the unassuming Lancashire town of Ormskirk is fast becoming the UK's most delicious destination When it comes to UK destinations for a gourmet weekend away there's a new name on the lips of serious foodies Forget the metropolitan streets of Chelsea Britain's latest gastronomic hotspot is in the rural hinterlands of deepest Lancashire a tooth-shatteringly tough cylindrical stick of boiled sugar and glucose syrup But, for those with more refined palates – or more delicate dental work – the tastiest rewards are to be found in Ormskirk, a bustling market town that was once a Viking settlement is a mere 30 second stroll around the lake from Moor Hall and possesses a Michelin star of its very own too As if that weren't enough, less than 10 minutes' walk away is Chef Tim Allen's restaurant sō-lō which has a Michelin star as well bringing the total to a rather stellar six in the space of less than half a mile BBC.com's World's Table "smashes the kitchen ceiling" by changing the way the world thinks about food So what makes the food so special in this part of Lancashire, I ask Birchall as he forages for micro herbs and other ingredients on Moor Hall's six-acre country estate, dotted with secluded luxury garden rooms where diners can stay "Aughton and Ormskirk have a deep-rooted connection to the land and that plays a massive part in why the food here is so special," he tells me the weather – it all contributes to the quality of the produce We're lucky to have incredibly fertile which means the fruit and vegetables – particularly leafy greens brassicas and root veg – even the grass that feeds the livestock even Singapore - Tim Allen"The climate "We get just the right balance – enough rain to keep things abundant and when you combine that with generations of skilled farmers who understand how to work with the land It's that connection between produce and place that really sets the region apart." with whom he consulted before opening sō-lō He has seen an influx of foodies not just from London (which is a little more than two hours away by train) but from right across the globe because we're located midway between Liverpool and Manchester – whose football teams (Everton Manchester City and Manchester United) are massive – you get a lot of people travelling for the football quite like eating Michelin-starred food." But this part of Lancashire offers more than the ultra-modern cordon bleu cuisine of Moor Hall and sō-lō; travellers in search of the area's deepest culinary roots may find them at the famous Omskirk Market it is one of the country's oldest (King Edward I granted it a Royal Charter in 1286) and is where you can sample the town's original claim to culinary fame: gingerbread recipes for the spicy baked treat were being passed down through generations of Ormskirkers Sellers – almost exclusively women identified by their white shawls and aprons – would tout fresh gingerbread to passengers on the stagecoaches that stopped at the inns along Aughton Street on their way from Liverpool to Preston When Ormskirk railway station opened in 1849 the women switched to targeting train passengers • The English wine that's rivalling Champagne • Is the future of French cheese at stake? • The surprising 'lesbian capital of the UK' he'd stop the royal train at Ormskirk on his way up to Balmoral and stock up with supplies for himself and the royal family he obviously must have really liked our gingerbread!" The white-aproned women no longer ply their wares at the station, but one baker of Ormskirk gingerbread can still be found today in the town. Mr Thompson's Bakery is a family business run by Neil Thompson his wife Janet and daughter Lilli who bake the treats in a converted shed in their back garden we revived an ancient Ormskirk gingerbread recipe but made some tweaks who mans their stall each week at Ormskirk's famous food market of including some of their gingerbread in a welcome hamper "Has she come back since to stock up with supplies like her great-grandfather Edward VII did?" I ask "but I'd like to think there's a secret stash of Ormskirk gingerbread somewhere in one of the larders of Buckingham Palace!"  Each year the town hosts Ormskirk Gingerbread Festival which The family-friendly event allows locals and visitors to learn more about the town's culinary heritage and some women dress up in white shawls and aprons to honour Ormskirk's most famous gingerbread hawkers It's also an opportunity to celebrate this unassuming pocket of Lancashire that has quietly become a food lover's destination in its own right – no small achievement in a country where most culinary trends tend to point south Whether you come for the royal gingerbread the six Michelin stars or the rich farming roots that nourish it all Ormskirk delivers the goods… and they’re anything but half-baked If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. Inside one of the world's most remote restaurants'Off-Map Destination' winner Wolfgat offers a menu made from hyper-local and foraged ingredients. South African Braai: What it is and why you should try itThe Braai tradition in South Africa is more than just a BBQ, it's a phenomenon that ties the nation together. The evolution of London's oldest 'ocakbaşı' restaurantMangal 2, a fixture on the London food scene, is redefining Turkish cuisine in a city constantly evolving. Would you eat a meal dreamed up by a computer?AI v The Mind: We explore the world of food and ask if human expertise is the only way to deliver great flavour. Turkey's wild and rugged Black Sea regionFood writer Nick Kwek finds out how the wild landscape of Turkey's Black Sea region influences local cuisine. Semma: A rare taste of South India in ManhattanAt Michelin-starred Semma, chef Vijay Kumar brings deeply personal dishes from his childhood to the plate. Sushi master brings authentic Japanese techniques to NYCAt Icca, Japanese sushi master chef Kazushige Suzuki blends ancient methods with other cuisines. World's first 'zero-waste' restaurant without a single binAs part of its mission, Silo uses a nose to tail and root to tip approach to cooking out of respect for nature. Sweden's Icehotel: The menu inspired by eight Sami seasonsThe menu at the Icehotel, the world's first hotel made out of ice and snow, is served on plates of ice. The blunder that changed chickens foreverHow this one simple mistake gave birth to the 50-billion-dollar US chicken industry. Inside the only all-female Indian kitchen in the worldLondon's Darjeeling Express is ground zero for chef Asma Khan, a champion of women's empowerment. Into the wild: 'Everyman's right' to forage in FinlandForaging is one of Finland's favourite hobbies and an essential part of the culture. A unique experience in the heart of a Norwegian fjordFloating in the middle of a Norwegian fjord, Restaurant Iris takes diners on an 'experiential dining' journey. The mixologist serving up Black History one drink at a timeDeniseea Taylor is a mixologist who teaches what she jokingly calls 'drunk Black History'. The first two-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant outside AsiaTaste of China: How chef Andrew Wong takes diners on a culinary journey across China's provinces. The hunt for the world's most expensive fungusReel takes you to Italy to explore how the world's rarest and most expensive ingredient ends up on our tables. What food and drink is good for your memory?What we eat, it turns out, can have an impact on how well our memory works. British v American scones: Is there a difference?American baker and chef Nancy Silverton explains the difference between British and American scones. How safe is frozen fruit?A huge recall of frozen fruits is currently happening across the US due to contamination fears. Fire, smoke, and ash are all ingredients in Bottura's BBQInside the kitchen of Italian chef Massimo Bottura's new restaurant Al Gatto Verde. On 12 June 1962, three men escaped from the notorious Alcatraz prison. While their fate remains unknown, the ingenuity of their escape continues to captivate. The Italian island immediately conjures up grand bougainvillea-draped villas and a whitewashed city centre, lined by luxury boutiques. But that's – literally – only half of the story. In 1956, Commander "Buster" Crabb disappeared during a visit to the UK by Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev. In 2006, a BBC reporter read the files that detailed his secret mission. Grip strength is associated with a range of health outcomes, from type 2 diabetes to depression. Here’s how to check yours. Invented to satiate pregnancy cravings, Dubai chocolate is a rare combination of creativity, flavours and social media success that has broken all industry records. “A true friend is someone who thinks you’re a good egg “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” —William Shakespeare “Egg hunts are proof that your children can find things when they really want to.” —Unknown and the world thinks: Go.” —Christopher Morley Spring was certainly in the air this morning as our eager and excited runners joggers and walkers made their way joyously towards the Sports centre at Edge Hill a huge total – thank you for choosing Ormskirk this Easter Saturday The bright cloak of Spring had truly been thrown around our course today with lusciously green and fresh smelling grass providing an inspiring backdrop to the events which we shall now recall Indeed our very first arrival this morning was the Easter Bunny joining us at Ormskirk to celebrate this special weekend an Egg-stravaganza of Egg-cellent and Egg-nergetic participants who Egg-celled in their Egg-forts to complete the Egg-stra Egg-citing Easter 5k enough of the Egg jokes now I hear you cry – let’s get on with the run report So settle back with a brew and a huge chunk of Easter Egg (because we know you opened at least one before Easter Sunday) and relive our fabulous morning of fun and frolics We were joined this morning by the lovely John from Ormskirk foodbank who works tirelessly with his amazing colleagues to help those in need in our community One by one those arriving for parkrun came over and donated all sorts of food and toiletry items for which the foodbank is extremely grateful Thank you to everyone who donated this morning Just make a mental note that pacer week is provisions week (p x 2) and perhaps bring along a packet or can next time if you are able the wonderful Jo Rotheram was calmly and efficiently sorting out everything which needed to be done in preparation for today’s event Her glorious band of volunteers were given their instructions and off they went to perform their various but vital roles None of today’s fun would have been possible without them so a HUGE thank you to all the volunteers this morning: Even before Jo strode to the microphone to speak the RDs words of wisdom volunteers had been out checking and setting up our course Many had arrived while the birds were still singing and the Easter bunny still chomping that lovely grass to ensure they were confident of their roles and positions in the event We are so grateful to those who get to Edge Hill early to verify that the course is safe and that everything is ready for our 9am start To the illustrious early risers of Ormskirk parkrun thank you for rolling out of bed even earlier than the rest of us Today’s first timers welcome was done by Katherine Parr who explained to everyone new to Ormskirk our twists and turns A huge welcome if you joined us for the first time today – we hope you had a wonderful time The best thing about being a Run Reporter is meeting some lovely people and having the excuse to go up to them and ask questions Right from the start this morning I was able to chat with some of our fabulous Easter attendees The first Run Reporter Victims today were Sophie Thomas and Daryl who were joining us for only the second time They are here because of Sophie who suggested they do the Race for Life 10k which they are now in training for On their first visit last week they told me they enjoyed the course and that parkrun is a great way to start your Saturday so they were looking forward to today Good luck with the training and see you again soon at Ormskirk Lisa was doing her 100th parkrun today and was very proud of the fact it has taken her 6 years to hit this fantastic milestone as she started parkrunning in 2019 She loves coming to Ormskirk because of the friends she has here and the real sense of community Thank you for the celebration cakes Lisa and huge congratulations on your 100th run Here she is again but with an added presence - the Father of the Finish Funnel Mr Renner himself joined in the photo - a rare occurance indeed and testimony to Lisa's achievement today I also met Ashley who was a first timer here at Ormskirk today having been “persuaded” to come along by Gail who has been volunteering here for the last 6 months Well done for recruiting another parkrunner Gail and we really hope you enjoyed your run Ashley and will be back with us again soon the just and jovial Jo stepped into the limelight If you have never actually seen her you will certainly have heard her (not "heard OF her" You will never meet a friendlier person nor one who so readily draws people into her “cloud of friendship” from which they happily never emerge Taking charge of the morning with calm authority she thanked our amazing volunteers welcomed our visitors and ran through the milestones We were lucky to have lots of pacers this morning who really do help people to achieve more than they ever thought they could viewed with awe and thanked by the assembled crowd – thanks to every one of them for helping others achieve their best possible times All too soon it was time to head to the start line We crowded together like eggs in an Easter basket and soon we were off We were Easter bunnies let loose in a field of carrots as we headed round the track and up the hill towards the pitches One huge semicircle and we were dropping downwards knowing all to well that what goes down inevitably has to come up – and soon the hairpin of horror loomed before us the sharp corner at the half way point reminiscent of a sadistic grin The hill may have laughed at us as we battled to defeat it but we were ultimately victorious and emerged past our ever-present ever-encouraging “top of the hill” marshal back onto the upper circuit Round again on a course loosely resembling the shape of an Easter Egg and we dropped down and made our way towards the hillock of doom for the second time We had defeated it before and could do so again some hardly noticing the effort and others panting their way to the top but if you got to the summit you should be immensely proud of yourselves – we are the victors over the hill; We came We Conquered (sorry – your run reporter has been spending a bit too much time in Hadrian’s wall country recently) Round again and then came the joyous moment as we dropped down towards the finish line the ultimate prize shining like an Easter Egg of solid gold in the distance the fabulous finish funnel feeling came upon us and we gratefully collected our tokens from the friendly Easter bunnies as we passed them Off we went to be scanned and the day was ours – tired we may have been but what a glorious feeling it is to have parkran Enjoying the Edge Hill atmosphere after the run were Al and Laura with the lovely Vinny who were visitors from Lytham whose regular parkrun is Lytham Hall They were joining us to get their "O" for the alphabet challenge and it was their first time at Ormskirk They told me they thought the course was lovely though tough against the wind They liked the variety offered – flat stretches and hills and very much enjoyed the spongey bit in the middle They also said our finish is great – especially the downhill bit right near the end Joining them was Jim who is injured at the moment so was taking care of childcare during the run Now living in Glasgow his local run is Victoria parkrun and although that is quite a long way away we would love him to return when fit again to tackle the Ormskirk course We are glad you all enjoyed your morning with us and would really love to see you all again one day Leo from Somerset is on holiday in the area and was doing his first ever Adult parkrun with us today Leo has done some junior parkruns but this was his first full 5k event “It was long” - I think we all agree with that A huge well done to Leo and many congratulations on your very first full parkrun – we hope it is the first of many Lovely to meet you and perhaps we will see you again up here one day Sitting on the grass relaxing like they were mid-picnic awaiting butlers bearing cucumber sandwiches and champagne were a group of Ormskirk regulars and I asked them what keeps them coming back They told me it is the atmosphere here and the real family feel They said that our parkrun has a “friendly family vibe” which was really great to hear They love the people who make it happen and the sense of well being it gives you to attend Charlotte and Karen – and sorry about the shortage of butlers at today’s event Here is the "professional pic" taken by our lovely photographer Gordon who always manages to get us looking our worst when running and at our best at all other times Gail has recently returned to us having finished Couch to 5k just pre-covid and only just getting started again though she is now determined to be “back for good” They both live close by and really enjoy the fresh air nice scenery and the warm welcome at Ormskirk They stressed that this welcome extends to all – walkers or athletes alike which is certainly what we aim for here at Ormskirk They were missing their friend Jackie today but here they are relaxing after their run this morning We were also joined today by visitors from the fair city of Hull Alexia who was doing her 200th parkrun today (congratulations!) and Abbie had taken part in a Manchester to Liverpool Ultra yesterday and joined us this morning to get their “O” for the alphabet challenge It was their first time here and they told me they thought it was a lovely route and very well organized with great facilities Our RD Jo who hails from the same part of the world really enjoyed chatting to these lovely guests and they would be extremely welcome to join us again anytime Finally a quick mention for Lucas who was doing his first ever parkrun – welcome to the parkrun family Lucas and well done The Egg-stra Egg-box of terrible jokes at the start of this report signalled that it is indeed Easter Saturday so in the spirit of a run report being not only informative and fun but also educational here is are one or two Easter Saturday customs for you to consider adopting should you choose to do so Egg rolling is a traditional game played over the weekend with painted or decorated boiled eggs which participants roll down grassy hills it is a great opportunity to hone parkrun hill-tackling skills whilst chasing your egg as it tumbles downwards Our lovely hairpin would be the perfect location for some pace-eggin but the Edge Hill authorities may not be too pleased The burning of bonfires on the Saturday in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is a centuries-old Scottish tradition the lighting of bonfires at Easter became less popular as more and more Scots celebrated Bonfire Night and now it is rare to find one The tradition of blessing Easter food on Saturday is present across Europe — in some regions in Italy but also across Poland and Ukraine – from the largest cities to the smallest villages It is a “must” even for non-believers and entire families make their way to churches carrying baskets adorned with green sprigs and filled with selected foods old pots are thrown out of the windows on to the streets as an Easter Saturday morning tradition We trust that no one was hit by a mug or plate being thrown out of the window of the sports centre this morning and that you were careful on your way home Hopefully the only thing "thrown" at you was one of the delicious cakes this morning - thank you to everyone who brought the goodies for us today early chocolate egg is now probably finished and you will need to go and get another soon but do not worry Today was a bitter sweet morning here at Ormskirk – 3 hugely important and influential members of our team are stepping down from the RD role although they will of course still be very active members of the core volunteer team and huge part of Ormskirk parkrun We call them the “Three Graces” and they are a terrific trinity who have taken on the RD role many times with great skill and success You embody the true spirit of parkrun in everything you do and we know you will keep on contributing to the event you love and cherish and have given so much to over the years Now this run reporter likes to feature a Random Runner and today’s lucky participant is Robert Lang at position 356 Thank you for joining us Robert and well done on this mornings run Before we conclude our report one little thing to muse upon during the coming week We have seen lots of young people starting to parkrun recently and apparently running is enjoying great popularity amongst younger age groups A huge welcome if you have started running recently with us But think on this – apparently running is huge on dating websites Given how most of us look after a 5k then any relationships which survive that revelation would surely be destined to succeed Finally your friendly neighbourhood run reporter realized today that parkrun is just like an Easter Egg “What the heck is she going on about now?”) But think about it An Easter Egg looks delicious on the outside creamy chocolate urges you to break into it – but it is a shell which usually holds a further delight within more (and even better) chocolates or special treats The outer shell is the event we attend each week – the 5k run It is attractive like the outside of the Easter Egg – it may keep us fit or be a chance to get some fresh air or to meet up with family and friends However parkrun is so much more than its “outside” Inside are all the other “delights” – the things we gain aside from the benefits of the event itself – the things we carry into our lives Thanks to what we do on a Saturday morning we value so much more the supporting of others The new friendships we make through parkrun The way we share the joy when someone achieves a PB or completes the course for the first time Thus parkrun becomes part of who we are and we are all the better for it It is so much more than a run in a park…it is a community and a family which welcomes all ages and all abilities – something to be proud of The things inside the Easter Egg are even richer and more delicious than the shell outside Thank you for being part of this Easter Egg today and we hope that the rewards inside its enticing shell enrich you in many ways this coming week But parkrun is not just for Easter of course Please remember we are cancelled next Saturday but we hope to see you again very soon © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner Ian is spearheading a fundraising initiative for Ormskirk Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association By NOTICEBOARD · 1 March 2025 HELPING HAND: Ian Price standing at the drop-off location he set up 22 Marians Drive Ian Price from Ormskirk, in West Lancashire is spearheading a fundraising initiative for Ormskirk Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association The local Brigade is part of the Emmanuel Church in Ormskirk and offers a varied and active programme for children and young people from ages five to 18 years old Ian has joined several of TerraCycle®’s Free Recycling Programmes These programmes enable the collection of items such as Pringles® tubes which are not included in council kerbside recycling collections so have traditionally been destined for landfill or incineration Once dropped off at the drop off point which Ian (pictured below) established, the items are sent to TerraCycle, the world leader in recycling hard-to-recycle waste where they are given a second lease of life The drop off location can be found at the entrance of 22 Marians Drive and is open to the community every day from 9am until 7pm These points are redeemed as monetary donations that Ian is using to help his chosen group Local residents are encouraged to bring their ‘unrecyclable’ items to this location to be recycled and to help boost Ian’s fundraising efforts Ormskirk BBGA officer and administrator of the drop-off location commented: “We are encouraging everyone to bring their items to our local drop off location to help raise funds for the Ormskirk Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association our donations have helped to buy games equipment and crafts for the children “Together we can help to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill whilst helping to raise money for a good cause.” The collected items are sent to TerraCycle and are recycled by shredding which are then used by manufacturers to create new generic plastic products such as outdoor equipment - reducing the need to extract new resources from the planet To support Ian’s recycling efforts, please visit: 1ormskirk.boys-brigade.org.uk, and https://www.facebook.com/OrmskirkBrigade/, and to find out more information about TerraCycle, head to: https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} The unique showcase will feature the greatest country music hits from over the decades By NOTICEBOARD · 23 April 2025 A stunning Country By Candlelight concert (pictured above and below) is coming to Ormskirk Parish Church The unique showcase will feature the greatest country music hits from over the decades performed by award winning musicians set in a beautiful church Country By Candlelight brings you a country music experience like no other - a full concert experience with stage and a fully licensed bar in an atmospheric church filled with candlelight An intimate experience in an incredible setting expect all the big names including Luke Combs it’s set to be a spine-tingling journey through country music nostalgia few are as captivating as Ormskirk Parish Church - with striking features and wonderful acoustics perfect for a candlelit concert One of only a handful of churches in the UK to have both a tower and a steeple it’s a majestic venue that’s ideal for a very special concert such as this Concert By Candlelight is being hosted by multi-award winning country artist who had three US Country charts No.1 hits by the time he was 23 is one of the most talented and respected UK Country stars of all time The first UK Country Artist to reach No.1 on CMT he achieved three No.1 videos and won CMT’s ‘International Video Artist Of The Year’ in both 1995 and 1996 of country shows over the years and I can honestly say that this one is set to be one of the most special “I’ll be performing alongside a string of award winning musicians but what makes this so unique is the setting - to perform in such a stunning church with great acoustics under candlelight will be something to behold.” Country By Candlelight is coming to Ormskirk Parish Church on Saturday featuring the greatest country music hits from over the decades Tickets are just £20 and available from Skiddle at: https://tinyurl.com/bdfsdew9 With reports of damage and debris at other parkruns we were delighted Storm Eowyn (pronounced Ey oh win) left us largely unscathed With a few extra piles of leaves to navigate Graham Storm Eowyn (pronounced Ey oh win) has now departed for pastures new With the Met Office showing a "moderate breeze" and the mercury just touching three degrees Some hardy souls decided otherwise and we salute you for that With Storm Eowyn (pronounced Ey oh win) now a memory 404 hardy parkrunners joggers walkers and pushchair pushers joined us to today for a festival of fun and friendliness In the end conditions were good and  46 Personal bests were achieved by: We hope you enjoyed it and we look forward to seeing you again soon We always like to celebrate milestones and achievements Thank you to David Walker for completing his 50th volunteer event David is always happy to help out and we are always grateful Never more so than this week when we had a nail-biting Friday hoping that we could muster enough volunteers to put on a show You don't have to do it often but each one is appreciated He is a long time member of the Skelmersdale Boundary Harriers and is well known for his contributions for encouraging training and enabling runners of all abilities In 2015 Barry brought one of the earliest Couch to 5k cohorts to Edge Hill Barry has also run improvers groups for many years and has been a prolific volunteer and photographer in Ormskirk and neighboring Tawd Valley Another excellent achievement was Catherine Hodkinson Today Catherine completed her 31 miles for MND Catherine only started running recently and through her work as a practice nurse she is often touched by MND So much so that she took on this challenge She was eager to finish early as she is off for a well earned holiday soon We enjoyed a bumper turnout last week and you won't have noticed but we very nearly ran out of finish tokens We are planning to not get caught out like that again and will be bringing a full set of 600 from now on last week we had four that were not returned It is likely that they were given to parkrunners who did not want a time or possibly not even registered Please return them if you have any of them They do cost us money and we have to buy a set of 160 Of course it wasn't just Ormskirk that had a bumper turnout last Saturday The whole parkrun movement saw a record breaking 402,996 participants cross a finish line That itself was made possible by an equally astounding 44,544 volunteers Doesn't it feel good to a small part of that Our event today would not have happened without our own volunteers so please say thank you to: After today's event we were delighted to invite Liv Bailey herself a runner and volunteer to give a lesson in CPR and the use of a defibrillator to our volunteers The session was well attended and expertly presented With our own defibrillator on the course you have always been in safe hands at Ormskirk parkrun but it is doubly refreshing to know that we have the skills to back it up This really is a life skill and one that hopefully we will never need As if we weren't already filled with happiness and good cheers it was a delight to talk with Felicity this morning Felicity finished in a fantastic 26:35 while being 33 weeks pregnant Our volunteers are trained to cover most eventualities but childbirth would be a parkrun first! I imagine the child will follow in their parent's footsteps and possibly come out running Keep an eye on our Facebook and we will soon be posting them as is more likely look for pictures of yourself On Thursday the 20th March at 9.01:GMT the sun crossed the Equator wherever you are in the world the day is exactly the same length as the night it also marks the start of the Astronomical Spring today was undisputedly the first parkrun of Spring the days will now be longer than the nights If you are reading this South of the Equator then sadly the reverse is true and you are now faced with six months where the nights are longer than the days joggers and buggy pushers had a definite Spring in their steps The signs of spring were everywhere and the singing birds and waving daffodils greeted us all You will have noticed another greenness to today's events We were very grateful to be supported by Skelmersdale Running Club as they took over the organisation and running of today's proceedings We are fortunate to have many friendly and accessible clubs in the area and today our good friends from Skelmersdale came out in numbers to support us It also means that our usual pool of volunteers were able to actually run Skelmersdale Running Club (SRC) are a friendly inclusive social running group that offers support and inspiration to all their members They are passionate about bringing people together through their love of running There's a unique family-feel approach at the club and they're always happy to welcome new faces to join them for a run Their main club nights are based at The Plough and Harrow pub in Upholland where their members meet every Thursday evening for a run around Skelmersdale and surrounding areas They have 5 groups to cater for the mixed abilities that attend each week which range from 5k runners up to 50 mile ultra runners They have introduced a supportive 'Return to Running' group that helps reintegrate members who are returning from injury or a lengthy absence Their members are often seen at wearing their green colours at local parkruns training together or taking part in a wide variety of running events As the club approaches their 2nd birthday they are about to launch their next C25K (Couch to 5k) programme, which starts on Friday 28th March. There's still time to secure a place by emailing skemrunningclub@gmail.com For more information about Skelmersdale Running Club please follow them on social media or visit their website: Facebook page: www.facebook.com/skemrunningclub Instagram page: www.instagram.com/skem_running_club Website: www.skemrunningclub.com Many of today's parkrunners were smart to notice that today is the 22nd Tu Tus were in evidence all over today and it was lovely to see so many bright colours being sported by so many runners and volunteers Lovely the way the way the colours suit him Also modelling their primrose tinted Tutus were our very own Yellow Fellows They were here to remind us that this years Cystic Fibrosis Fun Run will soon be upon us Yellow Fellows are ready to put the fun back into Fun Run This years event will take place slightly later than usual we stretched our remit and asked you to consider doubling up I think it is safe to say that it was a huge success As a result of their support and runner's determination we had a fantastic 64 Personal Bests today We had a lovely message from Rebecca Chadwick " Big shout out to Mim who stuck with me the whole way round and helped me to get a PB Well done Rebecca and great inspiration from Mim Due to it being pacer week and the amazing support of our friends from Skelmersdale we had an astounding 51 volunteers today While record numbers of records were broken one of our hard working regular volunteers completed her 250th parkrun last week as a tourist and Thomas Bate for completing 25 parkruns but more notable as she was accompanied by 9 week old Oliver who completed his first parkrun He is too young to get a credit or a time but judging by his sporting lineage I suspect a lifetime of running lies ahead for him Mother and baby each enjoying their own milestones Three generations enjoyed the sunshine at this morning's parkrun Oliver wasn't the only first timer at Ormskirk this morning There were 50 people completing their first parkrun at Ormskirk Among them were the following who ran their first ever parkrun: Welcome to the fold and we are looking forward to seeing you all again soon and often Susan Pallister travelled all the way from Thirsk to be with us today Apparently they had been at school together and had not seen each other in 40 years Of course parkrun is not a race but it is only right and proper to acknowledge our first finishers Well done to Alex Procter for crossing the line in an amazing 16:41 and Rachel Wain in 20:53 The highest age graded scores were Sue McMaster in a blistering 85.02% and Michael Procter with a superb 80.96% It was a good day for the Procters with Daniel being the second finisher chomping at his brother's heels And finally for the number nerds here are this weeks Stats: Ormskirk parkrun started on 29th March 2014 Since then 14,871 participants have completed 104,582 parkruns covering a total distance of 522,910 km A total of 1,060 individuals have volunteered 10,877 times 9,471 people have registered Ormskirk as their home parkrun The average finish time is 29:27 and the average number of participants across all events is 223 For a full set of today's results just click here Thank you to visitor Angela for writing today's run report Thank you for describing the course through visitor eyes and pointing out the things we take for granted Visiting Angela has penned today's run report Here is my run report for todays parkrun event 462 and a few photos I took The one where I got an  “O” for my alphabet https://www.justgiving.com/page/esme-robinson-1721414314024?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fesme-robinson-1721414314024&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share 7 year old Cara ran her 25th run on her birthday This meant there was plenty of cake at the finish which was much appreciated a weird alien looking tower and we ran past a greenhouse glass experiment which reminded me I was running by a university A collaboration with a local glass manufacturer It was a great day for personal bests and  a big shout for : A £2m scheme to futureproof the historic Derby Street Railway Bridge in Ormskirk will begin next week The first phase of works on the Victorian landmark begins on Monday 4 November and will focus on the underside of the bridge meaning no closure will be needed until next year the Derby Street bridge carries the A570 over the railway line connecting Preston and Liverpool Due to its age and the demands of modern traffic the bridge requires substantial upgrades to meet current safety standards The project will see the carriageway reduced from two lanes to one for traffic from the traffic lights at the junction with Burscough Street Traffic from Railway Road and Railway Approach will join Derby Street by merging into the single lane across the bridge The footways will be widened to make the bridge safer for pedestrians and heritage railings will be installed to maintain the bridge’s historic appearance while further improving safety Maintenance work will also be carried out on the bridge arches to reinforce their structural integrity The work is currently planned to take place in 3 phases The improvements aim to make it safer for pedestrians and vehicles “This project represents a significant investment in the Ormskirk transport system and is a major step in ensuring the longevity and functionality of this crucial infrastructure "The Derby Street railway bridge is a vital link in Ormskirk's transport network and these improvements will ensure it remains safe and functional for generations to come "No closures will be in place this year as we've taken extra care to plan the works to avoid disruption through the Christmas period "Residents will be informed in advance of any closures We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we undertake this important work.” Works will recommence in January 2025 on Derby Street and a lane closure and traffic management measures will be put in place Closures will be advertised and access will be maintained to all properties and a diversion route will be advertised For more information, visit: Derby Street Railway Bridge - Safety improvements and major maintenance - Lancashire County Council Cookie Settings Powered by Onclusive PR Manager™ Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been awarded more than £850,000 to install solar panels on three of its sites including Southport Hospital and Ormskirk Hospital The Trust will receive £851,400 in Government funding after the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recently announced a package of more than £100 million from Great British Energy for the NHS across the UK to install solar power and battery storage solutions to help drive down energy bills Now the funding has been agreed plans are being made for the installation of the new panels during 2025 at Southport MWL is already benefiting from solar panels which were placed at St Helens Hospital last year and are already helping the Trust save on energy costs while reducing its carbon footprint and we look forward to these further developments this year chief sustainability officer at NHS England “Thanks to the dedication of teams nationwide the NHS has already implemented hundreds of projects that enhance energy efficiency and drive significant cost savings will expand solar power generation within the NHS by over 300 per cent slashing energy costs by hundreds of millions of pounds These vital savings can be reinvested directly into frontline care ensuring the NHS continues to deliver for our patients and communities.” It is envisaged that work will start on the Ormskirk site first in the summer with the Southport project to follow later in the year Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrownn@gmail.com   Subscribe Now for Real-time Updates on the Latest Stories Created by Digital Media Guys says there’s no shame in admitting you’d like more company or friends in your life and it should instead be seen as a promising turning point The message is part of a mini-campaign being run by the group as it invites anyone looking to expand their social circle to give one of their friendly meet-ups a try A recent survey¹ of 138 Oddfellows members showed the top three reasons behind initially giving their group a try was to spend time with people (77.54%) to build a new circle of friends (65.22%) and to get out the house more (58.7%) It’s essential for us as humans to socialise and spend time with others,” said Judith Catton Social Organiser for Ormskirk and Southport Oddfellows “Knowing what steps to take to meet new people as an adult made up of mostly older and retired members hosts around 6-7 events in and around the local area each month Suggested upcoming great first-try events include Coffee meet ups in Southport (The Office Restaurant March 5th 10.30am; Duke’s Folly March 6th 1.30pm); Formby Tues 11th March 10.30am at The Bay Horse and Ormskirk Wed 12th March at O‘Brien’s Tea Rooms at 10.30am Their new events diary will be published in the next month which includes  day trips to interesting places Almost all of the Oddfellows’ members surveyed (97.83%) also agreed that it was important to regularly participate in interesting activities in later life with the most cited reason being to keep the mind and body active Added Judith “We’ve a great bunch who come on their own and there’s always a host who’ll look out for you you just need to turn up and enjoy yourself.” To receive a copy of the new events diary when it is published, or to chat more about your local Oddfellows group, get in touch with Judith Catton on judith.catton@oddfellows.co.uk or 01704 545279 or visit www.oddfellows.co.uk/activities Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrownn@gmail.com   For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 01:37 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 High pressure brings further fine and settled weather this week Any patchy cloud will clear this evening leaving some late sunshine to end the day with a rural frost and some patchy fog forming under light winds in places Tuesday will be another dry and settled day Feeling warm in the sunshine with light winds though turning cloudier from the west later in the afternoon The remainder of the week will see high pressure dominating It will stay dry with plenty of sunny spells Breezy at times but temperatures will be on the rise Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size. Home > News and Events > Commissioner Grunshaw and West Lancashire MP walk the beat in Ormskirk Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw and West Lancashire MP Ashley Dalton walked the beat in Ormskirk to discuss local issues and what more can be done to address them Speaking to local officers from both the neighbourhood and rural taskforce teams they discussed issues including anti-social behaviour rural crime and the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters in the area Commissioner Grunshaw said: “It’s fantastic to see the positive relationship the local policing team has with the MP for the area and how they are working together and with other partners to tackle issues in Ormskirk proactively “I also had the opportunity to visit local businesses and it’s clear to see that officers are working closely with them to address retail crime to keep both business owners and their customers safe “I’ll continue to work closely with the Constabulary to ensure they have the resources they need to tackle local issues head on and by working with MPs across Lancashire we can ensure that local concerns can be raised at national level.” West Lancashire MP Ashley Dalton added: “I was delighted to welcome Commissioner Grunshaw to Ormskirk and show him some of the specific issues that people and businesses here face “Our officers work incredibly hard to keep our community safe and I’m pleased that the Commissioner is committed to supporting our officers with the resources they need to get on with the job.” Use the drop downs below to navigate to the area needed for your comment to be more easily processed If you would like to comment on the work of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire you can write to: The Office of the PCC for Lancashire County Hall Preston PR1 0LD Email: commissioner@lancashire-pcc.gov.uk The recently deceased actress and singer Marianne Faithfull lived in Ormskirk for a brief period during her childhood By NOTICEBOARD · 3 February 2025 CHILDHOOD CELEBRATION: Marianne attended a birthday party on Thompson's avenue with friends from Greetby Hill school Jean Haikalis nee Robinson (deceased) is the girl kneeling in the centre of the photo with Marianne to her left with the head band (Image: Ormskirk and District Family history society archive) Major Robert Glynn Faithfull was a lecturer in Italian literature at the Liverpool University in 1939 Robert graduated from London University in 1934 with a BA in Italian Studies.   He lived in the men’s University Hall at North Mossley Hill before War broke out Robert also delivered lectures in the Liverpool area on the subject of ‘Mussolini and Fascist Italy’ 1940 he was in the Army and was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant in November 1940 A year later Robert joined the Intelligence Corps and remained with the corps for the rest of the war He was discharged in May 1946 with the rank of Temporary Major the daughter of an aristocratic Austrian family in early 1946 in Austria after meeting her in connection with his intelligence role through her family  In December the same year their daughter Marianne was born After his discharge from the Army Robert took up a post at Liverpool University and whilst he seems to have lived in various University accommodation from 1946 to 1959 during which time he completed a doctorate his wife and daughter at one point lived in a rented house at Greetby Hill they leased one of the three Nunnerley Villas built side by side as an investment by one of Ormskirk's most renowned residents former Sergeant in the 17th Lancers and a survivor of the Charge of The Light Brigade in the Crimean War Each house was named after one of the battles Nunnerley took part in Across the road from the Faithfull home a new school for infants opened on Monday Marianne started at the infant school in September 1951 Eva became friends with several of the mums from the school during the brief time the family lived in Ormskirk Marianne herself has described her earliest memories of being in the fresh air in their garden in Ormskirk as a small child Robert and Eva separated when Marianne was six years old Berkshire with Marianne attending a school in Brixton Marianne had left the rural surroundings and the open spaces of a modern school for the post-war London borough that had been bombed heavily during the Blitz Marianne suffered several bouts of tuberculosis whilst living there she was given a scholarship to a Convent School and then went to live with her father at the Braziers Park Commune where her father was a prominent commune member David gave a warm and amusing first-timers briefing and we welcomed fellow parkrunners from far and wide - Crosby for total distance travelled to get to our parkrun Some of our neighbours from Tawd Valley parkrun came in convoy on bikes as the wonderful band of volunteers checked and set up the course and we began to wonder if we were on course for a record number of runners particularly as the queue to the car park meant we began a little later than usual Thanks to those who stepped in to help get runners to the start as quickly as possible Many of you were suitably dressed for the occasion Matt and the timing team ensured a smooth start - and they're off Well done to the record number of runners and walkers who came to take part today -  549! and have earned your Christmas Day festivities As have all our wonderful volunteers who made it all happen is calling for the reinstatement of the Burscough Curves a key project that would enhance rail connections in Southport The proposal seeks to reconnect the Southport-Manchester and Liverpool-Ormskirk-Preston lines by reopening the north and south junctions at Burscough The project has previously been unsuccessfully proposed in 2021 Patrick Hurley MP believes it remains a strong candidate for future development once funding becomes available through Network Rail’s “Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline” The initiative has broad support from local MPs the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Reopening the Burscough Curves would cut travel times and improve access to key destinations Travel between Burscough and Liverpool could be reduced from 44 minutes to 35 minutes while Southport to Preston would drop from 58 minutes to just 40 minutes the project would improve connectivity to major sites the initiative is expected to stimulate economic growth by enhancing access to jobs The project aligns with sustainability goals as it would encourage a shift from car travel to rail reducing congestion and lowering emissions the electrification of the Southport-Ormskirk route combined with battery-powered trains for non-electrified sections makes this a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution Merseyrail has already committed to operating services on the Burscough Curves using battery-powered units A key obstacle to the project’s progress is the fragmented governance between Lancashire County Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority The current structure complicates the development of integrated transport solutions particularly regarding the Merseytravel link the MP for Southport has proposed empowering a Lancashire Mayor or Combined County Authority with statutory powers to facilitate decision-making and project delivery in line with the government’s devolution agenda Mr Hurley has secured meetings with key figures including Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram Lancashire County Council Leader Phillipa Williamson to discuss solutions to governance challenges and advance the project high-impact way to improve rail links and boost economic growth With strong support from local leaders and Merseyrail’s commitment this project fits perfectly with the government’s goals for regional growth and better public transport infrastructure,” said Patrick Hurley MP for Southport Hurley is urging Network Rail and the government to reconsider the proposal and work collaboratively to overcome the remaining barriers He is actively seeking further discussions with stakeholders to ensure the project receives the attention and funding it deserves Two new publications throw light on the historic significance of sites in the Ormskirk area By NOTICEBOARD · 3 January 2025 NEW PUBLICATIONS: Family History and the Lost Buildings of West Lancashire Family History and the Landmarks of West Lancashire West Lancashire’s rich heritage is not always obvious at first glance but scratch the surface and stories of royal connections religious struggles and an important agricultural industry abound It was with this in mind that Ormskirk and District Family History Society (ODFHS) embarked upon the “Sharing People’s History of West Lancashire” project in 2023 with the aim of writing two books to reflect the important history of the area combined with original research into local families and their connection to the story ODFHS has been a focus for local and genealogical studies and over the years has amassed a significant historical archive and collection of burial records and gravestone inscriptions: gold dust for family history researchers housed in the First Ormskirk Scouts’ building on Wigan Road all important to West Lancashire’s history It was a desire to share this collection more widely that led the Society to put together a project proposal to Lancashire County Council’s (LCC) Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund and Crowdfund Lancashire The guiding principle was for books of local interest to be made available free of charge to the local community In a new venture for ODFHS a fundraising campaign was launched and thanks to the generosity of those who donated the necessary target was quickly reached This was followed by the very welcome news that the matched fundraising bid to LCC had been successful although there remained the small matter of writing the proposed books A publication group made up of ODFHS members was established and discussions began about what aspect of local history to cover One theme that the group kept coming back to was the idea that many of the buildings and structures so important to the local area’s story can no longer be seen in the 21st century It was decided that the first book “Family History and the Lost Buildings of West Lancashire” would be an invitation to enjoy a walk back through the local history of the area exploring some long-forgotten sites and their significance to generations past How did King Henry VII come to visit Lathom House in the 1490s When did King Edward I grant the Augustinian canons of Burscough Priory a Royal Charter to hold a weekly market What happened to the spectacular Gothic-style Kings Arms Hotel which once stood in the middle of Ormskirk An important element of the publication was to be a comparison between historic images and contemporary photographs a map of the West Derby Hundred (the area covered by ODFHS) was created by local illustrator Angie Thompson to form the centre spread of both publications Although many of the structures have long since disappeared there are still clues to the past in the modern environment with its soldier looking out towards the now demolished railway station has remained in its original position on the corner of Sandy Lane and Clayton Street since it was unveiled by the Earl of Derby in 1923 What has disappeared is the nearby Town Hall originally built in 1877 and taken down in the 1980s when it was found to be suffering from subsidence and dry rot A marble plaque on the side of the Town Hall commemorating the life of local miners’ agent who did much to improve the lives of miners in Skelmersdale and Wigan The first book was launched in June 2024 at Ormskirk Library and was distributed largely due to the help and support of LCC libraries in West Lancashire Five hundred copies were printed and given away in a short space of time An unexpected success of the project has been a free digital version which has been downloaded from the ODFHS website over 800 times and is still available Following encouragement from local archivists the book has been submitted for the prestigious CILIP Alan Ball local history publication prize With the first book published and successfully distributed the thoughts of the ODFHS publication group turned to a theme for the second “Family History and the Landmarks of West Lancashire” looks at significant structures which can still be seen in the landscape today such as Ormskirk’s iconic clock tower which the town’s former governing body decided to build as a lasting memorial when it disbanded in 1876 Equally unique and iconic is Ormskirk’s Parish Church with its spire and steeple at the same end of the building possibly less well known is the medieval wayside cross which can still be seen on the A570 in Scarisbrick (opposite the marina) or the Friends Burial Ground in Graveyard Lane with the inscription and date 1665 carved into a tablet on the wall surrounding the small plot where Today Top Locks in Lathom is a popular destination to enjoy lovely views of canals the surrounding countryside and perhaps a drink or meal at the local pub This peaceful atmosphere does not reflect the noisy hectic and grimy workplace where generations of families “Family History and the Landmarks of West Lancashire” will be launched at Ormskirk Library on Monday 2025 at 10.30am with a series of short talks highlighting a selection of landmarks and a presentation explaining the background to the “Sharing People’s History of West Lancashire” project ODFHS is delighted that West Lancashire libraries will again be distributing free copies of the book whilst stocks last and a digital download version of both books will be available from the ODFHS website www.odfhs.website/index.php/downloads. ODFHS is a thriving and lively group which enjoys sharing interests in the fascinating history of our ancestors membership includes “The Family Historian” magazine access to archive material and contact with others interested in the history and families who lived in this area “Manuscripts in Medieval Lancashire” will be on Wednesday Doors open at 7pm and non-members are very welcome ODFHS also holds helpdesks on the first Monday of the month at Ormskirk Library for anyone needing help with research UK membership is £15 per year with a printed magazine, £11 with a digital magazine, new memberships run to March 31, 2026. Join via the membership page of the ODFHS website (www.odfhs.website) or email membership@odfhs.com Visits to the ODFHS archive can be arranged by request Videos charting the progress of the project and many more of local interest can be found on the ODFHS YouTube channel and Facebook High Sheriff is encouraged by the increased interest in local history and struck by the antiquity of the position that she has held By InYourArea Community · 15 March 2025 Lancashire’s High Sheriff visited one of her favourite towns for the final time this week Outgoing High Sheriff Helen Bingley JP; OBE is in the last weeks of her term of office and this week she had a busy day visiting various businesses and organisations in Ormskirk.  Whilst popping in to congratulate the landlords at the Duck Inn on the successful first three months of at the Malthouse Business Park (pictured above) Helen met with Dot Hawkes from the Ormskirk and District Family History Society and heard about the plans for future Heritage projects in the town Helen was delighted to hear that there is an ever-growing interest in our local history especially the interest shown by various faculties from the Edge Hill University.  Helen has worked hard for a year helping  to promote a multitude of charitable organisations and events and Dot asked what Helen had done that she will remember the most from her year.  the honour of adding her own shield to those of previous High Sheriffs on the wall of Lancaster Castle was the most poignant as the position dates back to the time of John of Gaunt's son The new High Sheriff will be 'pricked' this month when the Duke of Lancaster will use a ceremonial bodkin to choose the new High Sheriff from a list of three candidates.  Welcome to a today’s tinsel bedecked run report featuring multiple elves assorted antlers and perambulating puddings coupled with huge amounts of Christmas Cheer On top of all this excitement we had the extra anticipation of the potential awarding of a Golden Ticket to celebrate the 100,000th parkrunner to cross our fabulous finish line but more of that later In spite of the dull and damp morning 341 of you left your snug beds at an early hour to join us – how did that go for you Was it an oasis of calm with everything ready and organized: The trainers were left by the back door with care In hopes of a morning so precious and rare However you began the day you arrived at Edge Hill under winter’s gloomy gaze but were instantly aware of a sense of excitement in the air second only to that which we will feel on Christmas Eve as we snuggle down looking wistfully at the stockings on the end of our beds For today was the last parkrun before Christmas and all the volunteers and runners were totally determined to make it a fantastically frivolous and festive occasion Just as Santa needs his elves to make toys for all the girls and boys No elves - no Christmas morning joy; no volunteers - no parkrun So we all need to say a HUGE thank you to today’s army of efficient elves who had arrived early to set up the course and make everything ready for what was certain to be a special morning When your Run Reporter asks people what they love about Ormskirk parkrun the reply is often “the amazing volunteers” These wonderful people gave the gift of parkrun to everyone who took part today and we are very grateful for the hard work and the fun and sheer joy they brought to the event fun-filled and much-needed encouragement they gave to all 341 participants on the course today So a huge Christmas thank you from everyone who took part to: Here we see the First Timer's briefing in which was pointed out the trajectory Santa's sleigh will use when he visits Ormskirk this week We had a Run Director Double Act today at Ormskirk with both David and Debra Walker taking on the task and keeping the naughty elves under control beautifully today I am sure we all agree that their brilliance at the task shone brighter than Rudolph’s nose in a snow storm… We gathered like penguins around a bucket of fish to welcome lots of tourists today from Chorlton Cumbria and Norwich and other far flung places If you joined us today please feel free to post in comments and tell us where you came from and what you thought of our event today – we hope you had a great time If you were a first timer today – a huge welcome to the parkrun family There were also some important milestones this morning – Christmastide congratulations if you were one of the amazing volunteers or parkrunners who reached a new milestone To add to the yuletide excitement this week happened to be pacer week – a pool of pacers proudly sporting their time-vests (which sounds like something from Dr Who) lined up at the start to assist those trying to beat the clock Thank you so much to all our perfect pacers Like Santa’s reindeers anxious to be on their way on Christmas Eve we stood at the start line pawing the damp ground then suddenly our Santas (aka our double RDs) gave the signal and we were off We flew round the running track just like Santa’s reindeer rising effortlessly upwards into the clouds (well puffing our way up the incline towards the pitches to be honest) Reindeer and Snowmen; all part of our wonderful pre-Christmas parkrun It was clear that the Christmas spirit was alive and well as we enjoyed the illustrious undulations of our damp and occasionally bepuddled tarmac Frequent shouts of encouragement from our wonderful marshals and numerous “thank yous” from the runners rang out like bells across the frozen fields on a frosty Christmas night And then we came upon the hairpin – a Christmas challenge for us all our noses red but spirits bright before heading round again like Santa circling the globe on Christmas Eve Our merry marshals encouraged us onwards until once again the hairpin rose a mountain of ice rising out of the snowy plains Yet we girded our loins (festively bedecked in stiped tights and Santa-print leggings) and rose once again upwards and onwards towards the finish Soon we were dropping towards the finish like just as Santa swoops from the sky to land on a roof with his sack of gifts which we spotted with the same relief Santa must feel as he spies his cosy home in the North Pole upon returning from his exhausting night of gift delivery on Christmas Day morning One last push and we were clicked over the line by our wonderful timekeepers and handed our festive token of triumph before heading to our seasonal scanners who greeted us with festive cheer as our barcodes were scanned in a true moment of Christmas joy for us all It truly did not matter if your time was “naughty or nice” – if you had a finish token in your hand this morning you are a winner – a very special person who can be proud that you had completed a 5k on a damp December morning and are therefore officially amazing Tension was super-high on the finish line here at Ormskirk today as we knew that at some point the 100,000th parkrunner would cross the line and be awarded the GOLDEN TICKET The atmosphere was electric as we counted down the finishers and suddenly the golden ticket emerged from the dispenser (yes we are technologically superior here at Ormskirk) and was awarded to the lucky participant in position 287 Here we see the presentation of her souvenir photo collage and a wee sweet treat to celebrate this amazing milestone for our parkrun Your run reporter caught up with Rachael after the presentation and she told me that she lives locally and has been running about 3 years having got the bug like so many of us following a Couch to 5k programme She visits Ormskirk parkrun fairly often and told me she loves the community spirit here and thinks the volunteers work really hard and are fantastic Rachael was absolutely delighted to be the recipient of the Golden Ticket and we are so happy that she came along today and became part of Ormskirk parkrun history – see you again soon Rachael Before our event today I was delighted to meet Rob Alex and Luke who were joining us from Chorlton They are part of the core team at South Manchester parkrun but they were cancelled today as it was under water They were looking forward to enjoying our lovely tarmac with only one or two puddles dotted around the course We hope you enjoyed the event today and please come back and see us again soon I also had a chat to Aimee Richard and Lucy who joined us from Leeds in their Bramley Breezers t-shirts They came along today having heard about the Golden Ticket and had not visited us before I caught up with them after the event and heard that Aimee had achieved her all time parkrun PB!!!! (5 exclamation marks on the request of her fellow Breezers) They told me that they had really enjoyed their visit and that we are “so friendly!” Thank you for visiting us today and we hope you will join us again in the future (and try to beat 5 exclamation marks…) Your run reporter just had to speak to the lady in the amazing hat and was delighted to meet Julie who is a regular at Pennington Flash and lives in Leigh She was another lovely runner attracted by our terrific tarmac as her home parkrun is somewhat muddy when it rains She started visiting us about once a month when her son started running here and she has done a wonderful total of 152 runs Julie told me she loves the course and enjoys the 2 laps and the relative lack of mud on our paths Although the hat slowed her down today she had enjoyed all the comments she had received about her festive headgear Lovely to meet you Julie and see you again soon A special shout out today for Catherine our partially sighted runner who was guided today by Jane – we love having you with us Catherine and we hope you had a wonderful morning Lots of members of Skelmersdale running club – a lovely friendly local running group - joined us today – here they are looking festive and fabulous This run reporter always likes to feature one of our volunteers and today I met Oscar who has been volunteering for about 2 years and was scanning your tokens today He joined us as part of his D of E award and told me he enjoys being at Ormskirk parkrun and thinks it is really friendly Thank you for volunteering Oscar and see you again next time A huge thank you to Gordon our fabulous photographer today too Our amazing volunteers also have to be ready to deal with any issues during the event and today some of you may have noticed one of our lovely runners sitting by the side of the track being looked after – just to let you know that was Peter and he is fine and messaged parkrun to say how well he had been cared for by Rob a nurse who treated him with Haribos apparently There were also offers of help from 2 passing doctors which is wonderful to hear Thank you for your lovely message Peter and we are all glad you are OK and look forward to seeing you again soon This run reporter also likes to feature a Random Runner and today’s lucky person is Nick Farnan at position 328 – we were delighted to have you with us today Nick and hope you enjoyed the run – enjoy the Christmas spotlight And almost finally a Christmas muse from your run reporter (seen in action above) In many ways parkrun embodies the spirit of Christmas We come together from far and wide to share a special time We help and encourage each other – perhaps as a volunteer clapping and cheering as everyone passes or with a friendly word to a fellow parkrunner as we meet them a short “Well done” or “Keep going you are doing great” can mean the world to someone and I hear this happening all the time In the same way that Christmas brings families and friends together so parkrun brings us back each week to be part of this wonderful community Christmas means giving and sharing and this is what all of us do each week Volunteers give their time and energy selflessly so others can enjoy their morning joggers and walkers keep an eye out for each other and are happy to help and assist those who are struggling in any way The difference is that Christmas lasts a short time each year but parkrun is there for us every single week Never forget that the hour or so you spend with us each week is precious and wonderful thing Just before we bring this report to a close here are some extra festive goodies for you Now Christmas is the time for ghost stories and anyone who joined us for last year’s parkrun before Christmas was treated to a ghostly tale of the parkrunner who did not volunteer but was visited by the three ghosts of parkrun before changing their ways piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells calling downward to a perambulatory youth festooned in fine Sunday atire who perhaps had loitered in to look about him “Go on ahead and tell them I will attend parkrun for the very first time And…and ask for the volunteers list and tell them I will be run reporter!” Off the boy scurried and she did indeed attend her first parkrun she continued to make it part of her busy life over the years She was as good as her word and had no further visits from the spirits From that point it was always said of her that she knew how to keep parkrun well if any person alive possessed the knowledge Finally we finish with a brief ode to parkrun: Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all at Ormskirk parkrun of whom 36 were first timers and 49 recorded new Personal Bests Representatives of 35 different clubs took part Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Ormskirk parkrun Results Page Since then 14,159 participants have completed 100,054 parkruns covering a total distance of 500,270 km A total of 1,027 individuals have volunteered 10,438 times the swimming pools were already facing fears of closure and rather politically-incorrect comments about the architect By InYourArea Community · 16 December 2024 AQUATIC FUNDRAISERS: Ormskirk and Formby Sub-Aqua Club present the breathing device to Dr Marsden at Ormskirk Hospital The Skelmersdale Nye Bevan pool was finally opened to the public in March 1974 and the Ormskirk Park Pool followed in the July that year Both pools were immediately successful and a huge asset to the health and wellbeing of the district amidst uncertain financial times and rumours flying around the town about the pools being closed the head of the WLBC Leisure Services Dept whilst denying that the pools would be closing did indicate that opening times may have to be reduced swimming lesson provision to schools may need to be reduced and overtime stopped in all but the summer months had the sole use of the pool on Monday evenings and within months of formation the club had more than 350 members of all ages Not all the pool users were happy with their experience at Park Pool One mother with a two-year-old whilst on her first visit in January 1975 expressed frustration that the changing cubicles were tiny there were no hooks for bags or clothes and no bench to sit on whilst changing or changing her two-year daughter she was told bluntly that "A woman designed it" The statement by the attendant was confirmed in part by the Leisure Services Manager who stated that the cubicles were designed that way and that is how they were handed over to the council to run the architect of the pool was not contacted for comment It was not just the swimming facilities causing alarm and distress They had to pay 10 pence hire charge for a racket if the player did not have their own in the first few months of the courts opening 70 squash rackets had been damaged after just being used for a half dozen matches each and had to be replaced and two rackets were stolen The racquets at Nye Bevan suffered the same fate although statistically they lasted 240 games but at Ormskirk only 211 The person recording and analysing those statistics in the Leisure Services Department must have been an accountant There was also several complaints and criticisms about the efficiency of the showers they were not so much a shower as a sprinkle and at best were lukewarm operated by a red button pushed with your foot and requiring the patience of a saint and the footwork of Nureyev (He was a world-famous Russian ballet dancer who defected to the West in the 1960s) The demands on the time slots at the pool by schools guides and swimming clubs was increasing and the manager was struggling to fit everyone in In an effort to save time the manager wanted the Scouts and Guides to share swimming sessions to enable the swimming club to extend their designated hours met in the Park Pool games room and they played table tennis table football and bowls but they also used the pool for swimming sessions who managed to raise awareness of the Club and recruit adult volunteers to help with the children in the group Another club formed in the early years of Park Pool history was the Ormskirk and Formby Sub-Aqua Club The club started to meet at 9pm on a Wednesday night in Park Pool in 1976/77 They had 40 members and to help raise money for equipment for Ormskirk Hospital the club organised a 24-hour diving marathon in March 1977 playing draughts and soggy cards on the floor of the pool They had built up to the actual marathon with six and then 12-hour sessions The club were successful in their sponsored dive and in December 1977 were able to hand over to Dr J B Marsden Consultant Chest Physician at Ormskirk Hospital One scheme that did not take off and was halted after just a few months trial was the Council decision in early 1976 to hand out free swimming passes to the unemployed or those on Social Security via the local Job Centre which in 1976 had been demolished in Chapel Street next to the Cricketers (when the new road was put in from St Helens Road to Aughton Street/Park Road) and a new re-located to Park Road across from the Park The scheme initially was successful: 85 passes were issued on the first day Within half an hour of the pool opening someone came in and used their pass They had to present an identification at the kiosk and the pass allowed them to use the sauna or play squash although they were not allowed to book in advance The passes could only be used from 9-5 on weekdays pre-empting someone subsequently finding a 9-5 job and not attempting to use the pass fraudulently It was a three-month experiment but at a meeting of the Leisure services committee after the three months most councillors had a negative view of the scheme after both the Skelmersdale and Ormskirk pools had been open just five years indicated the strength of the support from the community for their pools 405,177 people used the three leisure facilities That was an increase of 36,000 on the previous year a new swimming course was launched at the Park Pool for An Award of Merit for those already holding the Bronze Medallion for Lifesaving The Royal Lifesaving Society had agreed to run the course and the entrants had to take the Water Test and the Resuscitation Test The first part was a written test and then a practical demonstration that they knew how to resuscitate someone who had been in difficulty in water The second part was a physical test on whether the candidate could physically pull someone through the water to safety whilst at the same time performing the resuscitation methods on them This was bringing a far more serious type of swim training to the pool The Amateur Swimming Association worked with the Park Pool Management to offer those who wanted to be swimming instructors to enter the pathway to achieving the Swimming Teacher status The first step was for the candidates to achieve their ASA Preliminary Teacher Award and in March 1979 16 candidates all passed the course and to a high standard The candidates were of all ages over 18 and both men and women took the course Rail journeys in the Southport area are so bad that a seven-mile journey to the university town of Ormskirk takes at least 85 minutes by train Southport MP Patrick Hurley said that poor rail connectivity in the North West is “holding our region’s economy back” as he called for urgent investment in public transport Mr Hurley suggested that connecting the ‘Burscough Curves’ for an estimated £30 million would be a superb value quick win which would restore direct rail travel between Southport He also criticised the appalling quality of existing rail services between Southport and Manchester which saw no services at all for three Sundays in a row last November Speaking in a debate on Transport Connectivity Patrick Hurley said: “North West public transport is not up to scratch our railway journeys are nowhere near good enough “They are holding our region’s economy back “Take my constituency for instance: there is no direct public transport link from one side of the constituency to the other “Try to take public transport from Birkdale to Rufford — a journey of 10 miles — and a single ticket will cost £21 while the journey will take one hour and 11 minutes and involve changing trains three times It is literally 10 miles away; it would almost be quicker to walk.”  Speaking of the poor Northern rail service between Southport and Manchester there were no services at all on Sundays for three weeks in a row and more than a quarter of all journeys were either delayed or cancelled passengers are greeted with what the chief exec of Northern Rail has called “some of the worst-performing rolling stock in the country.” Mr Hurley also called for direct rail travel to be restored between Southport He said: “The constituency’s connectivity has also been directly impacted by the well-known 1960s cuts to railway services The closure of two simple railway curves in Burscough means that the seven-mile journey from Ormskirk to Southport takes 85 minutes by train and that the notional 20-mile journey to Preston involves passengers changing at Wigan because unlike in other parts of the country the railway curves at Burscough were never built over — they are still there “It would cost an estimated £30 million to reinstate them which would once again connect the towns of Merseyside and west Lancashire promoting the economic growth we all want so desperately.”  Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Do you need advertising, PR or media support? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrownn@gmail.com  “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus the month when the trees all remind us how beautiful it is to let things go.” “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” and all the months pay bounty to her store…” – Paul Laurence Dunbar “October is the perfect month to start anew Embrace the change and chase your dreams.” “In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October when the trees are bare to the mild heavens and with such a reverent meekness in the air.” – Alexander the month of mists on the canal and the mellow fruitfulness of the blackberry bushes along the A580 A time for reflection on the Summer past (did anyone spot it?) and the cosy blanket swaddled cinnamon flavoured days to come And what better way to greet the coming of this time of golden hues and crunching footsteps than getting up ridiculously early for a Saturday and trundling to Edge Hill to take part in today’s glorious parkrun so sit back and enjoy a reminder of a wonderful Autumn morning spent with your parkrun family in the fair county of Lancashire There was certainly a bit of mist this morning on the way to parkrun although I for one did not spot any fruitfulness or fruitiness (mellow or otherwise)  Fortunately it was a mild morning and most of last night’s deluge had drained away leaving our course ready and waiting for our wonderful parkpeople Today’s Run Director was Virtuous Vince who welcomed volunteers and prepared everyone for the excitement to come with an air of quiet confidence – we all knew we were in safe hands I was handed this morning an absolutely wonderful poem written anonymously and given to the RD Reading it made my day and I am sure it will make yours too I have included it later in this run report so please take the time to read it – it will make you happy and proud and underline what an amazing parkrun we are lucky enough to enjoy here at Ormskirk and what fabulous volunteers we have who make it happen week after week Today was of course a "pacers and provisions parkrun" (P x 3) and we were joined by the lovely John from Ormskirk foodbank Many of you brought donations this morning for which we thank you very much indeed – you make such a difference in our community and so many people are grateful to you I took the opportunity during the week to find out a little more about Ormskirk foodbank and the valuable work they do – you will find that very interesting section towards the end of this novel – erm sorry I mean the end of this run report… so settle down settle by the fire and relive today’s parkrun experience We gathered expectantly just before 9 as our RD called for silence  foodbank donors were thanked and the rules were repeated Most importantly our wonderful volunteers were celebrated including our perfect pacers So let’s take a moment to thank all those who made today’s wonderful event happen Please consider joining them one weekend if you can – you will be made extremely welcome and are guaranteed to have a fabulous time A huge Ormskirk welcome to today’s tourists (some of whom I was lucky enough to meet and who feature later in the report) We had visitors from Darlington (If we have missed anyone please add to the comments on our FB page) We are so glad you joined us this morning and hope you had a wonderful time - come and see us again soon Then it was time to head to the start line – we found a space between other revved up runners joyful joggers or wonderful walkers and waited for the start Those at the front headed like gazelles into the distance whilst others jogged gently a parade of coloured T-shirts and lively leggings Our wonderful walkers set off with joy and determination in equal measure smiling and chatting as they rounded the first bend enjoyed the unctuous undulations and dropped gratefully down again with our half way marshals warning of slippy gravel and our lungs questioning why we had made the decision to come to parkrun this morning heading round the pitches before dropping down and greeting that happy hairpin once again with a knowing smile we moved gently and gratefully downhill towards the finish and crossed the line joyously and triumphantly – we had done it once again We moved instantly from agony (or was that just me?) into joy and were greeted by our timing timers our tokening tokeners and our scanning scanners – so many friendly faces welcomed us home cheered and inspired by our wonderful marshals who push us on and who make the whole experience so special I lost count of how many encouraging shouts I heard on the way round and how many times I heard “Thank you marshal” uttered strongly or breathlessly by participants and answered with a joyful “You’re welcome - well done!” And that is what parkrun is all about… I met some wonderful people today at Ormskirk – thank you to everyone who took the time to chat arriving at our parkrun for the first time as a very welcome volunteer She is an Edge Hill student who had heard about our parkrun and had come along to see what it was all about As I ran past Eni later I thought she had taken to the role of marshal like a duck to water encouraging everyone on with a shout and a smile Thank you for volunteering Eni – we hope you really enjoyed the whole parkrun experience and that you will join us again soon This morning we were lucky to have two Apprentice Run Directors who were shadowing Virtuous Vince today’s RD David and Debra are RD’s in training and have been running here for 2 years and have gradually got more involved and joined the core team who make parkrun happen week after week They told me they have made great friendships at Ormskirk and they volunteer often enjoying a 50/50 split between running the course and volunteering David is a speedy runner and sometimes combines running with scanning – there are lots of volunteer roles where you can also run if you wish – Run Reporter is one of them so why not give a double-role a go sometime Here are David and Debra preparing for today’s training and looking very happy about it After the 5k was done (huge thanks to Val and Helen our Teriffic Tailwalkers this morning!) I caught up with Hannah Anne and Sue who were visiting us from Darlington They were here to enjoy a new parkrun and to their Alphabet challenge “O” More unusually they were also here for the periodic table challenge collecting an “O” for Osmium All were part of a social run group meeting on Mondays and told me they were a real community welcoming runners and walkers to the group The runs are organised by a business called “Up and Running” and they can collect rewards to spend according to how many runs they have done I asked them what they thought of our parkrun and they told me it is “amazing” and that they “love it” They said we are very friendly and have great facilities and that our pacers were brilliant We are so glad you enjoyed it here at Ormskirk and really hope that you will make that long journey again someday members of the Horncastle running club in Lincolnshire This was their first visit to Ormskirk and they told me that they loved the course and the beautiful surroundings They told me that the inclines were “unexpected” which I thought was a fabulous description of hairpin hill Adam told me that parkrun makes his Saturday and is a great part of a healthy lifestyle though he also admitted that much of their parkrun planning is based on food and the breakfast is a very important part of the experience Thank you for joining us Adam and Jayne and we hope that you will come and see us again Sharon and Amy had journeyed from the wilds of St Helens to join us today though Amy was familiar with Edge Hill as she went to uni here They had been at a Herbalife Nutrition Ambition meeting this morning and parkrun seemed like a perfect follow on enhancing their aim for a healthy lifestyle They have family in Lincoln and told me they meet up and do parkruns together and shame each other into getting out and running Gary and Isaac had also done our parkrun and told me they loved the course and enjoyed the hills (they are strange in St Helens) The ladies really made me laugh as they told me that when they were running past the lads waiting for football training they were sleek athletes striding out like Olympic runners – but as soon as they went past reality resumed and they reverted to a gasping heap having done just enough to look fit and relaxed Oh we have all had that experience and the laughter and fun of sharing it was brilliant We hope you had a wonderful time with us this morning and please come over from St Helens again soon I also met Ian from Leeds but unfortunately did not manage to catch up with him again at the end of the run but we hope you enjoyed the morning Ian and please head over to the red rose county and join us again soon There is no parkrun without volunteers and I met Ruth who has just come to study at Edge Hill and who was volunteering today as a timekeeper She is from Prestwich and her home run is Peel Park Ruth has volunteered 154 times which is amazing She told me she had missed volunteering and having run the course a couple of weeks ago to become familiar with it she had joined us today in this important role She told me she loves our parkrun and we are delighted that she is part of it now We had a technological marvel at parkrun today – a token dispensing machine which was being tried for the first time 3D printed it is a model of efficiency and excellence much like Les and Oscar who were operating it I understand the trial was a success so you may see this wonderful machine again in the future This morning we were joined by John from Ormskirk foodbank and thank you to everyone who donated items one of the volunteers and asked her some questions about their work in our community: How many people roughly does it take to run the foodbank - how many are involved in the process and give up their time to help others This is split between those who help at the warehouse and those who volunteer at the distribution centre (New Church House) giving out food and essentials to clients Ormskirk Foodbank is entirely run by volunteers; we do not have any paid staff How long has foodbank been running in Ormskirk Our numbers have increased over the years - in 2023/24 we helped 360 households Food was provided to approximately 1000 adults and 750 children through these food parcels and an increase of 5% from the previous year Would you say your clients are mainly young familes or elderly or a total mix We have a mix of age groups accessing the foodbank Family types are almost equal in terms of families (including single parents) and single people How do people come to you - do they need a referral What are the one or two basic items you need most Basic items that we need change quite frequently Keeping an eye on our website shows the current shortages or low levels of stock what items would you wish for (things you need but rarely get) We are often short on sponge puddings (or even loaf cakes that can be used as a pudding) Is there anything special you need coming up to Christmas We get lots of sweet items donated for Christmas but would like more donations for our hampers such as tinned salmon Christmas puddings that do not contain alcohol are also harder to source through donations (but the donors need to read the ingredients closely to find these!) Thank you Linda for answering these questions and giving us an insight into your valuable work We do a pacers and provisons Saturday every month at parkrun when the lovely John joins us to collect items please bring along a tin or packet and help those who are struggling this run reporter always likes to choose a random runner for the spotlight to take a bow Amanda McMahon in position 342 – well done and see you again soon I mentioned earlier the wonderful poem given to me this morning This was firstly passed to the RD in an envelope which said “A poem about your lovely parkrun from my Dad The poem is simply wonderful – a huge thank you to the author – it made everyone’s day It’s Saturday morning and up with the larks We guide all the runners around all the parks Is Ormskirk parkrun in the ground of Edge Hill The volunteers are here in sunshine or rain With the marshal positioned to play their part Some hell for leather and some take it slow Thank you so so much to the talented author – we absolutely love this and thank you for being a volunteer And on that note we bring this report to a close Thank you to everyone for joining us this morning and remember – we all take the values of parkrun into the week ahead: support inspiration – it is all here every week at 9am and then radiates out into the world beyond Edge Hill Have a wonderful week and please return again to replenish your vault of values next Saturday of whom 68 were first timers and 56 recorded new Personal Bests Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Ormskirk parkrun Results Page. Ormskirk parkrun started on 29th March 2014. Since then 13,853 participants have completed 98,112 parkruns covering a total distance of 490,560 km, including 16,998 new Personal Bests. A total of 1,006 individuals have volunteered 10,209 times. No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner. Frameworks, 2 Sheen Road, Richmond, TW9 1AE which was described as a "catalyst" for violent disorder Credit: Merseyside PoliceA man who set up a channel on a messaging platform described as a "catalyst" for violent disorder has been jailed Andrew McIntyre, from Rufford near Ormskirk, founded a Telegram channel called "Southport Wake Up" in the immediate aftermath of the knife attack in Southport on 29 July 2024. The channel was later identified by the group Hope Not Hate as a “catalyst for and origin of a series of posts” concerning incidents of violence across the town and further afield. Social media platform Telegram is a messaging app which primarily allows users to communicate through one-on-one chats, group chats, voice and video calls, and channels. Liverpool Crown Court heard the 39-year-old shared content on the channel from a site called Tommy Robinson/ Britain First/ For Britain about a protest in Southport on 30 July. He also posted a map after adding: “Mosque at the top of Hart St.” In a later post he wrote: “Rise Up English Lads. 8pm tomorrow St Luke’s Rd Southport.” Hours before violence broke out in Southport on 30 July, he posted a “clear threat to police”, writing: “Message to All…Stand in our way, even if you’re just doing your job… prepare to fall.” Another user responded: “We’ll get to the mosque and rip it f****** down.” Sentencing him, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said the defendant was “prominent” among people responsible for spreading misinformation following the Southport attack. He said: “You were motivated by racial hatred. “I have no doubt your actions encouraged many people to plan and then to commit offences of both violent disorder and criminal damage.” He said the offence was aggravated because it was motivated by racial hostility and involved attacks on police officers. Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said the case involved a “sinister aspect” of violence which took place in parts of the UK last summer. He said: “It is the prosecution case that many of these seats of disorder were not simply spontaneous, or that persons coincidentally simply decided to turn up and take part. “It is the Crown’s case that others, to a greater or lesser degree, participated in the organisation, encouragement and incitement of such gatherings, which resulted in the disorder. “It is the Crown’s case that one such person is the defendant.” The court was told McIntyre’s phone was in the area of St Luke’s Road in Southport at 7pm on July 30, and the car in which he was later arrested was also in the area when the disorder took place. The day after the disorder, McIntyre posted: “Well done last night lads, to all you heavy hitters. “Are you ready for Round 2???… Liverpool Mosque, West Derby Road, Friday 8pm.” McIntyre was working as a taxi driver when he was intercepted by police in Liverpool on August 8 and arrested, Mr Gibson said. A knife was found hidden in the boot of his car and, when his home was searched, officers found weapons and a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, the court heard. The defendant was originally charged with encouraging murder, after posting a link to a YouTube video of the Home Secretary with the caption: “We’re going to hang this woman and her associates.” Mr Gibson said the decision was taken by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not to pursue the charge to trial because of “evidential issues” concerning whether the defendant actually believed the act would be carried out. The defendant followed proceedings on a videolink from HMP Liverpool, where he has been remanded in custody, while his parents looked on from the public gallery of the courtroom. Julian Nutter, defending, said: “His parents are horrified that he is in this predicament. “He is a man of previous good character and has never come to the attention of the police before.” Among character references were letters to Judge Neil Flewitt KC from McIntyre’s parents and a family friend, the court heard. Mr Nutter said: “Those who have spoken on his behalf describe somebody who is very different from what we have heard from the prosecution about him.” McIntyre, who pleaded guilty to encouraging violent disorder and possession of a knife, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half-years in jail. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know... Matthew Daulby, 19, was found with stab injuries in Ormskirk, Lancashire after police were called to reports of an ongoing disturbance on 29 July 2023 Despite the best efforts of the emergency services 19-year-old Henry Houghton was jailed for life after being found guilty of Matthew’s murder But Lancashire Police said it also wanted to speak to Thomas Dures as part of their enquiries and issued an international appeal in October Dures was arrested in Greece on 2 December and after appearing in court arrangements are now being made to bring him back to the UK Matthew's parents Angela and Gary said: “Matthew was tragically taken from us on 29 July – the victim of a knife crime "To lose Matthew in these circumstances is incomprehensible and something that we just can’t fathom and work out Matthew left the house after a normal Friday night evening meal with his girlfriend - excited to go on his holiday – and didn’t come home Advertise with us Video Services One Stop Shop now being offered at Wallasey town hall Liverpool FC’s 20th league title becomes most engaged Premier League win in history info@theguideliverpool.com +44 151 702 0143 Calendar Food & Drink Picante launches new Margarita Masterclasses Liverpool restaurant week returns next weekend with hundreds of dining deals Nightlife New Kapsule music venue opening at Invisible Wind Factory this weekend 20 things you can do this week in Liverpool (28 April – 4 May 2025) Tate Liverpool unveils Chila Kumari Singh Burman retrospective as centrepiece of 2027 relaunch Mel Giedroyc returns to Liverpool for a night of Eurovision Classics at the Philharmonic Hall Family Mum creates chilled Scandi style play cafe that parents will love as much as kids Find out the free family entertainment happening at Smithdown Festival this weekend Directory The Northern Guide Advertise The Guide Liverpool: Getting Ready for the BIG dates in 2025 12 ways The Guide can help support your business in 2025 here are seven ways to enjoy Christmas in Ormskirk to a quiz of the year and play your cards rights the Stanley Arms quiz night is always popular and even more so at Christmas The regular Tuesday night event is all booked up but due to popular demand a second night has been added for 20 December at 8.30pm But don’t delay as this one looks like being full too.  You will find the Stanley Arms in St Michael Road Call 01695 423241 to book For a festive social evening with a difference get your friends together for an evening of cocktails and painting festive candles Everyone will receive an apron and a selection of coloured candles to decorate There will be a glass of prosecco or festive cocktail on arrival Food will be served in the kitchens until 9pm to buy You can enjoy this evening hosted by Pots of Magic at 7pm on 12 December Tickets £35 – book here It’s back to 1994 with the Neu Music Club’s special Christmas night The team behind Neu Music are promising the best indie disco in town See the Facebook page for more Gorse Hill nature reserve is just off the main A59 road between Aughton and Ormskirk and offers the chance to immerse yourself in local nature Santa will also be paying a special visit to this beautiful country setting this month See the Facebook page for more information activity book and festive goodies at the Toby Carvery in County Road Santa is visiting every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas as well as Friday 20 Find out more and book here The Fat Italian is one of Ormskirk’s favourite restaurants and just a stone’s throw from the train station During December you can enjoy a three course meal for £32 all day See the menu and book a table on the website here Aughton boasts an incredible three Michelin star restaurants if someone you know deserves a very special early Christmas present then you can opt for a special festive lunch at £55 or dinner Enjoy the wonderful flavours of dishes created by chef Tim Allen a short walk from Town Green train station See the menu and book on the website here Buy Tickets Sign up today to be the first to hear exclusive Liverpool news & offers! Download it today to be the first to hear exclusive Liverpool news & offers! Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitslancashirenewsWoman dies following collision near OrmskirkEmergency services were called out to Lathom A woman in her 80's has died following a collision in Lathom near Ormskirk Emergency services were called out last Thursday afternoon (27th March) to Meadow Lane Lathom to a report of a road traffic collision A Suzuki Splash car had left the carriageway and entered a ditch by the side of the road was taken to hospital with serious injuries Lancashire Police have now confirmed she has died Officers are continuing to appeal for dashcam footage as enquiries continue into the exact circumstances which led to the collision “My thoughts first and foremost are with the driver’s loved ones at this extremely difficult time They are being supported by specially trained officers “This collision happened in a rural location and we are trying to find out why the car left the carriageway and when it happened “If you witnessed what happened or have dashcam footage from the area Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) The people of Ormskirk finally see their swimming pool open after all the years of discussions and fundraising By InYourArea Community · 10 December 2024 TESTING THE WATER: Stan Draper BEM takes the plunge during structural tests prior to the completion the hard work and dedication of the amazing Ormskirk Swimming Pool Appeal Fund committee finally seemed to have paid off by 1973 and once the concrete walls of the pool had been built there was a structural test carried out by filling the unroofed skeleton of the pool with water Stan Draper took the opportunity to be the first person in the water - albeit unofficially That was back in the day when health and safety had small first letters and two words not necessarily used in the same sentence The pool was predicted to be open by Christmas which had seemed to continually delay the plans Chairman of the Council Councillor Eric Renfrey laid the foundation stone for the £344,000 Ormskirk Park Pool on Wednesday The pool was predicted to be open by January unveiled the plaque inside the building to commemorate the opening Councillor Rees was accompanied by the architect of the new Park-Pool and the Nye Bevan Pool Whilst local civic leaders and various committee members gathered for this ceremony it was also announced that the pool would not be open to the public for several months energy use restrictions during the miners' strike over the previous months and the three-day working week from January to March 1974 had caused problems for the construction company Thomasson and Sons Ltd Thomassons were established in 1947 and had built a considerable number of post-war public buildings July 6 before the £500,000 baths would be open to the public The first person to take the plunge was the new Chairman of the newly formed West Lancashire District Council The new Council replaced the Ormskirk Urban District Council on April 1 and the first Chairman was Councillor Bert Scaife Councillor Scaife swam the first length of the pool and his opinion was that: “For many years there has been a cry for a swimming baths in the town In a way I am glad that those baths were not built in the early days for the facilities would now be getting outdated." The opening created a huge interest in the new pool Hundreds of people had been on the day before the official opening to look at the building after Councillor Scaife was the first to take the plunge On that first day 843 bathers paid to use the new facilities That's besides the hundreds who came to spectate 700 of those after 4pm when the schools closed The staff consisted of 12 attendants; two sauna bath attendants; two supervisors; a swimming instructor; twp cashiers and an assistant manager which had opened on March 16 that same year Baroness Lee of Asheridge had opened that pool