G&T or a visit to one of the bar’s specially selected gin tastings. Jenever also do a fabulous afternoon tea.

Willie Miller and manager, Lee MacNamara

The music is also a big part of the bar, and we have everything from Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to Bruno Mars, with a little bit of everything else in there, including 70’s punk and even Pink Floyd!”

The bar was taken over by Liverpool born and bred comedian and former BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Willie Miller in August 2016. After 30 years travelling all over the UK, Willie decided to do something different and his passion for Gin made this bar a natural choice.

Willie had been looking for somewhere for over 12 months and as soon as he walked into Jenever he knew it was the bar for him. “Hope Street has lots of great bars and restaurants in which to spend your evenings and the clientele here is mainly couples and over 25’s, – it’s very much an area with a great feel and vibrancy to it”.

Jenever bar has more than 90 types of Gin from which you can choose and popular sellers include Seaweed Gin, Raspberry Gin, Martin Miller Gin and – of course - Liverpool Gin. Says Willie, “We do a Gin tasting menu and this is really popular, it’s a great way to get to know new products and pass a couple of hours in a relaxed and chilled atmosphere.

As well as Gins, Jenever has a large range of Whiskies, Rums, Vodkas and some really good specialist and craft beers to satisfy your thirst, with the newly imported Satan Belgian Beer proving really popular, fitting in with the bar’s aim to provide something that is different than most venues in the city.

The reviews for Jenever on Trip Advisor, Facebook, and Google have been brilliant and a great moment for Willie was when he saw a taxi pull up outside the bar and drop people off – because he then realised that the bar had become a destination rather than somewhere that attracts passing custom.

Jenever’s is about having fun – and with a comedian at the helm there is always a good chance of that!

EXQUISITE PAN-ASIAN GASTRONOMY Located in Liverpool's stunning Georgian Quarter, Host is celebrating a great start to 2017 on the back of being included in the BBC Good Food magazine's guide to the best eateries in Liverpool.

Described in the award-winning magazine as a 'crisp, minimalist canteen', Host has been promoting pan-Asian fusion dishes probably before any punters had even heard of katsu or kimchi.

In spite of Asian street food's ubiquitous appeal cross the city these days, Host still dominates when it comes to the best pho and udon noodle soups, alongside Korean meatballs, pork belly buns and gochujang lamb chops.

Co-owner Colin Manning said: "It is both prestigious and very satisfying to have been included in the BBC’s Good Food

magazine and we appreciate being described as “ahead of the curve”...that is often a key factor in establishing a brand like Host, but of course you've also got to sustain the quality over many years and keep progressing in what is one of the most competitive sectors in industry. Ultimately, we have tried to be inclusive by offering vegan, gluten-free and dairy free options, plus all kids go free on a Sunday, creating a great family environment around sharing nutritious, delicious food, with the emphasis on a relaxed and fun setting in one of the most beautiful locations in our city."

CONTACT HOST FOR INFORMATION ON MENUS, BOOKINGS AND EVENTS

31 Hope Street Liverpool L1 9HX • Tel 0151 708 5831 • email info@ho-st.co.uk OPENING TIMES: Monday – Saturday: 11am – 11pm & Sundays: 12pm – 10pm www.ho-st.co.uk

Jenever Gin Bar • 29a Hope Street • Liverpool L Tel: 0151 707 7888

8 4 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

Follow HOST on

@host_liverpool

Host Liverpool

M Y PL A N ET L I VE RP O O L • 8 5

MOOSHY LA LA ....................................

After working with antiques for the last 15 years, with a passion for antique/vintage clothing and jewellery, Sue Gannon-Kendrick has gone full circle and now has her own little Vintage Fashion Boutique, selling items that she might have sold and worn over 40 years ago.

Mooshy La La is one of Liverpool’s finest Vintage Clothing outlets and has now been open for over three years, going from strength to strength. Here Sue gives her views on why people should give serious thought to shopping at their local shops and stores and not submitting to mass consumerism.

Ethical& Glamour...

Sue Gannon-Kendrick

a juxtaposition of words?

They are not two words you would necessarily put next to each other are they? But why not?

I would say the two words work very well together; in fact I have proved they work immensely well together here at Mooshy La La! Just as Ethical works very well with Consumerism!

A

N ‘ethical consumer’ is someone who buys things that are produced ethically. Something that is recycled, products produced without the use of slavery and child labour, or food that is raised organic or free range. The whole point of the ethical consumerism movement is that you know what you are buying and that you buy things that are produced ethically because not knowing leads to abuse and exploitation. And Yet! – Every ‘Festive weekend' or every ‘Payday weekend’ for that matter, the masses head for the City Centre or Retail parks, they sit in traffic jams, battle through crowds, grasping at any item they think may sell out, they stand like soldiers in long queues to “Pay Here”.

They are spending their hard earned cash (maxing out their credit cards) in these huge conglomerates that send the money they take to their offshore banks, so making the shareholders richer and richer, and we wonder why oh why there is such a gap in the local economy. I am sorry but the thought of that really makes me want to hyperventilate. I know in this world of Mass Consumerism that it’s a big 'Ask' to expect everyone at holiday time to boycott big stores and supermarkets, let’s face it, that will never happen, but can’t we all just slow down and Think!

We all know that an astronomical amount of money was spent nationally over the Christmas period, (we only have to view our own January bank statement to see with horror how much cash we get through ourselves) but is it all worth it?

I certainly don’t mean that Christmas, or indeed other celebratory periods, are not worth it because I love Christmas. I still get goosebumps when I see all the lights and the festive displays and I’m certainly not going to refuse that mouth-watering Easter egg or the obligatory Valentine rose - but I hate the fact that every time I go into the shops, particularly during any festive season, I am being manipulated and coerced into spending more and more money by these aggressive marketing 8 6 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

campaigns – yes the M&S ads are wonderful, even Aldi & Lidl have it nailed now, and oh how we all anticipated what tear jerking epic John Lewis would bring to our TV screens last Christmas. Well for a reported £7 million did you think 2016’s boxer dog/trampoline advert lived up to your expectations?

I have, on many occasions, made my views perfectly clear about my abhorrence of mass consumerism, and 'Black Friday' epitomized this. This vile import from the USA brought out the greed and avarice of so many fools who fell for the grim marketing techniques of the huge global retailers. Thankfully this last Christmas appeared to show that Black Friday may not be here to stay.

It really is time to rethink the way we shop!

Just remember it doesn’t have to be expensive to be original! It just takes a bit of thought! On this point I want you to think of all the small independent businesses, the small producers, the designers, the craftspeople, the vintage & antique shops.

There are plenty and I mean plenty of these shops and stores! We have an abundance of magnificent Independent shops and businesses here in Liverpool, and I don't just mean Liverpool City Centre, they are everywhere around our region – on your DOORSTEP! Just remember that when you spend local – it stays local! Your money doesn’t get siphoned off to offshore accounts, it doesn’t go into the pockets of the ‘Non-Doms’ it goes to put food on the table of local people and keeps independent restaurants and bakers and butchers and boutiques and hairdressers on your high street, it gives local people jobs!

Mooshy La La has the ethos of ‘Bohemian Glamour’ of the 1960’s/70’s era, influenced by BIBA, the magical emporium that reigned on Kensington High Street in the early seventies.

Sue carries an authentic collection of 1920s/30’s dresses and costume jewellery and if you have been to ‘Mooshy La La’ you will know that her shop has a very ‘distinctive look’, with a unique collection of beautiful vintage clothing and antiques

“So this year please let’s rethink the way we shop...

Shop independent, shop local, and shop ETHICAL!”

For more information and a peek inside Mooshy La La’s AttiQue, visit www.mooshylala.com Contact Sue via email: mooshylala@gmail.com Mooshy La La Vintage Clothing & Antiques 322 Smithdown Road, (near Penny Lane), Liverpool L15 5AJ Telephone: 07906 619243 Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday: 11:00am – 5:30pm @mooshylala MooshyLaLaAttique Follow on Instagram: @mooshylala See reviews on TripAdvisor

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 87

ALBANY BARBERS

SIMPLY HAIR BEAUTY

&

setting the style Great hair products and attentive service all combine to add an extra style to popular Wirral salon

the gentlemen’s experience Unit 2, The Arcade, Covent Garden, Liverpool L2 8US Tel: 0151 227 2443 (John or Ian)

Albany Barbers Price List Price List (from) Cut Cut and Beard Wash, Cut & Dry Wash, Cut & Dry with Beard Re-Style Crops 1-8 Crops 1-8 with Beard Beard Shave

£11 £14.50 £19 £22.50 £15 £9 £12.50 £4.50 £25

Opening Times Monday – Friday 7am – 6pm Saturday 9am – 4pm

Simply Hair offers an extensive and modern range of hair treatment techniques, including Serioxyl Hair Care, X-TENSO products, and L’Oreal INOA and Root Rescue products. The salon also offers Babyliss Perfect Curl Tools and Temptress Hair Extensions, with accompanying Paul Mitchell products.

SIMPLY HAIR & BEAUTY 457 HOYLAKE ROAD, MORETON, WIRRAL CH46 6DQ Telephone: 0151 677 9215 Follow us on Facebook

8 8 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 89

A BRAND NEW DESIGNER BOUTIQUE

John Cooper (pictured), the former Hugo Boss & Flannels man, has been appointed as a director and has pledged his commitment long term to help oversee the direction and management of Union 22 alongside business proprietor Dale Allman.

Mr. Cooper said: “This is a great opportunity for me to get involved in a high-end fashion and style concept previously unseen in Liverpool. We have reached out to in many cases, small, family fashion houses with a great heritage in producing clothing and shoes of the highest quality, most of which will be new names on the high street in Liverpool.”

“In addition, Union 22’s backdrop has an equally distinguished feel and heritage given the history of the building we now occupy and the splendour of our completed store.”

Industry commentators have already earmarked Union 22 as one of the most exciting retail openings of 2017 with exclusive brands, including Nobis, Mackage and Cornelliani, just some of the names adorning the shelves.

The first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment of Union House has seen the opening of an understated luxury menswear boutique.

Union 22 has launched a new concept for Liverpool men as the first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment on Victoria Street, part of a plan to reinstate the street’s position as a leading leisure destination, has been completed.

Union House has undergone a substantial makeover with the opening of Union 22. The boutique has already attracted the eyes of UK fashion industry press, such as Drapers, given the exclusivity of brands granted to it by a list of iconic, niche fashion houses from the UK and Italy.

‘‘

Cooper added: “After returning from the fashion trade shows across Europe I am really excited by the prospect of Union 22 lighting up the Liverpool fashion scene for men. It is a great opportunity for us to help cultivate a new look and style for men having sourced some of the finest, understated luxury menswear in the world, making it available on the high street in Liverpool."

This is a great opportunity for me to get involved in a high-end fashion and style concept previously unseen in Liverpool. We have reached out to in many cases, small, family fashion houses with a great heritage in producing clothing and shoes of the highest quality, most of which will be new names on the high street in Liverpool.”

John Cooper

UNION 22 Union House, 23 Victoria Street, Liverpool L1 6BD Tel: 0151 236 5777 www.union22.co.uk

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: MON-SAT 9-30am-6.00pm Sunday 12–4.00pm 9 0 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 91

THE

BEAUTY

OF LIVERPOOL

Liverpool’s Dave ‘the Pap’ Evans, is a well known local photographer and in each issue he shares with My Planet Liverpool some of his great pics of the many celebrities who live in or visit our wonderful city. Liverpool is highly regarded for having so many beautiful women within our region and over the last 12 months lucky Dave has been on the spot at a variety of Liverpool venues to get close enough to take the pictures of this selection of attractive lady celebrities.

1) Alexandra Burke 2) Gemma Merna 3) Alex Gerrard 4) Danielle Lloyd 5) Candy McCulloch 6) Amy Childs 7) Jorgie Porter 8) Melissa Reeve and Rachel Rhodes 9) Laura Doyle 10) Girl Talk 11) Susanne Collins 12) Sam Quek 13) Megan McKenna and Chloe Simms 14) Colleen Rooney

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Photographs courtesy Dave Evans/Bond Media Agency

Excellence | Integrity | Proficiency

DARTSWIFT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

LEADING THE MARKET IN EXPERT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE TO THE SHIPPING AND INSURANCE INDUSTRIES

EXPERTS IN GLOBAL TRANSPORT

BY LAND SEA OR AIR CELEBRATING 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS

GETTING THE JOB DONE ON TIME AT THE RIGHT PRICE To obtain a free quotation or for more information on all of the services provided by Dartswift International please contact the Customer Service team at:

Liverpool Office: 9th Floor, Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool L2 3YL

3rd Floor • Castle Street • Liverpool L2 9SH Tel: +44 (0)151 236 2035 Email: info@dartswiftintl.com

www.brookesbell.com

Telephone: 0151 236 0083

L I V E R P O O L – LO N D O N – S I D C U P – G L AS G OW – S H A N G H A I – H O N G KO N G - S I N G A P O R E

www.dartswiftintl.com 9 4 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 95

THIS FEATURE IS KINDLY SPONSORED BY BROOKES BELL GROUP

The Propeller Club has always attracted the very highest echelons of the wider industry and also local maritime leaders. Many of the past International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary Generals have all been members, and so too are members of the world’s leading maritime companies. We exist to network, to mentor, to develop business – and we try to enjoy it too.

Propeller Club DRIVING SHIPPING REVOLUTION Liverpool is a “shipping city”, you can tell by just looking up. Almost every historic building has its nod to far off places, to cargoes which built us and to the brave seafarers who brought them. Guidebooks may wax lyrical on the past, but what of today?

The International Propeller Club of the United States, to give the full title, can trace its origins back to New York in 1922. In the clubs off Park Avenue, mariners who had moved ashore wanted to meet and be able to discuss maritime matters.

It may come as a surprise to many, but Liverpool is as important Soon the idea began to grow, and, all over America and in a maritime centre today as it has been for 50 years or more. many cities overseas, the Investment in new port infrastructure, a busy river awash with Propeller Clubs took root. In cruise ships, seafarers arriving into the city, and even new ships the UK, London had been the being built, all hint at a renaissance. Something to celebrate to be only chapter – and had been in existence since 1936. It wasn’t sure! However, to cement a position as a maritime powerhouse until 2014 when Liverpool took takes more than just investment and innovation alone. up the mantle, did the Propeller Real longevity and stature comes with having the right people, Club begin to spread in this and that is what the Propeller Club Liverpool is all about. country.

A number of likeminded maritime people had already started meeting in the city. As far back as 2010, when they would convene every First Thursday to network and enjoy each other’s company. Soon it became obvious that there was potential to do more – and so Propeller Club Liverpool was born.

In April 2014, we were formally recognised and received our Charter from the United States. We were official, and the journey to grow both in size and influence began. We now have around 120 individual members, supported by 10 amazing companies who act as our corporate members.

The investment from both groups allows us to engage with the wider industry and to host extremely popular events.

Shipping is the most international of industries – and so maritime professionals are in demand all The Propeller Club's Anneley Pickles (right) with local artist Claire McCarthy

over the world. It can be difficult for cities such as Liverpool to maintain its talent pool, and to keep good people.

The world’s biggest maritime centres are caught in a constant struggle for position and pre-eminence. London often hoovers up plaudits and talent alike, while Singapore and Dubai proclaim their incredible credentials and potential. Elsewhere, cities such as Hamburg, Hong Kong and New York all harbour ambitions to be number one, so there is a struggle to find and attract the best people.

This is the modern world of shipping – the biggest cities draw in people like moths to a maritime flame. Liverpool has to fight to keep its head about the rising tide. That is why we are so pleased to be part of promoting our wonderful city and region. There is immense pride and satisfaction that the city of Liverpool and local area is beginning to buzz once more, and shipping is once more its beating heart. At the mouth of the river, vast investment and development have seen the new “Liverpool Two” container terminal take shape. The docks are awash with activity, there are increased shipping movements, and there are innovative shipping companies leading the world, all based locally.

Cruise Lines too are now embracing Liverpool. The cruise terminal has brought some of the most iconic ships into the city, and who can have missed the spectacle of three Cunard Queens dancing in our river. The city keeps winning awards, and visitor numbers are set to rise even further next year.

Over the river sits Cammell Laird, the historic shipyard is tackling an incredible new building project, as “Boaty McAttenborough” the most advanced polar research vessel the world has ever seen takes shape. This is a coup for the country, let alone our region.

There are many maritime companies doing great things, but it is the people who really make it all happen. The maritime professionals, with expertise, qualifications, skills, contacts, ideas and drive to create, deliver and improve. They make the difference, separating a city from being just office space, and making it a community.

It’s not just the Propeller Club. There are vibrant branches of other organisations too, and we are all collaborating, sharing an events calendar and working to make Liverpool City Region even greater than the sum of its shipping parts. We have embraced the arts and culture too, as we look to bring maritime and nautical issues back to the public consciousness.

Liverpool is growing and it’s time has come around again. In this most maritime of cities you can find a real sense of a shipping community, with vibrancy, passion and sense of belonging. We look forward to welcoming you with open arms to our free maritime networking events on the First Thursday of each month, when you can find out what all the fuss is about.

See www.propellerclub.co.uk to find out more.

Or – if you are feeling brave – engage with us on Twitter @propellerists 9 6 • M Y P L ANE T L IV E R P O O L

M Y PL A N ET L I VE RP O O L • 9 7

In my Liverpool home

did you know... with thanks to Rob Lynch (CEO Walkie Talkie Tours).

that...

the first record of the sport of cricket being played in the Liverpool area was at the Mersey Bowmen’s Ground located on Cazneau Street, now the home of Liverpool Municipal Buildings and car park and

that...

The foundations of Liverpool Cricket Club began in 1807 when a group of young men got together to form “The Original and Unrivalled Mosslake Fields Cricket Society.” Matches were played on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and members had to turn up for selection at 6-o-clock in the morning. Mosslake Fields was located close to Abercrombie Square and adjoined the Botanical Gardens that had been opened by William Roscoe in 1802. It was a very wet part of the town with the driest parts being between Crown Street and Smithdown Lane, hence the wicket area would often be very damp. In May 1811 Liverpool Cricket Club was established, 53 years before Lancashire County Cricket Club came into being. The new club continued to play at Mosslake Fields until 1819 before moving to Rector’s Fields on nearby Crabtree Lane, now Falkner Street. The continuing expansion of Liverpool as a town led to the club having to move again, this time to Wavertree Road, in the rural area of Edge Hill, and they remained there until 1847 before moving close to Edge Hill Station where they stayed until 1877 before having to relocate yet again. Without a home of their own for three years the club played at various grounds before finally obtaining their present home on Aigburth Road. This new home opened in 1881 and included a pavilion, pre-dating the ones built at Lords (1891) and Old Trafford (1894).

that...

the inventor of the murder mystery weekend is a former pupil of Merchant Taylors’ Girls School, Crosby. Joy Angela Swift MBE was born in Blundellsands and after leaving Merchant Taylor’s she went to college to study graphic design but left to take up full-time employment at the Liverpool Echo. Joy left the Echo after three years to join a small chain of hotels. It was in 1981 that the talented businesswoman, writer and event organiser came up with the idea of an interactive murder mystery that would allow hotel guests to become sleuths. She hired local actors to play the main characters and on 30th October 1981 she staged her first murder mystery weekend. Two years later, Joy also staged her first murder mystery weekend outside of the UK, holding the event in New York. As part of Liverpool's 800th birthday celebrations in 2007 she created a solvable who-dunnit? called “The Great Echo Murder Mystery”.

Joy wrote an historical plot that was printed in the Echo each day as a two-page police evidence board of clues. Readers had to submit their solutions in writing and 10 winners attended the final act - when the murderer was revealed. In the 2002 New Years Honours List she was awarded an MBE for her services to tourism as the inventor of the murder mystery weekend.

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that...

this plaque above was unveiled to commemorate the thousands of Chinese Sailors who contributed to Liverpool’s growth as a city of world renown. It was in 1834 that the first Chinese sailors arrived in Liverpool onboard the John Bibby & Co. ship the 'Duchess of Clarence'. Twelve months later, the Ocean Steam Ship Company (Blue Funnel Line) began trading regularly with the Far East and many of the Chinese seafarers employed

by Blue Funnel settled in the city. Such was the level of trade between China and Britain that China decided to establish a Chinese Embassy in Britain. The first officials arrived in Liverpool in September 1868 and made their way to the Adelphi Hotel. However, much to the chagrin of the Chinese Ambassador (an American citizen), on arriving at the Adelphi the party were refused entry! The hotel and local paper put this down to a ‘misunderstanding’, however, could this be one of the first recorded cases of racial discrimination against the Chinese in Britain?

M Y P L AN E T LI V ER P O O L • 99

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