My Visiter article including the Mayoral Bake Off

Regular readers will know that over the past twelve month I have been presented with all manner of cakes. I have been greatly impressed by the range of home baking that local
 Congratulations to Eileen Saunders and her team, pictured above with their star baker, they produced an amazing spread. There were cakes from all over Europe. The quality and diversity of baking eclipsed all other events. Students from Edge Hill University helped put on the event and they have promised me some of the photographs they took which illustrate the brilliant bakes and which I will put on the blog

The cakes demonstrate the enormous and diverse contribution that the migrant workers make to our community. In every generation people have moved to our town they have enhanced our society by their hard work and cultural impact.

There was more cake at the 100th birthday celebration for Josephine Coulton at her Park Lane nursing home.  It was good to see so many family and friends gathered together for the party especially those from Leyland Rd Methodist church who turned up to sing Happy Birthday to her. Josephine belong to St Marks which joined together with Leyland Rd. It used to be called the ‘Jam Chapel’. Christiana Hartley,arguably my most illustrious predecessor as Mayor, belonged there. In 1921 she was the town’s first female Mayor and was a pioneer of social reform.
This week I also attended the Lydiate Festival, held a Civic reception for those involved with the tourism sector in the town, and attended a charity cricket match at Churchtown cricket club and as you may have guessed there was cake at most of the engagements.

groups have produced. I found that I was holding a competition in my mind as to who was the best. As my term of office draws to a close I think it is time to declare a winner. For a long time Maghull Baptist Church led the bake off. Highly commended goes Clarence High School, Age Concern Crosby, St Luke's Crosby, the amazing Guinness Cake at Mrs & Mrs Fletchers whose home was open as part of the National Garden Scheme, Grosvenor Rd URC Birkdale and the MacMillan Coffee Morning in Marshside. But the undoubted winner was the 'Cakes of the World' celebration held by the Migrant Workers' Community last weekend.

Formby Pool Trust 10th Birthday

 I was invited along to the 10th Anniversary celebration for the Formby Pool Trust (FPT) which is a joint undertaking by the Pool Trust, the Formby Land Trust (Moores Family) and the council

This is a brilliant and successful project which has exciting plans for the future. I got to propose a toast to the FPT, to cut the birthday cake and to lead the singing of Happy Birthday.

A full report appears in the Formby Bubble

Photos from the Formby Bubble

my article in the Visiter for this week

In my mind I tend to divide my duties as Mayor into two broad categories; the formal ‘state occasions’ and the community events. This week I undertook two state occasions and a host of community events.

In April 1989 ninety six people went to a football match and did not return. Last week the Freedom of the City of Liverpool was awarded to the 96 alongside Marina and Kenny Dalglish, Professor Phil Scraton and Bishop James Jones. More residents of our borough died at Hilsborough than from any other part of Merseyside. It was appropriate that I should represent Sefton at St George’s Hall for this important ceremony. The emotional climax of the night was the singing of I’ll never walk alone by Waterloo based mezzo soprano Danielle Louise Thomas. I had the opportunity of speaking with some of the local families. It was a difficult occasion for many of those in the Hall but everyone felt that it was proper and fitting that the highest honour that the city can bestow should have been awarded to the 96.

Waterloo and Crosby in Bloom Awards took place on Wednesday. It was really encouraging to see so many people participating.  There were certificates and Trophies in a range of categories including schools, front gardens, window boxes, containers, commercial premises, pubs, open spaces etc.

Crosby U3A (University of the third Age) visited me in Bootle Town Hall. These tours are very interesting especially when you have a well-informed group like U3A. There is a lot to see especially relating to Bootle’s role in the Battle of the Atlantic and Captain Johnny Walker.

Merseyside Business Awards took place on Thursday evening and I will write more about that next week along with other events including a MacMillan Coffee Morning and a trip to the Opera. Information and lots more photographs can be found on the Mayoral http://themayoralblog.blogspot.co.uk

There was a full congregation for my Civic Service which was held at Holy Trinity Southport. The church certainly has a 'wow' factor especially when, as on Sunday, the impressive architecture is combined with excellent music, a well ordered service and a thought provoking sermon. The Vicar, Rod Garner, is writing about his sermon elsewhere in the Visiter. The service has been described to me as 'beautiful, uplifting and inspiring'. My sincere thanks to everyone at Trinity It was a memorable occasion.

Starting the 10k run at Aintree in brilliant sunshine

A record number of runners almost 1300 turned out for the Matalan Merseyside 10k on Sunday morning. My job was to sound the hooter to start the race and to hand out the cups and cheques to the various winners.

It was good to meet so many local runners including this gentleman who was from Litherland who attended Litherland High School

Dejene Gezimu from Liverpool Harriers in an impressive time of 31 minutes and 26 seconds and first home in the women's race was Catherine Howard of Knowsley Harriers who crossed the finish line in 36 minutes and 36 seconds, followed by Kirsty Longley of Liverpool Pembroke and Sefton Harriers who finished in 37 minutes'

Kirsty  had to get off early to take her young daughter to a birthday party so I gave her her prize before the official presentations. There were lost of different categories including different veterans categories up to 70+ as well as team prizes.

Friday night and Saturday morning at the 24 hr Badmintonathon in Birkdale

On Friday I night launched a Badmintonathon in Birkdale organised by the Woodvale badminton Club to raise funds for local charities. What is a Badmintonathon? It seems to have been dreamt up by the Woodvale club and this is their fourth. It is a 24 hour continuous game with over 100 players taking part.

I was mightily impressed by the way the event had been organised. Local businesses had been generous in their sponsorship, there was an amazing raffle and a number of sealed auctions for super prizes.
I stayed for a good while and what stood out was the high standard of the games. The Woodvale Club is very successful and attracts a wide range of members including a thriving youth section. I popped back in early on Saturday morning and they were still going strong. Earlier I had met a representative of Lancashire Badminton who was full of praise for the way the club was run and the high standard of their coaching.

The event was held at the Birkdale URC on Grosvenor Rd, the last time I had been there at the opening of the 'knitted bible' on that occasion the tables were groaning under the weight of cake this time it was raffle prizes that weighed them down. I understand that over £3000 was raised for Woodvale BC's chosen charities.

Mollie (on Mayoress duty) meets up with old school friends

06.00am and still going strong

up for the first game with the special challenge tee shirt

A welcome at Royal Birkdale for a royal visiter

Local people will have noticed a lot of police activity around 'the hill' next to Greenbank school. Dog walkers -hopefully fully equipped with their poop and scoop bags- were re-routed to allow a VIP guest to land in a helicopter. The Deputy Lord Lieutenant from Southport Michael Braham  and I were waiting to welcome Prince Andrew to Birkdale where he was hosting the Duke of York's Young Champions Trophy.

This international competition is in its 16th year. The tournament sees 55 of the world's most talented young male and female golfers take part in a 54 hole stroke play tournament. Former champions include Rory McIlroy. 

It was interesting to see how wide the net was cast to recruit players.: New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico, Russia Sweden, Switzerland. Thailand, South Africa, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Trinidad to mention just a few. I also learned about the challenge of getting visa correct, a complication had led to one contestant missing the tournament. I wonder if that is something were are all going have to get clued-up on?

Michael and I also learned from the Prince's staff (or DOY as the call him), about the work of the DOY's charitable trust. I was particularly interested to find out how they got their jobs. It turned out they were publically advertised. We met a young graduate who had gone there as an intern and six years on is still there having been offered a job after finishing her internship.