‘It could be more like Rome’, man loses house to Aldi and two-day event cancelled last minute
‘It could be more like Rome’, man loses house to Aldi and two-day event cancelled last minute
21:08, 04 Apr 2026Updated 21:08, 04 Apr 2026
Here are five stories you may have missed today
1) ‘It could be like Rome’ – Tired Liverpool square could soon come back to life with crucial change
It’s a mild Wednesday lunchtime and Williamson Square is a hive of activity. Hundreds of people flock from the city’s main transport hubs and move across the square – weaving past throngs of pigeons – and into the city centre shopping district. Some are sitting on benches, eating sandwiches, drinking coffee and watching the world go by – all sound tracked by the melodic efforts of a busker playing a Spanish guitar. Drinkers at Shiraz Bar are making the most of the modicum of spring sunshine on offer. This is one of the city centre’s oldest squares, dating back to 1745 and is surely one of the busiest pedestrian thoroughfares given its proximity to both Lime Street and Queen Square stations. But it is undeniable that it feels unloved.
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2) What’s happening to derelict city centre building once revered all over the world
A derelict building in Liverpool city centre was once the subject of global acclaim, as it was transformed into one of the ‘most daring art exhibitions’ ever created in the UK. However, it’s now been almost two decades since that project was commissioned, and 15 years since the building was last used. For many who socialised in the city centre during the 1990s, Yates’s Wine Lodge was known to be much-loved and popular watering hole. Located just across the road from Moorfields train station, people would head into Cross Keys House for a drink, some after finishing up work for the day, or just getting ready for a night on the town. Founded in 1884, Yates’s Wine Lodge is Britain’s oldest pub chain, and had branches across the country. However, several of its ‘wine lodges’ eventually closed down, replaced with more modern outlets, branded as Yates or converted to Slug and Lettuce.
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3) Southport man who lost house to Aldi tells Sefton Council to ‘sod off’
A Southport man has told Sefton Council to “sod off” after he was forbidden from smoking marijuana in his new house. John Gretton has been re-housed after being given a no-fault eviction notice to make way for a new Aldi. On March, Sefton Council announced plans for the new Aldi food store off Sandbrook Road in Ainsdale promising a £7m investment in the area. The new shop would be built on land next to St John Stone Church where there are currently several flats and shops. However the news was a surprise for Sandbrook Road resident John Gretton and his 64-year-old housemate who lived in one of those flats. He feared he would be made homeless as a result of the new development.
Read the full story here.
4) Southport’s Cristal Palace event cancelled after ‘extensive discussions’
The Cristal Palace event which was due to take place in Southport across the weekend has been cancelled, according to Sefton Council. The decision was taken because of the impending arrival of Storm Dave in the UK. The official council Facebook page posted this afternoon stated: “We can confirm after extensive discussions, tonight’s free Cristal Palace showcase will not go ahead due to the expected serious impact of Storm David. “This decision has been taken not only due to the effects it will have on the crane & chandelier but more importantly to protect the safety of our audiences, staff, performers and volunteers on the ground.
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5) When police asked what happened he blamed a dying old man
It was a miserable February afternoon in suburban Warrington, and John McColl was sheltering from the elements in the Hatter pub. The 84-year-old was a “regular Monday customer” who, once a week, would make the short mile-and-a-half journey on the bus to enjoy a Carling and four pints of bitter. Barmaid Jane Barber remembered him as a “very quiet and private individual” who would only chat to her and another frequenter of the bar, known as “Jaffer”, over trivial matters such as “the weather, and what was going on locally”. Otherwise keeping himself to himself, after around five hours or so, John was on his way back, on the bus, then he would walk the short distance home with what his daughter Joanne Percival would describe as his customary “shuffle”. Neither he, Jane nor Jaffer could ever have suspected that this would be the great-grandad’s final trip to the pub. Because what awaited him a matter of yards away from his bungalow was an unimaginably traumatic, gruesome and painful death, his agony being prolonged over a five-week stay in hospital until he “couldn’t fight anymore”.
Read the full story here.
