You Gotta Be Jokin’ Me!

I spent this morning at a meeting of the Council’s Planning Committee, where I joined numerous other local business owners, residents and employees in speaking out in opposition to plans to create a new bus hub on Old Haymarket, a couple of minutes from where I work. A move which will increase pollution and noise whilst having a massive negative impact on a thriving neighbourhood and on several independent businesses which have transformed the area over the last 2 or 3 years. Not to mention being a huge eyesore in the middle of a heritage area frequented by thousands of visitors to the Walker Art Gallery, the World Museum, St George’s Hall and St John’s Gardens. It’s not that the city doesn’t need ‘improved connectivity’ – it’s just that this is the wrong way to go about it!

Almost inevitably, the passionately argued views of the people who live, work, create employment and contribute to the area’s economy were swept aside by the elected representatives, the planning department and the transport companies… and the planning proposal was passed.

One of the businesses likely to have to close as a result of this decision is my favourite coffee shop/eatery, Lovelock’s – a location which has featured many times in this journal! Naturally, I headed there straight after the meeting, to have some lunch and to mutter about the state of the world. It will be a real shame, and a great loss to the city, if this thriving community venue is forced to shut.

Just two of the great people I ran into whilst I was there today were the ‘baby in a bag’ who features in today’s Extra picture (fear not, gentle reader, I sought the permission of her responsible adults before the photograph was taken!), and the excellent Emily Lansley of top Liverpool band Stealing Sheep – currently all over an airwave near you with their brilliant single ‘Joking Me’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv9avX54KAo (I’ve been singing it to myself for days, such are its earworm-like properties!) and about to be doing the same with their new single ‘Show Love’ too https://youtube.com/watch?v=uj2ZqiMCxwU. I just couldn’t pass-up the opportunity to take a picture of Emily in her Pink Floyd ‘See Emily Play’ t-shirt www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c0EDM-Yu9o. The perfect garment for her!

At the very moment that I was waylaying her, her bandmates Lucy and Becky were over at Bluecoat talking to Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC Radio 6 Music about this year’s 6 Music Festival, which will be happening here in Liverpool, March 29th – 31st www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002s2h. Looks like it’s going to be fabulous!

Keep an eye out for Stealing Sheep’s 3rd album, ‘Big Wows’ out on 19th April on Heavenly Recordings. And if you want to ‘see Emily play’ live, the band are touring in April... http://heavenlyrecordings.com/new-music-album-announcement-stealing-sheep-big-wows/ They put on a spectacular show, so do check them out if you can!