Listen in Liverpool

Boys from the Blackstuff is back on stage in Liverpool this year at the Royal Court from 19 April – 11 May followed by a run at the National Theatre. Following its acclaimed run at Liverpool’s Royal Court last year, James Graham’s powerful new adaptation of Alan Bleasdale’s seminal TV show Boys from the Blackstuff is back for 2024. The show, which wowed audiences and critics alike, will return to Liverpool’s Royal Court for three weeks, before transferring to the National Theatre for a two week run. Liverpool acting legend Phil Whitchurch has joined the cast to play George for the Liverpool and London run. Jay Hynd spoke to Phil about what it was like to receive that call, how rehearsals are going and why everybody in the city should see this production. 

We met Lady Ann Dodd at Museum of Liverpool for a very special tour of the Happiness exhibition. She guides us through the exhibition with some never-before-heard stories about her late husband Ken.

ACC Liverpool which includes M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and the BT Convention Centre is celebrating its 15th anniversary. We spoke to Chief Exec Fay Dyer about the venue's highlights over the past 15 years and we also asked what the future holds.

Lightning Seeds are all set to play a hometown show at Liverpool’s Eventim Olympia on Saturday 12 November. Front man Ian Broudie spoke with Jay Hynd about his incredible career to date, a new album and the Scouse crowd.    Lightning Seeds are the brainchild of writer, singer, guitarist and producer Ian Broudie. Ian originally emerged from the post punk Liverpool music scene of the late seventies playing in the band “Big in Japan” which in turn led to him producing several bands starting with Echo & The Bunnymen. In 1989 Ian as Lightning Seeds released debut album ‘Cloudcukooland’ featuring the hit single ‘Pure’. Second album ‘Sense’ followed before the release of the seminal album ‘Jollification’ in 1994 which has so far sold nearly 1 million copies.   In 1996 the iconic single ‘3 Lions’ for the England football team topped the charts many times over. That same year ‘Dizzy Heights’ and 1999’s ‘Tilt’ were released to critical acclaim before Ian returned to his producer roots. Ian soon began to develop hit albums for the likes of The Coral, The Zutons and many more. 

Liverpool's Jamie Webster has has an incredible two years and as he approaches 2022 we talk to him about his brand new album 'Moments', what he has planned for the year ahead, who his influences are  and more. 

Rick Houghton has been lighting up the airwaves in Liverpool for over 30 years. From Radio City, Rock FM and Real Radio and most recently across the whole of the UK on Greatest Hits Radio. Rick will now be taking over 2 weekend shows on In Demand Radio; Rick Houghton’s Saturday Live at 10am, and In Demand Decades, Sunday mornings from 6am, playing 80’s feel good pop. Rick will also be working with the In Demand team to help develop new concepts for the station. In this podcast Rick reflects on his 30 year career and tells us what it is that makes radio so special in Liverpool, how its evolved over the years, and how he thinks things are actually looking a lot brighter in the future for the medium than people may think.

Doors may have ben closed at Liverpool's International Slavery Museum during the pandemic but that doesn't mean that vital work hasn't been going on behind closed doors.  As well as supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, the Anthony Walker Foundation's Stop Hate Crime campaign and dealing with the pandemic the museum has also been working on its expansion plans.  Dr Richard Benjamin from ISM told us more.

The Anthony Walker Foundation is set to launch a new hate crime reporting tool as part of its ‘Speak Out! Stop Hate.’ campaign, in response to the worrying number of instances of hate crime that go unreported nationally. This Sunday February 21st would have been Anthony Walker’s 34th birthday.  We spoke to his sister Dominique about how Anthony is living through her and her incredible work tackling hate crime, celebrating diversity and empowering communities across Merseyside and beyond.  Since Anthony’s death Dominique has been a detective with Merseyside Police, heading up their hate crime investigation’s unit, she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University, gained two degrees and of course, together with her mum Gee and family, set up the Anthony Walker Foundation.  In this captivating discussion with The Guide Liverpool’s Jay Hynd Dominique tells us what drives her to continue the fight against racism and hate crime, explains how prejudice develops within a person, gives examples of resources that we can all use to continue the Black Lives Matter movement ourselves whilst learning about the fight along the way, and of course she also reflects on her life with Anthony and the legacy he has left behind.  You can find out more about the Anthony Walker Foundation and the new Speak Out Stop Hate! Campaign here. https://theguideliverpool.com/anthony-walker-foundation-launches-hate-crime-prevention-campaign-as-more-cases-reported/

James’ Place helps men in suicidal crisis find hope for the future. The centre in Liverpool is the first of its kind in the UK, offering brief, intensive therapeutic sessions in a non-clinical environment. The charity has helped over 400 men so far, and has remained open throughout the lockdowns to continue that support.

Steve Rotheram opens up on what life's been like as Metro Mayor in the pandemic and a big post-lockdown idea for Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram has revealed what life has been like as Metro Mayor during the coronavirus crisis and how he believes mass vaccination has given hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for our region. He says a post-pandemic plan is already being developed which will put Liverpool City Region at the forefront of IT and creative excellence, competing against worldwide super-powers like New York, Barcelona and Paris. “We are an internationally acclaimed and recognised brand – that’s why it’s called Liverpool City Region, because Liverpool is a global door-opener and I don’t think, other than London, there’s anything that can touch us,” he says. Steve spoke to The Guide Liverpool about how he sees the region recovering and the fight to secure financial support for our visitor economy and forgotten workers. And he tells us what he’s missed most during lockdown …

Frances Molloy has spoken of her relief and joy that the new legislation she has so tirelessly campaigned for will come into force from Monday 1 February. Last year she received a letter from the Roads Minister Charlotte Vere has confirmed that the law governing tyres will change on February 1, 2021. Frances who launched the Tyred campaign which gained support from the celebs like Jodie Comer, said she never doubted this day would come and added: “I feel that I have finally done what I set out to do, and had to do, for my son. “I am his mum. Who else was going to do this for him? “Who else was going to make sure his life meant something, except me. “It’s been a very long campaign and between us all we have achieved this law so that this can never happen again to another family.”

Frank McKenna is Chief Executive of Downtown in Business which was established to ensure “the private sector’s needs are on the public sector’s agenda”. After hosting the UK’s first Covid-secure event for 250 people at the M&S Bank Arena back in December 2020, and also following a host of business support webinars. conferences and virtual meetings – Frank is the perfect person to give us some insight into how the city can recover and move forward after Covid-19.

Professor Frank Joseph works for the NHS. Frank is a consultant physician in general internal medicine, he is part of the Royal College of Physicians’ task force supporting the fight against Covid-19 in the NHS. He is also involved through his private medical work in Covid-19 PCR testing for people who require tests for international travel and the rollout of private testing in workplaces across the UK. We asked you via Instagram for your Covid-19 related questions and you didn’t let us down. From queries about the vaccination process, to worries about long Covid and its impact, Professor Frank answers them all and gave us a real insight into the virus and what’s next in the battle against it.

Liverpool City Council Chief Executive Tony Reeves says it will take time for the city to re-emerge after the pandemic and restrictions – but he says our actions so far, including UK firsts like mass testing and thinking ahead with a crucial recovery plan, mean it can, and will, happen. Tony says: “What set us apart from a lot of other places was we saw from the outset that this lockdown and pandemic was going to be very damaging to the economy and was going to lead to a prolonged economic shutdown for key sectors, and that we needed to be planning for recovery right from then. “We started work in the first couple of weeks of the first lockdown back in March last year to plan economic recovery and submitted a plan to the government about six weeks before anyone else in the country. “And we have been working hard to implement that plan ever since.”