Liverpool Central Library the Violation Begins

Well they have ruined the museum in William Brown Street part of the World Heritage Site, turning it into the Wacky Warehouse so why not destroy the Central Library and make it look like an Azda supermarket. It makes sense. Every little helps. It seems everything that this council, in my opinion, run by spivs, does, is a way of ruining the heritage of the city. Of homogonising it, turning it, into the same as everywhere else. Even its unique areas, its world heritage site. Its no good claiming that it is updating an existing structure, this does not look good, it looks very bad indeed. Not only have they got rid of all wagon loads of books from the library, selling off valuable first edittions to book dealers at knock down prices, they will now set about destroying the fabric of the structure, and the whole building. It will happen, with these proposals. Does no-one understand what heritage is in this city is, and how you merge old with new to create a sense of place and history.
Inspire Partnership has been named as the preferred developer, a collective that includes key investor International Public Partnerships, constructors and investors Shepherd Construction, city-based architects Austin-Smith:Lord and restoration specialists William AnelayCOR.


Building services engineers Buro HappoldCOR, asset managers Amber Infrastructure and facilities managers CofelyCOR complete the partnership.
The library is scheduled to be closed in June, 2010, and it will take around three months to completely empty.
The city council is about to finalise an arrangement with another city centre location to keep facilities accessible to the public throughout the closure of the building.
“We took a strategic decision that education is so important to the future prosperity of this city, and libraries are a finger on the hand of that,” said council leader, Cllr Warren Bradley., “While other councils have been streamlining, cutting costs and closing libraries, we have been investing.
“We have worked hard over the last six or seven years and are pleased we have now got a developer in place to deliver this scheme. This has been a long time in coming.”
He added: “On the back of Capital of Culture, we have invested £100m into the cultural infrastructure of the city.
“If you look at what’s going on with the [Everyman and Playhouse] theatres and what the museums have done, it’s phenomenal to see the investment in culture since 2008, and this is the icing on the cake.

This man really is dangerous the only reason he is placed in his position, in my opinion, was to allow people to faclilitate use of the huge European Slush fund, he talks about getting a developer in.......this is our library Mr Bradley not a speculative development sceme. He has waxed lyrical about every scheme that has come on board, carbuncle after carbuncle, he has backed, telling us how great everything is. My opinion is he is being puppeteered by Mike Storey still.
With Bradley in charge they can ruin what they want. With The Daily Ghost and the Oldham Echo as your PR company you have it made. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/30/50m-liverpool-library-refurbishment-plans-unveiled-92534-25050438/ Vicky Anderson reports on behalf of the council this time.
To use your cultural assets in a manner, that does not undertand them is beyond belief. Housed in the Central Records office is the Chambre Hardman archive that I had a hand in saving for the city, while the Liberal Democrats, activly, campaigned to have 240,000 negatives of his work sent to Bradford and his house, now owned and run by the National trust, was to be closed.
When will this city ever learn.
A full planning application will be made on November 23and a four-week public consulatition event will be held in Central Library throughout December.

Its up to the public but with the spirit shown in the past it looks like its a done deal. Milton Keynes-On-Sea in a world heritage Mercantile and Maritime City, it just doesnt seem right.
CODA
I have just seen the front page headline of the Daily Ghost. "Stunning new £50m library sheme plan revealed". This has to be an editorial headline and it runs even with Mark Thomas style, describing the fantastic new Ferry Terminal and the stunning new museum. The Terminal Ferry building later went on to win Building Design National Carbuncle Cup Award.  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/liverpool-wins-carbuncle-cup.html
Every tacky scheme that come along is pounced upon by the Daily Ghost and edited as a good news story with a lack of architectural education that astounds.
One of the main reasons the world heritage site is ruined to such an extent it is being laughed at by architectural cultured people is because of the quality of the local journalism and its lack of architectural knowledge. They cant even do the people right by taking an opinion, no wonder they cant even give it away.
Losing the Ghost paper, will be no loss really, it wont. What happened to inquiring journalists in this town.

St James Church-Liverpool’s Heritage at Risk No 4

This Church on the corner of Upper/Lower Parliament St and Park Lane may be the earliest remaining cast iron structure in Britain. Garade II*
This is the Church that had a giant neon Rabitt bolted to it without planning permission despite being in peril.
http://www.englishheritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/190609north_west_2009_har_register.pdf
PAGE 64 FOR LIVERPOOL
It is not a beautiful or monumental structure described by Picton as 'a plain brick building'. But this is none the less an historical architectural and engineering monument, of the greatest importance.

It is now owned by the Churches Conservation trust who, along with English Heretics http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/english-heretics.html  and the local Church elders are making, fools of themselves with plans to dig up 7000 bodies and build a block of flats on the graveyard……Poltergeist.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/mad-hatters-tea-party-at-st-james.html
It is Norman in character with its small semicircular headed windows. Its architect was Cuthbert Brisbane who was working on land presented by Lord Sefton for a sum of £3000 raised by 27 shareholders prior to its construction. It was built in 1774-5.
Wrought iron and cast iron were to revolutionise church design and architecture in general in the 19th century. Here we see the precursor to the Albert Dock with its vaulted and iron columned spans and it also led to the more ordinary. Such as, Coleman’s Fireproof Repository, just up Park Lane. Cast Iron columns, the type we see in this Church are quatrefoil clustered, would make it able to build vast open spaces at minimum cost. Making it a valuable style of construction for Ecclesiastical designs.

There was an earlier church with pre-cast columns the Church of St Anne, in St Anne’s Street which was built in 1772. This has now been demolished.
This is on English Heretics National at Risk register and has been for a long time.

Bishop James Jones who supports the current scheme to smack a load of piles through the skulls and bones of the dead bodies in the graveyard, unmarked, as all the head stones have been removed should be ashamed of himself. This Church is more at risk from the people who should be looking after it than the elements. How sad. But how terrible would it be if it was vandalised or set on fire the same as was done St Andrews Church on Rodney Street. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-andrews-church-rodney-st-liverpools.html

£950,000,000 of European Objective One Money Liverpool has lapped up, by the fat cats, and you cant look after our heritage. Mr Bradley Fireman and Council leader, whose watch could make a visit with his appliance any day to put out a fire should take an interest. In Toxteth where his watch is, so much wasted opportunity still beckons decades after the Toxteth riots.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/St%20James%20Church

This once again is in the constituency of her shyness the “Dame of Dereliction” Louise Ellman, who is oblivious to neglect it seems to me.
Quentin Hughes was a Chairman of the then, now largely redundant Merseyside Civic Society and was instrumental in having the Churches Conservation Trust take it on.
Quentin in his book LIVERPOOL City of Architecture states “The Church was declared redundant and was supposed to be cared for against the ravages of vandals by The Churches Conservation Trust. How wonderful it would be if it could be converted into a museum of iron architecture in whose development Liverpool has played such a significant part. However it now looks as though the trust is abrogating its responsibility, disliking, the task of caring for city centre Churches". That was almost a decade ago.
Just who can you trust?

Liverpools Baltic Triangle. More than a 100 Properties Rotting. Does Anybody Care.

After the recent press release from the Daily Ghost regarding the upbeat story of how wonderful it all is about the Baltic Triangle considering some properties are being renovated by a North Vested Interest Development Agency grant. ( Its a shame none of the people who work in Oldham Hall Street do not go and take a look at the place). http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/liverpools-baltic-triangle-to-become.html

Well maybe it’s a start but the full reality, is this. We counted 100 properties in serious danger of crumbling, within a couple of hundred yards of each other, in the Baltic Triangle, and in serious decay.
This group of properties in Bridgewater Street are available to view from Louise Ellmans the "Dame of Dereliction" place of residence. It is my opinion she has become oblivious to the dereliction in her constituency. There are another 100 properties on the periphery of the Baltic triangle in the death throes, unless investment is made…..and it won’t be, unless people like her who are oblivious to decay take notice. I am not even to start with Berni Turner. As with this clutch the owners most are prepared to let them fall down. Why is there no one around to fight for them to be saved. The owners don’t care nor the polititions. Why?
The picture above shows the Anglican Cathedral and its proximity to abject rot. The Chairman of the council manipulated "Stop the Rot" campaign, that never stopped any rot, and was run by the Oldham Echo, was Bishop James Jones who wants to now dig up 7,000 bodies in St James Church just in point of the Baltic Triangle.
Where are the planners who rubber-stamp boring and bland blocks of flats in the same location and have no plans for good solid listed warehouses.

Where is Chris Griffiths, the dozy Buildings at Risk Officer funded by English Heretics Manchester Office. What about Glynn Marsden and Steve “Ronnie” Corbett at the Conservation(sic)office…nowhere to be seen? Hiding ducking below the parapets. Where is the Merseyside Civic Society? Where are the local press?

This block in Bridgewater Street at least part owned by Ebeneeza Selwyn, who I think is a disgrace to my proffession, is being used as mobile phone masts. Who passes a listed structure to be used as a mobile phone receptacle? Yes, its the Reichmarshal Nigel Lee our vainglorious planning manager and the leader in the heritage disaster that is Liverpool.
Seven thousand pounds a throw, the rent is for each mast that’s 21 grand a year in rent to keep it in the state of decay until they fall down and then coin it on the land. Its like a reward. They cant go wrong.
Hey but its alright the NWDA are in and investing in the area, just like they did in the World Heritage Site and those grey suited clowns don’t know how to balance the past with the future. So on the tail of this will be Frank McKenna’s Downtown Liverpool in Business Vultures ready to feed off the carcasses of what remains, ready to leave us with another mini Milton Keynes-On-Sea. I bet on it. 250 yards away from the Grosvenor-pool shopping Precient its a tale of two cities.

When You Walk Through A Storm.

All of my life I have waited for Liverpool’s Renaissance.

From that slum town I was born, surrounded by the ravages of the blitz, I have been waiting for us to get back on centre stage.
Nobody wanted the regeneration of Liverpool more than I.
I have watched false dawns with irksome regularity, I know Peter and Paul so many times I have watched them rob each other.
I have heard it all.
The anthem You’ll never walk alone really means something to me not just for football or because I grew up in the shadows of the ground, but for my sense of character and the symbol of the troubles we as a city have endured, those words touch my heart.
Always, I have believed that at the end of our storm there is a golden sky…until now.
I have watched patiently from the cultural sector while we as a city have been knocked from pillar to post by the national press, I have sold 20th century art and design through the bad times, through thick and thin, never given in.
Every city wants to be the new Bilbao….. Yes, if it was that easy.
Then, we get the chance to crawl up the greasy pole back to centre stage where this city belongs…we get some investment coming in and 950 million pounds of European Objective One funding.
And we make all the same mistakes of the 1960s creating slums of the future with buildings already out of date before built with little or no architectural merit, that erode the values of what our predecessors left for us, because they had the finesse to build them well.
The Oligarchs with their marketing budgets promise us world-class architecture and what do we get, instead a Trafford park in the city and thousands of empty apartments, hurray!!
As a city we descended into a feeding frenzy that produced hardly any jobs and a flock of carbuncles.

With the degeneration of our best assets…Our, world heritage site, Our Pier head, Our Icons, then alongside those beauties they stick a trashy tart …behind it 3 monstrous granite carbuncles and steal from us, our sense of pride, that kept us going through all those lean years, taking away my right to own heritage and culture and relieve me of the pride that I share with all who are lucky enough to be able to enjoy those majestic visions of the early 20th century.
These were free. You don’t fix it if its not broken.
We have made irreversible mistakes with our culture, we have lost the very essence of what the soul of this city is, of what our history means to us, and become bland, homoginised.
In order to be cultured to afford that status, you have to understand where you have been, in order to know where you are going.

They, the spivs, have undermined the very foundations of our world heritage site; it’s not theirs to give away.
A good conservationist knows the true value of what his forebears left us. What a shame for Liverpool that those in power did not.

Liverpools Baltic Triangle to become a Cultural Quarter.

Not sure how you make a Triangle into a quarter, not sure if Pythagoras had an equation for that. What I am sure of is this is another slice of Regional European objective fund that some cosy developer will have his finger in the circular pie. Have I heard all this before, yes, all the same promises, a couple of hundred yards away, over in the ropewalks that turned out to be a load of new empty apartments and new bars for the kids who live in the town centre to swill away their weekends. I attended a talk by Bill Maynard at the then Moat House Hotel, in the now defunct Paradise Street. (as it has not even got a name plate up and is now been absorbed into Grosvenor-pool). Urban Splash were the experts at grabbing grant money from the public purse. This was over 10 years ago and all the same old same old is being rolled out again. We have to be a bit more imaginitive than bars shops and hotels. Oh what happened to all the promised culcha?
The recent press release from the North Vested Interest Development Agency says.
The Baltic Creative scheme, which its creators say gives the city a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to develop its creative sector, will see four buildings off Jamaica Street refurbished to house creative and digital businesses.
Regeneration officials say the creative sector will be vital to Liverpool’s economy in the future and hope the new centre, funded by the Northwest Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund, will house more than 60 businesses.
Yes I have heard that before.
Kevin McManus, director of Liverpool Vision’s creative support body Merseyside ACME, says Baltic Creative will be a home for growing creative firms in the same way that Liverpool Science Park is for hi-tech companies. Yes
He said: "We want a mixture of sole traders and small and large companies. We want to see a lot of collaboration and innovation, that puts Liverpool on the cutting edge of the industry. Oh Yes.

"Liverpool’s future is creative and digital. We want to have some of Liverpool’s great creative and digital firms in there – maybe visual artists, designers or musicians. This will be a space where people can spark off each other and collaborate – all the things they should be doing at the moment.
"We have to support businesses that are going to grow and bring money and jobs to the city." True Right, but you have been saying this for years.
Mr McManus said there has already been "a lot of interest" from firms wanting to move into the buildings. The industrial units include the one used by the New Picket music venue. Next to the garage that houses the amfibious yellow tour machine that ramps into the Albert dock and great fun was had by all.  
They will be run by a newly-formed "community interest company" called Baltic Creative.
The funding includes £3m from the NWDA and another £2.2m from the European Regional Development Fund. It covers the cost of leasing the buildings from the NWDA on a long lease and refurbishing them, as well as running costs for at least three years until Baltic Creative can stand on its own two feet financially through rents it brings in.
So considering you get for 5 million pounds of European slush money these days half of a Terminal Ferry Carbuncle. What chance.
"There’s still lots of work to be done. Getting the buildings is just the start," said Mr McManus.
You bet.
The Baltic Triangle is already home to the Contemporary Urban Centre and the new Elevator Studio complex, itself home to creative firms including design studio Milky Tea.
Jenny Douglas, head of city centre at Liverpool Vision, said: "The area is beginning to emerge as a vibrant business hub, with a real mix of activity from old established businesses to new cutting-edge concerns but we need to sustain this energy.
"It’s vital that creatives are in the heart of the city and not left on the edge and these plans for the Baltic Triangle will help support and increase the vibrancy by attracting new companies, new ideas and new connections." Heard it all before.
Music venue The New Picket moved into the Baltic Triangle area in 2005 and its venue director Phil Hayes has been "at the vanguard" of efforts to transform the area into a creative quarter.
He welcomed news of Baltic Creative and said he wanted to see the area cleaned up to become more welcoming to visitors.
Mr Hayes said: "What’s important is that the local organisations are at the forefront of this cultural area. It has got to have a uniqueness about it. That can only be maintained by unique organisations being based here."
NWDA chief executive Steve Broomhead said: "Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area presents a unique opportunity to develop a natural network of creative businesses in one location, building on the strong creative activity already under way in the area."

Yes the Picket was forced out of its home and Phil Hayes recently received a phone call from the new owners of the Hardman Street premises asking if they wanted to buy the building. Its still empty.
Then they give us a picture of the artists impression of the new creative quarter thats in a triangle...which is not very creative and you think here we go again. You know we don’t stand a chance. The NWDA has wasted hundreds of millions of pounds ruining the world heritage site while 1 mile down the road where Louise Ellman lives is in the worst state of decay and has been for the last 25 years while she has stood by and watched.
Oh and what happened to all the previous promises from Windsor Developments who were the so-called buyers of Lamb & Sons that was owned by those that left us a hole in the ground next to the Baltc Fleet pub http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=-1bn-baltic-triangle-project-collapses&method=full&objectid=18893190&siteid=50061-name_page.html Doreen & Trevor Jones.  http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=-1bn-baltic-triangle-project-collapses&method=full&objectid=18893190&siteid=50061-name_page.html
This article put together by Larry Neild who now works for the remnants of Windsors press agency October communications. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/knock-me-down-with-feather-its-clever.html

Liverpool Hilton.

Not the worst culprit next to its big ugly sister, One Park Worst on Chavasse Park which came 4th in this years Building Design, the architects weekly, Carbuncle Cup Competition. It is never the less than average addition albeit much lower than the neighbour across the lawn.
Liverpool never won the 2009 Sterling Prize and with average architecture like this it is hardly suprising. See how it now conflicts with the Grade I listed Albert Dock (pic during construction). Did no-one at BDP architects who promote themselves as our saviours think of this.The new Novatel opens just down the road that has destroyed the view of the Bluecoat, Did no-one at BDP think of that, http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/bluecoat-tradgedy.html The Bluecoat is Liverpools oldest city cenrte building and was grant aided to 20 million for the privlidge of being homoginised.
This is a view taken from Radio City Tower showing the small green space which is 40 ft in the air. Next to the Hilton is an average Bus Station although described by Beatrice Fraenkal as one of her favourites, it is not that functional, it has no-where to lay-over the buses as the old Paradise Street did. The local press are now being buttered up todays headline is a strange one.

Liverpool’s history is threaded through new Hilton hotel. Strange, really strange. Do they mean that they knocked down the hated 1960s Steers House and built something resembling Steers House only 10 storeys higher. Thats not history. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/22/liverpool-s-history-is-threaded-through-new-hilton-hotel-92534-24987236/
Or does it just mean that the local paps are now to be buttered up by the Hiltons PR company just like what happened with the launch of the Malmaison, in return for feeding us with a rich gooey substance, called, Making it up as you go along?  I see no history there, why invent some for the owners. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/videos-pictures/pictures-of-liverpool/pictures-of-liverpool-news/2009/10/21/first-pictures-of-the-hilton-hotel-liverpool-one-92534-24986400/
Is it just me or does this building resemble Bennetts Associates Edinburgh Rock http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=453&storycode=3151010&channel=783&c=2
which it is said draws on its tradition.

CODA
It was reported that the land that the new Hilton stands was sold by Grosvenor for 20 million pounds while Liverpool City Council had a deficit of...........20 million.

Unesco Allow Liverpools World Heritage Disaster, but what will they do about St Petersburg.

I am not to do a lot today other than to say that a campaign in Russia is gathering momentum.
It seem that unlike the inactive and pathetic spirit of the local populace that let Unesco wash their hands of Liverpool is not about to happen in St Petersburg.
http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/10/gazprom-rmjm-okhta-tower-st-petersburg.html 

Nemisis knows more than I do about it, and their efforts are tireless, please read their jottings and links.
http://chtodelat.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/saint-petersburg-versus-gazputinburg/
Please take the time to read and if there is any representations can be made please do. I wish we had of got more assistance instead of having to rely on the pathetic local press with their half hearted stories while promoting in the business pages the very people who do the damage.

Please take some time to read the blogs down the right hand side in what is called a blog roll. I have tried to get a balance.
St Petersburg WHS, Gazprom, Okhta Centre, BD - and JG
HERE IS SOME NEMESIS  DID EARLIER I shall let them talk.
An update on the recent two blogs
http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/09/another-huge-erection.html

http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/09/cock-up-or-conspiracy-gazprom-rmjm-and.html

Respected architecture critic Jonathan Glancey (above) has written in this week's Building Design of the violent clashes in St Petersburg, although without really apportioning the blame to those responsible (not, as far as I can see, the protestors but the thugs hired to prevent lawful protest).
Here's a link to further reporting and pictures on this (update Sept 13th)
http://www.reclaiming-spaces.org/news/
http://nastybrutalistandshort.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post.html
(Interesting comments on that one - although to read the only full version of the truncated comments quoted left on t'internet you have to read them in a blog not too far from this one!)
It is intriguing to see how passionate St Petersburg’s residents are over the Gazprom tower proposals
But we don’t do violence


11 September 2009
‘Violence at Gazprom tower meeting” blared a headline in last week’s BD. The occasion was a meeting in St Petersburg at which Gazprom and RMJM were lobbying to change a local zoning law keeping buildings to a maximum height of 48m. This led to a newsworthy clash between protesters, police and security guards.
How often do people actually come to blows over buildings in peacetime? Protest is certainly not uncommon, and yet even the threat, and then the sorry reality, of the destruction of New York’s Pennsylvania and London’s Euston stations, witnessed no violence I am aware of. Equally, many people around the world have been offended in recent decades by heavy-handed office buildings, bombastic hotels and any number of crass residential and retail developments. But although angry, they have kept their fists uncoiled and their powder dry....
Read more: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=427&storycode=3148395&channel=427&c=1
But there’s been nothing quite like the Gazprom clash. When big business is threatened, it can and will fight hard, especially when supported by government.
Violence can rarely be condoned, but it is intriguing to see how passionate people living in St Petersburg are about their city. British architects might find this uncomfortable, but they can rest assured such passions are unlikely to spill over into violence in our own less demonstrative country.
Well, no, Mr G, violence cannot in this case be condoned at all; it seems, however, that peaceful protest is being stifled by the use of such violence
In this country we do tend to use the law and public pressure, but let's face it, it's up to small but determined organisations (see yesterday's blog on a SAVE legal victory) and individuals banding together in a common cause (see the linked blogs column for a representative sample) to carry the huge burden of protest at the never-ending threats to our historic environment.
Maybe we should get more militant.
I wonder what would happen if we did? Would riot police be sent in?
http://www.sapling.info/newsletter/200512_agnes.shtml

Queen Mary 2 arrives in Liverpool and Docks at the Cruise Liner Jetty.

Yes there it is QM 2, registered in Southamptom, arriving in Liverpool. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/20/royal-visitor-finally-comes-home-92534-24967751/ Peter Olsen at the Daily Post covers the story under the misleading headline QM 2 finally comes home to Liverpool. It has not been here before. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/20/queen-mary-2-confers-new-premier-status-on-liverpool-with-her-maiden-visit-92534-24968607/

Unfortunatly due to a serious lack of foresight no passengers can embark or disembark as there is no baggage handling facilities due to a Cruise liner Cock-up by the council that the local press are blaming another city for. I have a client Malcolm, who has got the train to Southampton to embark, then he sails to Liverpool and has been told by his wife, he can go home and do the washing. Then they are off to Cork and Dublin....and then he goes back to Southampton to get the train back home. He said the tour operators are charging the wealthy Americans $90 to take them to the Cathedral and back....which seems a little much.  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Cruise%20Liner%20Jetty It will be here tonight until 11.30 and will be seen off by another firework display costing a fortune. Its a shame they never saved all the cash spent on recent firework displays and spent the extra money on the Cruise Liner Jetty and turned it into a fully functional baggage handling dock like what they have in Southampton, with customs facilities for embarkation.

Meanwhile Larry Bartlett, the Daily Ghost and its big bully sister the Oldham Echo gets another leathering regarding the sham way they have represented us as a city in what they call Cruise Wars. http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/10/oldham-echo-fight-arranger-round-two.html

read the comments by the Professor Chucklebutty they are consice, I thought he only told jokes.

Tony Moscardini dispells Liverpools World Heritage Untruths.

This was what we had in Liverpool, a World Heritage Site to be proud of. The most remarkable fact is how that cluster of buildings had remained untouched with Liverpools tragic 1970s regeneration make over. This was Liverpool to me everything you wanted, a city showing its pride, class, style, heritage, tradition, and all this captured, in the group of buildings at our Pier Head. This is the front cover of Quentin Hughes book LIVERPOOL City of Architecture. It was no mistake it was there, Quentin knew a thing or two about Liverpool. He had been appointed to meet the original Unesco Inspectors, in decision, on whether or not to give Liverpool its coveted heritage accolade, World Heritage Site Status. Look at what is happening now, it is very sad indeed. The Liverpool Preservation Trust was founded after long searching debates with Quentin and the simple reasoning of the need to protect the fragility of the central core of the WHS as the city was being run by spivs and uncultured people who wanted their "cosy" or preffered developers to crawl all over it.

Quentin asked me to become a council member of the Merseyside Civic Society, which I did, later to resign, appalled at the pathetic vested interests working from within, combined with the inactivity of the other council members, the few were allowed to opiniate without debate. One council member whose opinion I did respect was, and is, Tony Moscardini. It is he who writes in to the Daily Ghost, to attempt to educate the local press after the recent idiotic, so called reporting, that we have recently had to endure regarding the World Heritage Site. Tony has forgot more about Liverpools architecture last week than what young Larry Bartlett, let loose by Alastair Machray, will ever know. But do the local papers take advice from people with knowledge, hardly, thats just not done here in Liverpool, which is how come we are in such a mess. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/dave-bartlett-blues-he-should-have-gone.html

Premature plan
THE headline in last week’s Daily Post (October 5) “City planners pave the way for Peel’s Liverpool Waters” should more accurately read “ City planners aim to kill the goose who lays the golden eggs”.

It must be obvious that zoning a massive out-of-centre site for what should be city centre uses will result in a World Heritage Site (which is the city’s greatest asset) filled with empty, mothballed or boarded-up buildings and undeveloped sites.
To say that there is a “New City Blueprint” is completely untrue. The plan referred to is the World Heritage Site Supplementary Guidance that not only excludes the Peel site but also does not in any way deal with land use allocations.
It beggars belief that a document, still to be formally adopted, can be said to “pave the way” for anything other than the protection of the World Heritage Site from inappropriate development.
The correct context for considering Peel’s proposal is the Core Strategy presently at an early stage of preparation. The proposal is clearly premature at this point in time.
The World Heritage Site's priceless value is all the more crucial in the present economic climate.
Liverpool's administrators, many of whom I suspect see the World Heritage Status as a bar to so-called “progress”, should get real.
I have been reading Peter Ackroyd’s story of Venice and there are uncanny parallels with Liverpool.
He said that Venice “ traded in goods and in people, finally it trades upon itself”. What could be truer of today’s Liverpool?
Anthony Moscardini, Woolton

St Andrews Church, Rodney St-Liverpools Heritage At Risk No3

How can a City watch a Grade II* listed building deteriate to such an effect that it is a shadow of itself. But it now has a shed on it. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search?q=sheds+direct  English Heretics describe its condition as "very bad". The old Presbyterian Church on Rodney St now gets a shed on its heavy ballustraded attic. John Moores wanted to use this as a library and resource centre after it was on fire. John Moores were promising to make it structurally safe and give it a fresh vibrant use. Common sense one would think...no Steve "Ronnie" Corbett at the waste full Liverpool Conservation (sic) Office wanted to store his garden tools and lawn mower on the top of it. So the whole scheme was kyboshed. Now at this precise moment there will be a load of shifty developers waiting for it to completely fall down while Chris Griffiths the waste of space masquerading as the buildings at risk officer pots his geraniums up there. It is a waste, an absolute waste. This building was designed and built by John Foster Jr in 1823. This is a picture what it   looked like only a couple of decades ago. Its decline was swift. What is Berni Turner the so called English Heritage Champion doing...well not a lot really.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Andrew,_Liverpool
http://www.walkingbook.co.uk/liverpool/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/190609north_west_2009_har_register.pdf
PAGE 64 FOR LIVERPOOL
ENGLISH HERETICS LIVERPOOLS CONSERVATION AREAS AT RISK
Liverpool Derwent Square Newsham Park
Ogden Close Princes Park
Princes Road
Sefton Park
Shaw Street
Wavertree Village
SHEDS DIRECT GIVE THEM A CALL 0151 233 5623

Cruise Wars-Scouse Wedding-on-Sea. Started by Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH.This is a picture in the Southampton Echo showing how the Cruise Liner will look after docking in Liverpool. Left up, on bricks.
Did Larry Bartlett and his crew at Trinity "Smoking" Mirror really think they would get away with starting a scouse wedding-at-sea with the real tough sailors of Southampton?
Did they think that the usual Scouse Bully Boy tactics would work?
Did they really think that, in starting a fight like schoolground bullies at the behest of the city council, to cover their cruise liner cock up, they would be representing the city.
Did they, not, think that all the same old stereotypes will be brought back to the foreground if they behave like the old Liverpudlians? Are we supposed to be a cultured city?  It seems not being led by imbaciles living in the past. They at Oldham Hall Street got a leathering from local blogees http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/oldham-echo-fight-arranger.html
and still they go on firing blanks, and then taking a full broadside they still go on.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/business/gareth_lewis/4639243.Port_bosses_bid_to_block_Liverpool_cruise_plan/
Read the above link with its 74 comments, shows how Southampton cares. There aren't even 74 people reading the Daily Post. But the dangerous brainwashing of the Echo sets the tone in helping the Council out of their Cruise Liner Cock-Up by blaming a city when it was nothing to do with them. Just pay the money back, they should have said.
Now Southampton fires another salvo and Larry Bartlett plays daft on his blog. "How shall I respond" he says. Well David, shut up, and remember when you next start infantile and argumentitive Cruise Wars that you are representing me and my fellow citizens. And please tell all the other imature people who work at Trinity "Smoking" Mirror with you to do the same, Its an embarrasment to be fronted by troublemakers, who  reinforce all the argumentitive scouse stereotypes. Only this time it looks like you have met your match. NOT IN MY NAME. I have left these times behind. So start behaving with a dignity that befits the representation of our city, you are not working for the council, and secondly admit your mistakes to the people who read your paper. No, not brave enough. This debacle needs tacking at managing editor level. It is a disgrace. I have sent a copy of this post to Bartlett and Lewis and both editors.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/business/gareth_lewis/4643832.Liverpool_have_got_a_cheek_/#show

You also have to say, this, Gareth Lewis is one column short of a full article, in fact he is a immature little idiot.
Does he not know in printing the above picture that a ship does not have wheels so what would it be up on bricks for? Are these press people the same all over, tough hiding in their offices, creme puffs in real life. But it was Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors who started it and those first articles set the tone.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/business/gareth_lewis/4664601.Scousers__scheme_to_scupper_Southampton/#show
read the comments.
Scousers' scheme to scupper Southampton

12:06pm Monday 5th October 2009
Comments (4) Have your say »
By Gareth Lewis »
LIVERPOOL has an unfortunate stereotype associated with it.
A damnable and unfair reputation for pinching the hubcaps and wheels off cars and leaving them propped up on bricks for the shocked owner to discover on his return.
"Like shell suited scallies in the night, they have eyed this jewel in Southampton’s crown with rank envy."
Gareth Lewis
It’s not fair. It’s not right. And any of you out there chuckling at the thought should stop it at once. But, right now, today, this loathsome calumny has some small merit.
That once great city on the Mersey has designs to make off with great big chunks of Southampton’s cruise business.
Like shell-suited scallies in the night on some sink estate confronted with a rashly parked luxury motor, they have eyed this jewel in Southampton’s crown with rank envy and resolved to have it for their own.
Fair enough, you might think.
What’s the problem? A bit of fair competition never hurt anyone.
And I would agree.
But the key word there is fair.
And Liverpool City Council’s covetous bid to muscle in on Southampton’s territory is anything but.
The howls of protest from the waterfront are not at the temerity to try and take a piece of the action. No, it’s outrage at the cheek of using a £20m taxpayer handout to do it.
In contrast, Southampton has seen a whopping £41m spent on it’s cruise facilities in the past five years but not one penny of that has come from the public purse.
For that investment to be undermined by money paid by you and I and port workers in Southampton is just wrong. Simple as that.
That a billionaire tax exile is one of the principle beneficiaries of all this just adds bitter insult to considerable injury.
It all started so innocently.
Regeneration was the watchword as they appealed for public funds to build a floating cruise terminal. Not for turnaround cruises though, they assured us.
That would be against European rules on state aid and would have competition issues. As a result, no-one objected, the golden tap was turned on and a river of our hard-earned flooded Mersey docks.
Less than two years later, the scousers’ scurvy scheme is revealed. Never content with a nice little taxpayer funded cashcow on the waterfront, they always harboured dreams of luring the real money to the Mersey.
They showed their spirit with a behind the scenes bid for backing from Portsmouth, promising sycophantic support for the navy city’s own cruise dreams in return.
In short, the whole thing stinks.
In football terms the ‘pool are two tiers above lowly Saints, but when it comes to cruising Southampton is undisputed leader of the Premiership and will fight tooth and nail to avoid another relegation.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/10/08/southampton-docks-boss-defends-opposition-to-liverpool-waterfront-cruise-terminal-plan-100252-24881965/

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/10/06/southampton-cruise-boss-admits-liverpool-is-better-destination-100252-24859284/

This is the recent Oldham Echo stuff. Why cause trouble?

The Wellington Rooms-Liverpools Heritage At Risk No 2

The Wellington Rooms in Mount Pleasant were once described as a ‘house of mirth and revelry’. They were erected after funds were raised by public subscription in 1815.

An Adaptation of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates of Athens, which was illustrated in the influential publication by Stuart and Revelt Antiquities of Athens.
It had a porch on one side for the setting down of sedan chairs.
The Portico was originally open but was found to be draughty and a disfigurement to the original design was made with the blocking up.
A ballroom of some 80ft by 40ft it had a card room and a supper room.
It was thought to have been frequented by the upper classes, as subscription balls, assemblies and occasional fancy dress balls.

How that description conjures up the most remarkable images of Georgian Liverpool. A Maritime City at the nucleus of its upward growth taking it to the city of its height in the early 20th century.
I grew up with it being known as The Irish Centre in the 70s and 80s, and  ignorant of these facts relating the building back to the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleons defeat by the then axis powers under the leadership of the Duke of Wellington.
I recently highlighted its plight in a walkabout with Peter Elson http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2008/01/29/living-on-the-eve-of-destruction-64375-20405391/ for the Daily Ghost and it is still the same building, only the deteriation seems to have been helped by the lead on the roof going missing. What state inside to the plasterwork?
There were ghastly plans to develop it by sticking a rubic cube sort of extension on the back. The plans looked more like a sketch on the back of a jerry-builders ciggy packet than a professionals work . http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/tm_method=full&objectid=20615285&siteid=50061-name_page.html
On the English Heretic at risk register for as long as I can remember. Henry Owen John  http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2008/03/22/the-changing-face-of-liverpool-64375-20658839/ the area director should be ashamed of himself as should the joker who was the Historic Buildings advisor Peter De Figeurido who let it rot while sucking up to the developers of Mann Island, who it is alleged is now working for Peel Holdings. Click the link above to see him and the Reichmarshal Nigel Lee making excuses after my article sent waves out about the neglect.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/190609north_west_2009_har_register.pdf
And what of Chris Griffiths and Steve Corbett of the useless Liverpool Conseravtion office.
Next to it and with objective one funding an extension was built on the Gibbard Cathedral, that Oscar Niemeyer rip off, Paddys Wigwam while this wonderful little Georgian gem lies there, rotting,  a forelorn looking Mausoleaum to itself.

Liverpool One-They have Stolen Our Streets.

And that's not my words but that apears to be the view of the architect of the recent redevelopment of the Bluecoat.

BDP’s masterplan for Liverpool One may have impressed the architects who drew up the Stirling shortlist, but Hans van der Heijden, architect of the Bluecoat arts centre next door, says its chief aim was to foster a feeling of disconnection with the rest of the city. “Liverpool One does not have a wall. Its wall is invisible, but yet it is clearly marked by the stylistic discontinuity of its architecture,” he tells Anna Minton in her new book Ground Control. Minton’s experience is little better. “I could have been anywhere in Britain or America with a high-end shopping centre… although I had been told the design of the complex faithfully followed the original street pattern, I couldn’t see any street signs.”

So we are made to feel grateful that they have been given a third of the city centre and then they nominate themselves for a Stirling Prize. http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/5209267.article Yes it is nominated by RIBA architects and with 26 different architect working on Grosvenor-pool they have effectivly nominated themselves.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/12/favourites-for-the-riba-stirling-prize-92534-24905793/

Yesterdays Daily Ghost (the Oldham Echo now arrives at 7.30 a.m its only a matter of time) had a full two pages by Vicky Anderson whose partner is involved in the architectural profession, maybe he was working on the Bluecoat desecration? But hey! we never heard a bad word about it in the press. Only how good it was from people who dont understand the way the erosion of our cultural identity and its historical architecture can be so comprehensive. So when an Architect who destroyed the Bluecoat with a crass renovation led by English Heretics, leaving it a limp and lifeless space, with a ruined garden, talks about Liverpool One being bad, well we know for sure, we have got a Trafford Park in the city without a roof on. And the backslappers at RIBA want to tell us how great it is......well not for me thanks. They have destroyed the world heritage site with the carbuncle on Chavasse Park that is One Park Worst. They can never be forgiven for dumping that on us. Grosvenor-pool. A city squatting within a city.

They have stolen our streets and given us a new St Johns Market, Yes thats about it.

Liverpools Heritage at Risk No 1-Royal Insurance Building Dale Street

Today we sart a series to advise the public of the "Buildings at Risk" in Liverpool. We start with the English Heritage at Risk registered Buildings http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/190609north_west_2009_har_register.pdf and start in Dale Street 100 yards in one direction from the Town Hall and 100 yards the other The Liverpool City Municipal Buildings.
They keep telling us they have saved this building. They being the Council through its PR division, the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo.
And still it lies there as a monument to inactivity and a lack of desire to look after our cultural assets.
The hopeless Liverpool City Council buildings at risk officer Chris Griffiths, told me four years ago it was having a lot of attention put on it and the pigeon mess had been cleared up from inside. So is the roof still open? Do they CPO it? Do they take action? No that’s just what they do with ordinary citizens of the city in the Welsh streets and Anfiield. No, they let it rot.

Built 1897-1903 by the architect J. Francis. Doyle. The design was chosen from a limited design with seven entrants. The assessor was Norman Shaw who was retained in an advisory capacity. Doyle had worked with Shaw on the White Star building and was said to have been so influenced by Shaws style that he was able to refashion it. This is built of Granite and Portland Stone and was an advanced design giving a column free general office on most of the ground floor. Steve Corbett at the ineffectual conservation (sic) office knows the building well. Its campanile with an octagonal cupola, gilded dome and sundial form a prominent feature on the city's skyline.
Berni Turner Liverpool's self styled Heritage Champion is really a waste of time promises us she is looking after our assets. Its all a bluff.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/lets-take-sentimental-journey-with.html
This building has been on the English Heretics Buildings at Risk register for over a decade.
So while we have changed the town with cheap apartments some not even good enough to be called trashy, this gem with sculptures by C. J. Allen lays rotting. It is in the World Heritage Site.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/tm_method=full&objectid=19532983&siteid=50061-name_page.html
In 2006 I warned of the risks in leaving this building while we do the easy jobs until the money ran out and the binge building stops and the banks wont lend.
Last week another hotel for Tithebarn street is announced and what of the forgotten treasures with links to our past.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-history/2008/08/19/the-future-s-bright-for-liverpool-s-old-buildings-92534-21561554/ How many more false dawns can this building take.

Meanwhile at The Daily Ghost they have been fed again by the once October Communications now Aurora, who are Neptunes PR, a Larry Neild Hook. He used the same "Jewel in the Crown" about the Cesar Pelli, One Park Worst for Grosvenor, which came 4th in the BD Magazine National Carbuncle Cup.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/12/we-can-be-jewel-in-city-crown-92534-24906676/2/
Would it not be better use of a redundant building such as the Royal Insurance to house the Open Eye Gallery who are moving to Mann Island. Than to trash the world heritage site with grant aided schemes by the North Vested Interest Development Authority.
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12198

Maritime Dining Rooms-A Maritime Disaster.

I now have the biggest public display of Liverpool pottery in the city.
My window contains more examples of our treasured and historic links with our famous 18th and 19th century potteries than the Liverpool Museums with nine pieces of Herculaneum pottery (1794-1840) that rivalled Worcester.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herculaneum_Pottery
Painstakingly researched for decades by members of the Northern Ceramics Society and other interested individuals. http://www.northernceramicsociety.org/
The removal of the collection of Herculaneum pottery from Liverpools Maritime Museum to make way for a cafe has not gone down well. This has caused outrage amongst cultured people who understand how the threads of Maritime past need to be kept alive and on view so the next generation can understand them.
What an outrageous act of cultural barbarism by Liverpool's Museum Marauder, Dr David “Fuzzy Felt” Fleming to put our history into permanent storage, and we all know what that means, shoved away out of public view until we forget about it. Museums are supposed to uncover things not bury them again.

http://waynecolquhoun.blogspot.com/2009/06/herculaneum-pottery-held-by-liverpool.html
ARE MUSEUMS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT ART?
NOT MAKING MONEY BY TAKING THE ART AWAY AND SELLING US DOWN THE RIVER FOR A CUP OF COFFEE. How can they do this with our history. The Director Fleming should be working for Starbucks not a cultural organisation empowered to look after our historic past.

And its all done with the Daily Museum the Oldham Echo as PR company, working for the museums, smoothing it all away from the public view.
Last nights paper contains a full page spread on how wonderful it is to eat there. In the space that used to hold artifacts, treasured possessions, our past.
What Dawn Collinson failed to mention is that in order to facilitate the cafe, the collection of our Maritime History have been stuffed away.
Despite years of painstaking research by the North West Ceramics Society and previous directors and curators. With one swipe our past is consigned to be hidden away in boxes.
Not a mention of that in the revue only how wonderful it all was. Dawn Collinson was drooling, what a plant.
I advised David Bartlett and Mark Thomas, Alastair Machray at the Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors Group, and all I could, about this Maritime Disaster as it unfolded.
Are they worried, no, not in the slightest. All they are interested in doing is reporting on another restaurant being opened. Do they understand post Capital of Culture, no, not really. No wonder we are in such a bad state with our heritage being looked after by morons who cant understand anything other than the level of what is told them by people who don't care.

Berni Turner-And a Tin of Sardines

Liverpool City Councillors expenses are laid right open by a freedom of information act request by the Green Party.
http://liverpool.greenparty.org.uk/council%20business/councillors%20expenses.htm
Here are your counclillors expenses available for the public to see, and it makes interesting reading.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/10/06/a-tin-of-sardines-tesco-sarnies-and-a-bill-for-a-christmas-day-meeting-we-reveal-city-councillors-expenses-claims-100252-24859499/
Some councillors had claims rejected because their position at the council had changed and they were no longer entitled to them .
Cllr Steve Hurst had around £35 of claims rejected after his resignation as executive member for corporate performance.
The comments on the form referred to his resignation and his claims were for duties “no longer approved”.
Hurst said he was still carrying out the duties because he had not been replaced but that he “decided not to challenge them because I was suffering from depression during this time and felt this would only make matters worse”. He has an excuse for everything, even after he is convicted this bloke still gets support, and it all adds up to show the sad state of affairs and the Culture of Capital at the council.
Cllr Hurst had resigned following his conviction under the Representation of the People Act after being caught distributing leaflets smearing a Labour rival.
In total, councillors had £643 worth of travel and food expenses claims rejected in the last year.

SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON.
Big Mouth Berni is off again. She styles herself as a Heritage Champion but will not reply to questions that she does not wish to answer like the 46 listed buildings lost and the buildings falling over whilst the world heritage site is destroyed with empty flats. But when she does its usually abusive. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/berni-turner-opens-her-big-gob-again.html
But this time its brine going into her mouth instead of coming out of it. Liberal Democrat member said she no longer planned to claim for subsistence food expenses following her experience with a £1.69 tin of sardines from Waitrose.
Cllr Berni Turner said that she had bought the fish along with her other shopping while busy at the council one day, but did not want to hand over the receipt for her entire shop. (Sure it wasnt from Tesco Berni.) Turner recently got in trouble after she said that Sir Terry Leahy from Tescos ran an evil empire.
But that wasn’t good enough for council expenses scrutineers.
Cllr Turner said: “I did not have an individual receipt for this tin of sardines, so in the end I had to cut the outer wrapper off the tin in order to claim. I bought them, ate them and then ended up having to clip the thing to the expenses form to prove I’d purchased them. In the end I thought can I be bothered doing all this for this? I can’t.” http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/lets-take-sentimental-journey-with.html
What an absolute embarrasment.
Here is one of her expense claims.

You know you would be too ashamed to claim for a tin of sardines. To even think you get paid by the public for eating, does she not have to eat anyhow.

Cllr Ron Gould, executive member for health, learned while attending the opening of a new supermarket in Liverpool that the phrase “every little helps” is not in city accountants’ vocabulary. He had a claim for £1.60 for a sandwich knocked back while standing in for council leader Cllr Warren Bradley at the opening of a city centre Tesco.
Cllr Gould insisted his claim was legitimate, despite it being knocked back.
“I was asked to go to the opening of the Tesco as the date had been brought forward, so the date I opened it was not the date the council official had. I was in town all morning so I bought a sandwich, but they knocked it back. But I’m not going to go to war over it, it’s just one of those things.”

Warren Bradley intends going to the opening of new Tescos while they are taking over the city, hum, hum. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Tesco-pool
You know the whole way that these people behave leaves me amazed and very disapointed to be represented by such a bunch of penny pinchers.

No mention of Trevor Jones expenses though. Isnt that a shame.

Liverpools Pier Head, And its New Landmark Caravan Terminal.

Hamiltons the Irish architects (sic) who carbuncled us have been explaining how they arrived at the design for the new Terminal Ferry Carbuncle.

They have released this picture that one of them took on holiday as the inspiration, they go on to explain how they arrived at the shape of the new Caravan Terminal. Er, Ferry Terminal. "This bloke was driving past on a bike with his bedroom attached, and I thought it would be something new to take the caravan design and take it to a different level, make it bigger for a maritime setting, it just happened we didn't think about it too much" One of the Hamiltons crew said. We worked the idea up and Liverpool accepted the designs for its world heritage site.

People love it the editor of the Daily Post praised it as his favourite building and we have had a commendation from the World Heritage Officer John Hinchliffe who said he loves it. We also thought it would match the new museum and think it fits in lovely with the same angular design".

Meanwhile passengers on the recent departure of the Cruise ship, The Black Prince, which left Liverpool last week from the glamorous Langton Dock were amazed it floated back to the Pier Head to catch the tide.

A huge number had lined up on the deck and caused a queue to look over the side. What was all the fuss and some were overheard saying "Is that it it has to be". A massive group joined in, and a big fuss unfurled itself. What was all the fuss one Liverpudlian pushed in to see.

They were lining up to see the new Liverpool landmark the winner of the Carbuncle Cup that they had heard so much about. The Terminal Ferry Carbuncle as Amanda the editor of BD magazine said "Slap bang in the middle of Liverpool's World Heritage Site.

But, the council have said our heritage is safe and its backed up by Larry Bartlett at the Daily Ghost so it must be alright then. Well they would wouldn't they senior councillors lining up to defend the mess. "Its better than what was there" one sad one said who happened to be Warren Bradley. Errrr no, its not. Like a bunch of red faced scousers caught on the rob in TK Maxx with a pair of Keck's up their jumpers. "Er 'ow did that get there it wasn't us someone planted it". They have stolen our skyline and are trying to brace it out. It is not working Warren. Doreen Jones the "Dame of Disaster" said she was blackmailed, which is garbage, she who mentored little Warren into his ill informed position, passed it as planning committee chairman and then blames Warren Bradley, Oh come on. http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=430&storycode=3147432&channel=783&c=2

It was paid for with European Objective One Money.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/07/liverpool-would-have-died-with-european-funding-92534-24872199/

Liverpool had 928 million pounds in objective one slush money and at least £10,000,000 of it went on a Terminal Ferry Carbuncle.

David Bartlett Blues-He should have gone to Specsavers

This is a picture taken from the steps of the Municipal Buildings in Dale Street. Yes the Municipal Buildings. It is Georgian and listed and it has been decaying for over 20 years. Every day council officials such as Colin "Cover up" Hilton pass it on their way to work. Warren Bradley has an office there, as does Mike Storey. It is an embarrassment, especially considering it is in the World Heritage Site. There are more decaying structures that all the council seem oblivious to.
Yet today the Dale Street Blues Blog is rattling on for the council looking after our heritage and telling falsely how we in Liverpool are protecting the WHS. When its foolish to be clever it really is folly to be wise Mr Bartlett.
Here are just a few of the wrecks in Dale Street. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/lets-take-sentimental-journey-with.html
I think the whole environment of the Oldham Echo must institutionalise its staff. Why call a blog Dale Street Blues and then walk down it, as if blind, not noticing its decay. Wrong glasses maybe.
This post of his co-incides with the Daily Peel promoting, as PR agents, the proposed Liverpool Waters development. How very convenient.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/peel-holdings-are-they-running-city.html
So here is David talking with authority on world heritage buried in his blog.
http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/dalestreetblues/2009/10/a-blueprint-for-the-protection.html
I have to say when we want kids who don't even know how to put a shelf up we will ask Mr Bartlett, until then its best to stick to what you know, Dave, or know a man who knows, who you can form an opinion around. Well Peels bosses will do, it seems. But really, the Milky Bars, are on Peel. The heritage protection of which he talks is a whitewash and he has been led by the hand by those in power to the documents. Larry Bartlett deciding what is good and bad architecture, come on pull the other one. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/peel-holdings-liverpeel-its-happening.html
I use to speak to Dave on quite a regular basis until I realised that there was another agenda going on, and that the cherry picking of the news was a regular Daily Ghost event. And that he knew nothing or cared nothing for Liverpool's heritage. Blind to the facts and picking his news, how strange. The news when cherried is sliced by Andy Kelly the news editor, who should know better and then put through a siv by Mark Thomas who said the new Terminal Ferry Building that won the National Carbuncle Cup was his favourite new building. It then comes out as thick sticky gooey sherbert flavoured story that they think makes better news. God 'elp us, yes it is that bad. And they help form the publics opinions!
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/today-is-day-that-big-fat-glossy-book.html

I posted about Liverpool's Supplementary Development Plan last March, spoke to Bartlett and he would not go to print. So why? And why now does the Daily Ghost now print?...because it suits them to PR Peel I believe.
Bartletts blog states;
The threat of Liverpool losing its World Heritage status subsided when Unesco met in 2009. It asked to be kept informed of the progress of the SPD but did not ask for the matter to be brought to its World Heritage Committee again.
The effect of that was to effectively take the city of the "at risk" list.
I'd be really interested to hear what my readers views of the WHS Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) are.
I know there are people out there who will say that however good, or not, this document will prove in protecting Liverpool's historic waterfront that much damage has already been done.
It is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. It is five years too late. It should have been prepared when he was still at school ahead of the developments that now make World Heritag Blight. He has to be put straight by one person making a comment, which is not me as I refuse to engage with the cherry picker now.
NR said:
Em - this isn't a 'blue print', and it hasn't the backing of UNESCO.
I would suggest that the threat to Liverpool's WHS status may well rear its head again; monitoring and reporting is ongoing.
Whether or not the World Heritage Centre considers this is an appropriate amount and type of development has yet to be tested. The major test will be - does it affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the WHS? It's not just about tall buildings per se.
Frankly, though, Liverpool's waterfront is now such a mess, it's lost its heritage charm and value. It's, frankly, an incoherent mess, and developers are laughing all the way to the bank.
She then goes on to add.
NR said:
I add to the above, Liverpool was never on the 'at risk' list (I think you mean World Heritage In Danger) although that's no reason to think it may not be put on in future. Certainly, many people are extremely concerned at what has happened, and continues to happen, in Liverpool.Can I remind you that the new ferry terminal has been awarded the 2009 Building Design Carbuncle Cup, voted the worst piece of architecture completed in the UK this year?
World Heritage Site status does not prevent development, or modern design of new buildings. But in historic areas, surely that development should be appropriate. The brash, architecturally suspect and 'built for profit not attractiveness' nonsense which has sprung up in Liverpool in recent years, while many of its historic buildings have been neglected, really shows how little those in charge have a grip.Even if they don't destroy the WHS status, what on earth are they doing spoiling the setting of listed buildings?
English Heritage and its supine officials, who aided and abetted so much of this, should be ashamed.
It could all have been so much better, but sadly, those in charge aren't up to the job.
Will he listen, somehow I think not.
http://profchucklebuttychronic.blogspot.com/2009/09/epic-poem-on-world-heritage-site-as.html Here is Professor Chucklebuttys Ode to Odiousness which is well worth a read.

Peel Holdings, Liverpeel its happening.

Dave Bartlett "The Milky Bars Are On Peel"

Todays Front Page leaves me in no doubt that The Daily Ghost will now be working with Peel Holdings on their proposals to turn Liverpool into Dubai-on-Sea. City planners pave the way for Peel’s Liverpool Waters.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/10/05/city-planners-pave-the-way-for-peel-s-liverpool-waters-92534-24852743/

Anyone at the Local papers worried about their employment prospects, dont worry there is always a place for you at October Communications or one of the many PR companies that feed you.