Re. Matthew St Festival, why is the Wirral means of transport being so annoyingly reduced? Tunnels off, trains terminating at James St. etc. It's ridiculous.

I was going to go over on Monday, but if these restrictions with Wirral transport means are the same again tomorrow, then I don't think I'll bother.

I bet a lot of people on the Wirral are fuming at the miserably reduced means of transport.

just got back from costco, the roads over there are dead, wallasey tunnel was quiet and costco aren't bothered about people parking there and walking to the festival.

don't see it being a problem with trains terminating at james st?

Trains are not terminating at James Street, James Street station has been closed on Sunday and Monday for safety reasons due to the expected crowds at the Mathew Street Festival. Trains are not stopping at James St, but do carry on to stations around the loop system. They have also tried to enhance the service by trying to make as many services run as 6 cars instead of just 3.

IMHO it's a bit unfair to say it's a problem. Mersey travel announced last week that these measures would be taken as a safety precaution

its chocker

Got some photos from earlier

U2 tribute at the Tunnel Stage


Some guy climbing the scaffolding


This was around 1:30pm as I left the Tunnel Stage




Williamson Square stage


"Amsterdam" play the Williamson Square stage


Texas tribute at the Derby Square stage


Jackson 5 tribute at the Water Street stage


Tom Jones tribute at Derby Square


Dale Street at 4pm


The line-up

brilliant pics. well done.

Great pics
I've been over on both days the past two years but have given it a miss this year.
IMHO I think that it is beginning to become a victim of its own success in as much as it gets too busy at some of the more closed in stages.
I think it's great for the city though

Thanks both, great pic by beer_money also. Yes, this is the 4th year in a row I've been (I always go on the Sunday).

This was by far the busiest one I've seen yet. It probably helped that they ran it an hour later this year, 12am-6pm. It was 11am-5pm last year IIRC.

I did also go to the festival back in the mid '90s. I remember back in 1996, it really was confined to Mathew Street, with just a few bands doing gigs in quite packed pubs.

It's amazing how much it has changed since then! I agree it's great for Liverpool.

And equally, just as many are grateful for these safety measures being put into place.

These measures are to ensure not too many scousers escape into the wirral in the confusion created by this festival.

www.mathew.st/webcam.php

Brilliant pics! Thanks for sharing

I have given the festival a miss this year ...and last year for that matter due to having young children and don't fancy a repeat performance of 2 yrs ago

I took my youngest 3 over on the train to meet my in-laws at Williamson Square - as soon as we got of the train, the heavens opened and the kids were whining about it - got to Williamson Square and everyone had started leaving in droves

I decided to take my whiny kids home and headed back to Central Station, got down onto the platform and there were hundreds of people already there, all of the trains that stopped were jam packed and nobody could get on - more people were piling down onto the platform from up top and no-one knew what was going on - it was getting dangerous as people were getting pushed further toward the platform edge

In the end I took my kids back upstairs and across town in torrential rain and tried Moorfields station - it wasnt AS bad there but still really packed - we ended up getting a bus home cos I kept having panic attacks about seeing someone being pushed onto the train tracks <pathetic>

I can totally understand why the trains have been limited but it I realise how frustrating it is too

Great fest this year.

I love my Ship & Mitre.

brilliant pictures
I guess my poor boys won't be home again tonight

just looked at the webcam! eekkk we'll be lucky to see them crawling in before 7am by the looks of it.

one made it home at 07.10am the other...his g/f needs her reassurance at 7am in the morning, ain't that nice

Was surprised to find the ferry finished at 1800, would've thought that would take a lot of heat off the railway. Oh well.
Another thing to be aware of, at the
Tunnel Stage at the Queen set there were idiots throwing full cans of ale and full coke bottles into the crowd i.e. launching them like missiles with the tops removed. I only hope nobody got injured by them. Anyone taking kids over should be especially warned. The idiots are taking over the asylum.

Yes, I saw that too, it's unfortunately been happening over the last couple of years. At the end of the U2 set, the "Bono" guy told someone off for doing it. I've learnt not to get too near the front, especially at the tunnel stage. Somone could get seriously hurt by that.

Anyone that is doing that can expect a knock on the door in the next couple of days I would think.
They have CCTV on the gantry of all those stages and will be watching every move made

Stupid scumbags are at it again! I HATE idiots like this.

Unfortunately, this area seems to have a depressing preponderance of this pond life.

Excrement is better than these mindless yobs.