I am the Walrus!

MERSEYTRAVEL is launching a smarter way to travel the region – the Walrus.  Walrus is the name of a new Smartcard which will allow public transport users, as well as day trippers to the city, to use a single card for all their journeys.

Neil Scales, Chief Executive of Merseytravel, said:- "This launch signals a revolution in the way people pay for and use public transport. I believe Walrus will play a fundamental role in encouraging and inspiring local people and visitors to fully enjoy the economic, cultural, heritage and leisure experience this area has to offer, and in time become an important part of the identity of the region.  Walrus will see the widest range of uses of any Smartcard in the country being fully integrated into all our varied forms of transport and ticketing, ultimately saving our customers time and money. We are aiming towards a network where people pass seamlessly through our stations and ferry terminals, while also being able to board buses and even buy a coffee.  In London less than 2% of public transport journeys are paid for in cash, and while cash will always be an option, Walrus will be a far more convenient option for customers, drivers and operators alike."

Cllr Mark Dowd, Chairman of Merseytravel, added:- "Walrus is a fun, playful brand name which we hope people take into their hearts, while at the same time embracing the benefits.  I am incredibly proud of Walrus and the hard work that has gone into developing not only a fantastic brand, but more importantly a brilliant product that will benefit the travelling public of this region.  This is the first card of its type in the UK, encompassing both transport AND non-transport related products, and I believe this will revolutionise the way we travel in and enjoy this fantastic region and all it has to offer."

Walrus is launched this weekend with the first products switching to the Smartcard versions. From today, passengers who renew their annual all-zone Trios can receive the Walrus card instead of the paper version we currently issue.

From Spring 2012 further products will be converted, with the full "pay as you go" card available from Summer 2013.

Walrus is based on the specifications of the government backed ITSO standards allowing interoperability of smart ticketing schemes throughout the UK.

Carlsberg Sponsored Trivia Quiz Night!!!

ON Thursday nights, it is the Longton VM Sports And Social Club's Trivia Quiz, sponsored by Carlsberg. For one night only every team enters for FREE and Carlsberg have donated to the club lots of goodies to give away including 6 England shirts, Carlsberg wallets, Carlsberg pens, plus the regular club drink token prizes of Winner £16.00, Second £10.00, Third £4.00, Best Team Name £4.00, Numbers Quiz £4.00 and the Play Your Cards Jackpot stands at £25 (50p per ticket entry), plus to top it off Carlsberg Lager will be just £2.00 a pint for the evening!   Why not head over to the Club, on School Lane, Longton?  For more information please go to the clubs website.

RNIB ASKS THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL TO:- 'READ FOR FUN AND RAISE A TON'

LOVE reading? Join Read for RNIB Day on Friday, 14 October 2011, and fundraise to help the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) provide reading services and equipment to over the 2500 blind and partially sighted people in Liverpool and across the UK. Participants can do anything as long as it's reading related; from hosting a literary lunch at home to reading at the top of Ben Nevis dressed as Sherlock Holmes.

Read for RNIB Day is 14 October 2011, but participants can hold a Read for RNIB event or challenge on any day and any amount raised will make a difference. Read for RNIB is about having fun, reading and making a difference to almost two million people living with sight loss in the UK. Even £1 can help blind and partially sighted people receive vital access to reading tools such as braille, giant print and Talking Books.

Book worm Sue Scott lost her sight 7 years ago:- "One day I realised that not only could I not see anymore, I couldn't read either. You don’t realise it, but reading is everything and when you lose your sight you realise how important it is. From reading the newspaper or an email from a friend, to reading a private letter from the doctor or a bill you don’t want others to know about. You become totally reliant on others and you lose your privacy and independence. Read for RNIB Day is a great idea and will help raise money for reading services for blind and partially sighted people, like me. It doesn’t matter what the activity or challenge is, as long as its reading related and you're having fun and helping to raise money. I hope that lots of people get involved."

Download a fundraisers pack crammed with ideas and tips, go online or  email a request and help make 2011 Read for RNIB Day a success.

Marrakesh on the Mersey..¡

A taste of Morocco is coming to Liverpool City Centre when Williamson Square will be turned into a colourful bazaar.  The Moroccan Market of Handicraft, which is touring various cities and towns in the UK, visits Liverpool from 22 September to 25 September 2011.

It will feature 40 traditional large, colourful Berber tents as stalls with authentic Moroccan traders selling an array of products including leather goods, handmade rugs, furniture, pottery and ceramics, clothing, lamps, mirrors, jewellery, perfume, as well as food.  Traditional Gnawa music will be played at intervals.

The market is operated by Aziz Afkir and supported by the Moroccan Embassy. It has been brought to Liverpool by Geraud Markets Liverpool Ltd (GMLL) the Council’s Markets partnership.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Frank Prendergast will officially open the Market on 22 September 2011, in a ceremony attended by a delegation from the Moroccan Embassy.

Councillor Tim Moore, cabinet member for the environment, said:- "We have been trying to extend the range of markets available to Liverpool shoppers and this market will present something very different to anything we have seen in the city.  It promises to be very colourful with goods on sale not available from anywhere else. The goods are authentic, with nearly all of them hand made in small workshops and community cooperatives.  It is going to be an unmissable experience."