CALLING ALL MERSEYSIDE FILMMAKERS:- PUTTING ‘LIVERPOOL ON FILM’

LOCALS are being invited to put ‘Liverpool on film’ as part of a competition to capture what modern life is like and to celebrate Liverpool’s 800th year.  Organised by Merepark and Ballymore, the developers behind the £160M Central Village development, the competition asks for short films (three to 10 minutes in length) which embody Liverpool’s infamous friendly spirit and tell the story of the people who live here.

Merepark director Richard Peel comments:- “Liverpool is changing every day thanks to the amount of regeneration underway and with work on our Central Village site soon to start, we felt it was an ideal time to try and capture the city’s richness and vibrancy on film.  We want people to be as creative and free spirited as possible. It doesn’t matter if your film is shot with professional equipment or a mobile phone, whether it focuses on your own life experiences or the renaissance of the city, we want to see people’s passion for Liverpool. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

6 films will be short-listed for an exclusive screening at Liverpool’s FACT Centre on Wood Street and will be judged by a panel comprising of Merepark’s Richard Peel and Martin Wright from regeneration body Liverpool Vision.  The winning film-maker will receive a £5,000 cash prize and a trip for 2 to New York’s Greenwich Village; an area which has already been compared to Liverpool’s Central Village. 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive £3,000 and £1,000 respectively. The winning film will also be available for download and will be shown in the Central Village show apartment, when it opens later this year.

Open to amateur film makers, students and anyone wanting to be in with a chance to visit New York, all entries must be submitted to ‘Liverpool on Film’ c/o Paver Smith, 14th Floor, The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool no later than Friday 8 June 2007. Full details and some filming ‘top tips’ can also be downloaded at www.merepark.co.uk.

Central Village has been hailed as one of Liverpool’s biggest regeneration schemes, comprising a 25 storey tower and a 20 storey mid rise building as well as 2 9 storey and 1 5 storey buildings. The 25 storey tower will offer more than 440 apartments, split between 1 and 2 bedroom units. The scheme will also be anchored by a 3 or 4 star hotel and a ground-floor leisure and retail offering.  The mixed use development is expected to create more than 400 construction jobs and a similar number among end users when complete. Work is set to commence on site in June 2007.

Transformation of Bootle Oriel Road Station begins

MULTI-MILLION pound works to transform the face of Bootle Oriel Road Station have begun.  The £4.25million project, funded by Merseytravel, will see the construction of a new ticket office and booking hall, a footbridge with new stairs and new lifts to provide step free access to the platforms.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, and local Sefton councillor Dave Martin went to see the works for themselves (pictured) as construction teams moved in.  Cllr Dowd said:- “We are delighted work has started. The new-look station will be fantastic when it is completed in early 2008. In a year’s time people will really benefit from these works, which will improve access the station and wider rail network, as well as re-establishing Bootle Oriel Road as an important gateway to the area.”

The station will be equipped with state-of-the-art CCTV cameras for the safety of passengers.  Other improvements include a new shelter on the Southport bound platform to match the new shelter on the Liverpool platform.

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, added:- “This refurbishment is part of our objective to provide an integrated public transport system that is accessible to all.”

Work is due to be completed by February 2008.

DIGBY FAIRWEATHER AND HIS HALF DOZEN

THE event will take place on Sunday 29 April 2007 at 7.30pm at The Palm House, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17. Unreserved tickets at £21.50 available only from The Box Office at The Unity Theatre, Hope Place, Liverpool L1.  Phone:-  0151 709 4988 or by email. 

Digby Fairweather is one of the UKs most respected and talented jazz trumpeters. His new Half Dozen jazz band were voted Top Small group in the British Jazz Awards 2006.

Digby is a regular columnist, broadcaster and raconteur. We can guarantee a thoroughly entertaining evening of top quality modern and mainstream jazz in Liverpool’s favourite music venue.

Doors open at 6.30pm. Part Café Style seating. Bar open before and during the performance. Our regular supporters come early, grab a table, a bottle of wine and some snacks and chat and watch the sun go down behind the palms and plants in this unique and relaxing venue.

For more information about this event and other news from Liverpooljazz visit their website.