Exclusive Q&A With Stephen Graham And Stars Of Major New BBC 1 Drama, Time

JOIN award winning Actor Stephen Graham (Line of Duty, The Virtues) and leading writer Jimmy McGovern for an exclusive online panel discussion and Q&A, ahead of the launch of BBC 1's gripping new prison drama, Time.

On Wednesday, 2 June 2021, at 6pm, the BBC will host a live online event, hosted by BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Jessie Aru Phillips, when fans will be able to put questions to the stars of the show, including:- Stephen Graham, Hannah Walters and other leading cast members, plus writer Jimmy McGovern.

There will also be the chance to see exclusive clips ahead of the official broadcast on BBC 1, Sunday, 6 June 2021, at 9pm. Time is a visceral, emotional and high stakes portrayal of life in a British prison. Mark Cobden (Sean Bean) is consumed by guilt after accidentally killing an innocent man. Accepting his four year sentence and separated from his family, he meets Eric McNally (Stephen Graham), a caring prison officer doing his best to protect those in his charge.

The major 3 part series, recorded on location, in Liverpool, also stars:- Sean Bean (Broken, Game of Thrones), Hannah Walters (This is England, Pirates of the Caribbean), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley, The Other 1), and Sue Johnston (The Royle Family, Downton Abbey).

Time was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer. It is directed by Lewis Arnold (Des, Humans) and executive produced by Tom Sherry and Michael Parke for BBC Studios Production and Lucy Richer for the BBC, alongside Jimmy McGovern, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. The producer is Simon Maloney (King Charles III, I May Destroy You) and the series is distributed internationally by BBC Studios.

To find out how to apply for tickets to this exclusive online Q&A and panel discussion go to:- BBC.Co.UK/ShowsAndTours.

Merseyrail named Best Performing Regional Rail Operator by major industry awards for 3rd year running

MERSEYRAIL has again been recognised as the best performing Regional rail operator at this year's:- 'Golden Whistle Awards.' This is the 3rd year in a row that Merseyrail has won this award; proving that it is consistently 1 of the most punctual rail operators in the country. The train company broke a national performance record earlier this year by completing an entire 28 day period with 99% of its trains arriving on time or within 5 minutes (Public Performance Measure - PPM) a 1st for the UK rail industry. The awards, which are organised by Modern Railways and the Institution of Railway Operators, are dedicated to those working with railway operations and are based on operational performance statistics.

Zoe Hands, Operations Director at Merseyrail, said:- "I'm delighted that our corner of the world continues to have the best performing railway, which is not only great for our customers, but something the Region can be proud of. It has been a hugely challenging year and we've been able to operate a timely service throughout and are offering greater frequency and capacity at every opportunity. I'd like to extend my thanks to our partners at Merseytravel, Stadler, British Transport Police, Carlisle and Network Rail who work with us day in and day out to achieve these levels of performance; it wouldn't have been possible without them."

Family run Southport butchers offers click and collect to make life easier for shoppers

A quality Southport Butcher is inviting people to take advantage of its growingly popular Click and Collect service to save themselves time and money. Family run Blackhurst Butchers has been at Southport Market for nearly ˝ a Century, serving generations of customers. They pride themselves on the best local, British produce. The firm has recently taken prime spot in the new look market, as Sefton Council continues with the ₤1.4million transformation of the building into an exciting new food, drink and events hub. Blackhurst Butchers is enjoying being situated right at the front of the building, on King Street, with parking spaces directly outside. It has remained open throughout the building work, with the new look Southport Market due to open fully within the next few weeks. The Blackhurst Butchers Click and Collect service has become increasingly popular, particularly among BBQ lovers.

Owner Tony Blackhurst said:- "Since the lockdown restrictions eased and more businesses reopened there are quite a lot of people out in town now, which is great to see. We have always been busy, but this has definitely brought a lot more footfall to the street. Now that Southport is becoming busier our Click and Collect service means that it is easier and cheaper for people to buy from us. We were situated towards the back of Southport Market before, but now it is great being right at the front. It means that people can place their order with us using our Blackhurst Butchers App and then pull up right outside, and we will have the order ready for them. We can even bring it right to you in your car so you don't have to spend money on parking tickets."