See the Tour of Britain Finale

ON Sunday, 14 September 2008, Liverpool is set to host the finishing line for the UK’s most exciting cycle race this season.

The 2008 race is shaping up to be the best yet, so watch world-renowned cyclists battle it out to be the Tour of Britain winner, enduring a gruelling 6 laps of city centre based circuits.

To download the brochures or for further details, please visit:- liverpool08.com.

‘Benny across the Mersey’

THE producers behind Liverpool’s most hotly anticipated theatre event of 2008 have teamed up with Merseytravel to bring ‘Benny across the Mersey’!

Each Saturday in September younger members of the cast will be catching a Mersey Ferry to bring a slice of the show to passengers onboard the river cruises!

Anne Dalton’s award winning musical returns to the Liverpool Empire this coming November and forms an intrical part of the city’s cultural celebrations, having sold out the venue in the 90’s and new millennium.

Revamped and re orchestrated, but true to Silas Hockings much loved Liverpool novel ‘Her Benny’ - ‘Our Benny’ is an emotive tale of a young orphan boys struggle to survive on the harsh streets of Liverpool during the intense poverty of the Victorian era. It’s a feel good, classic rags to riches tale. Audiences will be captivated by the life story of Benny Bates, as he claws his way up from humble street urchin to eventual gentleman. Whether you’re 6 or 106, it’s guaranteed to make you both laugh and cry!

The world famous Mersey Ferries play a pivotal role in ‘Our Benny’ as they carry the young ‘Benny’ and ‘Little Nell’ away from the slums of Liverpool in the late 19th Century and into the clean, green Wirral countryside at Eastham. This grand day out is a world away from their time spent in the city, forced to beg from rich merchants and passers by.

Dressed in authentic costume - ‘Benny’, ‘Little Nell’, ‘Sniffer’ and ‘Eva’ will be handing out special leaflets entitling travellers to substantial discounts on admission prices to see ‘Our Benny’ at the Liverpool Empire 12 November  to 22 November 2008.

The production stars Bernie Nolan as ‘Sally Wragg’. Bernie shot to fame as lead singer in the global sensation ‘The Nolans’. Since then she’s appeared in ‘Brookside’ and ‘The Bill’ as well as wooing theatre goers in ‘Blood Brothers’ and ‘Flashdance’.

Local lad Sam Kane plays ‘Joe Wragg’ - a kindly night watchman from the Liverpool Dock’s who proves to be ‘Benny’ and ‘Nell’s’ saviour. Best known as ‘Peter Phelan’ in ‘Brookside’, Sam has also appeared in ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Emmerdale’. Theatre credits include ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’, ‘Carousel’ and ‘Boogie Nights’.   Emma Dears, a local girl who’s taken the West End by storm stars as ‘Older Eva’. ‘Les Miserables’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Joseph’ being some of her credits.

Finally the North West’s best loved broadcaster completes our line up. Johnny Kennedy will play Mr Lawrence the rich merchant. Johnny was an institution on Radio City with his ‘Bride of the Week’ slot. What many people don’t know is that he’s an accomplished tenor and musical theatre performer too!

So if you’ve caught the Benny Bug hop onboard a Mersey Ferry this September and pick up one of our special discounted vouchers when ‘Benny crosses the Mersey’!

See the Tour of Britain Finale

DO you know someone who's going out of their way to change their travel habits and make more sustainable transport choices such as using public transport, cycling or walking?

Perhaps you know a team, group or business that is encouraging better travel choices among colleagues or members of the public?

If so, they could pick up a 'travel oscar' at the Merseyside Transport Awards. The awards are being organised by the Merseyside Local Transport Plan (LTP) partnership and will be presented at the second annual Merseyside Transport Conference in October 2008.

Designed to reward individuals and organisations that are helping to create a sustainable transport future, the awards are open to anyone in the Merseyside region. The LTP is urging people to send in nominations over the next few weeks. There are award categories for individuals and teams, groups or businesses that are actively encouraging staff and colleagues to choose more sustainable transport choices, supporting the vision of an integrated transport network that is accessible to all and helps our economy, our communities, our health and our environment.

Nominees could include colleagues who work together to set up convenient, green and affordable car sharing schemes. Or schools where parents are making a conscious effort to stop using the car for the school run by switching to walking, cycling or public transport instead.

Councillor Jean Quinn, Chair of the Merseyside Strategic Transport Planning Committee and Wirral Council's Portfolio Holder for Streetscene and Transport, said:- "Last year, the first-ever awards were very warmly received. They proved a great opportunity to highlight some of the great work being carried out across Merseyside that will help us all reach our goal of creating a more sustainable transport network across the city region."

The award categories are:-

* TravelWise Award 2008 - for the best overall sustainable transport initiative

* TravelWise School 2008 - for best school travel plan

* TravelWise Organisation 2008 - for best travel plan

* FreightWise Award 2008 - for the best freight initiative

* BikeWise Award 2008 - for the best cycling initiative or achievement

* WalkWise Award 2008 - for the best walking initiative or achievement

* Going the Extra Mile Award 2008 - for outstanding customer service by an operator

* TravelWise Development 2008 - for good transport design in a new building / scheme.

The closing date for entries is Tuesday, 14 October 2008. The winners will be announced a week later, at the LTP conference on 23 October 2008, which takes place at Liverpool Town Hall. Visit www.LetsTravelWise.org for further information and to download and entry form...

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