The Formby Blog

Voters in Harington Ward, Formby get the chance to elect a new Parish Councillor.

On Thursday 4th May voters in Harington Ward, Formby will be asked to elect a new Parish Councillor after a recent resignation. 

The election is on the same day as the Liverpool City Region Mayoralty election.

The candidates are:

Do you support Electoral Reform?

I do and here's the reasons why

The excitement of the general election aside, it’s important to remember that there are other important elections coming up – ones that have gone largely under the national radar.

As well as important local elections in Scotland, Wales and much of England, the first ‘metro-mayors’ will be elected. Six new city-region mayors will be elected with wide-ranging powers over the local economy, transport – and in Greater Manchester even some parts of the NHS and welfare.

These new institutions represent the greatest change to the governance of England in decades. It is vitally important then, to think about how they will work as democratic institutions. The Electoral Reform Society has hence produced a new report, From City Hall to Citizens' Hall: Democracy, Diversity and English Devolution.

- See more at: http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/blog/democracy-diversity-and-english-devolution#sthash.whcIK367.dpuf

via www.electoral-reform.org.uk

Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has apologised to patients whose procedures were postponed after technical issues in its decontamination suite on Tuesday.

Engineers were called in to investigate at Southport hospital after a residue was found in a number of operating theatre instrument sets following their sterilisation. The residue does not represent an infection risk but use of the decontamination suite has been suspended as a precaution.

This has led to a shortfall in instrument sets available to the Trust and led to the postponement of planned operations. Instead, priority is being given to patients who need immediate attention.

Sterilisation of Trust instrument sets is being carried out at neighbouring trusts while the local issue is resolved.

Therese Patten, Chief Operating Officer, said:

“I want to apologise to patients who have had their procedure postponed.

“Our priority is always the safe care of our patients and providing a quality service. That’s why we have taken the difficult decision to delay some procedures

“We are working hard to return to normal levels of service as soon as possible.”

The Trust will issue an update on progress in due course.


Issued by Tony Ellis, Marketing and Communications Manager
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust

Telephone 01704 704494
Email tonyellis@nhs.net
Web www.southportandormskirk.nhs.uk
Twitter @SONHSTrust

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He died on 23 April 1616.

William Shakespeare is quintessentially English who is also universally known. As is the case with St George, the Patron Saint of England, who's memory we celebrate annually. 

Shakespeare wrote:

Carve out dials, quaintly, point by point
Thereby to set the minutes, how they run,
How many make the Hour full, complete,
How many hours bring about the Day.
        King Henry VI. Pt. III. Act II. Sc. 5.

In the last few days we've been blessed by glorious uninterrupted sunny weather and I was looking for an appropriate short story to link these events and Formby together.

This incomplete sundial is in the grounds of St Peter's Church in Freshfield.

It's one of a number of historic items and places registered on the Historic British Listed Buildings list, which is an online database of buildings and structures that are listed as being of special architectural and historic interest.

The details recorded on the list describe it as follows:

FORMBY GREEN LANE (east side)
2/39 Sundial approx. 5.5 m. south of Church of St. Peter G.V. II

Sundial. Probably C18. Stone. Tuscan column with square abacus on cyma moulding. Metal plate; gnomon missing.

(Source: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/)

And the Gnomon that's missing well that's the part that normally casts a shadow on the dial showing an approximation of the time, they look like this image below, which explains the way they work.

As a resident of Formby since 1972 I've lost count of the number of times I've passed this column when walking into Formby Village from my house.

I've never noticed it before, which I suppose just illustrates how often I walk or cycle around with my eyes closed to the details of our rich environment.

This is the stone column to look out for.

There's also a very interesting building opposite St Peter's Church, which is not recorded on the British Historic Buildings list.

I think this is a surprising omission. It's an old building and looking at old maps suggests it was a 'Public House'.

Two places serving the 'Spirit' side by side.

The National Trust celebrated 50 years caring for the coast at Formby this month.

This is how it looked on the day, 12 April 2017.

 

Lead Ranger Kate Martin, Visitor Experience Officer Sally Orritt, John Phillips, Formby Civic Society.

 

Sally Orritt cuts the cake as NT staff, guests and volunteers cheer.