Mid-Lancs Military Vehicle Trust's 'Cranking Up' event 2019, are you going?

YES, spring is upon us once again and that means "action" for the Mid-Lancs Military Vehicle Trust (MTV) who will soon be 'cranking Up' their vehicles after the winter lay up and gathering together to air the groups equipment. That means only 1 thing, the return of the military vehicle group's:- 'Spring Display' at the Heatons Bridge, Burscough. MTV Members again will be coming from all over the North West Region, to display their hardware and chew the fat. Vehicles will be coming from all Merseyside, North Lancs, Cheshire, the West Pennines, and South Cumbria, along with others from as far as North Wales to Heatons Bridge Inn, on the weekend of 27 April to 28 April 2019...

A spokesman for the group told us:- "Our vehicles include:- the iconic Willys, Ford, and Austin Champ Jeeps, the later Hotchkiss and Mutt jeeps and Land Rovers, military Dodge, Morris, and Austin staff cars, and various larger military trucks including the Morris Commercial C8 Quad, the 2 1/2 ton 'Whistling Reo', its predecessor the 2 1/2ton 'Jimmy' (GMC CCKW), the Bedford RL 4 ton truck, the DAF T244 4 ton truck, the Diamond T haulage truck, the 'Mighty Antar' tank transporter, the 4 ton Swiss 'Saurer' truck, a Foden crew bus for the Howitzer field gun, a Chevrolet wrecker, a Ward la France wrecker, and a Green Goddess fire engine to mention a few. The vehicles are from various eras and extend from military motorbikes, small trucks such as the Austin Tilley, the Volvo Laplander, the Dodge Weapons Carrier, and the Dodge Ambulance, to armoured personnel carriers (including an Alvis Saracen which has seen service in Northern Ireland and Korea), a Daimler Ferret scout car, the iconic Green Goddess fire engine, an Abbot Self Propelled Gun (similar to a tank), and a couple of field guns including a 25 pounder and a mighty Howitzer! The range of vehicles now also includes a superb complete rebuild of a period (soft top) Morris saloon car and there is a 1936 P type MG project currently under way for the future amongst other projects. But what is available for display will depend on the weather and availability."

So if you have an interest in preserving and renovating military vehicles, along with military equipment of different ages, or even collecting associated militaria, the Heatons Bridge event is definitely the place to go. Not only that, but the group holds meetings the second Thursday evening of each month, in the Steve and Jacqui Winrow's Inn. But the free 'Cranking Up Event' is a fantastic way to chat with the MTV members about the various exhibits and learn about the organisation. The 'Cranking Up Event' is an informal and is held on the friendly atmosphere in the grounds of the traditional canal side Heatons Bridge country pub, which is family friendly and open to the public. Plus there is no requirement for them to join the group, but members will be pleased to share the relevant information of gaining members as required...

This year we are told that:- "At around lunchtime, on the Saturday, we hold a 'road run' for any of the military vehicles that wish to join in. This is a convoy of military vehicles out onto the public roads along a route set up by and led by 2 of our long standing members with a halfway stop at a suitable establishment for refreshments / ice cream before returning to the Heatons Bridge campsite. The run typically extends for around 2 hours and attracts friendly waves and cheers from unsuspecting bystanders at the roadsides when they see the line of vehicles passing by. But all participants are however reminded that it will be their own responsibility to ensure they have appropriate personal liability insurance for the event and to provide their own 1st aid kits and fire extinguishers, as appropriate, with their vehicles / displays, as there are no central provisions for this."

Not only that, but a regular part of the display is a 25 pounder field gun rig owned by our Area secretary and her partner. They provide demonstrations of the team operation of the field gun at the event throughout the weekend. Their field display comprises a Morris Commercial C8 Quad tractor unit, which tows an ammunition limber behind, and the field gun itself behind that! They are part of the Garrison 69th Field Regiment, through which they also carry out display firings of the 25 pounder using black powder at various venues across the Region (under licence!) but at the MTV Heatons Bridge event, the demonstrations are done without the black powder, in deference to the horses in the adjacent field.

We have also been informed that enthusiasts will also be interested to hear, the show will also include various (deactivated) firearms, bayonets and other weapons, uniforms, radio equipment and field equipment. The M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Enfield and a host of other rifles are in the displays along with Thompson machine guns, Bren guns, the BAR, and various pistols such as the M1911A1 colt, the Smith and Wesson Revolver, and a US Flare gun.

The group will also set up a small Home Guard display inside a Pillbox, located on the site, to try to give some feel for what it might have been like for a soldier to have had to 'hole up' there during World War 2.

Don't worry if you miss this event, as the group also hold a:- 'Cranking Down' event at the end of the year.

If you have not been to the Inn, is located on Heatons Bridge Road, Scarisbrick, (B5242) on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The location is also well known locally for a freestanding, brick Pillbox, which formed part of the Local Home Guard Defence provisions, on the grounds overlooking the Canal, during World War 2. This has been retained by the proprietors Steve and Jacqui Winrow as a War Mamorial and a dedication to a former MTV member, who sadly died a few years back.

For more information about the Mid Lancs Area MTV and the event, call their Secretary Angela Brown on:- 01942 514 738, or visit:- MVT.Org.UK. But as it's a free event over the weekend of 27 April to 28 April 2019, we suggest you head over and find out in person....

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram Consults on Fair Employment Charter

METRO Mayor Steve Rotheram is encouraging people to come to a consultation, event on Thursday, 28 March 2019, to help shape a Fair Employment Charter for the Liverpool City Region. The free event has been organised by the University of Liverpool's Heseltine Institute and will take place at the Foresight Centre, on Brownlow Street. More than a ¼ of the Liverpool City Region's workforce, made up of those who live within:- Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, earn less than the Real Living Wage, with an estimated 19,000 workers on 0 hours contracts.  To help tackle these issues, the Metro Mayor launched a consultation, in January 2019, to help improve working conditions for thousands of working people across the Liverpool City Region. During his election campaign the Metro Mayor pledged to introduce a Charter to recognise and celebrate businesses that pay the real living wage and minimise the use of 0 hours contracts, and encourage more businesses to do the same. The survey focuses on what people would like to see within a Charter that would support employers in delivering improved working conditions as they grow and create jobs. The aim is to improve economic productivity and prosperity across the City Region.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "This will be a vital opportunity for me to hear views and ideas from a range of voices about this important initiative. I am very grateful to the University of Liverpool Management School, the LCR Local Enterprise Partnership and the TUC for hosting this event. As a Combined Authority we are taking a lead on this issue. Although our City Region is home to world class businesses that are investing, innovating and growing, like the rest of the country we are still seeing a rise in in work poverty and insecure employment and we cannot let this continue. I want to encourage as many people as to help us create this Charter, so that together we can make the Liverpool City Region the best place to work or invest."

Dr Alan Southern, from the University of Liverpool Heseltine Institute and the Management School said:- "A Fair Employment Charter should be an essential part of a vibrant City Region economy. The living wage, the capability for free collective bargaining, diversity in the workplace are all fundamental components of a dignified approach to employment. In the Liverpool City Region our standards should be such that these come to be seen as the basics by both employers and employees, not least because we know they will support economic growth and better opportunities for wealth creation. For this reason it is important to get behind the Metro Mayor's consultation process, to garner the views of businesses and trade unions and produce a collective approach to implementing the Charter."

Lynn Collins, TUC North West Regional Secretary said:- "The Employment Charter is a great opportunity to help improve working life, and set minimum standards, for workers right across Liverpool City Region. It would be great to have as many views as possible to help in shaping this and where it goes next, to ensure that we have a Charter that is both fit for purpose and can make a real difference to people in all boroughs."

Paul Corcoran, MD of Agent Marketing and LEP Board Member said:- "This Charter signals a real commitment to ensuring that we help create a fairer City Region that benefits everyone, and I would encourage all businesses to have their say by getting involved in completing the survey. Together we can build a stand out City Region, which puts inclusive growth ambitions at the very heart of everything we do."

For full details and to reserve your free place at the event online now!  The consultation, of which this event forms part, will help shape the development of the Charter and runs until 31 March 2019. The full Charter will be published in Autumn 2019. To have your say go to:- LiverpoolCityRegion-CA.Gov.UK.