First civic visit to Southport Mosque, inter-faith charity dinner great success

A little piece of history was made this week. I became the first Mayor to make an official visit to Southport Mosque. The event was jointly organised by the Iman Soyful Alam and Vicar of Holy Trinity Rod Garner. Members of both faith groups sat down together to share an excellent meal prepared by Mosque.

Rev Jane Morgan, Mayoress, me Soyful Alam and Rod Garner

The meal was the first joint event and built on visits that have been taking place between the two groups for some time. Everyone was made very welcome and over the meal we all had the opportunity to get to know more about the activities of one another. The one thing that shone out was how much we all had in common.

Holy Trinity provided the desserts 9you can just see the
date & nut chocolate made by the mayoress

The joint meal raised over £400 for a local charity selected by the Mayor.I explained my choice. I have been involved with mental health work for a long time. Recently someone I had known for almost thirty years committed suicide and it has had a great impact on me and my work colleagues. I nominated Southport Samaritans to receive the donations from the meal.

In a world where some people are determined to ferment hatred, fear, and division this meal was a hopeful demonstration that there is a better way. Instead of erecting walls and barriers we should get to know each better and recognise our common humanity. The death of the MP Jo Cox is a terrible demonstration of the consequences when hate not hope wins the day.

A pupil of Linaker School this lad was keen to meet the Mayor

During the event, several people spoke to us. We all have so much to learn from each other. As I have gone about my work as Mayor it is clear to me that faith groups make a major contribution to the wellbeing of our communities. Mosques play their full part in that work. I know from my time as a school governor that there is a lot of contact between schools and our local Mosque and how positive that partnership has proved to be.

The world can seem to be a frightening place but I am convinced that simple acts like sharing a meal, sitting down together and getting to know people as individuals can help to remove misplaced suspicions. One of the speaker from the Mosque on Monday night finished his contribution by quoting from Tom Paine who came from a Quaker family: ‘all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion’.

I had a sinking feeling when mentioned Tom Paine as that was the quote I had jotted down to use at the end of the evening when I was to speak. Fortunately, I had stuffed in my pocket a copy of Burn's 'A man's a Man for a'That' which I was going to use later in the week. I chose the last verse which I think it fitted the bill:

Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth
Shall bear the gree an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's comin yet for a' that,
That Man to Man the warld o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.

I want to thank Soyful and Rod for their invitation. It was an excellent evening and Soyful’s parting words to us were ‘the door is now open’. I think for many of us our only regret is that we should all have met up sooner.

Bootle Remembrance

The Saturday of the Remembrance weekend is the traditional time for three short ceremonies in Bootle. We began by a simple cross near by the War Memorial where a dozen folk gathered quietly to remember. Prayers were led by the Vicar of Christchurch

We moved on to the Town Hall to lay two wreaths, one by the Roll of Honour for Council employees and the second standards that local regiments have laid up in the Town Hall 

These ceremonies do not attract the crowds that come on Sunday but the are important. Ir was good to have the support of local councillors

U3A vistit to Bootle Town Hall

It was a pleasure to show another U3A group around Bootle Town Hall. These groups bring with them not just enquiring minds but also lots of local knowledge.

Morrison's refurbished store

Southport Morrisons was one of the employers who turned up to my reception for World Mental Health day, so I was pleased to make a return visit when they asked me to come to the opening of their refurbished store

The Trinity Remembrance Concert

I attended two concerts over the weekend of Remembrance Sunday. On Sunday evening I was at St Faith's Crosby to hear the Crosby Symphony Orchestra and on Saturday evening I was in Holy Trinity Southport to hear a concert that included Faure's Requiem. Below is a report from the churches newssheet written by Bob Ball who was one of the soloists on the evening. It was a brilliant and up to the high standard that Southport people have learnt to expect from Holy Trinity.


Last Saturday, 12th November, we had a really splendid evening at the biennial Trinity Concert.  Many people were involved in working for and performing in this event - too many for us to write to individually with our gratitude;  would all of you please accept a great big “thank you” through this diary for all that you did to make the concert such a success.

A large audience joined the Mayor and Mayoress to enjoy some thrilling performances and a very appropriate act of remembrance as the concert fell between Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday and close to both the centenary of the end of The Battle of the Somme and the anniversary of the bombing of Coventry Cathedral on 14th November 1940. 

The young choristers of Holy Trinity were in fine form and we were thrilled by the singing of Kirsteen Robson, still feeling very much at home here as she always tells me.  The church and chapel choirs were augmented by some good friends, some of whom had travelled a long way to be with us.  We are so fortunate to be able to call on such talent.  We heard First World War poetry read by Daphne Wigmore and Rod Garner, and Charles Cowling joined Kirsteen and me for some of the solos.  Our good friend Prof Ian Tracey was magnificent as always on both piano and organ and the whole thing was directed by our own Ian Wells (my accompanist on the evening as well).  We just couldn't achieve such standards without Ian's training and direction. 

Perhaps the high point of the evening was a moving performance of the Fauré Requiem, a work that allows the choir a very wide dynamic range and the organist some soaring lines and beautiful harmonies, whilst transporting us away from any fear of death into a world of serenity and perfect consolation, concluding with the glorious ‘In Paradisum’.  All in all, an emotional evening of remembrance; it was certainly a concert to remember.

The concert was, after all, a fundraising event for the choir and proceeds will amount to about £650; a great help towards the cost of our Singing Week visit to Exeter Cathedral next summer.  The concert was recorded and we hope to have a CD available for sale before too long. Thank you to everyone who took part, helped or supported.

My Visiter article this week

The past week has seen many moving acts of Remembrance and the Visiter has covered these excellently on their website. I would like to share with you a number of the less formal events I attended that deserve to be noted.

On Armistice Day I was at Farnborough Rd School for the two-minute silence at 11.00am. The pupils had made their own poppies that were planted in ‘poppy field’ in the school grounds. Each child had written on the petal of their poppy the name of someone in their family who had died in the wars and conflicts since 1914. Those who could not trace a relation wrote the name of the Unknown Soldier. I was struck by how powerful an act of Remembrance this produced as all the children had discovered something about the loss that had impacted on every family in the nation and it gave them something to focus on during the silence which the kept impeccably.

On Saturday I was at Ainsdale Methodist church to view their Remembrance Exhibition. This featured original artwork by Tony Bramham which included the faces of local people who served with distinction in the armed forces. There were also pictures by schoolchildren some of whom had come to the luncheon club to interview older members of the church about their wartime experiences. There is more information and pictures on my blog which you can find www.theMayoralBlog.blogspot.uk . Whilst I was there Tony and I met a naval veteran who had escorted artic convoys in WW2

On Saturday evening I was fortunate to have been invited to Holy Trinity in Southport. This church has an excellent musical tradition and their Remembrance Concert featured Faure’s Requiem.

There was more music on Sunday night when after a busy day I was at the Crosby Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Sound of Scandinavia’ concert. It was an adventuress programme including Nielsen’s 4^th Symphony that the executed brilliant.  

Almost every week the Mayoral diary includes a visit to one of our local school. Last week was the turn of Greenbank High School where I attended their Prize Giving evening. I was inspired by the achievements of the young people and marvel at the breadth of the curriculum the school offers.

Next week I shall be involved with a special fundraising event for the Mayor’s Charity as well as attending a 100^th birthday party.

With great pleasure the eight tracks which, perhaps foolishly, I mentioned in my Visiter column

A couple of weeks ago I accepted my chaplain's invitation to spend a Sunday evening sharing eight pieces of music with the good folk of Holy Trinity. I was a tad surprised how many people turned out on a November night to hear the tracks I had chosen and to hear Rod gently probe the reasons for my selections. In my Visiter column that week I mentioned that I would do a posting on the event so a wider audience could be reached. I did not imagine that I would find me asking me when I was going to put the list up on this website. My apologies for the delay.

First up is my mother shortly before she died she suggested that she would record some poems for my daughter to remember her by. She had recently acquired a book from her alma mater (Aberdeen University) that she was much taken with. It was a collection of poems in the characteristic speech of the NE of Scotland where she was born and grew up.




Next up was a song my father sang . He was a scoutmaster and we went together to an international camp in Denmark in 1968. Every morning the scouts assembled and any lost property was returned after the payment of a forfeit.  One morning my father was summoned to reclaim his berry. To the assembled scouts several hundreds of them he, resplendent in kilt, he sang this Harry Lauder song.

Next up is an aria from the Messiah which was sung by brother at the Leamington Music Festival in 1960. It was my introduction what is grandly called The English Choral Tradition


me> Next up is the first political one and for me dates from 1969 and the Stop the 70 Tour campaign against the all white cricket tour from South Africa
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The next choice was again political and will surprise no one who knows  me, it is The Land. Two versions here firstly the one I played and secondly the video I took at the Assembly some years to date it has had over 10 000 views



Next up is one for my youngest daughter who regularly used to play a CD in the car of 1950 hits




The full story behind my penultimate choice can be found here. The music is by John Tavener one of the foremost British compose of C20th.  I was involved in commissioning this piece whilst I was a member of Cheshire County Council. We played the first Ikon


Finally a bit of Bernstien from West Side Story




Rod Garner was gentle in his probing as he had promised. He did ask me which figure from the Bible would I like to meet and have dinner with. I chose Job

Formby Remembrance

The Remembrance Service in Formby was at 3pm on Sunday 13th November at Holy Trinity Church, Rosemary Lane. This was attended by the Mayor of Sefton, Councillor Iain Brodie Browne. The service included the laying of wreaths and a parade from and to the Gild Hall, Church Road. 

The Bubble reports:
         

The parade formed at the Gild Hall at 2:30pm, and marched off at 2:40pm through the village to Holy Trinity Church in Rosemary Lane, after the service at approx 4pm the parade marched back through the village to the War Memorial, where the salute was taken by the Mayor of Sefton.
 

Formby's Royal British Legion, army cadets, air cadets and scouts also took part in the parade. The Mayor, Councillor Iain Brodie Browne took the salute as the parade marched past the Formby memorial.

A selection of poppy wreaths were placed at the base of the memorial by the Mayor of Sefton, Formby Parish Council and Sefton Council

Another goody crowd assembled in Holy Trinity Formby for their remembrance service which is traditionally held in the afternoon. The good people at Formby Bubble have a full report and lots of pictures. I rushed to the church after a curry lunch with the army reservists and got stuck behind the Marshside Brass Band marching to the church. I managed it make just in time to make it into line. I was down to read the lesson and lay a wreath.

I should add that the sermon was preached by Father John from the Formby RC church who certainly commanded the congregation's attention with his thoughts.

Curry Lunch at the R G Masters VC Barracks

After calling into the Comrades Club in Crosby after the Act of Remembrance at Southport Cenotaph I went to have a Curry Lunch with the Army Reservists. This event was held at the  Private R G Masters VC Barracks. Pte Masters was a Southport lad who won the VC in WW1.

First up I should say that both the curry and the company was excellent. It was only a fleeting visit but I was pleased that we had agreed to do it. Increasingly our defence capability relies on reservists and it is important we recognise their contribution.

I was impressed by the calibre of the people I met. I was introduced to two engineers whose day jobs were at Bentley in Crewe and at Jaguar Land Rover in Solihull. Their dedication to their army was impressive.

Southport Remembrance

This year's act of remembrance at Southport Cenotaph was amongst the best attended that I can recall. There was a period when the numbers appeared to be in decline. This year we saw many more families and young people. Some of this is down to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme but more, I think, is because of service personnel returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

The civic party assembled at the Town Hall and walked along Lord St to the Cenotaph. The pavement were lined with people and the square was several people deep on all sides.

The was a short service at the Cenotaph led by Rev Jane Morgan including the silence and then the wreaths were laid. There were, of course, the official one but what strike everyone who comes to Southport is just how many individuals come to lay wreaths in acts of personal remembrance.

The hymns were sung including Abide with me-this time only two verses not the seven verses we discovered at the rededication at the Bootle War Memorial -and then we returned to the hospitality of Christchurch who had laid on tea and coffee.

The British Legion do an excellent job of organising this event and other events during the year.

Ainsdale Methodist Remembrance Exhibition

Tony Bramham showing me one of his artworks

Tony Bramham and I talking to a WW2 naval veteran involved with the Arctic convoys

On Saturday I was at Ainsdale Methodist church to view their Remembrance Exhibition. This featured original artwork by Tony Bramham which included the faces of local people who served with distinction in the armed forces. 

There were also pictures by schoolchildren some of whom had come to the luncheon club to interview older members of the church about their wartime experiences. There is more information and pictures on my blog which you can find www.theMayoralBlog.blogspot.uk . Whilst I was there Tony and I met a naval veteran who had escorted arctic convoys in WW2 

Farnborough Rd School Poppy Field

On Armistice Day I was at Farnborough Rd School for the two-minute silence at 11.00am. The pupils had made their own poppies that were planted in ‘poppy field’ in the school grounds. Each child had written on the petal of their poppy the name of someone in their family who had died in the wars and conflicts since 1914. Those who could not trace a relation wrote the name of the Unknown Soldier. I was struck by how powerful an act of Remembrance this produced as all the children had discovered something about the loss that had impacted on every family in the nation and it gave them something to focus on during the silence which the kept impeccably.

Crosby Symphony Orchestra: Sound of Scandinavia-a magnificent success

 On Sunday evening after dashing from one Remembrance event  to another it was great to find myself at incense impregnated St Faith's Church for a performance of the Crosby Symphony Orchestra. The concert entitled The Sound of Scandinavia was adventuress and the musicians pulled it off magnificently.

There were some well know works like Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite which was followed by stunning performance of Sibelius's Violin Concerto with Thelma Handy as the soloist.  It does confirm the quality of the Crosby band that they can command the services of such a accomplish player and the applause after the piece delayed the interval for some little while. Equally impressive is the fact that Johnathon Small is their conductor. (Back in 1993 I bought a CD of his highly acclaimed Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto .) I must admit that I like this Northern music that seems speak of  the long dark cold fire lit nights of winter. The effect was particularly pronounced as I was sat on the front row up close and personal with the double basses.

The whole of the second half was taken up with a performance of Nielsen's 4th Symphony  'The Inextinguishable' which to be honest was new to me and everyone sitting around me. You could tell by the orchestra's reaction at the end of the piece how delighted they were with their performance. Johnathon Small was alternatively hugging the score and lifting it high above his head for the audience to applaud. It was certainly exhilarating and I am sure that I was not the only one who went home to track down a recording so that I could listen again.

On the way out I met the Orchestra's Artist in Residence Diane Williams who was busy selling her 2017 calendars. So absorbed was she in her task that she spent several minutes trying to discover who I knew in the orchestra so she could sell be a picture before she noticed the clunking great chain around my neck.I was pleased to buy a calendar from her and fully intend to come back and hear the Orchestra again. Crosby is very lucky to have such an excellent amateur orchestra  (and such a delightful and enthusiastic artist in residence) and it was great to see some many people coming out on a cold winter's night to hear them.

Greenbank Prize Giving

View from the platform

It was good to be back again at Greenbank High School where I have spent time both as a parent and a Governor.
I was invited back for Prize giving and as you can see then event was well attended by students past and present as well as parents.

With all the pressure on schools to concentrate on a  deminishingly small number of core subjects it was a delight to be at a school which strives to offer a broad and balanced curriculum. There were students who were getting prizes for both Arts and Science subjects. I was a tad despondent to speak to a young women who on leaving the school with do A level science subjects she found herself as the only female in her class. Greenbank has done an excellent job in recruiting girls to science subjects but regrettably it sounds as if the gender bias still exists once they leave.

Anyway back to the broad and balanced curriculum, it was good to see recognition for technology subjects like textile and home economics and to hear the high level of achievement produced by the music department, There was also a prize for cheerfulness.

My article in this week's Visiter

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, which adds poignancy the traditional remembrance on 11^th November of those who gave their lives in two world wars and in many conflicts since. Across the borough there will be opportunities to pay our respects and to remember.

In total I shall be attending eight different acts of remembrance starting on Armistice Day at Farnborough Rd Junior School where at 11.00am the pupils will observe a silence. Over the next forty-eight hours I will attend events in Southport, Formby, Ainsdale, Crosby and Bootle.

Some of these will be major set piece occasions like the gathering at the Lord Street War Memorial on Sunday morning with wreath laying and a march past the Town Hall. Others will be more informal gatherings with people who have served in our armed forces including a Curry Lunch with veterans in Bootle.  That will be followed by a visit to Formby where they hold their parade at 3pm.

Music plays a large part in our nations remembrance and that is true Sefton. On Saturday night I will be at Holy Trinity Southport for their Remembrance Concert including a performance of Faure’s Requiem and also of poems and other music special chosen for the event.

After I have had my Curry Lunch in Bootle I shall be returning to Ainsdale where for Remembrance Weekend there is a special exhibition to be held in the Methodist Church. There will be paintings and drawings by Tony Bramham and stories of military services from local people.

I believe that there has been a major change in the public’s attitude to people who have served their nation in our armed forces. I have witnessed how service men on leaving the military often struggle to come to terms with civilian life. As a society we should not be content that so many people who are homeless, in prison or in mental health services are former service people. We need to resolve that our acts of remembrance should spur us on to ensure that there is the proper level of support for those leaving the armed forces.

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Compare and contrast three church services.

 In the 21st Century the church plays a significant role in the life of our community. It is not just on Remembrance Sunday that churches provide the setting and the context for people to come together and mark significant events. In recent weeks, as Mayor, I attended three such events in addition to my own Civic Service at Holy Trinity in Southport. On each of these occasions the church have been well attended. At Holy Trinity we ran out of service sheets. A congregation of around 300 including local community group, charities and institution many of whom I had visited and others known to my chaplain Rod Garner, filled the pews.

Let me begin with two contrasting services on 16th October. First up the Judges Service at the Cathedral to mark the beginning on the legal year and secondly the Induction and Installation of a new priest, Amanda Bruce, at St Luke's Great Crosby.

It is not every Sunday that a fanfare sounds and I get to walk down to central aisle of Cathedral in a civic procession while the choir sings Vaughan Williams Te Deum. The choir went on to sing one of my favourite choral pieces, Benjamin Britten's Jubilate. And whilst we are on the music I should point out that if there is any lingering doubt about the appropriateness of girls singing in church choirs then it should finally have been resolved by the singing of psalm 121. The solo soprano had all the purity of tone and clarity of an Ernest Lough or an Alled Jones.

I was interested to see how the preacher, Judge Graham Wood QC approached his task. Liverpool Cathedral was the setting for the beginning of the final act in the outrageously long process that saw the righting of a great injustice when Bishop James Jones reported back on the work of the Hillsborough Panel. Wisely the Judge began by telling us of all sorts of judicial errors from the past and the present.

The one thing that spoiled this service for me was the propensity of the official
photographer to be shoving his lens where it ought not to be and snap snappy away during the prayers. Call be an old fogey but that upset me.


The afternoon saw some of the same cast from the Cathedral reassemble at St Luke's. The service was led by the Bishop Paul Bayes who was clearly at home with this congregation, he knew their songs and choruses, they were comfortable with each other. For all the modernity and informality the key parts of the afternoon; the Oath of Obedience, the Giving of the Cure of Souls, the Anointing, the Installation and Induction would have been familiar to Cramner.

After the service we gathered in the Church Hall for refreshments. I am keeping a list of the best baking that I encounter this year. The Baptist church at Maghull was an early entrant as were the folk at Birkdale URC and I will certainly add St Luke's. I was promised that there would be photos of the cakes on their website, but sadly I cannot track them down. Before I left I was invited to a Beer Festival which is an outcome I had not expected. On my way out I was approached by a gentleman who entreated me to look after his daughter, as the conversation developed it transpired it was Rev Amanda Bruce's father. I looked round at the gathering and felt I could reassure him that with the support of the congregation at St Luke's he need have no fears for his daughter.

For some of us in Birkdale we know how distressing the outcome can be when the selection of a new priest is mishandled and therefore it was a particular pleasure to see priest and congregation so obviously well suited. You can judge for yourselves as although the promised pictures of the cakes appear not to have materialised the St Luke's website does have a video of the service.

Last up is the Civic Service for the Lord Mayor of Liverpool at the Parish church. We were back with more traditional Anglican music which, once again was sung to a very high standard by their choir-no youngsters this time. I was particularly taken with anthem of Tallis's  O Lord give thy Holy Spirit. We also heard the Brain Charity choir sing Yesterday and Bella Mama.

This was a different style of service honouring the role that charities have made in the city. There were two contribution from local voluntary organisations: Jacquie Johnson-Lynch from Tom Harrison House (army veterans) and from Steve Hawkins CEO of local Solutions who has been around the City's voluntary sector almost as long as I have.

We were led back to the Town Hall for refreshments by a Samba band

Maghull Civic Awards

Maghull Town Council has for decades had a Civic Award Night. I was pleased to be invites to the 2016 event and to see such a good turn out in the Town Hall

The evening began with the former Mayor presenting a cheque to he chosen charity. The current Mayor June Burns introduced her charity The Honeysuckle Bereavement Service and there was a presentation of the work they do.

The awards:

Maghull Business Award Strong Guard Security UK

Maghull Environmental Award
Debbie Jackson (Winner)
Maghull In Bloom

Maghull Educational Award Rory Millington (Winner)
Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT
Brandon Groves
Amanda Bennett

Maghull Youth Award

Deyes High Year 11 Pensioners' Party Committee (Winners)
Maghull High Anne Frank Ambassadors (Winners)

Maghull Civic Award Steve Little & the Maghull & District Lions
Ronnie Wilson
John Morris
Gill Pietrasanta
Rita Addison
Ian Taylor
David Hughes (Winner)
Ian Porter
Viv & Mike Pen
Ben Kelly

My column in this weeks's Visiter

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, which adds poignancy the traditional remembrance on 11^th November of those who gave their lives in two world wars and in many conflicts since. Across the borough there will be opportunities to pay our respects and to remember.

In total I shall be attending eight different acts of remembrance starting on Armistice Day at Farnborough Rd Junior School where at 11.00am the pupils will observe a silence. Over the next forty-eight hours I will attend events in Southport, Formby, Ainsdale, Crosby and Bootle.

Some of these will be major set piece occasions like the gathering at the Lord Street War Memorial on Sunday morning with wreath laying and a march past the Town Hall. Others will be more informal gatherings with people who have served in our armed forces including a Curry Lunch with veterans in Bootle.  That will be followed by a visit to Formby where they hold their parade at 3pm.

Music plays a large part in our nations remembrance and that is true Sefton. On Saturday night I will be at Holy Trinity Southport for their Remembrance Concert including a performance of Faure’s Requiem and also of poems and other music special chosen for the event.

After I have had my Curry Lunch in Bootle I shall be returning to Ainsdale where for Remembrance Weekend there is a special exhibition to be held in the Methodist Church. There will be paintings and drawings by Tony Bramham and stories of military services from local people.

I believe that there has been a major change in the public’s attitude to people who have served their nation in our armed forces. I have witnessed how service men on leaving the military often struggle to come to terms with civilian life. As a society we should not be content that so many people who are homeless, in prison or in mental health services are former service people. We need to resolve that our acts of remembrance should spur us on to ensure that there is the proper level of support for those leaving the armed forces.

Maghull's Legally Blonde...

I'm not sure that I would normally have ventured out on a cold November's evening to see an amateur performance of Legally Blonde. I am mightily pleased that I did accept Maghull's Musical Theatre's invitation to attend their production of the show.

It was a 'wow', so much energy, so much talent and so much youth was on show, not to mention so much pink, even the band had pink tee shirts. I fully expected the two dogs in the production to have pink coats on. (Those dogs were very well behaved and some dog owners could benefit us all if they got their animals so well trained).

The big thing that stood out for me was the participation of so many young people. MMTC deserve praise for their success in engaging so many talented youngsters all of whom had obviously work exceedingly hard to reach the high standard on display in this production.

Without exception the principals turned in outstanding performances and the show was frequently interrupted by applause.

The night I went the Little Theatre was packed the audience thoroughly enjoyed the show. Again one of the most noticeable things was that there were lots of young people in the theatre.

On every level this was a success. Congratulations to the company.

Launching the Poppy Appeal at Southport Town Hall

10.30am on Saturday morning I had the pleasure of meeting folk from the British Legion along with young people from the local cadet corps when I launched this years Poppy Appeal in Southport

The sun shone brightly on our gathering despite the cold weather and I had a few words to say before every dispersed around the town to sell poppies. This year sees the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. In almost every town and village of the nations families lost loved ones in that battle. We must not forget their sacrifice. We owe a huge debt to our servicemen and women and I hope that the Poppy Appeal will be well supported this year

My column in this weeks Visiter

I'm not sure what the collective noun for a group of Community Interest Companies (CIC) is; an enterprise? an innovation? maybe it should be a hope of CICs. My visit to Safe Regeneration at the site of the former St Mary's School in Bootle definitely filled me with optimism. CICs are social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good.

I was shown around by Jane Johnson, development manager, and Su Grainger from the Community Choir 'Sing your Socks Off . I met artists, dancers, mosaic makers, joiners, gardeners, bee keepers and people who described themselves as technology nerds.

I was very impressed with the group set up for people experiencing early onset dementia. I don't think I have ever encountered anything as positive or as successful in this area of work. I spoke with family members and those with the condition and they were full of praise for the group called Natural Steps.

A cluster of technology CICs including The Nerdy Gift Co. who had lots of innovative ideas and Little Sandbox who run a technology club for youngsters. They had a 3D printer and in preparation for Halloween they had produce a pumpkin!  Next door was Periscope Productions who are film/video makers. They were turning out high quality films and were successful getting work from the public and private sectors.

Another focus for SAFE’s work is around environmental issues. Their poly tunnel and raised bed were clearly very productive but I was taken by the honey making operation and was delighted when they gave me a jar made by Boss Bootle Bees.

St. Mary's hub opens on to the Leeds Liverpool Canal and, not surprisingly, there are ambitious plans to develop it. I was particularly pleased to hear about their ideas for housing including self-build and shared equity. The parcel of land also includes a former pub and they have plans to open it and to develop a new enterprises including hotel accommodation. I would not be at all surprised if in a few years the Carolina Basin becomes the preferred stopping off point for canal users making their way to the Albert Dock.

As I hope you can tell I was thoroughly impressed by my visit to the St Mary's hub. You can read about all my work as Mayor on http://themayoralblog.blogspot.co.uk/