· Membership

Membership applications continue to pour in to FoWT. We are extremely grateful for your support - people power is a very great asset. Remember, we aim to be a very 'open' society so if you have views or suggestions please do get in touch.

FoWT have set up stalls at several craft and heritage fairs recently. These have seen hundreds of people signing our petition and many people signing up as members. Committee members Phil Alman and Steve Moran are pictured left, manning our stand at a recent fair at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum.

· Maps and Plans

At the meetings described below, FoWT were given a number of very revealing maps and plans which we feel confirm the assertions we have made since our formation.

· Tourism Committee working group

It appears that a working group under the control of the City Council's tourism committee has to be set up and have discussions before the property development can go ahead. FoWT have been invited to be part of this group and we thank the City Council for this. We await the notice of the first meeting.

· Meeting with Liverpool City Council

In a hectic week the committee also met with Mr Keith Davis to discuss the tourist/leisure angle of the tunnels' situation. Mr Davis offered interesting opinions and indicated that the development consortium still has to meet a number of statutory conditions before the bulldozers can move in.

· Meeting with Architecture and Design Trust

Several members of the Friends committee met with Mr Tony Woof of the Architecture and Design Trust recently. Recognising the importance of the tunnels, the Trust is considering coordinating an open weekend visit to the main tunnel entrances and stable yard in the near future. This is to be along similar lines to the visit last autumn. Recognising also our importance and the large number of concerned people we represent, Mr Woof kindly offered to investigate the possibility of FoWT being involved in the weekend. Approval of our involvement requires the agreement of the development consortium so we keenly await the outcome and thank Mr Woof for his efforts.

· Meeting with the developers' architect

As suggested at our public meeting (below) several members of the Friends' committee had a meeting with Mr Brian Young of Brian Young & Associates, the architect designing the student property development on the tunnels site. Mr Young talked at length about his company's involvement and suggested that their proposals were the only feasible ones. A few days later, FoWT received a letter from Mr Young suggesting that their protests against the potential loss of parts of the tunnel system would damage his client's application for government funding and that FoWT should therefore rally behind his cause. The funding which the consortium is seeking would be used to facilitate the renovation of a small area of the tunnels and the establishment of a small vistors centre. All the other parts of the tunnel system to the right of the railway cutting would be discarded. FoWT feels that the proposed development (see 'Maps and Plans' page) is not acceptable and finds it hard to consider supporting it.