St Luke's Church, Lifeboat Cafe

ST Luke's Church, Formby, is open each Friday, Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday, from 11am until 4pm, until Monday, 27 August 2018. We popped over to take a few photos of the entertainment taking place outside the Church Meeting Room, on 28 May 2018. The next entertainment sessions at the cafe will be:-

►  Music with SOS, on Saturday, 23 June 2018.

►  The RNLI Lifeboat Day, with the Shanty Kings, on Saturday, 14 July 2018.

►  SOS returns for the last time in 2018, on Monday, 27 August 2018.

The Lifeboat Cafe also offers the opportunity to visit the beautiful church and woodland grounds, after or before you have enjoy your refreshments, that are served to your table either within the Meeting Room or outside in the woodland clearing, adjacent to the church. On offer as well as drinks you can find freshly made sandwiches, soup and cakes. Plus beverages are available as take outs! The Cafe is dog friendly, so it makes an ideal stopping place for dog walkers...

If you are planning to come in a large group, group bookings can be made in advance via calling:- 01704 877972 to ensure they are adequacy prepared for your visit.

Did you know the church picked the name:- 'Lifeboat Cafe' as it's located near to the site of the world's 1st Lifeboat Station, which was on Formby Point? Inside they have a display about the history of Formby's Lifeboat Station and the work of the RNLI have played on the Merseyside Coastline. You may also want to visit the remains of the Lifeboat Station which is located down the Lifeboat Road and can be accessed via the footpath at the back of the Church, or via the road on the front of the church. Please do ask for directions.

Liverpool shortlisted to become the new home of Channel 4

LIVERPOOL'S bid to be the new home of Channel 4 has received a boost as the broadcaster has been shortlisted the City in its search for a new HQ.

In a letter to Liverpool City Council, Channel 4 has confirmed it has selected Liverpool for its next round of assessment which will include a site visit in late June 2018.

Channel 4's search for a location, called:- "4 All in the UK," will be the biggest structural change in its 35 year history, including 3 new "creative hubs," with the largest to be a new national HQ that will have facilities including a TV studio and host executive and board meetings.

In further boost to the City's bid Liverpool has been shortlisted for both the new HQ and a creative hub.

Channel 4 News is to also open 3 new news bureaux, with a trebling of jobs in the nations and regions by 2020, while spend on shows made by TV production companies based outside London will rise from ₤169m annually to about ₤350m a year by 2023.

The #4forLiverpool bid was submitted in early May 2018, with a focus on several potential high quality locations, including Liverpool's World Heritage waterfront, and the strength of the City's talent supply and world class partnerships.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson and the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram are jointly leading the City's bid and have stated:- "Channel 4 would find a soulmate in Liverpool" adding that a move would breathe new energy into the public service broadcaster whilst transforming the City's creative and digital sector.

The City, which established Europe's 1st Film Office and is now the most filmed outside of London, with ₤90m of productions currently in the pipeline, has also created a bid steering group that includes Liverpool John Moores University whose Screen School is recognised as one of the UK's leading film faculties, with partnerships around the world.

Mayor Anderson said:- "I'm delighted Channel 4 has recognised the strength and quality of our #4forLiverpool bid and has shortlisted the City for its new home. The bid has been a great team effort and I want to thank everyone who has supported the City to date. This is a hotly contested bidding competition and to reach this next stage in the process demonstrates Liverpool's pulling power as a location that offers businesses and their employees a great work/life balance. There are exciting plans afoot to cement Liverpool's position at the cutting edge of the creative sector and Channel 4 has a huge role to play in that story. Now that they are coming to visit, I've no doubt they will be wowed by what the City has to offer and how they can help shape it."

Metro Mayor Rotheram said:- "This is a massive vote of confidence for what the Liverpool City Region is doing to bolster our creative economy. Everyone knows our City region has an incredible pool of talent of writers, actors, directors and technicians and Channel 4's potential relocation here would put rocket boosters on our plans to establish the area as a beacon for the next generation of storytellers, filmmakers, and set designers."

Liverpool, which has aspirations to create one of the largest Film Studios in the UK at the former Littlewoods Building on Edge Lane and is also developing a new creative quarter, Ten Streets, has already received backing from an illustrious roll call of stars from TV, film and stage as well as leaders in education, business and politics.

David Yates, Director of the final four Harry Potter films and Fantastic Beasts, legendary actor Alison Steadman and multi-award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern have all pledged their support while the City's bid has been endorsed at the Houses of Parliament.

Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger, who is Vice-Chair of the Channel 4 All Party Parliamentary Group, has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) noting Liverpool's exciting bid, the City's extraordinary cultural prowess and "the positive impact of the employment and training opportunities this move could provide the City and the wider North West."

In terms of location Liverpool, which was recently chosen by the Royal College of Physicians to house its new Northern HQ, is virtually equidistant to London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast with northern cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield all within less than a 90 minute journey.

Channel 4 are to make a final decision on the location of their new HQ and creative hubs in October 2018.