NOW it is time for Wirral to shine. I was surprised to hear that the River of Light festival was returning to our shores on November 5.

Last year’s event was certainly illuminating, for all the wrong reasons Many took to social media to give their own scathing reviews.

My favourite comment came from a mum who had stood bemused on a windy prom with her family who had been “utterly underwhelmed.”

She wanted more emphasis on old fashioned community bonfires in parks.

Liverpool’s culture guru Wendy Simon said it was a “learning curve.”

An editor I once worked for told me that the biggest lesson for any organisation in the public and private sectors should be that they never make their mistakes in public.

Advice many councils up down the country should take heed of. The public must come first. This year the River of Light has to be a success otherwise there will be fireworks of a different kind.

It will have a lot to live up to judging by the buzz word being used by the joint organisers.

Already the pre-show blurb sounds like extracts from the minutes of a meeting in the BBC’s satirical series W1A.

Because -wait for it - the event will be “fantastic.”

Phil Davies, Wirral Council leader, said: “I hope everyone enjoys what is set to be a fantastic, free family event.’’

Over to you Wendy Simon: ‘‘With less than two months to go the team are working hard to pull together a fantastic free family friendly evening out.’’

Darryl Fleming of Titanium Fireworks, experts who have been brought in, says: ‘‘We are really excited to be working with the project team to deliver a fantastic display on the Mersey.’’

Fireworks will be set off from the water’s edge and from huge barges on the Mersey and will be accompanied by a soundtrack played from key areas and venues along the waterfront.

I also hear the council will push the boat out for a spectacle event leading up to the firework event on November 5 at New Brighton.

No-one would be happier than me to write in my post event review that this year’s River of Light was...fantastic.

TALKING of learning curves, comedian Sam Avery is in the right job - he is the man responsible for the current Liverpool Comedy Festival.

He is also father to twins, Ben and Zac. The once care-free comedian has revealed how he managed by writing an award-winning blog. It is now a book out next week.

I did suggest he called it Conquering My Twin Peaks but Sam went for the more staid Confessions of a Learner Parent.

Relatively speaking, it’s a very funny account of his new- found responsibilities and should keep Sam in stand- up material for years to come.

I think his twins should get royalties and his wife Rachel for such observational gems as his take on nappy changes which he compares to Brexit: “Tons of build-up, nobody really knows what is going on and there’s a terrible mess to clear up afterwards.’’ TWENTY years ago I interviewed Gary Numan a week after I had turned 40 and told him about my life-changing landmark.

“What’s it like? I’m dreading it,’’ he told me on a call to his then home near Heathrow Airport.

Gary told me he much preferred doing interviews on the phone because he didn’t feel comfortable with people and never knew how to interpret body language.

So it was so good to see him laughing and oozing “feel-good vibes” on Channel 4 while talking about his new album and tour.

Like me, Gary will be 60 next year.

I must send the New York-based star a card to tell him that life actually begins at 60.

But I think he knows already.

ALL ABOARD... I was intrigued to read in the Globe that more youngsters are taking to using the bus.

Merseyrail should take some of the credit.

The six-month Wirral Loop work to replace the tracks certainly ensured that commuters like me found alternative ways to travel.

I still l grimace when I hear the term “bus replacement” service.

I never thought I would hear the following comment from a fellow traveller: “I think I’ll get the ferry – it’s quicker.’’ There are more strikes on October 3 and 5 due to the stalemate between Merseyrail and the RMT Union regarding guard-less trains.

Merseyrail now add to their information adverts ‘’Thank you for your patience.’’ This is a “phrase replacement service” in place of “sorry for the inconvenience.’’ I HAVE an announcement to make. I am one of them.

I still send postcards. New figures reveal there are only six million of us in the UK - there were once 25 million.

I will continue to put pen to cardboard and send a postcard to outspoken Nancy Pope of the US National Postal Museum who is also unashamedly ‘‘still one of them.’’ She wants us all to ‘‘beat the inanity of social media messages.” Nancy, I wish you were here.

AND finally...Heckler alert. While standing at Birkenhead North station (seems like a second home these days) I was discussing the problems with a mate about finding size 13 shoes to fit me.

When someone quipped: ‘‘have you tried Cammell Laird’s?’’