THING OF THE WEEK

“There ain’t no monorail here and there never was!” pic.twitter.com/KvIvGyyXxo

— Steve Rotheram (@MetroMayorSteve) November 14, 2019

STEVE VS THE MONORAIL… Bad news for the Lyle Lanleys of this world who might have hoped to swindle Liverpool with a monorail that doesn’t work: Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram looks to have finally put the brakes on the idea to resurrect the former Dockers’ Umbrella light railway, an idea first mooted at last year’s MIPIM UK conference. Asked about the monorail at yesterday’s Place North West Merseyside update, Rotheram clearly regretted mentioning it in the first place, and as the above twitter exchange proves, the Metro Mayor is clearly a Simpsons fan and looks to have learned a lesson from Springfield’s disastrous monorail adventure. Is there a chance the track could bend? THING supposes we’ll never find out now…

KNIGHT-ED… Nobody can say that property professionals don’t work hard. Whether it’s delivering a multi-million-pound development on time, or climbing a mountain for charity, it’s safe to say there is a lot of leg work involved. The Manchester, Yorkshire, and Newcastle offices of property consultancy firm Knight Frank walked 3,000 miles and climbed 600,000 ft over the course of one day as they tackled three Yorkshire Peaks: Pen-y-ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough. The team managed to raise £21,230 for five chosen charities: LandAid, Rainbow Trust, Alzheimer’s Society, Contact the Elderly, and Young Minds. A big congrats from THING!

BIRDY… Beaches are known for birds, but typically its those pesky seagulls trying to pinch a chip while your hair’s blowing about your face, and not an art installation for all those ornithologists out there. Seven sculptures of birds local to Morecambe have been installed at sites around Morecambe Bay. The area is one of the top three places in the UK for wintering birds including lapwings, curlews, and oystercatchers, and a new art installation by Ulverston-based artist Chris Bramall of CB Arts will showcase some of these species all around the bay.

LERPWL… a Welsh/Scouse fusion restaurant is heading to Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock in early 2020, from the Barrie Brothers who opened Marram Grass in Anglesey in 2009. This site is becoming a hot-bed for independent restaurants, which also include Maray, Rosa’s Thai Café and Lunyalita, and is becoming a magnet for foodies.

FISHY… Everyone knows the Lake District for its picturesque views, peace, and tranquillity. However, it hasn’t always been the case, as with the wild but apparently true story of The Fish Inn, which sits at Buttermere Lake. In the 18^th century, local legend states that Mary Robinson, daughter of the landlord of The Fish Inn, married a man who was illegally posing as nobleman Colonel Hope, who was ultimately found out, tried, and hanged, leaving Mary heartbroken. Of course, this is the 18^th century, and the ‘Maid of Buttermere’ found love once more with a local farmer. If you want to be a part of the history, not by lying to your spouse but by purchasing the Fish Inn, then the asking price has reduced £150,000 to a much more affordable £1.35m.