Saturday 13 September 2014

Various photo's of Southport From the Marine Lake, Botanic Gardens, Southport beach, Airshow, Kings gardens, Our local volunteers, Iron men Crosby beach



















Princess Alexandra Officially Opens The Kings Gardens





Southport's Kings Gardens were officially opened by King George V and Queen Mary 100 years ago, their granddaughter HRH Princess Alexandra was there to formally open the newly refurbished Kings Gardens on Thursday 11/9/14














Southport Flower Show 2014



What a fabulous four day event packed full of entertainment. There really was something for everyone. The show was opened by Anton Du Beke.


















Southport Flower Show awards Barford House the Marion Turner Trophy

   The beautiful Marion Turner Trophy                                                                              

   


Barford House is packed full of colour even passer by stop and take photo's.

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Giant Spectacular 2014



Organisers of July’s Memories of August 1914 have announced there will be a third giant joining the Little Girl Giant and playful canine Xolo – her Grandmother, also known as the Grandmother of Liverpool.

This is a brand new giant never before seen anywhere outside of France. She will premiere at an event in her hometown of Nantes in June, and then her second appearance will be in Liverpool the following month.

The statuesque family member stands at nearly 25 feet (7.4 metres) tall, 7 feet taller than her granddaughter.

The 85 year old Grandmother will arrive in the city on Wednesday 23 July. In order to come to the city, she needs to travel through time from the past. As a result of this impressive journey, it will take a couple of days before she is ready to explore the city. In the meantime, she will rest in the beautiful surroundings of St George’s Hall, and members of the public have the chance to see her up close in the Great Hall where she will be sleeping.

There will be set public viewing times for this unique opportunity across the two days:

Wednesday 23 July - 10am to 1am

Thursday 24 July - 7am to 7pm

More information about this element of the event will be revealed in the next couple of weeks.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “To be the first city outside of France to showcase a brand new giant is a massive coup and huge honour.

“The Grandmother brings a whole different dimension to the event and her involvement will really bring home the message of commemorating World War One – all will become clear when we reveal the story next month!

“We know that she will be a real character that will bring out a mixture of emotions in the hundreds and thousands of visitors descending on the city, all of which are sure to take her into their hearts.

“It’s extra special to have the St George’s Hall element – it really is the perfect opportunity for people to see one of our visitors up close, and take in how beautifully intricate the work of Royal de Luxe is.

“Knowing there is a third giant will ramp the excitement up a notch, and certainly cements our position as the biggest outdoor cultural event taking place in the UK this year.”

Founder and Artistic Director of Royal De Luxe, Jean Luc Courcoult, said: “We are delighted to welcome the latest addition to our giant family.

“The Grandmother has been in the planning for several years, but has only come to life in recent weeks, and we are delighted with the finished results.

“She is a feisty and loveable character with some surprises up her sleeve which is sure to be a hit with the Liverpool crowd.

“I think French and Liverpudlian grandparents have a huge amount in common – they like to talk about the past and re-tell family stories to keep them alive for future generations to pass on. Add to this sentimentality a cheeky sense of humour and you’ve got the makings of a great story to be told.”

To keep up with the latest news ‘like’ the Giant Spectacular page on Facebook, follow @giantspectacular on Twitter or visit www.giantspectacular.com.
Courtesy of our local website southportgb
- See more at: http://www.southport.gb.com/southport/news_list/Third_giant_to_join_spectacular-53224274.htm#sthash.t1WbCdUk.dpuf

Downy Duckling Week

This May half term sees the return of the award winning egg-to-duckling experience at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre.




From Saturday 24th May to Sunday 1st June visitors can take part in fascinating egg candling workshops (where a light is used to look inside an egg), see eggs hatching and meet fluffy ducklings in the nursery.

Downy Duckling Week is a great attraction for all the family and was winner of the Best Tourism Experience in Lancashire at the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards in 2009.

It is a unique opportunity to discover how ducklings develop inside an egg, hatch out of the shell and develop in the duckling nursery.

Hannah Clifford Martin Mere Marketing Manager said: “Downy Duckling week at Martin Mere is a fantastic event giving visitors an amazing opportunity to see the whole egg to duckling process and meet fluffy ducklings.”

The event runs from 11am to 4pm, with the duckling nursery open between 11.30am and 3.30pm. Downy Duckling activities are included in the centre admission price; tickets to the egg candling workshop will be issued from the Visitor Services team as places are limited.

During Downy Duckling week the award winning canoe safari and guided boat tours will be available as well as the water-play in the adventure play area. There’s also series of talks everyday: at 11.30am and 2.30pm meet our family of otters with otter talks and feeds; at 12.45pm listen to fascinating flamingo facts; and drop in to the beaver lodge between 2pm and 2.30pm to learn all about these mammals.

WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre is a haven for a host of creatures such as otters, beavers, kingfishers, geese and swans. Watch birds from the shelter of our comfortable hides, enjoy an expert walk or talk, or simply watch the world go by in our cafe overlooking our waterfowl collection – there’s plenty to do at a Wetland Centre all year round.

Martin Mere is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 9.30am to 6pm during summer months (and until 4.30pm during the winter) and parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The Centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. 
Story courtesy of southportgb
- See more at: http://www.southport.gb.com/southport/news_list/Downy_Duckling_Week-53226835.htm#sthash.bUIJKNgS.dpuf

Monday 7 April 2014

The Kings Gardens April 2014


The gardens are coming together nicely
Planting has started! 







                                     
                                        Lots of seating to rest those weary legs