Podcast appearances and mentions of River Mersey

"Farewell to Princess landing stage, River Mersey, fare-thee-well, I am bound for California, A place I know right well"So sang the Pogues in the Leaving of Liverpool and those words could have been a blueprint for Peter Moore's life. The proud Scouser who ventured to the US, via Wrexham, to live the American Dream. He would later return to Merseyside to become CEO of his beloved Liverpool FC in 2017 but not before stints with Reebok, Sega, Microsoft and EA Sports, appearing on stage with Bill Gates, appearing as a character in South Park and getting a Grand Theft Auto tattoo. It's been one hell of a ride and it was so enjoyable having Peter talk us through it with such good humour.This series we are partnering with University Campus of Football Business and have recorded episodes at their Media City studios in Salford and at their studio next to Wembley Stadium.For more information on UCFB visit their website here - https://www.ucfb.ac.uk/You can follow us on our social media @journeyspod on Instagram and Threads and we're still hanging around on X for a while! You might even find us on TikTok too!

In March 2024, a woman's body was recovered from the River Mersey close to Chorlton Water Park in South Manchester. This woman had no identifying belongings on her and Greater Manchester Police have since created a facial image reconstruction to help identify her. Important information provided by: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/eight-months-truly-tragic-discovery-30475185https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62lp7r34krohttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/29/police-release-facial-reconstruction-woman-found-river-manchesterhttps://www.gmp.police.uk/news/greater-manchester/news/news/2024/november/facial-reconstruction-appeal-launched-for-woman-found-in-the-river-mersey-earlier-this-year/Music by: dl-sounds.comFollow the Unseen Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unseen-podcast/id1318473466?uo=4Follow the Unseen Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xWK7Mu3bTP6oziZvxrwSK?si=QxvyPkZ2TdCDscnfxyeRawJoin our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/unseenpodFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theunseenpodFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theunseenpod/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theunseenpod?fan_landing=trueSubscribe to 10 Minute True Crime: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-minute-true-crime/id1591474862

Alex Frost is the vicar of St Matthew's Church in Burnley, host of the God Cast and author of 'Our Daily Bread, Argos To The Altar A Priest Story' order here https://www.brownsbfs.co.uk/Product/F... Follow Fr Alex on X @alexdjfrost Branch was born in Liverpool, England. A childhood Liverpool fan, he started his footballing career across the River Mersey with Heswall[2] and then Tranmere Rovers. Having made 109 appearances for them, with loan deals at Bury and Wigan Athletic along the way, he was released on a free transfer to Stockport County for the beginning of the 1998–99 season, and quickly arrived at Burnley in January 1999, signed by the colourful manager Stan Ternent, following a falling-out with then Stockport manager, Gary Megson. Once described by Ternent as a Premiership-standard player, his inability to hold down a regular position either as a left-winger, left-sided or central defender, or striker, saw him never play there. He played more than 200 games for the club. His unpopularity with some supporters was balanced with him becoming something of a cult figure, earning him regular chants of "Graham di Branchio," (in reference to the football chant given to Italian footballer Paolo Di Canio), in an effort to boost his confidence and let his more prominent abilities such as pace and height come to the fore.

Join us for a jam-packed visit to Frodsham Woods, Cheshire, where 80 volunteers were planting thousands of trees to help transform a former golf course into a fantastic new space for wildlife and people. We visit the neighbouring ancient woodland and admire hilltop views with site manager Neil and chat to Tim, supervisor of this army of tree planters, about how the new wood will develop. We also meet Esther, lead designer of the project, hear from comms guru Paul about the Trust's #plantmoretrees climate campaign, and speak to the volunteers about what the day means to them. Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust presented by Adam Shaw. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive. Adam: Well, today's podcast is a bit of an unusual one because I'm off to an abandoned golf course in Cheshire, overlooking Liverpool. Not far away, in fact. And the vision is to create this once golf course into a thriving mosaic of habitats, including lush broadleaved woodland, grassland meadows and wooded glades dotted with wildflowers. Throughout the site, they're creating a network of grassy paths so people can walk through them and get far-reaching views of the Welsh borders, the western Pennines and the Bowland Fells, along with, of course, Liverpool and the Mersey Estuary. And very excitingly, the man actually who's running all the tree planting there is also in a band, and it's his music and his band's music you can hear in the background. More about that a little later. It's called Frodsham Woods, and it's near the Frodsham train station. Guess where? In Frodsham. Well, today we are starting, I'm starting sitting down with Neil Oxley, who's the site manager here. Hi Neil. Neil: Good morning, Adam. Adam: Good morning. So, just explain where we are because we are, well, I'm not gonna take away your thunder. Explain. It's an unusual location. Neil: So, we're sat on a bench overlooking the River Mersey and Liverpool. We're on the old golf course that was closed about three years ago. Adam: Yeah, well that's what I think is unusual – sitting on a golf course. I gotta take, it doesn't look like a golf course. They, the greenkeeper would have had a heart attack seeing the state of this place. But what's amazing is, well, I'm looking over a forest of planted trees. I mean, just within 10 yards, probably a couple of hundred of them, just been planted. So, this has got to be unusual. Take buying a golf course, turning it into a forest? Neil: It is, yeah. I think it's probably the first golf course that the Woodland Trust has taken on and it's just a great opportunity, though, that when it became available, it's adjoining some of our existing woodlands, including ancient woodland. And it's given us an opportunity to plant lots of trees and work with local people and engage the community in doing something good for the climate. Adam: And we're sitting down, looking over what might be, I don't know. Is that a bunker? Do you think that's a bunker? Neil: It is, yep. So, there there's probably about 40 bunkers on the golf course and we've kept them all, so some of those old features are still here. Adam: And I saw one, some gorse growing, just naturally growing in the bunker there. Neil: There is. Just in the two or three years since it stopped being maintained. There's gorse, there's silver birch, there's all sorts of trees and plants that are now appearing. Adam: I love the gorse. It's bright. It comes out early. Bright yellow. Real splash of colour in early spring. It's really. Neil: It is, yeah, it's lovely and colourful. Adam: And we're looking over a range of wind turbines. And is that the Mersey ahead? Neil: That is, that's the River Mersey. Adam: Although there's not much river, it looks, it looks like it's out. It's mainly mud. Neil: It's probably low tide at the moment. Yeah, and Liverpool just beyond the other side. Adam: Very nice. So, you're going to be my main guide today. We've got lots of people to meet, I know. Alright. Brilliant. So, explain to me the plan for the day. Neil: So, we're gonna have a walk round and look at some of the tree planting that we've already done here. We've got some groups of corporate volunteers and Woodland Trust staff here today also who are planting trees. So, we'll go and see them later on. But I thought maybe to start off with we could go and visit some of the ancient woodland that borders the site and show you sort of why it's important that we're doing what we're doing today. Adam: Brilliant. I'm of an age where sitting down is quite nice, but that's not going to get, that's not gonna get nothing made, is it? It's alright. We better get up and you lead on. Neil: OK, let's go. This lady, by the way, coming with the pug. She's up here all the time. She's really lovely, friendly, always talks to me and Paul. And we've already said hello to her, but he... Adam: Oh, this dog wants a lot of attention. Neil: He loves that. He loves that, yeah. Adam: We'll let the rest of the team pet the dog. You know, you've paused here for a special reason. Why? Neil: Yeah. So, this area, we're on the edge of the ancient woodland now and the part of the site in front of us is going to be left for what's called natural regeneration to develop. So, that will be where trees can self-seed and set and grow naturally. So, we're not actually planting any trees in this area in front of us. And you can see there's some silver birch trees there that probably self-seeded five or 10 years ago on the edge of the golf course. And they're growing quite well already. Adam: So, and what's the advantage of that? There's a big debate about rewilding and all of that. So, why has that become an important issue? Neil: It is, I mean to different people it can mean slightly different things as well. But basically it's leaving the land to develop and rewild itself, you know, for nature to colonise it. It's a slower process. Adam: So, because if you're planting them yourself, you're planting all the trees at the same time. They're all the same age, so they get wiped out. Everything gets wiped out. Neil: Potentially yes. You could lose a lot more. Adam: Actually, I'm surprised those are natural regeneration because they've, it's very regimented. Those silver birch, they've all come up in exactly the same space, very close together. It looks like there's been some thought behind that. Neil: It does. It does and again nature can do things very similar to how people plant trees. You know, you often can end up with them very densely packed, more densely packed than we're planting them, actually. Adam: Yeah, OK. Well, we're still surrounded by these young, young trees. So, you lead on. Where are we heading off to? Neil: So, we're just walking into, towards the ancient woodland area. So, this this is called Woodhouse Hill and it's mostly oak and some silver birch, some holly growing in here, plus a few other species as well. Adam: And wonderfully of you, you've taken me to the muddiest bit of land there is. Are we going through this? Neil: This, well, we can do. It's unfortunately because of the winter we've had, some of the paths are very wet and muddy around here now. Adam: So, I have my walking boots on. You squelch ahead and I'll squelch behind you. Neil: OK. We'll carry on then. Adam: So, we're heading up, give us a better view of the Mersey, a better view of Liverpool. Neil: That's right. Just around the corner, there's a really good viewpoint where the view will open up and a sunny day like today get quite good views. Adam: And is it used by the locals a lot? I mean, it's relatively new then. I mean, presumably a lot of locals don't know about it. Neil: Well, I mean since, the golf course was closed down during the pandemic, and at the time the owner allowed the public to come and walk on the site. So, suddenly from people being not allowed to use it unless they were playing golf, local people were allowed to come and walk the dogs or just walk themselves around with the family. So, people did get to know the site and start using it, but it also borders some existing woodlands with footpaths, which is where we are now. So, these existing woodlands were already well-used. Adam: Right. And what's the reaction of the locals been to the development here? Neil: Very positive. Yeah. I mean obviously there's always a fear when a piece of land is up for sale that it might go for some sort of development, housing or be sold to a private landowner who fences it off and stops people using it. So, people have been, yeah, really positive, really supportive. The consultation that we did before we started anything was all very much in favour of creating woodland and allowing public access. Adam: I think we're coming up to a viewpoint here where there's a bench. Neil: There is, we should have another sit down. Adam: And it's very steep here. You wouldn't want to be falling off that, but this is a beautiful view. Neil: Yeah. The weather today is just great for the view. Adam: We've been blessed. Look at this. And then you look across a sort of flat valley floor with some wind turbines, which some don't like but I always think they're really majestic. And beyond the wind turbines, the Mersey, where the tide is out. And beyond that, that's Liverpool. And is that Liverpool Cathedral? The grey building in the sort of middle there. Neil: That's the main Anglican cathedral, and then the Catholic cathedral is just off to the right and beyond in the far distance is North Wales, so that low line of hills you can see is just within North Wales. Adam: Oh, that's, those hills over there, beyond the chimneys, that's Wales. Neil: Beyond the chimneys, yeah. Adam: And some other lovely gorse and, whoops don't fall over, I thought it was going to be me that would be falling over, not the site manager. Neil: Mind the rock. Adam: Ice and sea. So, we've come to the sign. ‘The view from Woodhouse Hill holds clues to the distant past, the Mersey Basin and Cheshire's sandstone hills were both shaped by advancing ice sheets during the last Ice Age.' Do you know what? I wanted to say that because I remember from O-level geography, I think a flat-bottomed valley is a glacier-made valley. But I was, I didn't want to appear idiotic, so I didn't say that and I should have had the courage of my convictions. So, this is an ice-formed landscape. Neil: It is. It is. I understand that the ice sheets came down to this part of the north of England back in the Ice Age. And there's some interesting features that are found here called glacial erratics. Adam: Right. Neil: Which is rocks from other parts of the north of England and Scotland that were brought down on the ice sheets. And then when the ice sheets melted, those rocks were left behind. But they're from a different geological area. Adam: Right. Amazing. Neil: So, around here it's sandstone. The erratics are all kind of volcanic rocks. Adam: Brought down from the north, from Scotland. Neil: Lake District and Scotland. That's right. Adam: Beautiful. We were with a few other people. Neil: I think they couldn't be bothered to come through the mud, could they? Yeah. Adam: We seem to have lost them. OK, alright. Well, maybe we'll have to, we've lost our team, our support team. Neil: We'll head back, but yeah, no, this was the view I thought we'd come to. Yeah, because it is a nice view. Adam: Well, I'll tell you what. Let me take a photo of you, for the Woodland Trust social media. Neil: Thought you were gonna say falling over the rock again. No, no, I'll try not to. Adam: Yeah, let's not do that. Yeah, so to explain, you're running me across the field for some... Neil: Walking fast. Adam: Well, for you walking fast. I've got short legs. Why? Neil: Well, we've walked over now to where we've got the people who are helping plant trees today with us. So, we've got a mix of corporate volunteers, Woodland Trust staff and some of our volunteers here to help us and we're gonna go over and meet Tim Kerwin, who's in charge of the tree planting and supervising the tree planting with us today. Adam: Oh right, so these are, this is his army of tree planters. Neil: It is, yes. Tim keeps things in check and makes sure they're doing the right thing. Adam: OK. I mean, let's just look, there's scores of people I've no idea of who Tim is. Neil: Tim? Tim, can we get your attention for a few minutes? Tim: Yes. Adam: Hi, nice to see you, Tim. Tim: I've seen you on telly. Adam: Have you? Adam: Well, Tim, as well as being in charge of everyone planting the trees today is also the sax player in a band. And of course we have to talk about that first and he very kindly gave me one of his original tracks, which is what you can hear right now. A first for the podcast. *song plays* Tim: You know, you know what? We probably do about eight gigs a year, right? But we're trying to find venues where people like jazz. We don't want to, you know, we don't want to do Oasis. That's not what we're about. There's plenty of bands like that. We play music for ourselves, and if people turn up and appreciate it, those are the people we want. I'll play for one person. Adam: You know, I was in a wood a few years ago and, can't remember where it was, and we just came across a violinist, just playing to herself. And it was just like can I record it? And it's like, just playing amongst the trees, and I thought it was really lovely. Tim: You know what? I would, I would do the same. I mean, the places I like to play, like churches are fantastic because of the acoustics. Adam: So, you might play that under this chat and what's the name of the band? Tim: The Kraken. Adam: The Kraken? Tim: Yeah. Adam: OK. Alright, The Kraken *laughs* So, all of which is a bit of a divergence. Tim: I know, sorry *laughs* Adam: So, I'm told you're in charge of this army of tree planters you can see over here. Three men having their sandwich break there. So, you've been working them hard. Tim: We have been working them hard, indeed. Adam: So, just explain to me a little bit about what's going on here. Tim: So, today we can almost see the finishing line for our 30,000 trees. So, this morning we've actually planted just shy of 2,000 trees with the group that we've had, of which there's about 80 people. Adam: That's a lot of trees. People always talk about how long does it take to plant a tree? It's not that big a thing is it? Tim: No, but what we're keen about is it's not about necessarily speed, it's about accuracy. We want quality. So, what we're asking people to do is plant each tree really well. So, today I have to say the standard of planting has been amazing. From the first to the last, I haven't found one that I'm not happy with. Adam: So, explain to me, and we're standing by a tree that's just been planted. It looks like they've scraped a bit of the grass away. So, explain to me, how should you plant a tree and what goes wrong? Tim: OK, so what we've done here, we took the grass off before the guys came, so that's called scriefing. So, the purpose of that is the tree needs water. And this grass also needs water. So, we take that grass away, and the competition's gone away for the tree. So, it won't be forever, because within two years, that grass will have grown around that tree. But those first two years are quite critical. So, if we can get the new roots from, so those trees and little plugs, new roots which are going to come out in the next couple of weeks because the soil's warming up. I mean, the air's warming up, but the soil's warming up. Those will send out shoots. They're already starting to come in to leaf, which is why the urgency to get these trees in now. They will take in the water around them and then keep on spreading with that root system. Enough root system will go out there and it will then not be competing with the grass because in fact the tree will be competing with the grass and actually taking over. So, eventually that grass will probably die because it will be shaded out in the future. Adam: And talking about shade, I'm surprised how closely planted these are, about five foot apart or thereabouts. If this was a forest in 20 years', 30 years' time, it's exceptionally dense. Or are you expecting a lot of them to fail? Tim: So, imagine you've got an oak tree and that throws down 40,000 acorns in usually every four years. So, it doubles its weight above ground. Adam: Sorry, 40,000? Tim: 40,000. A mature oak, yeah. Adam: It's worth pausing on that *laughs* A mature oak drops 40,000 acorns a year? Tim: Every four years, roughly. Adam: Because it doesn't do it every year, do they? Tim: No. So, it has what they call a mast year, which is the year when everything's come together. It's usually based on the previous weather, weather conditions. So, that doubles the weight of the tree above ground, that throws all those acorns. Now you imagine they're gonna be a couple of centimetres apart on the ground. They're not all going to make it. What they're hoping is that something will take those away. So, a jay or a squirrel, they'll move those acorns away. Not all of them will get eaten. In fact, jays let the acorn germinate, and then they eat the remains. So, they wait to see where the oak tree comes up and then they come back and eat the remains of the cotyledon. So, you imagine if all those were going to germinate, there'd be a mass rush, and what they're waiting for is for the parent plant to die. And if that falls over, then they can all shoot up, but they're not all going to survive. So maybe only one, maybe two will survive out of those 40,000 if they're close to the tree. Now, what we're doing here is, imagine there's the parent plant, the parent plant's not here. We've already spaced these out by this distance already. So, we've given them a better chance. So, they can now flourish. In time, so within sort of 10 to 12 years, we're going to start to be sending this out. So, you won't see this line. There are other parts on this site, 23 years old, and we've done a lot of filling through that. You wouldn't know it's been planted by, in a plantation. Adam: So, what would you, what's the failure rate? What's a good failure rate to stay with? Tim: It can really, really vary. I have to say that the soil here is tremendous. It's very rich. I'd be very surprised if we have a high failure rate. It could be 95% take. Adam: So, that's really interesting. And what are you planting then? I've seen some oak. I've seen some silver birch. What are you planting? Tim: So, Cheshire is all about oak and birch. So, 25% of these trees, so 7,500 are oak. And then 10% are silver birch. So that's 3,000. And then there's another 18 species that are all native to the UK that we're planting in here. So, things like rowan, holly, Scots pine and then we've got hazel, some large areas of hazel on this site that we've put in and then we've got hawthorn, blackthorn, couple of types of cherry, and then some interesting ones as well. So, we're putting some elm in and, specifically for a butterfly. So, there's a butterfly called white letter hairstreak. And the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of that tree. So, we've got those in Cheshire, but we're trying to expand it. And we've been working with the Butterfly Conservation group to get it right. So, they've given us some advice. Adam: I thought elm was a real problem with the Dutch elm disease? Tim: It still is. It still is. Adam: There was some talk that maybe some had found some natural resistance to Dutch elm disease. Tim: There are some resistant elm. And so, the plantings that we've done on here are what's classed as wych elm. It will still get Dutch elm disease, but it can last up to 16 years. And then there's always the opportunity to replant so we can get elm established. Then we can carry on spreading that through the site, so it's a starting point for that species we have. So again, we're trying to increase the biodiversity of the site by having specific trees for specific species. So, it's exciting. I mean, a lot's been lost and it won't become a beautiful wildflower meadow, although we are going to be doing some wildflower planting. We've already bought the seed. And in the next couple of weeks as it gets a little bit drier and a little bit warm, we're going to be, we're going to be sowing that in and that will come through the spring and summer. So, we've got lots to happen here as well. Adam: Oh brilliant. Well, it's so nice to see it at an early stage. I'll come back in a couple of years. Tim: It's probably one of the most exciting projects, tree wise, in Cheshire in a long time, because I've been doing this for a long, long time and these opportunities don't come up. So, for this to happen. And for the size of it as well. I mean, you're talking about a huge area of woodland now, over 180 acres. So, the second biggest area of woodland in Cheshire, so it's amazing. It truly is amazing. Adam: Well, I'm walking away. In fact, all tree planting has stopped for lunch. What is the time? Yeah, it's 12:45. So, everyone has stopped for sandwiches and teas, and they're spreading branches of some trees. And while they're doing that, two people are still working. That's me. And Paul? Hi. Paul: Hi. Adam: So, just explain to me what you do, Paul? Paul: I work as the comms and engagement manager for the north of England, so this is one of the best tree planting games we have had in a long time. Adam: And the people we've got here today, they're just locals? They from any particular groups? Paul: No, the Woodland Trust staff as part of our climate campaign now get a day to come out and we've got various corporate volunteering groups out also planters. We've got about 80 people out planting today. Adam: Well, that's amazing and we've just paused by this gorse bush. I'm rather partial to the gorse, so we'll take some shelter there. So, you talked about that this is part of a bigger campaign. What is that campaign? Paul: It's our climate campaign. And very simple hashtag plant more trees. So, trees are one, probably one of the best things we've got in the battle against climate change to help. And they have the added benefit that also they're good for biodiversity as well. So, twin track approach if you plant a tree. Obviously they're not the solution to everything, but we're hoping, as the Woodland Trust just to get more people planting trees. Adam: What is the target then? The sort of tree planting target you have? Paul: Well we have a target to get 50 million trees planted by 2030. Across all of the UK, so quite, quite a number. Adam: 50 million trees by 2030, so six years? Paul: Yeah, yeah. And we've, I think we've planted 6 million trees, 2023, yeah. Adam: Why is everyone taking a break? They've got millions to get in. That's quite an ambitious thing to get done, isn't it? Paul: Yeah. And we need, we need to plant billions of trees longer term. So, it's really important we get everyone planting trees, but it's all that message as well, right tree in the right place, and get trees planted where they're needed. Adam: And this is an unusual project, not least cause it's on an old golf course, which I've never heard of before. Has it attracted much interest? Is there a lot of engagement from the media and the public? Paul: Yeah, this site has had a remarkable amount of attention from the press. It started with local radio, then regional TV and then we've had things like Sky News Climate Show out here and then even international press coverage looking at rewilding of golf courses. CNN covered it alongside international golf courses and here in the UK, Frodsham. So, it's been amazing how it's captured everyone's imagination and it's been such a really positive good news story. It's a site that's a key site within the Northern Forest. So, the Northern Forest is another project that I'm involved with in the north of England, but. Adam: Did you say a little project? *laughs* Paul: Another, another project. Adam: Oh sorry. I was gonna say, a massive project. Paul: That's a massive project, which is again stretching, looking to plant 50 million trees from Liverpool to Hull and we're working with the Community Forests in each area, in this case the Mersey Forest and again just promoting grants and support to landowners and communities to get more, more trees planted and to help acquire land for tree planting and give the grants for tree planting. Adam: It must give you a warm feeling that your communications are actually being so well received that there is, it's not just you pushing out a message, that people want to hear this message. Paul: Yeah, it's really, really good to not have a negative message. Generally it's a really, really positive message that people wanted to hear because it's great for the community. They're getting some amazing green space with stunning views of the Mersey on the doorstep. It's interesting story about how we're changing from a golf course to a woodland site. We've got the ancient woodland, got natural regeneration. And just the fact that everyone's smiling, everyone's really happy and just so pleased that they're playing their small part in helping us create this new woodland site. Just great to be part of that, that positive good news story. Adam: Well, I'm going over to a group of people who have been busy planting all day but are now on their lunch break, just to bother them and ask them how their day has been and why they got involved in this. Adam: OK, well, you can, first of all, you can just shout out so, well we've, you all are hard at work I hear, but I've seen very little evidence of it cause everyone's sat down for lunch now. Have you all had a good day? Everyone: Yes. Adam: That would have been awful had they said no. Anyway, they all had a good day. So, I mean, it's lovely that you're out. You're all out here doing, I mean, very serious work. You've all got smiles on your face and everything. But this is important. I wonder why anyone's getting involved, what it means to you. Anyone got a view or get a microphone to you? Adam: So, what's your name? Volunteer 1: Rodon. Adam: Rodon. So, why are you here? Rodon: Well, nature, wildlife, planting, and I know the area quite well, so it's nice to see being developed in a sustainable way and being something for nature. It's a great place to come and visit, not far from the sandstone trail. I visit lots of Woodland Trust sites. I live in Warrington so it's sort of down the road, and it's, as I say, with the old wood over there that's quite an adventurous path. It's got lots of like sandstone sort of steps and little caves, and it's on the side of a cliff. So, this has kind of extended that over here as well. Adam: It would be a lovely thing to return to in a few years. Rodon: Well, it's a nice place now to be honest. Adam: Brilliant. Volunteer 2: My name is David Mays. I'm also from the from the town of Warrington as well. I'm an MSC and BSc student from local Hope University. I've finished both of them now, thankfully. I'm trying to get a job in the ecological management sector and I feel doing this working with people like Tim and Neil will help me massively get a, you know, it looks good on my CV. Most importantly, I really enjoy being out here and getting to know how the areas of ecological development, particularly in the woodland industry, is developing over the past few years and what are the plans for the future and what they hope to achieve in the long term and short term. Adam: That's very good. So, it's also very innovative of you putting out your CV live on air there. Good. Hopefully someone needing a job, with a job to offer will contact us. Good luck with that. So, oh yeah, we've come under another lovely tree. I mean it looks set. I was just saying to Kerry, it's so beautiful here. It looks like we've set this shot up. Really, you know? But here you are with your spades behind you taking a break from the trunk. So, first of all, have you, has it been a good day? Volunteer 3: Yeah. Yeah, it has been. It's been dry. Adam: It's been dry. OK. Alright. Well, let's get, so, the best thing about today is that it was dry. Volunteer 3: It's one of the positive points. Definitely. Yeah, after the trees. Adam: Yeah, with experience. So, why did you want to come out? What made you want to be part of this? Volunteer 3: Well, I think it's because we are having a bit of a push with the climate change agenda at the moment, so it's, working for the Woodland Trust it's just a nice opportunity to get away from the sort of the day job for me and get out into the field and actually do something practical and help towards that. Adam: Yeah. Did, I mean, has it been very physical for you today, has it? Volunteer 3: It's not been too bad, actually. It's been fine. Yeah. No, it's been OK. Ask me tomorrow, but yeah *laughs* Adam: Have you done this sort of stuff before? Volunteer 3: No, this is my first, this is my first planting day with the Trust. Adam: Yeah, and your last? Volunteer 3: No, no, I'll definitely no, it hasn't put me off. We'll definitely, definitely be back out again when I get the opportunity. It's been great. Adam: So, go on. Tell me what's all been like for you today? Volunteer 4: It's been really good. Yeah. I just can't believe we've covered so much ground in so little time, really. Seems we've only been here a few hours and because it's, I've been quite remote working from home, so it's quite nice kind of seeing some people I've met on screen, so it's nice to now, yeah, meet people in the real world and yeah, give back. I've never, I've not done anything like this before. Adam: So yeah, so is this your first time planting trees? Volunteer 5: It's not my first time planting trees, but it's my first time planting with the Trust. I was planting trees in my garden on the weekend, so I've done my back in. So, I've not quite got the planting rate of everyone else today I don't think, but you know, as the other guys were saying, we work office jobs really rather than on the front line of the Trust. So, it is good to get our hands dirty and to get involved with what we're supposed to be all about and contribute to our climate change campaign. So, hashtag plant more trees. Adam: Yeah. There we are, on message as well. Volunteer 5: I work in the brand team *laughs* Adam: There we are. There we are. Thank you. That's excellent. Adam: Now, really I should have started with this because we're nearing the end of my morning in the forest. But I've come to meet Esther, who's really one of the big brains behind the planting scheme. I know a bit modest about that, but tell me a little bit about what your involvement has been with this project. Esther: I've been a lead designer on this project, so I've been putting together the planting plans and lots of maps and really working with Neil, he's the site manager, to make sure that we make this the best scheme that we can make it. We've included coppice coupes for biodiversity and. Adam: Right, what's a coppice coupe? Esther: A coppice coupe is just an area of where you're planning to coppice. So, cut a tree down to its very base and then it grows back up as shoots. So, it only works with a few species and the species that we've chosen is hazel. So, those areas are 100% hazel. And it's great for biodiversity because you sort of go in a rotational like a 10-year cycle or something like that and you cut back say 10% of your trees in that year and then you get a lot of light to the ground and then you get hopefully a lot of floristic diversity coming through. Adam: And so, is that a job that, it sounds terrible the way I'm saying it – is that a job? Is it a job that you sit down and you go, you have a piece of paper or computer and you go, this is where we're, how we're gonna design the forest. We're gonna put ash over there. We're gonna put oak over there. Is that what you do? Esther: Yeah. Yeah. So, we use something called GIS. So, geographical information systems which basically let you draw shapes on a map and then you can colour code it and basically make a really coherent design of something to tell people, you know, what you're trying to achieve. What's gonna go where. Adam: And it's not every, it's not like building an extension to a house where you go well, there's probably thousands and going on all the time. There can't be that many forests being planted each day, so this must be a significant thing in your career I would have thought. Esther: Oh yeah, this is my first woodland creation scheme that I've seen from pretty much the start to the finish, so I've been working on it for 18 months and then an awful lot of hours gone into it. It's been really enjoyable and it's just a wonderful, wonderful to see it coming together. And yeah, and we're nearly finished now, so. Adam: And I know people often think, oh well, I'll come back in 100 years' time and you know, my great grandchildren might see these trees. But actually, within your career, you will see a forest here won't you. Esther: Yeah. So, I think within 10 years it will look like a woodland. It's had, this site has a history of agriculture, so it should in theory have a lot of nutrients in the soil. So, the trees should grow really well. So yeah, I would say within 10 to 15 years, it should look like fully fledged woodland, if not a bit young, but yeah. Adam: And are you optimistic about really the change that you and your colleagues can make? Cause there's a lot of pessimism around. What's your view? Esther: I think it's a really exciting time to be working in the environment sector and there's a lot of enthusiasm for making big changes in our lives and big changes in our landscape. I think there's a lot of hope to be had. And yeah, just seeing like the amount of enthusiasm on a planting day like this really fills me with a great deal of hope, yeah. Adam: Yeah. Have you planted any trees yourself? Esther: I have, yeah. Adam: How many of these have been yours, you reckon? Esther: We have 15, probably not that many *laughs* Adam: Oh, that's not bad. I thought you were gonna be like The Queen. I planted one. There was a round of applause and I went home *laughs* Esther: No, I put a lot of guards on, but yeah, not planting that many trees myself. Adam: Fantastic. Well, it's been a great day for me. Our half day out here and I'll definitely return. It's amazing, amazing, positive place. Esther: Wonderful, yeah. Adam: And the sun has shone on us. Metaphorical smile from the sun. Brilliant. Thank you very much. Esther: Thank you so much. *song plays* Adam: Well, if you want to find a wood near you, you can do so by going to The Woodland Trust website which is www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/findawood. Until next time, happy wandering. Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks with Adam Shaw. Join us next month, when Adam will be taking another walk in the company of Woodland Trust staff, partners and volunteers. Don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you're listening to us and do give us a review and a rating. And why not send us a recording of your favourite woodland walk to be included in a future podcast? Keep it to a maximum of five minutes and please tell us what makes your woodland walk special. Or send us an e-mail with details of your favourite walk and what makes it special to you. Send any audio files to podcast@woodlandtrust.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you. Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk

In this podcast we take a quick tour of Liverpool's latest landmark, the new Everton Football Club Stadium which is taking shape in an old dock on the banks of the River Mersey.And having played at their current Goodison Park home ground since it opened in 1892, there will be significant expectation that this new £500M, 52,888 seater stadium will be up to the job -  and a venue capable of inspiring the Toffees out of the doldrums and back up the Premier League.So what does £500M buy you nowadays when it comes to football stadiums. Well for a start, Everton reckons its new glass, brick and steel stadium is going to be the most sustainable in the Premier League and set what it describes as “exciting benchmark for stadium architecture.” Whatever that is!Certainly it is going to be a catalyst for investment in the local area and in particular in the local public transport system as the club works hard to ensure the majority of supporter can find their way there via public transport. And a huge effort has been put into ensuring that the design minimises energy use and that 95% of materials on site are recycled during construction and that the historic dockside setting is respected and celebrated in the choice of materials.But clearly one of the major elements of the project helping to accelerate and improve the construction process, – and set the stadium up for lower operation and maintenance costs over the stadium's lifespan – is the use of 4D digital design from day one. This has allowed contractor Laing O'Rourke to truly embrace modular and off-site construction techniques.  And, they say, helped save time, energy and carbon.To be honest, it is an approach that across the global infrastructure sector has, to date, been something of a pipe dream.So what's made it possible on this project? Well to find out and hear more about the stadium's progress, it is my pleasure to welcome Simon Beards, Principal Planner at Laing O'Rourke, the contractor responsible to constructing this new landmark in the Liverpool skyline.Resources Project update by Laing O'RourkeLatest video update from Everton FC

The annual Ladies Choice Livestream is back and the first episode is featuring Wiv from ESCXtra, Eurovision Creator Ellie, and Julia from Eurovision Hub. We're sharing who we think will advance from semi-final 1, who will surprise, how the show will go... etc. Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube since 2015. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine.The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. #eurovision2023 #eurovision CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

EurovisionFam.com's Augusto from the Dominican Republic is joining the conversation where we share not only top 10 rankings— but the process for identifying the top songs every year. Also! Check out Alesia Michelle's interview with Slovenia's representatives for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest: Joker Out. Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube since 2015. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine.  The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. #eurovision2023 #eurovision CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

YouTuber and EurovisionFam's Lilli is joining Alesia for a deep-dive conversation about who can actually win Eurovision 2023 (as of now). This episode also features an interview with Portugal's Neon Soho. Neon Soho performed “Endless World” in the 1st semifinal for Festival da Canção 2023 and has advanced to the Grand Final. HEAR THE SONG: https://youtu.be/XnewV4bJt3s Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube since 2015. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. #eurovision2023 #eurovision CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

YouTuber and EurovisionFam's ShortcakeESC is joining Alesia for a deep-dive conversation on some of our latest songs and LGBTQ representation and the experience of queer folks in (aand around) the contest. Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube since 2015. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. #eurovision2023 #eurovision CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

National Selection season is still going on and many folks have experienced some heartbreaks. Eurovision Fam's Lili is joining Alesia in a conversation reflecting on that big question: Did [INSERT COUNTRY] make the "right" decision for #Eurovision? Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube since 2015. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. #eurovision2023 #eurovision CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

The sunshine was shimmering on the River Mersey this week as the region's leaders came together in Liverpool's Maritime Museum for the Northern Transport Summit. The conference provides a high-profile opportunity for political and business leaders to unite on what the North needs to go further and faster - though maybe we could start by getting the trains to turn up on time. Transport Secretary Mark Harper wasn't on Merseyside for the event, he was due to speak but pulled out at the last minute - which is not the first time he's had to cancel an appearance in front of Northern leaders.  But his Labour counterpart, Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, did speak and Rob Parsons caught up with her to find out what she'd do about our struggling bus and rail services. And Rob picked over some of the North's biggest political stories - from asylum seekers to buses and Parmos - with Edna Robinson, chair of the People's Powerhouse movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Germany's Unser Lied für Liverpool is selecting their entrant for Eurovision 2023 on March 3rd. Wondering: who is Lord of the Lost's Chris Harms? Wondering: how does Patty Gurdy play her hurdy gurdy? Wondering to yourself— how did Will Church write his song, "Hold On"? Listen and find out. Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on YouTube since 2015. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. #eurovision2023 #eurovision #Esc2023 #blogger CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

Hi everyone! You guys know that pollution is a big problem around the world, right? It's in the air. It's on land, and it's in the water. That's bad! 環境污染到處都是，空氣、土地、河流都會被污染，很糟糕！ But, there is also some good news. Many people are working hard to clean up the environment. In England, scientists are helping to make a river called the River Mersey much cleaner. 但也有人努力清理環境。英國的科學家想讓一條叫做梅西河的河流變乾淨。 That river was famous for being one of the most polluted rivers in Europe. Scientists even said the river was "dead", because it had so much pollution. 梅西河是全歐洲最骯髒的河流之一，科學家甚至說這條河流已經死了。 Why was the River Mersey so polluted? For a long time, factories put dangerous chemicals into the River Mersey. 為什麼它污染這麼嚴重呢？因為工廠一直把廢棄化學物排進河裡。 Also, the river had a lot of sewage. So, it smelled really, really bad. Yuck! 很多下水道也把汙水排進去，所以很臭，很噁心！ Since 1985, the government has spent lots of money to make the River Mersey cleaner. And it is working! 英國政府從 1985 年以來，花了大錢清理梅西河，結果奏效了！ About 20 years ago, in 2002, there were only 15 kinds of fish in the river. But last year, there were 37! That's a lot more fish! 20 年前河裡只有 15 種魚，去年已經有 37 種了！ That's great, but the scientists aren't finished yet. They want to keep working to make the River Mersey even cleaner. Let's all wish those scientists good luck, it sounds like they are doing a great job! ________________________________ Vocabulary 汙染嚴重的梅西河經過一番努力，已經脫胎換骨。 1. dangerous 危險的 Hmmm, I didn't know that there's a beach nearby. 我不知道這附近有海灘。 That's because nobody goes there. 那是因為沒有人去。 Because it's dangerous? 因為它很危險嗎？ 2. polluted 受到污染的 Yeah, it's very polluted.對，它汙染得很厲害。 Yuck, that's bad. 好噁喔，真糟糕。 It is. 是很糟。 3. clean up 清理 Why didn't anyone try to clean it up? 為什麼沒有人試著清理它？ Are you kidding? That's a lot of work! 開玩笑，那是多大的工作！ I don't even want to clean my room! 我甚至不想清我的房間！ 4. year 年 You're right, it'll take at least half a year to clean it. 說得對，打掃你的房間至少需要半年。 I'd say a year. 我會說要一年。 我們一起來讀單字。 dangerous 危險的 polluted 污染的 clean up 清理 year 年 ________________________________ Quiz 1. Where is the River Mersey? A: America B: England C: Germany 2. Why did scientists call the River Mersey "dead"? A: It had too much pollution B: It was too dry C: It had no fish 3. How many kinds of fish were in the River Mersey last year? A: 15 B: 37 C: 55 Answers 1. B 2. A 3. B

Good News: The famous River Mersey in Liverpool, England, has recovered brilliantly from many years of industrial pollution, Link HERE. The Good Word: A splendid quote from the great Agatha Christie! Good To Know: Some more fun trivia about the English language. Good News: Surfers and sailors in the Netherlands have created a clever and […]

From the betting odds to Eurovision blogger, Alesia Michelle's psychic itch... WHO WILL TAKE THE CROWN IN LIVERPOOL?!? Imagine we didn't already have songs from Ukraine, Albina, and Belgium— who do you think would take the crown? Yes, we're basing this off vibes, historical precedent, current times, and MAGIC! Join the fun. Liverpool will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. Listen to find out. CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alesia73/support

Liverpool is hosting Eurovision 2023! Liverpool has been selected as the Host City for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, following a tight bidding race with the city of Glasgow. 2023 will be the 60th anniversary of the first Beatles No 1 single and The "World Capital of Pop," is hosting. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. The BBC, together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), will organize the Contest in consultation with UA:PBC, Ukraine's public broadcaster and last year's winners of the Contest. CONNECT Read: http://EurovisionFam.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/alesiamichelle TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alesiamichelle? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesiamichelle Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlesiaMichelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamAlesia --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alesia73/support

Jacob is a listener of the Running 44@60 podcast and he got in touch to say he was planning on Friday (Good Friday) April 7th 2023 to run the Manchester to Liverpool 50 mile ultra which follows the Trans-Pennine Trail, the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey. Jacob has had Crohns disease for the last 17 years and as this podcast goes live in July 2022 he's up to 10km in training.  On this episode of the Running 44@60 podcast Jacob explains the challenges of running with Crohns Disease and how he's planning to run the ultra and ensure he gets sufficient nutrition along the way. If anyone listening to this has experience of running long distances with Crohns Jacob would be keen for your advice. You can find him through the links below. Jacob is raising money for 2 charities - BAYSAR which is the Morecombe Bay Search & Rescue of which he has been an active member for the last 3 years and for Crohns and Colitis UK Here are the links to the two Just Giving pages Jacob has set up:BAYSAR Crohns and Colitis You can follow Jacob's progress and get in touch with him via his Instagram pageThis is episode 95 of the Running 44@60 podcast. You can access and download the previous 94 episodes via your usual podcast app or follow this link.Host Trevor Lee ran his own first ultra in 2021 - the 44 mile Classic Quarter - hence 44@60.  Trevor has written a book about his buildup and adventure – it is both a business and running book and is now available on Amazon via this link: 12 Business Lessons from Running an Ultra Marathon. Alternatively you can obtain a copy by leaving a review on your podcast app for this podcast and then sending a screenshot of the review, with your name and address to podcast@trevorleemedia.co.ukIf you would like to come on this podcast and share your running experiences, tips, advice, plans, as well as specialist knowledge that will help runners then email Trevor via: podcast@trevorleemedia.co.uk 

Plastic Free Mersey is an initiative which aims to bring together science, funding and education to help address the issue of plastic pollution in the River Mersey. Crucially, it involves some major players in the plastics industry in a collaborative partnership. In this episode, Dave Gray speaks to key stakeholders in the project: Chris Coode, Deputy Chief Executive at Thames21 Jason Leadbitter, Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at INOVYN. Jim Seward, Senior Vice President, Research & Development, Technology & Sustainability at LyondellBasell, and chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Plastics Council John Sanders, Strategic Planning Director at the Mersey Rivers Trust We covered a broad range of topics, including The importance of collaborative working between industry, government, NGOs, charities and the public. In particular, the importance of industry lending not only finance and advocacy, but also actively sharing science and expertise. The Global Plastics Treaty – key industry voices discuss the virtues of limiting production vs. design for circularity. How we can create value for waste. What do we really mean when we say ‘circular economy'? The lifecycle assessments of plastics (in certain industries) compared to alternative materials – why plastics have a sustainable role to play in society. Why the industry has a responsibility to prove that there are models that work – and deserve funding. The importance of training citizen scientists to truly understand problem plastics Sharing scientifically-sound information about problem plastics that exist in our rivers with local communities. The potential of chemical recycling. Listen to this episode via the player above, or listen and subscribe via the following channels: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3t0iJPF Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MLa10n Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3sZ1teF Samsung Podcast App: Open the app and search 'Interplas Insights' Amazon Music/Audible: https://amzn.to/3LLMJWD TuneIn + Alexa: https://bit.ly/3yXKxsh Podbean: https://bit.ly/3PFLpI4 iHeartRadio: https://bit.ly/3Gf1b8B Player FM: https://bit.ly/3NAipzH Listen Notes: https://bit.ly/3sX6ynh Podchaser: https://bit.ly/3yWlN3K

The second episode of the Official Everton Stadium Podcast has arrived and it's 'filled' with information from Bramley-Moore Dock. Construction workers have began to infill the site with sand from the River Mersey, while pumping water from the dock right back into the sea. In our second instalment, Darren Griffiths caught up with those working on site making the Everton dream a reality. We also hear from Stadium Development and Project Manager, Alix Craig, who has been the link between the Club and those working for Laing O'Rourke, and Director of Stadium Development, Colin Chong lets us know of some interesting discoveries deep in what is soon to be the foundations of our new home.

We come back from an amazing trip across the River Mersey from Liverpool and decide to have a little break in Wales. Fran can't decide how many bras she should wear! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/floatingourboat/message

Was tun mit den SED und den Stasi-Akten? Bei dieser Frage herrscht im Bonner Bundestag weitgehend Einigkeit. Was tun mit der Elbe? Dass etwas getan werden muss, beweisen die Messdaten aus Schnackenburg. Auch wenn sich die Menge der Schadstoffe schon halbiert hat: Die Elbe ist nachdem Ganges und dem River Mersey zwischen Manchester und Liverpool der dreckigste Fluss der Erde.

This vlog was part of a longer live video magazine program earlier today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D11mc7mj0tU&fbclid=IwAR3HCpBQQ7wm--CCYSSdrAeWA_wiIuzXgnxJdGK5WeB7L3VIl8Zseb25BhM. Since 1984 the River Mersey on the banks of Liverpool has been a safer place thanks to a professional rescue service that patrols the waters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Mersey Inshore Rescue team is the only full time unit working in the UK, not even the Thames has such a service.Established in 1984 their principal reason for being is to be able to respond to an air disaster at Liverpool Airport. The main runway of the airport points towards the river and the local emergency planning authorities have long considered the possibility of an airliner having to ditch into the water. Their base, at Liverpool's pier head, is some 8 miles down river from the airport and the crew must be able to respond to a crash scene from anywhere within 14 minutes. To enable them to do this they have one of the most powerful launches ever seen on the Mersey, a twin engine 175 hp rib boat....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mslpz0Ar_6o

This vlog was part of a longer live video magazine program earlier today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D11mc7mj0tU&fbclid=IwAR3HCpBQQ7wm--CCYSSdrAeWA_wiIuzXgnxJdGK5WeB7L3VIl8Zseb25BhM. Since 1984 the River Mersey on the banks of Liverpool has been a safer place thanks to a professional rescue service that patrols the waters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Mersey Inshore Rescue team is the only full time unit working in the UK, not even the Thames has such a service.Established in 1984 their principal reason for being is to be able to respond to an air disaster at Liverpool Airport. The main runway of the airport points towards the river and the local emergency planning authorities have long considered the possibility of an airliner having to ditch into the water. Their base, at Liverpool's pier head, is some 8 miles down river from the airport and the crew must be able to respond to a crash scene from anywhere within 14 minutes. To enable them to do this they have one of the most powerful launches ever seen on the Mersey, a twin engine 175 hp rib boat....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mslpz0Ar_6o

Nicky Allt is a writer who has penned a number of hit theatre shows, as well as having written several books and a film. His first success came with the show, Brick Up The Mersey, a musical comedy about people on opposite sides of the River Mersey. Its success was critical in saving Liverpool's historic Royal Court Theatre from closing.Nicky's next theatre venture, One Night in Istanbul, was the Empire Theatre's fastest-selling show, and it was subsequently made into a film. He has also wrote and produced You'll Never Walk Alone - a story about the history of Liverpool Football Club, and also the smash-hit show, Celtic The Musical See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join us for an interesting discussion with Councillor Hans Mundry, Executive Member for Transport and TfN Board Member for Warrington Borough Council, a unitary local authority situated on the banks of the River Mersey. Councillor Mundry tells us about the potential for Warrington to decarbonise through greener bus networks, increased use of waterways for transporting goods and the ongoing drive to get more freight onto our railways. We'll also hear how Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 will transform the town through faster, more frequent journeys to other cities, such as Manchester and Liverpool. Listen now to find out more and make sure you tweet your thoughts using #TfNPod. Don't forget to follow the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode! https://transportforthenorth.com/our-north/local-authorities/warrington/

Intercontinental sex-positive besties Cassie & Sam are here, queer and ready to share with no-holds (or holes…) barred. This week we've trawled the depths of Tinder to bring you some bios that make us wanna throw ourselves into the River Mersey. Hold on to your gag reflexes… You can submit your questions after each episode here ________Follow From Tops to Bottoms on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromtopstobottoms/Cassie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radicallove.co.uk/ Sam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sex.with.sam/

In the Crisis Talks season of podcasts, Project journal editor Emma De Vita asks project professionals to share their stories of managing, adapting and pivoting their projects through lockdown and now during this next phase as restrictions are eased. In this episode we meet Andrew Higson, a project manager at Balvac, part of the Balfour Beatty Group, which is a specialist in the repair, strengthening, refurbishment and protection of buildings and civil structures. Andrew manages the successful delivery of infrastructure projects. His current project – Palatine Road – is being undertaken on behalf of Highways England. It involves significant temporary propping to facilitate critical repairs to 15 piers, which carry both carriageways of the M60 across the River Mersey in Greater Manchester. Andrew is also a keen mountaineer and founder of the Black Dog Outdoors mental health charity, which promotes the benefits of outdoor recreation for mental wellbeing. He explains why now, more than ever, it's important to spend time in nature.

Come with us to the banks of the River Mersey on a cold, windy evening where South Liverpool FC are making plans to regain their giant reputation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spoilers: Lists! We're back for another fun-filled episode of the best gaming podcast this side of the River Mersey! In this week's news we've got lists of games joining Game Pass, lists of games leaving Game Pass, and lists of award winners at the Dice Awards! You know we love a good list. There's also more news about Final Fantasy VII, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and more! We also have video game music for you, a new segment, and then we wrap up by talking about Dead Cells and My Friend Pedro! Don't forget to send your Microsoft Paint drawings to @GameBanter on twitter, for a chance at winning absolutely no prize whatsoever. (Right-click the file and select "Save as" to download it, or left-click to listen in your browser)

Clare Balding is with a group of young LGBT+ ramblers who meet once a month to explore the green spaces close to Manchester. Run by The Proud Trust, the outdoor adventures group is for 18-25-year-olds and is designed to combat social isolation and build both confidence and physical fitness. They always meet within striking distance of public transport and, today, are starting on the Chester Road in Stretford which is a mile from Trafford Park station. From there they walk partly along the River Mersey to Chorlton Water Park. It’s a local nature reserve which was created during the construction of the M60 motorway, when gravel was excavated and the resulting pit flooded to create the lake. Please scroll down to 'related links' for information connected to the walk location and The Proud Trust. Location Producer: Tom Bonnett (Producer: Karen Gregor)

This week’s Swim Wild podcast guest really got me thinking about what we throw our heart and soul into, and how we learn. You could easily be mistaken in thinking that Matty is a virtually self taught swimmer. Having been thrown in at the deep end repeatedly at school until he could just about complete 25m, at which point he was adjudged to be able to ‘swim’. When he came to want to improve his technique in his forties, as his potential for winning winter swimming medals became apparent, he turned to textbooks rather than coaches. You will see below that the ‘things we talk about' list is littered with authors who have written books about swim technique which Matty has read. And yet his assessment is that none of us learn alone. None us achieve our goals alone. We tell people what we hope to do. We get them in on the bargain we make with ourselves – what we will give in order to achieve what we aspire to. If the people we select to let into this pact are the right ones, they will support us with advice, the loan of kit, recommendations, company and camaraderie. We achieve our goals with their support. It reminds me of the phrase, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. Maybe the child is our aspiration, and the village our fellow wild swimmers. For myself, I share my goals with others in the hope that they will step in when I threaten to sabotage myself. This usually comes through self doubt and fear, with the temptation of giving up is sometimes greater than the strength to continue when it is hard. I’m in awe of Matty spending 4 weeks perfecting the first set of drills he attempted. I imagine at times he wondered if he could actually swim at all. And yet gradually he saw improvement and pushed on and continued. And from there he just kept on going. His tenacity was rewarded this winter swimming season just gone – I’ll let you listen to the podcast to find out how. But it is a great reminder to all of us to find the right people and to share your dreams with them – and let them help you achieve them. None of us do it alone. Things we talk about Harlech, Chester Frosties, Chill Swim December 2016 Windermere, Winter Swimming World Cup, Winter Swimming World Championships in Estonia in 2016 and Slovenia in 2020, Great Fjord swim, Thames marathon swim, WeSwimRun Collingwood Docks, Budworth Mile at Budworth mere, Warrington Dolphins, River Mersey swim, Big Brutal Swim Llanberis, Sheila Taormina – Swim Speed Secrets and Swim Speed Strokes, Paul Newsome – Swim Smooth, Terry Laughlin – Total Immersion, Ernest W Maglischo – Swimming Fastest, Steven Munatones – Open Water Swimming, Oceans 7 challenge, Wim Hof, Bruno Nopponen, Llangollen Horseshoe Falls, Eisteddfod

En underbar seger mot Chelsea igår på Anfield blandas såklart med känslorna av årsdagen från katastrofen från Hillsborough. Vi pratar om det som varit, det som nu är och var Liverpool är på väg framöver. Om ett nytt lag som tagit alla demoner och kastat långt ner i River Mersey - och nu bygger sin egen historia och framtid.

The first episode gives an overview of things to come in our highly detailed accounting as we dive deep into the eel infested waters of the River Mersey, and begin to excavate the mysteries of the world that birthed Echo and the Bunnymen.

.The BBC have dropped their intention to appeal against the Cliff Richard saga....one of the boffins was interviewed on "Newswatch" and asked if anyone had been disciplined or resigned...and guess what he could see no real wrong in what they did....in any other business heads would have rolled...."Newswatch" is a joke really...it is there for viewers to criticise the BBC....but it's ON the BBC...it should be on ITV with Piers Morgan...that would be far more interesting....Cliff ended up with a settlement of 200 grand....a tenth of Gary Linacre's salary....'nuff said. 2.The news has been showing clips of Teresa May "dancing" to music on one of her political travels...she was merely joining in and being friendly...so why try to ridicule her?....then it goes on Facebook which gives all the sheep a chance to try and be funny with stupid comments.....it seems you can't do anything these days without everyone jumping on the critics bandwagon....and in this country we always have to search for someone to BLAME for unfortunate tragedies which most of the time doesn't help the situation..............and before you can get on the Queen's honours list you have to have your tax situation in order....hence no SIR David Beckham etc......giving knighthoods to pop stars and sports personalities is a joke.....give them to REAL knights of the realm like soldiers who actually make a difference. 3.Out of interest I watched 10 minutes of the X Factor....or should i say The Simon Cowell Show....I haven't seen it for a long time basically because it makes me want to throw up....I thought perhaps they might have changed the format...but no...Granny and all the family are still in the wings drying their eyes as their young offspring hopes to be rich and famous...IT IS AWFUL!!!....what these youngsters don't realise is it is show BUSINESS.....10% show and 90% business if you want to survive....which in reality doesn't involve being judged by a panel of self obsessed plonkers....if you're any good get out there a prove it.....what these hopefuls don't seem to know is you really have to be different to separate you from the rest... so listeners know who you are straight away.....it's not about who can shout the loudest and who can ball out the highest notes....if you are copying the present trend you are one step behind the market. 4.Something that has upset the music biz is the upsurge of musicians playing for nothing in their bands which doesn't help those who do it for a living.....some actually pay to play so there is no hope.....I retired from gigging a few years ago but keep my hand in by jamming each week with a local fundraising organisation where all money raised goes to children's charities....which are the ONLY one's to benefit....we have the venue free of charge and the crowd have a good night ....which is different to lugging gear into a pub which gives you the honour of playing there free and who make a nice profit out of it..........then again I suppose it's a young world....and they are the ones trying to "make it".....but playing for nothing aint the answer....feeding your ego can be an expensive pastime. 5.The song this week is from one of my DVDs and one of my albums featuring my favourite river....the wonderful River Mersey...and as I was born on its shores it is a part of me so writing songs about it is a pleasure.....just like you it's "My Mersey Friend"

.The BBC have dropped their intention to appeal against the Cliff Richard saga....one of the boffins was interviewed on "Newswatch" and asked if anyone had been disciplined or resigned...and guess what he could see no real wrong in what they did....in any other business heads would have rolled...."Newswatch" is a joke really...it is there for viewers to criticise the BBC....but it's ON the BBC...it should be on ITV with Piers Morgan...that would be far more interesting....Cliff ended up with a settlement of 200 grand....a tenth of Gary Linacre's salary....'nuff said. 2.The news has been showing clips of Teresa May "dancing" to music on one of her political travels...she was merely joining in and being friendly...so why try to ridicule her?....then it goes on Facebook which gives all the sheep a chance to try and be funny with stupid comments.....it seems you can't do anything these days without everyone jumping on the critics bandwagon....and in this country we always have to search for someone to BLAME for unfortunate tragedies which most of the time doesn't help the situation..............and before you can get on the Queen's honours list you have to have your tax situation in order....hence no SIR David Beckham etc......giving knighthoods to pop stars and sports personalities is a joke.....give them to REAL knights of the realm like soldiers who actually make a difference. 3.Out of interest I watched 10 minutes of the X Factor....or should i say The Simon Cowell Show....I haven't seen it for a long time basically because it makes me want to throw up....I thought perhaps they might have changed the format...but no...Granny and all the family are still in the wings drying their eyes as their young offspring hopes to be rich and famous...IT IS AWFUL!!!....what these youngsters don't realise is it is show BUSINESS.....10% show and 90% business if you want to survive....which in reality doesn't involve being judged by a panel of self obsessed plonkers....if you're any good get out there a prove it.....what these hopefuls don't seem to know is you really have to be different to separate you from the rest... so listeners know who you are straight away.....it's not about who can shout the loudest and who can ball out the highest notes....if you are copying the present trend you are one step behind the market. 4.Something that has upset the music biz is the upsurge of musicians playing for nothing in their bands which doesn't help those who do it for a living.....some actually pay to play so there is no hope.....I retired from gigging a few years ago but keep my hand in by jamming each week with a local fundraising organisation where all money raised goes to children's charities....which are the ONLY one's to benefit....we have the venue free of charge and the crowd have a good night ....which is different to lugging gear into a pub which gives you the honour of playing there free and who make a nice profit out of it..........then again I suppose it's a young world....and they are the ones trying to "make it".....but playing for nothing aint the answer....feeding your ego can be an expensive pastime. 5.The song this week is from one of my DVDs and one of my albums featuring my favourite river....the wonderful River Mersey...and as I was born on its shores it is a part of me so writing songs about it is a pleasure.....just like you it's "My Mersey Friend"

Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, joined Mick Coyle on Liverpool Live to talk through a whole host of things. Steve told Mick about his first 6 months as Metro Mayor and also revealed 10 pledges he thinks could transform the region including looking at issues such as housing, the River Mersey, brownfield sites and more. Plus, how 'Liverpool' works as a brand both globally and nationally.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Radio 3, the network invited five writers with whom it shares a birthday, also turning 70 this year, on a birthday outing. Our contributors chose to visit places that have some personal significance for them where they could look back and reflect on their feelings in this special birthday year.Liverpool-born novelist and former politician Edwina Currie returns to her native city for a ferry ride across the River Mersey where, over 50 years ago, in an end of school ritual, she and her peers threw their hated green school berets into the river. Essayist and reader: Edwina Currie Producer: Simon Richardson.

In this edition of Wish You Were Here, the Place Branding Podcast by UP THERE, EVERYWHERE we are visiting the very fab city of Liverpool. Famous for being the home of The Beatles, Liverpool Football Club, the River Mersey and so much more. Guests: Chris Brown, Director of Marketing for Liverpool & Julia Lennon, sister of John Lennon. Hosts: Julian Stubbs & Maura Gaughan

Alan Dein visits an old mariners' home on the banks of the River Mersey. Mariners' Park in Wallasey is home to over 150 former Merchant Navy seamen and their wives or widows. Many of them set off on their maiden voyage as young sailors from Liverpool, passing the home on their port side as they embarked on a life of discovery, adventure and hard work at sea. Now, having "swallowed the anchor", they settled here in retirement and watch the occasional vessel pass up and down the river. But, as Alan discovers, life on dry land has given many of these sailors a new lease of life. They track ships on the internet, take the ferry across the Mersey and throw themselves into a sports day. But he also finds a reflective side to the Park and a very strong attachment to its own history. The Merchant Navy is often overlooked in Remembrance services, but not at Mariners' Park. Producer Neil McCarthy.

There is a girl called Judith Hill who is starring in a documentary film called “20 feet from Stardom” and it is about all the great backing singers who never get recognised. She has backed the likes of Michael Jackson and never got a mensh on the credits. Sounds like an interesting film….but that is what the game is all about really…it’s the session guys who go the distance. On the subject of films I watched a Will Smith film called “Hancock”…er….they don’t seem to be able to round films off these days…too much CGI and not enough story…mind you it also starred Charlize Theron who is very easy on the eye..so that helped. We have had the Sahara Desert descend on us…mostly on my car….and there have been pollution warnings….as usual let’s scare everyone….however it has made me a bit throaty and has cut down the visibility …it wont be long before the Government are blamed. There is a move afoot to ban E cigarettes from public places….they reckon it is encouraging smoking amongst the young instead of helping people pack in. It’s a tricky one really because on one hand you have the right to basically do what you want and on the other you have the offence caused to non smokers….to me there seems to be a lack of education regarding smoking….it should be obvious to even the densest of people that to start smoking will do you no good in the long run…but they still do it…and of course you have the genius who comes up with BLANK cigarette packets…oh yes that will solve the problem….all that will do is save the ciggy companies a fortune on ink. I went on the ferry this week to do a bit of filming for one of my songs which I’ll be outing on YouTube……it’s always been a delightful ride on the River Mersey…despite Gerry warbling “Ferry Cross The Mersey” down the speakers…HOWEVER they now have a narrative throughout the whole journey BY GERRY !!...has to be heard to be believed. One of the Wednesday night musicians from our weekly jam sessions (The Cheshire Cats) has sadly died and has donated all his gear to the organisation…we are in the process of selling it off and putting the money into the fund.It all goes to children’s charities.His church also gave us the donation they received at his funeral…(£400)…his name was Arnie Neale and was a lovely fella who will be missed. We rock on regardless.

There is a girl called Judith Hill who is starring in a documentary film called “20 feet from Stardom” and it is about all the great backing singers who never get recognised. She has backed the likes of Michael Jackson and never got a mensh on the credits. Sounds like an interesting film….but that is what the game is all about really…it’s the session guys who go the distance. On the subject of films I watched a Will Smith film called “Hancock”…er….they don’t seem to be able to round films off these days…too much CGI and not enough story…mind you it also starred Charlize Theron who is very easy on the eye..so that helped. We have had the Sahara Desert descend on us…mostly on my car….and there have been pollution warnings….as usual let’s scare everyone….however it has made me a bit throaty and has cut down the visibility …it wont be long before the Government are blamed. There is a move afoot to ban E cigarettes from public places….they reckon it is encouraging smoking amongst the young instead of helping people pack in. It’s a tricky one really because on one hand you have the right to basically do what you want and on the other you have the offence caused to non smokers….to me there seems to be a lack of education regarding smoking….it should be obvious to even the densest of people that to start smoking will do you no good in the long run…but they still do it…and of course you have the genius who comes up with BLANK cigarette packets…oh yes that will solve the problem….all that will do is save the ciggy companies a fortune on ink. I went on the ferry this week to do a bit of filming for one of my songs which I’ll be outing on YouTube……it’s always been a delightful ride on the River Mersey…despite Gerry warbling “Ferry Cross The Mersey” down the speakers…HOWEVER they now have a narrative throughout the whole journey BY GERRY !!...has to be heard to be believed. One of the Wednesday night musicians from our weekly jam sessions (The Cheshire Cats) has sadly died and has donated all his gear to the organisation…we are in the process of selling it off and putting the money into the fund.It all goes to children’s charities.His church also gave us the donation they received at his funeral…(£400)…his name was Arnie Neale and was a lovely fella who will be missed. We rock on regardless.