http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/ Going behind the headlines of the district's favourite newspaper - the Southport Visiter.... en Copyright 2008 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:43:47 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss WHILE most of us are winding down for the Christmas break, one of the busiest times of the year is about to begin for hospital staff. As we're tucking into our turkey and snoozing in front of the TV, staff and volunteers at Southport & Formby District General Hospital will be working round the clock to provide the best possible care and support for patients and their families. So we're hoping you will jump at the chance to recognise their hard work by nominating in the forthcoming Pride Awards, which aim to honour the dedication of hospital employees. The awards, launched by Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, will give patients and relatives the chance to shine a light on the people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference to them. We all know somebody who has been in hospital, and we all know how valuable the work of staff and volunteers is in making it a clean, warm and friendly place. Southport Hospital was recently graded 'excellent' by the Health Care Commission for its exceptional standards of patient care, and the awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate this hard-earned success. So if you know an unsung hero at Southport Hospital then let them know what a difference they make, and nominate them for a Pride Award. It's the least we can do. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/12/its_time_to_nominate_our_hospi.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/12/its_time_to_nominate_our_hospi.html Southport Hospital Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:43:47 +0000 ACCORDING to current news reports, houses are not selling as fast as they were a year ago. And yet an estimated 4,000 families in North Sefton are desperate to move into new homes. So it is of deep concern that house building has slowed down, with thousands of construction workers laid off. Now the Government has announced that 500 homes must be built in Sefton each year from now until 2021. The past few months have been difficult, but hopes are now growing that the US Senate may have set the wheels turning to start the recovery in the banking world and that as a result the housing market locally may soon start to recover. When it does, the pages in the Southport Visiter's popular Your Property supplement are testament to the fact that thousands of people desperately want to live in Southport. To people from outside town (and famously those wanting to retire here!), our resort is a stunning place in which to live. The battle is on, however, for the new homes to be built within the Southport area. It is time for an end to Sefton's calamitous Pathfinder scheme which has placed restrictive controls preventing many developers from building much sought-after homes in Southport. Instead, planners have tried to encourage the building of new properties in areas such as Bootle, Netherton and Litherland, creating an artificial demand which simply does not exist - except out of necessity. This has made life desperate for would-be first-time buyers and young families in Southport who want to buy homes near their families, among friends and raise their own children in the town which they love. Why force a 'regeneration' of South Sefton by giving families from the north of the borough little choice but to move into an area where they simply do not want to live? Market forces - and people's own choice - should be left to rule. Let's build these new homes - but let's make sure they're built in Southport. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/10/its_time_to_build_new_homes_in.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/10/its_time_to_build_new_homes_in.html Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:39:09 +0000 SOUTHPORT has earned its reputation as a place that confers a warm welcome to our many visitors. But the warmest of all deserves to be extended to incredible fundraiser Andy Monk, who is due to arrive outside Southport Town Hall at 1pm today (Thursday, September 18) partway through a mammoth 5,262-mile mission that was inspired by the wife he so dearly loves. He is visiting radio station and newspaper offices across Britain to ask them to pass the message on that every day without a cure is a day too late for somebody with MS. The love of Andy's wife, Gwen, has had MS for 15 years, although she wasn't diagnosed until 2000. Andy said: "It was our silver wedding anniversary a few years ago and I asked Gwen that if she could have anything in the world, what would it be. She said 'I just want to be able to walk properly again'. It was an indication of how MS can affect you - it takes away the ability to do things that we all take for granted." His target for the North is £10,000, £50,000 overall. So if you're in town today, please pop along, give him whatever donations you can - and give a truly inspirational human being the warmest of applause to encourage him along. If you cannot make it to the town hall, please e-mail Andy at: andy@walkamile.co.uk http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/09/raise_the_noise_for_a_brave_mo.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/09/raise_the_noise_for_a_brave_mo.html Andy Monk MS Multiple Sclerosis Southport Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:20:52 +0000 HOLY water has never been so expensive. In recent weeks, the Southport Visiter has reported how local families, local businesses and even the local authority have suffered after hefty demands for utility bills thudded onto their doormats. Now even our churches are not immune from big firms trying to squeeze every last drop from them after Ofwat gave the green light for the imposition of a controversial new charge. Local clergymen now fear that churches - many of whom are already under great financial pressure due to falling congregations and growing repair and maintenance bills - could face closure. Like the proverbial tea cup stemming the rainwater flooding through the church roof, it will take a lot of bailing out just to stay afloat. No wonder church leaders are furious that much of local people's profound generosity - displayed in filling collection plates each week, or contributing to the church fair - will now go straight into utility firms' ever-deepening pockets. Places of worship play an incredible role in our community. They are safe havens for the very people who need help the most. Their support is unquestioning. They give people hope, they get them back on their feet when others turn away. They celebrate our marriages, help us mourn our deaths, mark our arrivals into this world. They provide luncheon clubs, meeting places for parents and toddlers, Sunday school and holiday clubs for youngsters, companionship and gifts for older people at Christmas. Their many and varied projects help shelter and feed the homeless, and even support some remarkable projects rebuilding lives of those in the Third World. How much of their superb work will now go undone? And at what human cost? This new charge is disgraceful, grubby and money-grabbing - parishioners may as well pour their hard-earned cash down the drain. We hope they will continue to support our local churches now more than ever. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/09/holy_water_has_never_been_so_e.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/09/holy_water_has_never_been_so_e.html churches Southport Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:32:28 +0000 It's Great Up North BLACKPOOL-born Coleen Nolan has shown her support to the North by saying that it's time to knock all those regional stereotypes on the head. Coleen, who will open this year's Southport Flower Show said the event is a perfect way to show the rest of the UK that we don't just "wear flat caps and eat pies" all the time. Thousands of visitors will be flocking through the gates of Victoria Park for the Flower Show in a couple of weeks and it is a brilliant opportunity to show them the resort for what it is: a friendly, welcoming town, rich with culture and history. ]]> http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/a_problem_quickly_dealt_with.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/a_problem_quickly_dealt_with.html Coleen Noland leader Newsdesk Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust Southport Flower Show Southport Visiter Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:06:08 +0000 LEISURE facilities in Southport are about to shoot up in cost as Sefton Council battles to combat a substantial shortfall in its budget. Council chiefs and councillors faced a very difficult decision of how to fill a £40,000 black hole caused by recent rises in fuel and utility costs which look like they are only going to get higher. It is to their credit that the popular Free and Active scheme continues to provide youngsters with free access to a wide variety of sports and activities this summer. Many other people in Southport however face rising charges bound to leave them furious at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch. Right or wrong, it was a tough decision to make - and in this financial climate it looks like being the first of many. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/the_first_cut_is_the_deepest.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/the_first_cut_is_the_deepest.html Sefton Council Sefton Leisure Services Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:03:11 +0000 A FIRM which offers services to people in Southport has gone bust - and the Southport Visiter could not be more delighted. Patientline has been at the centre of much controversy in the Visiter pages ever since it was allowed to provide phone, TV and entertainment facilities for patients at Southport & Formby District General Hospital. While the firm needed to recoup on its investment, charges were scandalous. While those spending their days in hospital beds were often at their most vulnerable, their hopes of whiling away the time, taking their minds off the pain or cheering themselves up with contact from friends and families often proved prohibitively expensive. Many people left hospital in better condition physically, but taking home hefty bills they could ill afford. Sefton Council's health committee and Southport MP John Pugh were among those who called for charges to be slashed, arguing that making money from the sick was highly unethical. Incoming calls cost 26p, outgoing calls were 49p a minute watching television cost £2.90. It's enough to make you sick - wWhoever takes over should leave patients' bank balances in better health by the time they leave hospital. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/firm_goes_bust_and_were_absolu.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/firm_goes_bust_and_were_absolu.html Southport Hospital Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:03:11 +0000 Southport Summer Classics once again took place at Victoria Park over the weekend - and once again, wasn't it a brilliant event? Friday saw M People and The Christians wow crowds with hits such as Harvest For The World, Movin' On Up, Proud and Search For The Hero. They were first class. Saturday saw rising operatic star Natasha Marsh accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharnmonic Orchestra in performing some rousing classical favourites. Sefton schoolchildren also impressed the crowds with their impressive performance of opera ITOKU, which was specially written for the Capital of Culture. This really has become such a popular event in Southport, congratulations to Sefton Council for their part in putting on such a great show. The crowds on both nights, certainly everyone we spoke to, loved it. Even the weather was kind this year! The sun certainly smiled more on the Classics than it did on The Open last week! Here's looking to Southport Summer Classics 2009 - we can't wait to see who'll top the bill next year... http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southport_summer_classics_anot_1.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southport_summer_classics_anot_1.html ITOKU M People Natasha Marsh Sefton Council Sefton schools Southport Summer Classics The Christians Victoria Park Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:04:30 +0000 Southport Summer Classics once again took place at Victoria Park over the weekend - and once again, wasn't it a brilliant event? Friday saw M People and The Christians wow crowds with hits such as Harvest For The World, Movin' On Up, Proud and Search For The Hero. They were first class. Saturday saw rising operatic star Natasha Marsh accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharnmonic Orchestra in performing some rousing classical favourites. Sefton schoolchildren also impressed the crowds with their impressive performance of opera ITOKU, which was specially written for the Capital of Culture. This really has become such a popular event in Southport, congratulations to Sefton Council for their part in putting on such a great show. The crowds on both nights, certainly everyone we spoke to, loved it. Even the weather was kind this year! The sun certainly smiled more on the Classics than it did on The Open last week! Here's looking to Southport Summer Classics 2009 - we can't wait to see who'll top the bill next year... http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southport_summer_classics_anot.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southport_summer_classics_anot.html ITOKU M People Natasha Marsh Sefton Council Sefton schools Southport Summer Classics The Christians Victoria Park Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:04:30 +0000 TODAY is a day for celebration for parents across Southport - and we would like to thank all those responsible. Urgent care for children will return to our town after an absence of nearly six years, and we are delighted that the huge weight of public opinion has prevailed. Back in 2002, the Southport Visiter launched a campaign against the removal of children's A&E services from our town. We were astounded by the sheer scale of the response. More than 26,000 people signed our petitions against the closure. Thousands took part in a march to the hospital. Politicians of all sides put aside their differences to unite in a common cause. We were inundated with readers protesting to us by phone, via e-mail, calling into our office, sending in letters. Soon the stories started to come in about parents furious at having to drive past the multi-million pound facility on Town Lane with their sick or injured children in the back of their cars, heading towards Ormskirk on what is often a very congested road. Sometimes, they were then turned away from Ormskirk, pointed in the direction of Alder Hey instead. The story in this week's Visiter about Georgina Aindow, 4, turned away from Ormskirk Hospital with a broken arm is a case in point. What should be a basic human right - for a parent to see their child assessed and treated at the nearest hospital and as quickly as possible when they're screaming in pain - on this occasion became an even more traumatic experience. Many people have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring about this good news. They deserve a huge pat on the back, as does Sefton Primary Care Trust chief executive Leigh Griffin and his team who will now put the plans into place. The town's leading local newspaper will of course keep readers up to date with exactly what services the unit will provide, how it will work and when it will open. This news is just the tonic that parents across Southport needed. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/great_news_for_parents_across.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/great_news_for_parents_across.html Sefton PCT Sefton Primary Care Trust Southport & Ormskirk NHS Hospitals Trust Southport Hospital Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:01:46 +0000 What is the best story that a journalist can cover? What do we enjoy doing most? It seems that sometimes, perception and reality may differ. A recent comment on the visiter forums, from ianpeter, reads: "I wonder why it seems that so many will write about the negative things to do with the NHS. Yet ignore any news that is positive and which the trust and staff involved deserve a big pat on the back. "Southport and Ormskirk hospitals have no reports of MRSA, yet hardly anyone has made an point to say well done. Yet in this week's Visiter we See yet another negative story about a child going to Ormskirk and being unable to get a certain treatment. "A few weeks ago the local press reported about young boy who was told he had to go to Alder Hey, because as the paper said, there was no doctors available. Yet on closer examination of the story, what was said, was that if the child required surgery for a suspected appendicitis, there was no paediatric surgeon available. That was why the child was referred to Alder Hey, still not the best thing for a child's ER, but not as bad as it seemed." In this week's Visiter we DO publish the story about the Trust's excellent continuation of keeping MRSA at bay - ahead of the story about the girl with the broken arm! Indeed the Southport Visiter is always happy to publish positive stories about the NHS in Southport. In this week's edition, we feature the good news about a children's centre due to arrive in Southport soon, on pages 1 and 3. The story about the Trust's superb MRSA figures were published on page 27, along with a photo of some of the staff responsible. The story about the girl who broke her arm but could not be treated at Ormskirk Hospital appeared further back still, on page 31, behind the good news stories. We felt it was newsworthy because when children's A&E services were removed from Southport six years ago, the main reason given was that better care could be provided at Ormskirk. Any parent with a screaming child in the back of the car, in severe pain, faces a traumatic experience having to drive past Southport Hospital, and to Ormskirk, for treatment - that trauma is made worse when treatment is then denied, for whatever reason, with the parent then redirected to Alder Hey. No small journey in any circumstances. We congratulate Sefton Primary Care Trust for their long-awaited decision to provide a children's walk-in facility in Southport. Many hundreds of parents in Southport will no doubt be equally delighted. When it comes to good news about local health services, and about the successes of staff working for local health services, we are always delighted to hear about and report such great news. As far as jobs go in Southport, these people are among the most respected in our community for what they do, and deservedly so. We will continue to showcase their efforts, their ability, their determination whenever and wherever we can - we are as proud of what they do as anyone else in Southport. So if anyone out there hears of any good news story we should be covering - please let us know!! http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/what_is_the_best_story.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/what_is_the_best_story.html Sefton PCT Southport & Ormskirk NHS Hospitals Trust Southport Hospital Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:50:21 +0000 SOME Southport Visiter readers have been getting hot under the collar about our recent story accompanying a photo suggesting a UFO may have been spotted in our skies. The image was taken by Ainsdale resident Pat Regan at Rufford, where a twister struck earlier this month. The story and image initially appeared on our website. In was only when its publication drew such a strong reaction - worldwide - that we followed up the 'sighting' with a story in the Southport Visiter. 'Should the Southport Visiter be publishing stories about UFOs'? a number of readers asked. Our story centred not on the image itself - but on the incredible international reaction to it. It is amazing how a man who takes an image of such an object in the skies above Rufford, which is subsequently published on www.southportvisiter.co.uk can suddenly gain such huge interest. Numerous 'experts' have also contacted the Southport Visiter, speaking to reporter Jo Kelly, to offer their theories. American Sci-Fi programme "UFO Hunters" is looking to feature the incident on The History Channel after it was analysed by graphics expert Allen Rogers. Pat Regan, who captured the image, said: "The worldwide media interest has been incredible, with the story cropping up in many countries. "I am just gobsmacked by it all!" Perhaps the little green men were here to enjoy The Open golf? They certainly would have enjoyed a bird's eye view of the superb action that took place. They have not been seen again since Padraig Harrington walked away from Royal Birkdale with the Claret Jug. Perhaps they'll return 10 years from now when The Open returns to Royal Birkdale? In the meantime, while most Sandgrounders probably don't believe in UFOs and little green men, there may be some who will keep 'watching the skies' just in case. After all, just like when The Open comes to town, you never know who you might spot. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southport_ufo_little_green_men.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southport_ufo_little_green_men.html History Channel Padraig Harrington Pat Regan Southport The Open UFO UFO Hunters Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:25:56 +0000 FOR the past 10 years Southport people have been eagerly waiting for The Open to come back to Royal Birkdale. As the curtains opened on Thursday morning, many hearts sank at the sight of black skies and heavy rain. Worse was to come when power failed on the Northern Line, leaving hundreds of golf fans and other people travelling by train stuck at Formby Station. Players then had to battle through tough conditions with Sandy Lyle heading for the sanctity of the 19th hole after just 10 holes. The one thing the rain didn't dampen however was everyone's spirits. There was a superb atmosphere around Royal Birkdale throughout the tournament, and indeed during the well-attended practise days. Forget the credit crunch and a spot of rain - a second consecutive title win by Dubliner Padraig Harrington in front of 40,000 spectators on Sunday registered the weather chaos which threatened to tarnish the tournament a distant memory. Barely as the first shot was hit - under black skies and pouring rain - talk was of a 'washout', whilst some feared that a tournament without golf's star Tiger Woods would render it forgettable. 48mph gales came and went - as did the threat of play being suspended - before, eventually, on Sunday morning, the sun came out. And as that drop of sunshine fell upon Birkdale and illuminated the fantastic Harrington and the romantic sub-plots of 53-year old golfer Greg Norman and 20-year old amateur Chris Wood - it was clear that the 137th Open was one of the best. More than 201,500 spectators lined the fairways of Royal Birkdale throughout the Open, breaking the course record of 192,500 set a decade ago. more than enjoyed golf's greatest spectacle the last time The Open was here, 10 years ago. They were treated to some superb action, the sight of Britain's best course looking in immaculate condition and an extremely well-organised event. Yes, some local people are not entirely happy, from those unhappy at being barred from Birkdale Beach, to others inconvenienced by heavy traffic, while some readers have contacted the Visiter angry that the £10 fee to use park and ride is 'exorbitant'. On the whole though hundreds of people have invested months of effort to bring a first class event to Southport. Comments from the many people, both about The Open and Southport generally, have been very positive. Well done to everyone who helped make it such a huge success, from everyone at Royal Birkdale itself, to the hundreds of hoteliers, bar staff, waiters, chefs, shop workers, taxi drivers and evryone else who gave visitors such a warm Southport welsome. What a shame we can't stage The Open every year! http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/we_loved_the_open_at_royal_bir.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/we_loved_the_open_at_royal_bir.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:49:23 +0000 FORGET politics – a week is a long time in football! In the last edition of the Southport Visiter, Southport FC were a club in crisis – managerless and with just eight players on the books. Chairman Charlie Clapham pledged to find the right man, but secretly knew he was up against the clock. Now, ’Port’s favourite son Liam Watson has returned to take charge – and he has brought a full XI of players with him, including the league’s top goalscorer. Southport revert to part-time and now can attract the best semi-professional players instead of the cheapest full-time pros. Circumstances have worked in the Sandgrounders’ favour and it is an enormous slice of luck that cannot be wasted. It was Liam Watson who guided ’Port to championship glory in 2005. If the club can get the full backing of Southport fans, there is every hope that the club will be able to gain promotion once again. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/forget_politics_a_week_in_foot.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/forget_politics_a_week_in_foot.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:36:10 +0000 MONDAY evening was a real pleasure for all of us at the Southport Visiter. At the annual Community Heroes Awards night at Formby Hall, it was a real honour to rub shoulders with the people in our town and beyond who have made some incredible contributions to our community. The girl with her leg in plaster who saved her nana after a bad fall down the stairs; the Tarleton youngsters helping the children of Ukraine; the man who founded a huge fun weekend in Southport for local kids and local charities; the 13-year-old schoolgirl who has put Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the spot about the environment; the pals who risked £1,000 each to create a major new fundraising event. The stories are remarkable, they people behind them inspiring, and the accolades that went to everyone on the night are richly deserved. They are a fine example to us all. http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southports_community_heroes_ar.html http://visiternewsdesk.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/southports_community_heroes_ar.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:34:50 +0000