Wednesday 29 September 2010

Arthur Dooley-Remember Him.

The highlight of 2008 in Liverpool, as European Capital of Culture, for me was not a pseudo Klimt expo or a giant spider, but an exhibition staged in the Liverpool Academy. This did not advertise Vienna; it bowed its head with a retrospective of one of Liverpool’s characters, by people who knew him. Someone who dripped passion, a self taught man, who proclaimed himself as an Irish Liverpudlian and was proud of his tough working class background. He made the sculpture Four Lads Who Shook The World in Mathew Street. He was, Arthur Dooley, and how I admire him.


I had sold several pieces of his work and I thought some of it was bad. But one was an amazing bronze Bull on a marble base AD75, that I never was able to part with. Sometimes it’s not about money. This was a journey into the thinking mans mind. An antagonist who took on the establishment and proved he was cleverer than them. For which he was revered, and shunned.

Born in Liverpool in 1929, Dooley worked as a welder on the Ark Royal.

He was working, tirelessly, around Liverpool, right up until his death in 1994. He was a boxer and once came to blows in the Everyman with Arthur Ballard an art teacher who had taught Stewart Sutcliffe.

He created numerous religious figures in polished bronze using unorthodox techniques and unusual interpretations. The Black Christ on Princes Avenue being one, that went down like a lead balloon.

He buttonholed Hesseltine after the Toxteth Riots and pleaded with him “Don’t let them knock down the Albert Dock”.

His first sculpture was made in an army prison in Egypt where he served a sentence for going AWOL. Conflicting reports, one saying he tried to join the PLO.

Upon his unceremonious return from the army, he joined a drawing class at the Whitechapel gallery in London.

He was then employed as a janitor. His job included clearing up after the sculptors and setting up materials, then he began to make his own work...using scraps of metal left over.

His lead cast piece of a crucified Jesus received a good response around the college. From these humble beginnings, in 1962 he exhibited at St Martins Gallery, a stones throw from the college where he had worked. Cast a bronze bull for London weekend’s south bank building. He met the great art critic Greenberg and made several appearances on the "Tonight" programme. I saw an interview he made with Bill Shankly. He dubbed the new Cathedral Paddy’s Wigwam. He was featured on This is Your Life.

When Henry Moore, overworked turned down the Stations of the Cross at the Benedictine Community of Ampleforth Monastery Dooley took up the commission.
Later he would say the shipyard was really my art school.

Deeply concerned about social problems of his day. He was a member of the communist party. He was always an outspoken and immensely religious letting the materials he worked with speak.

His workshop in Seel Street is intact. It needs preserving.

 Arthur Called this sculpture THE TOWN PLANNER and I have to say it has a resemblence to the current planning officer the Riechmarshal Nigel Lee, who has done more damage than the Luftwaffe.



His studio almost intact at 34-36 Seel Street he was a active member of the Liverpool Academy. He campaigned to have the right for Liverpool artists to show their wares outside the Bluecoat. He is slowly being recognised as an important man active in town planning not afraid to have his say.



   Remember Him.

Monday 27 September 2010

Giz' A Film. Jonathan is not Foyled.

Thursday last, Dr Jonathan and his Foyle Lucy Creamer scale the Liver Buildings and tell of its history, and guess what, not a ounce of the lies spread by Liverpool Vision to justify them destroying the Pier Head in the name of Regeneration. The controversy at the time was because it was a cement building and that was so new at the time even though concrete had been around for centuries, Aubrey Thomas the architect was going against the grain, even though Ruskin was advocating steel framed architecture in his beautiful writing, within, The seminal Seven Lamps of Architecture.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/ty5jl/
"You get an amazing view from up here he says of the Parish Church, hemmed in now by modern buildings. Hey what do you think of 60s and 70s architecture, he says to Lucy, as they turn to the Post and Echo Building, (The UglySandcastle) owned by Downing who also owns the Port of Liverpool Building. That great zigarat and the one with the big box on top, I don't think many people in Liverpool would call it Liverpool's loveliest building. That is a version of this building, (Liver Building) You can see the way its made steel frame made with reinforced concrete and then they hung flat concrete bits of cladding, the grandaddy of that is this it shows its DNA, look at it, they have grown up....... and look at its offspring".
They have produced a monster" Lucy says
"You said it" Foyle says. "You said it"
That was as controversial as he got, not mentioning the Terminal Ferry Carbuncle or the three black coffins or the new sun lounger museum.

Then last night was the amazing Morning In The Streets http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/d30nz/
The Liverpool I remember from my Childhood, cold and gloomy, bombed out by the Luftwaffe..........not many scouse accents here though.
If you were looking for rough arsed scousers, Boys from the Blackstuff was up next. The year I came out of my apprentiship there were no jobs to give out. The Spiv-Dems were just being formed Derek Hatton was still in short pants, not yet tailored by John E Monk and Liverpools T Dan Smith was gathering a head of steam in the new Liverpool Spiv-Dem hierarchy. The same bombsights remained, still they continued the damage knocking down the Sailors Home.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/tz49l/

You must watch Of Time And The City Terence Davies much acclaimed meandor through his childhood, and my, memories. The way he laments the changes in the city he left are fine, and mirror so much the losses we have made in the name of the Spiv-Dem regeneration con.

You know what, we had so much we had a rich architectural tapistry, a little worn around the edges, with which we could weave some new modern buildings that reflect our past, our history is our future. This film shows how miserably they with a lack of vision failed. The Luftwaffe started it and Spiv-DemsTrevor Jones, Mike Storey and Warren "War Zones" Bradley finished it off,

Thursday 23 September 2010

The City Has Been Run By Spivs and Gamblers.

Yes that’s what we have been saying for a long time.

Looking into a short term gain over the long term future said Vince Cable at the Fib-Dem conference at the Oldham Echo Arena. And of course that is exactly what they have done with Liverpool's World Heritage Site, let a Spiv Council a Fib-Dem council whore its best assets, our assets to, well not even the highest bidder. To the backdrop of The Oldham Echo Wheel the TV would dare not take a shot of what Liverpools Spivs have done to the WHS.

But Mr Cable’s pre-briefed attack on unrestrained capitalism – he announced an inquiry into “the murky world of corporate behaviour”

http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search/Politics?search=vince+cable+spivs&sitesearch-radio=Politics&go-guardian=Search All this while Bill Gleeson the Daily Ghost Business editor has turned a …….eye to it all and the editorial stance of the local paper who should have been educated enough to see it all did nothing, playing "push you pull me" with peoples lives and their future prosperity. Watching while Grosvenor sold the Hilton Hotel site, that they got for nothing, where Vince was probably staying for £20 million while the council had a budget deficit of £30 million.

The Business Secretary – often thought to be the unhappiest Lib-Dem minister in the coalition – will promise an investigation into "the murky world of corporate behaviour".
Lets hope he starts with the spivs of Liverpool that have hawked the city assets to,the lowest bidder in the case of Mann Island. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/4469378.stm

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=16412407&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=mike-storey-resigns-today-name_page.html
We warned of this a long time ago when convicted polititions http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/09/09/convicted-liberal-democrat-steve-hurst-is-to-stand-down-from-liverpool-council-92534-24641192/ were left to hold power…..mates of Warren “War Zones” Bradley and Ex Chief Fibber Storey and all controlled by Clever Trevor and his wife. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/grosvenor-pool-putting-co-into.html 
Incidently in a empty hall Shirley Williams gave a speech. It was in the 80s that a report by Rob Rohrer of the Liverpool free press that exposed Trevor Jones as a spiv which his solicitor at the time…………Rex Makin defended. He was in Crosby following the newly formed Liberal Democrat campaign.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/trevor-jone-steps-down-good-riddance.html
click on the New Statesman article to read in this above link.
Vince said he did not want to see a return to the darkened Militant era. Well let me say in my opinion, this last bunch of Spivs make Derek Hatton look like the angel Gabriel.

Now all we hear about is cuts to services.
http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/09/cuts-community-cant-take.html

So Spivs are us and its all gone unchallenged, well except on these pages.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Mike Storey Destroyed The World Heritage Site.

Almost 30 years ago I was working in Ritson Street off Lodge Lane when the Toxteth Riots happened. It was like a fuse had been lit and the people reacted with anger. They did not burn the doctors down on Parliament Street, or the old folks home. Shortly after Thatcher promised to sort out those "Inner Cities".
Micheal Hesseltines bus arrived shortly after the riots, and dare I say, saved Liverpool at the last chancer saloon. Or should I say those rioters who got him dispatched here did. This visit with a bus full of developers changed Liverpool. He was met by so much dereliction but underneath was a diamond waiting to be polished and our Pier Head had escaped the Luftwaffe's squadrons and was as majestic as the day it was built upon. I never gave up I could always go down to the Pier Head. I would later work at Franklin Stafford architects in Edward Pavilion http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/louise-ellman-mp-dame-of-dereliction.html There was so much to be done.

Trevor Jones lashed himself to Hezza on his visit and Hezza cleverly brushed him aside setting up the Merseyside Development Corporation to bypass the City Council giving it direct responsibility for planning matters. Arthur Dooley had grabbed him by the collar and pleaded with him to save the Albert Dock ( And we cant even save his studio) which was in a very bad state and he obliged, and we were on the road to a recovery that would take decades. The Garden Festival idea came to fruition.
Then Trevor Jones mentored another property developers spiv, Mike Storey and they worked together while Trevor was still a property developer. They whored Council land to all and sundry while Mike was on the board of the NWDA Liverpool Land Development Company and Liverpool Vision. Mike shafted Bill Davies to wrestle control of Chavasse park for Trevors friend The Thin White Duke.
 Joe Anderson was also on the board of Liverpool Vision dont forget he has a lot to answer for.
Dare I say Storey was double dealer who had to resign because he was shown fo what he was when he tried to shaft Henshaw the CE and took on more than he could swallow. Many others will http://liverpoolsubculture.blogspot.com/ 

So now when you hear Mike Storey stating how wonderful Liverpools regeneration is remember he destroyed the World Heritage Site and now when his Tory/ Fib-Dem delegates come out of the new Oldham Echo Arena and head to the new Hilton and look over to Mann Island and think, "What the" they should stop and think that it was one of their own that destroyed the WHS forever.

Mike Storey you should never be forgiven.

Monday 20 September 2010

Trevor Jones And A Hole In The Ground.

The Tory, errr, I mean Fib-Dem conference at the Oldham Echo Arena has brought a spotlight to the city. Warren "War Zones" Bradley has warned they will get wiped out in Liverpool, and they already have. Just over the road from the conference centre is a vivid reminder to what the Liberal Democrats were about. Clever Trevor Jones legacy who mentored Mike and Warren.
A massive hole in the ground in the Baltic Triangle.
It does not seem right that so much is talked about regeneration when Liverpools very own ex-council leading spiv left us with this legacy and buggered off to Chester. I had a London delegate for the conference in the shop Friday last, who recalled The Undeclared Interests of Jones the Vote article in the New Statesman in the 80s.
When I engaged him he said to me "Do you want to return to the Hatton era". This was the Hatton era and all the focus was taken away from Clever Trevor at the time by Hatton and his national attention. Trevor was a big property developer in Liverpool. It is said he had 20 property intrerests in the Baltic Triangle...........and never declared any of them except the ships Chandlers that he knocked down on Wapping, now a hole in the ground. While Lady Doreen was Chair of planning.

"So was Trevor Jones Liverpools T.Dan Smith I was asked.

I wrote to Colin "Cover Up" Hilton the ex CE of Liverpool City Council about his undeclared interests and suddenly against all the run of play he declared 62 Caryl Street in his council register of interests. Below is a google map you will see that a zebra crossing as been stopped up...by the council at that address., just outside the Baltic Triangle.
He also had an interest in Eaton Hall Preservation Trust. Eaton Hall is the Duke of Westminsters pile.

Todays Daily Post carries a headline that a film has been put out to investors in the Baltic Triangle.
Liverpool Vision chief executive Max Steinberg says the area could become a cutting-edge creative district to match those in London or New York.

He said: “We feel the films will be an effective way to help the Baltic Triangle showcase its potential to a much wider audience.
“The land proposition is similar to the early days of New York’s Meat Packing District or London’s Hoxton – it has that same atmosphere – and, in the same way, I’m sure investors and businesses recognise these opportunities.
I was in New Yorks Meat District exactly 10 years ago and Mr Stienberg is talking bullshit.
Is the same PR company October, now Aurora behind this rubbish. Larry Neild now works for them and why would he not make inquiries into Trevor Jones when he was working for Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors, like his predecessor Stinky Ink Bartlett.
 Is there a protector who has shares in Trinity Mirror hiding facts from the public?
The best way to get investment is to clean up the politics unless you were Windsor Developments.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/trevor-jone-steps-down-good-riddance.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/knock-me-down-with-feather-its-clever.html
 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/liverpools-baltic-triangle-to-become.html
 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/liverpools-baltic-triangle-more-than.html

Friday 17 September 2010

Whatever Happened To The Merseyside Civic Society?.

When interviewed by Radio Merseyside's daytime anchor-man the unflappable Roger Philips about the MCS awards that have been brought back by.......errrr popular demand, just before Peter Brown the current Chairman leaves for a year in China.

Peter was asked  "Peter Whatever Happened To The Merseyside Civic Society?"

Says it all really. Is this what you call being Rogered?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/liverpool/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8236000/8236001.stm Rogers profile.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2006/03/14/capcult_regen_mann_island_feature.shtml


http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/04/merseyside-civic-society-heritage.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/mann-island-damage-has-been-well-and.html

Thursday 16 September 2010

Peter de Figueiredo-Opinion For Hire.

A year ago we wrote about the despicable Peter de Figueiredo and how he was being employed by Peel Holdings and I commented on how there should be some sort of laws against this sort of thing. As Liverpool's historic buildings advisor he was responsible along with Henry Owen-John the regional Development Director (sic) of the English Heretics, for some of the worst decisions that have afforded Liverpool's architectural demise since Goering sent a squadron or three to firebomb the gubbings out of us. Here he is with Julian Truherz his partner at the Save Exhibition Triumph Disaster and Decay. Marcus Binney the President of SAVE was given a personal of Liverpool by him. The other milksop face just obscured is Joseph Sharples who claimed all the credit for updating Pevsners even though most of the work was done by some-one else.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-polices-heritage-police.html

Yseterday at a planning meeting regarding Crosby town centre and its proposed disastrous developments that were defeated after 250 people turned up, a note was read out by the representatives of Sainsburys that said. We have a letter of support for these proposals from
Peter de Figueiredo who was, it was said, the historic buildings advisor for English Heritage and he supports the proposals that we are putting forward stating that in his opinion they are good for the area.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/09/16/sainsbury-s-50m-crosby-village-plans-are-rejected-by-sefton-council-68459-27277397/

This man lives with his partner in a Gothic pile on the Wirral where he entertains the likes of the c20 society with guided tours and posh-knobs it with anyone who can give him a fee, when he is not in his holiday home in Tuscany. What does he care about Crosby.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/henry-owen-john-same-old-english.html

I know he can sleep at night because he has never had a conscience and has been alloweed to get out of control by a system that does not police itself.
Someone shouted at one of the councillors playing politics as it was defeated 6-5 Shame on you.

Shame on you  Peter de Figueiredo you are a disgrace to your proffession, an opinion for hire. In my opinion, Whoring yourself to the highest bidder.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Is Bill Gleeson Peel Holdings Spiv?

You have to say it looks that way. How did someone so culturally ill informed get into such a position of informing the public about things that can harm them. Liverpool is a World Heritage Site.
How can a man with such a introverted brain be allowed to express his views so adamantly, putting them forward in such a manner. Maybe he is allowed to, by an ill informed editor, who stated that his favorite building was the 2009 BD Carbuncle cup winner the Terminal Ferry Building.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/liverpool-wins-carbuncle-cup.html
 Why is the reason they have never had a sniff of an architectural correspondent on the Liverpool Daily Ghost?
The sooner we get rid of this piece of toilet roll the better. They undermine everything that Conservationists have done in this city on behalf of its business advert-orials.
The Daily Post puts all its money on Black, the business sector, just as it comes up red and we hit the worst recession for half a century.......clever indeed.
Bill Gleeson was the main propogandarist for the Three Black Coffins on Mann Island. I use to write to him often asking him if he was blind.......until I discovered he had a sight disability, and then I felt guilty and had to stop.
Why is he allowed to comment on things that affect the aesthetics of a world heritage city.
Known as Physco Bill in the office it is my view he is a discredited character in the public domain, so why is he allowed out unchecked. Well apart from with Frank McKenna who almost runs the business section of the local papers. Trying all he can to undermine heritage issues, and Bill is always happy to oblige it seems to me.
Today he runs the headline page 8 of Business Post
"Dont permit conservationists to sink Peels plans"
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldpbusiness/business-features/2010/09/15/bill-gleeson-conservationists-must-not-derail-peel-s-plans-92534-27268756/


He says; There is much to be admired about the Pier Head, but we must not let conservation for conservation’s sake stand in the way of progress. Nobody is suggesting demolishing the Royal Liver Building. Peel’s plan is about bringing back to use land that has been economically idle for decades. The land is located a couple of miles to the north of the heritage site, a safe distance. The fact that the company is prepared to invest in this part of Liverpool at all is a minor miracle in its own right. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/museum-of-liverpool-is-nominated-for.html

Peels proposals are in the world heritage site.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/liverpools-world-heritage-site-total.html

He will not understand where the world heritage site is because it suits him not to. He wont understand the term Overall Universal Value because his wife has not read out a single Unesco document to him.
I don't usually make bad words here, I try hard not to, but I am finding it hard not to when describing Phsyco Bill.
This is the man that said Neptune Developments plans were good for the city. I think he has had one too many free lunches and that was from Peel Holdings.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Peel Holdings-The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.

The Good............


The Daniel Adamson Heritage Open Day event was funded by a £1,000 donation from Peel Ports and £500 from Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. MORE than 200 visitors toured SS Daniel Adamson in Liverpool, the only ship in England taking part in Heritage Open Days.

Paul Atterbury, star of BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and patron of the Daniel Adamson Preservation Trust, welcomed aboard guests of honour, Gary Hodgson, Peel Ports Mersey managing director, and his wife Patricia.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/09/12/liverpool-s-heritage-opens-up-for-the-public-to-enjoy-gallery-100252-27254474/

 
                                                                               The Bad
John Whittaker who gives nothing to Liverpool just takes all the time. Hated in Southampton as much as he is here in Liverpool. He is the man who will lose us our world heritage site status if we let him.  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-have-peel-holdings-ever-done-for.html 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/cruise-wars-liverpool-gets-full-naval.html 
 
And the Ugly.
Arrogant Bastard Lindsey Ashworth here with his mate Joe Anderson getting ready to sell out Liverpool's World Heritage Site.
Yesterdays post summed him up entirely coming into Liverpool thinking he owns the place.....well his boss, Isle of Man tax exile, the Big Bad John Whittaker may, but he has to pay attention to our World Heritage Site. And so does our council leader. We may have escaped short term despite ruining the Pier Head with the Three Black Coffins. It is clear that the Overall Universal Value will be affected and Unesco are monitoring the situation but with John Hinchliffe the world heritage site officer, and his hoppo Louise Obrien (daughter of Fred) who works for English Heretics selling us out. It looks like we will have a long hard fight on board.



Monday 13 September 2010

Peel Holdings-Arrogant Bastards!

THE developer behind the multi-billion pound Liverpool Waters project last night said it will not bow to any more pressure from heritage groups.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/09/13/liverpool-waters-developer-peel-holdings-refuses-to-make-any-more-changes-for-heritage-group-92534-27255622/



Peel Holdings wants to regenerate the city’s northern docklands with a series of skyscrapers creating more than 25,000 jobs and 14,000 apartments in a £5.5bn development.
Lindsey Ashworth, director of investment for Peel Holdings, said he was not prepared to make any more changes after already substantially reducing the size of the development.
He said he thought the scheme now looked fantastic and hoped to submit a planning application at the end of the month or early October.
“If you started to take more buildings off the site, it would become a nondescript scheme – that’s not what this is about,” said Mr Ashworth.
“I want people to remember it for the new architectural features, as well as the heritage.”
But conservation watchdog English Heritage said the plans still have the potential to harm the city’s World Heritage site.
Peel and English Heritage are currently locked in a dispute over how the 50-plus heritage buildings in the huge north Liverpool docklands site should be classified, for conservation purposes.

Last night, Mr Ashworth said: “We met with them [English Heritage] and the council last week, and it was a pretty positive meeting. We are currently debating with them whether you do a five, seven, or nine point assessment of heritage assets.
“There are at least 50 heritage assets. We consider that a five point assessment is enough, but English Heritage want a nine point assessment, that would be like making an encyclopedia.
“What I am saying to English Heritage is that it would be very nice to spend the next 12 months debating this, but we need to reach a conclusion before the end of the month because we want to submit a planning application.”
He said he expected English Heritage to take a neutral approach once a planning application is submitted: “I don’t think we will get a letter of support, and I don’t think they will object.”
He said he was hoping to get the application submitted by the time the next big Liverpool delegation travels to the World Expo in Shanghai on October 11.

“I am not making any more major changes, I have done what I think is reasonable,” said Mr Ashworth.
“There will be no tall buildings on the line of the frontage of the Mersey, but they are still 15 storeys high. I think we have the right balance now. It looks fantastic, but not over the top.”
In July, the Daily Post revealed how Peel had been forced by English Heritage to massively scale back their plans.
Last night, an English Heritage spokesman said: “Liverpool Waters has the potential to improve access to and understanding of the city's World Heritage site, but it also has the potential to harm the setting of internationally important historic buildings on the waterfront.
“As a statutory advisor to Liverpool City Council, English Heritage is working closely with the council and Peel Holdings to assist in the development of a scheme which delivers major regeneration benefits while safeguarding the outstanding heritage of Liverpool's waterfront and docks. We are working with both parties to assess the potential impact of the proposals and will continue to inform the discussions prior to the submission of the formal planning application and while it is being considered.”

City must strike delicate balance


Sep 13 2010 Liverpool Daily Post

THE conflict between the progressives in our society, and the conservatives who want to cling on to all they hold dear for all time, will never, ever cease.
The two sides are too diametrically opposed for there ever to be a permanent truce – and, to be honest, we really wouldn’t want it any other way.
Who would really want ambitious developers to be given absolute carte blanche to build wherever they want, razing our heritage to the ground in the cause of progress? And an inability to change anything, just because it was old, as reactionary conservationists might demand, would stagnate and fossilise any society, to the detriment of all who lived in it.
Liverpool has long been a battleground for this particular squabble. We have more listed buildings than anywhere in Britain outside London, and are in the midst of a mammoth regeneration programme – is it any wonder the heritage dilemma has exercised many leading city figures?
The Liverpool Waters development, in the northern docklands, is a massive plan by any standards, with 14,000 apartments planned in the £5.5bn scheme. Yet heritage campaigners complain it “has the potential to harm the setting of internationally important historic buildings on the waterfront”.
We undermine our heritage at our peril. There are many people around the world who come to Liverpool to marvel at it. But the key to mega- projects like Liverpool Waters is compromise.
Developers Peel Holdings, to be fair, have already modified the plans with the aim of addressing conservation concerns – but insist now that the time for tinkering is past, as they want to move on to the next stage of the planning process.
It would be difficult to argue against that point of view, when they have demonstrated their commitment to a major Liverpool project and have now actually reduced the size of the scheme because of heritage issues.
The balance between progress and conservation is a delicate one to maintain. But the generations yet to come would not thank us, were we to get it wrong.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/liverpool-daily-post/2010/09/13/city-must-strike-delicate-balance-92534-27254411/
 
Tell the arrogant bastards to bugger off back to the the tax exile haunts of Isle of Man with this deplorable arrogant bastard attitude of Peel Holdings with Liverpools heritage.
 
Unesco have been informed.
 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/liverpool-water-english-heritage-sound.html
 
 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/stinky-ink-bartlett-comes-up-smelling.html
 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/liverpool-waters-english-heritage-hold.html
 
 
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/joe-anderson-backs-peel-holdings-wirral.html

Friday 10 September 2010

Base2stay Liverpool-A Real Heritage Success for Seel Street Liverpool.

I went to the opening night at Base2stay in Seel Street last night. An old warehouse not the most in your face of buildings, one may even say just an old warehouse but the inside refurbishment has, if I may say, been a lesson in restrained style and contempary class that should be a lead to other hoteliers in Liverpool.

Why does it always have to be Iconic ( and usually end up Ichronic) when you can be confident and bold in a unassuming manner that is both pleasing and cares for the historic fabric of a building.

I spoke to Robert Nadier the Chief Executive of Base2stay and thanked him for coming to my city and restoring one of our old buildings that was languishing in decay. He, had thanked, in his opening speech, Peter Hooey from the council and The Mersey Partnership for the involvement and Liverpool Vision, of which all the usual suspects who would go to the opening of a envelope, turned up. He said that he was advised to keep the old beams by the conservation team, and they have been used as features that make a perfectly stirred blend with old and new, exactly what people want. They are about to roll out the concept further afield after the Liverpool and Kensington hotels are now open.

http://www.base2stay.com/

http://www.base2stayliverpool.com/hotel-overview.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186337-d1821830-Reviews-Base2stay_Liverpool-Liverpool_Merseyside_England.html

Thursday 9 September 2010

Alan Weston of The Liverpool Daily Post is Let Out The Office...Blindfolded.


Months after the event and after a tip-off from..... Grosvenor he writes; A LONG-AWAITED memorial garden has taken shape at the edge of Liverpool’s busiest shopping district.

The site, on the outskirts of Liverpool One, is rich in historical significance, as it includes part of the former St Thomas’s Church graveyard.
Among those buried there is one of Liverpool’s most famous sons, Joseph Williamson, popularly known as the “Mole of Edge Hill”.
After his death in 1840, Williamson was laid to rest in the Tate family vault at the church, which was demolished in 1905.


http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/09/09/new-memorial-garden-for-joseph-williamson-created-by-liverpool-one-92534-27232794/

Here is one we did earlier about the quality of respect of a memorial to the Mole of Edgehill. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/08/here-lies-mole-of-edgehill.html

Or was he really let out or just read a press realease. He waffles on;
The centrepiece of the garden is a carved stone replica of the Liver Bird which once adorned the Sailors’ Home in nearby Canning Place.

The original red sandstone carving stood over the entrance to the old Sailors’ Home, which was demolished in 1973. It is hoped the original Sailors’ Gates will be placed at the entrance to the garden if the council can secure their return from Birmingham.
The home was paid for by ship-owners and merchants to provide a cheap place to stay.As well as being a safe haven for sailors, it boasted a savings bank so seafarers could keep their cash safe, a post office and billiard room. Amateur historian Stephen McKay said: “The actual sailors’ home as a building marks the start of Liverpool as a world-class merchant port. It is very good news that, in addition to the replica, the original Liver Bird is to feature in the Museum of Liverpool when it opens in 2011.”

Its dead easy just print what Grosvenor want you say to while ignoring the real news Mr Weston.
The Sailors Home one of the tragic acts of vandalism in Liverpool's long line of heritage wrongs. The ridiculous idea to bring back the gates to Liverpool should be squashed immediately along with the ideas to think that after abandoning them we will now look after them.
This is what they did with Manchester Dock gates.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/manchester-docks-obliterated.html

Andrew Hussey-A Fat Condescending Scouser on a Plate.

Andrew Hussey does a programme about Northern food.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tp1cv/Time_Shift_Series_10_The_North_on_a_Plate/

And he is back to visit his home town of Liverpool. Living in Paris he talks of Terroir (well I think thats what he said as I cant understand his put on scouse lob accent).
 He wants to explore food and its relationship to class politics and history. He calls Liverpool a special place not quite England and not quite the North. A frontier zone a collission between the Irish trying to get in over there and the English trying to get out over there.
Then he goes to Maggie Mays in Bold Street, and not Hope Street, as he says to taste the ghastly Scouse.
Then he's off to Salford to talk about Tripe. Well the programme was tripe confirming all the awful stereotypes about Liverpool and the North we thought we had left behind.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/09/08/merseyside-chefs-recognised-by-which-good-food-guide-92534-27223985/

This week it was reported A RECORD number of restaurants in Merseyside have been recognised by the respected Which Good Food Guide, published this week.
As The Good Food Guide 2011 celebrates its 60th anniversary, standards in Merseyside continue to soar.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/09/07/culture-of-fear-at-the-bbc-is-killing-creativity-says-stephen-fry-92534-27215709/ Is Stephen Fry right.
Good old BBC.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Round Up All the Usual Suspects, To Turn A Blind Eye To World Heritage Disaster in Liverpool.

Last nights BBC programme where Jonathan Foyle explores northern Georgian and Victorian neo-classical civic buildings.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tnw4p/Peoples_Palaces_The_Golden_Age_of_Civic_Architecture_NeoClassical/

I used to feel so proud whilst watching this sort of programme, even while we were in a economic mess. Now they just annoy me.
Round up all the usual suspects to have their say. The milksop Joseph Sharples, a bag of nerves who has the intelligence after updating Pevsners guide but does nothing with it. Or does he? I walked away from him last time I saw him on the Strand and he told me he admired the Cesar Pelli Carbuncle, One Park Worst!!!!!!!!!!!
Then they trundle off to the Bluecoat using the shot so the camera cannot see the carbuncle behind it.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/liverpool-novatel-tragic-addition-to.html
Interviewing Lawrence Westgaph, a heritage fighter, who says what he thinks, about slavery. He's also a fighter of other sorts having just escaped manacles himself.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/bluecoat-tradgedy.html

I find it hard to start off a programme about Civic pride in Grosvenor-pool but there you go.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/liverpool-one-they-have-stolen-our.html
This is the place they buried the first purpose built dock under a multi story car park. They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot.
Oh excuse me for being pedantic.

He then turned his attention to Thomas Harrisons Lyceum that Florence Gersten had the foresight to save from demolition that is now threatened with a carbuncle behind it. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/now-lyceum-of-bold-street-is-to-gets.html
At St Georges Hall, You can forgive Steve Binns because he cant see the mess that has been created of late.

They did not visit the Pier Head to see the mess there in the world heritage site.

This was a not very well updated version of the Gavin Stamp programmes some 5 or 6 years ago.
Good old BBC.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Sharon Granville, of Liverpool Museums,Is Sent Out Again To Front Flemings Folly.


What does it take to work for Liverpool Museums? I know some of the most hardworking and respectable scholars in the country that work there.......and then there are those who are blind, who just run round sorting out Flemings cock-ups. Sharon Granville is one of those. She writes in to the Daily Ghost defending the abysmal level of cock ups, this time saying.

Museum story


REGARDING your article on Tuesday, August 24, concerning the new Museum of Liverpool, I would like to clarify some points: the building contract with the main contractor (PGT) is intact.
There is no issue of an expiry date or any need for renewal. All building contracts provide for a 12-month snagging period post-completion. The fact that a reduced PGT team is currently on site is completely unremarkable.
There is no question over the museum ownership: both the museum and the land are owned by National Museums Liverpool. The exhibition fit-out contract is under way, and the museum will open in 2011.
Sharon Granville, Project Director, Museum of Liverpool
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/letters-to-editor/2010/09/01/letters-to-the-editor-september-1-92534-27176431/

She has written in a few time defending the old tin-pot running the place.
Defending Flemings Folly behaving like a museum Directors lap-dog.
If she is the project director then she should be sacked for the abysmal display of ineptitude.

Dicky Felt-tip P.A and Morrissey lover, the new high powered museum blagger wont be far behind this one either.
What will they do to defend him next when the muck hits the fan? http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/08/dr-david-fleming-to-be-investigated-by.html
What will they do when they are sacked and their jobs are done by volunteers? http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/07/are-liverpool-museums-skint-phil.html

How can you defend such a pointless waste of tax-payers money?
Unless you are the ones wasting the dosh.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-faced-liverpool-museums-will-alsop.html




http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/03/03/new-pier-head-museum-will-offer-great-views-of-mersey-64375-20549233/

Just look at the views above ruined for Flemings Folly who in his capacity as Director of the International Slavery Museum on Merseyside says he wants all young black men to feel shit.
Get him out.