News in Heswall

If the sky is clear over the next few days, but especially on Monday, we will have a chance to see an astronomical phenomenon that may have been the same one that inspired the journey of the Magi two millennia ago.

The two largest planets in our solar system, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, will cross paths in the night sky, appearing as a "double planet".

The other night I drove back to Heswall from Liverpool via Hoylake and West Kirby.

It was striking that the latter two towns have been able to stage very impressive Christmas lights displays: Hoylake has a mini-Blackpool Illuminations feel about it that would delight small children, while West Kirby has a slightly more restrained vibe that adds seasonal prettiness to its already attractive centre.

Merseyside Police have arrested 143 motorists on suspicion of drink and drug driving just under half-way through the month-long national Christmas campaign.

Officers have so far arrested 52 people for drink driving and 91 people for drug driving.

The roll out of the largest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS has begun.

Local services run by family doctors and their teams are opening across England as practices take delivery of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. Some launched their clinics yesterday, while the majority get up and running today.

Heswall's popular restaurant Nova is changing places early next year.

Currently sited at 68 Pensby Road, the business will move to larger premises on Telegraph Road - believed to be the former site of Pizza Express.

Thornton Manor in Thornton Hough was to have been the setting for a magical, motorised Christmas experience between December 4 and January 3 next year.

"Completely contactless and Covid safe, our stunning in-car sound experience will enhance your tour as you drive from zone to spectacular zone, ranging from our spellbinding lakeside Northern Lights show to the wonders of our enchanting LED meadow show."

Symptom-free Covid-19 testing began in Wirral today to help stop the spread of the coronavirus this winter.

Testing is available at four testing centres across the Borough and will enable thousands of residents without symptoms to get tested so they can be supported to isolate before they develop symptoms and reduce the spread of the virus.

Merseyside Police is appealing for information following a fatal road traffic accident in Bebington yesterday afternoon.

Shortly before 12.45pm, officers were called to Broadway at its junction with Kings Road following reports of a collision involving a red Honda Jazz and a pedestrian.

Above: click or tap to see just some of the local shops and services back open for business.

It's 9am on Heswall's first day in Tier 2. The sky is grey, it's cold and drizzling - but Sue Porter, owner of Linghams Booksellers and Cafe, is feeling bright having opened her doors for the first time for almost a month.

Grand plans for new walking and cycling routes in Wirral have led some drivers to ask what the future looks like for them.

A new cycling route between Birkenhead and New Brighton, proposed by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), has led to a backlash from some, amid claims it would create problems for car parking and driving in general.