Knowsley Online

Old skills for young builders

A group of school students are learning how to preserve Knowsley’s heritage as part of a building apprenticeship.

The teenagers are learning how to apply the skills of bricklaying, joinery and interior design to older buildings.

They are from St. Edmund Arrowsmith, Knowsley Park Centre for Learning and Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning.

They are studying for a Young Apprenticeship in Construction and go to Knowsley Community College one day a week.

As well as the basic course, they take part in workshops run by craftsmen who are skilled in the sort of traditional building methods that are disappearing.

These skills are in demand as anything built before 1919 requires specialist skills and constant maintenance and repair.

These latest recruits to the Young Conservation Officers Group learn traditional carpentry, stone masonry, stained glass and historic paint finishes and gilding, all using traditional tools and materials.

Cllr Graham Morgan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills said: “As a career choice, the heritage sector is often never considered, yet it can provide interesting, satisfying and well paid work and can really be a ‘job for life’.

“These young people have also visited buildings currently being restored to meet craftsmen on site, the site managers and conservation officers, to talk to them directly about what they do, the reality of their work and how they trained.”

The Young Conservation Officers Group is part of the Conservation Skills and Interpretation Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Cllr Morgan with Sam Chapman, Young Conservation Officer and Jane Wells project manager for Knowsley’s Conservation, Skills and Interpretation project.

Prescot Cables 2 Harrogate Railway 2

Saturday 12 December 2009

This Unibond Division One North game came to life midway through the second half.

The first period was a stop-start affair.  Cables produced enough opportunities to have the game won by half time.  However, they could manage only one through Phil Cooney’s header on 24 minutes.

Cables gifted the opposition another goal this season when possession was carelessly lost.  Stansfield’s run into space enabled him to beat keeper Paxton albeit in a messy fashion in the 70th minute.

Prescot soon restored their lead when Aaron Rey broke away.  He slotted the ball to substitute McCulloch who found the far corner of Hill’s goal in the 73rd minute.

With Prescot’s caution tally mounting, Liptrot was penalised for dangerous play inside the Cables area.  Jones calmly put away the spot kick in the 80th minute.

Both teams had chances to take all the points in the dying moments. Harrogate players and supporters celebrated a much needed result at the final whistle.

Prescot Cables : 

Paxton, Calland, Morgan, Liptrot, McIntosh, Gibiliru, Cooney, Wright, Thurston, Rey, Lundon.  Subs – Cliff (for Thurston, 77), Riley, McCulloch (for Wright, 55) Green, Ridler

Learn how to grow your own.

A new project is underway to teach local people how to grow their own and transform derelict land in Knowsley.

Knowsley Adult Learning Partnership (ALP) has been given £150,000 from the Government to teach adults how to grow vegetables, plants and flowers.

The Growing Places students will work on disused land across the borough in a free course that will last around six or seven months.

It is part of the Government’s Learning Revolution, to encourage adults to learn for pleasure rather than just for exams and in a relaxed setting.

“The students will learn how to grow things they can eat, exhibit or sell,” said Cllr Graham Wright, Knowsley’s cabinet member for Children and Family Services.

“Some of the students might simply be interested in turning a local eyesore into something better.

Video: Whiston writer Tommy Kearney on his new hit play

Below: Whiston-born-and-bred Tommy Kearney talks about Little Boy, his latest play, which had its Liverpool premiere at the Homotopia festival this week.

Knowsley Residents Get Energy Smart

Knowsley residents can learn how to stay warm, keep fuel bills low and deal with debt at local ‘Get Energy Smart’ events.

Knowsley Council and its partners are using the ‘Get Energy Smart’ events to raise awareness of the problems facing local people who may struggle to affordably heat their homes and the role that energy efficiency can play in making their homes warmer, more comfortable and easier to heat.

Residents will have access to energy saving hints and tips, fuel switching information and fuel debt advice. There will also be information to help people to stay healthy in the cold weather, keep their home warm and advice on benefit entitlement.

There will also be the chance to sample some soup and learn how to eat healthy on a budget, with help of goody bags from Squash Nutrition.

The events will take place in Halewood, Stockbridge Village and Prescot on:

• Tuesday 17 November 10am – 2pm, New Hutte Community Centre, Lichfield Road, Halewood
• Thursday 19 November, 10am to 3pm, The Space Building, Waterpark Drive, (next to St Brigid’s School), Stockbridge Village.
• Thursday 26 November, 11am to 2pm, Cables Football Club, Eaton Street, Prescot.

For more information about the Get Energy Smart events please contact Sally Carter on 443 2216 or sally.carter@knowsley.gov.uk

Prescot Cables 0 Leigh Genesis 4

Saturday 14 November 2009

Prescot wished that this Unibond Division One North game had been called off near the kick off time as heavy rain made conditions problematic.

Cables squandered the opportunity of opening the scoring when Thurston shot into the side netting with Rey and Green unmarked by the penalty spot.

A controversial incident ended the match in the 75th minute.  Keeper Paxton was adjudged to have handled the ball from an unexpected back pass.  Baguley blasted the indirect free kick, from the wrong position, through a sea of players into the net as tempers flared.

Cables day turned sour like the weather. An outrageous run of the ball was accepted by Ince who made it 2 nil in the 81st minute. 

Morgan then brought down Dorney in the box.  Stepien slid home a penalty on 84 minutes.  Whitham then scored Leigh’s fourth in the 89th minute.

The final score by no means represented the match at a sodden Hope Street.

Prescot Cables :  Paxton, Sayer, Morgan, Liptrot, McIntosh, Lundon, Wright, Cooney, Green, Rey, Thurston.  Subs – Calland (for Cooney, 79), Cliff (for Green, 85), Kirkbride, Riley, Gibiliru

Festive Family Fun in Knowsley

Get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy some festive family activities in Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot.

To mark the start of Knowsley’s festive season special celebrations are planned for the Christmas light switch on events.

Children will be able to enjoy an ice rink, fairground rides, there will be special guests, and of course a visit from Father Christmas! For adults, there will be music and entertainment and a Christmas craft fair.

The fun starts at 3pm and the lights will be switched on at 5pm.

• Thursday 19 November Huyton Town Centre
• Friday 20 November Kirkby Town Centre 
• Friday 27 November Prescot Town Centre

Don’t forget your Christmas shopping while you enjoy the festive fun. Knowsley’s town centres and Kirkby market are once again serving up a bumper yuletide shopping offer with extended shopping hours and entertainment for kids.

In addition to the usual Tuesday, Friday and Saturdays, Kirkby market will be open all week from Friday 18th December providing plenty of chance to stock up on Christmas gifts and essentials, many at hugely reduced prices.

Free parking is available in all Knowsley town centres at Christmas time and all year round, or you can easily use the bus or train, making your Christmas shopping trips hassle free.

Prescot Cables 1 FC Halifax Town 0

Saturday 7 November 2009

This Unibond Division One North match was the first encounter between the clubs and concluded with a surprise result.

In an entertaining first period, returnee Dean Thurston’s attempt at goal was blocked by keeper Hedge after a flowing move.  Moments later, Phil Cooney was undecided whether head or kick the ball when he met Aaron Rey’s looping cross at the far post.  Cooney could only hit the stand wall from 5 yards.

The second half became a war of attrition.

The breakthrough arrived after Prescot was awarded a free kick on 74 minutes.  Dale Wright floated the ball into the box.  As players went up to contest there may have been the slightest of touches as the ball nestled in the far corner of the net.

Andy Paxton then produced two miraculous saves in the 90th minute to keep Prescot noses in front.Following seven minutes of added time Prescot held out to inflict a first league defeat on Halifax.

Prescot Cables : 

Paxton, Sayer, Morgan, Liptrot, McIntosh, Lundon, Wright, Cooney, Green, Rey, Thurston.  Subs – Ridler (for Rey, 86), Owens, Cliff, Gifford, Kirkbride (for Wright, 92)

Cables Unibond League Cup 2nd Round

Lancaster City  1     Prescot Cables  0

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Cables performance was an improvement on their opening day visit to the Giant Axe as both teams impressed with their pace, although Lancaster had more of a cutting edge.

It was Prescot, however, who should have opened the scoring when a deft pass from Gibiliru was collected by Green who scooped the ball over the bar with only keeper Beesley to beat.

Liptrot and Calland repelled the Lancaster attacks until the bounce of the ball favoured the Dolly Blues that forced Paxton to trip Ward inside the area.  The referee was lenient on the Cables keeper showing a yellow card.  Paxton confounded the issue when he saved the penalty kick.

Lancaster seemed the most likely to score and this occurred in the 83rd minute when Connerton evaded being offside. From his centre Farrell squeezed the ball into the net.

Paxton then pulled off a tremendous save and at the other end Cliff’s shot blazed over in stoppage time.

Prescot Cables : 
Paxton, Sayer, Riley, Liptrot, Calland, Gibiliru, Wright, Cooney, Green, Rey, Lundon.  Subs – Cliff (for Cooney, 73), Connell (for Green, 77), Owens (for Wright, 83), Morgan, McIntosh

Engines at the ready!

Knowsley Arts and Heritage Service are proud to present ‘Megaphones and Magnetos: A history of the British motorcycle industry’. This exhibition is on display at Prescot Museum from 6th October 2009 to 4th January 2010.

This nostalgic exhibition charts the development of the motorcycle and the changes in the British industry from its origins right up to the present day. On display are a number of motorcycles dating from the early 20th century, up until the heyday of the industry in the 1960s.

Parked up on display is a Manx Norton, Gilera Arcore 150 and Triumph Tiger 100 amongst many more.

The 500cc Triumph Tiger 100, (1956) is owned by Kelvin Prosser who said, ‘This motorcycle has remained under local ownership since 1956, which is quite an achievement, I am very proud to be the current owner and have worked very hard to restore it to it’s natural beauty.

The Mayor of Knowsley, Cllr Dave Smithson said: There is some fantastic motorcycling memorabilia on show here at the exhibition and I would urge anybody who has a love of motorcycles to come along and see it for themselves”