New Little Sparks play space and cafe to open in Churchtown this Easter

LITTLE Sparks; 'a chocolate box cottage with a twist, where little ones take their grown ups' will open at 25 Botanic Road, at the site of the former Watkinson and Bond Ltd printers. It is suitable for children aged between 0 and 5 years old. The brand new play based learning space and cafe is owned by former estate agent Stephanie Sparks; whose beautiful 16 month old daughter, Amelie, is particularly looking forward to the opening.

Stephanie said:- "We are looking forward to introducing our beautiful Scandinavian-inspired play space located in the heart of Churchtown Village. Little Sparks will be a safe space your little ones will adore, whilst you can enjoy a delicious brew and bake from your front row seat. We are so excited to announce our Eggstra Special Easter Launch on:- Friday, 15 April 2022 and Saturday, 16 April 2022. We would love people to join us as we open our beautiful play space with Easter Egg hunts, Easter treats AND we've heard even the Easter Bunny himself will be hopping in!"

The opening of Little Sparks is another boost for Churchtown, which has enjoyed some real investment in the past couple of years. The Village is growing its reputation for its collection of top quality independent, local businesses, with little Sparks adding to the offer.

 Stephanie said:- "As a family we adore Churchtown. We live in the Village and have always supported the local independent traders. I wouldn't have opened the business anywhere else. We have received amazing support from the other local businesses here so far!"

The new business will create new jobs in the Village too, and a new facility that is sure to be welcomed by local families.

Stephanie said:- "Following the birth of our daughter Amelie in 2020, the need for a beautiful, engaging and importantly clean space for adults to enjoy with their little ones became very apparent. Increasingly passionate about 'plastic free play', we are creating an engaging, stimulating and eye pleasing role play style environment your little ones will adore; whilst you can admire and enjoy our delicacies on offer. We have had our own unique blend of coffee produced by local Southport coffee roasters 'Sehnsucht' who are based at Heimat on Wesley Street in Southport Town Centre; our coffee will of course be aptly named 'Sparksbucks'! Another local Southport business, the famously renowned patisserie Lilibets, will be supplying our delicious cakes. I'm trained in Health and Safety, First Aid and Food Hygiene and we are so proud to advise that we will have a defibrillator on site. We have installed a disabled toilet and baby changing facilities too."

Little Sparks will be open Tuesday to Friday, from:- 9:30am to 5pm, and will run 3, 2 hour sessions per day at:- 9:30am, 12:15pm and 3pm.

This is to ensure that the play space remains a beautiful clean space for adults and their little ones, and ensures that there aren't too many customers on the premises at any 1 time for maximum enjoyment. For more details please visit:- LittleSparksSouthport.Co.UK.
 

1st Slavery Plaque To Be Installed In Liverpool
Photographs by Pete Carr

A historic Liverpool street is the 1st in the City to have a plaque installed which explains its links with slavery. The brand new addition, close to the World Museum on William Brown Street, will be unveiled, on Tuesday, 5 April 2022, with the bronze plaque explaining the history behind the street name and its origins with the slave trade. It is the 1st of around 10 streets which will become home to an:- 'Eric Scott Lynch Slavery Histories' plaque; named in honour of the activist and historian who passed away last year.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson said:- "This is a milestone moment for Liverpool in its reconciliation with its past. As a City we pledged to be open and transparent about this City's role in the transatlantic slave trade, and the plaques are an important step forward. This understanding of our past is key, and only when we fully acknowledge and accept it, can we move forward. The unveiling takes place in the same month as Liverpool Against Racism; a powerful and unique event which will shine a spotlight on the racism and discrimination endemic in today's society. I'm proud to have 2 high profile activities take place within the space of a month which address our past, but also look ahead to the future and spotlight progressive, impactful anti racist practices. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in making these plaques a reality and their commitment to telling the truth about Liverpool's history."

Eric spent his life drawing attention to Liverpool's links with slavery and through his family, he played a key role in identifying which areas of the City were directly linked with the slave economy and the growth of the City. These include streets named after slavers or places connected with the trade, as well as those located in areas that frequently feature in current walking tours of the City. The addition of the accurate historical reference would add to the heritage experience of visitors as they explore our streets.

Andrew Lynch, Eric Lynch's son, said:- "These plaques stand testament to the educational work that my father Eric Scott Lynch carried out. Over many years, he strove to give the people of Liverpool a deeper understanding of the central role the City played in shaping the modern world. The enormous wealth generated by slavery and imperial interests built the City into a major trade hub and financed many of the industries that were to become the cornerstone of the industrial revolution. This reminds us that Liverpool is truly a world City, with the labour of Africans and people of African descent being a key part of our story."

A list of streets was originally submitted by Laurence Westgaph; historian and founder of Liverpool Black History Research Group. Some of the streets under consideration include Falkner Street, Bold Street, Parr Street and Colquitt Street. The locations will be announced in the coming months once the complex process of identifying suitable areas, then obtaining permissions; and in some cases seeking planning approval; is completed. It is hoped they will all be in situ in the next 2 years.

Michelle Charters, Chair of the Slavery Streets Panel and CEO of Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre said:- "It has truly been an honour to get to the point of the 1st of many 'Eric Scott Lynch Slavery Heritage' street plaques, especially when Eric had conducted hundreds of Slavery History Trail tours over the decades. This will leave a legacy in his name to his tireless work he did in uncovering the facts and educating many individuals and organisations of the true involvement as a City, in the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on the growth of Liverpool from the 1800s. It was especially moving that unfortunately, Eric did not get the chance to see this 1st plaque, but we as a panel, are happy to collaborate and conduct the work on his behalf, working closely with his son Andrew. I thank the Lynch family for their collaboration and sharing of their father's memories and knowledge."

The partners involved in the project are Liverpool City Council, National Museums Liverpool, the family of Eric Lynch, Liverpool Black History Research Group and Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre. The unveiling comes ahead of the unique Liverpool Against Racism series of events which take place from:- 24 April to 30 April. A music day and conference will be just some of the highlights of the City wide statement of solidarity against racism and hate.

Janet Dugdale, Executive Director of Museums and Participation, said:- "At National Museums Liverpool we are honoured to be a partner in this significant project and a member of the advisory panel. Over time the plaques and linked website will enable people to contextualise transatlantic slavery within Liverpool's built environment. While our International Slavery Museum has been a leading voice for telling stories of the transatlantic slave trade, we are also committed to embedding an understanding of the legacies of transatlantic slavery across all of our venues by being open and transparent about the histories behind our collections."

Liverpool City Council passed a motion in January 2020 to commit to the placing of plaques and other interpretation to improve our understanding of the City's heritage and its links to slavery.