Capital of Culture update: Liverpool's Got Talent

If only Liverpool had a pier rather than the Pier Head, for Phil Redmond's stewardship of the Capital of Culture year seems to be an end-of-the-pier show in search of a venue.

Just announced is a talent show with a prize money can't buy. If the workings of the Liverpool Culture Company so far are anything to go by, being close to organisers might help, but money? Money won't buy the prizes:

The winner, or winners, will play a starring role in the closing ceremony of Capital of Culture, make a guest appearance in Hollyoaks and win £1,000.

Curiously, given that this is supposed to be an open talent contest, two of the prizes seem to suggest that specific talents would at least be an advantage of some sort.

So, who are the judges?

The star judge is Jennifer Ellison - music fans will recall the extent to which her estimation of her talents diverged from those of the general population; there's also Emma Rigby, who is in Hollyoaks, apparently. And:

Liverpool comedienne Pauline Daniels, ex-Brooksider Philip Olivier, celebrity hairdresser Herbert Howe, Sir Paul’s brother Mike McCartney and The Farm guitarist Keith Mullin will also be judges.

Keith Mullin is a lovely bloke, and Macca's brother at least has a track record. But, really, Herbert Howe? He's going to bring his way with a styling brush as a way of judging stars?

It's fine for a bit of fun; a bank holiday bit of nonesense. But when you're trying to show the depth of talent a city has, it undermines you a little if the best judge you can find is the man who styles the hair of the woman who does the books for the man who wrote the cheques for the now-defunct Brookside.

McCartney battles to save a Post Office

One of the Post Offices near one of Paul McCartney's homes is to close, and Macca - and his brother Mike "McGear" McCartney aren't happy:

Paul's brother Mike McCartney is to read a message from the former Beatle outside the post office in Lower Heswall, Wirral, which could be axed.

Mike, 63, said: "We have both had our homes here for over 40 years. This is the local village and post office."

Mike doesn't find time to address the irony that a lot of villages are losing their amenities like pubs and post offices because rich people buy up houses and only live there for a few weeks a year, if that, while the local community - who would have used the services regularly, year-round - are priced out by the second and third home owners.

We imagine Paul's going to be sending a letter addressing this subject, just as soon as he can find somewhere to buy a stamp.

Reunion-itis: Scaffold

They've not worked together since, ooh, the mid 1970s, but John Gorman, Mike "McGear" McCartney and Roger McGough have got Scaffold back together, as one of the less-grim aspects of the Liverpool Capital of Culture year. They've done a cover of Three Lions for the Echo's number ones album. We'd love to think that David Badiel will return the favour by releasing a cover of Gorman's Bucket of Water Song... but... no, actually, we wouldn't.