The Liverpool Times

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Old Rough Wood.

The recent article about the planting of the wildflowers in Old Rough Wood was a look at something positive going on. The wildflower project is one that is cost effective and pretty easy to get people involved in. A school could easily set pupils up with a bag of seeds, inform them about how it all works and let them sow the seeds, even plan what parts are to be turned into wildflowers.

But as promised, we’ll also look at and read about the problems in the woods and see how best to tackle them.

One of the worse problems is the local council who seem to be able to play the ‘green card’ with one hand, and sell off green spaces to anyone with a bin bag of cash [or credit] in hand. The council pattern of irresponsibility is also seen with the teenagers, and younger kids, who have already destroyed maybe a dozen or more full or medium sized trees but do not profit from what they destroy. Their kids will reap the harvest, or not, as it were.

The actual trees in the woods are oak, cedar, larch and maple. There will be more varieties but I guess most of us can spot different trainers easier than the local trees. The nearby four (now two) council hi rise flats (now privately owned) were named after these trees. A variety of birds and some squirrels make a home in these trees. A kestrel eyes up any scurrying creature - but might well be hunting elsewhere as the noxious fumes of a plastic wheelie bin fire rises up into the sky.

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The forthcoming local elections will give voters the chance to pass judgement on the new labour Government that has imposed the heaviest tax burden in history on the British people.

In every nook and cranny new labour are fleecing the public. Council tax, up 75% since they took office. Petrol £5 a gallon, with Gas, Electricity and Water charges spiralling out of control.

This, while a lot of pay rises are set at below the rate of inflation, and many workers losing out altogether on an annual pay rise.

Contrast this, with the record number of millionaires created by new labours privatisation bonanza, and extortionate 35 year P.F.I. deals. This is new labour paying back its supporters in big business.

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The vicious murder of Sophie Lancaster.

It was just meant to be a walk in the local park but Ryan Herbert, 16, and Brendan Harris, 15, had other plans for the young couple enjoying a pleasant night. Boozed up, perhaps drugged up, people like Herbert and Harris are a common sight in the parks and green urban and suburban spaces.

They, and people like them, are the reason many pensioners don’t take the evening walk in the park – and why numbers [if we did a survey] are drastically falling with respects to the ‘pleasant’ evening walk. The Harris’s and Herbert’s of the UK are the reason many people think twice about taking a shortcut. They are the people who turn a local park into a flower strewn memorial – and the local streets pretty much the same. They terrorise and intimidate for the hell of it.

Brendan Harris had already been flagged up as someone who used the park for his own twisted bullying campaign. He was behind a ‘similar’ assault in the same park only four months earlier when he stamped on the head of a 14 yr old with his ‘brave’ mates. The idiots at the local courts gave the attackers community service orders.

We can only wonder what we’d get for stamping on the head of the local magistrates.

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Michael Kissman – which part of your anatomy would he kiss?

This in from, who knows were, who or when.

Apparently the good people of St Albans have been in contact with the good people of Kirkby regarding a certain high ranking Tesco employee, Michael Kissman.

The people of St Albans were forewarned a couple of months back, by the good people of Cambridge. It seems Kissman, also known as the head of Tesco spin, is “parachuted in” to the current Tesco proposals that are facing problems and particularly were the residents are clearly against and publicly objecting to Tesco.

Within no time of his arrival an “independent” survey was carried out in St Albans city centre and 301 people rated their feelings about the prospect of the store on a scale of 1 to 100.

“The survey found 34 per cent of those surveyed were opposed to the store, 36 per cent were in favour and 24 per cent said they were neutral.” which was a surprise to the St Albans residents who had earlier, through their local paper, carried out their own survey which found;

“…that over 90 per cent of local residents opposed the development.”

Totally ignoring that survey, Tesco corporate affairs manager Michael Kissman told the local paper;”the survey reflected the size of the silent majority which was not opposed to Tesco’s plans.”

He added: “While our opponents are extremely vocal and are exercising quite properly their right to promote their views, it is encouraging that there is a groundswell of opinion which considers the development could benefit the city.”

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Official 2008 HJC Cup 5-A-Side-Footy Tournament

A press release…

Date: Saturday 10th May 2008

Time: Registration, 12pm. Kick-Off, 1pm

Venue: PlayFootball, Drummond Road, Crosby, L23 9YP

Entry fee: £100 per squad. Squads can contain a MAXIMUM of 8 players, to include rolling subs.

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New labours poison takes its toll?…

It was not long after the reported death of the Chief Constable of Manchester when Max Clifford, the publicist, told the media that someone had phoned him with info regarding sexual indiscretions that could take down a top cop. The media seemed keen to let this anonymous whisper slip into the news reports.

The media seemed keen to do the coroners job, reporting on scattered suicide notes found near the body, speculating that the case looked clear cut. But as it turns out, no notes were found and the coroner, so far, cannot determine the cause of death.

The British media won’t let family grief and bereavement get in the way of good story – and the pens or keyboard tapping claws were sharpened and quickly jabbed out the word ‘suicide’ adding that a ‘half empty bottle of gin’ was found by the body.

The inference is already set, and the appetite of the peeping Tom British public, sated a little.

True to form, the journalists quickly set about setting up the sexual interest angle. This is not long after the body of Michael Todd made its last journey down the beauty spot he knew as a young man. Even then, the emails, phone calls and hurried activity of hacks was well underway.

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The following is a press release.

Reporters and photographers attended a press conference yesterday at which Esther Rantzen and Denise Fergus launched the Red Balloon Learner Centres James Bulger House Appeal. This is aimed at raising £1m to fund the first refuge of its kind in the North of England.

Esther and Denise, mother of murdered toddler James Bulger, addressed the press conference, along with Dr Carrie Herbert, founder of Red Balloon Learner Centres and the Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe.

Denise Fergus is giving her full backing to the appeal which will create the first tangible memorial to James Bulger in the city. (note: There was a memorial garden created by the local people of Kirkby, situated in the grounds of the old Sacred Heart school.)

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Fighting the scallies with flowers!

Kirkby readers, and people passing through, will have appreciated the planting of wildflowers in various parts of the town in years past. Of all the changes in Northwood, Kirkby, the wildflowers in the woods were perhaps the most eye-turning of all changes. The wildlife, and the people, made a return to the woods, with the wildflowers being a focal point, and a talking point.

Nobody could pass that particular spot, either on foot, or by vehicle, without thinking ‘now, that really does look nice’.

For a while at least (and we have photos from 2003 onwards documenting it) the area became less troublesome – with local youths less inclined to wreck the place. A calming influence was witnessed by many of us. People began to use the area as it was intended – as a nice area to walk the dog, to take your children or for carers to accompany elderly people in wheelchairs, and for local residents to enjoy a nice walk or sit off for a while. Its nice to just sit back and watch the flowers grow if you can. Even for a few minutes.

Thankfully, the return of the wildflowers in Old Rough Woods is now underway.

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The forthcoming local elections in Liverpool promise to be the most interesting in years.

The Liberal Democrats have been in control of the City for the last ten years, proving it could assist the emasculation of local government by New Labour during the same period 1998- 2008.

Prior to this the City had been forced into the margins by the political infighting that had drained the confidence and civic energy from the City.

To their credit the Lib Dems began the long haul of establishing a working relationship with the Government of the day.

The inward investment, the surge in new hotels and retail business are the signs that confidence in the City has returned. But at what price?

In 1999 a year after taking over, the canny Lib Dem leader Mike Story, installed the Godfather of New labour – David Henshaw - as the Councils Chief Executive.

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Little wonder every criminal in the world wants to come here.

In the Liverpool Echo, on Tuesday March 11, a news article titled ‘Feued led to house shooting’ spells out just why Liverpool’s gangsters are still unconcerned about stray bullets hitting a child.

Two families apparently fell out with other. Not an unusual occurrence, but it is unusual to tool yourself up with a gun, and start shooting over some falling out.

In this instance, two brothers from separate families, met in the city centre. This inspired one of the parties, Kevin Atkinson, to drive to the home of Joseph Patrick Garland. Once there he was met by Mr Garland carrying a pickaxe, which prompted Mr Atkinson to fire his gun twice. He missed the target, but sent a bullet flying into a living room where a 9 yr old was playing.

Could have been another Rhys Jones.

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Working class heroes of the week

Keep on robbing, and we’re telling you, one day, you’ll rob the wrong person[s]

And so it was for these idiots who tried to rob a pub in Sydney, Australia.

As the report says…

“About 50 burly bikers fought back with tables and chairs — pretty much anything that wasn’t bolted down. One would-be robber was tied up; the other in the hospital.”

Fair dinkum though mate.

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