Stunning new video shows how £100m Baltic Station could look inside and out

The drop-in events are part of a public consultation on the Station scheme, which is now open and running until:- Sunday, 4 August 2024.

The new Station, which will be located on Merseyrail's Northern Line, will serve the UK's 'coolest neighborhoods' and the world's 11th coolest; according to Time Out magazine. The Station's name was chosen by the public in an online vote in 2022 which saw more than three-quarters opt for Liverpool Baltic.

People interested in the scheme are invited to submit their views on the scheme at the drop-in events or via the online survey.

You can find out more about the consultation and the scheme on the project webpage.

Details of the 2 drop in events, where members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions and there will be an opportunity to use the virtual reality headsets, can be found below:-

• Baltic Creative CIC, 49 Jamaica Streer, on:- Tuesday, 16 July 2024, from:- 11am to 8pm.
  
• FireFit Youth and Community Hub, 115 Upper Warwick St, Toxtet, on:- Tuesday, 23 July 2024, from:- 11am to 8pm.

THE 2 storey emporium has been a popular fixture with shoppers on Lord Street since it 1st opened its doors on:- 13 August 1998. It boasts a range of clothing for men and for women, gifts, and a Ponden home section. On the 1st floor is a sales section with lots of great bargains where the coffee shop used to be. Edinburgh Woollen Mill is managed by Lesley Mayo and her team of 6, many of whom have enjoyed working there for many years. It is a team that customers know and love as they keen coming back time and time again.

Lesley said::- "This August we will have been here on Lord Street in Southport for 26 years! It is definitely a milestone worth celebrating. Although we have been here so long, there are still some people locally who don't know that we are here, or what we offer. We'd love to get the word out more. We are looking forward to inviting everyone in to see us for our big birthday bash, on:- Tuesday, 13 August 2024. We are going to get boards outside and flyers promoting it as much as we can. On the day we will have a real birthday atmosphere with cakes, drinks, and 10% off for anyone who brings in 1 of our birthday flyers. We will have a raffle to win a hamper too, with prizes including:- food, gifts, biscuits, fudge and more."

Lesley hopes the store will stand proud on Lord Street for many years to come.

She said::- "Lord Street needs shops! We always say with shops that people should:- 'use us or lose us,' and it's true. You can't beat a good quality high street shop. There's lots that we offer over online shopping. This Edinburgh Woollen Mill in Southport is 1 of the biggest locally. We have lots of choice! We have stock on display over 2 floors. We have the ground floor with:- men's fashion, ladies' fashion, Ponden Home, and a Harris Tweed section. On the 1st floor is our sales shop with lots of great bargains. We have got a really loyal following, with lots of superb regular customers who keep coming back to see us. People come in here because they know our team is really friendly and helpful, and we will help them to shop if they need us. Our previous manager, Teresa, was here for 25 years; I have been here for 6 years; Jeanette has been here for 20 years; Julie for 15 years; Michaela for 10 years; Alison for 5 years. Our colleagues have been here for a long time! We all love working here. We will always listen to what our customers want. If there is anything they need that we don't stock, we will always chase it up for them. We never used to stock men's nightwear; we never used to stock small shirts for men; but we do both now, after our customers asked. Being on Lord Street, we see lots of visitors coming into Southport. The better the weather, the busier we are! We get lots of shoppers coming in who have been staying at hotels nearby like The Prince Of Wales or The Scarisbrick."

There is lots to look forward to at the southern end of Lord Street.

While the northern end of Lord Street has seen a resurgence into the trendy:- 'northern quarter' in recent years with new hospitality venues like The Grand, The Lord Street Hotel, Sinclair's and others, there are now positive signs coming for this end of town.

The Garrick on Lord Street, previously home to Mecca Bingo, saw planning permission granted in April to become:- 'the UK's 1st spa theatre hotel' with 109 new hotel rooms, plus 12 luxury apartments, gym and spa, bar and restaurant, and a new theatre space

JD Wetherspoon submitted a planning application in June to convert the Pavilion Buildings, on Lord Street, into a new 30 bed hotel.

Smaller businesses such as:- Shaw's Jewellery Workshop and Raw have opened too.

Lesley said::- "It was a shame when Mecca Bingo went. People still come into our shop and say they miss going to the bingo! But it will be fantastic when The Garrick opens, and when the new Wetherspoon Hotel starts. Harry's and the Sky Bar on top of The Grand are opening on:- 12 July. There are lots of positive things happening on Lord Street, which are brilliant to see. Hopefully all the investment will create even more reasons for more people to come and enjoy all the things that Lord Street has to offer."

The Southport Edinburgh Woollen Mill team is becoming well known for the fashion shows which it stages in the local community.

Would you be interested in hosting one? Southport Edinburgh Woollen Mill can plan an event just for you.

Lesley said::- "We have been organising fashion shows in the Southport area for the past couple of years. They have become really popular! We have been doing them for the past couple of years. We have planned and carried out many of these events and go to:- Church Halls, Care Homes, Retirement Homes and other venues. We have worked with places, such as:- Connell Court and others. We'd love to get out to more places. Or we can organise for you and your group to come to our store after hours and indulge in a private shopping experience. We will then offer you all a 20% off voucher to use in the shop. Please contact me for more details."