|
Birkenhead woman
scales up fishmonger business with new store
A Birkenhead grandmother is
making a splash by scaling up her fishmonger business. Beryl Greer,
71, has been wished the best of luck with her new venture, a shop at
Pyramids Shopping Centre in Birkenhead, by 1 of her most famous
customers, global folk and country music superstar Charlie
Landsborough. She started her working life with the Inland Revenue
and eventually rose to become a senior Tax Officer. But 35 years ago
she opted for a dramatic career change by opening a fishmonger stall
in Birkenhead Market.
The business, which she named Beryl's Plaice, did so well that she
eventually expanded to open a 2nd fish stall, called Prenton Fish,
on the same market a few years later.
Now Beryl has taken on the fresh challenge of launching a third arm
to her business by recently opening a brand new fishmongers; also
called Prenton Fish; in a shop unit at Pyramids, creating 2 jobs
into the bargain.
She says it has already been extremely well received
by shoals of customers old and new who are coming in to snap up
everything from her famous plaice fillets to more exotic cuts like
shark steaks. But Beryl recalls her career started very differently
when she left school back in Liverpool at the age of 18. She said
that:- "I became a Civil Servant with the Inland Revenue, as
it was then known, and was eventually a higher grade Tax Officer.
Then, 35 years ago, I decided to leave that job and open my own
business which I had always wanted to do. It was then I took the
first stall on Birkenhead Market. I chose a fishmongers because I
suppose it was in the blood. My mother, Hilda Hawkins, had her own
fish shop in Woolton, Liverpool, and I used to help her out, which
is how I learned the trade. Both stalls on the market; which I am
keeping open alongside the new shop at Pyramids; have done very well
and being there all that time I have plenty of regular customers,
including a couple of famous ones such as Charlie Landsborough, the
Birkenhead singer songwriter. Charlie became a customer because he
was also a regular at Apollo Music, which is run by my husband Alan
and our son Jamie and is also in Pyramids. In fact, the new shop is
very much part of a family enterprise.”
The new Prenton Fish, which is on St Werburgh's Square in Pyramids,
is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and, apart from Beryl,
there are 4 part time staff. 2 of them have come over from the
market stalls and the other 2 members of the team are new to the
business. The shop offers a vast range of fish and seafood, from
salmon, seabass and cod to shark steaks, swordfish, cooked lobsters
and dressed crab. All the stock is delivered fresh every morning
from the fishing port of Peterhead in Scotland, which Beryl says is
famed for its cool, clear waters. She's up at 4.20am every day to
receive the deliveries.
Derek Millar, Commercial Director for Pyramids Shopping Centre,
said:- "We are very keen to look at showcasing more local,
food businesses like Prenton Fish because shoppers enjoy being able
to choose from such a range of fresh produce. We are enjoying a
bumper set of new businesses opening with us once again including
fashion boutique Our Beautiful Life and popular fashion jewellers
Mococo. It is all part and parcel of us providing the best range of
shopping we can for the Wirral."
Beryl has been married to Alan for the past 52 years and the couple
have three sons and a daughter, 47 year old Alan, Jamie, 31, Miles,
29, and Lyndsey, 42. They also have one granddaughter, Lucy, who is
14.
Beryl added:- "Although the 2 stalls on the
market are still doing very well, I decided to open a shop in
Pyramids because it has much more passing trade. Fresh fish is also
very popular at the moment as people become more health conscious. I
see this as a new challenge and a new opportunity and although we've
not been open long we're being very well received by the public.
About 30% of the people who have been in so far are our regulars
from the market but I'd say 70% have been completely new customers,
which is great.”
One of Beryl's regulars is Birkenhead's own Charlie Landsborough who
said:- "My wife Thelma and I have been buying fish from Beryl
for many years and we wish her every success with the new shop. I'm
also a long standing customer of her husband Alan's Apollo Music
shop and Beryl is the other half of a great partnership. They're
both lovely people and I wish them all the best for the future.
Thelma's more of an expert on fish than I am; I just eat it. But I
think our favourite is smoked cod loin, which Beryl does very well."
For more information go to:-
pyramidsbirkenhead.com.
Marked belongings in Formby lead
to burglary suspects being arrested
A burglary victim has been
re-united with some of her treasured belongings and several suspects
arrested thanks to a property marking scheme offered free to her by
Merseyside Police. The woman suffered 2 burglaries in the space of a
fortnight at her home in Formby and had jewellery, computers,
cameras and even a flute stolen. But after the 1st, local Police
Officers offered to mark all her remaining valuables with a special
invisible ink which is undetectable to thieves and impossible to
remove. When the woman was burgled a 2nd time, 1 of the offenders
cut themselves when they smashed a ground floor window to get in,
leaving Police with a way of identifying who the suspects might be.
When officers then arrested
several youths on suspicion of both burglaries, they found a number
of valuables matching those stolen from the woman in Formby.
Officers shone ultra violet light on the items, including a large
cubic Zircona on a platinum chain and a 24 carat gold necklace and
earring set, and found the presence of the forensic marking. Much of
the jewellery was of sentimental value as well as expensive, with
some having been bought as wedding, engagement and honeymoon gifts.
The items have since been
identified by the burglary victim the burglary victim and a total of
7 people aged between 14 and 22 have been arrested on suspicion of
burglary and handling stolen goods. All seven (including 4 teenage
girls) have been questioned about the 2 burglaries before being
released on Police Bail pending further enquiries.
Formby neighbourhood inspector,
Jim Atherton, said the arrests and recovery of the stolen goods
highlighted the benefits of people taking advantage of free property
marking schemes. He said:- "To be burgled once is terrible for
anyone, but to be burgled twice is unthinkable and it is extremely
rare for anyone in Formby to suffered this kind of crime twice in
quick succession. It is possible that offenders returned to the
house a 2nd time thinking they could steal more of this lady's
belongings. However, thanks to the property marking that the police
offered free after the first burglary, items that we have managed to
recover during the investigation have been identified as hers and
will be returned. It will never make up for the distress of her home
being burgled, but it will be of some comfort to have her things
returned to her and it greatly assists in us arresting people for
the crime. Property marking is quick and easy to do and does not
damage or spoil your valuables. It does however spoil the chances a
criminal has of getting away with their crime."
For more information about how to
get your property security marked in Sefton call Merseyside Police
on:- 0151 777 4149 or you can also send an
email to the Homewatch
co-ordinator:- . |
 |
BBC
Archaeologist Joins Liverpool's Navy Reserves
AN archaeologist and BBC TV
presenter has signed up to become a reserve during his spare time at
the Royal Navy's base in Liverpool. Tom Pinfold, who appeared
on BBC2's Tudor Monastery Farm last year, is currently filming at a
medieval castle being built in France while also training to become
an officer at HMS Eaglet in Liverpool. The 35 year old from
Birkenhead, who specialises in Roman archaeology, was last seen on
our TV screens celebrating Christmas as a Tudor farmer. Since then,
he has spent ten days driving to Bosnia and back with a group of
reserves from his naval base. Tom also worked on the
commemorations for the seventieth anniversary of the Battle of the
Atlantic, and has taken part in a 10 week intensive training course
at HMS Raleigh in Plymouth. The Royal Naval Reserve needs to
sign up around 150 new recruits in the region over the next 3 years,
and Tom is backing a new campaign encouraging people to do their bit
for Britain by becoming a reserve in their spare time. Anyone
wanting to find out more about joining the reserves can attend a
Royal Naval Reserve Live event at HMS Eaglet in Liverpool on
Saturday, 26 July 2014. The event will include a tour of the naval
base, as well as a chance to take part in training activities and
meet serving reserves. A virtual reality simulator will also give
potential recruits a taste of life at sea. Tom said:-
"I'd thought about maybe joining the army or navy while I was at
school but hadn't given it much thought since then. When I reached
my 30s, I felt like I should be doing something more with my life
and so signed up to become a reserve. It's great to be able to do
something where you feel you're putting other people before
yourself. I do still find it odd that one day I'll be doing some
filming at a castle in France and the next I'll be brought back down
to earth with a training exercise in Liverpool, but I like the
contrast. The banter from the other reserves makes sure I don't get
above myself as well! The highlight so far has been the 10 day trip
to Bosnia. I'd been before as a backpacker in 2006 but the country's
changed so much since then. Because we were with the navy, we got to
see things you wouldn't as a member of the public, such as going
inside the British Embassy and visiting Tito's war bunker; built
into a mountain. I'd definitely encourage anyone who's ever thought
about becoming a reserve to step up and give it a go. You'll never
be bored and it gets you out of your comfort zone.”
Tom is 1 of more than 2,300 people who currently serve as reserves
in the Royal Navy alongside their normal day job. Most have no
previous military experience. When needed, the Royal Naval
Reserve supplements the full time ranks with extra manpower and, in
some cases, provides additional specialist civilian skills. New
recruits must be aged between 16 and 40, have an appropriate
standard in English and Maths, and be able to complete a
one-and-a-half-mile run within a set time. Reserves need to be able
to commit the equivalent of 24 days a year for training, which
mainly takes place during the evenings and at weekends, and will be
paid for their time. They will also qualify for a yearly tax free
bonus, which ranges from £400 to £1,600 depending on the length of
service. Lieutenant Roy Miller added:- "We'd encourage people
to come along to the Royal Naval Reserve Live event on Saturday to
find out more about what it means to be a reserve in the Royal Navy.
Being a reserve doesn't have to take up a huge amount of time; but
it's a great way of experiencing something entirely different
without having to give up your day job. You'll also be paid for your
time. We welcome new recruits from all sorts of backgrounds; whether
you're a student, in a full time job or looking to get some
additional work experience.”
The initial training to become a reserve takes place 1 night a week
or at weekends for the 1st 20 weeks. This is followed by a 2 week
residential course at the prestigious Royal Navy training facilities
at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall or Britannia Royal Naval College in
Devon. Both courses include overnight exercises on Dartmoor
and, following the residential course, new recruits will be given
training for a specific role, ranging from logistics to submarine
operations. The Royal Navy needs to recruit an extra 1,500
reserves at its 22 Units, across the UK, over the next 3 years. The
Royal Naval Reserve Live event in Merseyside will take place at HMS
Eaglet at East Brunswick Dock in Liverpool between 10am and 3pm, on
Saturday, 26 July 2014. For more details, or to register to
attend, call:- 08456 00 32 22, you can also get more information
online.
Top 10 tax credits renewal
'excuses' revealed
WITH the tax credits
renewal deadline of 31 July 2014 just days away, HM Revenue and
Customs (HMRC) has revealed the top 10 excuses, that according to
HMRC are used for not renewing tax credits claims. Excuses given by
claimants to HMRC for missing the deadline include:-
► I didn't need the
money because I'd met a rich bloke, but he dumped me.
► My mum usually does this for me.
► The form was locked in the boot of
my car, and then my car caught fire.
► My baby used the paperwork as a
colouring book.
► My dog ate the form.
► I got confused with the 31 January
Self Assessment deadline.
► I booked the last 2 weeks of July for a
holiday and forgot all about it.
► I've been in hospital but am feeling
much better now.
► I was unable to get income details from
my employers in time.
► I thought I'd already renewed.
Claimants have until the 31 July 2014, deadline to
renew, or their payments might end. Last year more than 650,000
failed to renew on time. This year, for the first time, claimants
can renew online, at GOV.UK, as well as being able to renew by post
and phone. Nick Lodge, Director General of Benefits and Credits,
HMRC, said:- "So far, over 203,000 claimants have renewed
online. It's a quick and easy way to do it. Renewing tax credits on
time is important. People who don't renew by the deadline can, and
do, lose their payments." HMRC asks all claimants to
check the accuracy of the information in their renewals pack, and to
tell the department about any changes to their circumstances that
they haven't already reported, such as to their working hours,
childcare costs or pay.
The Magic of Motown is heading to
Southport
ON Saturday, 27 September
2014 Magic of Motown will be heading to Southport theatre's stage
for a 7.30pm show... This magical event promises to put a spell on
you... For more information about he show visit:-
easytheatres.com or to book
tickets go to the Booking Office, located on Promenade, Southport,
or call the Booking Office on:- 0844 871 3021. Tickets cost:- £23
with concessions at:- £22. This show will features slick male
harmonies and stunning female vocals, the production honours The
Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder and many more Tamla
Motown legends. It was not just the distinctive Motown sound created
by founder Berry Gordy Jnr back in 1959 that set the label's artists
apart from all other artists of the era. For mass market appeal,
artistes' images were carefully controlled from dress and
choreography, right down to their manners. So pop over and take this
show in. It is recognised as the UK's number a Motown concert show
on tour in the UK playing huge arenas and massive open air
festivals, so book your tickets.
|
