Southport's Annual Family Spookfest is back...

YES, Southport's annual Halloween Festival starts on 20 October to 31 October 2018 and the full program of events can be seen on Spooky Southport's official website.

The main events start with the 'Scare' Crow Festival, on Wesley Street, 'The Village within the Town Centre.' Watch their story unfold as these horrible handmade scarecrows characters line the street...

The spooky fun continues as mischief making goes artistic, with Southport's young spooks causing mayhem at the 'Crafty's Halloween Spooktacular' that will be taking place within the The Atkinson, Lord Street, on Thursday, 25 October 2018, from 1.30pm. Tickets cost ₤9 plus booking fee.

"Every Halloween, Crafty the Crow invites all his friends to see the treasured Golden Pumpkin on show at his Halloween Spooktacular, the biggest Halloween party in town! But this year someone is up to no good, because the Golden Pumpkin has been stolen… but by whom? Surely not Pongo the Pig? Or Sheena the Sheep? Or maybe Barry the Butler did it!" said Southport BID, who are running the event.

On Thursday, 25 October 2018, this year's:- 'Ghost Pirate Parade' will take place on Chapel Street. Join the spooky ghost pirate ships for 2 action packed shows, at 11am and 12.30pm... You can also join the Parade in your best ghostly pirate gear at 2pm! Also keep a look out for the Scurvy Shark.

From 26 October to 29 October 2018, don't get lost in the:- 'The Big Spooktacular Maze' that will be located on Town Hall Gardens, Lord street, open each day from 11am to 4pm. ₤1 per person entry. Cash only. The 1st day of our Halloween maze is all about the little monsters! All ages will be welcome, but big kids as asked to respect that the 1st day is a day for the little ones to run and explore with confidence. Under 8's should be accompanied by an adult... Under 4's are permitted but at parent's discretion; the maze is 2m high and people will make you squeal and giggle!

Saturday, 27 October 2018 'Here Be Dragons!' on Chapel Street, with shows running at both 11am and 3pm and a 'Walkabout'taking pace at 1.30pm. This event will see 2 giant Dragons swoop and soar through the streets, breathing smoke as they go. Learn from their mysterious guardians, as they sing songs of a time when Dragons ruled the skies. With original songs and a choreographed flight this is one not to be missed. Go to Spooky Southport's Twitter account for updates on this free event.

On Sunday, 28 October, 'The Greatest Halloween Show,' will roll up on Chapel Street, from 12pm (Noon) with the grand finale at 2.40pm. There will be some freakishly good performances all afternoon. See the:- spectacular, interactive performances from the bearded lady, our hoop acrobats and more. The shows ring leader will oversee the show with fire breathing and circus skill workshops. Chapel Street will be host to this superb afternoon of circus spectacle full of pop up performances and surprises.

For the latest and most up-to-date information, keep an eye on Twitter also Facebook.

Grapes Formby to hold a week-long Halloween party

THE Grapes Hotel, on Green Lane, Formby, is gearing up, not just for Halloween, but for 'Hallo week!' With the spooky holiday falling on a Wednesday, General Manager, Arthur Perez and the team, have decided that celebrating scary from Friday, 26 October 2018, all the way to Sunday, 4 November 2018, is the only way. Decorations have already started going up; with cobwebs and creepy crawlies finding their way into the nooks and crannies of the pub; and Arthur is encouraging customers to visit in their scariest of guises, any time across Hallo-week. The Grapes has also been stocking up on Hobgoblin, Halloween's most mischievous unofficial brew. "I don't want to give too much away; but we've got a couple of tricks up our sleeves! Halloween is that time of year where all our sensibilities go out the window; our customers love it and the team has great fun too. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more details!" said Arthur.

UCLan to create additional resource for NHS with new scholarship

NEW medical scholarship seeks to improve diversity in the NHS. The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has announced a new scholarship which will provide the NHS with doctors who more closely represent the communities they serve. The new scholarship, worth approximately ₤46,250 per student, will be awarded to 2 widening participation applicants to the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) who have successfully completed UCLan's Pathways to Medicine Programme, who rank the highest after the application process. The scholarship will be used to cover all annual tuition fees of the 5 year course. Named after 1 of the University's founders, Joseph Livesey, the Livesey Scholarship will be awarded to 2 UK students applying to its MBBS (Bachelor Medicine, Bachelor Surgery) degree from 2020 entry and every year beyond that, in addition to the existing Kate Granger Scholarship available to students from Cumbria, and the Mackenzie Scholarship offered to students from East Lancashire. The launch of the Livesey Scholarship coincides with the University's 190th and the NHS' 70th anniversaries and cements UCLan's commitment to offering opportunities to underprivileged students and training the doctors of the future.

Professor Cathy Jackson, Executive Dean of UCLan's Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, commented:- "As a University, we have a responsibility to do as much as we can to ensure that all prospective medical students are given equal opportunities, whatever their background. We're incredibly proud of the work we have done so far to put this in to practice and how we are helping to shape the future NHS workforce. Through this scholarship we will not only help to drive the NHS towards a brighter and stronger future, but also encourage students, who would otherwise find it very difficult or even impossible to fund their medical degree, to achieve their potential."