Five things that got people talking in Liverpool this week - snow, strikes and Merseyside’s best schools

In our weekly feature, LiverpoolWorld editor Dominic Raynor and video journalist Emily Bonner look back over the past week and pick out the stories have grabbed your attention.

NHS Nurses on Merseyside walk out

🏥 The support for NHS nurses on Merseyside was audible and obvious as members of The Royal College of Nursing walked out in a row over pay and patient safety on Thursday.

As nurses stood on the picket line at Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and other hospitals in the region, the public could be heard constantly beeping car horns and showing support for the nurses as they passed by.

The RCN asked its members to support industrial action as they launched the first ballot of its kind across the UK in the 106-year history of the organisation. The union is calling for a pay rise of 19.2%, but ministers have deemed this amount unaffordable. Full story here.

Train strikes hit Merseyrail services

🚉 Merseyrail will run a limited train service on what is expected to be the busiest shopping weekend of the Christmas period as more than 40,000 workers across Network Rail stage a strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Merseyrail staff are not part of the industrial action, but the strike by members of the RMT union will involve Network Rail staff who operate the signalling systems and maintenance on local lines.

The operator planned to run a limited 45-minute timetable on Saturday - running on selected lines between 07:30 and 18:30 each day. But the continued bad weather means the operator has cancelled the first services on all lines on Saturday. Full story here.

How long will this cold spell last?

❄️ Temperatures in Liverpool and Merseyside repeatedly dropped well below freezing this week as most of use awoke to iced up cars, frosted gardens and wintery driving conditions.

The region has been hit with snow, weather warnings and transport disruption in recent days and the Met Office warn that the wintry conditions are set to continue until after the weekend. The Met Office have issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice on Sunday. Full story here.

Best schools in Merseyside revealed

🏫 The top secondary schools in England and Scotland are revealed annually in the Parent Power, Sunday Times’ Schools Guide and there are a number of high ranking schools from across Merseyside.

With many parents currently going through the process of seeking out and applying for the best schools for their children, we have studied the 2023 guide to pick out the 12 highest ranked schools across the region.

Our list includes both state and independent schools in Merseyside, with their national ranking also revealed. Full story here

Alternative festive food in Liverpool

🍽️ A new study has revealed that ‘Marks and Spencer’ is the UK’s most Googled supermarket for Christmas food in 2022. But what about the days in between when you just can’t be bothered to shake those pots and pans?

We have been to three Liverpool restaurants with festive menu items which offer an alternative to those who are after something more than a bit of dry turkey and soggy sprouts. Fully story here