West Kirby Today #111
Inquiry call after flood wall 'fail' | Pupils launch dog poop campaign | Fine warning for cars at station shops car park | Former Hoylake lifeboat washes up for sale in Essex | Bamboo Thai column
Letter from the Editor
Welcome to our weekly newsletter, with the latest news for West Kirby, Caldy, Hoylake and Meols. It’s been a busy couple of weeks since our last newsletter, and today’s is packed with the latest stories from our area.
West Kirby Today is provided free of charge, and a big thank you to our current advertisers whose paid partnerships help to subsidise our work. You can also contribute a small donation to help cover our running costs by buying us a virtual coffee here.
Kind regards,
Paul Johnston - Editor, West Kirby Today
Call for investigation into ‘fail’ of West Kirby flood wall
It was a tongue-in-cheek football analogy, but a social media post from Wirral Council in 2022 which claimed that even Lionel Messi wouldn’t get past the new West Kirby sea defences has come back to haunt the local authority following flooding on South Parade this week.
A meme featuring a canal boat superimposed in the flood water, and a fake video of Donald Trump saying he will sort ‘the wall’ out if he is elected President, have both gone viral.
More seriously, the chair of the committee which gave planning permission for the scheme has called for a “full and frank investigation and explanation” - although the council insists the wall did do the job it was designed to do and diffused the force of the waves. Read more.
St Bridget’s pupils launch dog poop campaign
Children at St Bridget’s C of E primary school in West Kirby have designed posters which are being displayed around the Marine Lake to encourage dog owners to pick up their animal’s poop.
The eye-catching winning entries include hand drawn pictures, as well as use of technology, with one linking to an informative home-made YouTube video. Read more.
£100 fine warning at West Kirby shops car park
Cars parking in the shops car park behind West Kirby station face being hit with a £100 fine after the installation of a new automatic number plate recognition camera.
The car park is private land with spaces for the traders who operate from the station shops. Read more.
COLUMN | Thailand’s New Year is the wildest and wettest in the world
Bamboo Thai is owned and operated by Wirral couple, Dave Otter and Pam Anuniwat who have been bringing their unique twist on the authentic taste of Thailand to customers at the White Lion on Grange Road for three years. In 2021 they opened Bamboo Thai restaurant on Hoylake Road in Moreton serving delicious, fresh street food.
Thai New Year is almost upon us and while it’s a national holiday back home, over here we will be hard at work serving up sumptuous dishes from Bamboo Thai’s new (year) menu, both in West Kirby and in Moreton.
The concept of ‘New Year’ in Thailand has an interesting history. Officially, as in most countries, New Year in Thailand is celebrated on 1st January. ‘Songkran’ (pronounced sohng-grahn) was the official New Year, celebrated on 13th April until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1st April. Then in 1940, this date was shifted to 1 January. Unofficially the celebrations start on 13th April and last at least until 15th April to allow as many expat-Thais to return home, be with family and join in thousands of traditional parades, cultural shows and religious ceremonies and reflect on all that their parents and elders have done for them in the past.
Predictions
The word Songkran comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, meaning, astrological passage, and signifying transformation or change. As such Thai astrologers make predictions about the economy, agriculture, rainfall and political affairs according to observations between the two days.
What can already be predicted is that there will be no ‘New Year’ celebration like it anywhere else in the world. Of course, Chinese New Year might be better known, because of sizeable overseas Chinese populations, Scotland and Northern England might have first footing, New Yorkers, the giant ball drop and everyone has fireworks.
Aquatic skirmishes
But Thailand hosts the world’s biggest water fight. It’s framed as ritual cleansing, but everyone, except, monks, the elderly and babies, can expect to be caught in splash battles. In some parts of the country, Songkran is extended to 19th April with the Wan Lai Festival, the “day that flows”.
It all starts off serenely enough with the washing of Buddha statues with scented water, the blessing of village elders by dribbling water on their arms, but soon a joyous people’s army wielding high-powered super soakers and pistols, buckets of water and even elephants take to the streets to drench everyone in their wake. And thousands of tourists arrive to join in. It’s a celebration that unites the country, from thousands of street parties in Bangkok, to the moated Chiang Mai City in the mountainous North, to the beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui, from the craziest parties of all in Pattaya to Roi Et, famed for its food and where we are from.
Delicious new dishes
Although we will not be there, we thought we might join in by showcasing our own street food heritage further by adding delicious new dishes to our menu, including Pad Lao, a sweet, caramelised noodle dish and the delectable Pad Prik Thai Dam, a tender stir fry black pepper beef dish that forms an integral part of Thailand’s rich culinary history. We are also introducing crispy duck to the menu as well as popular dishes from Chiang Mai.
So come and join us, because we really do wish we were going back to Thailand to celebrate and be with family. It’s so warm, colourful and fun at this time of year. That said, at least we’ll still get a good soaking from UK April showers!
Happy Songkran everybody: Suk San Wan Songkran Tuuk Khon / สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ทุกคน
and
Happy New Year: Sawatdee Bpee Mai / สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่.
Bamboo Thai at the White Lion: Curry and a Pint night Wednesday, 5-9pm; regular menu Thursdays & Fridays, 5 – 9pm; Saturday 3 – 7pm; Sunday 1 – 7pm.
Bamboo Thai restaurant, 272 Hoylake Road, Moreton: Tuesday – Sunday from 5-10pm. Takeaway and delivery also available.
The above is sponsored content
Former Hoylake lifeboat washes up for sale in Essex
It saved dozens of people from drowning over 16 years, but now it has emerged a former Hoylake lifeboat ended up submerged itself.
The 37 foot long Mary Gabriel patrolled the Wirral coastline from 1974 until 1990, before being transferred to Rhyl until 1992. Read more.
Register for Birkenhead School’s Open Day
Where the journey begins…
Visit Birkenhead School on Saturday 27th April for their Open Day where families will be able to explore the campus from Pre Prep (3 years +) through to Sixth Form.
Hear from the Headmaster, meet staff and take a tour of the campus with students who will be on-hand to answer any questions you may have. There will be lots of fun and activities for everyone, from making grass-head planters in Pre-Prep to witnessing methane bubbles going up in flames in the Seniors' science lab!
There really is something for everyone to enjoy, so why not visit and see what more Birkenhead School could offer your son or daughter. It’s sure to be a wonderful event.
You can find out more about the School and register your attendance here > https://bit.ly/43ySm4Y
#ThereIsSomethingSpecialAboutThisSchool
The above is sponsored content
West Kirby singer backs charity art giveaway
Liverpool street artist Paul Curtis has given away two artworks to charity – and enlisted a musician from West Kirby to help.
West Kirby musician Michael Aldag, who wrote a song in 2017 called “These Wings”, inspired by Paul’s first mural, was invited to pick the winning ticket for the painting and also played a song in the Royal Liver Building. Read more.
West Kirby Sailing Club taster day
West Kirby Sailing Club is hosting an open day on Sunday 21 April from 1pm.
It’s a chance to find out about membership, training, junior sailing and much more!
Things to do - what’s on!
A new exhibition at the LAKE gallery on Grange Road in West Kirby brings together two contemporary landscape artists working in very different mediums.
'Earth's Murmurs' features intricately crafted pieces by textile artist Valerie Wartelle sitting alongside the organic, textured paintings of Bridget Greenwood.
It runs until 11 May and the gallery is open Thursday to Saturday from 10am - 4pm.
Hoylake Artisan Market takes place on Saturday 27 April from 11am - 4pm at the Ship Inn.
West Kirby Farmers Market takes place on Saturday 27 April from 9am - 12 midday at St Andrew’s Church Hall.
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