News reports located on this page = 2.

Crosby Schools Photographic Competition getting ready to announce School Photographic Club winners

THE winners of this year's Crosby Schools Photographic Competition will be announced at an awards evening next week. The judging committee, led by local author and historian Hugh Hollinghurst, has assessed all the images, chosen its winners and now invites students and their families to a presentation event in St Luke's Church, Crosby, from 7pm, on Tuesday, 26 March 2019.  The competition, run jointly by Crosby Camera Club and The Rotary Club of Crosby, asked budding photographers to go out with their cameras and create images on the subject of:- 'Architectural Sefton.'  All winners will be announced on the night, with 1st place winning ₤50 and a silver salver, ₤25 for the 2nd place image and a ₤10 prize for 3rd place in each category. There will also be certificates awarded for commended and highly commended images. More details about the competition and Crosby Camera Club are available from the club's website.

Photo above is of St Luke's Church, Crosby, taken by Bill Boaden.

A spokesperson for Crosby Camera Club said:- "Well done to all the talented young photographers from our community who produced photographic prints for our 2019 competition.  We were pleased to receive entries from a number of local Schools, with the work being of an impressive standard.  It was difficult to pick our winners, but we look forward to welcoming them all on 26 March 2019 and celebrating their artistic achievements.  Thanks also to our head judge, Hugh Hollinghurst, for his time and professional opinions.  We do hope to see the mums, dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters of our competitors at the awards evening, where free refreshments will be available."

City in race to host Blue Riband sporting spectacle
Photograph by Sanchez

THE City of Liverpool is bidding to welcome The Ocean Race in 2021/22; widely regarded as 1 of the world's longest and toughest events. Taking place every 4 years, The Ocean Race attracts around 2.5 million live spectators and a TV audience of more than 2 billion. The event sees the elite of professional sailing race around the world, visiting 6 continents over 8 months of gruelling sport.

Liverpool is already making waves, and out of more than 50 bids, the City has been shortlisted and is now in the running with 3 other European destinations, to host the European finish of the:- 'Trans Atlantic' stage.

If successful, the City would welcome the fleet in 2022 (potentially May), when the race would stop over for up to 15 days. To mark the visit there would be a packed programme of events, cultural activities, sustainability and business summits, as well as sporting experiences to celebrate the arrival of this global exhibition of sailing prowess.

Tuesday, 19 March 2019, was a critical milestone in the City's bid as a team from:- 'The Ocean Race' head to the City to look at the feasibility and suitability of Liverpool hosting the event. They will tour key landmarks, including:- the Pier Head and Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, and will also travel to Wirral to explore its waterfront. The small delegation met with key people including:- Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, the City Council's Culture Liverpool events team and representatives from Royal Albert Dock Liverpool and the Canal and River Trust.

Wirral Borough Council is also supporting Liverpool's bid and would look at the possibility of sharing hosting opportunities if the City is successful. It is expected that a final decision on host cities will be announced in the summer.

The 2021-22 Edition of the race will start from:- Alicante, Spain in the autumn of 2021 and finish in Europe, in the early summer of 2022, with up to 9 stopover ports.

If the bid is successful, it would be another addition to Liverpool's burgeoning portfolio of world class sporting events as the City is gearing up to host the:- 'Vitality Netball World Cup' in July, in 2021 it's the:- 'Rugby League World Cup' and the:- 'Special Olympics GB,' and in 2022 the City will host the:- 'World Artistic Gymnastic Championships.'

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said:- "Liverpool is renowned for staging major, successful outdoor events; with a strong track record of maritime extravaganzas; which shine an international spotlight on the City.  Just a glance at our enviable annual events calendar showcases our ambitions, but we are always looking at new initiatives we can bring here.  Liverpool would have a huge amount to offer if we were successful in our bid to host The Ocean Race, and we understand that an event of this scale is an incredibly important catalyst for regeneration, investment as well as raising the profile of sporting activities. To be shortlisted is a real reflection of the value Liverpool can add to this global sporting spectacle and that we are a clear contender in this race. We look forward to welcoming the race team to the City and showing them just why it would be plain sailing to choose Liverpool."

Race Director, Phil Lawrence said:- "The Ocean Race is a truly unique sporting endeavour that brings substantial benefits, impacts and audiences to its host partners. We are delighted to see such an engaged and committed effort from Liverpool and look forward to partnering closely with the Merseyside team as they further develop their bid. It is impressive to see the energy and enthusiasm this hosting opportunity has generated."

Sue Grindrod, chief executive, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool Ltd, said:- "Thanks to our rich maritime heritage and proven track record for hosting world class waterfront spectaculars; such as:- the Mersey River Festival, 3 Queens and the Clipper Race. Liverpool City Region is now competing internationally for these massive events to come here, which is an indication of just how far we have come in the last few years alone. We know just how important these events are in showcasing our iconic waterfront to the world, and to host The Ocean Race in 2022 would be a fantastic coup for the whole City Region. We look forward to working closely with our partners on the UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront, the Wirral and wider City Region to really impress the delegation this week and ensure we are successful in our bid!"