Lydiate – Will a volunteer ‘In Bloom’ type group take off?

Well I would like to think so as it could build on the work of Lydiate Parish Council which created the lovely garden area at Southport Road/Nedens Lane and the grassed/planted area outside St. Gregs Church on Liverpool Road. My previous blog posting about the gardens at Nedens Lane refers at:-

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2016/02/10/lydiate-a-lovely-oasis-amongst-its-urban-surroundings/

And here’s a shot of the flower beds outside St. Gregs Church:-

Of course Lydiate Parish Council also used to provide beautiful hanging baskets along Southport Road and outside the Coronation Road shops but it stopped them a couple of years ago due to the cost implications. If a way could be found to reinstate them that would be a great.

And now a bit of history. Maghull in Bloom and its award winning volunteer groups used to be called Maghull & Lydiate in Bloom but became Maghull in Bloom due to the vast majority of its volunteers coming from Maghull. That volunteer group together with Maghull Maghull Station Volunteers has been going for 10 years now.

Sheila and I whilst living in Lydiate these days have been volunteering for Maghull in Bloom for two or three years now and we maintain the Lydiate/Maghull boundary planter on Southport Road outside Astor Court flats.

Helen Jones is trying to pull together a Lydiate volunteer group and she can be reached via this e-mail address:-

lydiateinflower@outlook.com

If you want to get involved please get in touch, Sheila and I have found working with Maghull in Bloom a real treat as you get to meet locals who also care for the local environment and make new friends too.

Electric HGV’s powered by overhead lines – Is it a possible future?

From this to electrically powered HGV’s?

www.flickr.com/photos/mwmbwls/36419388584/in/contacts/

The link above is to a photo together with a short write up on Flickr but it’s really worth looking at as it could just be a possible future without diesel pollution.

Thinking of the air pollution in and around Bootle due to HGV’s accessing the Port of Liverpool (and of course HGV pollution everywhere else too) this must be looked at as a serious alternative to us all being poisoned by traffic pollution.

My friend Bob, who provided the lead to this posting says – I think the point to stress is that this is still experimental and that there would be a host of road management issues to address such as how overtaking would be organised; how to integrate with existing cars and non electric trucks at motorway junctions. There is also a big debate looming about platooning HGVs using anti collision technologies. It may be that dedicated truck ways are the answer – similar to the Leigh busway- although the trough/ dolly wheel steering guidance system could probably be obsolete by then.

The big plus would be if the existing road from the docks was put into a tunnel – electric trucks would be ideal for underground operation.

Photo credit on Flickr link is to Siemens.

Skelmersdale – Putting it back on the railway map?

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/skelmersdale-rail-link-moves-step-13639557

The Liverpool Echo has the story on its web site – see link above

I have covered this project previously and whilst I know that some Lancashire folk are highly sceptical of the £300m+ new railway line and Skem station ever being funded this is clearly another, if small, milestone along the right track.

Here’s a shot of the old and now long gone former Skelmersdale Station:-

The old Skelmersdale Station – now long gone in the name of 1950’s/60’s progress!

And here’s a couple of shots taken at Rainford Junction Station (there is no junction now):-

And finally a shot at Kirkby Station (the subject of a future posting of mine) where the present line from Wigan meets head on with Merseyrail’s electric service to/from Liverpool:-

End of the line from Wigan, the Merseyrail service to Liverpool is accessed under the bridge.

Note – The last trains to Skelmersdale ran on Sunday 4 November 1956 and the station closed to passengers on Monday 5 November 1956. Skelmersdale station remained open for goods services until 4 November 1963 when it was closed completely. Information from Disused Stations UK.

Click on the photos to enlarge them

The last photo is amongst my Flickr shots at:-

www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/

Maghull – Poppy Fields housing development and Maghull North Station

I went to have a look at the new housing development at ‘Poppy Fields’ yesterday. I say Poppy Fields when of course I mean the former Moss Side Hospital site (also known as Ashworth South to some folk) where Maghull’s second railway station is presently being built too.

I arrived there at around 11am. The site was accessible i.e. the gate was open but oddly the sales suite was not despite a notice saying it was on Thursday’s through to Monday’s (don’t they sell houses on Tuesdays and Wednesdays?). I did see a handful of people looking around the site though.

The Ormskirk – Liverpool railway line/new station site is on the left hand edge of this plan.

Another thing I thought was odd concerned the plan of the site stuck to the outside of the sales suite – it did not depict the new station being built at all. Is the new station not a big selling point for the developer?

From what I saw though they do seem to be selling houses with I would guess 50% of the properties that are partially built having sold signs on them.

But I wanted to look at the progress of the railway station too and in what seemed to be a separate locked compound excavations were taking place on the area to be occupied by the station building and car park.

Excavation works where the Station building/station car park will be.

A view of the station site from the School Lane overbridge.

Clearly house building in and around Maghull/Lydiate has been hugely controversial in recent years not least because of the loss of Green Belt and the very highest grades of agricultural land (which grows our food) for the building. But this site was not a part of such controversy, indeed building there was broadly accepted by local environment campaigners as a sensible reuse of a previously partly developed site.

My final thought for now is how much will the new housing on this site meet what I think are the greatest local housing needs – bungalows/single level accessible flats for the elderly, small starter homes for those trying to get onto the housing ladder and of course social housing? I think I know the answer…….

Click on the photos to enlarge them

Liverpool – It’s 60 years since it lost its trams

Had a great day out yesterday with Keith Page reliving the age of the tram at Wirral Transport Museum where they were celebrating the 60th anniversary of the running of Liverpool’s Last Tram.

Sadly Liverpool no longer has any tram tracks so celebrating the 60th anniversary there was a non-runner. But over the water on the Wirral about a mile of track was relayed in modern times for the heritage trams of their Transport Museum and Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society to run on.

As part of the celebrations a 1950’s street scene was recreated on Pacific Road with Liverpool’s recently rebuilt tramcar 245 (owned by National Museums Liverpool) and other heritage road vehicles.

Here are some photos from the well attended event:-

1950’s Street Scene on Pacific Road, Birkenhead

1950’s Street Scene on Pacific Road, Birkenhead – An alternative view

‘Baby Grand’ Tramcar 245 at Woodside Ferry Terminal.

The first photo is also amongst my Flickr shots at:-

www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/

Well done to all the organisers and exhibitors it was well done and well worth their efforts.

Formby – Temporary repairs done on cycle/footpath route

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2017/09/11/formby-footpathcycle-path-bridge-collapsing/

I posted a few days ago about the damaged cycle/footbridge over a stream just south of Formby – my previous posting is accessible via the link above – and am pleased to say that some temporary repairs have been completed.

Here’s a couple of shots of the temporary repairs taken by Roy Connell.

Thanks to Sefton Council’s Footpath Officer for acting quickly to try to make the bridge safe. I understand that the bridge is to be replaced by Sefton Council.

With thanks to Roy Connell for the lead to this posting