LIVERPOOL - 100 THINGS
My
home city of Liverpool has many 'firsts' to its' name - a long and
distinguished history of creativity, forward thinking and social reform.
Like any city, there are darker bits too. This blog is a photo essay
reflecting on and celebrating these various themes - my own considered
list of 100 things that set my city apart from any other.
41 - 60
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#41
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ISLANDS
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#42
LIVERPOOL BLIND SCHOOL - COMMUTATION ROW
Edward Rushton was an anti-slavery campaigner who lost his sight at an early age. In 1791, he helped to set up the Liverpool School for the Indiginent Blind using two houses on Commutation Row. This was to be Britain's first School for the Blind and the school became so successful that it had to move to nearby, purpose built, premises on London Road in 1800.
#43
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT
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#41
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ISLANDS
Long
before the motor car was invented, some far-sighted individual recognised that
the streets of Liverpool were becoming a dangerous place for pedestrians. Horse
drawn traffic was causing a growing number of accidents and incidents. The idea
of introducing traffic 'islands' into the middle of busy roads was first tried
in Liverpool. Now these refuges are taken for granted the world over - we saw
it here, first – in 1862.
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#42
LIVERPOOL BLIND SCHOOL - COMMUTATION ROW
Edward Rushton was an anti-slavery campaigner who lost his sight at an early age. In 1791, he helped to set up the Liverpool School for the Indiginent Blind using two houses on Commutation Row. This was to be Britain's first School for the Blind and the school became so successful that it had to move to nearby, purpose built, premises on London Road in 1800.
Commutation Row looks very different
these days but it remains the site of Britain’s first social experiment in
offering care for a specific disability.
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#43
LIVERPOOL AIRPORT
In 1931,
after considering various locations around the city, it was decided that an
airport should be built on the site of Chapel House Farm in Speke. During the
1930's. Hangars and a fine new terminal were added to the site and only the intervention
of WW2 put a brake on the airport's growth.
After
the outbreak of WW2, the airport was requisitioned as part of the war effort.
Local factories switched to aircraft production but the role of the port at the
end of the North American supply chain meant that it was logical to use Speke
airport for the un-crating and assembly of thousands of American aircraft required for
the war effort.
Post
war, the airport returned to a civilian role and grew steadily. However, during
the sixties, Liverpool missed out and failed to keep pace with Manchester where
foresight was matched with investment as they prepared their airport for the
growth in air travel that was to come. Liverpool eventually found a niche for
itself when the boom in low-cost air travel came along and the airport moved to
a new terminal to the south of the existing site.
#44
LIFEBOATS
In 1776,
the port of Liverpool was growing at a formidable rate. However, hazards out in
the river and beyond, in Liverpool Bay still made it hazardous for shipping
entering and leaving the port. In a remarkable example of visionary thinking,
the world’s first ever lifeboat station was established at Formby Point. The
original building was later replace by a newer one and the foundations of that
building can still be seen in the sand at the head of Lifeboat Road in Formby.
_________________#45
THE LIVERPOOL DEAF INSTITUTE
In 1825 the first ever School for the Deaf &
Dumb was established in Liverpool. In 1927 it's name was changed to Liverpool School for
the Deaf. After the war the school moved to Lancaster Road, Birkdale (1948). But
the deaf community in Liverpool was well established by then.
My own memories of the Liverpool Deaf School are of this building on
Princes Road. In the 1970's, I ran a mobile disco. When we got a gig at the
Deaf School, my first reaction was to think that somebody was having a laugh.
But we went along and our ignorance was remedied when my partner and I were
told that the deaf 'feel' the music through vibrations. We went on to play the
first of many wonderful nights at this place and I have many happy memories of
the people we met and the fun we had together there.
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#46
LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE / LIPA
Back in
my school days, there was intense rivalry between my own school - the Liverpool
Collegiate School - and the Liverpool Institute. History has dictated that the
Liverpool Institute has carved out a much more significant place for itself -
if for no other reason than it was the place of learning of, not one, but two,
Beatles. George Harrison and Paul McCartney both went to the Institute.
The
Collegiate fell into decline and the Institute might have suffered a similar
fate but for the imaginative conversion into the Liverpool Institute for
Performing Arts. Mr McCartney made (and continues to make) generous funding
available to establish and sustain this internationally recognised centre of
excellence.
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#47
EDGE HILL RAILWAY STATION
In 1836 Edge Hill station was moved
from the head of the Wapping Tunnel at Edge Hill to the head of the Lime Street
Tunnel. Today it is the world's oldest used railway station.
The last image shows the only trace that remains of the first railway station IN THE WORLD. These sandstone columns on Crown Street
are clearly incongruous with the apartment building that they now front but are an important piece of local history.
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#48
KEN DODD
A couple of Christmas's ago, I took my grown up daughters to the Phil to see Ken Dodd.Even though he maintains the Music Hall flavour of his act, both could understand why I insisted on them seeing an 80+ year old man stand on a stage for almost five hours telling jokes. Quite simply, the man is a legend - as quintessentially Scouse as .. Scouse - or dem Liver Birds, if you like.
Doddy still lives in the family home in Thomas Lane
- remaining faithful to his home city, even during the years of his mega-stardom
and runs at the London Palladium. I
stood behind him once after we had both disembarked a flight back from Berlin
and joined the long queue for passport control at Liverpool Airport. Even at
ten o'clock at night after a long and tiring day, he couldn't help but play to
the crowd and he soon had those around him exercising their chuckle muscles
when they might otherwise have been grumping about the fact that the queue was
moving at glacial pace.
One of my all-time favourite images ever features
Ken - you can see it here - it sums him up perfectly. Ken is probably the best
patriarch of a much broader school of local comedians - an art form for which
Liverpool can justifiably claim global pre-eminence.
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#49
THE MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL
The Museum of Liverpool opened in 2011 - on the
same day that we cremated my Mum. It is
a fine celebration of all things Scouse and to this day it pains me to know
that she never lived to see this wonderful celebration of our city.
The museum explores the role of the city through the themes of Empire, Sport and
Music. The distinctive building sits on Liverpool's famous waterfront and you
had better set aside a full day if you plan to do justice to its' 6,000+
exhibits.
__________________#50
THE VICTORIA CLOCK - SALISBURY DOCK
The Victoria Clock
Tower has been a feature on the Liverpool skyline since 1848. The Tower, which was often referred to as the
'docker's clock', was built as an aid to ships in the port, as it allowed them
to set the correct time as they sailed off into the Irish Sea, while its bell
warned of impending meteorological changes such as high tide and fog. Upon its
completion it also served as a flat for the Pier Master. The Tower fell into
disrepair but there are plans to refurbish it and to incorporate it into Peel
Holdings' Liverpool Waters redevelopment of the north docks.
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#51
JOHN PEEL
I'd be lying if I told you I listened to John
Peel's radio shows on a committed and regular basis. I used to dip into them on
an occasional basis and when I was looking for pointers towards the Next Big
Thing. The part played by John Peel in nurturing new talent is legendary and it
would be hard to over-state his importance in championing developing bands for
over 40 years. Erudite, articulate and with a loveable hang-dog demeanour,
Peel's persona made him a national treasure.
If there was one single downside
to Liverpool's legendary Champions League triumph in Istanbul in 2005, it was
that John didn't live to see it. The man who opened his show on the fateful day
of Saturday 15th April 1989 with Aretha Franklin's version of You'll Never Walk
Alone (and reduced me to a blubbering wreck in one fell swoop of the stylus)
would have been soooooo proud. RIP John.
#52
LIVERPOOL VELOCIPEDES
It would be wrong to argue that Liverpool is one of Britains major cycling cities. There are no vast sprawling bicycle racks as in Oxford or miles of cycling lanes like Bristol. Yet, it was here that in 1869, one of the earliest velocipede clubs in Britain was formed, only 2 years after a Paris blacksmith had manufactured and sold the first bicycle (often called a velocipede). For a brief time, Liverpool became a cycling utopia and enthusiasts organised rallies, cycling tours and competitive events. Since then, cycling has become more of a contact sport on the city's roads - a passtime for the foolhardy and the brave.
#53
JEREMIAH HORROCKS 1619 - 1641
This building is hidden away at the back of
Otterspool Woods. It was once Otterspool Station - long since closed and
withdrawn from use. However, it is built on the site of a much older building -
Lower Lodge Farm on Jericho Lane. In 1639, it was home to 'The father of
British Astronomy' - Jermeiah Horrocks.
Horrocks was born in 1619 and his talent was
apparent from an early age - he won a place at Cambridge University at the age
of 14. He was the first observer to
discover the transit of Venus across the sun. This major breakthrough in
astronomy enabled others to calculate the frequency of this phenomenon.
More than that, it then became possible to
calculate things like the mass of the earth and the distance to the sun based
on various calculations made possible by Horrocks' pioneering work. He died at
the tragically young age of 22 but left an astronomical legacy that is still
being built on today.
____________________#54
THE STANLEY TOBACCO WAREHOUSE
When the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse was built in 1901, it was the largest brick built building in the world. It was carefully designed with low ceilings to reduce the risk of fire and conflagration. The 14 storey building used 27 million bricks in its construction and it remains the worlds largest brick built warehouse. Currently in a state of dis-repair, plans to renovate it have repeatedly been thwarted by the low ceilings and very specialised design of the building.
# 55
THE SEAMEN'S ORPHANAGE - NEWSHAM PARK
The Orphanage was bankrolled by the
city’s biggest ship owners like the McIvers (Cunard), Ismays (White Star),
Holts (Blue Funnel), Brocklebanks and Hendersons. Their altruistic aim
was to house and educate children who had lost seafaring parents. The orphans
were evacuated during wartime and in 1948 the building was closed, reopening as
the Park Hospital in 1954. It eventually closed again in the 1970s - this time
for good. The building remains unoccupied although it is said by some to be one
of the most haunted buildings in Britain.
#56
LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL
Every couple of years (obviously), Liverpool holds
a Biennial. Modest in scale and content compared to other international arts
festivals, it still continues to grow in stature.
Part of its' great appeal is the use of
local buildings that otherwise stand empty. Setting creative pieces in these
strange yet familiar contexts enhances the work and creates a fascinating
spectacle that rarely disappoints.
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# 57
THE PICTON LIBRARY
In 1860 the Picton Library became Britain's first purpose built public library. The Picton Library still sits on William Brown Street - Liverpool's cultural mecca - alongside Liverpool's World Museum and the Walker Art Gallery.
The
Central Library has just completed a four year, £50m refurbishment. This
central atrium is the main feature but the Library is now able to display many
of its' treaures to the public for the first time. More importantly, the Record
Office is open again - a quite invaluable resource for genealogists and local
historians alike.
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#58
MULTICULTURALISM
Long before the word 'multicultural'
entered popular lexicon, Liverpool was writing the script for the successful
assimilation of nationalities and religions into a heady gumbo making a richly
diverse city with only a few ethnic tensions - and all in the 19th century.
Irish, Greek, Italian, Somalis, Chinese, West
Africans and Scandinavians all set up communities in the city and evidence of
their presence is still much in evidence today. The Greek Orthodox Church in
Toxteth, The Scandinavian Church on Park Road, The Princes Road Synagogue and
the Chinese Arch all signpost communities that continue to thrive in Liverpool
well into the 21st century.
# 59
ALBERT DOCK
Opened by Prince Albert in 1846, Albert Dock is now the country’s largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings.
Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood (although it is built on huge wooden piles driven into the river bed).
Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood (although it is built on huge wooden piles driven into the river bed).
It was the first non-combustible warehouse system
in the world and saw countless millions of tons of imports and exports pass
through right up until its' closure in 1972 when enclosed dock systems were
becoming obsolete as shipping needs changed.
In 1981, the Merseyside Development Corporation
launched plans to breathe new life into the Albert Dock. Today it is home to
the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Tate Liverpool and The Beatles Story along with
a healthy choice of bars and good restaurants.
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# 60
BESSIE BRADDOCK
BESSIE BRADDOCK
There are two types of socialist
politician - those that 'say' and those that 'do'. Bessie was, without doubt, a
do-er. During World War II she worked as an ambulance assistant officer. She
was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and get involved in a cause.
As a woman, she was still something
of a rarity in Westminster. But she represented the interests of her
constituents with tenacity and determination for 24 years. She was particularly
interested in maternity and child care issues. In that good old-fashioned Liverpool way, at her house at Zig Zag Road in
West Derby, the door was always open to constituents with a problem - right up
until the time of her death in 1970.
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