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For other uses, see Southport (disambiguation). Southport is the name of several places Australia Southport Queensland, Gold Coast suburb Southport Island (Tasmania
Southport


Lord Street, Southport
Southport (Merseyside)
Southport

Southport shown within Merseyside
Population 99,456 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference SD333170
Metropolitan borough Sefton
Metropolitan county Merseyside
Region North West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SOUTHPORT
Postcode district PR8 & PR9
Dialling code 01704
Police Merseyside
Fire Merseyside
Ambulance North West
European Parliament North West England
UK Parliament Southport
List of places: UK • England • Merseyside

Coordinates: 53°38′43″N 3°00′30″W / 53.6454, -3.0083

Southport is a seaside town on the Irish Sea coast situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Lord Street is the main shopping street in the English town of Southport. Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Preston postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Chorley, Leyland, Preston and Southport in The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Merseyside Police is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the county of Merseyside in north-west England and is The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warner's plans to reduce the number of NHS North West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Southport is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns and Villages in the ceremonial county of Merseyside, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A seaside resort is a Resort located on the Coast. Where a Beach is the primary focus for Tourists it may be called a beach resort The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The town is located 16. 5 miles (26. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 6 km) to the north of Liverpool and 14. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary 8 miles (23. 8 km) west-southwest of Preston. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Southport has a population of around 100,000,[1] with approximately 40% of the population over 55 years old and around 55% defined as social class ABC1. The NRS social grades are a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Historically a part of Lancashire, tourist attractions include Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in Great Britain,[2] Lord Street, a tree-lined shopping street once home of Napoleon III of France,[3] and a fairground which was originally opened in 1912. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Southport Pier is a Grade II listed structure in Southport, Merseyside, England. A pier is a raised Walkway over water supported by widely spread Piles or pillars. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Lord Street is the main shopping street in the English town of Southport. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Pleasureland, now New Pleasureland is an Amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England which has been re-opened on [4]

The town contains examples of Victorian architecture and town planning. The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of Architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. These include much of Lord Street in addition to Cambridge Hall, Town Hall and Wayfarers' Arcade. Lord Street is the main shopping street in the English town of Southport. A particular feature of the town is the extensive tree planting. This was one of the conditions required by the Hesketh family when they made land available for development in the 19th century. Hesketh Park at the northern end of the town is named after the Hesketh family.

Extensive sand dunes stretch for several kilometers between Birkdale and Ainsdale/Woodvale to the south of the town. Birkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the Conurbation of the town of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton Ainsdale-on-Sea is a Village in Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated three miles south of Southport, of which it is a suburb The Ainsdale sand dunes have been designated as a National Nature Reserve in England and a RAMSAR site. Ainsdale-on-Sea is a Village in Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated three miles south of Southport, of which it is a suburb National Nature Reserves in England are managed by Natural England and are key places for Wildlife and natural features in England. The Ramsar Convention is an international Treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wetlands i Local fauna include the Natterjack toad and the Sand lizard. The Natterjack Toad ( Epidalea calamita, formerly Bufo calamita) is a Toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Northern Europe The Sand Lizard ( Lacerta agilis) is a Lizard. It is distributed across most of Europe and eastwards to Mongolia, although it does not occur [5][6]

Contents

History

Plaque dedicated to William Sutton, located on the corner of Duke Street, Southport.
Plaque dedicated to William Sutton, located on the corner of Duke Street, Southport. William Sutton (known as The Mad Duke or The Old Duke) was a local forward thinking man from North Meols (North of Southport) who in 1792 took

Southport, in its present form, was founded by William Sutton ("The Mad Duke") in 1792. William Sutton (known as The Mad Duke or The Old Duke) was a local forward thinking man from North Meols (North of Southport) who in 1792 took However, there have been settlements in the area for much longer than that: the northern part of the town around St Cuthbert's Church (in the part of the parish of North Meols now known as Churchtown), was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and some areas of the town have names of Viking origin. North Meols is a Civil parish in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. Churchtown is a suburb of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas [7]

Southport grew quickly in the 19th century as it gained a reputation for being a more refined seaside resort than its neighbour-up-the-coast Blackpool. Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. The permanent funfair, Pleasureland closed in late 2006. Pleasureland, now New Pleasureland is an Amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England which has been re-opened on

Southport's suburbs are built around, and still named after, the old villages of the area. From north to south, the districts are: Crossens, Marshside, Churchtown, Blowick, Birkdale, Hillside, Ainsdale, and Woodvale; home to RAF Woodvale. Crossens is the northernmost district of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England and part of the ancient Parish of North Meols Marshside is a suburb of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. Churchtown is a suburb of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. Blowick is a suburb of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. Birkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the Conurbation of the town of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton Ainsdale-on-Sea is a Village in Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated three miles south of Southport, of which it is a suburb Woodvale is a Village in Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is situated between Formby and Ainsdale, to the south of RAF Woodvale is a Royal Air Force airfield located four miles south of Southport, Merseyside in a village called Formby. [8] The town of Formby is south of Southport, with Hightown and Liverpool further southward, along the A565 road. Formby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary The A565 is a road in England that runs from Bootle in Merseyside to Tarleton in Lancashire.

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte lived in exile on Lord Street, the main thoroughfare of Southport, between 1846 and 1848, before returning to France, where he became President and subsequently Emperor of the French. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below During his reign, he caused much of the medieval centre of Paris to be replaced with broad tree-lined boulevards, covered walkways and arcades, just like Lord Street. On the strength of this coincidence, it has been suggested that the redevelopment may have been inspired by memories of Southport's town centre. [9]

Memorial to the crew of the "Eliza Fernley" lifeboat, in Duke Street Cemetery, Southport.
Memorial to the crew of the "Eliza Fernley" lifeboat, in Duke Street Cemetery, Southport.

On the night of the December 9, 1886, the worst lifeboat disaster in the history of the UK occurred off the shores of Southport. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On the 9 December 1886 the Mexico, a Hamburg -registered Barque bound for Guayaquil from Liverpool went aground A cargo ship called the Mexico was on its way to South America when it found itself in difficulty. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Lifeboats from Lytham, St. Annes and Southport set off in order to try and rescue those aboard the vessel. Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The crews battled against storm-force winds as they rowed towards the casualty. The entire crew from the St. Anne’s boat was lost and all but two of the Southport crew were too. In all, 28 lifeboatmen lost their lives on that night, leaving many widows and fatherless children. A memorial was erected in Duke Street Cemetery and a permanent exhibition can be seen in the Museum of the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown, Southport.

In 1925, the RNLI abandoned the station at Southport and left the town with no lifeboat. The founder Sir William Hillary Sir William Hillary came to live on the Isle of Man in 1808 However in the late 1980s, after a series of unfortunate tragedies, local families from Southport started to raise funds and eventually bought a new lifeboat for the town stationed at the old RNLI lifeboat house. [10] The lifeboat is completely independent from the RNLI and receives no money from them. Instead it relies entirely on donations from the public.

Geography and Climate

At 53°38′43.44″N, 3°0′29.88″W the town is situated in North West England. North West England is one of the nine official Regions of England. The closest cities are Preston approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the north east and Liverpool approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the south. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary

Existing on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain most of the town is only slightly above sea-level and thus parts of Southport used to be susceptible to flooding. The West Lancashire Coastal Plain is a large area in the south west of Lancashire, England. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge This would be most frequently noticed on Southport's Marine Drive, which was regularly closed due to flooding from high tides. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood But in February 1997, new sea defences started being constructed and in 2002 the whole project was completed. In some jurisdictions the terms sea defense and coastal protection are used to mean respectively defence against flooding and erosion [11]

Southport has an maritime climate like most of the UK. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Due to its position by the coast, Southport rarely sees substantial snowfall and temperatures rarely fall below –5°C so it doesn't have frequent frosts. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. Frost is the solid deposition of Water vapor from saturated air Southport generally has moderate preciptitation, unlike the rest of western UK. [12]

Governance and politics

Politically, Southport is a stronghold of the Liberal Democrats with the Conservative Party also strong in some areas. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. John Pugh is Southport's current Member of Parliament. John David Pugh (born 28 June, 1948; Liverpool) is a Politician in the United Kingdom. Southport is a Borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. [13]

Southport lies within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, and was incorporated as municipal borough in 1866. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to It became a county borough independent of the administrative county of Lancashire in 1915, having reached the minimum 50,000 population (the 1911 census gave a figure of 51,643). County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974 The Birkdale Urban District, including the parishes of Birkdale and Ainsdale was added to Southport in 1912. Birkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the Conurbation of the town of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton

Under the 1971 Local Government White Paper, presented in February 1971, Southport would have lost its county borough status, becoming a non-metropolitan district within Lancashire. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. Rather than accept this fate and lose its separate education and social services departments, Southport Corporation lobbied for inclusion in the nearby planned metropolitan county of Merseyside, to join with Bootle and other units to form a district with the 250,000 required population. The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level Administrative division of England. Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. It was duly included in the metropolitan borough of Sefton[14]

This decision has been regretted by some of the population. A recurring local political issue has been the cross-party movement campaigning for Southport to leave Sefton and form its own unitary authority, perhaps adjoined to the neighbouring West Lancashire authority. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions West Lancashire is a local government district of Lancashire, England. Support for this has been seen amongst Liberal Democrat (UK) councillors,[15] and also within the Southport Conservative Party (UK). The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. [16]

In 1980, a Private Member's Bill proposed restoring Southport to Lancashire, and renaming the residue of Sefton to the Metropolitan Borough of Bootle. A Private Member's Bill is a proposed Law introduced by a backbench member of Parliament, whether from the government or the opposition side to that The Local Government Boundary Commission for England conducted a review of the area in 1987, which attracted 10,000 messages, of which "70% were pro forma". The Local Government Boundary Commission for England was established under the Local Government Act 1972 as a statutory body to review boundaries of local government areas and The term pro forma ( Latin "as a matter of form" is a term applied to practices that are perfunctory, or seek to satisfy the minimum requirements In 1990 the LGBC made suggestions that Southport, Ainsdale and Birkdale should be made a district of Lancashire: the final recommendations in 1991 "concluded that public opinion was more evenly divided than initially thought", and also that eastward transport links with Lancashire were poor compared to those southward to the Liverpool area.

The government again directed the Local Government Commission for England to make a review in December 1996 (after it had finished the work on the creation of unitary authorities), commencing in January 1997. The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002 The structure of Local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s This review was constrained by the legal inability of the commission to recommend that the current Sefton-West Lancashire border be altered. In an MORI poll conducted at the behest of the LGCE, 65% of Southport residents supported the campaign, compared to 37% in the borough as a whole. Local MPs Matthew Banks and Ronnie Fearn (MPs for Southport at various times) supported making Southport a unitary authority, with Banks wishing to see it tied to Lancashire ceremonially, but Fearn wishing to see it remain, as a separate borough, in Merseyside. Matthew Richard William Banks (born 21 June 1961) is a British Conservative Party politician Ronald Cyril Fearn Baron Fearn OBE (born 6 February, 1931) is a British politician and Liberal Democrat member of the House The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies

The commission noted that Southport would have a relatively low population for a unitary authority, even including Formby (89,300 or 114,700), and that it was worried about the viability of a south Sefton authority without Southport, and therefore recommended the status quo be kept. However, the commission suggested the use of area committees for the various parts of the borough and also that Southport could become a civil parish. Many large Local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees, with responsibility for services in a particular part of the A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. [17] Another request made in 2004 was turned down, the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) must request such a review). The Electoral Commission is a Non-departmental public body with powers in the United Kingdom, which was created by an Act of Parliament, the Political

In 2002, a local independent party calling themselves the Southport Party was established, with many members supporting a policy of "Southport out of Sefton". Three council seats were won in the 2002 local elections, including that of the leader of Sefton Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor, David Bamber. At the following election there were no gains and a drop in the number of votes for the party. At the all out election in 2004, 1 of their councillors stood down, whilst the other 2 lost their seats. They have not regained any seats, although the group retains a campagning presence in the town.

To date, there have been no further moves to change Sefton's boundaries, but the Boundary Commission indicated in 2004 that a future review is possible:

"whether or not structural change takes place in accordance with our recommendations, the boundaries between or within Sefton and West Lancashire could be reviewed at a later stage to address these long-standing boundary concerns. "[18]

Education

The town possesses a variety of excellent academic institutions, both private and state-funded. The prestigious all-girls' Greenbank High School situated next to the Royal Birkdale Golf Club, repeatedly gains grades of the highest standard. Greenbank High School is an all-girls secondary Comprehensive school located in Hillside Southport, Merseyside, England, with specialism Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the town of Southport, England, is one of the clubs in the Open Championship rotation It offers pupils a wide-range of subjects, particularly languages, and has educated some of the country's most esteemed talent, including the actress, Miranda Richardson. Miranda Jane Richardson (born 3 March 1958 is an English stage film and television actress. The male equivalent (also situated in Birkdale) is the all-boys' Birkdale High School, also known for its academic success. Birkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the Conurbation of the town of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton There are several other high schools prominent in the town, including Stanley High School, (which is a specialist Sports College), Meols Cop High School, and Christ the King School. Stanley High School is a High School for students aged 11-16 in the resort town of Southport, Merseyside in the North West of England. Christ the King Catholic High School and 6th Form College, is located on Stamford Road in Birkdale, Southport.

King George V College, is one of the most respected sixth form colleges in the area, which sees pupils travel far and wide (from Maghull, Bootle etc) to sample its academic success. King George V College (KGV is a Sixth form college in Southport, Merseyside, in the UK. A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 Maghull is a town and Civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Its academic achievements repeatedly rival some of the private institutions in the surrounding area, including Merchant Taylors and St Mary's College in Crosby. Merchant Taylors' School Crosby (also known as Merchant Taylors' School for Boys Crosby) is a British Independent school, located in St Mary's College is an independent Roman Catholic day school for boys and girls aged 11-18 Crosby is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, on Merseyside, England It has gained particular prestige for its Classics and History departments, both having been credited with being placed in the top five in the country, and the Classics department was voted top in the country in recent years.

Economy

Southport also hosts varied events including an annual air show,[19] flower show, an open air classical music concert concluded with a fireworks display, a jazz festival, a beer festival with over seventy beers,[20] and the turning on of the pleasant town centre Christmas lights. Southport Flower Show held at Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside is the largest independent flower show in the UK. On July 12 every year, there is an Orangemen's march, which is one of the busiest days of the year. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order or the Orange Lodge, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly Southport hosts the annual musical fireworks championships, and The Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club course. The Open Championship, or simply The Open (often referred to as the British Open outside the UK) is the oldest of the four major championships Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the town of Southport, England, is one of the clubs in the Open Championship rotation It is also home to the "Southport Weekender",[21] an annual dance event that takes place at the Pontins resort in the town. Pontins is a British holiday company founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin.

Media

The town's media consists of two rival newspaper groups, and two radio stations. The independently owned 'Champion' newspaper is a free weekly paper and Trinity Mirror's 'Sefton & West Lancs Media Mix' titles The Mid-week Visiter and The Southport Visiter (Fridays) are free and paid-for respectively. Trinity Mirror plc is a large United Kingdom Newspaper and Magazine publisher The town also falls within the circulation areas of three regional hard copy newspapers; The Liverpool Echo, The Liverpool Daily Post and The Lancashire Evening Post. The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror on Merseyside in England. The Liverpool Daily Post is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror on Merseyside in England. The Lancashire Evening Post is a daily Newspaper based in Fulwood a suburb of the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. Southport is also covered by several local and regional magazines, like Lancashire Life. Lancashire Life is a British regional magazine, first published in 1947 devoted to the English county of Lancashire. The local Ranger Service, which is part of Sefton MBC, runs a quarterly free magazine called Coastlines. A Park ranger is a person in lead of protecting and preserving parklands - national state or provincial parks

Old Southport Newspapers that are no longer in print are as follows: Independent 1861-1920's;[22] Liverpool & Southport News 1861-1872;[22] Southport News (West Lancs) 1881-1885;[22] Southport Standard 1885-1899;[22] Southport Guardian 1882-1930;[23] Southport Journal 1904-1932;[23] Southport Star; Southport Advertiser.

The town's commercial radio station 107.9 Dune FM is owned by The Local Radio Company. Dune FM broadcasts from Southport covering the town and the surrounding borough of Sefton as well as a large part of neighbouring West Lancashire. The Local Radio Company is a British media company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire that owns 21 independent local radio stations in the On a regional level Southport is covered by several local and regional radio stations, including:BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Lancashire, Radio City 96.7, Juice 107.6, and Rock FM 97.4. BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. Radio City 967 (also previously known as City FM and Radio City) is an Independent Local Radio station based in Liverpool, Juice 1076 is an Independent Local Radio, set up in 1998 in Liverpool after the failure of alternative music station 107 974 Rock FM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to North West England.

Southport is situated within the television regions of BBC North West and ITV's Granada Television, but some areas of Southport can also pick up the Welsh TV stations. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Granada Television is the United Kingdom ITV contractor for North West England. This might change as the analogue system is phased out in 2009.

The area also has many online media sites, including an online newspaper, the Southport Reporter, as well as chat forums and blog sites. An online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a Newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an Southport Reporter, an Online newspaper started by Patrick Trollope is seen as the UK's first online-only regional Newspaper. A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of

Landmarks

Pleasureland in 2005.
Pleasureland in 2005. Pleasureland, now New Pleasureland is an Amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England which has been re-opened on

One of Southport's main attractions for many years was Pleasureland, a fairground established in 1912. Pleasureland, now New Pleasureland is an Amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England which has been re-opened on It was owned by the Thompson Family, and was closed in September 2006. Pleasureland, now New Pleasureland is an Amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England which has been re-opened on A replacement fairground on the same site, provisionally named New Pleasureland,[24] opened in July 2007. Pleasureland, now New Pleasureland is an Amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England which has been re-opened on [25] An earlier permanent funfair, Peter Pan's Playground, closed in the 1980s and is now the site of part of the Ocean Plaza shopping development. A former landmark of Pleasureland was the Looping Star roller coaster, which was on site from 1985-87. It featured in the video for the pop single Wonderful Life, by Liverpool band Black, which was also shot at other parts of the Sefton and North West coastline. Black is the musical vehicle for Singer/songwriter Colin Vearncombe (b [26] On the attached YouTube link, the Looping Star appears first at approximately 1 minute 35 seconds into the video.

The Model Railway Village is situated in Kings Gardens opposite the Royal Clifton Hotel and near the Marine Lake Bridge. The Model Railway Village opened in May 1996 and was created by Ray and Jean Jones. The Jones family still run the attraction today. The Model Railway Village season extends from April to the end of October. However due to popular demand the season has extended into weekend openings during November, February and March, weather permitting. [27] An earlier model village, the Land of the Little People, was demolished in the late 1980s to make way for the aborted Winter Gardens/SIBEC shopping development. Its site is now occupied by a Morrison's supermarket.

Other major attractions in Southport include Splash World, an indoor water park situated on the back of the Dunes swimming pool which opened in June 2007. See List of waterparks (for a list of all waterparks in the world A waterpark is an Amusement park that features waterplay areas such A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or [28]

Meols Hall, a manor house, home of the Hesketh family is open to the public from the August 14-September 14 from 2pm-5pm. Meols Hall is a picturesque Manor house dating back to the Doomsday Book, in Churchtown, Southport, Merseyside, England Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Set in its own expansive grounds, it boasts a history back to the Domesday Book and is full of interesting pictures and furniture. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey

The Power Station, home of the town's own Radio station 107. 9 Dune fm on the edge of Victoria Park, which itself is home to the Southport Flower Show

Transport

Road

Due to its position by the coast, Southport is a linear settlement and as such can only be approached in a limited number of directions by road. Southport Flower Show held at Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside is the largest independent flower show in the UK. In Geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route such as a road river or canal

The main roads entering Southport are:

There is no direct connection to the motorway from Southport; the nearest connections are:

Marine Way Bridge.
Marine Way Bridge. The M58 is a Motorway in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, England. The M65 is a Motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and List of A roads beginning with 5 in Great Britain starting north/east of the A5, west of the A6, south of the Solway Firth / Eden Estuary The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.

An east-west bypass for the A570 at Ormskirk is planned to relieve congestion on Southport's main access route to the motorway network, although the effectiveness of the proposals are still under debate. Ormskirk is a Market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool, and southwest [29]

Several areas within Southport town centre have recently undergone major road redevelopment; the largest scheme was the construction of the Marine Way Bridge (opened May 2004), which connects the Lord Street shopping district with the new seafront developments. The 150 foot high structure is thought to have cost in the region of £5m. [30]

Also one of the main shopping areas in the town, Chapel Street, has undergone a pedestrianisation scheme to be similar to parts of Liverpool city centre.

Aviation

Southport is also home to Birkdale Sands, a sand runway located on one of Southport's beaches. For many years this was used for pleasure flights using one of the last De Havilland Fox Moth aeroplanes flying in the UK. The de Havilland Aircraft Company (less commonly spelled de Haviland was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft.

Rail

Southport railway station.
Southport railway station. Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England.

Southport has a railway station with a frequent service of electric trains to Liverpool and a regular service to Wigan, Bolton, Manchester, Manchester Airport and Rochdale. Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Wigan is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south of Preston, west-northwest of Manchester Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the Rochdale is a large Market town in Greater Manchester, England

The Liverpool line was originally built by the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway in 1848. The Liverpool Crosby and Southport Railway (LC&SR opened in 1848 It was followed on 9 April 1855 by the Manchester and Southport Railway with a line to Manchester via Wigan. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The Manchester and Southport Railway in England opened on 9 April 1855. Wigan is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south of Preston, west-northwest of Manchester

Formerly, Southport was also served by two further railway lines:

In July 1897, both the West Lancashire and the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railways were absorbed into the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&Y). The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. The L&Y had a large terminus at Southport Chapel Street and could see no sense in operating two termini at very close proximity. In 1901, the L&Y completed a remodeling of the approach lines to Central to allow trains to divert onto the Manchester to Southport line and into Southport Chapel Street Station. Southport Central was closed to passengers and it became a goods depot eventually amalgamating with Chapel Street depot. It survived intact well into the 1970s.

Sports

Haig Avenue, home of Southport F.C.
Haig Avenue, home of Southport F.C.

Southport is somewhat lesser known for its sporting prowess, but being surrounded by other North West cities this is understandable. Haig Avenue is a football Stadium in Southport, England and is the home ground of Southport F Southport Football Club are an English football club based in Southport, Merseyside. The eastern side of town towards Blowick and Kew is home to the "Sandgrounders" - Southport F.C., a club with a long football league history and occasional FA Cup giantkillers, they play at Haig Avenue and currently find themselves in the Conference North League. Southport Football Club are an English football club based in Southport, Merseyside. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Haig Avenue is a football Stadium in Southport, England and is the home ground of Southport F The Conference North (currently billed as Blue Square North for sponsorship reasons is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place There is also a league for local amateur football teams. Southport is also home to a rugby union club, Southport RUFC,[32] who play at the Recreational Ground on Waterloo Road, Hillside.

Southport is also home to one of the largest junior football clubs in the north west, boasting both a boys' and girls' sections, as well as male and female. The youngest boys' team are Under 7s, with the girls being Under 9s. The club has been the foundations for many professional footballers, including Dominic Matteo, Shaun Teale and Paul Dalgleish.

The junior section of Southport RUFC are known as the Southport Sharks,[33] and have sides that range from 7 years old upwards. They also play on the same grounds, and train every Sunday 10am-12noon.

However, the town is probably best known for golf; the Royal Birkdale Golf Club situated in the dunes to the south of the town is one of the venues on The Open Championship rotation and has hosted two Ryder Cups. Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the town of Southport, England, is one of the clubs in the Open Championship rotation The Open Championship, or simply The Open (often referred to as the British Open outside the UK) is the oldest of the four major championships The Ryder Cup is a Golf trophy donated by Samuel Ryder, which is awarded Biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" between teams from Nearby Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club is also a two time Ryder Cup venue and Hillside Golf Club hosts many major events as well as being a final open qualifying course. Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club is situated near the Merseyside (formerly Lancashire) towns of Southport and Ainsdale on the north west coast Hillside Golf Club is located near Southport, England. It lies almost side by side with the Royal Birkdale course amid a stretch of sandhills and the Many smaller links courses also surround the town. Southport also holds its own small skatepark, located next to the Marine Way Bridge. It is open to skateboarders and BMX riders.

Sculler on Marine Lake.
Sculler on Marine Lake. Scull redirects here The head bone is spelled " Skull "

Southport's location by the coast also lends itself to some more specialised sporting activities - Ainsdale Beach, south of the town, is popular for kite sports, including kite-surfing. Marine Lake lies nestled between the town centre and the sea and is used for a variety of water-sports including water-skiing, sailing and rowing. The lake is home to the West Lancashire Yacht Club and Southport Sailing Club, both of which organise dinghy racing. The West Lancashire Yacht Club (WLYC was founded in 1894. In 1999 WLYC was awarded the status of Volvo/RYA Champion Club which is an award recognising the standard A dinghy is a type of small Boat, often carried or towed by a larger vessel The annual Southport 24 Hour Race, organised by the West Lancashire Yacht Club, is an endurance race of national standing, with an average turnout of 60 to 80 boats. The Southport 24 Hour Race is a national Sailing Endurance race for sailing dinghies held in Southport, Merseyside, England In 2006, the event marked its 40th anniversary. [34]

The flat and scenic route alongside the beach is very popular with cyclists, and is the start of the Trans Pennine Trail, a cycle route running across the north of the country to Selby in North Yorkshire, through Hull and on to Hornsea on the east coast. The Trans Pennine Trail is a Long distance path in the north of England, running largely along disused Railway lines and canal towpaths, The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. Selby is a town and Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in Kingston upon Hull ( almost invariably referred Hornsea is a small Seaside resort Town and Civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England at the eastern end of the Trans

Scouting

The scouting district of Southport has always been an active one, Southport Scouts has been around since the start of scouting and has had a very full history. Currently there are approximately 700 members in the Southport area and there are 12 groups with two Explorer units.

Southport scouts engage in several different town events such as the carnival.

The Southport District Scout Headquarters is Waterside Lodge which is situated next to the Marine Lake. The scouts in this district and many nearby scout districts use Waterside for activities such as canoeing, kayaking, sailing, bell boating and dragon boating and various land activities.

Notable people

Famous animals and entities

Gallery

Wayfarers Arcade, decorated for Christmas.

Statue of Red Rum in Wayfarers Arcade. for Murder spelled backwards see Redrum. Red Rum (bay gelding May 3, 1965 &ndash October 18, 1995.

Statue of Queen Victoria on Southport promenade. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The Fernley drinking fountain on Southport promenade.

The Scarisbrick Hotel on Lord Street. Lord Street is the main shopping street in the English town of Southport.

Watersports on Marine Lake.

Marine Way Bridge and Southport Pier. Southport Pier is a Grade II listed structure in Southport, Merseyside, England.

Marine Lake.

Useful history books

References

  1. ^ UK ward statistics on Nomis UK National Statistics - taking the 7 wards in the Southport area: Dukes, Meols, Ainsdale, Birkdale, Kew, Norwood, Cambridge
  2. ^ Longest Piers in the British Isles. National Piers Society. Retrieved on 2008-04-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  3. ^ Lord Street's History. Champion Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-04-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  4. ^ Copnall, Stephen (August 2005). Pleasureland Memories: A History of Southport's Amusement Park. Skelter Publishing LLP. ISBN 0-9544573-3-1.  
  5. ^ ramsar - JNCC.
  6. ^ Natural England - Special Sites. Retrieved on 2008-03-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow.
  7. ^ Mersey Reporter - Home Page
  8. ^ RAF Woodvale (UK) Merseyside History Section
  9. ^ Nevin, Charles. "Ooh La Lancashire", The Guardian, 2004-08-21. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Retrieved on 2007-12-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life  
  10. ^ S.O.R.T. Website
  11. ^ Sefton Coast
  12. ^ Met Office - Mapped Averages
  13. ^ http://www.johnpugh.org.uk/index.htm
  14. ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 6 July, 1972, column 878
  15. ^ http://www.southportlibdems.com/meols.htm
  16. ^ Southport Conservative Party Website, Conservative Party Website
  17. ^ Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of Sefton, Local Government Commission for England, November 1997
  18. ^ Boundary Committee Website
  19. ^ Southport Air Show Official. Sefton Council. Retrieved on 2006-08-01. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman
  20. ^ Southport CAMRA. Beer Festival.
  21. ^ Southport Weekender Website
  22. ^ a b c d Federation of Family History Societies. Local Newspapers. ISBN 0-907099-46-7.  
  23. ^ a b Federation of Family History Societies. Local Newspapers. ISBN 0-907099-46-7.   - "Published from" date only
  24. ^ http://www.newpleasureland.co.uk New Pleasureland Website
  25. ^ http://www.southportreporter.com/302/ Local Newspaper Website Report
  26. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyfu_mU-dmo
  27. ^ Model Village Website
  28. ^ Splash World URL
  29. ^ Local Gov. Website.
  30. ^ Local newspaper report
  31. ^ Southport Past Website
  32. ^ Southport Rugby Football Club Website
  33. ^ Southport Sharks Website
  34. ^ 24-hour yacht race (video)
  35. ^ http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/galleries/dan_dare_and_the_birth_of_high-tech_britain.aspx

External links

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