THE MAYOR OF WIRRAL - CHERRY POVALL
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THE MAYOR OF WIRRAL - CHERRY POVALL
The past few weeks have seen us attend so many very diverse events ; by the weekend we had reached 178 engagements in which we have met so many interesting and different people .
We visited the Pride celebrations in New Brighton and enjoyed the carnival atmosphere and saw how much hard work Jamie and his team had put in to make the event happen . The Victoria Quarter in New Brighton , as well as hosting Pride and many more outdoor events , has become a vibrant visitor destination hidden away in Wirral . Lots of street art , some done by international artists , numerous bars and coffee shops , the Oakland Art Gallery , and numerous bespoke shops to browse , it is a secret worth exploring . We also had the privilege of being joined in the Mayor ’ s Parlour by one of our few surviving World War 2 Veterans , John Dennet . John is a very active bright centenarian who had recently returned from the D-Day celebrations in Normandy . John is the President of the Italy Star Association who had lots of tales to tell about his life in the Navy and tea with the King ! What was perhaps the best tale was the fact he has already booked his trip to Normandy for next year .
We had the pleasure of visiting The Makefest in Birkenhead Library which showed the amazing amount of talent we have in Wirral with all the various talented people making everything from paper flowers to Sushi ! The Viking Festival in Warwick Park in Upton was a treat meeting some serious Viking Warriors and the Latin American Festival held at the Future Yard was really vibrant and enjoyed by lots of people . When we try , Wirral really can put on a good show .
Our Mayor at Home celebration saw Mayors from the other Merseyside boroughs , and the Lord Mayor of Chester , visit Wirral and we did our best to sell Wirral as the best and most welcoming Borough in the Liverpool City Region and beyond .
The day started with breakfast at Muzzy ’ s Breakfast House after which the party boarded an old Birkenhead bus to begin the tour . We visited Port Sunlight where Terry Jones , one of the guides , gave a potted history of the famous village and its beginnings . On then to Wirral ’ s only Gin Distillery on the Croft Business Park , which is named perfectly as Wirral Gin . Here , Jon Paul explained the process of making gin and the difference between mass produced gin and a hand-crafted product . It was really good to see a Wirralbased small business thriving with ambitions to expand .
We then moved onto Thornton Hough and Thornton Farm . Here we were treated to a demonstration of the horses being shod by the blacksmith , a surprising 22-year-old who was very proficient at his job . Ann and Robin Lyons own the farm which breeds and raisers horses for show jumping , and their horses take part in competitions all over the world , another of Wirral ’ s best kept secrets !
Next stop was Hillbark , the famous hotel in Frankby . Here we were treated to a tour of the beautiful hotel and given a talk about the premises and its very individual story , by Dominga their resident historian , about being moved brick by brick from Bidston Hill and rebuilt in 1929 on its current site by Royden Park . It also contains an important artifact , that being the fireplace that once graced the home of Sir Thomas Moor ( Henry VIII ’ s Chancellor ).
Our final stop was at Andre ’ s in West Kirby for lunch which was spectacular , as always . I think our visitors enjoyed their day and I hope we were able to sell the attraction of Wirral to them in a convincing and memorable way . I have to say most of them did not realise just how beautiful Wirral is !!
We have done a surprising number of other enjoyable events also . Starting the Tyre Flip on the promenade behind the Town Hall , which led to a visit with Kaizen Mindset CIC . Darren the owner gave us a tour of the holistic centre which provides not only gym facilities but various treatments and is very involved in the prevention of suicide in young men . It was a very impressive visit indeed .
That week we also attended the opening of the Tropical Fish Shop in Moreton , really pleasing to see a hobby that has turned into a thriving small business . From there we attended the naming of the new Lifeboat in West Kirby , the honours being done by Mrs Val Dalglish who is the wife of Deputy Lord Lieutenant , Captain Hugh Dalglish , former Captain of the Royal Yacht Britannia . The new D -Class Lifeboat was named the Leonard Pownall and is now in service with the West Kirby RNLI .
We have attended several church services , one being to celebrate 200 years of the RNLI , another at the Cathedral of Christ the King for ‘ Pause For Hope ’ to support people suffering with cancer . Then came the Lord Mayor of Liverpool ’ s Civic Service which was dedicated to Care Leavers , and finally the Judges Service in the Anglican Cathedral to celebrate the start of the new Legal Year .
All very tiring but also extremely rewarding , as well as a great privilege to be included in so many events that celebrate Wirral and the county of Merseyside .
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