Ross Kemp cuts ribbon at Liverpool Go Outdoors Store

THE opening on Saturday, 30 May 2015, of the 40,000 square foot store, makes it the 52nd superstore in the Go Outdoors chain. With the smell of a gourmet barbecue, being cooked by chef Josh Sutton, who provided samples throughout the day, along with the rumblings from the rock climbing wall that where on offer outside through out the day, along with the massive queues that had built up for the opening. Luckily it was warm and sunny, but what a site for a store like this...! Then came the moment those in the queue where waiting for, the cutting of the ribbon. Doing that honour was English actor, author and BAFTA award winning investigative journalist, Ross  Kemp  , along with the 1st Lydiate Scout Group, 3 representatives from the local Territorial Army (TA), representatives from Radio City and Alder Hey Children's Hospital, to name a few... GO Outdoors was founded in 1998 and has grown to become the UK's largest retailer of outdoor equipment and clothing offering customers everything under 1 roof, for enjoyment of the great outdoors. It is good news not just for the local area, not just as a result this store has seen the chain investment a staggering £2 million into what is now the company's largest ever investment in a single store. The other good news is that it also brings back jobs that had been lost when an Outdoor Megastore went into administration and shut, back in September 2014, with the loss of around 20 jobs on that very site! This new store now employs over 45 outdoor enthusiasts, from within the Liverpool community, adding to the 1,800 plus outdoors staff nationally! GO Outdoors Liverpool is now offering it clients clothing and equipment for a range of activities that includes:- camping, walking, climbing, riding, fishing, skiing, running and cycling. Its core principle of helping as many people as possible to enjoy adventures in the outdoors means you will get good down to earth advice when shopping at it, not just a sales pitch. We have to say, even though it was the opening we attended, we where externally impressed with the staff, who all had good knowledge of the products on sale, within the areas of the store the looked after. We will be returning to do a review of some of the largest assortment of outdoor equipment we looked at so be warned! Even the VIP, Ross Kemp, who is well known for his extreme documentary series, 'Extreme World'  (Due to return on TV very soon!) could not resist buying a few of the many items on sale! Not only that, the local That was not just for camera as it was hard to keep him from being distracted by the vast range on display when photographing him! Ross after the event said that:- "It is great to see a place like Go Outdoors open in Liverpool, allowing people to get the gear they require for their own adventures. Adventure and pushing my limits is my passion, so I had an amazing time meeting other wanting to do the same at this store."

To see our photographs taken on the day, along with an exclusive interview with Ross and footage of the action on the day, that includes the Q&A with Ross click on here now!

Unexplained death in Southport Town Centre!

A male, thought to be in his 40's, was found dead at 7.10am, near to the Towns War Memorial, on Lord Street. It is though that he might have been a rough sleeper. A forensic enquiries has been carried out of the area and a cordon was been put in place around part of the monument. A Merseyside police spokesman said:- "A man's body was found at 7.10am today. It was a male in his 40s. The death is being treated as unexplained at this time."

Southport Food and Drink Festival 2015 was a massive hit

WELL it is not a flash in the pan, the Southport Food and Drink Festival is... Click on here to read more...!

Merseyside's 120,400 Tax Credits claimants urged to renew early and online

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging 120,400 people who receive Tax Credits across Merseyside to renew their Tax Credits claim online, as soon as possible ahead of the deadline in July. People who don't renew by the deadline will have their payments stopped so it's vital they do it as soon as possible. And improvements to the online system mean it's never been so easy. For the 1st time anyone can now renew online, regardless of what changes they have to make. Previously, large numbers of customers had to call us or renew by post. But this is no longer the case and HMRC is urging everyone to beat the queue and get online. When customers renew their claim, they must tell HMRC about any changes to their circumstances that they haven't already reported, including changes to working hours, childcare costs or income. Everyone can notify HMRC of these changes on Gov.UK when they receive their pack and renew their claim. The online service has proved very popular, with nearly nine in 10 people using it saying they were happy with the process. On average, it takes 10 to 20 minutes to renew online, depending on circumstances, but many renew their claim in just 6 minutes. A special team is there to support the most vulnerable customers who cannot go online, and some 2,000 people who we know need special support will be proactively contacted by our customer support teams. Nick Lodge, HMRC’s Director General, Benefits and Credits, said:- "This is an exceptionally busy time of the year for HMRC, as millions of people renew their tax credits. Phone lines may be very busy with long wait times possible. Using our online service means that you can renew at any time of the day or night, and on any device, without having to call us at all. Online help can also answer most queries or issues that you may have. We urge everyone who can to go online.  People should check their details and renew early to ensure they get the right money. The sooner people renew their claim, the sooner we can check payments are correct, meaning we avoid paying too little money, or too much, which claimants then have to be pay back." Online help and information on Tax Credits renewals is available on:- Gov.UK. The packs are sent out from April to June in advance of the 31 July deadline.