As we prepare for the Mathew Street Festival and Creamfields, TFI suggests that Cockney chappie Brian Sewell may have been a little off the mark with his comments about our great city in our inaugural ‘Wally of the Week’ feature. On a more positive note, the recent winner of the Downtown Liverpool Business of the Year award, Live ‘Smart have announced deals worth £250,000 this week; there is news of possible improvements to our rail network; and the larger than life Duncan Barkes reveals all in ‘Who Are Yer?’ Elsewhere in this Bank Holiday TFI, Frank McKenna defends Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco and Joleon Lescott! Have a great weekend, and don’t do anything Frank wouldn’t do…

LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE FOR ‘LIVERCOOL’ AWARDS

YOU CAN NOW HEAR A PREVIEW OF TFI EVERY FRIDAY MORNING ON CITY TALK 105.9FM, 7.45AM, WITH FRANK McKENNA AND DUNCAN BARKES.

DONT FORGET TO JOIN DLIB ON FACEBOOK

AND FOLLOW FRANK ON TWITTER

Business leaders from across the region have welcomed the proposed West Coast high speed rail link.

Enthusiasm is tempered though by the fact that £35bn will have to be found to pay for the overhaul which will slash journey times from the North West to London.

If the finance is found and the improvements are made, it would take just one hour 20 minutes to travel between Liverpool and the capital city.
However Downtown Chairman Frank McKenna has warned that we should become less obsessed with the South East and warned that the plans must not be “at the expense of improvements to better rail connectivity between cities from across the North”

One of DLIB's favourite haunts, Il Forno, has launched a new pizza delivery service.

Managing director of Il Forno Vince Margiotta said: “Our pizza range, which has been acknowledged by the likes of The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA), is extensive and with the addition of the calzone and foccace section, there are 33 different food items on offer.

Pizza delivery service is currently available Sunday – Thursday from 5.30pm – 10.30pm and prices range from £3.95 to £10.45. The phone number to call is 0151 709 4033.

The Lifestyle Monthly Awards 2010 to be held at the Hilton, Liverpool on 20th March next year with Ruby Wax hosting and OK magazine covering the event. Expect a lot of national media coverage including a major radio campaign in the new year.

Also in the issue are interviews with Mica Paris and Sue Pollard, there's fashion, events and the Liverpool Food Festival. There's over £1500 worth of prizes including the search for the city's yummiest mummy, a meal for 2 at La Cubanita and a round of golf to be won.

From September 15th Lifestyle Monthly magazine can also be seen across TV screens in Liverpool One, the Pyramids and Ellesmere Port shopping centres.

Amanda Moss: editor@lifestylemonthly.co.uk

Serviced City Pads, a serviced apartment booking company based in Liverpool who have apartments listed in a number of locations across the UK, is looking to speak with corporate customers to better manage their accommodation requirements.

Serviced City Pads can also help leisure customers planning a weekend away and many apartments can be booked from just one night.

Chris Rose, Director said “Serviced apartments are fast becoming seen as a great alternative to staying in a hotel, offering more space, flexibility and value for money than the four walls of a hotel room. Of course, we can also offer a mix of hotels and apartments for large bookings. We would be delighted to come and see you for a chat”.

Chris Rose
0844 335 8866
www.servicedcitypads.com

The new national sport of ‘Tesco bashing’ has been embraced at a local level with some enthusiasm during the past fortnight, and I have to say I am a little disappointed, if not surprised. Like most Liverpudlians, I can see why folk would prefer the supermarket chain to find a more appropriate location than the beautiful Hope Street for its next store. Good luck to those who are objecting to that particular proposal.

READ MORE

Downtown Liverpool's Business of the Year 2009,Live'smart, the firm behind the 'SmartCard', have secured 4 new contracts worth more than £250,000.

Livesmart chief executive Carl Speight said the contracts, including deals with Merseyrail and Liverpool City Council, would provide the foundation for future business wins across a range of areas in the North West and beyond.

Downtown would like to congratulate Live'smart on this fantastic deal.

After claiming in an interview on Radio Four this week that awarding the Capital of Culture prize to Liverpool was ‘a joke’, Mr Sewell is a derseved winner of our inaugural 'Wally of the Week'.

But on a serious note, Sewell’s misguided perception is shared by a good number of his cockney counterparts. And that is why investment in marketing Liverpool nationally, as well as internationally, is vitally important. CLICK HERE to read Frank's view on Sewell's remarks.

Liverpool will play host to the biggest food and drink festival in its history next month.

Starting on Sunday, September 13th in Sefton Park, the week-long Liverpool Food and Drink Festival will delight thousands of visitors with an array of mouth watering dishes from some of the finest bars, restaurants, hotels and food retail outlets in the city. Visitors will also be able to enjoy live music, cooking demonstrations, beer tents and children’s play area.

Companies specialising in the food & drink sector sponsoring the event include Delifonseca, Il Forno & Sapporo, Liverpool One and Internet marketing and design consultants Ph.Creative.

READ MORE

Name: Duncan Barkes

Company: City Talk 105.9

Position: Breakfast Show Radio Host

Red or Blue: Neither – White! You can often find me on the terraces at Prenton Park cheering Tranmere.

Brown or Cameron: I met Brown earlier this year, he seems alright but the public have lost faith in him. Cameron reminds me of Lord Snooty from the Beano comic.

Favourite Liverpool Bar/Restaurant: I don’t do trendy…so Doctor Duncan’s is a fine real ale watering hole stocking the best Cain’s brews.

Favourite Tipple: See above, plus red wine and Guinness.

Favourite Liverpool Band: Henry Priestman – he studied music at the Liverpool College of Art, played in the ‘Yachts’ then co-founded ‘It’s Immaterial’ who I loved. He then went on to be in ‘The Christians’. He’s got a great solo album out now called ‘The Chronicles of Modern Life’. Buy it!

Favourite Movie: Withnail and I.

Celebrity Crush: Janet Street Porter

Interesting Fact About Yourself: Having worked on a farm as a teenager I can tell if a cow is good for milking.

With the summer almost over, DLIB brings you a new line-up of events for the remainder of 2009. We kick off the events calendar with our SEXY NETWORKING event, next Thursday 3rd September. Then on the 17th September we have a special event, with the Shadow Home Secretary CHRIS GRAYLING. The following Thursday (24th) sees a new MEMBER’S RECEPTION, your chance to have an effective business to business networking dinner with fellow DLIB members. All this and much more in the upcoming Quarter. Oh, we almost forgot LIVERCOOL! THE awards Dinner of the year on Thursday 17th November.

CLICK HERE for DLIB’s events calendar.

A 'Must Attend' event for comedy and golf lovers alike. This fantastic event will feature some of amazing talent, and is all for a good cause.

To read more about the day CLICK HERE

To book a place at this event CLICK HERE

Downtown Liverpool in Business recommends the launch party of 'Your Business E-zine'.

Taking place on Friday 4th September, 7pm, Chameleon Bar

To register for tickets email emma.dolan@genom.me.uk