The unmissable Comedy Bingo Winter Socials are returning to Southport this autumn

AS the nights get darker and the weather gets colder, the Wednesday, daytime events are a great chance for people to come together for an afternoon of fun and laughter.

Organised by Big Comedy UK and supported by the Halliwell Jones MINI Big Love campaign, the gatherings tackle isolation for everyone from senior citizens to young parents with children to anyone living on their own.

They offer a fun and affordable way for people of all ages to have a great time and form new friendships; while being in with a chance of winning some top prizes!

Eyes down; head down to Southport Market on:-

• Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
  
  

• Wednesday, 6 November 2024.
  
  

• Wednesday, 20 November 2024.
  
  

• Wednesday, 4 December 2024.
  
  

• Wednesday, 18 December 2024.

The Comedy Bingo Winter Socials see doors open at Southport Market, on King Street, in Southport Town Centre, at:- 1 pm, with the shows starting at:- 1.30 pm and finishing at:- 3.30 pm.

Tickets cost just £3 each and include:- all the bingo cards you need, in addition to a free:- cup of tea, cup of coffee, glass of wine or glass of lager.

The events have been created and are being hosted by Big Comedy UK and Southport Comedy Festival Director Brendan Riley.

People can book their place via Skiddle or the Big Comedy website:- BigComedyUK.Com.

Tickets can also be bought on the door on the day, of the events, subject to availability.

People or groups, can call Brendan Riley on:- 07770591625 to book in.

Big Comedy UK Brendan Riley said:- "Our Comedy Bingo Winter Socials are back! We're really pleased to be able to host these again at Southport Market throughout this autumn and winter, thanks to the ongoing support of Halliwell Jones MINI in Southport and their Big Love campaign. We'd love to thank them for making these events possible. It works really well with how much they support the local community through their MINI Big Love campaign. We're very grateful also to all the local businesses and organisations which donate raffle prizes, including:- The Atkinson, Southport Flower Show, Crystal Clear Opticians, Southport Market and others. If you'd like to donate any raffle prizes to our events please get in touch. We have been running comedy bingo socials at Southport Market for the past 18 months, ever since the cost of living crisis began affecting everyone in January last year. Lots of families were also hit hard by the impact of the Covid Pandemic and years of lockdown. Social isolation has become a massive issue for so many people. We wanted to organise something that was fun for people to enjoy, relaxed, easy to get to, and would put a big smile on everyone's face. It's really affordable too with just £3 per ticket, which includes:- all your bingo books, plus a free drink, and the chance to win some excellent prizes. Our Comedy Bingo Socials were originally developed with the aim of encouraging pensioners to come out and enjoy each others' company and have a great time. But the event has really developed, and now we are attracting people of all ages. We attract senior citizens, young parents, kids running around, people living on their own, people who work in the evenings, people who are new to Southport, all sorts. It makes for a great atmosphere. Our oldest bingo winner so far has been 100 years old! Southport Market is a fabulous venue to be. It's really central, it's a beautiful space and all the bars and food outlets are open if anyone wants to grab something to eat or drink while they're there. It has been great working with the Tourism team at Sefton Council to put this together. We have kept the ticket prices very low to try and encourage as many people to come and join us for these fun afternoons as possible. It's a very warm and welcoming environment, perfect for people of all ages to enjoy a real laugh together."

Aidan Williams, Group Marketing Manager at Halliwell Jones, said:- "We're delighted to be supporting for the second year the Southport Comedy Bingo Winter Socials at Southport Market. It was fantastic to see so many locals attend the 8 events we previously sponsored. Bren and Val have delivered a fantastic initiative which helps to bring people together and tackle isolation during these winter months."

Have you never been to a Comedy Bingo event before? Then you're in for a real treat.

It's a fun and interactive show hosted by professional comedian Brendan Riley. Comedy Bingo has raised thousands of pounds for:- charities, sports clubs, Schools, Scout groups and many more good causes over the last 8 years. The show appeals to audiences of all ages.

OWNER Kevin Peet catches some of the fish himself; is 1 of Southport's traditional shrimp fisherman, who makes his own potted shrimps (a local tradition going back centuries); and smokes his own haddock and other fish The Peets Plaice fishmonger's is making waves as it celebrates its 10 birthday, at its shop in Southport.  The shop, owned by local fisherman and businessman Kevin Peet, opened at:- 142 Cambridge Road, next to Churchtown Lights, in Churchtown Village, a decade ago.

Shop Owner and Fisherman, Kevin Peet said:- "We are delighted to have been in this shop for 10 years! A lot has changed over these past 10 years. We have managed to come through the Covid Pandemic in 1 piece. While we had to initially close our shop during the Pandemic, we worked quickly to launch our Peets Plaice website and online delivery service which meant we could safely deliver orders direct to customers' homes in a safe and reliable manner. It's a service we maintain today. It means that while most people love coming into our shop to see the wide variety of fresh fish and seafood we have on our counter each day, they also have the option, either during bad weather or at times when it's more convenient for them, that they can simply order online and we will deliver orders straight to their door. We also enjoy supplying fresh fish to a variety of local businesses in the area, including:- fish and chip shops, restaurants, hotels, care homes and more."

While some things have changed over the past decade, many have stayed the same, as customers know exactly what to expect.

Kevin Peet said:- "Peets Plaice is a real family business. As well as myself and my wife, Nicola, we also have my sister, Kate, and my sister in law, Tuk, working here too. We all have the highest standards that you need to run a business. We are proud of our 5 star hygiene rating and shoppers know they can buy the freshest fish here, along with any advice you need. Our fish is landed locally, either at Fleetwood or Scotland. Our top produce on our fresh fish counter includes:- cod, salmon, hake, tuna, halibut, sea bass, smoked salmon, monkfish, Royal Greenland prawns, crayfish, crab, dressed crab, Scottish rope mussels, lemon sole, kippers, rollmop herrings, fish pie mix, smoked cod, smoked haddock, and much more besides. On quality, we will always beat supermarkets, because of the freshness of our produce. In the early years, I used to go out and catch a lot of fish myself, but not so much these days. I still smoke our own fish. We have home smoked haddock for sale at the moment, and in the summer we were smoking crevettes, the big prawns. Southport is legendary for its shrimps and I go out and catch them, before making our famous potted shrimps. Customers know all about the quality of what they are getting when they come in, which is why we have so many loyal regulars, who have remained with us over the years. We also have a chef who comes in and prepares our ready meals; dishes such as our Peet's Plaice fish pie are really popular. Someone came in recently and tried to bulk buy everything we had, but we wouldn't let them. We like our customers to have their fair share. We also serve ready meals such as monkfish curry, salmon and broccoli lasagne, noodle dishes with sea bass, or fish cakes. We always ensure that we stock what our customers need. So we serve things such as local potatoes, local asparagus, sauces, and an extensive frozen section. We were situated in Southport Market before, but we love being in Churchtown now. It is such a superb Village, lots of new businesses have opened since we came. It's a great place for people to visit. I would love to thank all our customers for supporting us over the years. I would also like to thank our landlord, Gail, who has been superb. We have a really good working relationship. It has been a really enjoyable 10 years at Peets Plaice in Churchtown."

And what is Kevin's personal favourite? He said:- "I loved smoked haddock with a poached egg on top. Delicious. Especially on Fridays. Everyone should have a Fish Friday!"