IT may appear funny at 1st, but in reality it
just isn't, for over the weekend, 2 tower blocks in Seaforth, Merseyside where
due to be demolished simultaneously, but sadly for both the demolition company
and residents, this was not going to go to plan. One local resident said:- "These towers have been making problems ever since they got constructed and
even now, when being removed, they are creating problems."
As the countdown took place, on Sunday, 24 April 2016 and residents in the
exclusion zone had been moved to a safe area, all looked good. Then the charges
went off, but neither of the blocks fell. At 1st, not knowing whether to laugh
or cry, the demolition company's experts were stumped when the 1st controlled
explosions failed. Then, a few hours later, as they started to find out what had
gone wrong, without warning, 1 of the 15 storey tower blocks, Churchill House,
suddenly collapsed! The other block remained standing over night, apparently
looking intact, but in reality it posed a massive danger to both work crews and
residents alike. A spokesperson for the Widnes company, which supplied the
demolition squad, trading as J. Bryan (Victoria) Ltd for 15 years, told the
crowd of spectators and residents that they had:- "experienced delays" and that
they were trying:- "to get as many people safely back into their homes as
possible." Sadly, for some, the failure to collapse the other block,
Montgomery House, meant that all the people living on Claremont Road could not
return home. This resulted in anger and frustration from some of those involved.
The residents in the affected area had to be accommodated in a hotel for the
night. One Vision Housing, which owns the property, then tweeted a statement
from J. Bryan (Victoria) Ltd. that can be read by clicking on this
link.
Monday at around 3 o'clock, charges were again fired, but nothing really
happened; then as heavy duty JCB demolition
plant equipment pulled on large cables attached to the building to try and get
Montgomery House's structure to buckle.
Next, despite the demolition team working valiantly in unthinkable danger, only
a partial collapse of the North East
section of the Seaforth tower block was achieved. The efforts at that point only
made the structure even more dangerous
and work had to stop to enable some structural engineers to reassess the
situation. "It remained defiant. This block is Scouse, it truly wants
to be remembered and will fight to stay alive, no matter what you throw at
it..." 1 of the
affected residents joked in despair. When asked why so many affected residents
are joking about it by a member of the
national press, he replied:- "Well what can you so? Laugh or cry? At least it
gets us out of the house!": A typical
Liverpool black humour response. So again, over Monday Night the people living
on Claremont Road had to go to a hotel
for another night. Both One Vision Housing and A J Bryan spokesperson have yet
again thanked all the inconvenienced
residents for their patience. Work is expected to continue to perform a
"controlled collapse" of the remaining parts of
the tower block.
Just before publication we have been told that J. Bryan (Victoria) Ltd. will now
be doing a phased demolition of the
remaining structure of Montgomery House. One Vision has said that:- "everything
is being done for those residents
affected by the ongoing exclusion zone. We have been told that the residents are
now being made as comfortable as
possible with hotel accommodation, food, drink and other provisions." One Vision
have also said that:- "staff continue
to be in attendance at the hotels to ensure that those residents have the
relevant support and access to information. We
have been told residents who live in the exclusion zone, they should contact One
Vision Housing on:- 0300 365 1111,
should they require further information or assistance." We would love to know if
you are one of the residents affected
and if this is the case.
Click on this link
to see more photographs of the 3rd attempt to pull the block down.
Are you affected by this? Do you have any memories of the Tower Blocks you would
like to share with us? If you have any
memories, views or thoughts, please email us to:-
News24@SouthportReporter.Com..
Hillsborough Inquest Jury
reaches decision
IT was on 15 April 1989, that at a football
match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium,
Sheffield, to lead to disaster killing 96 people and injured 766 others. Ever
since many deeply disturbing questions about the human crush that caused the
deaths of so many, who was to blame, why and how it happened has been a matter
of major political and social debate ever since. It has been a very long road
for the families of the 96, but the final and definitive Hillsborough Inquest
will release its findings on 26 April 201, after the Jury reached a majority
decision on whether the Hillsborough deaths of the disaster victims were
unlawful. Jurors had already reached unanimous conclusions for 13 of the
questions, but could not decide on the last question until Tuesday. This
decision, no matter what it is will be a painful one. This has been the longest
running inquest in British legal history. At the hearing in Warrington,
Cheshire, Coroner Sir John Goldring began his summing up back in 25 January 2016
and spoke to the jury for 26 days in total. Now whatever they decide will
dictate history and any future action. Whatever, the sorrow of the victims'
families and friends and indeed the anger and frustration has been compounded by
a woeful neglect of justice, over an extensive time. Hopefully the final
verdict, when delivered will give some resolution and one hopes that the
situation will never ever occur again. We hope to bring you more via out Email
News Updates, which can be accessed via
Formby Reporter, via our
Twitter account, as well as any other
information that comes in, related to the inquest findings over the 26 April
2016.
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THE
video footage we have taken at
the 70th BOA events this year in
Liverpool has now been fully
edited is available to buy, on a
DVD, from our Online
Shop,
on Mersey Reporter very soon.
For each DVD sold, £3.00 will go
to the Liverpool's Lord Mayor's
Charity Appeal. (Registered
Charity No. 229539) At
this stage we can only do UK
postage options, but if you are
outside the UK, you can still
order copies, but only via
emailing our newsroom at:-
news24@merseyreporter.com
with your FULL address and we
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should you wish to continue.
If you
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and do not copy them. Help to keep this site
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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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