Summer fayre saves the day

ALTHOUGH the experts often tell us that the high street is dying, on Saturday Birkdale summer fayre suggested otherwise. Thousands of people came to the Victorian village to buy, browse, eat and drink in the summer sunshine. Broughs and Hallidays put on barbecues, and the village’s independent traders displayed their wares on old-fashioned stalls.

There was not a laptop in sight, and anyone sitting at home shopping online would have missed out on the aroma of barbecued food, and the sunshine shimmering off the rooftops. Schoolchildren took part in a best pet competition, and Henrietta Daisy had her head shaved in front of everyone to raise money for a children’s cancer charity.

It was a day that championed the community. It was about each other, not just ourselves.

The New Birkdale Traders Association has fought hard in recent years to protect the village’s heritage and identity. On Saturday it brought back to life an event that had been forgotten. And the success of the summer fayre was a timely reminder that people do like to shop, despite what the doom-mongers say.

Yes, the high street has suffered since 2008 and Southport town centre is a testament to that. But shops remain relevant.

Birkdale’s bars and restaurants were packed all day long, and into the night. Pat Parry, from the traders association, pointed out that despite its appeal the village had become a bit of backwater, due to its location. She said: “Everyone knows where Lord Street is, but not where Birkdale village is.”

Pat is right, and we should all do more to promote it as a destination and encourage people to shop there. And we can now look forward to a Christmas fair and a spring market. MAY we ask who is the tactical genius who decided to send the diverted Coastal Road traffic through a crowded village centre while road works were undertaken recently?

Surely the Coastal Road should have been signed as ‘Residents Only’ at Woodvale, and the through traffic sent along the wide boulevard of Liverpool Road? David Radcliffe

Ainsdale THE Ainsdale Civic Society would like to say a big thank you to the gardeners of Ainsdale who opened their beautiful gardens to the public for our 10th Open Gardens weekend.

Once again this event was a magnificent success with perfect weather and more than 300 visitors came to view the 17 gardens and, in doing so, contributed just over £2,500 to the society funds and the various charities.

We especially want to thank all those wonderful people who bought a ticket, many of whom travelled some distance to join us and made the week-end so special. All the money raised by Ainsdale Civic Society goes back into our projects for the Village.

We would also like to thank Jon Howard who did such a wonderful job in driving our visitors around in his vintage bus

Joan Major Secretary, Ainsdale Civic

Society I READ the article publicising John Pugh’s support for this year’s Reading Challenge for children with some disbelief.

Has he forgotten that the council saw fit to close three of the local libraries in the north of the borough? I think it is a little insensitive and a little optimistic to say that he hopes the number of children taking part in this year’s challenge will be up on last year’s. How can that happen?

Not all parents have the time, the money or the flexibility to be able to take their children in to the town centre library. I am sure that there will be a lot of disappointed children this year who want to take part in the challenge but are unable to do so as they cannot get to a local library. It will be interesting to see how many children do take part in this year’s YET again I despair at our elected member’s lack of understanding of modern life. In objecting to Sainsbury’s plans to open a supermarket at Kew, suggesting this will have a detrimental effect heaven’s sake, try to look forward Mr Pugh! Ian T Cropper

Southport challenge compared to last years on Southport Town Centre, he is figure of 3,969. clearly again out of touch with the

In the meantime, North Meols needs and habits of today’s Library Association is working shoppers. hard to try and establish a My wife, preferring Sainsbury’s, community library in Botanic presently undertakes a monthly Gardens and I hope that residents trip to their store at Bamber Bridge, MARIE Curie Cancer Care would will support this group in order to purchasing on average a dozen like to say a huge thank-you to Avril try and replace some of the library bags of shopping costing in the Wallace, 77, from Formby, for services we enjoyed at Churchhundreds of pounds. Could John raising a fantastic £400 for the local town. Pugh explain how such a shopping Marie Curie nursing service. As Mr Pugh states: trip could be effected within Along with friends and family, AAAvril Southport town centre? hosted a Blooming Great Tea

The arrival of Sainsbury’s will not Party on June 25 in her own home take away any business from small which included lots of tea, coffee, town centre stores, but simply give cakes and a plant sale, raffle and some overdue competition to count the sweets! Tesco, Morrisons and the like. In Lucy Leeming, Community addition, they will create hundreds Fundraiser for Marie Curie of much-needed full and part-time jobs lifting the overall economy of the area.

When will John Pugh realise that today’s town centre is changing and, as in all things, the clock cannot be turned backwards; for

Unfortunately the council were not of the same opinion. Ann Williams

via email SO 20mph zones have seen a 26% rise in accident figures and in the same period there was a decrease in the number of accidents in 30 and 40 mph zones. To be exact – in