‘Comically unwieldy’: Goodbye Merseytravel… hello TfLCR?
Plus: A battle of developers down on the docks
Dear readers — a warm welcome to all our members after another unfortunately wet weekend in Liverpool, but an especially warm welcome to the 32 new paying members who signed up after Abi’s story last week: The fall of the Regional Director: Who is Liam Didsbury?.
The piece looked at the recent departure of Labour’s Regional Director for the North West: Liam Didsbury. That’s not a job title that rolls off the tongue, nor does it necessarily scream major power-broker, but as one Labour insider put it to us (perhaps exaggerating somewhat) he was “the most powerful person in the North West”. Didsbury, alongside Sheila Murphy, fronted Labour’s clean-up operation after the fallout following Joe Anderson’s arrest in 2020 and had enormous influence in selecting MP candidates, council leaders, and Police and Crime Commissioners. His sudden departure after Labour’s win caused the rumour mill to run wild, as Abi found out…
If you haven’t read that one yet, we’d recommend you go back and do so. And thanks to all the lovely (and enlightening) comments, well as the emails with further tips. As one of you commented: “Love Abi’s pieces. She really gets under the covers in her investigations”.
And over the weekend, David Lloyd took a tour of the city centre after the Lime Street development was awarded the Carbuncle Cup (the prize for the ‘very worst new building in Britain’) to figure out just why the city continues to strive for architectural mediocrity. It got a lot of you talking in the comments:
“Brilliantly researched and informative article,” David Makin
“It’s about changing vision and attitude and not accepting anything less than beautiful,” Barbara Kelly
Why not get involved in the conversation? Click the link below to leave a comment.
Editor’s note: If you’re yet to sign up as a paying member of The Post, there has never been a better time to do so. We have some exciting pieces in the works — including an update on our two-part investigation into Big Help and the return of a formidable Merseyside character and his investment in crypto. We’ve also got a great members’ event with Liverpool chronicler, Jeff Young — details, for members, are here. To make sure you don’t miss out, click the button below.
Unmissable drama at the Davis Cup
From today’s sponsor: Wimbledon may be over, but you don't need to go to London to see top flight tennis. The Davis Cup will be coming to the AO Arena in Manchester in September, with a chance to see some of the biggest names in the game. Known as the World Cup of Tennis, the event is unlike any other in men's tennis, with the GB Team taking on Canada, Argentina, and Finland; it will feature Milos Raonic and Cameron Norrie. Premium seats with the best view of the action are available for just £65.
Don't miss the chance to see an incredible sporting spectacle over in Manchester. To buy your tickets, click here.
The big story: Goodbye Merseytravel… hello TfLCR?
Top line: Last week, metro mayor Steve Rotheram announced Merseytravel, the region’s transport network, would be getting a rebrand. Gone are the days of a four-syllable name that feels light on its feet. Going forward, Merseyside’s transport arm will be known as Transport For Liverpool City Region — or TfLCR for short…
“Comically unwieldy”: Immediately people took to social media to share their thoughts on the new name. “What an utter waste of time and money,” wrote Gary Killroy on X. “Transport for Liverpool city region is a god awful clunky name.” Others quickly joined in on the pile-on. “Is this a joke? TfLCR is just comically unwieldy,” wrote another user. One tried to picture the scene in the room where the decision was taken:
Context: While the clunky rebrand might have been cause for ridicule online, the new name is part of Rotheram’s ongoing plans to improve the region’s transport network — something he promised again as part of his mayoral reelection campaign earlier this year. These plans include connecting rail, bus, ferry, tunnels and active travel options across the six local authority areas.
Bus boss: So far Rotheram has already promised to bring buses back into public control, and invested £500 million in a fleet of new trains for the TfLCR network. A new station was also opened in Kirkby last year, while a £100 million station is due to open at Liverpool Baltic in 2027. On top of this, a Bus Rapid Transport connection linking the city centre with Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Anfield and Bramley-Moore Dock has been outlined for 2028.
According to a Merseytravel — sorry, TfLCR — these investments contribute towards a transport plan that "promotes mobility across the region for our communities and businesses by creating an increased linkage between rail, bus, ferry, tunnels, and active travel".
But why the name change? Apparently, the new name will help further bring the region in line with cities such as Manchester (which has TfGM) giving Merseyside its own distinct regional transport branding that would be rolled out region-wide. A new crest and flag are also being produced for the city region, though that won’t be revealed until the end of the year (leaving us all on tenterhooks).
For many who live here, Merseytravel is already distinct enough as it is. The brand of Merseytravel — with its bright yellow signage and printed ‘M’ — has been well known for decades, and paying for a longer, clunkier alternative to be put on signs across the region has been criticised as not the best use of money. “I grew up on the Wirral in the 70s + 80s, so Merseytravel is a name and brand that's a big part of my youth,” replied another X user.
Bottom line: Ultimately, Rotheram will be judged on the quality of his new transport plans, rather than his knack for snappy branding. Perhaps they will be a smash hit and he’ll go down in the history books as a legendary metro mayor. But he certainly won’t go down as the new Don Draper…
What do you think of the new name? Let us know in the comments.
Your Post briefing
It’s been a mixed bag of July for Peel, the massive company who own the Liverpool Waters development. Positively, the government's Homes England agency has said they will invest £55 million to support the Central Docks development at Liverpool Waters. But one developer has come out swinging at Peel. Greg Malouf, whose company Romal Capital has built two apartment blocks at Liverpool Waters and is working on a third, has accused Peel of over-charging his firm to bring power to the blocks. He says he was quoted £695,000 by Peel, but then spoke to Scottish Power who said they could provide the same power for £11,000. This inter-developer beef might sound in the weeds, but according to Malouf it could worsen the (already alarmingly slow) rate of development at Liverpool Waters. Are the fees being quoted by Peel driving developers away from the Mersey?
On the grapevine: Murmurings coming out of Tranmere Rovers suggest that the club is eyeing up a new owner/investor with friends in very high places (well, he used to have). The club is allegedly trying to keep things under wraps for now, lest there be a backlash, but stay tuned…
Liverpool Under 18s have walked off in two consecutive matches during a youth tournament in Germany after a player twice alleged he had been racially abused. The club called for an “urgent and thorough” investigation and said they were “proud” of the “maturity” shown by the player in his response. But the sporting director of one of the accused teams, Frankfurt, said that while such accusations are taken seriously, he could “rule out racism”, arguing that it was a mere linguistic “misunderstanding”.
And finally…the head of the world’s oldest horse, Old Billy, who was foaled at a farm near Warrington and spent almost two decades powering machinery before his death in 1822 at the grand old age (at least in horse terms) of 62, has returned home. Billy’s taxidermied bonce had been acquired by the Bedford Museum (while his skull was off in Manchester) but now he’s returning to Warrington for the town’s arts festival, thanks to the Bring Back Old Billy Committee. Full story here.
Home of the week
It's not exactly a budget option (certainly not my budget) but an enjoyable gaze through the keyhole at some Georgian Quarter opulence. Would be handy if you wanted to film a costume drama (or if you wanted to live in a beautiful £1.1 million home).
Post Picks
🎭 Head to Claremont Farm on Thursday for an outdoor theatre performance of The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle. The play is suitable for ages 5+ and starts at 6.30pm. Find out more here.
🧘 Wake up with Bundobust on Saturday with their Bundo and Breathe session. The restaurant hosts an hour of yoga from 10am with a complementary chai latte included. Tickets here.
🎸 Grammy award-winning funk band Kool and the Gang head to the M&S Arena on Friday alongside Liverpool soul heroes The Real Thing. Grab a ticket here.
🪴 Blow away the cobwebs with a guided walk around Lunt Meadows on Thursday. The walk focuses on the folklore and medicinal properties of some of the plants in the area with opportunities to forage. Find out more here.
Our favourite reads
“With his avian frame and wispy grey hair, [Neil] Harrison sometimes looks like the man Lennon might’ve become, had he lived to his seventies.” Harrison has been playing John Lennon in the Bootleg Beatles, perhaps the ultimate tribute band, for 31 years, so long that the “real John’s vocal tics and mannerisms remain second nature”. For the FT, Kieran Morris went on tour with Harrison and the band.
Michael Heseltine, a key figure in the regeneration of Liverpool, gives his two cents to Angela Rayner as she takes over the Levelling Up brief for the new Labour government. Alongside his advice, published in the Guardian, he also offers a warning on devolution to Labour: “Were their words mere electoral slogans or will they herald determined policy?”
What a waste if money, so all the transport modes will have to be rebranded, all the stations rebranded, all the stationary in the offices re-printed, all uniforms changed. Can't you tell it's not their money they are spending. They would do better employing people to run the service properly.
Another waste of public money to bolster
People's egos
If our travel system had originally been called TfLCR and Steve changed it to Merseytravel there would have been an explosion of excitement and approval. Why? Because ‘Mersey’ evokes history and belonging. Liverpool City Region is a mish-mash with no history and a contradiction in the name.