Southport Heritage Project 2023 group exhibition

EACH autumn thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. Running across ten days in September:- 'Heritage Open Days' remains England's largest festival of history and culture and offers free access to events and activities all over the country when unique venues that are usually closed to the public, unbolt their doors to welcome visitors.

Subsidised by The National Lottery, the Southport Townscape Heritage project and Sefton Council have come together to focus on how art chronicles the legacy and tradition of a place and time by opening up opportunities for artists to visit and record lesser accessible spaces in the town.

As part of this year's event, Southport Contemporary Arts will be hosting its own unique interpretation of this year's theme:- 'Creativity Unwrapped' with an exclusive presentation by SCA members at their Eastbank Street gallery.

SCA director, Serah Stringer explains:- "The exploration of Southport's streets with a Heritage project activity coordinator, inspired the SCA artists by pointing out the styles and quirks of the town's unique architecture and street layout and by delving into Southport's legacy with maps, old photos and stories. The SCA artists working alongside the Southport Townscape Heritage Project are now looking forward to showing how the finished artwork registers these moments in time, which in turn, will hopefully inspire others to look at Southport's streets and wonderfully rich heritage more closely. Visitors can certainly expect a visual experience that will challenge, excite and incite the viewer's curiosity."

Allocated an unprepossessing large brown cardboard box earlier in the year, the SCA's members challenge was to imaginatively re-invent each box using their own skills and abilities inspired by the Southport Townscape Heritage Project aim to regenerate new life into the historic buildings in the Town centre and restore Southport's Victorian seaside heritage for the future.

Taking inspiration from Southport's iconic architecture, Carole Dawber has transformed her box into a glorified representation of the symmetrical three-bay portico that fronts The Atkinson on Lord Street. In Carole's reinvention:- "Here's 1 I Made Earlier" this Grade II listed building is now festooned with flower-patterned tissue outer walls and houses Carole's own framed artwork inside: "I wanted to represent two of my most favourite recollections about living in Southport, art shows at The Atkinson and the annual Flower Show."

Pam Thomas's "Southport Shrimpers Yesterday and Today" is an honest attempt to "convey the importance of the shrimping industry to many local families and communities down the years, and in that way, preserve something of its history and heritage."

A longstanding distinctive feature on the sands of Southport beaches, early generations, both men and women, used shrimping to supplement their family's income when the farming of their smallholdings became inadequate.

As Pam explains:- "Locally, the method used was known as:- 'putting' or 'pushing' and a beam about 6 feet long was pushed along the sand with one hand, while the other hand held the net. The shrimps were transferred to the basket that the shrimper carried across his shoulders. These baskets, when full, could weigh as much as 80 pounds. In time the process became more mechanized with horse drawn carts and then motorized tractors. In recent years, there has been a decline in the fishing for shrimps, as the rusting tractors and equipment, parked on the beach at Weld Road, bear witness."

Working from her canal side studio in West Lancashire, printmaker Kate Tidmarsh's "Look Up!" also widens the perspective:- "As I walk around Southport, as an artist and a visitor, I look at it through a lens reflecting my passion for layers and patterns. The interplay of light and glass, the many juxtaposed angles and interrupted views are endlessly fascinating to me, and very much highlight the continuity of creativity in this ever-evolving town. Everywhere you look, there are layers of history being exposed, the old living alongside the new, as well as regeneration looking towards the future. My box is a current snapshot in time, from a personal viewpoint, referencing the actual layers of building facades, the past glory, and the potential future."

Creating images through exploration and experimentation, Kate often works from photographic evidence capture on site:- "As a printmaker, I often work from reference photos, and in this instance I brought these more directly into my work, creating a physical layered model of several views while 'Looking Up'. The big open sky on the seafront is, to me, an important part of visiting Southport and my focus here. Reflections, shadows, and angles work with the glass and sky to create this experience, which I have constructed using photographic prints and mono prints."

Jenny Curwen's "A Celebration of Nature, Culture and Heritage" is mini version of the ArtHouse Gallery on Eastbank Street complete with photographic images she took around the Town on the recently coordinated:- 'Stroll and Snap Southport Heritage Walk' with Southport Townscape Heritage rep, Sue Latimer:- "My title captures the essence of Southport as a Town that has a rich history, a vibrant culture and a stunning natural environment. It also invites the visitors to explore and appreciate the various aspects of Southport, such as its wildlife, its architecture and historical past. In my mini gallery there will be my own spin on the images taken on the walk plus an image my father, Mr R H Curwen, took in the early 1950's taken at Southport Fair where all the men are in trench coats, the fashion of the day."

In total there will be 16 transformed boxes to wonder at and this exclusive showing is certainly not one to be missed. The SCA's response to the challenge will go on display at the ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport from:- 5 September to 16 September 2023.

Legal powers given to Lucy Letby inquiry

THE inquiry into circumstances around the horrific crimes committed by former Neonatal Murse, Lucy Letby, will become statutory, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has announced.

While statutory inquiries traditionally take longer to conclude than non-statutory inquiries, moving to a statutory footing will mean the inquiry will have legal powers to compel witnesses, including:- former and current staff of the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust, to give evidence. It will also mean that evidence must be heard in public, unless the Inquiry Chair decides otherwise.

Announced shortly after Letby was convicted of murdering and attempting to murder babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, it will ensure vital lessons are learned and will provide answers to the parents and families impacted.

The Health and Social Care Secretary has been clear from the outset that he wants the families impacted in this tragic case to have the opportunity to engage with and shape the scope of the inquiry. Following a meeting with them yesterday, the Government has acted swiftly to respect their wishes and put the inquiry on a legal footing.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:- “The crimes committed by Lucy Letby are truly harrowing, and my thoughts remain with the families of her victims. Following her conviction, we announced an inquiry and said the nature of this inquiry would be shaped by the families. Having now discussed this with the families, we will launch a full statutory inquiry giving it the legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence. This statutory public inquiry will aim to give the families the answers they need and ensure lessons are learned.”

The statutory inquiry will investigate the wider circumstances around what happened at the Trust, including:- the handling of concerns and governance. It will also look at what actions were taken by regulators and the wider NHS.

The Government will publish the inquiry’s terms of reference; setting out the scope of the work; in due course.

The Government has indicated that it will look to appoint a judge to chair the inquiry, and the Health and Social Care Secretary is working with colleagues across Government to identify a suitable candidate as soon as possible.