News reports located on this page = 3.

Brazilica Festival is returning for its 12th year

THE sound of samba will be heard across Liverpool this summer as one of the City’s cultural highlight events, Brazilica Festival, returns for its 12th year this July. 2019’s offering from Liverpool Carnival Company will feature a packed programme taking over Liverpool’s City streets, from Friday, 12 July to Sunday, 14 July 2019. A variety of fringe events including club nights, live music, film programme, workshops and the Carnival Queen competition all form part of this year’s festival. Organisers will be releasing the full line up over the coming weeks.

New for 2019 will see the addition of a Carnival King who, along with this year’s crowned Carnival Queen, will lead the sensational night time parade, on Saturday, 13 July 2019. Remaining the highlight of the festival the vibrant and colourful parade, featuring 16 samba bands from across the UK and Europe, will make its way through the City.

Previous years have seen the Brazilica parade attract in excess of 35,000 people, with crowds lining the streets along the route as it made its way from Abercrombie Square through the city centre streets. This year’s parade route will be announced in due course.

Festival goers can get a taste of this year's festival and whet their appetite when Liverpool Carnival Company take part in Light Night, on Friday, 17 May, with performances, at Blackburne House, at 8pm and Church Street, at 9:30pm.

Maeve Morris of Liverpool Carnival Company said:- "We are excited to bring Brazilica back for another fabulous year! As ever expect a spectacular array of colour, music and dance as we celebrate the very best of Brazilian culture. There will be lots going on at this year’s festival with a full programme of events including the brand new addition of a Carnival King who will accompany our beautiful Carnival Queen in leading this year's parade. We will be announcing the full details over the coming weeks, so get ready to samba Liverpool!"

Full programme details to be announced soon...

To get involved in Brazilica Festival 2019 as sponsor or volunteer please contact:- CarnivalCompany@AOL.Com.

If you are taking part or going to watch, please do let us know via emailing:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com as we would love to know what you think about this annual event...

To see our coverage from the 2018 event, please click on here...

44% of Liverpool Watch Porn with Their Partners

THIS is not something we normally see in our press room in box, but a press release released by We-Vibe, a company who makes vibrators have produced a very interesting survey.  In the release the company said that Liverpool is experimenting with toys, porn and amorous activity outdoors following the results of an online survey, that ran between the 26 April to 30 April 2019, by Atomik Research.  We are told that the survey was responded to by among 2,002 respondents and gave some very suppressing results... 

When asked if they watch porn with their partner, 44% people in Liverpool said yes, with a further 32% also admitting that they enjoy using vibrating sex toys.

We have to ask... Who would admit to this? Sadly as we are not doing the survey, we will never know!  Anyway according to We-Vibe the fun doesn't end there, as 35% of Liverpudlians have been intimate outside and 29% have had sex in their car. 21% even claimed to have had sex on the beach!  33% said they are open about their fantasies when in a relationship, with the most popular being:- having sex outside (16%), having a threesome (16%) and having sex in the shower (14%).

Shockingly 68% of Brits who responded to Atomik Research said they believe they are more sexually liberal than their parents and 47% think the nation are more open about sex than they were 5 years ago.  Not only that, but 49% said the normalisation of sex toys and online shopping had led to them experimenting more.

More than ½ (51%) of respondents said they are more likely to try new things with a long term partner. Moxie by We-Vibe is a wearable, panty vibe that can be worn out discreetly at any time. Couples can share pleasure as they go about their day as the toy is controlled by remote control or smartphone for fun and adventure.

We-Vibe's Relationship Expert, psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman says:- "Technology is an integral part of our lives nowadays. Many people fantasise about breaking social taboos around having sex in public, or in a location that they are not "supposed" to use for this purpose. However, actually doing so would frequently involve breaking several laws, and would be likely to make other people feel extremely uncomfortable. We are all increasingly aware of how behaving sexually outside of an appropriate context can even be experienced as a hostile or threatening thing to do. An electronic device such as ours makes it possible for people to break taboos and experience their sexuality wherever they want, without actually doing anything inappropriate or breaking any laws."

So what do you our readers think about this? 

Did you know...? Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides to MRS code?

"Young people are being overwhelmed by exam pressure" claims Childline

THE children's help line, Childline, reveals thousands of young people have turned to them for support as they struggle to cope with the pressure of exam stress.  New figures from the NSPCC are revealed as children all over the country prepare for their exams, with Childline delivering 2,795 counselling sessions on exam stress in 2018/19; with around a 3rd taking place in April and May 2019.  Of these counselling sessions, 212 were carried out by staff and volunteers at the Helpline's Liverpool base; an increase from 201 the year before. Young people who were stressed about their exams worried about disappointing their parents; trying their best and still failing; having excessive workloads and feeling unmotivated to revise. A teenage boy told Childline:- "I am about to take my GCSEs and I am under so much stress that I find it hard to motivate myself. My friends are studying a lot which is putting me under more pressure. I've tried talking to my mum but it ends up in an argument as she gets angry when I don't study."

Other young people told Childline counsellors the prospect of taking exams was having an adverse effect on their mental health, with some coping by self harming and others saying they were feeling suicidal. The most common ages for exam stress counselling were with 15 and 16 year olds, as they worked towards their GCSE's. Childline is urging all young people to speak out if they are stressed about their exams, especially boys as figures reveal they are five times less likely than girls to talk to counsellors about the pressure they are under.  Anna Williamson, Childline counsellor and writer of a teen book, How Not to Lose It said:- "It is vital that family, friends and teachers are there to support children and teenagers during this stressful time. My advice to parents would be to never say:- 'it wasn't like this in my day' children won't care and it isn't about you. Also never compare siblings. What you can do is ask if they need anything, say you are proud of them and offer an end of exams celebration to help them visualise it being over."

The NSPCC has recently received over ₤2million thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, which will help Childline be there for more children who need help with exam stress or other issues. Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder and President of Childline said:- "I hated exams, and I absolutely understand why they stress so many young people out. They can be important, but they shouldn't be overwhelming. That's why it's vital that Childline is there to support any young people who feel the pressure is unbearable. This funding thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery will help us answer children who need us so that we can be there for them when they have no 1 else to turn to."

Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline 7 days a week on:- 0808 800 5000, or email:- Help@NSPCC.Org.UK.

Children can call Childline on:- 0800 11 11 or visit:- ChildLine.Org.UK any time of the day or night.

Did you know that:-

► Counsellors in Merseyside conducted 212 counselling sessions in 2018/19, an increase from 201 the year before!

► Girls5 times more likely to seek help than boys...?

It's worth adding that the NSPCC has been given a ₤2m funding boost for Childline, from People's Postcode Lottery, but they still need your support to keep running this extremely important service.

To find out more about how you can help, visit:- NSPCC.Org.UK.