I was in Maghull Town Hall’s Council Chamber a couple of weeks back for a meeting of the Maghull in Bloom Volunteers and could not be anything other than impressed with the scaled-down sculpture/piece of artwork that is on display there:-
The original life-size version of this lovely piece of remembrance sculpture is in the grounds of Liverpool’s famous bombed out church – St Lukes at the top of Bold Street and it looks like this:-
This is Maghull Square in the 1970’s but the buildings are substantially as was. It was built in the 1960’s. Photographer unknown.
What’s going on at Maghull Square/Westway shopping centre or more to the point why is little or nothing seemingly going on there? I refer of course to the oft promised refurb/upgrade.
The previous owners (The Maghull Group) put in for planning permission to do it up but sold it on prior to doing the upgrade and the present owners have seemingly gone to ground after much talk of them upgrading the down at heal 1960’s buildings and the appalling car parks surfacing.
Apart from the works by Maghull in Bloom’s volunteers what else has been done to try to uplift the Square? I’m struggling to think of any positive actions other than the larger shop units in one corner of the Square.
Thinking back the original owners were I understand a company called Ravenseft (or a title something like that) and I believe that Mars Pension Fund once owned it too.
Despite the many and various hands it has gone through Maghull still has a shopping centre that needs updating other than via the hands of volunteers!
Come on, please get a move on London and Cambridge.
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.
So we know that Home Bargains is going to occupy the new store on the old Maghull Library/former Stafford Moreton Youth Centre site but have you seen the weeds that are growing in the ‘landscaped’ parts of the site!
Click on the photo to enlarge it
Who is the land owner I wonder and when will their grounds maintenance regime kick in?
As a Maghull in Bloom volunteer my view is that we need the owner to step up and make the landscaped parts of the site a credit to Maghull and the sooner the better please.
Maghull in Bloom volunteers are supporting Rotary’s purple4polio campaign which aims to eradicate polio worldwide. Rotary has joined forces with the Royal Horticultural Society to distribute 5 million bulbs to ‘In Bloom’ groups across Britain and Ireland to raise awareness about their campaign.
They gave Maghull in Bloom 5000 purple crocus bulbs which have been planted at various locations, including the circular planters and barrier baskets in Maghull Square/along Westway and in the Maghull boundary baskets such as the one on the Maghull/Lydiate boundary on Southport Road.
The first photo also is amongst my Flickr shots at:-
Lydiate Parish Councillor Tony Robertson has found himself in deep water (or is that snow) for impersonating a Santa. He was rumbled by a little girl who came up to him this lunchtime outside Morrisons Store in Maghull and said ‘are you George’, no replied Santa I am Santa.
But eventually Santa had to admit that George had been the previous Santa but that he had now gone back to Lapland. The little girl was seemingly unimpressed with that story and forced Santa to confirm that George had indeed just returned to his Maghull home.
But Santa’s embarrassment was all in a good cause though as funds were being raised for the good causes supported by Maghull & Aughton Rotary Club and the work of Maghull in Bloom’s volunteers.
Thanks to the generous folk of the locality for their contributions to the fund raising today and throughout the festive period.