WHEN I was last in London I saw something very rare indeed – a young girl walked past me with a T-shirt that said I Love Wirral.

You know the type. The I followed by a heart-shaped logo then – not New York or Liverpool – but Wirral.

Before I could ask "where are you from?" she seemed to vanish into the throng of shoppers in Oxford Street.

This led me to thinking why don't more people publicly show off the area – after all there is plenty in Wirral to be proud of and indeed love.

More should be made of the unique Wirral brand.

Across the water, Liverpool is second-to-none when it comes to rightly blowing its own trumpet.

For 20 years I was involved in 'Scouseology' which celebrated the city's identity at home and abroad.

There was also International Scouse Day and a London-based 'Scouse Embassy' which saw Liverpudlian luminaries meet up for a bowl of Scouse – the likes of Cilla, Tarby and Peter Sissons joining the then BBC Director General, Sir John Birt for a Scouse summit (or other).

Peter Ross of Rock Ferry writes to tell me he has just moved back to the area after working in the capital.

He was home-sick for the Wirral.

He was very impressed with last year's Wirral Live concerts featuring Status Quo and Will Young at Prenton Park.

Peter says headliners Madness, The Farm and Little Mix performing in May will appeal to all ages and will put the spotlight on Wirral.

But why stop there? he enthuses.

How about a Wirral home-grown line-up including: OMD, The Coral, Half-Man Half-Biscuit and Elvis Costello to name a few with local bands as support acts.

Alongside Scouse Day why not 'Wirral Weekend'? Maybe Paul Hollywood can create a Wirral Dish!

I can see the T-shirt now – Wirral A-LIVE and Kicking.

I hope Tranmere Rovers visionary chairman Mark Palios reads this column.

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FROM the top of the pops to the bottom of the barrel.

After hearing this year's bland UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest called Never Give Up On You – I have.

We first won it 50 years ago with the inane but catchy Puppet on a string.

The last time we came first it was 20 years ago with Katrina and the Waves.

Since then we have come last three times – even managing “Nul points.” Point-less indeed. Time for another Brexit.

To safe-guard our reputation critics are saying there could be "tactical political voting" because of our impending European Union departure, not admitting that our entries simply aren't good enough.

Why doesn't the BBC get someone of stature to write and perform it – Ed Sheeran or Adele?

The painful showcase this year is in Kiev.

I predict another televised humiliation – Welcome to the Euro Derision Song Contest.

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SIMPLY wizard ... Ricky Tomlinson played Moobin in SKY 1's TV movie The last dragon-slayer.

Ricky told me he was chosen for the part of the past his sell-by-date magical man because look-a-like wizard – long-haired Charlie Landsborough from Birkenhead wasn't available.

Silver-locked Charlie admitted to the Inferno recently that he has a phobia about barbers.

Ricky is now waving his own magic wand on his pet project for a comedy series about a building site alongside good pal Johnny Vegas.

He first pitched the idea many years ago but it was shelved because of the dominance of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet which covered the same subject matter.

At the time Ricky promised me a walk-on part as a reporter if it was commissioned.

Alas, my acting career had stalled. But there’s hope.

Ricky is currently making a re-vamped pilot film to showcase the sit-com.

He's going to present it to producers with the defiant mantra: "Why not have a building site sit-com?

There’s already plenty of shows about detectives, doctors and nurses.”

Nice one, Tommo, la.

Peter Grant