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Issue:- SATURDAY 30 May 2015

Southern 100 Club takes delivery of new grandstand on the Isle of Man

Dean Harrison leads Guy Martin during the 2014 Isle of Man Steam Packet Company International Southern 100 Road Races (Glynne Lewis)

THE International Southern 100 Road Races will have a new grandstand in time for this year's 60th Anniversary meeting, with help from long time sponsor the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Organiser the Southern 100 Club has purchased a 171 seat mobile grandstand which will give fans greater comfort and, as it is covered, protection from the elements. The Ł70,000 needed to buy the grandstand was raised through donations and from Club funds. It will initially be placed adjacent to the Club's headquarters for the Diamond Jubilee running of the Southern 100 in July, but will be moved next to the start/finish line for next year's races. The grandstand will be used for all meetings on the Billown course, and, as it is mobile, it is hoped it may be used at community and charity events around the Island when not needed by the Club. The Steam Packet Company, which continues its long standing headline sponsorship of the Southern 100 this year, has agreed to transport the grandstand to the Island for free. Manx Independent Carriers will take the grandstand from its manufacturers in Ross-on-Wye to Heysham, and then from Douglas to Castletown, also for free. Southern 100 Club President Derek Nicholson said:- "This new grandstand will be more comfortable for spectators, and with a cover will protect them from the elements. It is a major investment for us, but we have been fortunate enough to receive wonderful support, especially from the likes of the Manx Lottery Trust. Bringing the new grandstand from the factory in Ross-on-Wye would have added to the expense, so we are extremely grateful to the Steam Packet Company, which has been a loyal supporter for many years, for bringing it to the Island for free."

Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward added:- "The Southern 100 Club does a marvellous job of putting on well run and popular race meetings every year, and we're always proud to be involved. It has been a magnificent effort to raise the money to buy this new grandstand, and I'm happy we have been able to help. I look forward to seeing the new facility in place when the Southern 100 gets under way in July."

The view from the top of the Royal for those taking the abseil challenge

A member of staff at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust is going above and beyond to help raise money for R Charity's Ł10 million Appeal.

Wheelchair user Will Weston will take the drop from the top of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital to raise as much money as possible at this year's R Charity abseil on Saturday, 13 June 2015. Will, surgery divisional strategy lead, broke his neck whilst diving in the Lake District, just weeks after finishing his final exams in Medicine at Liverpool University. The accident left him paralysed from the chest down and because of this Will relies on a wheelchair to get around, but that won't stop him from making it to the top.

Will said:- "Because of my injuries, I can see our hospital from both sides of the coin, as an employee and a patient." I've been stuck in waiting rooms for hours so I know how it can feel. The money raised for the R Charity appeal is not only improving care provided in the new Royal, but will improve the experience and environment that patients like myself are treated in. From a wheelchair user's perspective, the current hospital is really good and colleagues have consulted me a number of times to find out ways in which we can improve, but I'm really looking forward to moving into the new Royal to see what they've done for disabled staff and patients. An abseil can be daunting for the most hardened adventurer, but for Will it might not be the drop over the edge that causes the most problems. The roof of the Royal is actually 12 floors above ground level and the final floor has no lift access. Reaching the roof might be the hardest part, but we'll figure out a way."

Will Weston pictured recently at a friend's wedding.

A daredevil in the past, this is the 1st 'extreme' activity Will has done since his injury:- "Before my injury, I'd taken part in a sky dive and a bungee jump, so this will be the 1st 1 since my accident. Even with all my past experience, I'm still scared of heights. I think I'll be looking forward to a drink once I'm safely back on the ground!"

Will hopes to raise Ł2,000 towards R Charity's Ł10million Appeal, which will equip the new hospital with ground breaking and state of the art equipment, as well as improving the standard of facilities in the new hospital. Ged Carter, head of Fundraising said:- "Will is 1 of the most determined guys I've met. At 1st, it looked like his abseil might not take place, but he really pushed and we managed to find a way. If Will can do it, no one else can have any excuses! He's a real inspiration and we want as many people as possible join us at the top of the Royal on Saturday, 13 June 2015, to help provide the New Royal hospital the people of Merseyside deserve."

You can help Will to make his Ł2,000 target by donating at:- JustGiving.Com/Will-Weston-Royal or by texting:- 'WWAS82 Ł10'
as many times as you like to:- 70070.

Man jailed for armed robbery at a Ladbrokes in Birkdale

MERSEYSIDE Police are urging criminals not to bother committing offences at bookmakers after a robber from Sefton was jailed for 3 and ˝ years. Jason Gibney, aged 43, from Southport, targeted Ladbrokes bookmakers on Bedford Road, in Birkdale, on 7 May 2015. Gibney entered the betting shop shortly after 9am when a group of college students were playing on the fruit machines and ordered the manager to hand over cash. Gibney was brandishing an object concealed in a bag that both the manager and the students believed at the time to be a gun and complied with his demands. He then ordered the staff and customers to lie on the floor and not look up before running out of the betting shop. Merseyside Police Detectives from Sefton CID's burglary and robbery unit launched an investigation and shortly after the incident they issued CCTV of a man they suspected to be the offender. Following information from the public, detectives arrested Gibney on suspicion of robbery and possession of an imitation weapon. At Liverpool Crown Court this week, Gibney was jailed for 40 months for the robbery and 2 years for the weapon. Both sentences will run concurrently. Det Sgt John Fitzgerald said:- "Gibney's actions caused a great amount of fear within the community so it is good news that he is now serving a significant sentence behind bars. He targeted this bookmakers shortly after 9am when there were many people were going about their daily business. The manager was just doing his job and getting the shop ready for customers and there were a few young people in there playing on some machines. It was incredibly shocking for them to endure such an ordeal and this kind of crime can have a lasting effect on victims and witnesses. His subsequent capture shows the level of cooperation Merseyside Police has with the gambling industry and the wider public. Crime prevention measures are incredibly tight in bookmakers across the county and the public understand that business robbery is not a victimless crime. Offenders who target bookmakers and other community businesses risk going to prison for a long time for very little reward."

Liverpool teens meet their musical idols as band launches new single at Golden Square Shopping Centre

3 teenagers from Liverpool couldn't believe their luck when they got to meet their musical idols as they launched their new single. Chart breaking solo artist Nathan Grisdale and his Mr Meanor band mates were mobbed by fans at Warrington's Golden Square Shopping Centre as they signed CDs.

Heartthrob Nathan, 20, along with Tay Tay and JK Kirby from the R&B band, were at Golden Square's acclaimed independent music store Head to promote their single Here With You.

Nathan has teamed up with the band as a featured vocalist on the number, which is hotly tipped by music pundits to be a smash hit.

Among the fans were 3 teenagers from Liverpool, who had travelled to Warrington just for the event. Brianna Riley,16, Lauren Chapman and Hollie Bridgeman, both 15, all live near each other in Huyton and Tuebrook, and are all pupils of Broughton Hall High School, West Derby, Liverpool.

"They're definitely headed for the big time. They've already built up a huge online following and there are lots of fans round Liverpool and Merseyside, so we feel incredibly lucky to have been able to meet them here and get to speak to them face to face." said Brianna about Nathan and Mr Meanor.

They were thrilled when Nathan and the boys chose to stop off at Warrington's Golden Square as part of a tour of record stores and small venues around the North West. Jake, 21, said:- "We've also been to Blackburn, Leeds and Manchester. We love meeting fans at small venues like this and especially supporting independent music stores like Head, here in Warrington."

Mr Meanor, whose members also include one time X-Factor contestant, Jordan Hyams, of Colchester and Marcel Wildy, who lives in Los Angeles, USA, first met Nathan when they were asked to support him on a UK tour. They have also appeared with international urban artist Tinchy Stryder.

Nathan, originally from Blackburn, was a keen footballer before he turned to music and broke into the charts last year with his single Lone Soldier, which raised funds for the charity Help for Heroes. He now has a growing fanbase keen to hear more of his edgy vocals. He said:- "It's great to be working with Mr Meanor. We've become great friends after touring together, so doing a single with them just seems like the natural next step for all of us."

3 versions of Here with You have been issued, one R&B, another more upbeat dance track and the third slower version; posted on You Tube; is stripped right back to just piano accompaniment, perfectly highlighting each of the singers' vocals. Jake said:- "We write all our own material. Most of our songs so far have been put together round at Jordan's, we just vibe off each other. We've also produced a lot of our own stuff and Tay Tay even does the graphics for our album covers."

Their ambition is to go worldwide, touring major arenas in UK, USA, Europe and Asia.

Dave Rafter, manager of Head, had no hesitation accepting when Nathan and Mr Meanor asked to do a CD and photograph signing session at the store. He said:- "It's great that young bands like this are keen to come here. It's good for us as an independent record outlet and also it's good for Golden Square and Warrington as a whole. Nathan and the band are a great bunch of lads, who I'm sure will be household names before long so to think they have taken time out to visit us really helps put our town on the music map."

Golden Square Shopping Director ian Cox said:- "There was quite a queue of teenage girls waiting when Nathan, JK and Tay Tay arrived for the signing, and everything went very smoothly. I am very pleased that the band chose Golden Square for the signing as it's so easy for people to reach the Centre, from across the North West. The visit follows other recent appearances at Head by Britain's Got Talent favourites Bars and Melody, and rock band The Cribbs, and we hope to hold more similar events in the coming months."

Also in the queue to meet the boys were Becki Simm, Hannah Knight and Rachael Ward, all aged 17, and they could hardly believe their luck in meeting the three musicians.

Becki of Glazebrook, Warrington, Rachael, of Lymm, and Hannah, who lives in Knutsford, are all students at Lymm Sixth Form College, where Becki and Rachael are studying psychology, biology, chemistry and maths, and Hannah is studying media, fashion, film and biology.

Fans, Becki, Hannah and Rachael, reckon they are not far off attaining that dream. "They're definitely headed for the big time and it's just fantastic to have been able to meet them in person and get our photos taken with them." said Becki.

Shannon Maddocks of Blackburn, took the train down to Cheshire to meet her idols. The 19 year old, who studies drama at Burnley College, is a keen follower of both Nathan and Mr Meanor and attended the Warrington event with friend, Emily Metcalfe, 14, of Chorley, who attends Parklands High School, Chorley.

"I've seen Nathan about 5 times now and also follow Mr Meanor via social media. They're fantastic, definitely headed for the big time." said Shannon.

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Deceased estates notice - Lilian May Jackam

Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925, any persons having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of Lilian May Jackam (also known as Lillian May) Jackam (Deceased), late of Birch Abbey Rest Home, 55 Alexandra Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9HD, UK, who died on 04/10/2018, are required to send particulars thereof in writing, to the undersigned Solicitors, on or before 24/05/2019, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests of which they have had notice. Churches Solicitors, 12 High Street, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7BL, UK. Ref:- 'T553015.'

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