The local interest magazine for West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols and Caldy

Issue 33 • July/August 2018

Summer by the Sea • West Kirby Railways • Kayak Challenge

Welcome to issue thirty-three of The Lake, the local interest magazine for West Kirby, Hoylake, Meols and Caldy delivered free to 12,500 homes and businesses.The Lake provides local interest and historical stories on a bi-monthly basis and we hope you enjoy it. Please get in touch if there is anything you want to see in future issues, or if you have any stories or pictures of your own that you want to share.

Contact the Editor by email: jon@lakewirral.co.uk Or by post to: Jon Bion, Editor, The Lake, Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE. Telephone 07796 945745.

Our team has years of experience in design, production and distribution. The magazine is delivered door-to-door to 12,500 homes and businesses in the area and copies are available from various outlets.

If you feel that advertising in The Lake would benefit your business, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you. Please contact Alan Strange on 07788 510868 or email: alan@@lakewirral.co.uk

www.lakewirral.co.ukCover image: Distant Hilbre Island by Drone Factor Ltd

Photographs and original material are submitted at the sender’s risk and must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope if you wish them to be returned. The publishers will not accept responsibility for loss or damage.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Wirral Advertising Media can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers. Any views expressed in The Lake are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

Published by:Wirral Advertising Media Ltd,

Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road,

Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE.

Contacts:Editor

Jonathan Bion07796 945745

jon@lakewirral.co.uk

Sales DirectorAlan Strange

07788 510868alan@lakewirral.co.uk

Accountsaccounts@lakewirral.co.uk

For distribution queries please call 0151 644 9475

04 Summer by the Sea

08 Quest 5 – Photo Challenge

10 Caldy Open Gardens

12 Rotary Art Exhibition

14 2018 Kayak Challenge

20 The Pet Column

22 140 years of West Kirby Railways

23 Wine Column

24 Inspired Bathrooms & Kitchens

25 Mersey Ferries Nature Cruise

28 A taste of Milan at Gusto

32 Wirral Society

33 Beauty: The Bee Venom[enon]

34 Woggle Talk

36 Shorelines

37 Joseph Johnson

40 All Things Auctioneering

42 Fitness Queen

CONTENTS

Let us know how we can help promote your events

The Editor, The Lake, Royal Standard House, 334 New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral CH42 1LE Email: jon@lakewirral.co.uk • Telephone 07796 945745.

When the sun is shining, West Kirby and Hoylake come into their own as top day-out destinations. Evoking memories of childhood for so many, generations flock back to West Wirral’s sandy shores every summer to introduce their own children and grandchildren to the experiences they treasure so dearly. With schools set to break up soon, and in the midst of a much sought after heatwave, West Wirral is set to become increasingly busy. With this in mind, we’ve put together a little guide to help day trippers really make the most of their visit, helping ensure you don’t miss out on the best local highlights.

With such fantastic rail links, West Kirby and Hoylake are easily accessed by visitors from far and wide. The journey takes a little over half-an-hour from Liverpool Lime Street and the trains are both frequent and exceptionally reliable in comparison to other local services across the country. Hoylake is the penultimate stop on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, which terminates less than five minutes later in West Kirby itself. Most people are drawn to West Kirby, but I’d recommend a couple of hours in Hoylake to check out the ‘Grace Darling’ driftwood pirate ship – the sister ship to New Brighton’s ‘Black Pearl’ – which is a guaranteed child pleaser. If you

Summer by the SeaBy Rob Foster

want extra brownie points with the kids, follow up the pirate ship experience with a trip to the Yog Bar, a popular frozen yoghurt shop which always goes down a storm when temperatures soar.

A quick hop back on the train and you’re in the heart of West Kirby. Cue tough decisions over how to make the most of the day. I’d recommend a sit down in Toast, the café situated in the West Kirby station concourse, to mull over the plan of action. It’s cool inside and has plenty of seats outside for sun worshippers, offering a great first port of call for coffee and cake or a toasty. They also serve fantastic fresh milkshakes made with real chocolate bars, blended while you wait. Once suitably refreshed, I’d recommend a short walk to the Marine Lake to spend half an hour walking in the sunshine while watching windsurfers and sailors tack in and out of the buoys that mark their course.

Hilbre Island is synonymous with West Wirral and the Dee Estuary. It’s the largest of three small tidal islands off West Kirby and Hoylake and, while it is cut off from the mainland at high tide, it becomes easily accessible at low tide. A walk out to Hilbre is a must for West Kirby visitors; it takes about 45 minutes, but it can be arduous in the blazing sun as there is no shade. Hats, sun cream and plenty of water are a must, but you’ll be rewarded with an adventure to our very own desert island. Take a pair of binoculars and you’ll be able to watch all manner of birds and butterflies, as well as the mass of grey seals that make the Dee their home.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to end your trip with a bite to eat and a refreshing drink. West Kirby is spoilt for choice when it comes to bars and restaurants but the uninitiated will need to look closely to find a good beer garden. The White Lion is a little gem for those who love a proper British pub, whereas the Ring O’ Bells has a huge outdoor area if you have kids with energy to burn. Simon Rimmer’s popular family pub, The Viking, balances affordability with atmosphere and serves excellent food with a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It’s spacious outside and is rivalled only by Hickory’s Smokehouse as the top family venue in town.

Visitors are always amazed by the variety on offer in West Wirral and this whistle-stop tour certainly doesn’t do justice to the beauty spots, cafés, bars and restaurants that haven’t even got a mention. So if you’ve never taken the time to visit Hoylake and West Kirby, set aside a day this summer to come along and explore – you’re sure to be impressed.

04 The Lake

Mark Duckworth, Head of Wills, Trusts & Probate at Jackson Lees, based at West Kirby, discusses the benefits of making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).

With an ever-ageing population there are more people suffering from dementia. While simple changes in nutrition, lifestyle, and supplements may really help to slow down the progression to full disease, it is important that we all take positive steps to ensure that our legal affairs are in order.

I have concerns – what should I do?Make sure your family and your assets are protected by having an LPA in place.

Should you or a member of your family no longer have the capacity to manage your own affairs and you have not prepared an LPA, you may find that strangers are appointed to make decisions for you as it is a misconception that such rights automatically pass to your next of kin.

By preparing an LPA you decide who will have authority to manage your affairs (your ‘attorney’) and they can be your spouse, or other family member, a friend or a professional.

There are two types of LPA and both are very useful:

Property and financial affairs LPA – this allows your appointed attorney to deal with the management of your bank accounts, the payment of bills and also the sale of your property.

Health and welfare LPA – this allows your appointed attorneys to answer questions concerning your welfare, for example, whether you should be cared for in your own home, and it can extend to cover decisions regarding life-sustaining medical treatment and the refusal of the same.

Where can I go for help?For professional guidance and help, contact the experienced team at Jackson Lees. Our team can talk you through who can act as your attorney, act as your ‘certificate provider’ and also deal with registering the document.

Please call us free on 0808 256 4659 (also free to call from mobiles) or email enquiry@jacksonlees.co.uk or visit our website www.jacksonlees.co.uk

The Benefits of a Lasting Power of Attorney

Mark Duckworth

A Flexible ServiceAt Jackson Lees we understand that one of the most important things that we can do is plan our own futures to ensure that we protect the futures of those we love after we are gone. We will provide you with expert, professional and sensitive legal advice, helping you deal with a wide range of matters including: writing your Will, dealing with Probate, Inheritance Tax Planning, setting up Trusts and their administration, and making a Lasting Power of Attorney.

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Let Jackson Lees make things a little easier for you and your family. Contact our Wills, Trusts & Probate team to book an appointment or to chat through your requirements. Call us free from either a mobile or landline on 0808 256 4659.

The Lake 05

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06 The Lake

We continue Quest 5 with photographs 76 to 90. Please help West Kirby Museum to identify these photographs by email to heatherhistory11@gmail.com

QUEST 5 – PHOTO CHALLENGEBy Heather Chapman

QUEST 2 – ADDITIONAL SUCCESSMary McDermott recognised Photo 23 as Peter Holden, which causes confusion as this photo was previously suggested to be David Rushworth.

QUEST 3 – ADDITIONAL SUCCESSRachael Binns recognised her grandfather, David Binns, in Photo 32. David was part of the team that brought the first IKEA to England (Warrington) and he was interviewed on This Morning last year for his participation in this huge business as part of IKEA’s anniversary.

A lady contacted the editor of The Lake magazine to say that Photo 33 was Mr (Norman?) Whitlow who worked in Insurance at Whitlow & Coombe in Hoylake.

Mary McDermott recognised Photo 38 as John Lewis Lloyd.

QUEST 4 – SUCCESSThanks to Jennifer Legge, Mary McDermott and Mark Brocklehurst who all recognised Grace Aitken-Quack in Photo 65. Mary Gerrard also recognised Grace and told us that Grace was a well-known flower arranger, played golf at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club and was also a very good bridge player. Grace’s grandson, Mark Edwards, also contacted me.

Photo 72 was recognised by Gina Wilson as her late sister, Mary Louise Wilson. Mary married and was also well known, singing as Mary Jones and also during her second marriage as Mary Roberts. Mary’s daughter, Jemma Brown, informed us that Mary was a popular member of West Kirby Light Opera Society. Sue Radcliffe, Mike Ellis and Sue Farrelly also recognised Mary Louise Wilson.

Moya Gladding and Charles Keenan recognised Grace McGuire in Photo 73. Grace was the wife of Bernard McGuire (Photo 44), the chairman of the Citizens Advice Bureau.

In Photo 75, Diana Rosemary Bailes recognised herself. Diana was known locally as Mokey Bailes (now Mokey Owen) and now lives in London.

I am delighted and a bit overwhelmed by the helpful response from several readers to this challenge. Some replies have been from readers living out of the district. The Lake has been passed to these people by friends and family. It is very pleasing that this great magazine is being read and enjoyed throughout the country and even abroad. Many thanks to all those people who have helped with this challenge.

08 The Lake

10 The Lake

Caldy Open Gardens – a great result through great teamworkIt’s hard to believe, but on the afternoon of Sunday 27 May Caldy Open Gardens raised over £20,000 for Hoylake Cottage’s Dementia Day Care fundraising appeal.

Apart from the 13 private gardens whose owners had worked incredibly hard to ensure both gardens and plant sales looked superb, success was down to the help and support of Wirral residents making it a truly community affair.

From our sponsor, Bradshaw Farnham & Lea, to the shops who sold advance tickets, to the cafes, shops and garden centres who donated brilliant raffle prizes, tickets for which were sold by 19 staff and volunteers from Hoylake Cottage, everyone worked hard to make this a real success. There was an owl display, local artisans showcasing their work, Caldy Church and church hall opened their doors and gardens, and there was a delicious range of cakes, cookies, ice cream, barbecue sausages and drinks, all helping to attract over 1,500 adult visitors and lots of children.

Most exciting of all is that all the monies raised will enable Hoylake Cottage Dementia Day Care Centre to proceed with the next stage in their creation of a Reminiscence Village. This is a groundbreaking initiative in dementia care, the first of its kind in the country, which will benefit dementia sufferers, their families, and the wider community.

Sarah Cliffe, Dementia Day Care Manager said: “We were delighted when Caldy Open Gardens chose us as their charity for 2018. The target for our fundraising appeal is £100,000, so £20,000 is an

incredible boost that will enable us to complete the next phase in the development of the Reminiscence Village. We’re all passionate about bringing this vision to life. Our mission is to be a lifeline for all local people living with dementia, their families and carers by creating new, exciting, innovative ways of delivering dementia care.”

Rachel and Tony Summers, co-ordinators of Caldy Open Gardens, want to thank everyone who played a role in helping raise such a fantastic amount. The next Caldy Open Gardens will be in 2020 with some brand new gardens and initiatives, so watch this space!

Staff from Hoylake Cottage with Caldy Open Gardens co-ordinators Rachel and Tony Summers

Innovative start-up, Match My House, receives funding

from angel investor Match My House, the pioneering start-up which aims to tackle problems commonly faced in the property market, has received investment from pre-seed investor Raj Dhonota, and will be launching on the Wirral in the coming weeks

Match My House is the brainchild of Dan Thomas, a local Wirral resident. The injection of investment will help launch this much-needed service, which was formulated to streamline the property market.

If you ever felt that the agency fee doesn’t justify the service you’ve received when moving home, or if you wish you generally had more control over the house-hunting process, or even if you just want the whole property market to be a little bit more fun, then Match My House was built for you.

Offering you full control, you can promote or communicate with potential property matches and, more importantly, whenever suits you.

Raj Dhonota has this to say about the new-found partnership: “Together our experiences are the perfect combination to engineer this much-needed marketplace solution.

“I am excited to work with Dan in launching a service which introduces modern techniques into a dated property market.”

Angel investor Raj Dhonota has invested in numerous start-ups and with a successful business career to his name, he now dedicates his time in investing in other like-minded entrepreneurs and their promising business ventures.

For more details, visit www.matchmyhouse.co.uk

Rotary Art ExhibitionNew exciting venue at the Floral Pavilion

Once again members of the Rotary Club of North Wirral are preparing to hold their annual open Art Exhibition, but this year it to be held in an exciting NEW VENUE. The 2018 Art Exhibition will be on display at the prestigious Floral Pavilion, New Brighton (previously at Carr Farm, Hoylake).

With this new venue the Rotary Club is hoping that the event will be even more successful. Last year the Art Exhibition attracted over 100 artists, mostly from Wirral and surrounding areas. There were 417 paintings on show and over £5,000 was raised for local charities and good causes.

Every year the paintings are very varied and display a wide range of media and subjects. Many of the paintings are inspired by local landscapes and beauty spots and these are always the first to sell. All the paintings are for sale at affordable prices, ranging from about £20 to £200. Last year 93 paintings were sold, which was a record number of sales since the Art Exhibition began 15 years ago. If you are interested in buying, make sure you get to the Art Exhibition early in the week.

The 2018 Exhibition will start with a Preview Party on Monday 13 August and this will be held in The Plaza and the Panoramic Lounge, which has great views of the waterfront. This is an opportunity for members and friends of the Rotary Club, artists and the public to enjoy a delightful finger buffet and take the opportunity to peruse the exhibits and maybe even buy your favourite painting. This event costs £16, which includes the buffet, and tickets are available by telephoning 0151 652 8118.

Admission to the main exhibition is free. It opens to the public on Tuesday 14 August and runs until Sunday 19 August. It opens daily at 11am – 6pm, except on Sunday when opening times will be from 12pm – 2pm.

“Fabulous mix of works”, “Great mix of styles”, “Amazing local talent”, “Excellent exhibition run for an excellent cause”. These were some of the comments from visitors to the exhibition last year. So everyone make a note of the dates, put them in your diary, and we will look forward to seeing you there.

The North Wirral Rotary Club is part of a worldwide organisation whose members aim to make positive and lasting changes both locally and internationally. We meet regularly to socialise, listen to a range of interesting talks from outside speakers, and to organise many events. These include the Wirral Coastal Walk in June, a Christmas Concert at Heswall Hall and a Choral Festival at the Floral Pavilion in May as well as the Art Exhibition in August. The proceeds from all these events goes to a range of charities and good causes.

Further details about the Rotary Club of North Wirral can be found on our website.

12 The Lake

This year’s Wirral Kayak Challenge, organised by founder Mike Dudley and partner Gill Henderson, was a resounding success. Not only did Poseidon provide ideal conditions for the 88 intrepid explorers, but the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. We’ve all been enjoying the glorious weather of late, and none more so than the participants of this 15-mile, day-long salty adventure.

On-water safety for the event was provided by National Marine, with Jon Henshaw in charge of the fleet with the famous Deeman boat (which circumnavigated the UK a number of years ago), also serving as home to the drone pilot from Drone Factor who captured stunning footage of the event.

Starting with the 9am high tide at Bayview Drive, partway between New Brighton and Leasowe Lighthouse, a mix of sit on top kayaks, sea kayaks and a couple of paddleboarders ventured out towards the wind turbines and turned left to make their way towards Hilbre Island. After a short break on the beach offshore from Meols, the sun-kissed 88 journeyed onward across mirror-like seas, looping around the back of Hilbre Island, where understandably surprised island visitors witnessed the largest gathering of paddlers they had probably ever seen!

A lunch break came in the form of the distant West Hoyle Bank, 1.5km beyond Little Eye. The paddlers enjoyed sightings of Grey Seals while they waited for the low tide to rise for their final leg up the Dee Estuary with plenty of time to explore this remote and serene Caribbean-like surroundings, seldom seen by those who stay ashore.

At the end of the day, Dee Sailing Club played host to the hungry and weary, yet hugely upbeat, boaters as they pulled their water-chariots across the thick mud to the slipway. Landfall was made at around 6.30pm. The accomplishment was huge, as was the appetite for the barbecue put on by Wirral Holistic Care Services, with a total of 120 burgers and 80 hot dogs being cooked and eaten. That takes some doing!

Individually, participants paddled 15 miles. Totalling the whole fleet on the water that day, 1,320 miles were paddled – that’s over a third of the distance across the Atlantic Ocean! The average temperature on Sunday 24th was 24 degrees, with each

2018 Kayak Challenge‘yakker’ burning around a huge 3,300 calories. That’s a really serious workout, and a memorable one at that. No wonder those burgers got eaten!

The total raised still needs totting up; however, since 2012 the Wirral Kayak Challenge has raised £23,000 – £4,600 was generated last year with 74 paddlers. This year there were 88... totals to be announced in October.

Next year the Wirral Kayak Challenge aims to have 100 kayakers participating – something you, the reader, can help with. If you, or someone you know, is 18 or over, you can take part. If you want to participate next year, get in touch with the Wirral Kayak Challenge team.

The Drone Factor team will be developing a website on which you can sign up and get involved in month by month paddler progress tips to get you prepped and pumped up for the big day in 2019. Registration for the 2019 event opens in May next year, with a catalogue of events and training for those who want to get more immersed!

“We did hope for 100 paddlers this year, and we nearly got there!” says Mike Dudley, who created this challenge back in 2012. “We have a massive ‘thank you’ event planned, complete with ceremony and accolades for those who took part. We can’t thank everyone enough for their efforts in making the 2018 event one of a kind – it truly was a day to remember. Be sure to come along to the event in October to celebrate the achievement.”

The details for the October follow-up event will be published on the Facebook page nearer the time.

To keep up to date with the Wirral Kayak Challenge, make sure to follow their page on Facebook: search for @wirralkayakchallenge

The most amazing aerial photography and video images of the day you’ve ever seen were captured by your friendly local drone pilots from Drone Factor Ltd, with the highlight reel available to watch (for free of course!) on www.dronefactor.co.uk

Follow Drone Factor for more amazing aerial views of events and places you know and love – search for @dronefactoruk on Facebook and click ‘Like’!

14 The Lake

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Wirral Care Home Offers Flexible Packages

A care home in the Wirral has created three ‘packages’ to offer flexibility to new residents.

The Hazelwell, a luxury residential, nursing, palliative and short-term care home in Heswall, identified that not all potential residents need care every day of the week, or every week of the year like most care homes offer, and so have looked into how to cater for different needs.

The first package is designed to offer Weekly Short-Term Care. This would be especially beneficial to those being cared for by family members who need respite from their responsibilities or need to work on a few days of the week.

The second package is a solution for people whose main carers might need to go away, say for a holiday in the summer, for a longer one-off period called Special Short-Term Care. It offers peace of mind to carers, knowing that their loved one is having a holiday of their own, in a very safe pair of hands and a beautiful environment.

The third package is the Summer Special Offer package, which is available to new permanent residents only during the months of June and July. We have a limited number of rooms for a reduced rate.

The Hazelwell is a purpose-built care home offering the highest standards of care and comfort to all their residents and guests. The care home is designed to combine the best of modern design and technology in a state-of-the-art, comfortable home-from-home environment.

As well as deluxe accommodation for 55 residents, The Hazelwell’s facilities include a luxury home cinema room, residents’ bar, quiet library, chauffeur-driven car, salon and gym and stunning rooftop terrace.

Care Home Manager Kathryn McGuinness said: “At the Hazelwell, we pride ourselves on providing the best care and a friendly, personal service to each of the residents, ensuring that their every need is catered for, whilst also running an involving programme of activities.

“We developed these three packages as we wanted create something for those who might need us on a less regular basis, but who would benefit from all we have to offer here. We look forward to opening our doors to some new, shorter term residents in the next few weeks.”

The Wirral care home which opened on Oldfield Road in Heswall less than two years ago has been rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission. The Hazelwell was also named in the Top 20 Recommended Care Homes in the North West for 2017 by leading UK care home website, carehome.co.uk

For more information about the packages on offer at The Hazelwell, contact Kathryn McGuinness on 0151 342 9654, email info@thehazelwell.com, or visit www.thehazelwell.com

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18 The Lake

Does Your Dog Pull?If your dog pulls, you may have been recommended a choke collar by a trainer. Choke collars are generally made of metal chain material which tightens around a dog’s neck when the handler pulls or jerks back on the leash. ‘Aversive’ trainers will often use choke collars to perform ‘corrections’, essentially causing the dog pain any time he pulls on the leash or misbehaves.While this type of training may stop the pulling or suppress a certain behaviour at that particular moment, it does nothing to address the root of the dog’s issue. Leash corrections that are given on these collars exacerbate behavioural issues such as fear and aggression.

What are you teaching your dog?If your dog reacts on the lead and you correct your dog when he reacts to another dog, what are you actually teaching your dog? When he sees another dog and then feels pain you are teaching your dog an association with other dogs and physical pain. Rather than correct the reactivity you could be teaching your dog an aversion to other dogs, leading to increased anxiety when meeting new dogs and exacerbating fear and aggression in your dog.

Are choke collars safe?Even if used without corrections, choke collars can still cause pain, discomfort, and injury to a dog’s neck, head and spinal cord.• Ifyoufeelyourdog’sneckwithyourhandsfollowedbyyourownneck, you will see how similar they are.•Thetrachea,oesophagus,thyroidgland,lymphnodes,jugularvein, muscles and spinal column are all located in similar places.

What kind of injuries can choke collars cause?Thethyroidglandliesatthebaseoftheneckjustbelowthelarynxclosetowhere any collar sits. Just one yank can cause injury to a gland that controls many of the body’s vital functions.•Studiesshowthattheglandcangetseverelytraumatisedwhenevera dog pulls on the leash and becomes inflamed.•Whenthishappensitis‘destroyed’bythebody’sownimmunesystem which tries to remove the inflamed thyroid cells.•Thedestructionofthesecellscanleadtohypothyroidism,whichcanthen cause loss of energy, weight gain, skin problems, hair loss, ear infections and organ failure.Choke collars also affect other areas of the body including the spine and eyes.•Astudyshowsthatchokecollarscancontributetoneckspineand back injuries.•Anotherstudyrevealsthatwhenforceisappliedtotheneckviaaleash andachokecollar,pressureintheeyesissignificantlyincreased.This type of pressure can cause serious injury to dogs already suffering thin corneas,glaucoma,oreyeinjuries.Thesamestudywasdonewithdogs that were wearing harnesses, which had no impact on eye pressure when force was applied.

If these collars cause pain, why does my dog still pull?Dogscannottelluswhentheyareinpain.Theyputupwithnearstrangulation because the drive to pull forward overrides the pain at that moment, but the after-effects are serious and long lasting.

What other options do I have to stop my dog pulling?Therearemoreeffectiveandhumanealternativestousingachokeorprongcollar on your dog.•Findapositivetrainertohelpyouteachyourdogtowalkonalooseleash.•Evenlargestrongdogscanbewalkedwithouttheuseofachokeor prong collar.•Considerachest-led,no-pullharness,suchastheHALTIHarnessDon’t take our word for it. Dr Matthew Sinovich, BVSc (Hons), MRCVS, a vet at Leahurst, has this to say on choke collars.“I have spoken to a number of trainers and behaviourists about positive and negative reinforcement and behavioural modification and in this age of freely available information I can see no good reason why force-based training methods should be advocated when there are research-backed alternatives. The use of pinch or choke collars can cause a variety of soft tissue trauma and even lead to strangulation and death in the most extreme cases.”

The Pet ColumnBy Abbas Hussain of Principal Pets

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West Kirby Museum’s new display (for July, August and September) celebrates 140 years of West Kirby Railways. The Museum in St Bridget’s Centre, St Bridget’s Lane, West Kirby, is open every Saturday between 10am and 1pm. Admission is free.

When the railway came to West Kirby it was a very significant development for the town.

1878 – West Kirby’s first Railway Station opened

One hundred and forty years ago, on 1st April 1878, the Hoylake and Birkenhead Rail & Tramway Company (later known as the Seacombe, Hoylake & Deeside Railway and then the Wirral Railway) extended from its earlier Hoylake terminus to a new station at West Kirby. Hoylake Station had opened 12 years previously (in 1866), thus being one step ahead in the rapid development of both towns.

The site of the new West Kirby Station was in Grange Road and required the demolition of some old cottages.

The new station at West Kirby resulted in a massive population explosion. Before 1878 and the advent of the railway, the centre of West Kirby had been the Old Village (Village Road and St Bridget’s Church area) – when the new railway station opened, jobs were created in building new houses for residents, shops and businesses in the vicinity. There was also a need for new halls, schools, churches, etc. The new station also meant that residents could commute easily to Liverpool and beyond. Merchants moved from Liverpool and Birkenhead to take advantage of the good clean sea air at West Kirby. With improved transport links West Kirby became a seaside resort welcoming day trippers and holidaymakers.

1886 – West Kirby Joint Station opened

In 1886, just eight years after the opening of the line from Hoylake, a second station opened at West Kirby. The Birkenhead Railway Joint Committee had opened a branch line from Hooton to Parkgate in 1866 and extended it to West Kirby in 1886. Joint ownership of the line, initially by the London & North Western and Great Western companies, resulted in the West Kirby terminus being called the ‘Joint Station’ to distinguish it from its neighbour, which became known as the ‘Wirral Station’.

140 years of West Kirby RailwaysBy Heather Chapman and Steven Dyke

The water column and turntable are photographed in the picture below.

Although the stations were close to each other, there was never a bridge or direct link between the platforms. Commuters would have to disembark from the Wirral Railway, walk along Grange Road, and then join the Joint Station platform near the railway bridge (now demolished). The goods facilities of the two lines were amalgamated after 1896 in the area between the two stations.

1886 – The Mersey Railway Tunnel opened on 20th January 1886.

The journey under the River Mersey was quicker than the ferries, but using steam trains meant travelling in a smoke-filled tunnel – conditions greatly improved when the line was electrified in 1903.

1894 – Kirby Park Station opened

Gradually new stations opened on the line between Parkgate and West Kirby. Kirby Park Station opened in 1894 and was popular with the “train boys” who travelled to and from Calday Grange Grammar School from the outer reaches of Wirral. The boys disembarked at Kirby Park Station, walked through the Old Village of West Kirby, and used the footpath over the hill from Wetstone Lane to Column Road.

Old cottages on station site

West Kirby Joint Station showing water column and turntable

Station plans

Kirby Park Station

22 The Lake

In 1897, the railway cottages (on the corner of Bridge Road and Grange Road) were occupied by Signalman Ben Tottey, Railway Guard William Foster, and Railway Guard Joseph Richards. These cottages were demolished to make way for the new public hall (later the Tudor Cinema was built on the same site) which opened in 1899.

The West Kirby Station tower and adjacent buildings were not introduced until the late 1890s. The tower was built from Ruabon bricks with a clock that consistently has not worked.

It was not until 1938 that the Wirral Railway – by then part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway – became electrified (the Hooton/West Kirby line was never electrified). This allowed journeys between West Kirby and Liverpool without having to change trains at Birkenhead Park.

The West Kirby to Hooton line closed to passengers on 15 September 1956 and to freight traffic in 1962.

The railway tracks were lifted to form the Wirral Way which opened in 1973, the first Country Park to be created from a disused railway line in the country.

Railway Cottages

Steam train at West Kirby 1936

Station Foreman Joe Pownall with Norman Ellison (Nomad)

Fantastic FizzWell with the summer in full flow and the sun set to shine for a little while longer, I think that is cause for celebration and what better way than with some fizz? Classically, Champagne is the one to go to when celebrating but there are some absolute crackers out there at half the cost.

Let’s have a look at a few.

Passaparola Prosecco £14.50Prosecco is still the go-to fizz in the UK at the moment. It’s light. It’s delicate, and it is usually just on the off side of dry which makes it very appealing to a larger part of the drinking populous. This Proscecco is a best seller for us here at W&W. The bottle design is contemporary and the wine inside is good juice too. A great fizz to celebrate the start of the week.

Vilarnau Cava Brut NV £12.95This is our ‘house’ sparkling wine and on pour by the glass in both our West Kirby and Frodsham stores. It’s made by the same method they use to make Champagne, only using local grapes. The bottle design is inspired by the Spanish artist Gaudi, and the bottles are certainly pleasing to the eye. Most importantly, the wine inside the bottle is quality. A lovely sparkling wine to give as a gift or open up when the day ends in a ‘y’.

Bellavista ‘Cuvee Alma’ Franciacorta £32.95This could be called the ‘Italian Champagne’. Whereas Prosecco is made in large tanks and the carbon dioxide added to give the sparkling nature, Franciacorta wines are made in exactly the same way they make Champagne and aged in the same manner before being released onto the market. This makes for a serious, deeply complex wine and every bit as good as many more expensive and well-known Champagne brands. This is a lovely wine to celebrate the start of an Italian-themed dinner party.

Bride Valley Blanc de Blancs £34.95English sparkling wines have been on the up and up now for well over 20 years. The quality of the grapes on the vines (subject to the UK weather obviously) and the subsequent winemaking (made using the same grapes and to the same method as Champagne) is getting better and better. Some Champagne houses are even investing in English vineyards, so that speaks volumes. This estate is owned by eminent wine guru Steven Spurrier and has been producing quality fizz since 2011. This is a great fizz to celebrate England winning at football/rugby/cricket/dominoes (delete as appropriate).

Deutz Brut Classic NV £39.95It would be wrong to completely leave out Champagne. Yes there are some great fizzes out there that are better value for money than many Champagnes, but sometimes one just sits up and goes “Hello? Hello? Erm… yes I’m here! Please try me, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised”. This one by the lovely Champagne house, Deutz, is one of those Champagnes. Absolutely stunning and perfect for any occasion.

That’s it for this month. Remember to drink well, but drink responsibly.

W NE COLUMNBy Graham Simpson, Whitmore & White

The Lake 23

Less than five months after establishing its high street presence in Heswall, Inspired Bathrooms & Kitchens has taken the confident step of leasing more space next to its brand new showroom on Telegraph Road.

When the expanded premises opens on September 1st it will occupy almost 2,000 square feet, doubling Inspired’s capacity to showcase its range of bathrooms and kitchens, which embraces trusted brands like Bisque, Laufen, Aqata, Neff, Pronorm, and Hansgrohe.

Managing Director, Mike Lloyd, says: “I’ve lived on the Wirral all my life, in Oxton and now Willaston. My co-director, James Kenrick, lives in West Kirby and before that Heswall. I started the company in Prenton in 2007 and expanded to Chester five years ago, but Jay and I both believe Heswall is the centre of the part of the Wirral that stretches from Neston, Parkgate, Willaston, Thornton Hough, to Heswall and beyond to Caldy, West Kirby, Hoylake, and we felt we needed to take the plunge and establish a presence in the town.”

James adds: “Before we took it over, our new showroom was a bar that had ceased trading. Its cloud turned out to be our silver lining. The location is great and, by coincidence, the landlord was someone we’d installed two bathrooms for, which helped make things happen quickly.”

Inspired took the premises on in November last year and opened in February. The fitting out of the showroom cost just shy of £100,000, and now the company has committed to a significant extra spend.

Inspired Bathrooms & Kitchens to double size of Heswall showroom

Mike explains: “From the off we loved the Heswall site, but we also knew it was never going to be quite large enough for what we wanted to do and achieve. The great computer aided designs we can show clients are fantastically useful, but customers also want to see the actual product they’re thinking of choosing.

“That can take a lot of display space, but just as we finished Heswall’s Inspired Bathrooms & Kitchens, were happy and settled and welcoming customers, estate agent Karl Tatler, one of our two next-door neighbours, walked in and told us he would be moving, Karl offered us the chance to take over his lease, so even though we had not long finished a complete shop fit, I thought, yes, I do, even though it means we’ll have to undo some of the work we’ve just done and then start all over again.”

Mike has been encouraged by the progress his Inspired presence in Heswall has made so far. “Heswall’s a nice, busy town with a sense of community we really want to be part of. We’ve been made very welcome and so far the reaction has been great. Sales are in line with our hopes and expectations, so it just makes sense to invest more and make the new showroom bigger and better.

“The other good news is that we’ve a lot of experience designing and installing first-class kitchens and bathrooms, so I can guarantee Inspired Heswall will be an attractive and welcoming place where people can browse even more of what we have to offer.”

The present Inspired showroom will remain open throughout the shopfitting work next door.

James Kenrick and Mike Lloyd

24 The Lake

A feather in the cap for Mersey Ferries with

new nature cruise

Nature fans can rejoice as Mersey Ferries has announced plans to bring back its popular ‘Liverbird’ Bird Watching and Nature Discovery Cruise.

The cruise allows passengers the chance to see a range of wildlife up close, with previous sightings of long-tailed skuas, peregrine falcons, osprey and Atlantic grey seals being reported by passengers on board.

For 2018, Mersey Ferries is working alongside the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to host the cruise on the River Mersey, sailing towards the Irish Sea.

Sailing across the river and going out into the bay on Sunday, August 19, the cruise offers a unique day out for families and both new and experienced wildlife watchers.

Experts will also be on hand to answer questions and to help passengers identify all the animals spotted throughout the cruise.

Gary Evans from Mersey Ferries, said: “We’re delighted to be launching the improved version of our bird watching and nature discovery cruise. For the first time this year we’re working alongside the RSPB who will offer our passengers a great deal of insight and expertise into the River Mersey’s wildlife.

“We know from customer feedback that there’s a huge appetite for this type of unique day out, with many keen nature enthusiasts and ‘twitchers’ from the North West wanting the opportunity to explore the Mersey’s riverbanks.”

Jayne Rigby from the RSPB, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Mersey Ferries again on the Liverbird cruises. There is so much nature to discover on the Mersey - you don’t have to be an expert to come along, as we will be on hand to help spot the birds and other wildlife, so we hope to see many people joining us on these fantastic cruises.”

A limited number of binoculars to help see the animals up close, will also be available to hire from the RSPB during the cruise for a rental fee of £2.

Tickets are priced at £15 for adults and £7.50 for children. A Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children) can also be purchased for £40.

The cruise will depart on Sunday, August 19, from Seacombe at 11am and Pier Head Liverpool at 11.10am. The cruise will last for three hours, with light refreshments and snacks available for purchase on board.

For more information or to book tickets, call the Mersey Ferries ticket office on 0151 330 1003, visit any of Mersey Ferries terminals or visit the Mersey Ferries website: https://www.merseyferries.co.uk/eve

The Lake 25

Are you struggling with your smartphone?

What do happy phone owners know that you might not...?...they know where they can get expert advice.

It can be overwhelming to understand the full potential of your smartphone or tablet so here are 2 of 20 useful tips that you, or someone you know, might find helpful:

11. Tip: Planning to use Google Maps while on holiday?

Get maps of your holiday destination pre-loaded on your phone so you don’t have to rely on unreliable mobile data or use all of your allowance. In Settings there is an option to download an ‘offline map’. You can choose a journey or choose an area. Just remember that the phone will use more power so make sure you have a car charger or/and power bank so you can charge your phone on the go. We stock a good range, so pop in before you jet off.

12. Tip: Don’t speak the local language of your holiday destination? Google Translate is a fantastic tool. You can type, speak or even take a photo of a sign or menu and it will magically translate it into any language. It works both ways too. (Downloading the language offline before you leave will save on mobile data or signal problems.)

Don’t miss more useful tips in the next magazine edition. If you want to know more, book a lesson with us on 0151 342 2004.

Article prepared for you by Greg and Eva at Fonehouse Heswall.

Have you been affected by Japanese Knotweed?Japanese knotweed is a large perennial plant that can grow four inches a day during the summer. Because of its rapid growth, it has been known to damage building structures and substructures by targeting weak points such as cracks in masonry and attempting to grow through them. It can also cause damage to building foundations and retaining wall structures. Its underground roots can block drains, grow between slabs of concrete drives, disrupt brick paving, undermine garden walls, and overwhelm outbuildings and conservatories. It is also extremely difficult to get rid of.

The Court of Appeal dismissed a challenge by Network Rail in relation to private nuisance claims against them in respect of Japanese Knotweed. This means that claims can be made against the company for the effect that the presence Japanese Knotweed has on the value of a property and the owner’s ability to sell it.

Those with it will know that when selling a property you must declare whether your property is affected by Japanese Knotweed.

Below is a map of areas in the Wirral and North West affected by Japanese Knotweed:

If you have been affected by Japanese Knotweed, then get in touch with Phoenix Legal Limited and our experienced solicitors will guide you through the process; we will instruct an independent Japanese Knotweed specialist, structural engineer and/or Home Valuation Service so that we can ensure that all aspects of the effects on your property are assessed. This will all be done on a NO WIN, NO FEE basis, meaning you will not be asked for any money up front – we cover all costs of making the claim, and if your claim is not successful then you will not be asked to pay anything.

CALL US NOW ON 0151 306 3694, OR EMAIL: AB@PHOENIXLEGALSOLICITORS.CO.UK, OR GO TO WWW.PHOENIXLGALSOLICITORS.CO.UK

Royal Liverpool Golf Club, the historic championship golf links in Hoylake, Wirral, has published the 2018-19 edition of its innovative annual magazine.With 64 well illustrated pages and intriguing contributions, many of them written by members of the Club, the free magazine promotes Royal Liverpool in particular and the game of golf and its history in general.With a print run of 7,000 copies and an estimated readership of at least 30,000 people, the RLGC magazine is supported by advertisers who buy not only space but also the chance to entertain guests at the Company Golf Day in September.This year’s editorial content looks back 35 years to 1983 when the Walker Cup was last fought for at Hoylake, and forward to next year when the Match returns.There’s an interview with Nathaniel Crosby, a competitor in 1983 and Captain of the USA team that will defend the Walker Cup at Royal Liverpool. Nathaniel is the son of entertainment legend Bing Crosby, once described as “a golfer who likes to sing”.Detective work reveals the facts behind the man responsible for two of the most famous portraits of the great American Bobby Jones, and Hoylake’s rising amateur star Matt Jordan reflects on his career to date and the lure of the professional game.There’s a guide to playing golf in Wirral.Royal Liverpool’s Head Professional, John Heggarty, has more of his Top Tips for Low Scores. John is the current Captain of the PGA.Reflecting the fact that Royal Liverpool has the finest collection of golfing memorabilia outside St Andrews, the magazine’s 10 year mission to tell the History of Hoylake in 100 Objects reaches artefacts 61 to 70.Editor Mark Gorton says: “We try to publish a magazine that has plenty in it for members and visitors alike. We’re keen to share the course with golfers from home and abroad and we distribute the magazine to airport lounges across the country, as well as at major events like The Open and the Women’s British Open. “If people read it and enjoy it, great, and if as a result they decide to come and play Royal Liverpool, so much the better. It’s good for the Club and also our modest contribution to Wirral’s important tourism economy.”To view an online version of the magazine visit: https://express.yudu.com/item/details/3933119/ ROYAL-LIVERPOOL-GOLF-CLUB-MAGAZINE-2018-2019

Royal Liverpool Magazine

The16thgreen(DavidCannon)

26 The Lake

A taste of Milan at Gusto, Heswall

I’m not one of those people who revels in balmy summer evenings and soaring temperatures – I am sunburnt as soon as I open my curtains and I become an all-you-can-eat buffet for the Wirral’s entire population of bugs. In fact, my life is just one big countdown to Christmas really.

One thing I do love about the turn of the season though is the launch of brand spankin’ new summer menus and the opportunity to sample new ingredients, tuck into new dishes and just generally experience my favourite restaurants in a different way. I know I won’t be alone either; I know there will be plenty of you reading this now who get as exhilarated by the release of new menus as me.

Being the fanatic foodie I am, my email inbox has been pretty active of late with the launch of various new summer menus. Some uninspiring, some so inspiring my stomach quite literally rumbled, but the one I was most excited to receive was from good old Gusto. It’s no secret that Gusto Heswall is practically my second home – if I’m not at work, sleeping or doing my damnedest to invest more time in home-cooking, you’ll find me at Gusto Heswall. It has an atmosphere, menu and calibre of hospitality that you can always rely on. Plus, they do a mean cocktail happy hour!

But enough of the gushing… let’s get back to the good stuff. Having already been to try out the new Gusto summer menu, I thought I’d give you a little taste of what you can expect and then let you know my thoughts on the dishes I’ve sampled so far…

So, the concept behind the seasonal repertoire is “inspired by a trip of discovery to Milan”. Many of the dishes come from Milanese roots and have been adapted in the Gusto way, including a classic Saffron Risotto, a Truffled Funghi pizza with white cream base and Whole Salt-Baked Rainbow Trout prepared at your table. Flavours are fresh, ingredients are vibrant and each plate promises to bring a little slice of Italian sunshine to our pretty little nook of the United Kingdom.

Another notable USP of the seasonal shift is a more intense focus on vegan options. In comes the Vegano pizza (adorned with sweet roast peppers, courgettes, pine nuts, caramelised onions and cauliflower rice) alongside a Rainbow Superfood Salad packed to the brim with a spectrum of meat and dairy-free goodness. As a devoted carnivore, even I was almost tempted.

I find Gusto’s dedication to providing food allergy-friendly dishes with such… well, gusto commendable. Dough, cheese and meat are like the holy trinity of Italian gastronomy, so to create such fantastic vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives deserves one massive thwack on the back in my eyes.

I went neither gluten, meat nor dairy free during my most recent trip to my old favourite haunt. I have been making a conscious effort to make more vegetarian choices of late but with so much temptation to lead me astray, I was rendered positively helpless. Around our table for four we went for a garlic bread with mozzarella, some crispy calamari, a super spicy pizza, the name of which has escaped me, a gloriously glutinous Spaghetti Bolognese and two orders of the new Saffron Risotto.

Of course they’re doing all of the classics to perfection – I won’t bore you with any more swooning about that – but, rest assured, the seasonal newcomers are just as delicious. The risotto actually came with a choice of two accompaniments: three-meat, five-hour, slow-cooked ragu, or artichoke, asparagus and roasted red peppers. We went for the former and despite some initial reservations about the combination of two similar textures, we eventually fell in love with the rich and indulgent plate of authentic fare.

The bar menu has had a bit of a summer shake-up too. The Strawberry Cheesecake martini that has been on the menu for yonks always stole my heart, but my head has been well and truly turned by the Salted Caramel Russian, which comes complete with a teeny tiny little stroopwafel adhered to the glass with an even teenier, tinier wooden peg. That has my name all over it but if you don’t fancy drinking your way through your weekly calorie limit in one fell swoop, there are plenty of zingy fruit-based options that I saw being shaken and stirred at the bar.

By Hungry Harriet

28 The Lake

Most of the issues concerning the Society currently relate to the increasing pressure on Wirral Borough’s Green Belt

Local Plan for Wirral BoroughWhilst covering something that may be considered a ‘dry’ subject, this plan is very important as, once agreed, it will form the basis upon which major planning decisions will be made in the coming years.

• Government Intervention: We are trying to find out more of what happened at a meeting held between Government officials and senior figures from Wirral Council concerning the Council’s inability to produce its Local Plan before 2020.

• Threat to the Wirral Green Belt: However, it would appear that one outcome (which we foresaw) is that, arising from the Council’s over-optimistic economic growth forecasts, its correspondingly high housing targets could not be met from land within the existing urban area. There was, therefore, the real prospect of a formal review of the Borough’s Green Belt boundary being required. This would be the first step in deciding if any Green Belt land should be removed from its current protection in order to build houses – and, if so, how much and from where. We now know that this review is to be carried out.

• The Council Leader’s pledge: The Council leader is quoted as saying he pledges to put Wirral residents’ needs, and their views, at the heart of [the council’s] decision-making; also, that taking Green Belt land will be the “absolute last resort”. On this last point, we have little faith in what he says, as long as he thinks there is public support behind his plans for the Hoylake Golf Resort, with its 160 luxury houses in the Green Belt.

• Public ‘Consultation’ As part of the Review, the Council, has announced there is to be a six-week public ‘consultation’ on the Council’s Local Plan, to be carried out over the main holiday period from beginning of September. The Society will be fully involved in this ‘consultation’ – and we hope, if you support our concern for the future of the open land within Wirral Borough, you will make your own comments to the Council, to make sufficient impact on official thinking.

Land Availability AssessmentWe are asking Wirral Council whether the recent announcements made for a number of separate new housing developments within the Borough’s urban area, notably at ‘Wirral Waters’, will help sufficiently to satisfy the housing targets; we are also seeking publication of the annual assessment of building land availability. Burton’s Biscuit factory site, at Moreton: We have recently learned that the plans for a major new housing development on part of this site are still scheduled to go ahead; it’s understood that a developer has been chosen and, once legalities and a detailed permission is received, work could start within the next 12 months.

Proposed Hoylake Golf Resort

The Society is working closely with (and is represented on) the ‘Stop Hoylake Golf Resort Action Group’ (SHGRAG) and its members continue to be proactive in following up concerns over this scheme. Currently, SHGRAG is asking the Council for its comments on a number of aspects:

Delay in design studies: It is asking why, after 15 years and £1 million spent on consultants, the Council is only now finding out, by its own admission, that “the project has proven more complex than expected”. As a result, design studies, scheduled to start in February, have not yet begun. SHGRAG is suggesting this may be due to the fact that the developers (NJVG) are struggling to obtain finance for the project.

Director resignations: Clarification is also being sought on why directors are resigning from the NJVG and their Key Partners, when, to quote the Council leader “they are on the brink of bringing a globally significant tourist attraction to Hoylake”.

Council loans to the Developers: Concern continues that the Council are still proposing to lend £26 million to the developers, despite the fact that NJVG has a history of bankruptcy, has slipped behind with its programme, and directors are now resigning from what the Council Leader described in Dec 2017 as a “strong team”, and of which “Branded Hotel Management” (BHM) are “key partners”. Specifically, Andrew Rouse has resigned from NJVG and BHM, and three of the five directors of BHM have gone this year.

If you have the time and interest, SHGRAG would welcome more volunteers. If you can help, please ring Phil on 07988 677270.

The Society is keen to invite people who would like to lend us their support for £10pa, to help add to our lobbying strength. You can find other details on our website www.wirralsociety.net or contact our membership secretary, Mrs Avril Wilmshurst on 0151 200 3920. A number of illustrated talks on environmental matters relating to the Peninsula can be provided on request.

Rod Tann discusses some of Wirral Society’s current casework...

The parcels of land outlined in red have each been identified by either landowners or developers, as land they would wish to have taken out of the Green Belt for development

I was taken to task after I showed the Council’s misleading plan in the last issue. Here is the more realistic layout, showing the new link road and how the 160 luxury houses might be accommodated.

This is how the proposed Resort site looked earlier this year

Green Belt land in Pensby

32 The Lake

Serenity Clinic Ltd, 162 Banks Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 0RH

T: 0151 625 6256www.serenity-clinic.co.uk

Beauty: The Bee Venom[enon]

There has been a real ‘buzz’ about bee venom treatments over the past couple of years with celebrities and royals all having had them. But, despite these endorsements, many people are still a little reluctant to try them. It makes sense that people are wary, after all most of us go out of our way to avoid bee stings. The truth is; however, that being put off by the name or idea means people are missing out on a safe, organic, natural product! Bee venom rejuvenates and transforms both the look and feel of your skin, body and hair. It also improves a plethora of skin conditions and even treats cellulite!

Here are some of the most common questions I’m asked in clinic, so I can hopefully bust the myths surrounding bee venom so you (both ladies and gents) can see the results for yourselves.

What is bee venom? Honey-bee venom (apitoxin) is the clear liquid that’s released when a bee uses its sting. It’s a complex mix of peptides, proteins and other bioactive components. The major one of these is an amino acid peptide called mellitin -– which possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

How does it work?

The mellitin in bee venom causes the skin to react as it would to a ‘normal’ bee sting (but without the pain!). The way the body does this is to pump more blood to the area. The increased blood flow triggers collagen production, which in turn improves elastin – both of which are vital in anti-ageing and skin rejuvenation.

The result: smoother, plumper, hydrated, younger-looking skin and a clearer complexion.

Does it sting? No! Bee venom treatments are painless and non-invasive. There is no ‘sting’ involved.

Is it safe? Yes. It’s a natural product. The apitoxin compounds I use in clinic are natural, organic and safe. In fact, some view bee venom therapy as a natural alternative to botulism toxin.

Does it really come from bees? Yes. It comes from real bees! Apitoxin cannot be created synthetically.

Are the bees harmed? Again, I can only speak for the products I use (Heaven® by Deborah Mitchell), but the answer for these is: No.

The venom is collected in the hive using fabric-coated plates that vibrate. This gentle vibration stimulates apitoxin secretion in the bees without affecting the ‘stinger’ (the part that has to be removed if you are stung).

What does it treat?

Once people are reassured about the safety and ethicality of bee venom, the next question I’m usually asked is: “What does it do?”

I could ‘wax lyrical’ about the benefits for hours, but the short answers are below. As with any treatment, for optimal results consult an aesthetician to tailor your treatment to your specific needs, but as a general overview:

Face

Facials, masks and home products.

Anti-ageing and rejuvenation: Mellitin -– the main ingredient in venom –- stimulates blood flow to the treated area. This boosts collagen production and strengthens elastin and connective tissue. The result is skin that’s plumped, hydrated, tauter and lifted; the treatment reduces the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and other signs of ageing such as skin laxity and pigmentation.

Complexion: By stimulating the body’s natural anti-inflammatory mechanisms, apitoxin improves the overall complexion. The outcome is brighter, smoother and more vibrant skin, while also reducing the appearance of age spots, redness, pigmentation, spots and other blemishes. It works on all skin types (normal, dry or oily) depending on the ingredients combined with the apitoxin.

Chronic skin conditions: The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties make clinical treatments and home products a natural and efficacious way to treat a plethora of acute and chronic skin conditions. These include: Rosacea, acne, eczema and psoriasis, dry, oily or sensitive skin. As it works by stimulating natural processes in the skin and body, it can be used on sensitive skin.

Body

Slimming, cellulite, pigmentation and detox.

Bee venom is not just for a pretty face! It works on the body, too. Combiningexfoliationandtargetedmassagewithspecialapitoxinproducts, it detoxes the body and stimulates the lymphatic system (to aid the expulsion of toxins and excess fluid). It smooths, tones and rejuvenates the skin and even improves cellulite. It also treats pigmentation on the body. With targeted treatment, it can address different problems on different areas of the body. The result: a slimmer, smoother, toned and contoured figure.

Home Products

Just as the treatments we use in clinic are tailored to specific concerns, so is the huge range of homecare for the face, body and hair. With products for each skin type or problem, and body products to detox, reduce cellulite and even improve sleep, it really is the ‘bee’s knees’.

‘Bee’ beautiful!

TraceyTracey Locke, Lead Clinician

The Lake 33

Woggle Talk – by RastusThis series of articles looks at West Wirral Scouting over the last 100 years and, in particular, highlights the jottings and memories of the 1st West Kirby Group.

9: ‘Kon-Tiki and All That’1957 was a big year for World Scouting. It would not only have been our founder Lord Baden-Powell’s 100th Birthday, but it was also 50 years since the Brownsea Island Camp in Dorset, which signified the birth of Scouting. The Boy Scouts Association celebrated these momentous events by holding the 9th World Scout Jamboree at Sutton Coldfield. Not to be outdone, our very proactive West Wirral Scouting Association also organised another Scouting Water Pageant on the West Kirby Marine Lake. The previous Scouting Water Pageant was ‘The Incredible Adventures of Captain Curdles’ held as part of the 3rd World Scout Jamboree at Arrowe Park in 1929 (Woggle Talk #3).

Both the Opening Ceremony of the West Kirby Marine Lake in 1899 and ‘The Incredible Adventures of Captain Curdles’ were plagued by bad weather. The Opening Ceremony was delayed by a week. The 1929 Jamboree Water Pageant battled on through driving rain and gale force winds but its spirit was never dampened. True to form, it was not third time lucky as heavy seas, rain and gale force winds persisted overnight attempting to unsuccessfully disrupt the 1957 water festivities: “And yesterday morning, despite the wretched night, the scouts were up early, the rain over, with sizzling frying pans heating over spirit stoves – and in one case an open fire on a dustbin lid.”

Just sounds like any Scout camp except these Scouts were cooking their breakfast on rafts moored in the West Kirby Marine Lake. The Scouts had spent the night sleeping on board their rafts protecting themselves from the heavy rain and wind.

‘Kon-Tiki and All That’

I’m not too sure how many readers remember this busy, well organised ‘Kon-Tiki and All That’ Challenge held on the Lake over the 20th – 21st July weekend in 1957! I am sorry if you missed it! It was a memorable event. I was one of the overnighters.

The ordeal on the lake was part of the Kon-Tiki and All That weekend. It was also to honour the 10th Anniversary of Thor Heyerdahl’s Norwegian Kon-Tiki Expedition of 1947.

This was a busy and full programme, culminating with a Campfire Singsong and Firework Display on Saturday evening and concluding with a Prize Distribution Ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

The Challenge

Scouts have been challenged to design, build and man ‘Kon-Tiki’ rafts. The rafts must cost not more than three pound to build; they must be capable of being propelled and steered (by sail or manpower only) a distance of half a mile; and capable of accommodating overnight a crew of two who must cook a hot breakfast on board. The following is a report of the events of the weekend.

Liverpool Daily Post reporter – Monday 22nd July 1957

“The first light of early dawn can rarely have been as welcome as it was yesterday morning to forty-six courageous Boy Scouts who had spent the night on the West Kirby Marine Lake aboard their Kon-Tiki type rafts. The ordeal on the lake was part of the “Kon-Tiki and All That” weekend organised by the West Wirral Association of Boy Scouts to celebrate the Baden Powell Centenary and Jubilee. Abominable weather on Saturday morning when scouts from twenty-seven troops started assembling and early yesterday morning when they were sleeping on the lake failed to break the spirit of the organisers or the youthful participants.

By lunchtime on Saturday the weather improved in time for the rafts to be launched and tested.

34 The Lake

“Cockleshell Heroes” Display

Later that afternoon in sunshine thousands of people crowded West Kirby promenade and the sea wall to watch an air-sea rescue display sponsored by a Birkenhead firm and also a “Cockleshell Heroes” exhibition put on by the Mersey Division of the Royal Marine Commandos, who are based at Morpeth Dock, Birkenhead. Led by their regular Marine instructor, Sergeant R. J. Adamson the volunteer Marines demonstrated many aspects of commando tactics. The highlight was the blowing up of a miniature liner in the centre of the lake. A solitary frogman left his cockleshell boat and swam underwater to attach a limpet mine to the model ship. The ship exploded when he was safely out of range.

Further crowds gathered in Dee Lane, West Kirby on Saturday evening where there was a campfire singsong and the evening ended – for the public – with a firework display over the Marine Lake. But for the scouts the evening was by no means over. In a mounting wind with dark threatening clouds overhead they prepared to sleep aboard their rafts – two to each craft.

The competition attracted twenty-seven troops from as far afield as St Helens, Saughall near Chester, Crosby and Wrexham as well as those from the West Wirral District.The rules were that the rafts – platforms on drums or tyres – should cost no more than 3 pounds to build and they should be capable of being propelled and steered (by sail or manpower only) for half a mile and they should be capable of accommodating overnight a crew of two, who had to cook a hot breakfast on board. And yesterday morning, despite the wretched night, the scouts were up early the rain over, with sizzling frying pans heating over spirit stoves – and in one case an open fire on a dustbin lid.

Later, the Rev Canon G. W. Evans (chaplain superintendent of the Flying Angel Mission to Seamen) conducted a service on the slipway. Then the design and style of the rafts was tested in a concourse d’elegance. Canoe events followed and in the afternoon the judges watched speed and navigability trials for the rafts.

The crews of 1st Hoylake, the 1st Upton-by-Chester and 4th Wallasey troops were advised to leave their rafts during the night rain and they reluctantly complied because they had no covering, but they were able to take part in events yesterday.

Winners of the Championship for all-round performance and design were the 4th Moreton Troop with their raft Rock ‘n Roll. This was constructed of hardboard lashed to drums and could be propelled either by sail or oars.

It took three nights to build and like the others was assembled at West Kirby on Saturday. Its overnight occupants were thirteen year old Peter Davies of 33 Roslyn Drive, Moreton and Peter Sampson, aged 15, of Barnston Road, Barnston. They received their awards (a 15 pound voucher and pennant) on behalf of the troop from Lord Leverhulme (Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and president of Cheshire County Association of Boy Scouts), who was guest of honour at the lakeside yesterday, together with Lady Leverhulme and his family, including their newly-married daughter (formerly the Hon. Susan Lever) and her husband Mr Michael Pakenham.

Award winners for the weekend were:

All-round Championship prize: 4th Moreton

Construction and design: 2nd Moreton

Leading Raft from another local association: 4th Wavertree

Design and concourse d’elegance: Hilbre

Speed and navigability trial: 1st West Kirby

One-man canoe: Hilbre

Two-man canoe: Hilbre

Inspiration

This very exciting and successful weekend certainly had its ups and downs, but only weather-wise! The challenge certainly whetted the appetite of my fellow Senior Scouts and Scouters in the 1st West Kirby troop. We had caught the Kon-Tiki bug and were determined to organise a trip to Norway to see the real raft, which travelled from Peru to French Polynesia, and is now housed and on display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo.

We accepted a Norwegian challenge (Norge58) laid down to us by our Senior Scout Master and our District and County Commissioners and were able to fulfil our dreams.

Thor Heyerdahl’s quote displayed in the Kon-Tiki Museum could easily apply to the Boy Scout Association – maybe barriers as well as borders!

Borders? Barriers?

I have never seen one,

But I have heard they exist

in the minds of some people.

(modified after Thor Heyerdahl)

(Many thanks to Dr J C Chubb for the photographs in this article)

Next issue: Woggle Talk 10: Norge58

The Lake 35

ShorelinesBy Stephen G Baker

I normally find out what is going in the news by scanning headlines. The truth is I never seem to have enough time to read things in as much detail as I would like. That, however, is not always a good idea or a good way to process information.

It is now commonly accepted that the soundbite, the video clip and tweet are fast becoming the level at which many people communicate and this determines the extent of their understanding of issues. Academics such as Neil Postman (1931–2003) and writers such as Gene Edward Veith Jnr and Nicholas Carr suggest that the power of the written word triumphs over every other media. The process of logical thinking is irreplaceable and the long-term effect of modern media is (to quote Nicholas Carr) “changing the way we think, read and remember”1.

So what’s my point? I want to stress the need to consider the claims of the Bible and to think through the issues that are presented within its pages. Before you dismiss what I say, please remember that an in-depth understanding of the issues raised are vital before making a decision. I will leave you with a quotation from the Bible and some comments.

“For Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law, That the man who does those things shall live by them” Romans 10. 5.

This passage is clarifying what the whole of the Old Testament is about, i.e. if you obeyed all the commandments found in the law then you would be righteous, i.e. holy, pure and blameless.

“But the righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise . . . But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach, that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10. 6-13

This section is contrasting what we think we need to do to be right with God with the way God has planned. Salvation is possible through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The forgiveness of sins and salvation is available because ‘Christ died for our sins’2.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10. 171 The Shallows, Nicholas Carr, Atlantic Books 20102 Corinthians 15:3 KJV Bible

Listen, watch or read more on my webpage, www.findingthemissingpeace.co.uk

36 The Lake

Wirral man Glyn Salmon has just returned having completed cycling the Stelvio Pass in Italy with his friend Graham Hanna on behalf of Maggie’s Merseyside. The friends raised close to £4,000 for the cancer care centre, which is located next to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Glyn and Graham completed the Stelvio pass, which is 21km long with an average gradient of 7% with the summit approximately 10,000ft above sea level.

Glyn said: “I’ve had two bouts of cancer. The first time was four years ago when I had a small operation followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Sadly, two years later the cancer returned and I had an eleven-hour operation followed by a six-hour operation four months later. The operations have left me with a permanent soma and rare condition called pudendal peuropathy (nerve entrapment), leaving me with chronic pain and the inability to sit down.

“The disease prevents me from cycling, the thing I love best (once the football went), but I have adapted and for the past year I’ve been riding my recumbent trike. This is not a message of pity, but a message of hope for people who have to or are dealing with this terrible disease – please just keep going, find ways of adapting and draw on the tremendous love that your beautiful family and friends give you.”

Glyn and Graham raised the money for the Maggie’s Centre, following the support Glyn received there. Glyn now also volunteers at the centre, welcoming visitors.

Glyn said: “The love and support I got from my family and friends helped me to get back on my feet, but life was never going to be the same and the mental side of my cancer and my operations was becoming a block in recovering to lead a decent life again. My doctor asked me to go to Maggie’s and see the counsellor.

“It is here in Maggie’s you feel someone is listening to the pain you are in. It is a place where you can open your heart and you can cry – but you also laugh and you do make friends.”

Kathy Wright, Centre Head at Maggie’s, said: “We’re all blown away by what Glyn and Graham have done for our centre, and are completely humbled and inspired. Congratulations! Not only have they taken on an incredible challenge, having overcome countless barriers to making it up the pass, but they’ve raised such a huge amount of money. Every penny will help me and my team be here for people affected by cancer when they need it most. Thank you to Glyn and Graham, and everyone that sponsored and supported them, for your generosity and kindness. Glyn is a true gent and our Maggie’s hero!”

To sponsor Glyn and Graham, visit their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/glyn-salmon

Glyn takes on the Stelvio Pass for Maggie’s

Heswall Senior Swimmers recently held their 22nd Annual General Meeting at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Chairman Geoff Duggan gave his annual report, which was then followed by the election of officers. The RLGC has hosted the swimming club’s AGM for at least the last ten years and makes an excellent venue overlooking the golf course. The AGM included a two-course lunch with a choice of Seared Salmon or Steak and Kidney Pie for the main course. This was followed by either Crème Brûlée or Bread and Butter Pudding with ice cream and custard. A big thank you to the RLGC for looking after us so well.

In 1996 the Calday Grange Swimming Pool Trust was established to manage and operate the pool and the Heswall Senior Swimmers was formed as a club with the aim of providing swimming and social enjoyment for its members.

The area from which members are drawn extends to the whole of Wirral and caters for the over 50s with no top age limit – some of our members continue to swim into their 90s. The group meets every Friday at Calday Grange Swimming Pool from 9am to 11 am and the first visit is free for new members.

Heswall Senior Swimmers is a very friendly and sociable club. Members can swim energetically, just take gentle exercise, or socialise and put the world to rights by the poolside. We enjoy three social events every year, which includes a Christmas Party at Thornton Hall Hotel. Why not come along and give us a try? The pool is at the end of Gourley Lane, West Kirby.

For more details or information on how to join, contact either Geoff Duggan 0151 216 8023, Judith Rogers 0151 929 5751 or Ursula Reddington 0151 652 6081.

Heswall Senior SwimmersThe Lake 37

My father was born on 18th July 1904, the first child of his father (also Joseph) and his mother (born Anne Bretland Harris) who were living at 108 Warbreck Moor, Aintree. They later had a daughter Mary Anne Harris, to be known as May, who was born in 1909 (26 November).

His father traded in the wholesale fruit and vegetable market on Cazneau St, known as North Market. He specialised in potatoes, which he sold to the town’s greengrocers, hotels and chip shops. It is possible that he met his wife as a result of business. Her mother’s family had a retail poultry business on Scotland Road, just a few yards from the market.

My father had, I think, a rather unhappy childhood. There must have been some tension within the family. I am not clear as to why this was, but my mother indicated to me that his mother had drunk to excess. She died in 1925 – the death certificate states that diabetes and pneumonia were the causes. Father was already married by this time and my mother told me that he had been inconsolable at the time of her death. When he was about eight years old he had been sent to live with relatives on a farm in Anglesey and attended the school at Llangefni. Father told me that this was because of the Zeppelin scare, but I rather believe that did not come about until about 1916, when he would have been 12. I once was taken to a farm near Llangefni where he had stayed and met a woman known as Ginny who had looked after him. She was related. Ginny told my mother that “Joe was very hard”, which I took to mean tough. I think it was a difficult couple of years for him being in a Welsh-speaking school. He walked across the fields each morning to go to school and he told me of a billy goat that butted him into a stream on one occasion. He made friends with a boy called Windsor and they had a bicycling holiday in Snowdonia. He told me that the main relaxation was to play draughts in the evening after their exertions during the day. On one occasion, while staying in a small pub, they had been challenged by a local who beat each of them in turn. It was only later that that my father discovered that this was the Welsh champion!

I do not know when he was brought back from Anglesey to Liverpool, but he was entered into The Collegiate in Shaw Street and attended there for only a few terms. At the age of 14 he refused to go back to school, and his father decided he would bring him into the business in North Market; he started by driving a lorry and delivering produce to the customers. His knowledge of the street map of Liverpool was legendary in our family – the equivalent of a black cab driver in London! At this time also, the World War came to an end and many soldiers who had sustained wounds were shipped back to Liverpool from the continent. The School of Tropical Medicine was turned into a hospital and my father was one, of doubtless many, who volunteered his services to drive ambulances from the docks to the various hospitals and nursing homes that were being used by the military authorities.

As he grew older he started to take a keen interest in the business in the market and proved himself to be a very keen trader with, perhaps, a tendency to gamble somewhat recklessly, which was a fact of his character that remained with him throughout his career. This led to many situations both good and bad over the years.

It is not clear to me who developed the business from market trading to something much larger with interests in seed potatoes and export. Certainly father was busy at this, but I do not know how much was already under way by the efforts of his father. I do know, however, that they had a falling out and my father left the firm that my grandfather had brought him into. He set himself up his own firm in the market. Neither firms were limited. J. Johnson and J. Johnson Junior traded in competition to each other in North Market for a period of about two years. I believe father was about 18 when this happened; it must also have been the year that he married. My mother told us that their honeymoon was a weekend in the flat they had rented to start their own home. My father was back in the market for the start of trading on the Monday morning. She said that he slept with his wallet under his pillow and it contained all his wealth! He prospered in his own business but it took his professional accountant to reconcile him with his father. Sydney Smith had known him as a fellow schoolboy at the Collegiate, and they had become friends. Being on the outside, he could overlook

In the first of a three-part article, Brian Johnson tells readers about his father Joseph a local resident…

the family rancour and recommend a common-sense solution. So in 1922, or thereabouts, J. Johnson & Son Ltd was brought into being with a paid capital of 500 £1 shares and £3,250 preference shares, the latter being issued to J. Johnson senior and the ordinary shares being split 225 to Johnson Senior and 275 to Johnson Junior. Of course, this gave my father actual control, and it was agreed that grandfather would become chairman, and at the age of 47, take things easier with a view to full retirement in his mid 50s. In fact, only a few years later in 1925 his wife died and he was left a widower. He still lived at 106 Warbreck Moor in Aintree. Immediately after her death, his daughter took over the running of the house for him. Grandfather continued in the business and also as a member of his local hospital’s committee, which I believe he chaired for a short time. During this time he met a nursing sister (Gertrude) and eventually married her. They moved from 106 Warbreck Moor to 108 Warbreck Moor. Gertrude said of their courtship that she had been working at the Northern Hospital and grandfather had visited it with the committee. After the visit, he came back to find her and ask her out. She said that when they were out on their first date, that she said to him: “What will your wife say if she finds out?”. Without a word, he drove her to the graveyard where his first wife lay and showed Gerty the grave.

By 1930, both my father and grandfather were looking to move out of Liverpool into the Wirral. I do not know who moved first, but grandfather bought Winfield, a small house at the top of Smith’s Hill and close to Calday Grammar School. Winfield was a pleasant small house with plenty of garden space, which he and his wife thoroughly enjoyed improving and cultivating. The most local village was Newton and grandfather showed some interest in the local scene by helping the Newton Village Hall Movement, and introducing jazz bands from Liverpool and Bootle districts to the Village Fair. Father and family moved to Meols. They lived on the Parade and close to the shore in a place they thought ideal for raising a family.

Throughout the ’20s and ’30s the business continued to prosper. It seems that father did the travelling on behalf of the expanding business. He frequently travelled inside the UK to London, Scotland, Ireland, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, etc. He also became acquainted with the practical researchers in the potato world (‘academics’ might be too strong a word). One name that springs to mind is Mrs McDermott who worked firstly in Ormskirk (being a Lancastrian widow from the First World War), and later in Sutton Barrington in Leicestershire, where she presided over Loughborough Agricultural College trial plots. My father regarded her as the ultimate authority on potato varieties, and their diseases.

I have a letter sent early in this period (1924) from my father to my mother from Silloth in Cumberland during one of his internal trips finding new contacts, and a series of letters sent from ships in the Mediterranean in 1934 during his tour to appoint agents to increase the export sales of seed potatoes by J. Johnson & Son Ltd. (In the years before systemic treatment of seed potato crops, the health of the tuber would break down slowly in the hot Mediterranean basin, resulting in the inability to get good crops of table potatoes without new seed from colder climates each year.) Father extended the firm’s supply lines by dealing both in Ireland and Scotland where the seed was grown, and by being aware of shipping opportunities to all countries both by liner and charter services. Seed crops also produce larger potatoes (table potatoes are known as ‘ware’) By trading in these, as well for consumption, through the Ware Department in Liverpool, and by taking opportunities to export ware potatoes when possible, he was able to become a factor in the national potato industry. He had achieved this prior to World War II and this was recognised by his appointment by the Food (Defence Plans) Department of the Board of Trade to the Committee in Lancashire. Interestingly, this appointment was made in May 1939, so the Government were doing some planning for what was about to happen.

The firm had a trade stand each year at the Smithfield Show in London during the first week of December. The stand was a gathering point for many and merchants from all over the British Isles would congregate there and this was always good for PR.

38 The Lake

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1. Thecourtofprotectioncanandwillappoint‘deputies’to manage your affairs if no family member/friend quickly applies tobecomeyourdeputy/attorney.Thisbecomesveryarduous and very expensive. Court appointed deputies would close your bank accounts and divert all your income to the court.

2. Familymemberscanapplytothecourttobecomeyour attorneyforfinancialaffairsonly.Thisprocesscantakeup to four months and costs can easily exceed £3,000.

3. Your bank can freeze your bank accounts; they can even freeze joint bank accounts.

4. Socialserviceswillbeincompletecontrolofyourhealthrelated matters and can place you into a care home, possibly against your or your family’s wishes.

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Have you protected yourself witha lasting power of attorney?

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Lasting Powers of Attorney and why all adults should have them in place.

Thelastingpowerofattorney(LPA)wasintroducedbythe Mental Capacity Act 2005 and came into being in October 2007, replacingthepreviousEnduringPowerofAttorneywhichhad beenaroundsince1985.

TherearetwotypesofLPA:

1.Forhealthandwelfarematters

2.Forfinancialaffairs

TheActstatesthatshouldyouhavesomeformofincapacity (temporaryorpermanent)thatpreventsyoufromlookingafter your own affairs, you must have appointed attorneys who can be either family members or trusted friends to act for you under a registeredLPA.

EachLPAisa20-pagedocumentandithastoberegisteredwiththeOfficeofthePublicGuardian.

Theregistrationprocesstakeseighttonineweeksandafeeispayabletoregistereachone.Thatfeedependsonyourlevelofincome. In some cases the registration fee is waived.

If you develop some form of incapacity then your attorneys can actfullylegallyonyourbehalfunderaregisteredLPA.

The Lake 39

fromtheweddingoftheirHighnessestheDukeandDuchessofCambridge.Thepiece was in a small embossed tin box which also contained a printed card and the serial number of the piece of presentationcake.Tensofthousandswere distributed to worthy persons, so a large number were sent out to people around the globe. Most would have been consumed within days of opening. Thisparticularpiecewasunopened

and totally unnibbled and this, therefore, pushed the bidding up to £300. Crumbs! I thought a good price for a small slice of second-hand cake? Royal wedding cakes have been at

times enormously elaborate. One of HerMajestyQueenVictoria’sdaughters,PrincessLouise,causedalarmby marryingacommoner,TheMarquisofLorne, but their wedding cake was a magnificent work of art and stood over fivefeethigh(seebelow);maybetoprovea point and raise the Marquis’s status

With Cato Crane Valuers & Auctioneers and John Crane Fine Art

All Things AuctioneeringChange and innovation, I have found, has always been constant in business to a lesser or greater extent. Nowadays some auctioneers have

moved away from their traditional roots and moved into auctioning different types of merchandise, including fashion items.Designer fashion handbag auctions are

hugely popular at the moment, with the toppricerecentlyof£360,000beingachieved for a single bag – not a set! Pleasedon’tleaveleakyinkpensinyoursfromnowon!Howlongwillthisfashion last? Well, no one knows; I am not involved, as I generally keep clear of transient speculation.Cato Crane was born 35 years ago and

wasnamedbymyfatherafterthec19thfamily business of Cato Miller and Company who built over 50 wood and ironsailingships100yardsfromwhereour auction rooms are to this day. We sooninheritedTalbotWilsonofWestKirbyand Baker & Baker of Birkenhead, both of fine reputation.Associated with Cato Crane are and

operatingthroughourofficeonTheMount inHeswallareThe5CountiesValuation-Company(5CVC.co.uk)andBathurstSt.James’s in London for the finest objects and clients outside Wirral.

Marketing strategies have changed during the last three and a half decades. I still have printed thousands of good quality leaflets to distribute to prospective clients, which is extremely time-consuming. MostpeopleknowaboutTwitter,thoughnot many of a certain generation seem to use it! A ‘tweet’ composed in a couple of

minutes together with photographs reaches thousandsofTwitteruserswithinsecondsof being posted; it is an international message board and appears to be well regulated.ForthosereaderswhohavenotembracedTwittertechnology,mayIsincerely recommend that you do as soon as possible. You will be better informed about local, national and international business and social happenings and I have made good internet friends around theglobe.Twitterwillwidenyourhorizons.SofollowusonTwitter@CatoCraneandthispublication@LakeWirral–don’tbeadinosaur – I was, but not now.

Now, do you have any friends or relations who were guests at a certain Royal Weddingrecently?Pleasetextthem immediately!Youshouldaskthem: ‘Did you eat the cake?’ No, the mix of ingredients and the baking were absolutely fine and perfect, as was the decorative icing. But if you happen to be a collector of genuine Royal memorabilia, then wedding cake, I think, should be top of the list! In our recent auction we successfully sold a piece of wedding cake

PathinHeswallpostedonTwitterhad5,000hits!

40 The Lake

Thevaluetomeinpaintingsisknowing about the lives of the artists, and r ecognising fine quality pictures which may have been ignored for years by their owners. Biographies of the lives of most artists are available on the internet. When visiting art galleries it is always worth taking your internet technology with you to research on site – background information brings pictures to life.Artists come in all shapes and sizes,

and from different backgrounds – from extremely wealthy to poor and virtually destitute. In the main, disciplined artists became successful but the shambolic lives of many artist who lived dissolute lives in wretched conditions surprisingly produced many fine artistic works which are now highly prized. Ellen Clacy fell between these two

extremes, being born into an impoverished middle-classclergyman’sfamily.Hermother(alsoEllenClacy),awriterandmaybe a little bohemian in her lifestyle, gave birth to her daughter on a ship homeward bound from Australia in 1853.Thatdaughtergrewuptobecomean extremely talented and recognised watercolour artist who lived for a time in Liverpool. Thepoloseasonhasstartedagainand

I suppose I will be making a couple of pilgrimages to Cirencester where are to be discovered the oldest polo grounds in thecountry.Somepeoplemightconsiderittobeanelitistsport.Thatmaybethecase if you are a team owner and that is the way it is – it is not going to change! Equestrian collectables are big news

now. I have illustrated a silver-plated cruet that would possibly grace any pre-polo

beforetheeyesoftheinvitedguests.HerMajestyQueenElizabethIlandPrincePhillipreceivedpre-weddinggiftsofnofewerthan11elaborateweddingcakesof several tiers each, which were put on display for visitors to see.Somyadvicetoyouisthis–evenif

you celebrated the wedding at home in frontoftheTVandmadeyourownRoyalWedding Cake for your family, store some piecesawaycarefullyuntilPrinceGeorgegets married! Haveyousampledthedelightsofthe

greatsubcontinentofIndia?(I’mnotenquiring when you last went to the AlamBaltiHouseinBebington!)Thissmall painting, six inches in diameter, is oftheTajMahalpaintedin1905,whichperfectly captures the Indian light and architecturaldetail.TheartistwasEllenLouise Clacy.

luncheontableintheClubhouse(moreofthisinthenextissue).Finally,oneoftheleadingauthoritiesin

theUKonthehistoryofthepianoforterecently offered the view that the tone of the concert pianoforte represented the country of manufacture. A serious comment and one worth considering next time you hear a recital if you can g et a glimpse of the name above the keys! We are currently seeking a good modern upright pianoforte for a local youngperson:ifyouknowofone,pleaselet me know. Despite some auctioneers changing

direction to embrace ‘novelty’, I still firmly believe that our commitment to treating everyone we meet in our working day with old-fashioned courtesy and upholding ethical business practices is standing the test of time. I consider that our clients appreciate this, as our client base is still growing even after 35 years!OurHeswallOfficeonTheMountis

openeveryFridaybyappointment. Contactmeon01513422321orofcoursefollowmeonTwitter@CatoCraneor our website CatoCrane.co.uk Taj Mahal by Ellen Louise Clacy

Equestrian Cruet

The Lake 41

This issue I’m talking about sugar, and how to reduce the amount you have in your diet! If you read my regular column you may have read an earlier piece that was all about the effects of sugar on the body (you can find the piece online via the The Lake website).

So if you follow my column, you will notice that I’m a big believer in small changes that are made consistently over a long period!

The reason I’m covering sugar reduction is I’ve had quite a few clients lately saying they find it the hardest thing to reduce for various reasons!

How can we reduce sugar? We all enjoy treats at times, so let’s look how to reduce sugar in a simple way on a daily basis:

• Drop sugary drinks, and when drinking alcohol go for low sugar mixers.

• Avoid low fat yogurts as they are often high in sugar. Go for natural yogurt and add your own fruit if needed.

• Be label savvy! The easiest way to read labels is to look at the ingredient list on the back and the product will state the ingredients in size order. For example if you are buying almond milk, ideally the back should read ‘water, almonds’ etc., not ‘water, sugar, almonds’ – you will be surprised to know that’s often the case in things like milk alternatives.

• Check the sugar content in food and, where possible, go for products that are lower in sugar. For example, if it says that out of 100 grams, 17 grams is sugar, then you know it’s 17% sugar, so compare it to other similar products. Although it will initially take a little time, you will soon know the best products to go for!

• Remember companies use other words for sugar. There are at least 61 different names for sugar listed on food labels. These include common names, such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, as well as barley malt, dextrose, maltose and rice syrup, among others. A quick Google will tell you what an ingredient really is, if you’re unsure.

• When choosing fruits, go for all the berries as they are lower in sugar.

• Don’t buy a mega-value bar of your favourite chocolate because – if you’re anything like me – you’ll convince yourself you won’t eat the whole bar in one, only to find yourself on cupboard patrol when bored and eat the whole bar!

• Don’t skip meals and go hungry as this is one of the biggest ways to find yourself hitting a mega sugar craving bout!

• When you’re out shopping and buying treats for the children (this is one I hear a lot), deliberately buy ones you don’t like or you will find their treats soon become yours!

• How about swapping normal chocolate for dark as it’s lower in sugar and as it’s so rich you will be likely to eat less.

• If you want to try to cut out sugar as a challenge why don’t you do it for 21 days? It supposedly takes this long to form new habits and I can tell you from experience that this length of change makes the biggest impact long term! I often set clients a 21-day nutritional challenge for them to follow and I find by the end of it they decide they love the changes so much they are sticking to it.

If you would like help with a healthier lifestyle, I offer one-to-one personal training and nutritional programmes. Additionally I have a sports massage clinic. I’m based between a small Heswall studio and large private weights and functional fitness studio in Bromborough. I will have limited places available from September. If you have any queries just contact me to find out more!

Hayley x M: 0773 547 0326

W: www.thefitnessqueen.co.uk

F: Fitness Queen

E: Hayley@thefitnessqueen.co.uk

Our lifestyle blog is brought to you by local Personal Trainer and Fitness Queen founder, Hayley Lundy. We aim to educate, motivate and inspire our readers to lead a healthy active life.

42 The Lake