Liverpool City Council against cuts

Liverpool City Council came together today, to discuss the issues that will now affect they city after the coalition government announced cuts.

Issues that arose where council tax, housing benefits, roads works and tuition fees as Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool’s Labour Party, looked set to fight the cuts brought in by the new government.

With the new of the cuts having dramatic effect across the country, with cities such as London and Birmingham coming under attack from violent demonstrators, the council agreed that some of the cuts will have a knock on effect to the people of Liverpool; but look to fight it every step of the way.

As a whole, they agreed that the cut of the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) which was brought in by the Labour government, is a wrong decision stating that it ‘provided vital and financial support to students from low-income families’ and that it will ‘particularly hit Liverpool families and young people already reeling from the cutting from the Building schools for the future.’ These cuts will not only will these affect higher education, but education as a whole. Around twenty-six schools that has plans to be rebuild or have work done on them, will now be left unfinished, leaving some schools future looking bleak.

One main issue that has also effected the city of Liverpool is crime, and as a 28% cut has been made to the local authority funding, with the council very opposed after all the efforts Merseyside Police have made over the past few years, saying ‘Merseyside Police have helped make Liverpool a safer place.’

There will also be around 3500 job losses across Merseyside, and a further £300 million pound will be cut from regeneration sites in the poorest areas in Liverpool, including Kensington and Anfield.

The city of Liverpool has come a long way since the last time the Conservative were in power and you can be sure that Liverpool City Council will be doing everything it can to keep Liverpool’s regeneration going.

Cuts and rise in fees to have a knock on effect in Universities

People wanting to attend University in the future will be hit hard as the new coalition government looks set to raise the tuition fee amount; Liverpool City Council heard today.

 These three words, ‘Education, Education, Education,’ were primarily the reason why the Labour government go back into power in 1997 as then labour leader Tony Blair promised to make education their number one priority. Before the coalition government formed earlier this year, leader of the liberal democrats Nick Clegg promised to scrap tuition fees and now, after joining forces with David Cameron and the Conservatives, has gone against his words as the government look set to raise the amount people will have to pay if they want to further their education.

Now the fees looked set to be raised from £3000 a year to £9000; without the essential living cost most students need to take out. This will affect the working class families who cannot afford to pay over £9000 pound a year for their child to further their education. With riots happening up and down the country, particularly in the capital city, students are outraged that Nick Clegg has done this sensational u-turn, after giving him their backing during his campaign.

In  a Liverpool City Council meeting, where discussions were taking place about the tuition fees, public sector cuts and the effect they will all have on the city, council leader Warren Bradley stated that the council are against the rise in tuition fees and that they should be abolished at the earliest opportunity.

Outside, there were several demonstrations taking place about the rise in fee and the public sector cuts. Councillor Steve Radford who is part of the liberal party, is against what Nick Clegg has done by joining forces with the conservatives and going against everything his part believes in. ‘We at the liberal party have been emailing every single Lib Dem Councillor, every single Lib Dem MP and every single Lib Dem member saying you’re doing everything you said you would do at the election you should not support this. This is why today, were quite pleased to join people with totally different political traditions in saying, this is wrong’.

Local universities are set to be hit hard too, as Councilors Gary Millar and Paul Twigger announced at the city council meeting. Due to lack of funds given to them, Liverpool John Moores University will not be able to give their students bursaries. They went on to say that it’s time to examine the local methods of allocating bursaries to reflect the change in students across the UK.

The ratio for people wanting to attend universities will be affected too, with 1 in 3 set to miss out on a place at University. Steve Radford said it is an important time for students and we should be trying to win them over. ‘We cannot afford to alienate students as they are an important part of our economy. If Britain is to be run like a business then, due to the deficit in our economy, we need an educated work force and this is why the cuts are bad for students, universities and bad for Britain.’’

Lourdes; the history and a place of Pilgrimage

There are many big cities around the world that attract a large number of tourists each year. Places like New York, Paris, Sydney, California and Hong Kong are all swamped with visitors all year round. These big cities have amazing sites to see with skyscrapers, beautiful beaches, fancy restaurants and places that can make you shop till you drop; so you can see why these cities are popular with many tourists. However, there is one place that is very different than these cities and yet, boasts thousands of people visiting each year. The place? Lourdes.

Lourdes is a small village that is situated in the South of France in the Pyrenees Mountains. Since the late 1800’s, it has been a major tourism site and not because of its spectacular view of the mountains. The reason it attracts thousands upon thousands of people each year is because it is known to be a site of miracles, healing and prayer and it is where a young girl claimed she saw visions of Mary; and this is why thousands of people that travel there go on pilgrimage. But what is so special about Lourdes and why does it attract so many pilgrims? The answer stretches back to the 1850’s.

At the centre of the special things that were happening in Lourdes was the young girl. Her name was Bernadette Soubirous, who was born in Lourdes in 1844 and was the eldest of 9 siblings. The family were very poor and, after her father lost his job at a local mill, all 9 family members moved into a disused prison cell; known as the Cachot. They lived in considerably poverty and Bernadette was very poor in health nor was she the brightest pupil in her class. On the afternoon of Thursday February 11^th 1958, Bernadette went to collect some firewood with her younger sister and a friend. They went to the Massabielle grotto, where a stream separated the grotto area and the forest. Bernadette, afraid she would get sick if she crossed the stream, decided to wait in the grotto for her sister and friend to return. It was there she heard a gust of wind and looked up to see a Lady standing there. She did not speak, but she was dressed in a white girdle and blue sash, had a yellow rose on each foot and wore a rosary around her neck.  Bernadette then took out her own rosary and began to say it. Bernadette’s mother did not believe her, and told her to not visit the place again. Eventually, on the Sunday, Bernadette returned. The lady appeared to her again and once again, Bernadette said her rosary. On Thursday Bernadette went back to the grotto with her mother, sister, aunt and friend. It was here that the vision finally spoke to Bernadette asking her to return for 15 days. Bernadette agreed to do this and in return asked for the visions name. The lady only smiled back at her. Even though the description of the vision fitted that of Mary the mother of Jesus, Bernadette only ever called her ‘the lady’ and she was the only person to see her.

Bernadette went back to the grotto each time the lady asked her too. She received various messages from her vision, one time she was seen sobbing having been asked to ‘pray for sinners’ and another occasion kissed the ground and shouted ‘Penance!’ On the 9^th apparition, Bernadette was asked by the lady to ‘dig at the ground, and drink from the water’. Bernadette began to dig and onlooker watched as she began uncovering some muddy water. She tried twice to drink it, but it wasn’t until the third time that water appeared. At first, the people watching though she was insane but it wasn’t until Bernadette told them that this is what the lady asked her to do; ‘drink and bath in the springs’. That night, the onlooker dug further and uncovered a spring. It was from here on, that people began to believe Bernadette, except for the local council and the local priest. On another apparition, the lady told Bernadette to go the priest and have a chapel build so that people can come in procession.

It wasn’t until the 16^th apparition that the priest was convinced. He asked Bernadette to ask for her name one more time, and this time, the lady replied. She said ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’. The priest knew Bernadette would not know what this meant as she was an uneducated girl and was too young to understand what it meant. The Vatican later confirmed Lourdes to be a place of miracles and that the apparition Bernadette saw was that of Mary. After the last apparition, a big chapel was built for people to pray and taps and baths were put in for people to bathe in the springs. Bernadette later left Lourdes to join a convent in Nevers. She was never to return to Lourdes and died at the age of 35. Sixty years later, Bernadette was pronounced a saint, and her body was dug up. However, to everyone surprise, she had no decayed. She remained perfectly intact and to this day, can be seen in a glass coffin in a chapel in Nevers.

Now, thousands of pilgrims travel to Lourdes to see the site where Bernadette saw the lady. It can bring great comfort to many people, but one of the main reason people go is for healing; physically and mentally. The springs at Lourdes, where people can wash and bathe, and know to have miraculous power as thousands of people have claimed to have been cured. There have however, only been sixty-two cures that have been accepted as miraculous by The Church Commissions at Lourdes. The people who claim to have been cured by the waters of Lourdes, have to go through three stages before having it officially confirmed. First, they are examined by the Lourdes Medical Bureau and doctor from across the world are called to examine. Secondly, they must come back in a year’s time for another assessment and their illness could not have been cured and there is no explanation that can explain why they have healed. Finally, the Church declares that a miracle has happened to that person. These steps are put in place to prove that sometimes, there is no explanation and that science has to surrender to the unexplainable.

Even though only sixty-two miracles have been accepted officially, many people can experience their own miracle during their trip to Lourdes. This can be physically or even mentally. They can go to Lourdes to seek guidance, help and courage and find strength in the journey that they take during their pilgrimage.

A pilgrimage can last for however long you want. People travel to Lourdes for a day, a week or sometimes even longer. They usually travel in groups and one big Pilgrimage group is the HCPT. This is a group for disabled children across the world, but the groups that travel there are most notably from the United Kingdom. They travel in local groups and consist around 10 children and 15 helpers and there are many things to do during their pilgrimage. Not only can they visit the grotto, chapel and take part in mass; but they can also visit the local zoo and villages and do a bit of shopping. So not only is there the religious aspect of this pilgrimage, there is also fun for the children who get to take part and socialise. Plus, this also provides respite for the carers and parents of the sick children. Local churches also travel on Pilgrimage there, one being the Liverpool Archdiocese. Each year, around 500 youth across Merseyside travel to Lourdes by coach, to help with the elderly and sick. This gives the youth a chance to socialise with people their own age, as well as with the sick pilgrims.

A pilgrimage can therefore, mean differently for different people. It is about the journey that a person goes on to feel comfort, healing, peace and friendship. The same goes for miracles; they are different for everyone. Just because it has not been officially proven, doesn’t mean a miracle has occurred. To that person, a miracle can mean healing inside and out, to feel comfort, joy or happiness. To others, a miracle can be about the journey that take and the place they visit. Lourdes is therefore, not just know for miracles to happen there, but as a miracle itself.

 

Chris Carins Interview

The Liverpool comedy scene has produced some big names over the years and the latest one could quite easily be local lad Chris Cairns. He regularly makes audiences laugh up and down the country, having been on the comedy circuit for over 12 years, but he is best known in his hometown as being the weekly compere at the Slaughterhouse Comedy Club.

Winner of the Eric Morecombe comedian of the year in 2002 and voted comedian of the year at the Liverpool Echo Arts Awards in 2009, it is no surprise Toxteth born Chris is being classed as a comedian that can go straight to the top.

He’s devoted to running his comedy club, the Slaughterhouse. It can be hard to run a comedy club, but the Slaughterhouse is well known in Liverpool and has a high reputation, something that Chris is keen to spread with bit name acts. ‘‘We’ve got Alan Carr coming in one Friday night, but I’m not going to be telling anyone what date, it spoils the surprise. That’s what you need to be a successful comedy club, it has to be well run, well timed and timing is the key, you have to send the money on quality acts.’’

Not one to shy away from the crowd, Chris has taken his show to some of the UK’s biggest stadiums and playing to large audiences. “I supported Jo Brand and Julian Cleary on tour and that was nice to get a laugh from a big audience.’’ Out of all the venues that Chris has played in, there is one that stands out above the rest. “The Neptune Theatre because I remember walking out thinking wow, Bill Hicks and the Chuckle Brother have played here.’’

Being a comedian can have its downsides; you cannot please everyone with your act. “I remember I did a gig in Bristol, I just didn’t get a laugh and I literally died on stage. When it’s bad it’s awful.’’  It doesn’t happen a lot to Chris, as he is quite varied in his act, “I have a lot of material ready, to make it universal.’’ Then there is the odd heckle that can come your way, something that Chris finds the funny side of. “I quite like a good heckle. I mean there are some that you just have to let go but then I can also get them back. Heckling is meant to be funny.’’

The comedy circuit is very male dominated and male comedians Chris likes are Lee Mack and Shaun Lock to name a few, but he is also a fan of female comedian Sarah Millican. “She’s a good friend. There aren’t many female comedians probably because it’s seen as an immature profession, but we knew from the beginning she would go far. She is a very funny woman.’’

Away from comedy, there are plenty of thing Chris has planned. “I think I’d like to do more TV work, as it’s always good to raise your profile. I’d also like to do more panto. I was in one with John Bishop and I just loved it. At first it was terrifying but towards the end I was sad it was all over.’’

He is also helping in his local community, working for the comedy trust in help teaching kid’s comedy. This project is very rewarding for Chris and close to his heart, “its very satisfying to give children confidence. You see kids who come and are really shy at first but then they grown in confidence and become more positive and outgoing.’’

One thing can be said for Chris, his work in comedy has not gone unrecognised. Whether it is helping kids at the comedy trust or at his own Slaughterhouse, you can be sure he will be keeping us laughing for many years to come.