Spring events and activities
Nominate your Sunlighter of the Year
Surveying historic houses Conservation updates
Exciting new habitats in the village landscape
You’ll remember from the winter edition of the Gazette that PSVT –working with partners Wirral Council, National Museums Liverpool and Unilever - has applied to join the UK’s Tentative List for World Heritage Site inscription.
We had expected to receive a response from the government in January but have been advised that this announcement is delayed until late April. We will share news as soon as we hear it.
In the meantime, you may wish to read the outcome of research PSVT commissioned to help us answer the application’s questions about Port Sunlight’s global significance and its historic buildings and landscapes. It is available online - https://bit.ly/WHS-research
In the last edition of the Gazette we provided details of organisations helping people make ends meet. Since things are no easier for people in our community we’ve included the information again. Also, a reminder that if you are a PSVT tenant and are having financial difficulties, you can contact our housing officer, Lis Robinson, on 0151 644 4800 or l.robinson@portsunlightvillage.com for help and advice.
helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk covers income support, childcare costs, energy bills, transport and a discounts section turn2us.org.uk use the simple Benefits Calculator and Grants Search tools to check what you can apply for stepchange.org free online debt advice with a personalised debt action plan moneyhelper.org.uk cash and pension help citizensadvice.org.uk support can include a fuel hardship fund and temporary credit on gas and electricity meters fuelbankfoundation.org
emergency financial support for people on prepayment meters via a network of partners trusselltrust.org find your local foodbank nationaldebtline.org free debt advice foodcycle.org.uk free meals and support across England which.co.uk
the consumer group’s money-saving tips include energy efficient ways to cook and grow your own veg energysavingtrust.org.uk how to save money on power bills bbc.co.uk/food/budget from affordable traybake dinners to cheap slow-cooker recipes, some of the best healthy recipes that you can make on a budget
Remember that our Warm Space is still open in Christ Church Hall, every Tuesday until 31st March from 9am-12 noon for hot drinks, toast and company. There’s a full list of local Warm Spaces at wirralinfobank.co.uk or call 0151 644 4516.
Hello to all Port Sunlight residents and welcome to the Spring edition of the Gazette.
There’s plenty to look forward to in the coming months, from Easter trails and coronation celebrations to exciting work by the landscape team to make Port Sunlight’s green spaces even better habitats for nature.
It’s a big ‘hello’ to Stephen Bullock who has joined the PSVT team as a Gardener/Driver, and ‘goodbye’ to Donna Pearson, our Casual Learning Assistant, and Julie Ebbrell, our Business Support Officer. Lots of luck to you all.
For our tenants, we’ve just created a new handbook with lots of information we hope you’ll find useful. Go to page 6 to find out how to get a copy.
You may remember that in the last edition of the Gazette we made a call-out to local makers interested in selling their products through our museum. We’ve had a good response and are already working with some local makers to launch a range of new products over the coming months. However, we would love some more, so if you’re a local maker, get in touch.
Don’t forget to nominate your Sunlighter of the Year by 31st March. It’s your chance to celebrate a special individual or group that have helped make Port Sunlight’s community in the past year. I know PSVT’s Honorary President, Maggie Sparks, is looking forward to the difficult yet rewarding task of choosing a winner.
That just leaves me to encourage you to get out and about in the village and to enjoy the spring flowers while they are in bloom.
Paul Harris, Chief Executive, Port Sunlight Village Trust
The Port Sunlight Lottery is a great way to have a flutter while directly supporting our village. For £2 just per week you could be entered into the weekly draw, with a chance to win one of 30 cash prizes, plus entry into the annual grand draw with a prize of £10,000.
You can play up to six lines per week. Sign up here: giantcashbonanza.online/portsunlight/ or complete a Lottery leaflet which can be found in the Port Sunlight Museum or SoapWorks.
The Port Sunlight Lottery is administered by Giant Cash Bonanza. All money raised will, after the deduction of prize money and reasonable administration expenses, be donated solely for the benefit of PSVT. Anyone over the age of 16 can play so please tell friends and family. Good luck!
Further information from Sarah s.preston@portsunlightvillage.com
We are pleased to announce that Andrew Croft has joined the PSVT board. Andrew is an experienced heritage professional and director of a specialist environmental, landscape and heritage practice. He has more than 20 years’ experience advising clients across the world on approaches to the management and change of historic places, with a particular expertise in World Heritage Site management - he advised PSVT on our aspirations for World Heritage status. Andrew is a great addition to our team.
An update from Paul Harris, Chief Executive of Port Sunlight Village Trust
Andrew Croft
NICKY EVANS, OUR SENIOR GARDENER, INTRODUCES AN EXCITING NEW SPACE FOR THE VILLAGE.
In the southern area of the Diamond, a new garden is being created for Port Sunlight’s residents and visitors to enjoy. The journey began when I undertook training with Michael Marriott, who was responsible for rose breeding at David Austen Roses and designed the planting scheme through the Diamond. Part of my training involved designing a rose garden, combining herbaceous plants with roses. I love formal planting schemes, so this played a big part in my final design which I’ve since used as inspiration for developing this new space.
LIAM ENGLISH, PSVT’S LANDSCAPE MANAGER, UPDATES US ON PLANS FOR THE PLANTING
For many years the trees along Church Drive Field - balsam poplars, conifers and Lombardy poplars - screened the rear of the Jubilee Crescent houses. However, as with all green spaces, we’ve begun to see change. When the conifers were removed we were able to replace them with a mixed native hedge and mixed tree species, such as elms and ornamental cherries, greatly improving the available food sources and wildlife habitats. Sadly, the Lombardy poplars became unsafe and had to be removed last year, but this presents us with an opportunity to improve this area’s biodiversity by planting a range of native trees and shrubs. This involves creating a canopy of taller trees, an understory of smaller trees and large shrubs, and a ground layer of smaller plants, grasses, ferns and wildflowers. Rather than a single species avenue planted within grassland previously seen, we’ll create seven miniature woodlands, each containing large sheltering trees (such as oak, birch and larch), smaller fruiting trees (like holly, rowan and wild cherry) and a ground layer (viburnum, honeysuckle, native ferns and wildflowers). The centre of the field will be left clear. These new habitats will be created in stages, beginning this spring. This allows for proper establishment and enables us to see which trees and shrubs will bring the most benefit to Port Sunlight’s wildlife.
“You can’t rewrite history!” is a phrase we hear a lot nowadays, when politicians and the media debate our national heritage. The thought of history being rewritten sounds really worrying, since it can make us feel like everything we know about the world and our place in it is being threatened or might be lost somehow.
The exciting thing about history, though, is that it’s actually rewritten every single day. In fact, it’s been rewritten over and over again right across the centuries. You see, it’s all down to the difference between ‘history’ and ‘the past’. Simply put, the past is everything that took place before today. It can’t be changed – it happened and that’s that. History, however, is something else. A clue is hidden within the word itself: it’s a ‘story’, the tale we tell about the past, based on our current understandings of it.
Now, because these understandings are forever shifting and growing, history is always evolving too. We see this best, for example, when an archaeological find pushes back the established date that the human species first inhabited a certain place - sometimes by many thousands of years - or when the discovery of a long-forgotten document turns what we knew about a historical figure totally on its head. And, for me, the reason history is so compelling is exactly because it’s in this constant state of change.
When we understand history as a story that’s changing all the time, we also realise that there can’t be one single version of that story either. Let’s say you and I were to describe the same event. Because we each view the world according to our unique backgrounds and beliefs, the descriptions we’d give would
naturally be different. Similarly, historians from opposite sides of a conflict might give contradictory accounts of it. More often than not, the history that sticks is just the one that’s told by the winning side.
If we come together to reconsider a dominant history and the people who have upheld it, we begin to ask powerful questions: whose version of the past is this? Who gets to decide what story is told? And who should be telling it? Through questions like these, people, places, stories, and perspectives that have been silenced or forgotten over time slowly re-emerge. The past suddenly becomes full of new possibilities. And so, rather than erasing the past, when we critically examine history we are really widening the lens and bringing more of the past into view than ever before. Working with history means engaging with the complexity of the past to help inspire and empower us all to create a brighter world here in the present. Every single day, it’s this amazing potential that motivates me to be a part of the heritage sector.
Over the years, Port Sunlight’s history of pioneering social welfare has been shared loudly, but its heavy links with colonialism and forced labour practices overseas have been left untold. Both interrelated truths deserve to be explored in the story of the village as a whole. There’s so much we can all gain from this richer perspective. PSVT is beginning the work to bring the past into greater focus and I’m excited to work alongside the different communities with links Port Sunlight, as the next chapter of village history takes shape.
Left: Liam busy in our borders Above: Our plans for the field PSVT’S INCLUSIVE HERITAGE ASSOCIATE, MATTHEW BRIDSON, REFLECTS ON THE HIDDEN POWER OF HISTORY. This new garden pays tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. The planting combines topiary and strong lines with the softness of the Elizabeth rose, Duke of Edinburgh rose, and an array of herbaceous perennials in shades of red, white and blue. Not only will this area be a paradise for bees and butterflies but will provide a calm area for people to sit and relax in nature for many years to come. Nicky Evans, our senior gardenerWriting (and re-writing) the story of the past
You may have noticed that most of the upright signposts around the village are currently empty. This will soon change with the fitting of new ‘Welcome to Port Sunlight’ signs. Each is designed to make visitors feel welcome in the village, with smaller directional signage beneath the main notice. The signs will be black, reflecting the general aesthetic of Port Sunlight as a Designated Conservation Area and heritage setting.
Our work behind the scenes on the boating pond continues. As you may be aware, the original design and materials of the boating pond have caused significant problems and led to water continually leaking.
PSVT took the very difficult decision to switch off the fountain and drain the pond of water while a solution was found. Working with consultants and specialist teams we’re now finalising the options for its repair and will keep you updated with our progress.
You may recall from previous issues of the Gazette that condition surveys of key village monuments have been completed to help us understand the treatments needed for each. These surveys are enabling us to begin a phased programme of planned maintenance and repair works.
This year, the Grade I listed War Memorial will receive specialist maintenance and conservation work. This will include repointing the joints between stonework, as well as relaying some of the steps. The bronzes will be stabilised, gently cleaned, and the protective wax coating reapplied. Future planned work includes repainting the inscriptions and replacing any missing letters.
The work will require scaffolding and fencing to be erecting around the perimeter of the memorial so that the conservation specialists can safely access its highest points. Unfortunately, this means that at times the memorial will be inaccessible to the public. However, we will do our best to keep disruption to the minimum and let you know when this work will take place. We want to thank you for your support while we carry out this essential work. It is only made possible by the support we receive from residents, visitors and funders.
To help our tenants make the most of living in Port Sunlight, we have created a new tenants’ handbook. It features lots of useful information, including:
Your rights and responsibilities
Rent charges
Repairing your property
Getting involved in village life
Visit portsunlightresidents.com to download a copy, but if you would prefer a hard copy contact our office on 0151 644 4800 or email admin@portsunlightvillage.com. We’d also love to hear your feedback on the handbook.
Condensation is by the far most common cause of damp in Port Sunlight properties. It can lead to mould growth, make paint blister and wallpaper peel.
There are some simple steps you can take to limit condensation and prevent these problems:
Make less moisture open windows, wipe wet surfaces with a dry cloth and turn on the extractor fan
Increase ventilation
try to open at least two windows in different rooms for at least 30 mins per day
Keep your home warm
Clean away mould as quickly as possible
For further information and advice contact us at admin@portsunlightvillage.com or 0151 644 4800.
One of the most important roles of PSVT’s conservation advisory service is to understand the condition of its most valuable heritage assets, Port Sunlight’s historic homes. Surveying more than 900 houses is a big project, but one that is important for both the built heritage and the community that calls it home. This spring a conservation-accredited architect or building surveyor will be commissioned to do a quick ‘health check’ of Port Sunlight’s historic houses. The aim of this work is to track changes to the built heritage over the last five years.
The consultant will assess the exterior of houses from both the front and back of properties. They will be surveying a sample of the Port Sunlight houses and the results of this work will inform the way we complete a wider survey project over the next seven years.
As in previous years, the consultant will not need access to your property. They will take photographs and make notes about the brick, stone, roofing tiles, wood, and exterior finishes for your homes, boundary walls and where visible, your outbuildings. They are limited to what they can see from accessible, ground-level places.
We will share more details once the consultant has been appointed and a schedule of work agreed. We will also publish the overall results of the health check survey online to demonstrate trends or patterns for change, and results will be included in a revised conservation management plan. Individual survey results will be confidential.
If you have any access requirements or questions, contact our community engagement officer, Claire, on 07592 035 923 or at c.bates@portsunlightvillage.com
£ - see website for prices | * - pay what you can afford
It’s the first day of spring, so pop your boots on and join us for an uplifting walk. The walk is short and includes a nature art activity and a guided meditation.
Monday 20th March, 10.30am-12.30pm from the Church Hall *
Learn how to create your own tasty herb butters in this short workshop. You will need to bring your own chopping board, kitchen knife and apron.
Tuesday 11th April, 10.30-11.30am at the Church Hall £
Keep your food fresh and reduce plastic waste with a great alternative to cling film. In this workshop you will create your own bees’ wax food wrap to take away and use.
Friday 21st April, 1-2pm at the Church Hall £
This free talk by PSVT’s James Hayes will reveal the little-known history of Port Sunlight’s community allotments.
Tuesday 25th April, 5.30-6.30pm at the Church Hall £
Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Try growing some of your own fruit and veg. Learn how to make your own newspaper plant pots, before being shown how to save and sow seeds from fruit and veg found in your own kitchen.
Saturday 29th April, 10-11.30am at the Community Allotment £
Change what you eat - grow your own Bring along an old ice cream tub, soup container or yogurt pot and we’ll show you how they can be used to grow salad on your own windowsill!
Wednesday 17th May, 6-7pm at the Community Allotment £
Mindfulness in nature - Port Sunlight to the River Park
Join us for a gentle walk to the River Park and back – it will take at least an hour. All abilities welcome.
Thursday 25th May, 10.30am-12 noon, meet outside the Church Hall £
Herbs and their uses - create your own herb planter
Tuesday 13th June, 6-7pm at the Community Allotment £
Nature art
Thursday 22nd June, 11am-12 noon at The Dell £
If the lengthening days have got you thinking about doing a bit of gardening why not consider joining the Port Sunlight Community Allotment? This jolly band of gardeners meets every Monday from April until October (except bank holidays) at 10.30am-12.30pm at the allotment behind Corniche Road.
Monday 27th March marks their first session back on the allotment after winter, during which they’ll hand out free seeds for you to grow at home. You’ll also be able to see what they get up to and can decide if allotmenteering for you. No gardening experience is needed - just enthusiasm and a pair of gardening gloves!
Nominations are open for you to recognise people you feel have made outstanding contributions to the village through volunteering. There are two awards: the Maggie Sparks Sunlighter of the Year Award recognises the achievement of an individual while the Team Award recognises the contribution of a group. This could be anything from a family to an organisation. The deadline for nominations is 31st March 2023.
Details and nomination forms can be found at portsunlightresidents.com. You can also contact Charlie Dean at volunteering@portsunlightvillage.com or drop into the Church Hall at 9am-12 noon on Tuesdays for a chat.
Port Sunlight Tennis Club has announced a new partnership with Padel United and the addition of some great new sports facilities in the area. First up is the installation of five outdoor Padel courts (a form of tennis played on smaller, walled courts). Then the club will begin working with Wirral Council to create an indoor Padel venue which will boast a 10m+ ceiling and a show court with space for top level matches.
The outdoor courts will hopefully open in May. In the meantime, details and free access to the courts can be found here padeluniteduk.com/calling-all-tennisclubs-players-in-the-wirral-area/
Are you looking for day trips, group meals, fun, friendship, charity fundraising and laughter? Then why not join the Port Sunlight Ice Breakers? This group of lively men and women of all ages meets 11am-1pm every Tuesday in the Bridge Inn. If you are interested then email Barbara at greatbarb@live.co.uk or pop along to the Bridge Inn any Tuesday - you are guaranteed a warm welcome.
The Players’ long-awaited Centenary Show takes to The Gladstone Theatre stage on Friday 31st March and Saturday 1st April at 7.30pm. It is a showcase of popular songs from 100 years of Port Sunlight Players’ productions, with something for everyone. Tickets from The Gladstone Theatre at gladstonetheatre.org.uk or 0151 643 8757
And if you fancy treading the boards yourself - maybe in the Players’ forthcoming Dolly Parton musical, 9 to 5 - why not audition? Dates and details on their website. portsunlightplayers.co.uk
Can you knit, crochet or sew? Debbie Stott from Christ Church and PSVT’s Claire Bates are looking for help in creating a community textile installation to commemorate fallen soldiers this November. They are appealing to local groups, clubs and schools to take part in making thousands of poppies and will be running fortnightly open workshops from April 4th at 12 noon-2pm at the Church Hall. For details email c.bates@portsunlightvillage.com or call 07592 035 923.
Maggie Sparks presenting last year’s Sunlighter of the Year Award to Judith Bond
The Port Sunlight Ice Breakers’ Christmas party
Thousands of textile poppies will be created. Can you help?
Saturday 25th March, 10am-4pm Wirral History and Heritage Association brings the Wirral History Fair to Hulme Hall. Join more than 70 stallholders to discover historical societies, family history, new and second-hand books, and much more. Admission is free.
Easter trail
Friday 7th and Saturday 8th April, 10am-4pm
Join us on an Easter-themed trail to help Little Bo Peep find her sheep and claim a chocolate Easter egg reward. Take part in spring family activities on the Museum Green too.
Saturday 15th April
Take part in fun soap-making workshops using botanicals and flowers inspired by the opening of the Flower Fairies exhibition at Lady Lever Art Gallery. Suitable for adults and children.
Pre-booking is essential via portsunlightvillage.com/whats-on/
Book tickets for all of these events via The Gladstone Theatre Box Office on 0151 643 8757 or gladstonetheatre.org.uk
Friday 14th – Sunday 16th April
Sunday 7th May
Come together for a fun-filled community event to mark the coronation of HRH King Charles III. It will all be in a spirit of sustainability and the environment, causes close to the new monarch’s heart. Details soon via our website and social media.
May half term
Monday 29th May – Friday 2nd June
Keep the little ones busy with family-friendly activities. Details soon via our website and social media.
Port Sunlight Road Race
Sunday 11th June
Runners from far and wide will soon take to one of the most picturesque running events in Britain. Follow the 5k, 10k or 15k routes through Port Sunlight’s leafy streets, or maybe the special 1k Fun Run for budding athletes of all ages.
To enter visit portsunlightvillage.com/whats-on
Look out for details of the route and road closures in the next edition of the Gazette.
Fancy getting involved as a volunteer during the Road Race? Register your interest by email: volunteering@portsunlightvillage.com
The Grade II listed building, now the Leverhulme Hotel, celebrated its 115th birthday in November. The hotel was originally the Port Sunlight Cottage Hospital, built by Lord Leverhulme for his workforce and their dependents and opened by his wife in 1907. When opened, the hospital had an outpatients’ section, operating theatre, morgue and washhouse.
By providing free healthcare to his workers, Lever was following in the footsteps of William Wilson, a Wirral factory owner who had built a village for his workers in Bromborough Pool. Wilson understood that it made good business sense for workers to have sanitary living conditions, making for productive and reliable workpeople.
13th & 16th August
Join Folksy Theatre for its annual summer visit to Port Sunlight and enjoy open-air performances of The Ugly Duckling on Sunday 13th August at 2pm and The Merry Wives of Windsor on Wednesday 16th August at 7pm. Book at portsunlightvillage.com/whats-on/
Looking for something fun to do with the children this Easter half term? Why not join Alice as she takes you on a magical wander through Wonderland! Features pop songs, puppets and magic illusions.
THE COUNTERFEIT SEVENTIES
Friday 19th May
It’s time to get your glad rags on and boogie on down for a nostalgic trip back to the 70s. Expect hits from The Bay City Rollers, Slade, T.Rex and many more!
TWICE NIGHTLY
Saturday 20th May
It’s 1931 and Don and Madge are living the sweet life… until things turn sour and a night they can’t remember finds them in hot water! Celebrating the golden years of theatre, this homemade comedy will leave you wanting more.
THE KILKENNYS
Sunday 21st May
They’re one of the finest folk groups in the world and boast an array of instrumentation - including mandolin, whistle, guitar, bass and uilleann pipes – and an infectious energy!
THE GIANT’S LOO ROLL
Saturday 27th May
Oh Fe Fi Fo and Fe Fi Fum! Now what shall I do to wipe my Bumpety! Bumpety! Bumpety Bump! The villagers living in the town below the Giant’s house had better watch out - that loo roll has gone bouncing down the hill and straight towards them! Luckily, they find lots of uses for runaway toilet paper...
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES AT CHRIST CHURCH
Palm Sunday 2nd April at 10.30am
Maundy Thursday 6th April at 7pm
Good Friday 7th April at 10.30am
Easter Sunday 9th April at 10:30am
CORNISH CREAM TEAS
Our Bank Holiday Cream Teas are returning, starting on Easter Monday 10th April at 1-4pm. Join us for freshly made scones in the relaxed surroundings of Christ Church.
CHURCH STEWARDING
Christ Church is opening its doors to visitors from 3rd April to 29th September. Church Opening Stewards provide a warm welcome and valuable service for all our visitors - answering questions about the building, its founder and the United Reformed Church. If you can spare a little time and enjoy meeting people, consider joining the stewarding team. For more information contact the Minister, Val Young or any of the Elders.
BELL RINGING
Have you ever fancied trying bell ringing? Why not join one of our groups? Hand Bell Ringers practice 7:15pm every Tuesday in the church - contact John Lindsay - while the Tower Bell Ringers practice on Wednesday at 7.30pm in the bell tower. Speak to Sue Frowe or George Phillips.
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of illustrations from the Flower Fairies books by Cicely Mary Barker. To mark the centenary of Barker’s first book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, this exhibition features around 45 exquisite and botanically-accurate original illustrations, with digital projections and costumes inspired by the fairies. Explore the inspirations behind Barker’s paintings, as well as the flora and fauna featured in the work, through National Museum Liverpool’s botanical collections.
Flower Fairies is open 15th April until 5th November. Tickets are free, with a suggested donation. Visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ flowerfairies
With the creation of the National Health Service in 1948, the hospital closed and the building was used as a Unilever training centre before becoming a nursing home. Following the home’s closure in 1998 the building lay empty until the present owners bought it in 2008 and restored it to its original iconic beauty.
For more on the fascinating history of Leverhulme Hotel why not book on one of the hotel’s guided history tours with refreshments?
To make your reservation call 0151 644 6655.
You may not be aware, but last year saw the end of a Port Sunlight institution – The Lever Singers; a popular men’s choir which closed after 55 years. The group emerged from the impromptu singalongs that took place in the downstairs bar at the Lever Club on Greendale Road. Realising the popularity of these singalongs, the Lever Club Chairman proposed a Glee Party for the Christmas entertainment, which went down so well it was decided to keep the group going.
And so began The Lever Singers. In their early days they were coached by Alf Hill, a former conductor of Port Sunlight Male Voice Choir, and practised weekly at the Lever Club, using it as their base for more than 30 years. From around a dozen members at their founding in 1967, The Lever Singers grew to about 40 members at their peak, and over the years had some notable voices in their ranks.
For a long time, the members mainly performed in their own smart suits, but after being approached by members who were also employees, Lever Brothers donated funds for a choir uniform. The maroon blazer had the group’s name embroidered in gold-coloured lettering.
Initially, most of the members lived locally and many worked at Lever Brothers. Their welcoming ranks were filled with people from many occupations including bank managers, factory managers, plumbers, schoolteachers and tanker drivers, and following the disbandment of the Great Sutton Singers they were joined by several members from Ellesmere Port.
The choir mainly performed in local church halls, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. However, most years saw them travel to Llandudno where they performed in a hotel and nursing homes.
Over the years the Singers had several different conductors, but the accolade for longest serving went to Bill Jones who was in charge for 29 years. An excellent all-round pianist and accompanist, Bill Jones’s enthusiasm and commitment helped keep The Lever Singers going for many years. Nevertheless, the passing years took their toll on the Singers and their numbers began to decline. The COVID-19 pandemic made things even harder for the group and in September 2022 the difficult decision was made to end The Lever Singers after 55 years in existencethe end of an era.
Image by Stratus Imagery (stratusimagery.co.uk) Left: Lever Singer blazer. Port Sunlight Village Trust Collection Above: Photograph featured with the permission of Gordon Prescott