One of Sefton's greatest assets is its 22 miles of natural coast. A designated Special Area of Conservation, it contains rare species of animals and plants along its sand dunes and woodlands. Ashleigh Panther investigates the natural and man-made threats to this wildlife haven, as well as the efforts being made to preserve it. She talks to Dave Mercer, Senior Reserve Manager at Ainsdale Sand Dunes National Nature Reserve, who describes the management of the sand dune system, as well as flora and fauna, including the Natterjack toad. She also hears from Cath Johnston, Environment and Energy Manager at Merseyrail, about their strategies to support the local environment — and in particular about the re-development of Ainsdale Station, which will be the first 'eco station' on Merseyside. Ashleigh finally attends the 2015 Sefton Eco Champion Awards, which took place at the Ramada Hotel in Southport in July. These awards, organised by Southport Eco Centre, recognise young people from across the borough who go the extra mile to support their local environment and communities. The work being devised and executed by all of the entrants is innovative, inspiring and effective. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Created by Ashleigh Panther. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

Coastlands: Stories of the Sefton Coast

Sefton Saves the Environment

As part of our Another Place documentary, we followed a project at Forefield Junior School in Crosby, where pupils were creating a musical composition inspired by the sounds of the Iron Men. They discussed their experiences of the installation in class, before going to Crosby Beach to draw — and pretend to be — Iron Men. They then created their own four-note motifs based on what they, and the statues themselves, could see and hear. These were edited together by teacher, Steve Marriott, culminating in this original track. As the Iron Men arrived on Crosby Beach before the pupils were even born, they can offer a unique perspective on the artwork and how we can interact with it. Without doubt, it is a key part of their formative years, and a major prompt to the development of their imagination. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

Sounds of the Iron Men

As part of our Another Place documentary, we asked the Internet to give its opinion on the Iron Men. The first part of this track consists of people describing the installation in five words. The second is a dramatisation of what happened when we posed the question on the Qlocal Southport forum. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

The Iron Men in 5 Words

"Wistful contemplation of the sea." "Council bullied into buying scrap." Antony Gormley's Another Place provokes diverse opinion. So what is the value of public art in Sefton? Through the fictionalised narrative of a pirate radio station, manned by a local with serious spleen against the Iron Men, Phil Montgomery looks for answers. We follow pupils from Forefield Junior School, in Crosby, who undertook a project to make a musical composition inspired by Another Place. As the Iron Men arrived on Crosby Beach before the pupils were even born, they offer a unique perspective on the artwork and how we can interact with it. They also discuss how they might feel if they had never met the Iron Men — if, indeed, they had moved on to 'another place' as originally planned. We also canvassed the internet's views on the installation — which, in some respects, marks quite a contrast with the children's experiences. Meanwhile, at the radio station, another drama is unfolding... To capture the raw nature of a pirate station, the final version of this piece was recorded by broadcasting the finished track to an unused FM frequency, then re-recording it 'as live' through an actual radio set. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Created by Phil Montgomery. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

Another Place Like Home

The Sefton Coast has witnessed a millennium, and is privy to an ancient, transcendent wisdom. This documentary seeks the spiritual side of Sefton — partaking in a gong bath and joining an earth chant on Formby Beach. How do we connect now to traditions long lost, and to nature itself? Meet the people who think they know the answers. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Created by Chelsea Bassnett. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

Chanting the Sefton Coast

This is the documentary that started with a man from the Church of England shouting at us, and ended with police involvement. Writer and journalist, Helen Stenson, investigates Sefton's spooks. She meets Steven Tucker, author of Paranormal Merseyside, and learns about local legends such as Old Trash — the demon dog of Formby, and Teresa Higginson — a religious fanatic from Bootle who believed she was persecuted by the Devil. She also talks to the former owner of a house in Altcar, who was moved to have the place exorcised — twice — due to violent poltergeist activity. And whilst a polite enquiry to the warden of a church in Sefton about its history yielded only being yelled at, feedback from the internet produced a far more interesting story: current and historical occurences of flashing lights at the abandonded Seaforth Radar Tower. Then things got really weird. Helen went AWOL. The police were involved. Her tapes were recovered. And then the whole thing was pieced together by Rebecca Downing, resulting in the piece we hear now. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Created by Helen Stenson and Rebecca Downing. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

Haunted Sefton

A cab is like a confessional: passengers tell drivers things they wouldn't tell a priest. And now you can join a ride through Southport, from one dawn to the next, hearing what the cabbie hears, seeing what the cabbie sees. From candyfloss to clubbers, and businesswomen to bartenders, Southport is a place of contrasts. Its culture and character shifts with the sun. We hear from night-shift nurses and go behind the scenes at Beales. We discover how a fast food restaurant feeds a hungry town. We hear from tourists who return year by year. And then, when the sun sets and the shutters go down, we hear from clubbers and bartenders while the music throbs. This piece's creator, Joseph Rynhart, also looks into the history of Southport, from its Victorian pomp to its contemporary renewal. He talks to Jane Little-Smith, Community Development Officer at King's Gardens, about their re-development and symbiotic relationship with the town. And then meets Mark Catherall, dubbed Sefton Council's 'tourism boss' by the Southport Visiter, to hear about the tourist economy and efforts towards retail renaissance. Forget Delta, forget Uber: this is 24 Hours in Southport. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Created by Joseph Rynhart. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust.

24 Hours in Southport

He runs around Sefton 48 hours a day, eight days a week. Some say he is training for a new series of Takeshi's Castle. Others say his right nipple is the same shape as the Nürburgring. But who is the Litherland Running Man? This documentary fearlessly seeks out the answers. Created by Emma Little. Part of the Coastlands project: six documentaries about the Sefton coast. Supported by Arts Council England and The Hemby Trust,

The Litherland Running Man

Coastlands is a documentary project unearthing the quirky stories of communities along the Sefton coast. Produced by the Theatre in the Rough Festival.

hubhopper

Coastlands: Stories of the Sefton Coast

hubhopper