Exclusive: Chair of trustees resigns from Writing on the Wall

Dear readers — A very warm welcome to your Monday edition. We hope you had a great weekend, during which we published Abi’s story about Woolton Picture House and its secretive new owner. It’s already attracted some wonderful comments, including this from Jo which made us laugh:

“I’m so fatigued with myself automatically assuming that everyone in business is a shyster that I’ve decided to believe this is a genuinely good thing and that all will be well.” 

Woolton Picture House’s secret saviour has arrived

A Merseyside millionaire bought Liverpool’s oldest cinema. But who are they?

The PostAbi Whistance

Today’s big story is an exclusive update on the Writing on the Wall controversy. But first, your regularly scheduled Post briefing.

Your Post briefing

Lib Dem leader in playground row: Councillor Carl Cashman, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Liverpool city council, has become embroiled in a dispute about “noise” coming from a primary school play area for children with special needs. Councillor Cashman penned the note to residents living near Mosspits Lane Primary School, confirming he’d written to the school’s headteacher asking for the school to keep noise to a minimum. Responding to the Echo, who covered the story, Cashman said what he wrote was "only a true reflection of what residents have told me". Since the story was published, however, Cashman has responded to criticism by calling the article “sensationalist” and clarifying that residents have told him it’s not so much SEND children but the staff caring for them who have been “causing the majority of noise.” On X, Cashman responded to the parent of a SEND child by pointing out he never specifically blamed the children or the staff for the noise. “There’s not one part of this where I have made a judgement on SEND children,” Cashman wrote. “I am simply stating something which has been said to me. Residents have reported noise.”

County Road demo plan controversy: Speaking of Mr Cashman, on Friday he released a video from outside the Royal Oak pub in Walton calling for the anti-immigration march planned this Saturday to be moved from County Road to the city centre. Liam Robinson, Labour’s leader of Liverpool city council, has previously expressed his belief that the event should not be permitted at all. “We respect everyone’s right to march peacefully,” Robinson wrote in a statement, but “this march is designed to intimidate, to provoke fear and to deepen division in our communities, and it has no place in a city like Liverpool that stands for solidarity, decency and respect.” In his video, Cashman said “as a liberal” he firmly believes in the right of people to peacefully assemble and protest, but raised concerns about businesses like the Royal Oak or “B&M” having to close and lose money due to the demonstration. Meanwhile Alan Gibbons, Liverpool Community Indepdents councillor for Orrell Park, has cited reports of racist and violent incidents aimed at migrant workers in Stockbridge Village as a reason why the “provocative” march should not go ahead.

And in startling proof that public fountains can be fixed, work to restore Port Sunlight’s Grade-II listed Boating Pond and Sea Piece Fountain is underway after the water feature has been dry for five years. The charity Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) said the work included repairing, cleaning and replacing masonry and installing new pumping and filtration systems. The model village was originally built by Lever Brothers to accommodate workers in its soap factory, with the boating pond and the fountain introduced in the 1930s and 1950 respectively. Does this mean there’s hope for Williamson Square fountains or the Piazza “bucket” fountain in Liverpool? We’re not currently holding our collective breath. And as for Steble Fountain, well…

Exclusive: Chair of trustees resigns from Writing on the Wall