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Stand by for
Star Wars
OK, set your co-ordinates for a star
studded week-end at Spaceport over 24 March and 25 March 2012, when characters from the
Star War movies Admiral Motti, Boba Fett and Captain Khurgee visit
the Seacombe attraction.
There will be Star Signings by three actors; Richard Le Parmentier
who played Admiral Motti in 'Star Wars episode IV A New Hope',
Jeremy Bulloch famous as Boba Fett in 'Star Wars episode V The
Empire Strikes Back' and 'Star Wars episode VI Return of the Jedi'
who also played Captain Jeremoch Colton in 'Star Wars episode III
Revenge of the Sith' and Chris Muncke who played Captain Khurgee in
'Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope'.
Organised in conjunction with Star Wars re-enactment group, The 99th
Garrison, the weekend also gives fans the chance to get up close
with over 30 costumed characters, whilst exploring Spaceport’s
interactive, hands-on exhibitions.
For budding Jedi’s the weekend offers lightsaber workshops, face
painting and an exhibition of prop replicas and memorabilia from the
Star Wars universe
Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, said:- "The
weekend will be fantastic for Star Wars enthusiasts and we are
really pleased to have some of the stars of the films with us.
This has always proved to be a very popular event and we are glad to
be offering fans another chance to meet their heroes whilst learning
more about space and space travel"
Usual admission prices apply with no extra charge for workshops,
signed photographs and face painting extra charge.
See
spaceport.org.uk or call:- 0151 330 1566 for full
details. Merseytravel
Chairman Condemns Arriva Child Price Hike
MERSEYTRAVEL Chairman,
Councillor Mark Dowd, has slammed a plan by bus company Arriva to
increase child fares by 32% as "fundamentally unfair".
The decision will see child prices rise from half to two thirds of
an adult fare across Merseyside, a move criticised by Cllr Dowd as
completely out of step with the reality of the current economic
pressure faced by Merseysiders.
Cllr Dowd said:- "What Arriva are planning is fundamentally
unfair. Statistics show that bus patronage is at its highest in the
poorest communities and it is families who have been hardest hit in
the current financial climate." He added;-
"Private profit making bus companies like Arriva should be picking
up the cost of half price travel for kids, and I call on Arriva to
act with good corporate social responsibility and reverse this
punishing and destructive decision."
The operator has blamed a cut in a central government fuel grant (BSOG)
as its reason for the dramatic price rise, but Cllr Dowd pointed to
best practise elsewhere across the public transport network, and
highlighted the fact that Merseytravel incorporated a guaranteed
half price child fare into their 25 year concession agreement with
Merseyrail.
Merseytravel do not determine the fares that the private profit
making bus companies choose to charge, but Cllr Dowd has this advice
for passengers unwilling or unable to meet this price hike:
"Merseytravel’s pre paid ticketing, such as Saveaway, Trio and Solo
tickets continue to offer better value for money than buying on
board." |
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Space Fact of
the week:- "Asteroid that nearly hit Earth will return next
year!"
DID you know we had a close
encounter with an asteroid in February? Well don't worry if you
missed it as this asteroid according to ESA will again whizzes past
Earth in 2013. The unusual asteroid was spotted by an amateur team
on 22 February 2012 by the La Sagra Sky Survey observatory, in the
southeast of Spain, near Granada. When spotted it's small size and
orbit meant that it had already flown past Earth and was then at
about 7 times the distance of the Moon! The asteroid was dubbed 2012
DA14 and while an impact with Earth has been ruled out on the
asteroid's next visit, on 15 February 2013, astronomers hope to use
it's close approach for more studies. This space rock is in fact
expected to be coming closer to Earth than many commercial
satellites, at just 24,000 km. "This is a safe distance, but
it is still close enough to make the asteroid visible in normal
binoculars." says Detlef Koschny, responsible for Near Earth
Objects in ESA's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Office. But ESA
and other groups say that it highlights the ever growing need
to keep watch on hazards from above.
A network of
improvements
ALMOST £1 million is being
spent to improve facilities across the Merseyrail network including
new DDA compliant toilets and a further extension of the real time
information service. Councillor Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel,
said:- "These latest improvements are part of our continuing
investment programme to ensure Merseyrail remains one of the best
rail networks in the country."
A £625,000 grant under the Department for Transport Access for All
programme; that sees an additional £100,000, each from Merseytravel
and Merseyrail, who will provide 17 stations with new DDA compliant
toilet facilities.
The stations are:- Bebington, Birkenhead Park, Bromborough,
Cressington, Eastham Rake, Fazakerley, Freshfield, Green Lane,
Leasowe, Manor Road, Moreton, Old Roan, Orrell Park, St Michaels,
Seaforth & Litherland, Spital and Town Green.
Merseyrail was also allocated £153,000 DfT funding to provide real
time train information at Capenhurst, Bache, Little Sutton and
Overpool and plans to have real time information in all 66 stations
on the network before the end of this year.
In addition new lifts, funded by Network Rail, will be installed at
Orrell Park Station, greatly improving access for passengers and the
ticket office area will be upgraded with funding from the National
Stations Improvement Programme. Councillor Dowd added:-
"In the current harsh economic climate of cutbacks it is
increasingly more difficult to raise money for improvements but we
will continue to compete for whatever grants are available to ensure
the best possible service for the people of Merseyside."
Do you think of this? Email our newsroom to:-
news24@southportreporter.com and let us know your
views!
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