Here’s an update from The Friends of Hoylake and Meols in Bloom:

As many of you will have noticed the playground in Queens Park is closed for painting.

The friends of Hoylake of Hoylake and Meols in Bloom have raised enough money from fundraisers and grants to not only provide play equipment for the Sensory Garden in the Parade Gardens but also a lot of new play equipment and floor marking for the Queens Park playground.

A local company owned by Mr Kevin Mocks, K C. Mocks Ltd kindly offered to paint the swings as the Council could not fund this. This is what community spirit is all about!

Please bear with us while the playground is closed. It will be worth the wait!

This is on top of the wonderful floral displays in our town, which are funded by memberships, collection boxes and donations by the community.

Also our annual Garden Party at Dane Cottage 11 Ethelbert Lane Meols is to be held on June 29th 12 until 4pm.

Please support The Friends of Hoylake and Meols in Bloom. We know everyone is tired of filling in forms so you can do it on line www.hoylakeinbloom.co.uk

To have a large membership is the only way we can secure grants in future.

We hope you will enjoy both the play area for many years to come

According to messages on the social network twitter, there was a burglary at the JD Wetherspoon Hoylake Lights pub in Market Street in the early hours of today. Reports suggest that the pub was broken into at around 3am, Thursday 23rd May.

Can anyone confirm that the Police helicopter was called to this incident? If you know any further details please leave a comment below.

Following the news that Elm Grove level crossing could be closed a private meeting was held last Monday between Network Rail and invited residents.

My understanding is that Network Rail is also looking to close the level crossing at Sandringham Avenue as well as the crossing at Elm Grove. The Sandringham Avenue crossing is popular as it gives access to Hoylake Allotments and is used by pedestrians and motorists (who have to use the phone provided to contact Merseyrail to check that it is okay to cross). The proposal from Network Rail is to close the two level crossings and construct a new footbridge over the railway line at [edit: Melrose Avenue]. Further it is proposed that a new road from the end of Proctor Road will allow access to the cottages in Harrington Avenue opposite Manor Road Station. Network Rail has said that the existing footbridge at the station cannot be used for public access because the station is closed during the night.

There are several parties affected by these proposals including:

• Harrington Avenue and Proctor Road residents
• Hoylake Rugby Club
• Holy Trinity School (who use playing fields over the line)
• Hoylake Allotments

Did you know that bin lorries don’t visit the Harrington Avenue properties? A van is used to collect household rubbish and recycling from the cottages.

I haven’t heard, but I wonder if the foot crossing that allows you to cross the line from the Cinder Path to get on to Meols Drive is also being considered for closure?

Anything to add/correct? Feel free to comment…

Confirming a couple of messages that I’ve received in the last couple of days, the Wirral Globe reports that Network Rail are looking to close the level crossing at Elm Grove. There’s a private meeting next week at Melrose Hall were invited residents can discuss the possible closure of the crossing with local residents. Presumably the main consideration for the people who live in the small number of properties over the line is vehicle access. It isn’t clear if pedestrian access will still be permitted. You can walk to the next crossing at Melrose Avenue or continue on a footpath to Proctor Road.

There have been several fatal accidents along the Meols-Hoylake stretch of the Merseyrail Wirral Line over the years including one in 2009. In 1960 a train crashed into a lorry at Elm Grove crossing.

You’ve probably noticed but there have been a few openings/closings of shops in Hoylake recently. I thought I’d do quick run down of what’s been happening on and around Market Street:

(1) Hoylake Violin shop has now closed. I mentioned some weeks ago that the violin shop was up for sale and it seems the building has been bought as the removal men were there the other day.

(2) Martin & Co letting agent, who were located in the first row of shops just past Sandringham Avenue has relocated to Moreton. That shop was the old Bon Bon sweet shop of course.

(3) Jills Cookshop has opened next to the pet shop.

(4) The Little Bluebird Tea Rooms & Cakery is coming soon. Judging by the map on their facebook page it looks like they’re opening in the former Greek restaurant next to Meat & Mingle. cafe

(5) I’ve heard that a vegetarian restaurant is to open in the vacant shop next to the Monte Carlo restaurant but I’ve seen the shop listed on a property website this week as being available to rent , so I’m not sure what’s happening there. By the way, Monte Carlo has opened a second venue of the same name in Heswall.

By now Hoylake residents will have received a letter from their MP, Esther McVey, detailing a campaign entitled Support Your Shop Local Month.

Armed with your paper coupon you can make a purchase at the participating outlets and receive a discount of 5%. Purchases of alcohol are excluded. The offer runs until the end of May and if deemed to be successful will run again in the future.

Party politics aside (this is HoylakeJunction, not Question Time!), what do you think?

This Friday (26th April) is the day that the Big Beach Clean-up takes place at both Hoylake and West Kirby and volunteers are more than welcome.

Organised and promoted by the Marine Conservation Society and Marks & Spencer, the nationwide scheme aims to reduce the amount of beach litter from around our coastline. In addition a litter survey will be undertaken to record the types of litter that can be found on the shore.

Register here for the Hoylake clean-up and here for the one at West Kirby. Meet at either Hoylake Lifeboat Station or West Kirby Sailing School for 1pm. On the day wear suitable clothing including gloves and take a drink with you.

If you register in advance you’ll receive a voucher on the day of the clean-up for a fiver off a £30 spend on food and drink at M&S.

Photo above is of Red Rocks sourced from wikipedia.

Residents and visitors to Hoylake have always enjoyed socialising at one our many venues. But could our local night time economy be better managed for everyone? With that in mind, here’s a press release from Hoylake Vision:

A purple flag could fly over Hoylake as part of an accreditation scheme aimed at improving the quality and diversity of nightlife in the area.

If the town merits the award residents, businesses and visitors alike will benefit from enhanced standards.

Two specialists have been invited to talk to people about improving the local landscape after dark from all perspectives. Residents, bar and restaurant owners, the police and anyone who has an interest are invited to a meeting at St. Luke’s Church on Thursday 25 April.

The event, called ‘The Future of Hoylake at Night’ is being staged by Hoylake Vision, the community planning forum. Locals will hear from Philip Hadfield, a consultant specialising in community safety and crime prevention along with a representative from the Purple Flag accreditation scheme.

In addition to the presentations there will be an opportunity for discussions with the speakers, officers from Wirral Borough and the police.

Said Peter Edwards, chair of Hoylake Vision “Following the success of our last meeting in February about the future of Hoylake shore, when more than 160 people turned out to hear our speakers and provide feedback, we are hopeful of a full house again.

Part of our remit is to consult on local issues by providing information and seeking opinion. What goes on at night in Hoylake is of great interest to many people as the “What’s Your Vision” survey by Hoylake Village Life demonstrated. Local people care passionately about their community and environment and again this meeting will provide an opportunity to hear the facts and join in.

I would urge local bar and restaurant owners to attend as well as local residents in order to present their view. Ultimately we want to ensure that Hoylake is a great and safe place to live, work and play.”

The meeting is being staged at 7.00pm at St Luke’s Church, in Market Street, Hoylake, on Thursday 25 April.

For more information residents can log onto www.hoylakevision.org.uk or call The Help Shop, Hoylake on 0151 538 9655

Speakers’ websites: www.purpleflag.org.uk; www.philhadfield.co.uk

This week’s Wirral Globe reports that the disused toilet block (pictured – taken in March, 2011) on North Parade is to be demolished and replaced with a new building that will be the Pebbles Cafe. The original, approved plans were to convert the existing building, complete with a rear deck but works never commenced.

I’ve tried to find the latest planning documents for the new building but haven’t been successful – I think this is the original application. My understanding was that works had to be completed by end of this August otherwise the Council (the building owners) would demolish the block.

Anything to add? Leave a comment below.

The Sensory Garden at Meols Parade Gardens was officially opened this weekend as Jan Foster writes:

At long last our Sensory Garden, at the Meols end of the Parade Gardens has finally been officially opened by the Mayor of Wirral Councillor Gerry Ellis on the 13th April.

It was a lovely day and many people turned out to see our lovely mosaic, surrounded by sofa/planters filled with sweet smelling herbs. [Visitors also admired] the huge seven panel mural depicting scenes of Hoylake old and new. The scented daffodils, planted by local school children, were a little shy and not quite out on the day. Waiting for a little sunshine I think!

We will be sowing the wild flowers in a few weeks. They were wonderful last year so fingers crossed they will be as good this year.

The exciting news is that we have raised £5,500 for sensory play equipment. This week we will be ordering Talking Flowers, Wiggle Bars, a Play Panel which is a seaside finger maze and a large, child height picnic table in the shape of a flower with matching stools with pictures of a butterfly, ladybird, bee and a spider. There is also a space for a wheel chair or buggy. We hope to have this installed by the end of May or early June. This has all been made possible by your generous donations and the hard work of our volunteers.

Please continue to spread the word about the importance of becoming a member (no work involved, just a small donation). We could not continue our work without your memberships.

To make it easy you can join on line at www.hoylakeinbloom.co.uk – or contact Dot Rooney,8 Bertram Drive North, Meols (632 4215)