Issue 38: June 2014

See our website www.newferryonline.org.uk

The Newsletter for your Community

Published by New Ferry Residents Association, c/o New Ferry Village Hall, Longfellow Drive, New Ferry, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 5JS.

Printed by Merseyside Business Forms, Unit 5, Royal Standard Way, Expressway Business Park, New Chester Road, Wirral CH42 1NB

Our classic vehicle event last August

was so popular that we are doing it

again, but this time it will be bigger

with more attractions on Saturday

12th July, 10am till 3pm – (see poster

opposite).

As well as more classic vehicles,

vintage buses, Green Goddess fire

engine, jeeps and an Antar Tank

Carrier, we will also be erecting a

temporary stage in Bebington Road

outside Lloyds Bank where there will

be a variety of music, songs, dance

and demonstrations for all the family

to enjoy. Amongst them will be:

• Grove Street School Choir

• Taiko Dragons Japanese

drummers

• Bebington Sovereign Majorettes

• Complete Works (dance & songs)

• Vintage Rockers

• Folk singers

• Herringbone John and the Kipper

Doctors – skiffle

• Allan Finnigan (local based songs)

and other attractions including

• Taekwondo demonstrations

• Bouncy castle

• Sea cadets / jousting castle

• Army cadets “living in the field”

• Face painting

• Bebington Photographic Society

• Vintage Radio Club

• Taiko Dragons

• Home Watch help & advice

• Health-check clinic

NeFRA Newsletter: Issue 38, June 2014 – Page 2

PORT SUNLIGHT RIVER PARK TO

FINALLY OPEN

The long-awaited new park on the former landfill site

will be opening on Tuesday 12th August at around

2pm. Following cutting of the ribbon, there will be a

guided walk with additional entertainment.

In the meantime, residents in the local area are being

asked to consider joining a “Friends” group for the

new park. More details on their website

www.portsunlightriverpark.com or ring Alison

McGovern’s office on 0151 645 6590 to be put in touch with the organisers.

SHOREFIELDS NATURE PARK –

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO START

Although New Ferry Residents Association were

unsuccessful in winning Heritage Lottery Funding for

Shorefields Nature Park, they have managed to

secure £20,000 from a variety of other sources to

proceed with a scheme that will see the existing path

in and gates to the woodland area repaired, new

heritage signage and hopefully some new seating.

The work will be undertaken this summer.

Residents of Oakworth Drive should be aware that (as

reported in our newsletter last year) the gap in the

fence to the woodland area is to be closed as part of

this plan.

COMMUNITY MEETING and NeFRA

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

New Ferry Residents Association will be holding its

Annual General Meeting on Thursday 17th July,

6.30pm till 8pm, at St Marks Church Hall. The meeting

will include elections of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary

and Treasurer. If you would like to nominate anyone

who is willing to undertake any of these important

roles, please let us know in writing to our address

before the meeting.

MP Alison McGovern and our local Police Community

support Officer Dave Evans will also be present to host

a debate about the perennial problem of anti-social

behaviour afflicting New Ferry. All residents are

welcome to come along and voice their opinions on

what is happening, and to listen to work currently

being undertaken by the police to tackle it.

WHAT SORT OF PLACE

DO YOU WANT NEW

FERRY TO BE?

Despite our repeated warnings, anti-social behaviour

is still affecting some parts of our community. And the

problem is getting worse as the nights lengthen.

In recent weeks, car wing mirrors have been smashed

off in certain streets, the bus shelters have been

attacked, and a few weeks ago teenagers pulled

some stolen bins into the teen-shelter in New Ferry

Park and set fire to it all (see aftermath photo below).

We are baffled as to why some young people are

doing this. New Ferry is privileged to have a wealth of

activities on offer through the Youth Club, Village Hall

and St Marks Church Hall, many of which young

people partake in and enjoy. We have the cadets,

sea scouts, football teams and other physical activities

which help young people to keep fit. The majority are

well behaved.

So why is there a hardcore element of individuals and

gangs causing so much distress for everyone else?

Low level vandalism may seem like nothing. A silly joke

not to be taken seriously. Kids will be kids, after all.

Kicking the bus stop, slamming a football into a fence,

running through private gardens and laughing as they

go with a tirade of foul-mouthed abuse.

It seems that some parents don’t seem to care what

their children are up to. Vandalised bus stops,

wrecked signboards in the parks, smashed litter bins all

need to be replaced – and someone has to pay. The

trouble is that if these things keep happening, the

Council, bus companies or others will get tired of

constantly repairing/replacing things and whatever is

broken, smashed or vandalised gets left, abandoned

or taken away altogether.

Do we really want New Ferry to look like this? Do we

really want outsiders thinking New Ferry is no longer a

decent place to live in? Do we want a bad

reputation?

We appeal to everyone to take a ZERO TOLERANCE

APPROACH to anti-social behaviour. If you feel as we

do and you witness anything, please ring the Council’s

Community Patrol on 0151 666 5265 and report what

NEW FERRY BUTTERFLY

PARK WINS GREEN FLAG

AWARD

New Ferry Butterfly Park has won its first prestigious

Green Flag award. This is the benchmark national standard

for parks and green spaces in the UK. The scheme was set

up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England

and Wales that have met the highest of standards.

The award comes shortly after the park benefitted from a

week-long facelift carried out by nine young people from the

Prince’s Trust. The trust runs as 12-week programme where

16-25 year olds get involved in personal development

activities to help them achieve and improve their teamwork,

community and employability skills.

The Butterfly Park also recently held one of its most

successful Open Days. On 4th May, over 550 people

attended the event which marked the park’s summer

opening. Guests were particularly looking out for Brimstone

butterflies which have already been out in force this season.

Further events at the Butterfly Park this year include:

• “Celebrating National Insect Week”, Sunday 29th June,

2pm till 4pm. Will include a guided walk around New

Ferry Butterfly Park, looking at bumble bees, moths and

butterflies and other invertebrates. FREE ENTRY.

• “Scything to Success”, Sunday 27th July and Sunday

14th September, 9.30am till 4pm. Learn about scything

techniques. Lunch time BBQ, bring along a contribution.

FREE ENTRY.

• “An Industrial Legacy to Butterfly Haven”, Sunday

14th July, 2pm till 4pm. Heritage walk concentrating on

the industrial history and heritage of the Park how this

has contributed to wildlife diversity of the Park. FREE

ENTRY

Contact: Paul Loughnane on 0151 645 8937 or jpl@liv.ac.uk

Community Speedwatch Campaign

Do your bit to help drivers slow down.

Merseyside Police is calling on local people to help

reduce speeding on the roads.

The Community Speedwatch scheme recruits

volunteers to monitor motorists' speed using state

of the art radar guns. Motorists found to be

speeding by the volunteers are sent warning

letters that also explain the problems that

speeding causes.

Anyone can get involved as long as they are over

18. They will be vetted and approved by

Merseyside Police and will always be supported by

a police officer or a Police Community and Traffic

Support Officer (PCTSO). Training is provided by

local police officers and usually takes a couple of

hours. Volunteers are accompanied by police

officers at all times .

If you'd like to find out

more about becoming a

Community Speedwatch

volunteer, go to the

Merseyside police website

at

www.merseyside.police.uk

or contact Carolyne Hankey

on 0151 606 5491.

NeFRA Newsletter: Issue 38, June 2014 – Page 3

USEFUL INFORMATION & NOTICES:

Recycle unwanted furniture Items of furniture can be recycled by Wirral Independent

Recycling Enterprise (WIRE) and they even collect free of

charge. Ring them on 0151 638 6691

Wirral Farmers’ Market Dates The next markets will be held on:

� Saturday 12th

July 2014

� Saturday 9th

August 2014

� Saturday 13th

September 2014

Find out more at www.wirralfarmersmarket.org.uk

Anti-social behaviour Having problems with anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood? Ring “It’s Your Call” on 0151 606 2020. The line is open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, with an answerphone for out-of-hours advice. All calls treated in confidence.

You can also ring Wirral Community Patrol on 0151 666 5265. They have mobile officers who can respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

NeFRA Newsletter: Issue 38, June 2014 – Page 4

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP

DELIVER NEWSLETTERS

We urgently need more people to help deliver our

newsletters like this one. We print about 3 per year, and

100 newsletters can be delivered in less than half an hour.

Can you help? If you can, please fill in, then cut out this

section and post it to us at our address shown below.

YES, I would like to volunteer to deliver newsletters.

NAME:

ADDRESS:

EVENING CONTACT TEL:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

New Ferry Residents Association consists of local residents and business people. We work together with officers from Wirral Borough Council, local councillors and our Member of Parliament in order to improve New

Ferry. We are a non-political organisation.

If you have any community based problem which you think we can help you with, please contact us by writing to:

New Ferry Residents Association, c/o New Ferry Village Hall, Longfellow Drive, New Ferry, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 5JS Website: www.newferryonline.org.uk

Published by New Ferry Residents Association, c/o New Ferry Village Hall, Longfellow Drive, New Ferry, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 5JS.

Printed by Merseyside Business Forms, Unit 5, Royal Standard Way, Expressway Business Park, New Chester Road, Wirral CH42 1NB

PERIOD PHOTO COLLECTION:PERIOD PHOTO COLLECTION:PERIOD PHOTO COLLECTION:PERIOD PHOTO COLLECTION: NEW NEW NEW NEW

FERRY ROADFERRY ROADFERRY ROADFERRY ROAD, , , , 1911191119111911

Bunting may be out and about at the moment Bunting may be out and about at the moment Bunting may be out and about at the moment Bunting may be out and about at the moment

with the Worldwith the Worldwith the Worldwith the World Cup underway, but here is a Cup underway, but here is a Cup underway, but here is a Cup underway, but here is a

photo from 1911 with bunting up for a photo from 1911 with bunting up for a photo from 1911 with bunting up for a photo from 1911 with bunting up for a

different reason. This photo is of New Ferry different reason. This photo is of New Ferry different reason. This photo is of New Ferry different reason. This photo is of New Ferry

Road, approximately at its junction with Road, approximately at its junction with Road, approximately at its junction with Road, approximately at its junction with

Brownlow Road and looking westwards Brownlow Road and looking westwards Brownlow Road and looking westwards Brownlow Road and looking westwards

towards the Toll Bar crossroads. On the right towards the Toll Bar crossroads. On the right towards the Toll Bar crossroads. On the right towards the Toll Bar crossroads. On the right

hand of the street,hand of the street,hand of the street,hand of the street, just behind the three just behind the three just behind the three just behind the three

ladies, is the former Traveller’s Rest pub and ladies, is the former Traveller’s Rest pub and ladies, is the former Traveller’s Rest pub and ladies, is the former Traveller’s Rest pub and

the row of cottages next to it. The pub is the row of cottages next to it. The pub is the row of cottages next to it. The pub is the row of cottages next to it. The pub is

now gone, converted into new homes whilst now gone, converted into new homes whilst now gone, converted into new homes whilst now gone, converted into new homes whilst

new terraced homes have been built on the new terraced homes have been built on the new terraced homes have been built on the new terraced homes have been built on the

site of the terrace shown here.site of the terrace shown here.site of the terrace shown here.site of the terrace shown here.

The picture is dated 22The picture is dated 22The picture is dated 22The picture is dated 22ndndndnd June 1911, and the June 1911, and the June 1911, and the June 1911, and the