'HOME thoughts from a broadsheet.' 

Something to write home about took on a warm, new optimistic glow last week when one major travel writer celebrated all that is upbeat about Wirral as a tourist destination.

Granted, he did mention the borough is split down the middle in terms of 'socio economic circumstances', the haves and have nots.

But he was keen to whimsically describe why Wirral should never be overlooked - notably for its walking, hiking and cycling attributes alone.

Usually, when London-based commentators write about great UK attractions they often make the North-South divide seem greater by ignoring us.

So, it was refreshing and encouraging that much-travelled Telegraph writer Hugh Morris waxed lyrical about his birthplace which he visits twice and year.

He stresses about the 'the' in Wirral and that other endearing quirky phrase 'on the Wirral.' 

Brought up in Neston, Mr Morris reminded us that the most desirable place to live in the UK is Bebington.

So, thanks for this postcard home pointing out to the uninitiated that Wirral should stop being one of the nation's best kept secrets.

And only yesterday one tabloid joined in the 'thumbs up' compliments.

Washington-bound wag Coleen Rooney spoke of "loving a bit of crabbing in New Brighton and Home Bargains."

Official. We are no longer Britain’s most under-rated corner ...

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HUNG, drawn and quartered was the inspired title for a unique cartoon festival that took place 20 years ago which put the spotlight on Birkenhead.

Its creator and director Cathy Roberts, who back then ran Idle Mind creative design company, was rightly pleased with the positive response she received from people from all walks of life including the late, great Tony Hart and Birkenhead-born Bill Tidy.

As Wirral's Chamber of Commerce Bid project admirably aims to rejuvenate Birkenhead, Cathy believes a cartoon festival in 2019 could be a big draw again to the Hamilton Quarter. So why was it so successful two decades ago?

Warner Brothers offered some original animation frames and cartoonists came from across the UK and Europe.

Brookside and Emmerdale took part.

Cathy even contacted politicians to send in doodles.

Then PM Tony Blair's secretary wrote to say that TB simply didn't doodle and opposition leader William Hague's parliamentary excuse-maker declined.

Both letters were, happily, displayed along with a suitable portrait cartoon.

But the Inferno is pleased to say one MP did come up trumps with a doodle of the Houses of Parliament which became a welcome home grown addition to Hung, drawn and quartered.

Take a bow, Frank Field.

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THE dreaded Poll Tax will be thirty years old in 2019.

It's not the first levy to have upset ordinary folk.

There was once a window tax where you had to pay for the privilege of having a point of view, so to speak.

If you didn't pay, your windows were bricked up. What a pane.

Another penalty that didn’t go down too well in history has been confirmed recently by archaeologists.

Dig this ... they discovered an exceptionally rare copper coin token used to signify that men could keep their beards back in 1698.

Hairy punishment was handed out to those by Peter the Great in Russia, who after a fact-finding mission to the UK, came back believing beards sent out the wrong cultural message.

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WHAT do you think of it so far?

I refer to the BBC releasing unseen photos of Eric and Ernie marking their 50th anniversary of joining the BBC.

This won't be overshadowed by the world-shattering news that Chris Evans will be leaving the Beeb.

Evans above ... who cares?

I do hope with the current celebrations that Eddie Braben - their Liverpool-born scriptwriter - is given a suitable monument for his timeless talents.

One of his lines even made it into a collection of great comic quotes.

Who can ever forget Frank Finlay, famous for playing Casanova on TV, declared in one of Ernie's plays what he wrote that he had a "long felt want."

Eric looked to camera and left us the legacy: "there's no answer to that."

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AT last, a major transport breakthrough.

Not just the fact that Merseyrail and RMT have agreed on a second member of staff for the new proposed driver-less trains.

But this week Thomas the Tank engine has been joined by female trains.

The Fat Controller remains.

What a missed opportunity, however, to introduce a timely new character – a Transport Minister who has run out of steam - Chris Gray Thing ...

Sorry for the inconvenience, I meant Grayling.

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And finally ...

AS MPs returned to Parliament yesterday the feuding politicians have brought back their bitter party divisions.

Trouble ahead.

Harold Wilson, one time Head Boy at Wirral Grammar School, was oft-quoted when he said that a week was a long time in politics in 1964.

But researchers discovered that four years earlier he had said "48 hours is a long time in politics."

Inflation, no doubt.

Peter Grant