Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day in Southport returns with even more attractions to enjoy

FAMILIES will be able to enjoy a huge array of entertainment when the 2nd Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day takes place in Southport! The fun, free family spectacular takes place between:- 10am and 4pm, on Sunday, 18 June 2023, Father's Day, at the historic park, in Churchtown.

Thousands of people of all ages enjoyed the event in 2022, and it is planned that this year's event due to be:- "even bigger and even better" with new attractions for visitors to enjoy. It is being sponsored by Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery, in Southport.  The event is free to attend, but people will be welcome to make any donations to the:- 'Make A Change For Botanic' campaign group, which is working alongside the Botanic Gardens Community Association to make the park a better place for all to enjoy. 

Event organiser Jess Rickers said:- "Last year's Family Fun Day was fantastic, it was great to see so many people there! We had amazing feedback from the people who came. This year's event will be fairly similar in style to last year, but it will be even bigger and even better, with more for people of all ages to enjoy. We've got so much lined up for our Family Fun Day, including Allday's Farm, which will be coming for the 1st time. They will be bringing a mobile farm with them so you can get up close and personal with their beautiful animals, which can be petted and fed. Animals will include a Shetland pony and some rabbits. They are coming for the full day. Our bubbleologist was very popular last year, and they will be returning. Last year we had 3 dance groups performing, this year we will have 4:- Funky Monkees, Central Dance, The Dance Place and Express Performing Arts. Fairground rides, inflatables and a large inflatable slide will be back, and new for this year will be an inflatable assault course. There will also be zorbs from iZorb UK. We have got Golborne Brass Band performing between 2.15pm and 4pm at the Bandstand. People can enjoy food and drink from The Settle Inn, which will be providing things such as a BBQ, ice creams and refreshments, from 3 venues within the park. Sandgrounder Radio is coming down to provide music on the day. Mighty Radio is coming with their Spiderman mascot, who was so popular with the kids last year. We will have 3 music performances near the front gates:- Yooks, Ukulele Buddies and Southport Stompers Jazz Band, playing between:- 10am and 1pm. We will be hosting lots of stalls at the park again, with spaces for small, local independent businesses from Merseyside and Lancashire, plus a few charities such as Queenscourt Hospice, Marshside Fog Bell, the Botanic Gardens Community Association and Woodlands Animal Sanctuary. Families can enjoy face painters, glitter tattoos, and hair braiding. Visitors will be able to have a go at a football shoot out. I was conscious after last year that we need to provide more to do for older children this year, which we are doing. We will have someone at the event with birds of prey. Hickory's in Southport will be back again, giving away free tubs of popcorn. Donkey rides are back again this year, and Merseyside Police will be there with their van. Sefton Council has paid for extra bins and for some portable toilets on site. Programmes with the day's events, times and locations will be on sale for 50p at the gate and I hope everyone can spare that to join in the fundraising. Every little helps!" 

Jess and her team of supporters have been inspired to organise the Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day for a 2nd year as part of a continuing campaign to improve the park. 
 
She said:- "We all want to make the Botanic Gardens better for everyone to enjoy, and to make it safer for all. We want to do all we can to bring the local community together. We are making a case to Sefton Council that the Botanic Gardens deserves more funding to improve it. Staging events like this, where the council can see the huge support that the park enjoys, helps with that. There are a lot of parks across Sefton shouting for more funding, and we have to show why this one deserves support. The best way for us to stand out and to secure any improvements is to show how much the Botanic Gardens is loved, is wanted, and how much enjoyment local families get from it."

All the stalls and attractions are now full, with a waiting list for both. 1 thing needed however is people willing to help out on the day. 
 
Jess said:- "We need more volunteers! Could you give even a couple of hours to come down and help? We'd love to see people come and do something for the local community, with the added benefit of seeing lots of families having a really fun day while they are there." 
 
For more information you can message Jass via Facebook. Would you like to help the campaign to improve the Botanic Gardens, in Churchtown, Southport? Please join the:- Make A Change For Botanic Facebook Group.
 

Aladdin To Light Up St Helens This Christmas

ALADDIN is flying into St Helens Theatre Royal this Christmas; and the 1st 2 members of its star studded cast can be revealed.

Emmerdale star Liam Fox will make his panto debut in the role of the evil Abanazer, and panto royalty Leanne Campbell will appear as a magical:- 'Genie of the Mirror.'

The spectacular seasonal production from Regal Entertainments comes to the Theatre Royal stage from:- Saturday, 2 December, to Sunday, 14 January 2024. Tickets are on sale now costing from £21.

Take a magic carpet ride this Christmas and be whisked off to pantoland where young street urchin Aladdin lives with his hapless brother Wishee Washee and larger than life Mum Widow Twankey in their family laundry.

Then join our young hero as he battles the wicked Abanazer who has a dastardly plan to rule the world with the help of one very special lamp.

Can Aladdin save the day, and can he also win the heart of the fair Princess Jasmine?

Liam Fox is best known for playing Emmerdale's Dan Spencer and has appeared in more than 1,000 episodes since he joined the award-winning ITV soap in 2011.

The popular actor, presenter, voice Artist and writer made his professional acting debut in Coronation Street in 1999. His many other TV credits include:- Dinnerladies, Cold Feet, Clocking Off, Hollyoaks, The Case (Lime Pictures), Our Great Yorkshire Life, Fat Friends, Casualty 1909, and Stephen Poliakoff's Dancing on the Edge.

Film credits include:- Demon Eye, Snappers and There's Only One Jimmy Grimble.

Liam has also appeared on stage in productions including:- The Collector and Tuesday's Class, at the Lowry Studio, Iron (Directed by Noreen Kershaw) at:- Manchester Royal Exchange, The Dumb Waiter for 3 Ducks Theatre Company, and Cornered for Rocket Theatre Company.

Meanwhile actress and award winning Radio City Breakfast Show host Leanne Campbell will play a digital Genie who appears as if by magic at every performance thanks to amazing state of the art audio visual technology.

Leanne started her acting career at the age of 10 while training at the Elliott Clarke School of Dance and Drama, with early roles including:- Annie, at the Liverpool Playhouse, and an award winning performance as young Helen in the much loved Twopence to Cross the Mersey.

She went on to win a scholarship to study at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts, and continued her Theatre career both in Liverpool and on tour playing many leading roles in musicals and plays including:- Me and My Girl, Carousel, The Sound of Music and Scrooge. She was also cast as Pam in ITV's Children's Ward.

In 2020 she wrote and starred in the successful comedy play Pete Price is Dead at Liverpool's Royal Court, and other recent productions include leading roles in:- The Salon and Achy Breaky Bride.

Leanne was headhunted for radio after being spotted playing Fairy Liquid in Snow White at the Royal Court in 2003. Her many other high-profile panto appearances include a 5 year reign as princess and villain, at the Liverpool Empire, starring in everything from Peter Pan to Snow White, and 6 consecutive years at the City's M&S Bank Arena.

More casting is yet to be announced.

Theatre Manager Chantelle Nolan says:- "We're absolutely thrilled to be working with such talented performers on this festive season's unmissable production of Aladdin. Liam Fox is making his pantomime debut and I know he's going to be an absolutely fantastic panto villain, while Leanne is panto royalty and will bring plenty of magical sparkle to our state-of-the-art genie. Aladdin is a fantastic adventure story of good triumphing over evil, and it's a real favourite with the family audiences at St Helens Theatre Royal. As always, I can guarantee gorgeous sets, dazzling costumes, plenty of laugh out loud moments and a soundtrack that will have you dancing in your seat and singing along. Roll on Christmas!"

NOTE:- Leanne Campbell will appear as the Genie of the Mirror by the power of video projection and does not appear in person.

Tickets can be booked over the phone or in person at the box office between:- 10am and 5pm, from:- Monday to Friday. Tickets can also be purchased online. For more information please visit:- StHelensTheatreRoyal.Com.