Welcome to “Sunday Snippets” a weekly feature from birkenhead.news. It is a round-up of important local news stories from the last seven days. Click or tap on each story to read the full article.
Friends of Flaybrick announce programme of guided walks for 2022
The hugely popular series of guided walks around Flaybrick Memorial Gardens in Birkenhead is to recommence on 9 April at 11:00am; visitors are asked to arrive at Flaybrick from 10:45. Further walks are set to take place on 14 May, 11 June, 9 July, 13 August and 24 September.
Walks are led by volunteers from the Friends of Flaybrick, a registered charity which was set up in 1993 with the support of the Birkenhead History Society.
The Friends work with Wirral Council and other organisations such as Historic England to help maintain the gardens and preserve them for the enjoyment and appreciation of the public and future generations.
‘Kunichika: Japanese Prints’ to open at Lady Lever Art Gallery
Kunichika: Japanese Prints will open at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, on 15 April until 4 September 2022 and is the first exhibition in a national gallery outside of Japan to focus on his work.
It will show 68 of Kunichika’s hand-printed single, diptych and triptych prints, featuring behind-the-scenes dressing room views, on-stage dramatic moments and close-up portraits of actors, as well as ten prints selected from his various series of ‘female beauties’.
The exhibition includes a triptych (main image above) dating from January 1864 – it is a New Year Print – of a wintry snowy setting beside the Sumida river in the city of Edo, present-day Tokyo. It shows three Kabuki actors, each wearing their own giant personal crest or “mon”.
Local MPs unite to issue ‘stark warning’ to Michael Gove over ‘catastrophic’ central government cuts to Wirral Council funding
Local MPs have issued a stark warning to Michael Gove about the funding crisis facing Wirral Council. The four Wirral MPs have called for urgent financial support for the cash-strapped council.
Mick Whitley, Angela Eagle, Margaret Greenwood, and Alison McGovern met with the Levelling Up Secretary in Westminster on Tuesday 29 March to warn him that millions of pounds worth of cuts to frontline spending in Wirral will devastate the life chances of their constituents.
Wirral Council is facing a funding shortfall of £18.29 million. A raft of proposals were recently agreed by the council, including the closure of 9 libraries.
Photographer focusses on Wirral RNLI lifeboat stations
Photographer Jack Lowe is visiting the lifeboat stations at West Kirby, Hoylake and New Brighton as he continues The Lifeboat Station Project – his 10-year mission to create a complete photographic record of every single RNLI lifeboat station and crew.
The project had to be paused for two years following the first national lockdown and the restrictions that followed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But Jack was able to get back on the road this month starting with a visit to Flint RNLI lifeboat station on 24 March.
Jack makes his distinctive photographs using a Victorian process known as wet collodion, creating images on glass from his mobile darkroom – a decommissioned ambulance called Neena.
First business moves into new Hythe office development at Wirral Waters
Innovative net-zero modular housing provider, Starship Group, will be the first business to move into Hythe, Peel L&P’s Grade A office building at Wirral Waters.
As a Wirral founded housebuilder, Starship Group will use Hythe, on Tower Road between Birkenhead and Wallasey, as their head office in order to expand their workforce and grow their local business.
Starship design and construct carbon zero homes throughout the UK, through the use of modular build technology, and install them in just a day and a half. The sustainable homes include high-grade insulation to lower energy consumption whilst reducing energy bills for residents. Starship also builds high-end residential properties along the west of the peninsula.
Funding boost for Battle of the Atlantic Memorial at Woodside Ferry
Plans to create the UK’s national memorial to the Battle of the Atlantic are ramping up after the campaign received a major donation.
The Merseyside headquartered Battle of the Atlantic Memorial (BOAM) charity says following a long campaign, a £1.25million gift has been secured to properly develop a fitting national memorial to the Battle of the Atlantic.
There will be a number of elements at different locations in Merseyside, but the most ambitious piece will be a new Battle of the Atlantic Garden in Woodside, Birkenhead, which will be known as the Battle of the Atlantic Arboretum.
Poster competition winning design highlights anti-litter message
‘Say no to pollution, be the solution!’ was the winning slogan on the winning entry in Wirral Deen Centre’s anti-litter poster design competition.
The aim of the competition was to reinforce the ‘no littering’ message, not only in Birkenhead, but throughout Wirral. This leads to the theme of prevention of littering, rather than clearing up afterwards.
It’s more than just litter that the Deen Centre wanted to be included in the posters. Designs also covered another blight on our streets; fly-tipping and the designs also covered the impact on our local environment and the problems caused for wildlife.
Businesses bring overnight comfort to Wirral street homeless
Life for the street homeless has been made more bearable this winter thanks to vital aid and support from businesses on Wirral.
Their donations have helped to equip newly-refurbished units of accommodation at YMCA Wirral’s emergency overnight triage refuge in Birkenhead, where men and women living on the streets are provided with a place of safety and warmth.
Thanking the local companies contributing to its Winter Support Appeal, Nigel Hughes, YMCA Wirral’s chief executive officer, said their generosity had once again brought “comfort and dignity” to those suffering the hardships of cold nights out on the street.
‘Liquidation’ club night comes to Birkenhead
It’s 10 years this April since the infamous Liverpool institution Le Bateau closed its doors for good (has it really been that long!?)
Any regular at Le Bateau will fondly remember the Liquidation nights held there (or maybe not, depending on how much Red Stripe was consumed!) Liquidation promoter, Jules Bennett, thought that it was high time for a reunion and he chose Future Yard in Birkenhead as the venue.
birkenhead.news spoke to Jules about Liverpool’s longest-running club night that has been on the go since 1993. “For a big chunk of that time, between 1996 and 2012, Liquidation was at Le Bateau in Duke Street every week.”
Frustration at ‘bureaucratic delays’ in potential handover of Brackenwood Golf Course
The last day of March is a day that will be bitterly remembered by many members of the local community in Bebington.
The last rounds of golf under the auspices of Wirral Council were played at the 87 year old Brackenwood Golf Course.
It was a pleasant and sunny day when birkenhead.news met up with Keith Marsh, secretary of the men’s section. As well as the expected golfers, the grounds were being used by people enjoying a stroll, cyclists, and dog walkers.
£6,000 raised for Wirral Foodbank
For the second year running a group of local fundraisers has raised thousands for Wirral Foodbank to help “make a real difference for local people.”
The fundraising group #TeamDDB decided to do a number of fundraisers for the foodbank – including Movember, sponsored jogs, a Christmas party, and two Mega Christmas Raffles.
With support from the likes of Anthony Joshua, Liam Gallagher and Shaun Ryder – all of whom kindly donated items to the raffle – helped #TeamDDB together with JK Electrical to raise £6,000.
Moreton chocolate factory to close with loss of jobs
Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has revealed plans to close its site in Moreton.
The Swiss firm employs 45 full-time staff and 19 agency workers at Moreton whose jobs are now at risk due to toe company’s strategy “to continuously improve its operational efficiency.”
The firm issued the following statement: “As part of Barry Callebaut’s strategy to continuously improve its operational efficiency and to better balance production capacity and demand in the UK, the Group has started a consultation process on the potential closure of its chocolate factory in Moreton.“
Wirral Police weekly news round-up
This is the birkenhead.news weekly round-up of police activity in and around Wirral during the previous seven days.
Nine-man Tranmere lose lead after 97th minute Carlisle goal
Tranmere hosted Carlisle United yesterday afternoon for a 3pm kick-off in their latest game of the 2021/22 League 2 season.
Last week, a 95th minute Colchester goal secured them a victory over Tranmere. This week, an added time goal denied Rovers the win.
Carlisle substitute Tobi Sho-Silva scored at 97 minutes to ensure Carlisle a share of the points. Goals from Kane Hemmings and Elliot Nevitt were not enough to swing the balance in Tranmere’s favour
What’s On? Guide
Visit our “What’s On?” guide for Wirral and the surrounding areas in the coming weeks.
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