Queen Camilla sends royal support for the rebuilding of Spellow Library Hub

QUEEN Camilla has written to the Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram expressing her sorrow at recent events in the Region, particularly the attack on the Spellow Library Hub in Liverpool.

A noted advocate for reading and its power to inspire, Queen Camilla's letter was accompanied with the donation of a box of nearly 70 books, as a contribution to the rebuilding of the Spellow Library Hub in Walton.

Welcoming the donation, Mayor Rotheram said:- '"I'd like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Queen Camilla for her thoughtful letter and gift of books which give a much needed boost for the people of the city Region at a very difficult time. Her Majesty's gift, along with donations of books and support from hundreds of authors and thousands of other people, reminds us that the good in this world far outweighs the bad and bolsters our determination to come together and rebuild in the wake of recent events. The burning of a library was such a shocking image, symbolising the ignorance of those who seek to divide us. With the help of the Queen's donation, and of everyone else who has given their support, we will ensure that they do not succeed.'"

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:- '"It's very thoughtful of Queen Camilla to reach out to support Spellow Library Hub in its darkest hour. I'd like to thank her on behalf of everyone in Walton and Liverpool for this touching act of generosity. Her gift is a great example of how much we as a nation value our libraries and the power of reading. This has been illustrated by the overwhelming response we've received since that depressingly mindless act of vandalism, be it through the Go Fund Me donations or the #ReadingNotRioting campaign led by author Marnie Riches. It's so encouraging to see that hope has now replaced hate, and its power is far greater and its legacy much deeper.'"

Queen Camilla, who read to Liverpool schoolchildren on a royal visit to the City's Central Library in 2023, provided a box of 67 books for the library, including works by Bernardine Evaristo, Hilary Mantel and Michael Morpurgo.

Her Majesty has long been a champion of literature, and the power of reading to educate and inspire, and established The Queen's Reading Room charity, which grew from a book club Her Majesty established during the Covid19 Pandemic.

A '"GoFundMe'" set up to raise funds for Spellow Library Hub has now raised nearly £250,000 and hundreds of authors, including:- Philip Pullman and Val McDermid, Nigella Lawson and Liverpool born, Children's Laureate Frank Cotterill-Boyce, have donated books or offered support for the library.

The 67 books donated by Queen Camilla include:-

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
  

• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
  

• The Tiger who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr.
  

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
  

• Archangel by Robert Harris.
  

• War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.
  

• Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome.
  

• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.
  

• Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks.
  

• Hairy Maclary from Donaldsons Dairy by Lynley Dodd.
  

• The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel.
  

• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.
  

• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
  

• The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesyd.
  

1st look at new rapid:- 'glider' set to hit Region's streets

LIVERPOOL City Region residents are getting a sneak peek of a brand new rapid transport:- 'glider' set to speed up journeys to:- Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Football Stadia by 2028.

Clad in the Metro branding of the Liverpool City Region transport network, the vehicle was recently showcased outside Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium. Mayor Steve Rotheram has pledged to deliver new rapid transport links to the arena as well as Everton's new Bramley Moore Dock Stadium and John Lennon Airport by 2028.

The 18 metre, articulated vehicle unveiled can carry around 30% more passengers than an average double decker bus. It also has 3 sets of double doors, allowing people to board and alight much more quickly, reducing the time spent at stops.

The vehicle is on loan from Translink in Northern Ireland where it is part of a 34 strong Glider fleet, and has been on display to the public at various locations throughout the Liverpool City Region. Since the Glider network began operation in Belfast in 2018 it has replaced more than 2.5 million car trips whilst cutting journey times by up to 25%.

Similar high quality express services could also be rolled out to other parts of the City Region currently not served by the rail network; including:- 1 serving the Wirral Waters development.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:- "The Liverpool City Region is a well established; and growing; magnet for visitors from around the world with our unique mix of music, culture, hospitality and sport. Millions of people pass through John Lennon Airport, many of them on their way to Anfield and, in future, to Bramley Moore. But 1 of the things people always tell me is that they need better links to these important places. As part of my plans to build a London style transport system, that is something I am committed to addressing. I was just re-elected on a promise to look at delivering a:- 'glider' style rapid link that will make getting to the airport and the football much faster, more efficient and, above all, a more pleasant travelling experience. This is the 1st time the glider will be seen on our streets; but I'll make sure they're up and running serving passengers in time for the Euros in 2028. This is not the end of the story either. I remain committed to building the world class transport system our Region deserves. Having a glider doesn't mean that we won't 1 day see a tram or rail station at the airport, but is an outstanding solution that will make an immediate difference to getting people around."

Bus rapid transit systems can provide fast, direct and reliable services which can be rolled out more quickly and at lower cost than new rail or tram networks.

Similar schemes operate in dozens of cities around the world including:- Barcelona, Toronto and Los Angeles, with others planned for Porto in Portugal, and Brisbane in Australia.

The new rapid transport link is an important part of Mayor Rotheram's plans to deliver a London-style transport network that makes travelling around the Region faster, cheaper, cleaner and more reliable.

During its visit, the vehicle will be tested on key routes in the City Region, allowing the Combined Authority if changes need to be made to accommodate the vehicles.

The findings will be used to finalise plans for the new link, with details of proposed routes and infrastructure to follow in the coming months.

The vehicle will be on display to the public throughout this week as part of a roadshow taking place across the City Region, with people being asked to provide their feedback on the vehicle and plans for new rapid transit links.

Roadshow events ends on:- Friday, 23 August 2024, at:- Green Oaks Shopping Centre, Widnes, and will run from:- 9 am to 3 pm.

Similar schemes operate in dozens of cities around the world, including:- Barcelona, Toronto and Los Angeles, with others planned for Porto in Portugal, and Brisbane in Australia.

Please email us your thoughts on this unusual transportation project by sending your views to our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or message us on:-  Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.