Leonora Brace obituary: Beloved paramedic, campaigner & journalist

Leonora Brace obituary: Beloved paramedic, campaigner & journalist

Leonora Brace obituary: Beloved paramedic, campaigner & journalist

                                             

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Leonora talks to camera about a local flytipping hotspot

Leonora Brace (Challis Street, Bidston) campaigning against flytipping
Leonora Brace (Challis Street, Bidston) campaigning against flytipping

By John Brace (Editor)

Leonora Brace – Born – 1947
Died – 15th January 2022

First publication date: Sunday 16th January 2022, 16:20 (GMT).

Mrs Leonora Brace who died aged 74 on the Wirral was the youngest of many sisters. She grew up in a very rural part of Canada to a British mother and First Nation father & was always proud of her First Nation culture, language and roots. She was bilingual (her other main language (although not her mother tongue) was Canadian English) with a basic grasp of other languages too.

She had emigrated to the United Kingdom (UK) as a teenager and worked in the UK a variety of different healthcare roles, first as a carer (when she caught tuberculosis), then later she qualified as a paramedic (taking her paramedic exams on audio tape rather than in writing due to her dyslexia) followed by a long career as a paramedic.
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Where are the Remembrance Sunday services on the Wirral on the 8th November 2015?

Where are the Remembrance Sunday services on the Wirral on the 8th November 2015?

Where are the Remembrance Sunday services on the Wirral on the 8th November 2015?

                                           

Remembrance Sunday 2012 at the War Memorial Birkenhead Hamilton Square
Remembrance Sunday 2012 at the War Memorial Birkenhead Hamilton Square

There will be many services to mark Remembrance Sunday on the Wirral on the morning and afternoon of the 8th November 2015.

The Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Les Rowlands will be attending the service held at The Cenotaph in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead in the morning and the service at the War Memorial in Thornton Hough in the afternoon.

These are details of when and where the Remembrance Day Services for 2015 will be:

Morning

10.55 The Cenotaph, Hamilton Square, Birkenhead

10 o’clock Christ Church, Kings Road, Bebington, followed by a service at the Higher Bebington British Legion at noon.

10 o’clock St Mary’s Church, Eastham

10.15 St. Barnabas Church, Bromborough

10.30 St. Oswald’s Church, Bidston

10.45 Grange Hill, West Kirby

10.45 St. Peter’s Church, Lower Village, Heswall, followed by wreath laying at The Cenotaph, Heswall

10.30 for The Cenotaph, corner of Maryland Lane and Pasture Road

10.15 for The Parade will leave the Royal British Legion, Wallasey for a 10.55 am Service at the War Memorial, Magazines Promenade, New Brighton

10.00 for Short Service at St. Stephen’s Church followed by 10.45 a.m. War Memorial at Junction of Osmaston Road and Prenton Lane, Prenton

10.45 War Memorial outside the Public Library, Ford Road, Upton

10.45 War Memorial, Port Sunlight Village followed by a service at Christ Church, Port Sunlight Village

If crossing the River Mersey to Liverpool on Remembrance Sunday, larger crowds than usual are expected for the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, St George’s Plateau because of the ceramic poppy art installation "The Weeping Window" at St Georges Hall. It’s expected there will be large numbers of people there and road closures will be in place by 9.30 in the morning.

Afternoon

2.20 for Service at the War Memorial, Thornton Hough 2.45

The Merseytravel journey planner is useful for the times of public transport when travelling to and from Remembrance Sunday services.

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Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 OUT/13/00551: Unused Land, Valley Road, Bidston – Outline application for the construction of indoor skate park with associated facilities including offices, cafe, flexible learning spaces, business support for young entrepreneurs and car parking

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 OUT/13/00551: Unused Land, Valley Road, Bidston – Outline application for the construction of indoor skate park with associated facilities including offices, cafe, flexible learning spaces, business support for young entrepreneurs and car parking

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Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 OUT/13/00551: Unused Land, Valley Road, Bidston – Outline application for the construction of indoor skate park with associated facilities including offices, café, flexible learning spaces, business support for young entrepreneurs and car parking

                            

Continues from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 APP/12/01502: Seafields, Park Lane, CH47 8XX – 3 Holiday Eco Chalets with associated parking and screening.

The video for this application starts here. The Chair, Cllr Bernie Mooney left the room during this item having previously declared a prejudicial interest. The Vice-Chair Cllr Denise Realey took the Chair for this item. She asked the officer to introduce the report.

The officer said the application was for outline planning permission with all matters reserved. The land was allocated for recreational development so in principle it was acceptable. The National Planning Policy Framework stated that sports facilities should be located within town centres, but the applicant had submitted a sequential test looking at alternative sites which weren’t available for a development of this size. The officers felt it would be a beneficial use for a vacant site and recommended it for approval.

The Vice-chair asked if there were any petitioners or ward councillors that wished to speak? There weren’t. Cllr Anita Leech asked why at the weekends the opening times were only until 7pm? The officer said that these were the opening times put forward by the applicant. The Vice-chair said that the applicant could ask for permission to extend the opening times in the future.

Cllr Eddie Boult said that they all wanted an indoor skate park in their area and was happy to accept the application. Cllr Anita Leech asked if the trees would be replanted. Matthew Davies replied that the trees were scrub trees and had no amenity value therefore did not warrant a condition requiring replacement.

Cllr Joe Walsh proposed approval of the application, Cllr David Elderton seconded approval. All councillors (except Cllr Bernie Mooney who was absent during this item) voted in favour of the application so it was approved.

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 APP/13/00676: Ring O Bells Hotel, Village Road, West Kirby, CH48 7HE – New external children’s play equipment.

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EXCLUSIVE: Merseytravel agree £3.38 million of investment in improving access for the disabled at Birkenhead North station

Merseytravel agree £3.38 million of investment in disabled access at Birkenhead North station, comments from Wirral councillors and comment on the Roads v Central Trains Ltd [2004] EWCA Civ 1541 case as well as links to the report, design work and key risks of the project

EXCLUSIVE: Merseytravel agree £3.38 million of investment in improving access for the disabled at Birkenhead North station                                              

Birkenhead North railway station steps (problems with disabled access)

Last Thursday at its Annual Meeting, Merseytravel agreed £3.38 million of investment in improved disabled access at Birkenhead North train station. Merseytravel received £1 million towards the project from Network Rail’s “Access for All” fund, £1.2 million from Network Rail’s Enhancement Fund and a further £300,000 from Network Rail. The work is planned to be completed by March 2014.

Wirral councillors welcomed the news. Cllr Steve Foulkes told those present at the meeting that it was his local station and that completing the link to the car park would have a beneficial effect on residential parking at Birkenhead Park. Cllr John Salter thanked officers for coming forward with the proposals and referred to the regeneration going on in the area, such as Peel’s plans for an International Trade Centre.

John Brace, pictured in the photo who started campaigning for improved disabled access at Birkenhead North railway station in 2008 said, “The news surrounding the planned work to improve disabled access at Birkenhead North railway station by next year is welcome. Neil Scales, the former Chief Executive of Merseytravel stated in a letter to myself in 2008 that “Merseytravel’s … aim is to provide step free access at all stations on Merseyside.”

“There is a footbridge at Bidston and stepped ramps at both Upton and Birkenhead Park railway station, so there is still a long way to go before stations in the local area are accessible. A legal case in the Court of Appeal in 2004, Roads v Central Trains Ltd [2004] EWCA Civ 1541, was brought by a wheelchair user against their local train company because of an inaccessible train station. Mr. Roads was paid £1,097 in compensation (and his legal costs) because of disability discrimination and Central Trains limited was forced (despite an estimated cost of £750,000) to improve disabled access at the train station.”

“People who certain disabilities are entitled to a free public transport pass, yet it is wrong that many disabled people have a pass that they can’t use at their local train station due to access problems. Improving disabled access also makes life easier for cyclists and people pushing pushchairs. I hope that Merseytravel and Merseyrail will take its legal responsibilities seriously not to discriminate against disabled people and improve the other inaccessible stations in the near future. Three Lord Justices agreed that the cost of adapting the train stations is not a reason to discriminate against disabled travellers.”

The report of Merseytravel’s Director of Integrated Transport Services about the Birkenhead North access improvements can be read here, as well as an enclosure showing the new design and a further enclosure detailing key risks of the project.

Bidston Moss Retail Park: Five New Units Under Construction

Bidston Moss Retail Park: Five New Units Under Construction near Junction 1 of the M53

Bidston Moss Retail Park: Five New Units Under Construction

                               

Bidston Moss Retail Park Shops Construction

As you can tell from the photo, five new units are being built on the Bidston Moss Retail Park (near Junction 1 of the M53) on what used to be the site of MFI & Carpetright. There’s been curiosity about who will occupy the new units numbered 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E and some people have come to this blog looking for further information using the search “bidston moss retail park new shops”.

The planning application (more details here) lists the mysterious Derwent Holdings Ltd on the Isle of Man as the applicant. The new units are currently advertised as to let on GVA’s website. So all that can be said about the new tenants is that they won’t be food businesses (as this type of business isn’t allowed with that type of planning permission). Hopefully the new units will be finished and let soon bringing desperately needed jobs to the local area. One of the four units is now occupied by Carpetright.

One bit of good news surrounding the development is that a former car park on the site will be transferred to Wirral Council to be incorporated into Bidston Moss Nature Reserve.

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