Error on Funfest Photos

WE would like to thank all of you who have told us about the errors on last week's issue. As readers now know, when we have a problem, we will acknowledge it and endeavour to resolve it, unlike a lot of other sites in our field. So here follows an update on the issue our readers have raised with us... We have looked into the problem with the Funfest Photographs and it is now fixed. Due to the high volume of images this month and a massive increase in viewers accessing all the editions on group, our bandwidth has taken a massive hit. This in itself would not have been a problem. However, a small and very standard system update, which was being installed at the same time, resulted in a temporary error. The error was with the uploading of last week's edition, and a file was corrupted during upload. We have now finished the system update and the Fun Festival images are now back online. We have also spotted an issue with another section of last week's edition, so that will be corrected this week. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused, and to any loss of enjoyment of our weekly read. Remember, if you see an error, we might not have spotted it, so please tell us if you find any bugs, as we always strive to provide the best service for you.

IS IT A UFO I SPOTTED?

THE North West UFO Research told us of a report which they had had of a strange glowing object in the sky on Sunday, 21 June 2009. They had contacted the Coastguard at Crosby to find out what they knew about it and were told by Paul Harrison at HM Coastguard MRCC Liverpool that:- "At 23:00hrs the Coastguard at Crosby received a call from a member of the public on Walney Island, Barrow in Furness, reporting a bright Orange light, the person said it was seen to the South of the island looking towards Piel Island, the light was seen for approximately 1 minute. It was believed to be a lantern." This is a common thing now to be reported to the authorities, as these lanterns become more and more popular with the public. We contracted Paul to find out if this was an increasing problem and he told us that:- "We would not want to put people off from calling the emergency services if you see what you think might be a distress flare or any unusual things that could be an aircraft in difficulties etc, but these lanterns are becoming an increasing occurrence. The hot spot for sightings is often over Cumbria where light pollution is very low, due to open countryside and less densely populated areas. Larger populated areas often give our far more light radiation, into the sky than in rural areas, so these lanterns stand out in the sky far brighter, just like you expect shooting stars would. If anyone releases these lanterns, please think about the location you are releasing them in. Don't do it near airports, or over the sea, as these can cause problems."

APPEAL FOR WITNESSES - ROBBERY, WALTON HALL SPORTS CENTRE

MERSEYSIDE Police have issued an appeal for information on a robbery at Walton Hall sports centre that took place at 1pm on Wednesday, 17 June 2009. A 76 year old man was shutting a gate next to the car park when a man ran towards him, pushed him over and stole his car. The offender then drove the stolen car over the elderly man’s foot as he pulled out of the car park on to Walton Hall Avenue. The white Ford Focus estate was later recovered in Ince Avenue, Anfield. The offender is described as being white, between 18 and 20 years old, of thin build and between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall with short dark hair. Detective Constable Andy Bason said:- "The offender was seen hanging around the main entrance gates that lead onto Walton Hall Avenue. This is a busy road and I urge anyone who saw this man to contact me. Thankfully the victim received only minor injuries and it is important that the person responsible for this attack is identified and brought to justice."   Witnesses are asked to contact Merseyside Police on 0151 777 4808 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

St Helen’s and Southport Bus staff turn to two wheels for the BHF

EMPLOYEES from Arriva in St Helens and Southport will be swapping buses for bikes on Sunday when they embark on a 21 mile cycle ride for the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Around 39 drivers, engineers and office staff will saddle up at St Helen’s Town Hall on Sunday, 28 June 2009 at 9am. All dressed in red BHF T-shirts, they will pedal to Southport collecting for the nation’s heart charity on their way. The group has been a walking club for many years but decided this year to opt for something different. Dave Thomas (55), of Huyton, said:- “We came up with a bike ride and most of us have not been on our bikes for 20 odd years so we got them out of the sheds, oiled them, dusted them up and now we are raring to go. We have supported various different charities in the past for walking events so we decided to back the BHF this year and try something different.” Kenneth Fretwell, BHF Fundraising and Volunteer Manager for St Helens and Southport, added:- “I think what the team from Arriva is doing is superb. They have set themselves a great challenge and I think they will have a great deal of fun doing it. I hope people will support them on their route. It is only with the support of people like this that the BHF can continue its vital and pioneering work.”

 NWDA employee selected as young Climate Advocate

THE Business Manager for Inward Investment at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Sarah M Williams has been selected by the British Council as a Climate Advocate, part of its Challenge Europe initiative.

As one of only 25 representatives in the UK, Sarah will represent the group as part of the English and UK teams. Working together with teams from 14 other European countries, she will unearth new ways to reduce carbon emissions or utilise methods already available but not yet fully developed.

Challenge Europe for Low Carbon Futures is an ambitious challenge to find the best way to make a definite and lasting impact on the climate change debate and accelerate change towards a sustainable, low carbon future. Co-ordinated by the British Council the programme is delivered by individuals aged 18 to 35. The aim is to grow a network of over 250+ bold and dynamic Climate Advocates.

In June 2010 Sarah will have the chance to present her ideas as part of the UK team to a wider audience, including experts on climate change, energy generation, philanthropists, commercial organisations, government leaders and entrepreneurs across a range of fields in an effort to develop their new ideas into reality.

Mark Hughes, Executive Director of Economic Development at the NWDA said:- “The Agency is delighted that Sarah has been selected as one of only 13 English representatives. The NWDA recognises that Climate Change is one of the most significant challenges facing the world today, which is why we are committed towards delivering the Northwest Climate Change Action Plan. As the lead Regional Development Agency for Climate Change we are working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change to take local and regional action to ensure a sustainable future.”

Sarah M Williams, Business Manager for Inward Investment at the NWDA said:- “I am over the moon at being accepted onto this programme, as this is an area I am particularly interested in. Having attended the first session, it has been great to meet the rest of the UK team and have the opportunity to begin brainstorming ideas for projects that we could initiate in order to tackle climate change. Being the only Northwest Advocate, it is a really exciting opportunity to be able to represent the region and the NWDA on a national and European level. Since we already have some excellent low carbon initiatives already in place in the Northwest, it will be a great opportunity to highlight these to the rest of the UK Advocates as examples of initiatives to learn from.”

For further information on Challenge Europe visit their website.