Graffiti is again a problem at Southport’s Marine Lake. Additional damage to older lakeside buildings and more low-grade graffiti has also been exposed following clearance work around the lake. OTS News has also revealed today that the latest Marine Lake disturbance is being treated as attempted murder. https://www.otsnews.co.uk/southport-man-charged-with-attempted-murder-following-marine-way-bridge-attack/ Detective Sergeant Tony O’Brien said: “We are looking to identify and confirm the details of a man and woman who located the weapon on Saturday close to Marine Parade; in addition to anyone else who witnessed the incident, as we know that members of the public were close by. Your details could…
Author: Pat Regan
Emergency services were called to the Marine Way Bridge, Southport shortly after midday (Saturday 4th March 2017). Police apparently arrived to find that a male had been struck by a vehicle traveling along the bridge. https://youtu.be/UlHJ0EoZXu4 Update, Knife taken away by Police: A witness has since come forward alleging to OTS News that police have now bagged up and taken away a ‘knife’ at the accident scene. OTS News reported earlier that a woman was assaulted by a male near to Southport’s pier. Following this assault he jumped in front of a car on the Marine Way Bridge. https://www.otsnews.co.uk/watch-marine-way-bridge-closed-after-man-was-struck-by-car/ Police…
Heavy rainfall created some flooding in Formby today. Deep pools of flood water, outside the Gild Hall in Church Road, made walking difficult for pedestrians. http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/ Submit News Contact us with your community, business or sport news. Phone 07581350321 Email ots@otsnews.co.uk Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Otsnews-Southport-1575528676012039/ Twitter www.twitter.com/onthespot_news Breaking local news as it happens, searchable archives with photographs, the ability to instantly comment on news articles – there are so many advantages to OTS (Onthespot) News. If you want your news read locally online then send it to ots@otsnews.co.uk – relying only on the newspaper is to restrict yourself to an ever reducing audience.
Workers today carried on with operations to patch up the Brook eyesore on the corner of Sandbrook Road/Way. The troubled Woodvale site has been a focus of various problems and local embarrassment for many years. Ainsdale’s Cllr Haydn Preece stated: “After years of requests for repairs and repeatedly stating my views that the structure is dangerous with loose cladding and fabric it is good at last to see some attention being given to this eyesore that is within four miles of where the world will focus their attention this summer with the Open Championship. What a contrast!” Cllr Preece added:…
The masterminds at the top want to close our Southport Hospital’s A&E Unit. Some years ago they closed our children’s A&E and Maternity services and now adults are in their firing line for closure. This was the scene back in 2003 when an angry Southport took to the streets. Above: Beleaguered hospital chiefs getting to grips with the significant amount of petitions presented, following the big Southport CARES march in 2003. Dozens of accident and emergency units are facing closure or being downgraded in a far-reaching overhaul of urgent care which senior doctors warn would have “disastrous” consequences for the…
Massive UK housing needs – basically to accommodate more immigrants. UK bleeding to death as the politicians look on. Shallow-minded politicians with NO concern for Britain’s countryside and its native population continue to shout “WE NEED MORE HOUSES.” and our lovely UK green spaces vanish faster each day. Why is it that they shout so loud about needing more housing? Who actually needs it? Escalation of immigration means that Britain will need to accommodate as many as 243,000 new households each year for the next 22 years, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government. It has been projected…
Following the regrettable and highly controversial felling of a large mature tree in Bowness Ave passageway, two new trees have been planted as promised by the Council. This is good news, yet additional protection for these specimens will certainly ensure a better chance of survival. Consequently, at the behest of residents Cllr Haydn Preece has written to the Council’s Tree Department requesting tree guards. Cllr Preece stated… “Those trees can flourish for the next 100 years if we look after them now. It’s our legacy.” It sincerely makes a refreshing change to hear a councillor putting the environment and nature…
Caring animal lovers, Rachael Langdon and Gareth Herbert, are all set to abseil down Liverpool Cathedral to raise desperately needed funds for Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre. A special page has been set for anyone who wishes to donate to this worthy cause and support the dynamic duo in their daring endeavour. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gareth-HERBERT Gareth explained: “We are raising money for Freshfields Animal Rescue. I am a volunteer dog walker and see the amazing work that all the staff and volunteers do and all the animals deserve as much support as they can get. I’m doing this because having been a volunteer dog…
Above: Local improvements campaigner Cath Regan (left) with Cllr Lynne Thompson, discussing positions for the new planters. People Power paying off! Following long-standing pressure for improvements from residents and Cllr Haydn Preece in 2014 the Sandbrook Way improvements commenced. Today, residents met with Cllr Lynne Thompson and Council officers to suggest a suitable position for the long – awaited mobile planters. See also: http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/result-people-power-pays-off-at-last.html Cllr Thompson stated: “Local Ward Councillors, Haydn Preece and Lynne Thompson, are delighted to confirm that following a large Council clean up in the area, 2 mobile planters will shortly be installed in Sandbrook Way ready…
The Coast Guard was recently called out to what many initially suspected to be a beached whale at Ainsdale. Some people also thought that the unidentified dead animal was a porpoise. https://www.otsnews.co.uk/is-it-a-bird-is-it-a-plane-no-its-a-dead-whale/ However, the unfortunate sea creature turned out to be a Risso’s Dolphin. Dr Peter GH Evans, Director of the Sea Watch Foundation, stated… “They are fairly uncommon but regularly come into the northern Irish Sea around North Wales in the late summer and autumn (August – November) and can also be seen frequently off the Isle of Man (usually in summer but there was a sighting also last…
I was talking a few photos of the high tide at Southport today when a gentleman inadvertently approached and asked me to take snaps of him by the pier. Always happy to oblige, I took some on his mobile phone and the ones in this article on my camera. He went on to mention that the media had recently covered a story about a proposed tidal lagoon. It turned out that the man was Southport’s Cllr Fred Weavers who had, I believe, previously come up with the idea of a tidal lagoon at Southport. I noted too that the Champion…
In these days of austerity we are supposed to be saving money. Therefore, the following eco-proposal can (and will) do just that and give us all a much greener town as well! In Ainsdale the Brookdale end of the council-owned Woodvale woods is chock full of countless young trees species that could benefit the whole town, via careful thinning and then replanting. After all, this was the original purpose of the young trees that were ‘healed in’ and then forgotten about during the 1970s. See this link for a potted history of Woodvale’s lovely woodlands: http://woodvalewp.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/woodland-woodvale-project-wwp-3-july.html Above: Pat Regan and…
Following this OTS News release (see link below) Sefton Council today started work on the tree in Bowness Ave/Liverpool Road passageway. https://www.otsnews.co.uk/council-threatening-mature-ainsdale-tree-with-felling-for-no-good-reason/ Enough is enough! Local author, Pat Regan, once worked for the council tree department (for almost 10 years) during the years of Dutch elm disease that blighted the area. https://youtu.be/pJu-iI1WIZE Pat stated that this healthy mature tree is as ‘solid as a rock’ and now that the specimen has been heavily pruned there is no need to worry about any safety issues that were in effect highly ‘questionable’, to say the least. This grand old tree has been…
Sefton Council is needlessly threatening a lovely mature tree in the passageway between Bowness Ave and Liverpool Road in Ainsdale. Residents are very concerned for the old tree after misplaced threats by the council over proposed felling in the passageway. This is not a question of disease at all. The specimen in question can be easily pruned and it would be fine. There is no need for costly felling in this instance. The tree under threat was thought, by the council, to be a safety concern due to an old fence post that it had grown around many year…
Strange case of the runaway kites A young man contacted OTS News with a set of photos he’s taken asking if anyone had seen lost kites flying across Ainsdale beach, which were not under any control. He stated. “I have been to Ainsdale beach this morning and seen something very strange. A number of kites were just floating over the beach, some of them very high others floating over the sea as well. They were also changing altitude.” “An easterly wind was blowing at about 9mph so if they were attached to a long string then they would have gone…
The classic obscenity of traditional royal indulgence Duchess of Cambridge. leading the way or…? Starving homeless on our streets this Xmas but the cost of the Duchess’s 2016 wardrobe this year came to £174,000; four times as much as last year’s spend, which came to around £43,000. Kate’s father-in-law, Prince Charles, will meet the cost through his official household budget. Estimates suggest that the Duchess has spent more than £35,000 on designer outfits in the past six months alone. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2164325/Duchess-Cambridge-spent-35k-wardrobe-year–Prince-Charles-foots-bill.html Royal finances The estimated total annual cost of the monarchy is £334m, around eight times the official figure published by…
Storm Barbara arrived in Southport today, bringing with it some spectacular skies as the evening rolled in. The Met Office released a yellow weather warning for Merseyside on Friday, December 23. Wet and windy weather has been building across the North West since Wednesday with driving rain and gusts of wind expected to reach 60 to 70 mph. Authorities have warned that the storm may destroy buildings, damage large trees and potentially disrupt power lines. Naturally, extra care when driving is essential with the adverse weather conditions in place. http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/ http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/storm-barbara-hits-southport.html Submit News Contact us with your community, business or sport…
Yuletide/Midwinter Solstice is a vital part of our indigenous, Pagan spiritual heritage. It resides so deeply within us that we cannot possibly resist it. Charles Dickens inadvertently marked it extremely well in his classic novella, ‘A Christmas Carol’, which oddly enough was published on the same day in mid-December that I find myself writing this particular piece, but way back in 1843. Possibly Charles’s inquisitive spirit is influencing my actions today, who knows? The Solstice itself is a semi-autonomous, celebratory thought form that conjoins us with the remarkable seasonal energies of this planet, of which we are all an essential…
Temporary traffic lights set up at the Meadow Lane end of Sandbrook Road in Woodvale earlier this morning have now been cleared. Some delays were experienced as roadworks continued with traffic seeking to approach the Health and Wellbeing Centre and Brookdale Daycare Centre in the area. Well done to the road workers for their swift action. http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/ Submit News Contact us with your community, business or sport news. Phone 07581350321 Email ots@otsnews.co.uk Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Otsnews-Southport-1575528676012039/ Twitter www.twitter.com/onthespot_news Breaking local news as it happens, searchable archives with photographs, the ability to instantly comment on news articles – there are so many advantages to OTS (Onthespot) News. If you…
In a report that examined how to make our air cleaner, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), said that measures which help motorists stay at a constant speed, rather than accelerating and decelerating, were preferable to humps. This latest news follows a study earlier this year by Imperial College, which found that forcing drivers to slow down and speed up again produces significant of harmful emissions. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/01/speed-bumps-could-removed-cut-traffic-pollution-save-lives/ Irresponsible councils across the UK have for years laid down speed bumps and humps like confetti. Southport is no exception. One example of Sefton Council’s legendary absurdity may be found…
Scarthwaite Country House Hotel Crook O’Lune, Lancaster, LA2 9HR Tea and Coffee served from 10.30am meeting begins 11.00am and finishes 3.00pm Buffet Lunch will also be served The agenda will concentrate on actions to improve salmon stocks. Speakers will include: · Judy Proctor, Environment Agency Manager for Salmon Five Point Approach · Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer for Angling Trust · Other speakers to be confirmed The Forum will include plenty of time for Q&A and attendee feedback If there is a specific question you would like to ask at the meeting please let us know in advance by emailing…
When are councillors and the authorities going to address the issue of traffic coming into Southport off the Formby Bypass at Woodvale? For years, north travelling motorists have struggled for position when entering the bottleneck that forms on Liverpool Road, opposite Woodvale Road. Cars in the left hand lane are frequently bullied by more reckless drivers to the right, as the road narrows and they vie for position. Drivers are frequently unable (or unwilling) to agree on who has right of way and so race ahead to gain advantage. This in turn produces a dangerous situation in which tempers are…
Another Coastal Road Crash in Ainsdale A collision between two cars occurred this morning near to Pontins, Thursday 8 December 2016. The accident occurred between an Isuzu and a Ford during heavy commuter traffic this morning. Ambulance crews were called to the scene but it is not yet known the degree of any injuries suffered in the collision. https://youtu.be/hYlsAe_TZCY This section of the Coastal Road (Pontins to the Bridge) was closed, whilst emergency vehicles dealt with the situation. http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/ Submit News Contact us with your community, business or sport news. Phone 07581350321 Email ots@otsnews.co.uk Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Otsnews-Southport-1575528676012039/ Twitter www.twitter.com/onthespot_news Breaking local news as it happens, searchable archives…
Southport’s Xmas parade returned to the resort this year. Local resident Adam Brown was behind this fun-filled festive event. https://youtu.be/h_hGMmIv010 The celebration is being used to deliver toys for disabled children at Ainsdale’s Springbrook centre. Several hundred toy donations came from generous businesses and others. Springbrook House currently provides respite facilities for children with a range of needs. This includes children with severe learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) as well as children who have physical and sensory disabilities and may be wheelchair and/or technology dependent. Well done to everyone who took part in or donated to this brilliant…
Dear Cllr Barton I am writing to you because rightly or wrongly you appear to be the ‘only’ remaining semblance of the Conservative Party in Southport. I am also aware that you are ‘suspended’ from the Conservatives, pending the result of the legal case that you are involved in. You will, I am sure, be aware of the recent petition that is being presented to challenge an alleged threat to our Southport Hospital services. http://www.southportsays.co.uk/ The Southport LibDems have also run an article covering this situation on OTS News that you may also be aware of? https://www.otsnews.co.uk/the-campaign-to-retain-the-ae-service-in-southport/ Due to you…
The derelict Brook building on the corner of Sandbrook Way is now threatening additional public danger, thanks to recent damage this weekend. A makeshift tape barrier has been placed around a lamp post to warn pedestrians of broken glass that has fallen from the eyesore. The broken window is however a serious concern, due to loose and jagged pieces that may still fall to the ground at anytime. Campaigners have warned for years of the dangers of leaving this ramshackle building in a growing state of disrepair. See also: http://pat-regan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/derelict-woodvale-grot-spot-still.html When will our Council finally wake up and take proper…
This week a test drilling/survey for proposed housing developments started in George Drive, Ainsdale. Residents that utilise the woodlands for recreational family purposes with their children have been fighting hard to save this lovely little green area. One passionate local campaigner stated: “It was 16 metres down before they hit clay at the North end of the site and 16.5 metres down at the South end.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP5lHhf8lEQ&feature=youtu.be Letters of complaint have been forwarded to the Council and a petition is available to sign. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-ainsdale-s-george-drive-woodland/ Do you want to see concrete and steel all the way to Ormskirk or will you…
It’s not quite Halloween yet, but tonight (28th October) Southport became ‘Spookport’. Crowds lined the town as Lord Street was treated to a Halloween ‘Spooktacular’ parade. Thankfully the night stayed dry, as the rain held off and the cameras were out clicking away. Ghosts and ghouls everywhere and even the odd drunken pirate … Our modern celebration of Halloween was originally called ‘Samhain,’ which comes from the Gaelic/Celtic meaning for ‘November’ and ‘summer’s end’. The first Celtic settlers arrived here in around 600 BC, fetching with them their own ‘nature – based polytheistic form of spiritual belief systems. Samhain represented…
A circumzenithal arc appeared high over Hesketh Bank farmlands this afternoon. The Circumzenithal arc is also know as the ‘Upside down Rainbow’, for obvious reasons. This attractive phenomenon forms when sunlight refracts through horizontal ice crystals at such an angle that the light enters the crystal through its flat top face and exits through a side prism face, causing the distinctive upside-down rainbow effect. These arcs are linked to cirrus clouds. More data here… http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-the-weather/weather-phenomena/circumzenithal-arc They may occasionally be seen when sundogs are in the sky, yet can often be missed due to their high altitude. See also… https://www.otsnews.co.uk/sun-dog-witnessed-over-ainsdale/ Pat…
Fire control teams have been busy trying to quell a huge fire at Seaforth Docks that started last night. The sky over Liverpool docks seen from Hightown/Crosby sand dunes – full of thick billowing smoke. NB. The photos were taken with a super-zoom camera, @ max 50 x zoom from tall sand dunes between Hightown and Crosby. The extended depth of field presented, via the lens when focused over large areas, can appear to bring objects closer together. This is comparable to shots when an aircraft is passing the moon and both seem to be in focus, so appear very…