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WHY WIRRAL WILL ALWAYS BE HOME TO
WESTMINSTER ASSOCIATES
Sometimes we miss things that are right underneath our noses. It just
takes a little nudge for us to see them.
My name is Paul Thompson and I run a people, team and leadership
development company called Westminster Associates. I was born and
raised in Bromborough, enjoyed the last of my teenage years on the Wirral,
frequenting places in my social time like Ruperts, Miltons, Atmosphere and
later, The Pleasuredrome. My late nan actually called it the Pleasure Palace
and was convinced it wasn't just a fun pub. Bless her! My how we loved
our weekends out in the 80's! We danced our socks off and Birkenhead was
buzzing. By the time our Merseyrail train arrived at Birkenhead Central it
was jam packed and we were ready to party. We rarely went to Liverpool, as
the last train back was 11:55 p.m., the taxi drivers hated coming through to
"the other side", and the tunnel bus was only for the very brave. Admit it, I
know a lot of you remember, and were there too.
But I digress. I guess that's what turning 50 this year does to you in a
nostalgic kind of way. I left the Wirral for 28 years and returned almost 2
years ago. The other half of my business (and my other half) is based in San
Francisco. When Kevin (he's the San Francisco half) came to the Wirral
for the first time, we did a car tour one balmy summer evening. We started
in Bromborough (the industrial side), drove across Thornton Hough to
Parkgate (because that's where we take visitors for ice cream, come rain or
shine isn't it?) and proceeded on through Heswall and Hoylake (the P.O.S.H.
bit) to New Brighton, where we had a fantastic view of the heritage city and
our neighbour that is Liverpool. They may have the title and the kudos, and
we are very proud of them, but we have the better views of them and our
other neighbour, Wales.
We continued on to Birkenhead and Hamilton Square. By this point Kevin
was amazed! We'd gone from industrial shipyards, through horse-filled
fields, passed a 21st century skyline across the Mersey, and on to Hamilton
Square square with the most Grade I listed Georgian buildings outside of
Trafalgar Square. It was the stuff that an American visitor's dreams are made
of, and enough to give anyone peninsula envy.
We drove on to Rock Ferry and sat on the waterfront at Rock Park, watching
the planes come and go from John Lennon airport. There was a group of kids
near to us chilling out, smoking (something) as they talked and laughed.
We asked them why they liked it there, and they said "because it's cool" and
"the views are great" and "because it's quiet." It was great to hear our own
thoughts validated by kids in their late teens "high" on life!
80 wirrallife.com
So why I am sharing our story? Because experiencing the Wirral through
someone else's eyes helped me see it anew. It made me realise that we should
be very proud of what we have and should showcase it. Even boast about it
as we protect and grow the Wirral's heritage and economy and culture. I
believe in the Wirral, which is why my company, Westminster Associates,
is honoured to be one of the sponsors of the Wirral Borough of Culture for
2019 and of its inaugural event, Animated Square, which we know many of
you enjoyed. Having travelled and worked in many cities, I can honestly say
that the show that evening rivalled the likes of things I've seen in Manhattan,
Sydney, and San Francisco.
For me, the most important part of showcasing the Wirral is the people who
call it home. My company partners with local business leaders to ensure that
they lead with what we call "commercial grace". Despite what some people
think, you don't have to be arrogant or unkind to be a success in business
or in life. We help teams function with mutual respect and positive regard
so that they treat one another and their customers with those same values.
It's a simple equation really. When individuals better understand themselves
and others, they bring the best of themselves to work, to life, and to the
community.
And this is why my request of you and everyone you know is this: be role
models and ambassadors for the Wirral, not only on our home turf but as
we go out into the surrounding region. Get to know one another. Support
one another in our efforts. When you catch someone doing things well,
congratulate them. And if you run a business or lead a team, get to know
what gets each and every person out of bed in the morning.
And when people ask us where we are from, we are not "near Liverpool" or
"close to Chester" or "that bit between Liverpool and Wales".
We are the Wirral.
We are a proud community.
And we are the Borough of Culture 2019.
To find out more about Westminster Associates and our work please
visit www.westminster-associates.com, email us paul@westminster-
associates.com or call us on 07968 423738. We'd love to find out more
about your business, your vision and talk about how we can support you.
We develop great people, teams and leaders. This is what we do.
Every day.