News reports located on this page = 3.

The Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Southport

THE group, known as The Apprentice Boys of Derry  is 1 of the Protestant Loyal Orders that was started in 1689, after the siege of Londonderry. 13 apprentice boys slammed the City gates against the army of the Catholic King James II as a defiant action of:- "no surrender." The order holds its main parade in Derry, on 12 August each year, to celebrate the relief of the City and the end of the siege, but many others take place, including the ABOD SAMS Liverpool Murray Branch Club who holds its annual parade in Southport, Merseyside. This year the parade took place on Saturday, 8 June 2019. The Apprentice Boys of Derry is reported to currently have worldwide membership of over 10,000 and based in the City of Derry, Northern Ireland. But there are clubs and branches in Ulster and elsewhere in Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia and Toronto, Canada. Controversy over parades by the Protestant Orange Order, and the Apprentice Boys are well known in Northern Ireland, over its religious and political meanings, but in Southport, this parade now, mostly goes unnoticed, except for the traffic disruption.

Friends of Barking Mad Dog Rescue 215 mile Coast 2 Coast Walk Update

SOUTHPORT'S Nick Shaw, on 8 June 2018 set off on an adventure for raising funds for BMDR. He is walking coast 2 coast 215 miles. His very proud wife Claire Shaw has contacted us to say:- "Just a little update, as Nicks phone has died earlier just before making camp in Glossop. He has done 78 miles since starting on Saturday in pretty rubbishy weather, and has The Woodhead Pass to contend with. He is camping all the way now to Hornsea, near Hull, all to raise money for Barking Mad Dog Rescue. It's tough going and I know he will really appreciate all the support. We want to let him know that we are by his side along his trip. We love you, Nick, please keep going! We are proud of you!"  If you haven't already, please read Nick's story and support his dream via his Just Giving Page BMDR Romania Team.

More than 400,000 North West residents apply cooking oils whilst sunbathing

TAN crazy residents from the North West are ditching protective sun creams and using cooking oils in a misguided bid to tan quicker, a study by supermarket Asda has revealed. 435,054 North West residents risk burns and skin cancer by smearing vegetable, olive and coconut oil on their skin before sunbathing, with men (26%) worse than women (17%) for raiding the kitchen cupboards. Shockingly, 29% of sun worshippers have purposely not applied sunscreen in the bid to tan quicker, even though 73% of residents have suffered sunburn. The research also found that for 29% getting sunburnt does not bother them and even more worryingly, 20% somewhat believe that a sunburn will turn in to a tan. Attitudes to the sun seem to differ depending on whether we are abroad or in the UK. 75% of residents will apply sunscreen when abroad, but for those opting for a staycation 65% will not apply sunscreen. 21% don't think the sun in the UK is strong enough to need sunscreen, with 9% thinking it is unnecessary.

Love Island's Dr Alex George, an NHS doctor who famously suffered bad sunburn in last year's series warned:- "We are a nation of sun worshippers, but it's worrying to see that so many Brits are using cooking oil to get a better tan and are unaware of the importance of UV protection; especially when buying sunscreen. Whether at home in the UK or holidaying abroad, we need to take sun protection and damage seriously. We all have a friend that burns quicker than others, risking serious skin damage and even melanoma skin cancer to achieve a tan is simply not worth it".

Meanwhile, 65% will put on sunglasses as a form of sun protection, whilst 40% of sun worshippers are put off buying sunscreen as they think it is expensive. A spokesperson from Asda comments:- "We want people to have fun this summer, but we want them to be safe in the sun. When outdoors it's important to protect yourself and use a sun cream with a 5 UV rating, ensuring it is applied regularly throughout the day to avoid burning in the sun. For as little as a few pounds, holidaymakers can protect their skin from harmful UV rays regardless of whether they are holidaying abroad or in the UK this summer".

Although 54% of residents worry about UV light causing skin cancer, and the effects of UV to aging their appearance (32%), 62% never check the UV forecast before going out into the sun and when buying sunscreen, locals are more concerned about SPF rating (62%), than UV rating (50%).