LIVERPOOL PAGEANT OF POWER ANNOUNCED

THE Organisers of The Cholmondeley Pageant of Power cpop.co.uk are proud to announce a brand new super-charged event to take place in the city centre of Liverpool – The Liverpool Pageant of Power.  The event – planned for the 25 May 2010 – will see high-powered Grand Prix, Le Mans, rally and supercars together with racing bikes, roaring down The Strand. Simultaneously, powerboats and jet-skis will race round the docks and there will be aerobatic displays in the skies above.  The event supporters - including Grosvenor, Liverpool ONE, Ernst & Young, Merseytravel and the City Council – are working closely with the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power team to deliver an incredible high-octane event the likes of which the city has not seen since it hosted the British Grand Prix in 1962. Early estimates suggest over 20,000 spectators will flock to the spectacle spending a potential £500K over the 1 night alone.  Event director James Hall said:- “We’re well into our 3rd Pageant of Power at Cholmondeley Castle, in Cheshire. It’s an amazing show incorporating land, sea and air.  We’ve got Le Mans and Grand Prix cars, Formula 2 & 4 powerboat racers as well as helicopters and amazing aerobatic displays and that’s exactly what we intend be bring to Liverpool in co-operation with our partners."  The plan is to close both sides of The Strand after rush hour on Tuesday, 25 May 2010, and use the southbound side for spectators while supercars burn rubber along the north bound stretch between the police headquarters and Mann Island.  Said Mr. Hall:- “The Strand and the World Heritage waterfront is one of Europe’s most magnificent spaces. Liverpool couldn’t have been designed better for our land, sea and air displays.”  The event will also be complemented by a weeklong celebration of power at Liverpool ONE to coincide with its 2nd birthday on 29 May 2010. Mr Hall continued:- “We had a smaller event at Liverpool ONE last year where we drove some supercars around the pedestrianised area and it was extremely well received. They are keen to promote their second birthday and with it being 45 minutes down the road it was obvious we could make our statement in Liverpool. Ultimately it will be a showcase of what we do on a much bigger scale in July at the Cholmondeley Pageant."   Although the full programme is yet to be finalised, some of the highlights on the track will include the Bentley Speed 8 – the Le Mans 24-hour race winner in 2003 – the Silk Cut Jaguar – Le Mans winner in 1988 – a supercharged Bentley Blower from 1926, and a JCB dragster capable of 100mph will make appearances.  Said Mr Hall:- “We’ve been delighted at how accommodating Liverpool City Council’s highways and other departments have been. The 08 Capital of Culture year has given them a blueprint of how to handle events on this scale, which has been exceptionally helpful. It will be an incredible showcase for Liverpool.”

 FASHIONISTAS TO SHOW OFF THEIR STYLE AT AINTREE RACES

THE most glamorous race-goers in the country are under starter’s orders for the John Smith’s Grand National’s annual Style competition.  The John Smith’s Grand National meeting takes place between 8 April and 10 April 2010 and organisers are urging people to start thinking about their glad rags and handbags now.

Style spotters will select the most chic people throughout days one and two of the meeting to go forward into the competition, with Liverpool Style icon Coleen Rooney announcing the overall winner on Saturday ahead of the prestigious Grand National race.

International fashion designer Jeff Banks will be among those on the look out for race course glamour.  He said:- “Race-goers love nothing more than planning an outfit and pulling out all the stops for a glamorous day out at the races.  It’s amazing the effort a lot of people go to at Aintree every year and we get so many fabulous entrants that it makes it difficult to select just one. I think the enthusiasm with which people embrace the contest proves what many of us have said for years: the ladies at the Grand National are amongst the most fashion conscious women.”

The winner will bag a selection of top prizes including a Kia Venga car worth £12,000, a 10 day all inclusive Almond Resorts holiday to Barbados for two people and star treatment at a photo shoot at a top London studio. They will be styled by professional hair and make-up artists and directed by Banks. They will also receive VIP entry to the races on Grand National day.

There will also be a selection of spot prizes awarded on Thursday including a stunning Boodles Raindance diamond ring worth £7,500 and a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes from Cricket owner Justine Mills. Banks and a style spotting team will search the course for the most stylish race-goer that day.

Banks added:- “This is one of my favourite dates of the year. I love to watch the girls making such a superb effort. Some of them are just fabulous. They all need to start thinking about their outfits now, however, and remember my top tips: make sure you’re comfortable and go for glamour.”

Emma Owen, marketing and PR manager at Aintree racecourse, said:- “The Style contest is the hottest date on the calendar for many race-goers and no doubt some ladies, and even men, may be already planning their outfits.  The Grand National is all about enjoying a fantastic day out and we would like to reward those people who take time to look their best with a selection of amazing prizes.”

The Style 2010 in association with Matalan contest will see entrants take to the catwalk in a specially created style enclosure on the Friday in front of a panel of judges. The enclosure will also feature Matalan’s Fashion Doctor for those last minute hitches and thousands of fabulous goodie bags for race-goers who sign up for a Matalan reward card free of charge.

Prizes are also on offer for those who pre-register for the Style contest, go to:- aintree.co.uk/style2010 and for more information.