Good News Stories & Events
October 2025
History Masters Student Wins Research Prize to Curate Exhibition
When Woolton resident Simon Payne was going through his late stepfather Ernest Bailey's possessions, he uncovered an archive illustrating a lost episode of Liverpudlian philanthropy.
Ernest Bailey was a senior manager at Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (the predecessor of Merseytravel) and every year used his extensive business connections to organise a Christmas outing on the Mersey ferry for disadvantaged kids from local children's homes.
When Ernest died he left a treasure trove of photographs and 'thank you' letters from the 1970s and 80s detailing how local children met Santa Claus, received presents, and were treated to live music and slap-up meals aboard the MV Royal Iris.
Thanks to a donation from Mr Payne, and following a competition amongst History Masters students, Mathilda Naulleau was selected to work with the archive and to produce an exhibition - Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime - which will be launched in the SimLab in the university's i3 building in time for Christmas.
Bryce Evans, Professor of Modern World History, said: "This generous bursary and accompanying archive has enabled us to capture an important slice of local history: homegrown philanthropy during a tough period in the city's past. The digital exhibition will also provide Mathilda with an invaluable opportunity to gain experience in curating an exhibition."
Professor Bryce Evans, Professor of Modern World History
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Adam Beattie, Liverpool Hope Alumni has transformed his lifelong passion for storytelling into a published tribute to one of football’s most influential managers.
After earning an English Language degree in 2016, Adam began his career through the university’s internship programme with Northern Power Women before moving into a series of marketing and content roles. He is currently the Marketing Campaigns Manager for PHOENIX Medical Supplies.
“The ambition to write a book never really left,” he explained, but everyday responsibilities “put it on hold until the pandemic reignited [his] passion.” He soon began contributing both freelance and full-time to Liverpool FC fan site This Is Anfield, a role that honed the storytelling skills now showcased in his debut book.
The new release ‘Jurgen Klopp: Power of the Collective’, offers both personal reflections and journalistic analysis of Klopp’s nine-year tenure at Liverpool. It charts how the charismatic manager “reassembled the broken pieces of a global superpower,” while celebrating the cultural impact of his era.
He credits his time at Liverpool Hope University studying English Language as giving him the confidence to pick up long-form writing again and said ‘there were various modules within the degree that boosted [his] understanding of how to structure [his] work, Stylistics being one of them. In particular, Manel Herat was extremely helpful and always willing to go above and beyond in supporting her students throughout the course.’
The book is available in paperback on Amazon and in hardback through Legends Publishing, just in time for football fans seeking the perfect early Christmas gift.
A couple of pieces of publication news from Philosophy and Ethics.
Manel Herat, Senior Lecturer in English Language, hosted the International, Interdisciplinary Conference on Approaches to Migration, Language and Identity from Monday 8th September to Tuesday 9th September 2025. There were participants from different parts of the world including New Zealand, Japan, Sri Lanka, US, Canada and parts of Europe.
This year the reading is held at the Open Eye Gallery on 30th October 2025, 6pm - 8pm as part of the literary programme organised by Liverpool Poetry Space and The Windows Project.