Southport Flower Show to welcome back Janette and Alja˛

THE Southport Flower Show are delighted to announce that Janette Manrara and Alja˛ Skorjanec have confirmed they will be returning to this year's show on:- Saturday, 17 August 2024.

Alan Adams, General Manager said:- "We are delighted to welcome back Janette and Alja˛ to this year's show. They last visited in 2022 and our visitors loved them so much we decided to ask them back for this year's special anniversary. You will catch them around the showground and hosting a Q&A in the Garden Theatre. They join a great line up of special guests this year".

Janette is a talented professional dancer and choreographer. She's best known for her appearances on the popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing. Born in Miami, Florida, Janette has graced the dance floor with her elegance, precision, and infectious energy. Her performances have left audiences spellbound, and her passion for dance is truly contagious.

Alja˛ hails from Slovenia and is also a seasoned dancer. He too made a name for himself on Strictly Come Dancing. His charisma, strong technique, and genuine love for the art of dance have made him a fan favourite. Alja˛ and Janette share not only their love for dance, but also something more, they are not just dance partners; they're life partners. Janette and Alja˛ got married in 2017 and their chemistry both on and off the dance floor is palpable.

Janette and Alja˛ were mainstays on Strictly Come Dancing, the beloved British dance competition show, and both joined the series in 2013. They enjoyed 9 remarkable years on the show before Janette bid goodbye in 2021 and Aljaz did the same in 2022. It has just been confirmed however, that Alja˛ is returning to Strictly Come Dancing this Autumn.

They have both appeared on Strictly: It Takes Two, which Janette hosts, and more recently, Celebrity Escape to the Country, where they decided to trade their chalet for a charming country cottage. In the series, Janette and Alja˛ embarked on an adventure to rural Cheshire. With sparkly wellies at the ready, they explored picturesque landscapes and cozy homes. The show captures their journey as they seek a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the dance floor.

Janette recently penned her 1st book titled Tiny Dancer: BIG World a delightful memoir in which she shares not only her dance journey, but also valuable advice, inspirational stories, and life lessons gleaned from her childhood in a large Cuban immigrant family in sunny Florida to her decision to pursue a career in dance.

Southport Flower Show, sponsored by the Seventy Ninth Group, is the UK's largest independent flower show and attracts over 55,000 visitors across 4 days.

Visitors to this year's show can enjoy inspirational show gardens, spectacular floral displays, gardening advice, show jumping, pop up shopping village, cookery demonstrations, live music, arena entertainment and so much more!

Gardening guests at this year's show are:- Carole Baxter and George Anderson of Beechgrove Garden, Adam Frost of BBC Gardeners' World, David Domoney of Love Your Garden and The Skinny Jean Gardener of Blue Peter.

Celebrity chefs at this year's show are Platinum Pudding winner Jemma Melvin, Matt Tebbutt of Saturday Kitchen, Nisha Katona MBE; restaurateur, cookbook author and TV chef and Phil Vickery of This Morning.

Special guests confirmed to date are:- BBC Broadcaster, TV Personality and DJ Adele Roberts and CBeebeies Star Justin Fletcher.

So why not visit the event which runs from:- Thursday 15; Sunday 18 August 2024, and help them to to celebrate 100 years of Southport Flower Show.

Early bird tickets are available until:- Wednesday, 14 August 2024. Buy your tickets early and save. Tickets are flexible and can be used on any 1 of the show days. Children under 16 go free with a paying adult. Well behaved dogs are allowed on leads.

Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting announcements on our Southport Flower Show website and social media channels

Fines issued to parents by Liverpool Councils for unauthorised pupil absences have skyrocketed as term-time holiday penalties set to rise

THE number of prosecutions for unpaid fines has also soared by 117% in just 12 months across the Liverpool Region.

The number of fines issued by Liverpool Councils to parents for unauthorised pupil absences has risen by 67% in a 12 month period, with figures set to soar again this year.

What's more, cases put forward for prosecution following unpaid fines have skyrocketed by 117%.

An investigation by LegalExpert has analysed figures across the LIverpool City Region Combined Authority revealing which Councils are doling out the most penalty notices, fines and prosecutions.

Parents who flout the rules of term-time holidays could be hit with hefty fines of £160 if they take their child out of School for a term-time holiday from this August, 2024.

As it stands, unauthorised absences can see parents slapped with a £60 fine which increases to £120 per child if it is not paid within 21 days with a potential for prosecution for non-payment of 28 days.

Liverpool City Council issued 1,714 penalty notices to parents between:- 2021 to 2022, the figure more than doubled the following year to a whopping 4,271.

The number of cases put forward for prosecution nearly quadrupled from 94 in 2021/22 to 363 between 2022/23.

Wirral Council doled out the second highest amount in the country; with a total of 4,430 across the 2 years; it referred a staggering 525 cases to EWS (Education Welfare System) for prosecution for unpaid fines between:- 2021 to 2023.

Parents who don't pay the fine in time, can be subjected to further action which could include:- an Education Supervision Order, Community Order or even a Jail Order.

Across the Liverpool City Region, there were 451 instances of cases being referred to EWS for prosecution for unpaid fines between:- 2021 / 2022. This soared by 117% the following year when Councils referred a combined total of 980 cases.

Parents are being warned this year as fines are set to increase from this August, 2024. New guidelines will see fines of up to £160 if the child is taken out of School for a term time holiday.

The hike will come along with a new national framework which will require Schools to consider fines when a child misses 10 or more sessions (5 days) without permission.

According to the Department of Education,:- "Fines are a last resort, and parents will be offered support to help improve their child's attendance 1st."

However, it does admit that:- "the vast majority of fines for unauthorised absence (89%) are issued for term time holidays."

LegalExpert.co.uk has a team of experts at hand for anyone who has concerns about unauthorised absence fines.

They operate a 24-hour helpline and live chat service which you can access on their website.