Piece of Doctor Who memorabilia could be yours

A deadly Cybershade is going to lose its head – and a lucky visitor to Spaceport will win it.  The head of a Cybershade – a shaggy varient of Doctor Who nemesis the Cybermen – is now on show at Spaceport as the Wirral-based attraction celebrates the extension of the hugely successful The Art of Doctor Who exhibition.  The Cybershade head was made by Millennium FX, who have designed and created these and many other famous adversaries of the Doctor.

“The Next Doctor” was a tantalising precursor to the long-awaited news that Matt Smith will be following David Tennant as the 11th Doctor. Matt will appear in his 1st episode in Easter 2010.

Ken Moss, Spaceport Manager, said:- “We wanted something big to celebrate the fact that we have extended The Art of Doctor Who exhibition until March 1st, and we’re absolutely delighted to have the Cybershade head – it’s a ‘money can’t buy’ piece of celluloid history.  There will be a prize draw open to every visitor and the lucky winner will be able to keep this unique prize forever.”

Cybershades are wraith like variants of the Cybermen, with bronze cyberheads.  They were created by the Cybermen after they broke out of The Void (or the space between universes) because of a need for a greater workforce. The Cybermen modelled the Cybershades on animals and used them as guards or scouts.  The shaggy monsters are primitive animal-like conversions, created with the brain of a cat or dog - except that they hiss, instead of bark or meow.

Every full paying adult visiting Spaceport between now and 22nd February 2009 will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win the head of the Cybershade.  For competition terms and conditions visit www.spaceport.org.uk.

The Art of Doctor Who exhibition, a world 1st, offers visitors the chance to see how Doctor Who is created from the 1st script to the final television programme. 

More than 70,000 visitors have attended the exhibition since it opened in May 2008, the busiest summer period since the attraction opened in 2005.

As well as the Cybershade head, the exhibition showcases many of the props, costumes and monsters from the hit BBC series, together with some intriguing insights into how the programme is made.  Visitors are able to use interactive touch-screens, see exhibits on the craft behind monster making and catch up with what exactly goes on behind the scenes.  The displays feature the expertise behind many production areas – from special effects and CGI, to make-up and costume.  And the infamous Daleks are also on show, alongside the TARDIS and many of the Time lord’s age-old enemies.

For further information call Spaceport on 0151 330 1333 or visit www.spaceport.org.uk.  Spaceport is located at Victoria Place, Seacombe, Wallasey, Wirral, CH44 6QY.

APPEAL, UNEXPLAINED DEATH TUEBROOK

MERSEYSIDE Police is appealing for witnesses after a 58 year old woman was found dead on Sunday, 1 February 2009.

At around 4pm on Sunday afternoon, a taxi driver was travelling along Belmont Road, Tuebrook when he was flagged down by members of the public. The people were tending to a woman who was lying on the pavement, unconscious.  The taxi driver rang an ambulance and the woman was taken to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.  Merseyside Police is not treating the death as suspicious and the Coroner has been informed. Merseyside Police is however keen to trace the people who assisted the woman and flagged the taxi driver down.

Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact St Anne Street CID 0151 777 4064 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Double celebration for West Allerton Station

WEST Allerton Station is celebrating something old and something new for the start of 2009.  A historic display commemorating the station’s rich history now adorns the station to celebrate its 70th anniversary.  The display was unveiled just days after a new half hourly service was launched at the station, as well as an hourly service on Sundays.  Merseytravel has worked with passengers and staff to develop the display, which reveals the development of the station from humble beginnings on 2 January 1939.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel said:- “We are really pleased that local people and users of the station have taken such an active part in celebrating both milestones with us. Like many other stations it is a focal point for this community.”

Councillor Chris Blakeley, Chair of Merseytravel’s Rail Services Committee added:- “The display celebrates the rich history of the station and the contribution it has made to the area over the last 70 years.”

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, added:- “We are continuing to work hard to ensure that we promote better connected, more frequent train services and this is one that we hope will benefit many people. We would like to see more people switching from their cars to a fast train direct to the region’s city centres.”

The station was opened by the LMS (London Midland Scottish Railway Company) to serve the new housing areas of Booker Avenue and Brodie Avenue.

Users of the station contributed their own images, showing the station’s development from opening day, when clouds of war gathered over Europe, to the present day.

One of the contributors and a user of the station, John Armstrong, said;- “It is fantastic to be part of something that commemorates the anniversary of the station itself and celebrates something new, which is the improved half hourly train frequency to Liverpool Lime Street, Warrington and Manchester.  The LMS was far sighted in building the station to serve new housing.  Today we are pleased that Merseytravel and Northern Rail have had the vision to increase the frequency of the trains to half hourly and to improve connections at Liverpool South Parkway, as well as hourly service on Sundays.”

Daytime train services have doubled in frequency to every half hour and the average journey time to Liverpool Lime Street is just 15 minutes.  Improved connections at Liverpool South Parkway now mean the journey time from West Allerton to Birmingham City Centre is just over an hour and a half, with trains every half hour Monday to Saturday.  Merseytravel have distributed free timetable leaflets to all households in the station catchment area to promote the improved service.  When the station opened in 1939 there were 27 trains a day. Today there are 62.  West Allerton became a Royal Station when, in July 1999, it was used as a departure station by the Queen and Prince Philip. They joined the Royal Train there at the end of an official visit to Liverpool.