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[edit] Education
The town includes the prestigious all-girls' Greenbank High School, Stanley High School, which is a specialist Sports College, and the sixth form college, King George V College.
[edit] 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. On July 12 every year, there is an Orangemen's march, which is one of the busiest days of the year. Southport hosts the annual musical fireworks championships, and The Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club course. It is also home to the "Southport Weekender",[21] an annual dance event that takes place at the Pontins resort in the town.
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. 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. Southport is also covered by several local and regional magazines, like Lancashire Life. The local Ranger Service, which is part of Sefton MBC, runs a quarterly free magazine called Coastlines.
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. 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.
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. 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.
[edit] Landmarks
One of Southport's main attractions for many years was Pleasureland, a fairground established in 1912. It was owned by the Thompson Family, and was closed in September 2006. A replacement fairground on the same site, provisionally named New Pleasureland,[24] opened in July 2007.[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.[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.[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. Set in its own expansive grounds, it boasts a history back to the Domesday Book and is full of interesting pictures and furniture.
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
[edit] Transport
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.
The main roads entering Southport are:
There is no direct connection to the motorway from Southport; the nearest connections are:
- from the south - junction 3 of the M58 (on the A570, twelve miles)
- from the north - junction 1 of the M65 (on the A582/A59, nineteen miles)
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.[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.
[edit] 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.
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.
The Liverpool line was originally built by the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway in 1848. It was followed on 9 April 1855 by the Manchester and Southport Railway with a line to Manchester via Wigan.
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 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.
[edit] Sports
Southport is somewhat lesser known for its sporting prowess, but being surrounded by other North West cities this is understandable. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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 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. 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Notable people
- Jean Alexander, actress
- Gomez, band - Ian Ball, Tom Gray, Olly Peacock and Paul Blackburn are all from Southport
- Marc Almond, lead singer of Soft Cell
- Michael Arlen, author and playwright
- Robin Askwith, actor
- Scott Baker, musician
- Dora Bryan, actress
- John Culshaw, record producer
- Lord Fearn, politician and former MP
- Ollie Halsall, guitarist
- Frank Hampson, artist, creator of Dan Dare
- David Lonsdale, actor
- Lee Mack, comedian
- Ginger McCain, racehorse trainer
- David Mitchell, author
- Rev. Marcus Morris, creator of the Eagle comic
- Anthony Quayle, actor
- Arthur Richardson, VC
- Miranda Richardson, actress
- William Rimmer, composer and conductor of brass band music
- Adrian Scott Stokes, painter
- A. J. P. Taylor, historian
- Marcus Wareing, chef
- Edmund Whittaker, mathematician
[edit] Famous animals and entities
[edit] Gallery
Wayfarers Arcade, decorated for Christmas.
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Statue of Red Rum in Wayfarers Arcade.
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The Fernley drinking fountain on Southport promenade.
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Watersports on Marine Lake.
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[edit] Useful history books
- The Sands Of Times, an introduction to the Sand Dunes of the Sefton Coast Line, written by Philip H. Smith. ISBN 1-902700-03-1
- New Ainsdale, a book about the seaside suburb of Southport covering from 1850 to 2000. Written by Harry Foster of the Birkdale and Ainsdale Historical Research Society. ISBN 0-9510905-5-0
- New Birkdale - The Growth of a Lancashire Seaside Suburb 1850-1912, by Harry Foster, 1995. Published by Birkdale and Ainsdale Historical Research Society. ISBN 0-9510905-1-8
- Viking Mersey, written by Stephen Harding. ISBN 1901231-34-8
- Southport A Pictorial History, a book by local author Harry Foster. ISBN 0-85033-966-9
- Local Newspapers, holds newspaper title names from 1750—1920. ISBN 0-907099-46-7
- Britain's First Lifeboat Station, written by Yorke, Barbara and Reginald, published by Alt Press. ISBN 0-9508155-0-0
- Pleasureland Memories, A history of Southport's amusement park, by Stephen Copnall (2005), Skelter Publishing. ISBN 0-9544573-3-1
- What The Butler Saw - And All That, a pictorial history of Southport pier, by Harold Brough. ISBN 0-9554780-0-6
- Southport Stories and Landscapes, by David Lewis (2005). Breedon Publishing. ISBN 1-85983-467-1
- Thatch, Towers and Colonnades - The story of architecture in Southport, by Cedric Greenwood (1971, reprinted 1990). Carnegie Publishing. ISBN 0-948789-64-6
- An Illustrated Survey of Railway Stations Between Southport & Liverpool 1848-1986, by Rob Gell (1986). Heyday Publishing Company, ISBN 0-947562-04-4.
- North Meols and Southport - a History, by Peter Aughton (1988). Published by Carnegie Press ISBN 0-948789-17-4
[edit] References
- , UK ward statistics on Nomis UK National Statistics - taking the 7 wards in the Southport area: Dukes, Meols, Ainsdale, Birkdale, Kew, Norwood, Cambridge
- , Longest Piers in the British Isles. National Piers Society. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- , Lord Street's History. Champion Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- , Copnall, Stephen (August 2005). Pleasureland Memories: A History of Southport's Amusement Park. Skelter Publishing LLP. ISBN 0-9544573-3-1.
- , ramsar - JNCC.
- , Natural England - Special Sites. Retrieved on 2008-03-23.
- , Mersey Reporter - Home Page
- , RAF Woodvale (UK) Merseyside History Section
- , Nevin, Charles. "Ooh La Lancashire", The Guardian, 2004-08-21. Retrieved on 2007-12-13.
- , S.O.R.T. Website
- , Sefton Coast
- , Met Office - Mapped Averages
- , http://www.johnpugh.org.uk/index.htm
- , Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 6 July, 1972, column 878
- , http://www.southportlibdems.com/meols.htm
- , Southport Conservative Party Website, Conservative Party Website
- , Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of Sefton, Local Government Commission for England, November 1997
- , Boundary Committee Website
- , Southport Air Show Official. Sefton Council. Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
- , Southport CAMRA. Beer Festival.
- , Southport Weekender Website
- , a b c d Federation of Family History Societies. Local Newspapers. ISBN 0-907099-46-7.
- , a b Federation of Family History Societies. Local Newspapers. ISBN 0-907099-46-7. - "Published from" date only
- , http://www.newpleasureland.co.uk New Pleasureland Website
- , http://www.southportreporter.com/302/ Local Newspaper Website Report
- , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyfu_mU-dmo
- , Model Village Website
- , Splash World URL
- , Local Gov. Website.
- , Local newspaper report
- , Southport Past Website
- , Southport Rugby Football Club Website
- , Southport Sharks Website
- , 24-hour yacht race (video)
- , http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/galleries/dan_dare_and_the_birth_of_high-tech_britain.aspx
[edit] External links
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