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Issue:- 29 March  2012

Sea Odyssey – Revealed!

SEA Odyssey is just weeks away and the story is now unfolding… Since the announcement of this year’s biggest street theatre event last September, there has been mystery and speculation surrounding the reason why 2 giants will be exploring the city streets from 20 April to 22 April 2012.  And now the world-famous French marionette experts Royal de Luxe are letting us in on the secret.  The action begins at 9.30am on Friday, 20 April 2012, when the 30 foot Little Girl Giant wakes up in Stanley Park.   The Little Girl Giant is on a quest to receive news about her father, a stowaway who died on the ill-fated Titanic. The next stop in her search is Liverpool, a city which she sees as a hub of creativity, with passionate friendly people and rich in maritime heritage and beautiful architecture.  Unbeknown to the Little Girl Giant, her Uncle made a promise to scour the ocean floor for the shipwreck and put his brother to rest, and in doing so discovered a letter written by him to his beloved daughter. For the past 100 years he has walked across the ocean floor with the sole purpose of delivering the letter to its young owner. And now he’s set to emerge from the depths of the Mersey...  But as they cover 23 miles, roaming the city in search of a family connection, will they find each other?

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Joe Anderson, said:- "Great cities inspire great artists, so it’s fitting Liverpool is the inspiration for and host of this breathtaking artistic event, the scale of which has rarely been seen in this country before. The emotion and humanity Royal de Luxe is set to bring to Sea Odyssey will resonate with the hundreds of thousands of people we’re expecting to descend on the city over the 3 days. This story is a sensitive portrayal of how a young child is affected by the loss of her father in one of the worst maritime tragedies in history; the sinking of the Titanic. This magical story really will be a spectacle and one which people won’t have witnessed on our streets since 2008. To have the world’s leading street theatre company bring the event to Liverpool is a real coup and another example of how internationally renowned artists want to showcase their work against the fantastic backdrop of our city."

This is 1 of the most complex events ever staged by the city council, and the team has planned the route so that as many people as possible can experience the event.

Did you know that…???


The giants will be performing for around 28 hours in total.

A 15 metre high and 5 metre wide corridor needs to be created for them to walk through.

More than 20 cranes will be used to manoeuvre the giants

With around 250,000 expected to descend in the city, more than 4km of crowd control barriers will be used.

However, due to its scale, residents and visitors are warned that there may be some disruption as a result of road closures across the 3 days.

The route for the giants will be as follows:-


Friday, 20 April 2012


Little Girl Giant from 9.30am to 12.30pm and then 4.30pm to 7.30pm...

Wakes up 9.30am and leaves Stanley Park via Walton Lane, onto Anfield Road, Sleepers Hill, Walton Breck Road, Oakfield Road, Breck Road, arriving at Everton Brow 12.30pm.

Following a siesta, she will leave Everton Brow at 4.30pm, turn right onto Heyworth Street, on to Islington via Low Erskine Street, Commutation Row, Lime Street, St George’s Place, Queen’s Square Bus Station, Whitechapel, Paradise Street (Liverpool ONE), Liver Street, onto the Strand, Queens Wharf and arrives at Kings Dock from 7.30pm.

Uncle from 2pm to 6.30pm...

Departs from Albert Dock at 2pm, and walks along The Strand, James Street, Castle Street, Dale Street, left onto Moorfields, Tithebarn Street, Vauxhall Road, Boundary Street, Kirkdale Road, Walton Road, Salop Street, Tetlow Way, Langham Road, Walton Lane and arrives in Stanley Park from 6.30pm.

Saturday, 21 April 2012


Little Girl Giant from 9.30am to 12.30pm and then 4.30pm to 7.30pm...

Wakes up at Kings Dock at 9.30am and then travels left on the Strand, up Chapel Street, Tithebarn Street, Moorfields, Dale Street, Castle Street, James Street, crosses the strand to Mann Island, arriving at the Pier Head at 12.30pm.

Following a siesta at the Pier Head, she will wake up at 4.30pm turn right onto Canada Boulevard, onto Mann Island, James Street, Castle Street, Cook Street, Victoria Street, Stanley Street, Whitechapel, Paradise Street (Liverpool ONE), Liver Street, onto the Strand, Queens Wharf, arriving at Kings Dock 7pm where she will sleep.

Uncle – 11.30am to 2.30pm and then 4.45pm to 7.30pm...

Wakes up in Stanley Park at 11am, leaves Stanley Park via Walton Lane, onto Anfield Road, Sleepers Hill, Walton Breck Road, Oakfield Road, Breck Road, Heyworth Street, onto Islington via Low Hill and Erskine Street, Moss Street, Daulby Street, Pembroke Place, London Road, arriving at St George’s Hall at 2.30pm.

Following a siesta at St George’s Hall, he will wake up at 4.45pm and walk down Lime Street, Renshaw Street, Berry Street, Nelson Street, St James Street, Blundell Street, Queens Wharf, arriving at Kings Dock 7pm where he will sleep.

Sunday, 22 April 2012


Little Girl Giant and Uncle from 9.30 to 2pm...

Wake up at Kings Dock and leave at 9.30am, travel left on the Strand, onto Mann Island, say farewell to the Liver Building, onto Canning Dock where the show’s finale will take place from 12.15pm. The Giants will then leave Liverpool down the River Mersey.

Public Transport information:-


Call Traveline Merseyside on:- 0871 200 22 33 to find out how to get near the Sea Odyssey route by public transport (open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week).

Download a special Sea Odyssey public transport leaflet at:- merseytravel.gov.uk.

Pick up a leaflet early April at any Merseytravel Centre or timetable outlet.

Request the leaflet be sent directly to you by calling the 24 hour Brochure Hotline on:- 0151 330 1066.

Speak to Merseytravel staff who will be out and about during the event to help with last minute checks and queries.

Find out the latest by visiting the Sea Odyssey website, and why not 'Like' the Giant Spectacular page on Facebook or follow Giant Spectacle on Twitter. You can also find out more by calling:- 0151 233 2008.

16th Anniversary For Model Railway Village

Ray Jones of Southport Model Village gets train ready the village.

RAY and Jean Jones have told us that they are proud to announce that Southport Model Railway Village is due to open for the 16th season on Saturday, 31 March at 10am. "The attraction has been refurbished during the close season and is ready to once again, bring pleasure to its many followers. On a sad note, we would like to pay our respects to the family of Mrs Eileen Fisher of Southport. Mrs Fisher sadly passed away on 15 March at the age of 93. All members at the Model Village (past and present) will remember her kindness and enthusiasm towards her continued support of the attraction over the past 15 years. A sad sad loss." said Ray and Jean. For further details visit:- southportmodelrailwayvillage.co.uk.

Sculpture returns home after nearly 70 years

The Loch Ness Group...

THE elusive Loch Ness monster wasn’t enough to deter fundraisers Lee Collier and Philip Sanders from their epic canoe trip.  The businessmen from Southport have just presented £360 to Round Table Children’s Wish after successfully travelling 60 miles in a Canadian canoe from Fort William to Inverness as part of Round the World for Wishes this winter.

They were part of an eight-strong team of fundraisers from Southport Hesketh Round Table who took part in the four-day journey and slept on the edge of the lochs. Other participants who canoed the distance in support of other charities included businessmen Phil Ainsworth, Phil Bradshaw, Nigel Gilbert, Paul Gilston, Miles Lilley and Neil Birch.

Lee Collier and fellow fundraisers from Southport Hesketh Round Table canoed 60 miles, including a stretch of Loch Ness for charity.

Lee, of G Collier & Sons electrical contractors, said:- "Loch Ness was by far the hardest part of our adventure, with 2ft waves and eight mile per hour winds. I’ve been all around the world and experienced an awful lot but on reflection, in terms of camaraderie, this was one of the best experiences of my life. We’re delighted to have presented our cheque to Round Table Children’s Wish and it’s great to know the money we raised will help grant a wish for a child with a life-threatening illness."

The event marks the national children’s charity’s 21st birthday. Fundraisers are each asked to travel 10 miles in an unusual way in a bid to collectively travel the distance of the circumference of the globe. Other fundraisers are planning to travel their 10 miles in stages... ideas include travelling a mile in a lift, pulling a barge and sailing.

To find out more about Round the World for Wishes visit:- rtcw.org or call:- 01202 514515. Participants are asked to pay a £10 registration fee, which includes a fundraising pack and t-shirt, and raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship.

Bikers are urged to ride safely!

TO coincide with the start of the biking season, Merseyside Police are launching its Motorcycle Casualty Reduction Campaign.  Throughout April 2012, which traditionally sees a rise in motorcylists taking to the roads as the weather improves, roads policing motorcycle officers will be visiting various popular motorbike haunts to talk with riders and advise them on all aspects of motorbike safety and the law.

The launch of the safety initiative coincides with the annual Wirral Egg Run on Sunday, 1 April 2012, which last year saw around 8,000 motorbikers participate.

The charity event starts at New Brighton and finishes at Clatterbridge Hospital. The route will see the riders pass through Wallasey Village, Moreton Cross, Moreton, Hoylake, West Kirkby, Caldy and Heswall before arriving at Clatterbridge Hospital in Thornton Hough.

As well as policing the event, officers from Merseyside Police and other local forces will be on hand to provide safety advice to the riders before the event starts at 11am.

Road closures will be in place for the run and diversion routes will be signposted for motorists to avoid the area.

The Force has worked alongside the organisers of the Wirral Egg Run to co-ordinate this event, which will have the same route as the last seven years and causes the minimum amount of disruption to motorists.

PC Mike Abram, from Merseyside Police's Collision Reduction Team, said:- "April is traditionally seen as the start of the biking season. Motorcycling remains statistically one of the most dangerous activities for motorists. We are committed to reducing the numbers of riders who are killed or seriously injured on our roads through education and enforcement. As well as engaging with motorcyclists we will be embarking on an enforcement campaign aimed at those who ride dangerously or inappropriately for the roads and conditions. We will also be looking at other motorists who commit offences that may result in collisions with motorcyclists, such as failing to conform to traffic signs and lines, as well as distraction offences such as using mobile phones while driving."

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