PHONE DEAL WILL BENEFIT MERSEYSIDE RESIDENTS

NORTH West England Euro-MP has heaped praise on so-called Brussels bureaucrats for a deal that will benefit mobile phone users everywhere.

Under pressure from the European Commission the ten leading manufacturers of mobile phones have agreed that from next year they will also use the same type of charger.

Chris Davies said that the threat of legal action had forced phone makers to see sense without the need for new laws.

The Liberal Democrat MEP described the current confusion of electrical connections used to power the 70 million mobile phones in use in Britain as a waste of money and resources.

"This is Europe at its best. No one country could have brought about this change alone, but our collective power has been used to bang heads together and secure a long overdue change for the better."

The new charger will be based on the familiar micro-USB cable already used in some mobile phones.

The companies that have signed up to the plan are Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Texas Instruments.

Picture shows Chris Davies MEP digging into a plate of "charger spaghetti" made up of old chargers from around his home.

Letters To The Editor:- "The Good Pub Guide Neads Help"

"DEAR Sir... The Good Pub Guide is launching its annual national search to find the best value in pub meals out. Which pub will win the coveted title of Bargain Pub of the Year? We are calling for your readers help! Please could your readers name their favourite bargain pub, by writing in or log on to our new website thegoodpubguide.co.uk. We're looking for anything which gives really great value. Here are some for instances: tasty two-course lunches at rock-bottom prices, two-for-one early bird suppers, super value steaks or pies with a free pint or glass of wine thrown in, OAP specials (sometimes even student specials) or pocket-friendly themed nights out. Please help us spread the good news and the more people who hear about local pub bargains, the more customers will turn up, and this in turn helps to keep the prices down. Yours sincerely, The Editor of The Good Pub Guide." Fiona Stapley.

YES ~ ITS BACK!!!!!!

OUR Editor's back in the pubs again, with the Quiz from Hell.   Yes, you could say it is the worlds worst quiz, well that is what he calls it.  This time he has an Australian to help and a DJ who is well known in Southport and through out Merseyside.   So where and when should you avoid going out to?  That place will be the Wellington Pub, East Bank Street, Southport, where the battle lines will be drawn up and questions will be fired off,,,  Who will survive, we do not know...!   So to find out more pop a long from 8pm on Sunday, 5 July 2009. A small charge will be taken for all who enter.  But you can use mobile phones and also work in teams.  Well it is not an exam!

CURVY CUCUMBERS AND WOBBLY WATERMELONS FINE BY EU

AT last, new EU rules will mean oddly shaped fruit can be sold in UK supermarkets again!  Yes it is true, new EU laws to ensure fruit and vegetables were sold in standard shapes and sizes were put in place following requests from food buyers to assist them in contracts for large-scale purchases. The laws will change on wednesday and people will be able to buy as many contorted cabbage, wobbly watermelons and peculiar plums as they wish.

Allowing shops and consumers to buy and sell wackily shaped fruit and veg will lead to lower prices and less waste - helping to protect the environment.

North west England, Euro-MP Chris Davies has welcomed the decision and looks forward to cheaper products for those customers who want to buy this way.  He said:- “Supermarkets demanded these standards in the first place so they knew exactly what they would be getting if they ordered 1000 cucumbers. But if they are able to sell odd-shaped fruit and vegetables then it is right that the EU should not outlaw this trade. It will be interesting to see whether supermarkets now start offering misshapen fruit and vegetables for sale. It will depend on whether customers are prepared to buy "ugly" products however wholesome they may be."

Not all countries are happy with the decision and some such as France, Italy, Spain and Hungary wanted to prevent unusually shaped produce as they argue it is easier to trade in standard sizes.

KASABIAN HEADLINE LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK 2009

LIVERPOOL'S Liverpool Music Week are pleased to announce Kasabian as headliners for this year’s festival.

Indie rockers Kasabian, are undoubtedly one of the UK’s biggest rock bands, a band that are currently celebrating chart success for their album 'West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum' which sat at No.1 in the Album charts for 2 weeks running, and follows a legendary sell out show at Liverpool Uni last week. Kasabian will be performing at the Echo Arena on Monday, 16 November 2009.

LMW Director James Barton said:- “Liverpool Music Week has gone from strength to strength over the last 7 years and attracted some of the UK’s biggest acts, this year we’ve secured Kasabian our biggest headliner to date, attracting a band of this stature proves just how far the festival has come.”

Another act confirmed to perform at Liverpool Music Week 2009 is The Enemy. The Coventry trio already have a number 1 selling album under their belt and were the band of choice to support Oasis on their stadium tour. The Enemy will be performing on Sunday 8th November at Liverpool University.

Kicking off this year’s festival will be Reverend And The Makers, making their LMW debut, the band will be performing at Nation on Saturday, 7 November 2009. Reverend And The Makers have been tipped for huge success having supported a number of high profile bands including Arctic Monkeys and the Rolling Stones.

LMW Founder & Director Mike Deane said:- “It was always going to be a difficult task to better the amazing year we had in ’08, and we’ve worked extremely hard since the start of the year to ensure the festival is once again bigger and better. This is just the first of several big announcements for Liverpool Music Week 2009.”

Liverpool Music Week began in 2003 and over the last 7 years has gone onto become a nationally recognised event and highlight of the music calendar. Resulting in Liverpool Music Week becoming the UK’s biggest indoor winter music festival, a musical showcase that features big name acts and gives a performance platform for fresh emerging talent, a number of which have gone on to reach nationwide success.

Last years event attracted a record breaking 55,000 people to the city and is a combination of free and ticketed shows. 2008 hosted over 80 events, across 26 venues, featuring over 300 live acts, and the winning format returns in 2009.