Cruise from Liverpool

It would really be nice to support my city, no-one wanted the regeneration of Liverpool more than I but the way those in power in the city have and are behaving makes me embarrassed to be a Liverpudlian. Nowhere is it more evident than,in what Southampton Echo has called cruise wars. Yes Liverpool are behaving like thieving scousers, its hard to admit it, only its not the populace, its the polititions making a show of us with their tactics. Only this time they have run into big burly sailor type, a seaport with a history for no-nonsense. And look what happens when they start 'frigging in the rigging' with Southamptons sailors and their cruise trade. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/cruise-wars-scouse-wedding-on-sea.html   So its always interesting to get the other side of the story which the Oldham Hall Street brigade wont do, so imbedded are they with Peel Holdings and their plans, instead they try to sell the idea to an unwitting public http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/19/liverpool-city-council-in-cruise-terminal-swap-deal-plan-with-peel-92534-26065120/ and we get Peeled.  
http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/03/peels-press-gang-plan.html


So here is a Southampton take.
By Gareth Lewis » http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/business/shipping/shippingnews/5077150._Port_wars__resume/

A REPEAT of the bad-tempered port wars between Southampton and Liverpool looks to be back on the cards after the northern city revived controversial plans to use taxpayer-funded facilities to muscle in on the lucrative cruise business.
“It stinks,” says port director Doug Morrison after learning Liverpool still hoped to use its Pier Head landing stage, which was built with £21m of public funds, despite the idea being rejected by the Government in December last year.
The plan to use the Pier Head terminal on the iconic Mersey waterfront as a start and finish base for liners, known as turnaround cruises, is seen as a threat to Southampton’s core cruise business as the largest base for such trips in northern Europe.
It’s galling for Southampton docks owner ABP, which has invested £41m of private money in its cruise facilities in the past five years.
The Department for Transport (DfT) decided against relaxing its rules on publicly funded competition to allow a full turnaround facility at Liverpool’s Cruise Terminal on the grounds that it would have an “unfair and adverse effect” on the market.
Now officials from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, owned by developer Peel, are again in discussions with the city council to transfer cruises from its existing turnaround facility, a tatty dock in Bootle, to Pier Head.
Now, however, Peel says the move would just be temporary, while it presses ahead with ambitious plans to build its own cruise terminal as part of the £5.5billion skyscraper Liverpool Water scheme. That scheme, the largest urban regeneration project in the UK, is likely to take years, with a planning application not due to be submitted until later this year.

In a bid to appease concerned rivals they say the number of turnaround cruises would remain the same, but ABP is unimpressed arguing if they wanted better facilities “they should have invested in them years ago”.
Mr Morrison said: “It’s nonsense. It’s the same proposal again only described as temporary.
“They are determined but ultimately if they want to use the publicly-funded terminal then let them pay back the £21m and they can start using it.
“I think this is a threat to all the other cruise ports, to the Tyne, Holyhead, Harwich and Dover and it’s a threat to Southampton. It’s a distortion of the marketplace.
“We will be lobbying for them to use the existing facility. They should have invested in their facilities years ago.”

Southampton Cabinet member for economic development Councillor Royston Smith said: “Whatever way they try to do it it’s still wrong. If you’re using public subsidy on a commercial basis it’s just wrong.

“I am surprised and disappointed. You can’t keep asking the question again and again until you get the answer you want.” Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead said: “The key point is whether Liverpool is still using public money to compete with Southampton’s port. This move certainly appears to be against the spirit of the Government’s ruling and I will be speaking urgently with ABP and the Government to ensure Southampton in no way loses out because of it.”

Oh and this is what Peel Holdings do with our heritage..let it rot while Oldham Hall street tell us how wonderful they are.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/01/liverpool-waters-developer-peel-unveils.html
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-have-peel-holdings-ever-done-for.html

New World Square at the Pier Head……Kyboshed.

Dead and buried in the water that’s the only way to describe it. This was a very bad scheme.
Described as part of Peel Holdings Liverpool Waters shame........what chance for them when this carbuncle next to the Liver Buildings cant get off the board.


I received a planning application on these plans on the 24th December…..Xmas Eve. Those who are a law unto themselves at the planning department had decided to knock this one under the table and bury it to oblivion during the worst weather conditions for decades. I put in an official complaint over this strategy, and after this official complaint was received everything changed, it seemed they have been found out.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/01/liverpools-pier-head-another-carbuncle.html   The credit crunch has come too late for the bulk world heritage site but its one carbuncle, less, which is better than a kick up the behind. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/01/27/landmark-liverpool-waterfront-development-in-jeopardy-after-developers-fail-to-get-finance-92534-25693570/
Councillor Nick Small now comes out of his closet and claims he is a campaigner against this…. what a despicable character, he has watched the world heritage site be destroyed and now he says the residents are against this. Stinky Ink Bartlett at the Liverpool Daily Ghost (dead man walking, will someone put it out of our misery writes Last night, campaigners against the scheme said they were pleased by the news the project was now facing an uphill struggle to get planning permission.
Cllr Nick Small, who represents the city’s central ward, said: “I don’t think the proposal stacks up in the current economic climate, and there is a question mark over whether it would get planning permission with the new World Heritage Site planning blueprint in place.
“Residents were unanimously opposed to this.
“I am pleased it has been withdrawn and I am confident if they re-submit they are going to have their work cut out to get planning permission.
“There will be a massive amount of opposition from residents and heritage campaigners.”

He forgets to mention there were only two objectors to the original plans myself and Florence Gersten. http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=cries-of--sacrilege--as-first-five-star-hotel-is-approved%26method=full%26objectid=18254253%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

The developers now say the application is going to cost £100,000 surely the planners don’t charge this much. They said the company had been hoping to take advantage of a change in rules that could have seen it cost as little as £500 to resubmit the application.
But, due to a delay, it meant the company was facing the costs of essentially submitting a new application, which would cost more than £100,000 in fees.
Given the downturn in the property market, Mr Chowdri said the company had decided to “tweak” the scheme before submitting the plans.
He could not say when new plans would be submitted or when work would start.
This is all rubbish of course and I am awaiting the outcome of the official complaint from Colin “Cover Up” Hilton. Who is on £200,000 plus a year and has let the world heritage site be destroyed before his very eyes. He said the company had been hoping to take advantage of a change in rules that could have seen it cost as little as £500 to resubmit the application.
But, due to a delay, it meant the company was facing the costs of essentially submitting a new application, which would cost more than £100,000 in fees.
Given the downturn in the property market, Mr Chowdri said the company had decided to “tweak” the scheme before submitting the plans.
He could not say when new plans would be submitted or when work would start.


http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=17159104%26method=full%26siteid=50061%26headline=five-star-vision-of-city-s-top-notch-dockside-hotel-name_page.html

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=opening-to-all-a-bird-s-eye-city-view%26method=full%26objectid=18086130%26page=1%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=17112292%26method=full%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

Museum of Liverpool-Radio 4 Take an Interest.

I recorded an  interview for Radio 4 that was broadcast last Friday on the You and Yours programme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/ I met with Winifred Robinson to give her our views about the New Museum slap bang in the World Heritage Site. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/listenagain/friday_previous.shtml She gave a fair account of the contentious idea to slap bang us with world heritage decimation.She brings the current museum director David "Fuzzy Felt" Fleming to account. Winifred is from Liverpool and at one time asks about Liverpool turning into a theme park. The programme was well thought out and thought provoking asking why we actually need a museum which in my opinion is Flemings Folly. Fleming talks about it being unique. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/museum-of-liverpool-sad-rip-off-of.html   She did not go into the surrounding world heritage decimation with the Three Grotesques on the Mann Island part of the world heritage site or the Carbuncle Cup winner the new Terminal Ferry Carbuncle http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/liverpool-wins-carbuncle-cup.html   but well done Winifred.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/museum-of-liverpool-flemings-folly.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/ptolemy-dean-talks-about-liverpools.html

Flemings Folly-Liverpools New Museum, One Disaster after Another.

Now Fuzzy Felt Fleming with Professional Scouser Dr Phil Redmond in tow is to make swinging cuts to the loyal staff at NML. .http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/phil-redmond-professional-scouser.html  That is those who have not already been made redundant, and there are many. As NML has already culled off a lot of staff, or made it too difficult for a lot of those loyal staff to comprimise their principles so they have have left. Alexis Redmond, Phil’s wife does the finances…badly…at NML, and it is now for sure that Flemings Folly the new museum that they are trying to sell us, has drained the resourses to such an extent that the staff are now to bear the brunt of the cuts. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/museum-of-liverpool-trustees-have.html

I received an anonymous letter from a member of staff at NML stating that the staff will no longer be able to wear badges with their names on, so much for the art of communication.
It goes on to finish.” Just another week in the mad/maddening world of NML as administered by David Fleming.
Flem blames the government for these cuts stating the institution was like thousands of publicly funded organisations facing cut backs.

He said NML was braced for bad news, but that he would not allow budget cuts to stop the institution from running the best museums in the country.
The opening the new Museum of Liverpool at Mann Island will be one of NML’s key priorities when making decisions on spending, the briefing note states.
As a general principle, there will be a recruitment freeze, although managers will be able to lobby the executive team if they feel a post is crucial.
“Managers will need to consider whether the post could be covered on reduced hours,” the note states.
“Like almost every public sector organisation facing these uncertainties, we will need to work with the unions to look at the feasibility of voluntary redundancy and early retirement policy.”
There will also be opportunities for staff to request part time, flexible working, a career break or unpaid sabbatical.
“We anticipate that following the next General Election, in common with all publicly funded organisations, we will face a difficult time,” the note states. “There are indications that we should expect a significant cut to our budgets during the period 2010 to 2014.
“We need to prepare ourselves for cutbacks and put measures in place to manage expenditure and at the same time deliver our strategic objectives.”
It states that NML is determined to continue growing its audience growth.
Last night, Dr Fleming said: “We are one of thousands of publicly-funded organisations nationwide likely to face cuts to our budgets.
“It is very difficult to predict what may happen when the next round of grants is announced, but clearly the public sector can expect bad news.
“It would very naive of National Museums Liverpool to assume that our grant will remain at the same level.
“That’s why it makes sense for us to prepare for challenging times ahead.
“We want to safeguard jobs as far as we are able, and we want to enable as many people as possible to continue to enjoy the marvellous cultural and educational opportunities offered by our museums.”
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/museum-of-liverpool-are-trustees-out-of.html
What a disgrace he fails to mention that they have just paid £750,000 of the museums money to a property developer next to the new museum………how very convenient and how unloyal to those staff who he has not already upset http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/watching-detectives.html  During this interview he said: "Why is it that most curators and museum staff are completely dysfunctional in normal society?
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/liverpool-columnists/mr-brocklebank/2009/01/27/mr-brocklebank-inspired-leadership-64375-22789200/

Just who does he think he is how can you upset the staff like this.
So the new dawn of a new museum is destroying the institution that was.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/03/manchester-docks-obliterated.html

Some recent PR disasters by his Feltness.
http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/dailynews/3xn_boss_slams_meddling_museum_of_liverpool.html
http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/dailynews/3xn_and_the_museum_of_liverpool_part_company.html
http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/dailynews/3xns_museum_of_liverpool_is_revived.htm
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/03/03/new-pier-head-museum-will-offer-great-views-of-mersey-64375-20549233/
http://www.apollo-magazine.com/news-and-comment/architecture/502421/looking-after-liverpool.thtml

Redmond said in the local press yesterday.
“The new Museum of Liverpool is not a ‘Museum of Scouseology’, but the only new national and international one outside a capital city.
“The 2.8m visitors to NML in 2008 had an economic impact of £120m.
“While 45% of our visitors are from Merseyside, that means 55% are not.
“In terms of visitor spend, they are more valuable, especially as 10% of those are international.
“To me, that’s a really good and interesting profile.”
NML is practically the elephant in the city region tourism enclosure, so big and long-term is its presence.
It spreads down William Brown Street with the Walker Gallery and World Museum, along the waterfront with the Mersey Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum and new Museum of Liverpool and into Wirral with the Lady Lever Gallery.
He reckons there is even room for one more between the new Museum and the Albert Dock.
“We have national museums in Liverpool and national museums outside Liverpool,” said Prof Redmond.
“We do not celebrate that enough. The new museum encapsulates how this particular city played such a crucially interesting role in the modern world.
“We have more to tell than just celebrating the Grand National or the Kop.
“Going back to the first dock in 1707, we revolutionised sea trade and it’s about explaining this strange place we came to occupy in the world.
“The decision to build the museum in that waterfront position reflects that history.
“We went for a memorable shape, which was the brave and right thing to do.
“This is called the ‘Bilbao effect’ as that Spanish city, which is very similar to Liverpool, was the first to revive itself with an iconic new museum.
“My other focus as chairman is to make sure the International Slavery Museum is not only about social justice, but about he fact that slavery still exists.”
When completed in 2011, the waterfront museums’ “cultural offer” will be equivalent to London’s South Kensington museum range, he believes.
“The waterfront museums are linked to the adjacent hotels, Arena and Convention Centre,” said Prof Redmond.
“We’ve got to work together to sell the brand, as we’re a cold-water, northern city.
“We have to market ourselves in a different way.
“People who come to see the football generally aren’t going to visit the museums.
“But those who visit Aintree might do. It’s what I call ‘dwell time’.
“If you come to shop, arrive four hours earlier and do something else.
“By being smart, we convert £30-spend-a-head visitors into £45 ones.”

So how come he told me in front of Tristram Hunt that it should have been built in Birkenhead?
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/26/jelly-mould-exhibition-at-sudley-house-mossley-hill-92534-26113145/

Today Sudley House part of NML opens a exhibition of jelly moulds………it just sums it all up really our once proud institution is now dumbed down to Hollyoaks culture.

The Liver Bird-A Corruption of its Former Shadow.

Corrupted, by the power they possess The Liverpool Daily Ghost and the Oldham Echo just keeps churning out PR trash for Liverpool’s property developers.

This is a picture one of their snappers took, of the world heritage decimation that has unfolded under the very eyes of the blind leading the blind at the Trinity “Smoking” Mirrors Group local headquarters in Oldham Hall Street. You may think its just me thinking outloud but always worth a read is a real Correspondent who cant be bought, he tells it as it is. http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/03/showing-true-picture.html
The headline that accompanies this picture is as obscene as the notion itself
Everything changes but you……the Liver Birds still stand proud on an ever changing skyline. Mark Thomas again, I am cringing, No Mark should be ashamed of himself proclaiming that as a paper they are proud to see the changing skyline, but its alright you can still see the Liver Birds, the symbol of our city.... if you go down to the Maritime Museum where they got rid of all the Herculaneum Pottery http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/maritime-dining-rooms-maritime-disaster.html lean out of a window squint your eyes with a pair of binoculours and find a gap through the Three Grotesques.
It is no wonder they got away with it with educated idiots who have sold their soul and the cities soul for an advertorial selling us down our own river. http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/ 

But hey! now we have the Liver Guy, Peel Holdings new symbol and yes with the help of No Mark they will turn the symbol of our city the Liver Bird into a Gooney Bird and tell us its all alright its progress.

Museum of Liverpool-Flemings Folly

I have just done a brief interview with Winifred Robinson for You and Yours Radio 4 to be broadcast on Friday morning about the New Museum-Flemings Folly. Phil Redmond as Chairman of Liverpool Museums was also to do an interview http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/phil-redmond-professional-scouser.html  but cancalled it so its Fleming standing in. Lets guess what he will say in a broad gay sounding Yorkshire accent "Well all those years ago when they built the Catholic Cathedral they hated it and now its a piece of Liverpools heritage".  Thats what he always says.
The Cathedral too ran out of money and they had to go cap in hand like the new carbuncle, it was unaffectionatly chtistened Paddy's Wigwam by Arthur Dooley. So what name is going to stick with Flemings Folly......squoshed ciggy packet, the sun lounger.....The Trashy Tart next to our three ageing edwardian beauties, the Three Graces is indeed a carbuncle. The New Terminal Ferry Building http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/liverpool-wins-carbuncle-cup.html was built to resemble it and that won the BD Carbuncle cup award for 2009. He will try to sell it on the basis that it gives views out of the giant Rome MAXXI rip off http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/museum-of-liverpool-sad-rip-off-of.html TV Screen..........but in creating the views it has destroyed the World Heritage Site. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/loyd-grossman-lectures-us-on-heritage.html No wonder Loyd Grossman buggered off. Oh but we will love it one day he has said well you are wrong Fuzz its an anachronism. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/museum-of-liverpool-trustees-have.html  

Ptolemy Dean Talks About Liverpools World Heritage Destruction.

I wrote up a Channel 5 programme in which Ptolemy Dean the respected architect and historian talks of the then soon to be disapearing views of the Three Graces. I will let Ptolemy explain.
Wayne Colquhoun

Salford Star-Tells It Like It Is.

While we are getting "Peeled"by the local papers The Liverpool Daily Ghost Writer for Peel, dead man walking, will someone put it out of its misery, and the Liverpool/Oldham Echo, Whose printing presses have been moved to Oldham, we always like to read a bit of quality and I usually subscribe to the Salford Star http://www.salfordstar.com/ I have today added it to the "Blog Roll" of other blogs that we feel pertinent to Liverpool. Why you may ask, what has Salford got to do with Liverpool. Read the following links and that will become obvious. Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors now own the Manchester Evening News so we are going to get it from every angle from now on on behalf of Peel it seems. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/peel-holdings-want-pier-head-stinky-ink.html
This comment was left on the comments section
salford star said...

Greetings from the Salford Star...thought you might like to read this re Peel
http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=509
and this about a local election here a couple of year's ago http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=211
and this from our annual awards ceremony

http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=438

Meanwhile Private Eye take an interest again in Liverpool, just who is the Liverpool Piloti keeping us abreast of shenanigans in Nooks and Corners? (page 12 issue 1258), Its not the first time Liverpool has graced the pages of the satirical mag. This time its about the museum and it starts of with MORE from the Capital of Civic ineptitude. The Times gave our Chief Executive http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/spivs-r-us-burst-hurst-is-re-inflated.html  Colin "Cover Up" Hilton http://profchucklebutty.blogspot.com/search/label/Colin%20Hilton%20CBE a mention also see link below. It talks about Liverpool Voted the worst Local Authority in the Country in 2008 while the Chief Executive was paid over 200 grand. It does not mention that he was picked for his post by Warren Bradley and Mike Storey the Property Developers Spiv and ex council leader of Liverpool City Council who had to resign in shame and who was mentored by Clever Trevor into his post. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/trevor-jone-steps-down-good-riddance.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3322206.ece 

Proffessor gives us a humerous insight but these bastards have been laughing all the way to the bank.

 http://profchucklebuttychronic.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-at-races-for-hilton-stilton-and.html

Meanwhile Stinky Ink Bartlett http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/22/tycoon-gives-away-liverpool-edge-lane-retail-park-to-charity-92534-26081821/ and the Trinity "Smoking" Mirror group roll on their sweet merry way http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/22/urban-splash-reaffirms-commitment-to-liverpool-lime-street-and-southport-s-pleasureland-92534-26081951/

Thanks to people like those at the Salford Star telling the truth we can mark what is happening no wonder the newspapers are in such a financial mess. Well done keep up the work.

Peel Holdings Want the Pier Head-Stinky Ink Bartlett Goes Native in Cannes.

Here we have todays headline from the Putrid little excuse for a newspaper, The Liverpool Daily Ghost. (dead man walking will someone put it out of its misery). So up the behind of local property developers are they, that Stinky Ink Bartlett has been dispatched to to Cannes for the MIPIM Booze Cruise junket. We are not sure who paid his expenses but all week he has been reporting on Peel Holdings http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/17/around-1-000-new-jobs-to-come-to-liverpool-with-superport-plan-92534-26048018/  and Peel Holdings http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/17/mps-warn-liverpool-world-superport-scheme-will-be-hit-by-unfit-planning-shake-up-92534-26048019/


And Peel Holdings http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/18/double-cunard-liner-visit-coup-for-liverpool-92534-26057171/  and more from Peel Holdings.
Then yesterday they lined us up with this one http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/18/double-cunard-liner-visit-coup-for-liverpool-92534-26057171/  and today they put this into the arena. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//2010/03/19/liverpool-s-pier-head-could-become-a-base-for-cruise-liners-100252-26065361/ Can the public really be so stupid to take this hook line and stinker.

This time it’s a plan to illegally get rid of the Ferries and put in its place a cruise liner facility.
The Ferries are protected by law by an act of Parliament and still they try it on. Smoothed along by Stinky Ink and edited by "No" Mark Thomas you have to say the local papers are selling us down the river with their marketing of Peel Holdings on behalf of tax exile and owner of Peel http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/cruise-wars-liverpool-gets-full-naval.html

Stinky writes

LIVERPOOL'S Pier Head could become a base for cruise liners under radical temporary plans to transfer business from a dilapidated dock.
Last year the Government blocked plans to make the waterfront location a start and finish base for cruise liners – forcing ships to continue using Bootle’s Langton Dock to access full "turnaround" facilities like baggage handling and passport control.

But officials from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, owned by developer Peel, are in discussions with the city council to temporarily transfer cruises from Langton Dock to the publicly owned landing stage at the Pier Head.
He stinks on Peel today insisted this was a short term solution as it wants to build its own cruise terminal as part of its £5.5bn skyscraper Liverpool Water scheme.
And on

Ian Pollitt, development surveyor for Peel, said the company was trying to find solutions to cruise liner companies having to use Langton Dock.
"What we are looking at now is a half way house. Rather than lose the business we are talking about relocating it to the Pier Head."
It is hoped the plan would avoid the need for any grants to be paid back as it would only be a temporary move.
Once Peel's terminal had opened the cruise liners would return to a base further up the River.
Peel's terminal is already fully designed and located near the 60-storey Shanghai Tower in the Liverpool Waters Scheme.

The tower would be built at Princes Half Tide Dock.
In the comments section.
Moriarty wrote:
Stuff Southampton and stuff Peel Holdings. Let's have our OWN terminal and put a stop to the 'St Johnification' of the waterfront. Enough is enough. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/liverpool-waters-glass-pie-in-sky-we.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-have-peel-holdings-ever-done-for.html 
David Bartlett had to admit that when he came to Liverpool he did not know who Bill Shankly was, he had no trouble finding out who Lyndsay Ashworth was though. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/daily-peel-trinity-smoking-mirrors.html
All week we have been hearing from the Daily Peel with its chief publicity agent “The Milky bars are on Peel” Bartlett http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/dalestreetblues/
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/peel-holdings-liverpeel-its-happening.html

They have stolen the iconic Skyline now they even want the world famous Ferries.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/12/liverpools-cruise-liner-cock-up-its.html

Frank McKenna-Unofficial Editor of The Liverpool Daily Post.

Now he is trying to take over the Lancashire Evening Post.
This time he is blaming Heritage Extremists for holding back Preston......sound familiar, oh yes. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/is-frank-mckenna-really-editing.html
Here is one we did earlier.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/dlib-in-skip.html
16 March 2010
http://www.lep.co.uk/businessnews/Group-seeks-regeneration-ideas.6154317.jp


By David Coates, Business Editor
A business lobbying group is seeking ideas from members of the public on how they would like to see Preston regenerated.
Downtown Preston in Business, which has nearly 100 members in the city's business community, has launched a new section on its website for people to submit ideas as part of its City Thinking initiative.
Chairman Frank McKenna said the ideas would be drawn together by its Downtown Ideas Board, made up of key businesses in the city, and presented to Preston Vision at its annual Lancashire Business Week event on May 17. He said: "The idea is not to go over old ground and repeat what people think is wrong about Preston, it is about accepting its shortcomings and having meaningful solutions to the problems. "We launched the City Thinking initiative as a way of trying to get past the cynicism there seems to be about everything which goes on, and what we would like are realistic and positive suggestions for change in Preston."If that goes against the existing plans, that is okay, as long a what is being suggested is a genuine alternative and not just a criticism." The section on the website went live on Monday and will be available until the start of Business Week in two months. Earlier this month the former Lancashire County Council deputy leader hit out at "heritage extremists" which he claimed were holding back the city's plans for regeneration, including proposals for changes tothe historic Winckley Square and the Flag Market.
He said: "It's about time that those who are positive about the city's future and want to get on and do things worked more closely together."
To submit your ideas to the City Thinking initiative, visit
www.downtownpreston.com/citythinking 

Same old Frank same old tricks.

David Irving as Chairman of Liverpools Planning Committee is a Disgrace.

The Planners of Liverpool have three functionary duties it seems. Accept plans, process plans and Rubber Stamp plans.

It does not matter if the plans are for crap architecture that falls to bits in a couple of years as long as developer wants something the Liverpool planning department will get it through. There are more questions than answers.

Then the Riechmarshal Nigel Lee our Chief Planning Disaster manager http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Nigel%20Lee  hands them over to the planning committee, made up of poodles without any architectural knowledge and its thumbs up without debate. Liverpool was a city with a world heritage site.......not any more.

I could not attend yesterdays planning meeting I did not know it was debating (sic) the proposed Travelodge on the Strand. I would have lost my temper, if I had of been there. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/01/travelodge-for-liverpools-world.html  Even Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors had a go at this one. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/our-view/2010/01/20/liverpool-s-world-famous-waterfront-needs-better-than-another-budget-hotel-100252-25637804/

I had a report put through my door from the intrepid Florence Gersten yesterday. It said I wanted to talk to you about this mornings planning meeting, particularly the new travelodge on the Strand. I was as near total loss of temper, publicly, as I have ever been.
Now this is serious. I had no idea that the plans were being debated.

Irving who asked Florence Gersten if she was representing the Liverpool Preservation Trust altered the Agenda. “No I am representing SOC Save Our City,” she said. The despicable little man knows exactly whom she represents, so why did he ask her this question.
He barracked her breaking into the speech asking her to stop talking she had spoke for two minutes, while the architects were given unlimited time.
“This has been a long meeting and we have had to set off early,” he said
Florence said I have one paragraph left about the colour of the cladding”

“I AM NOT INTERESTED IN THE COLOUR OF THE BUILDING,” he declared

A PLANNING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NOT INTERESTED IN THE COLOUR OF THE BUILDING BEING DEBATED, IN THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE. Just where did this bloke  slither in from, no wonder its carbuncles-R-us down at the Pier Head. We have the honour of being a world heritage site and numbskull Irving and the other planning committee poodles are compliant in world heritage disaster, just what has gone wrong in Liverpool. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/liverpool-city-council-planning.html

A blue plastic clad building, a Travelodge. They who are the purveyors of Cheap and nasty tacky hotel architecture being allowed into the Liverpool World Heritage Site and the committee Chairman says I am not interested in the colour. Well what do you expect from someone who doesn’t live in Liverpool. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/david-irving-planning-chairman-caught.html  It could be said that the current crop of this committee are Subverting the whole planning process.
I hope they can sleep at night.

Just what are the English Heretics doing and where are Unesco. IcomosUK used to comment until Liverpool City Council became a corporate member.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/06/mann-island-tale-of-two-cities.html
While next door the famous White Star Line Building lies empty rotting away.

Pathfinders Edge Lane-The Road to Nowhere.

Images have been released for the revamp of Edge Lane. It is reported that Liverpool’s planning committee is expected to approve plans for 188 homes tomorrow.

Developer Bellway said it wants to start work on the project, which will take three years to build, as soon as demolition work is completed in around six months.

It forms part of the larger scheme which will see Edge Lane widened to make it into a dual carriageway and improve traffic flows between the city centre and the M62.
Divisional regeneration manager Paul Howard said: “This is a momentous moment for the project. It’s been a long process and we are delighted that it is coming to fruition.”
The plans include 42 flats, 73 duplex apartments, 67 houses, six bungalows and a new park called Gladstone Square.
Mr Howard said the buildings facing on to Edge Lane would predominantly be apartments and flats.
Some will feature roof-top terraces with south facing views towards Wavertree.
He added: “The scheme is aspirational, there’s no doubt about it. It’s a real gateway to the city. Quality has not been compromised in any way.”
The site where the homes will be built is bounded by Edge Lane, Marmaduke Street, Gladstone Road and Durning Road – with Royston Street running through the middle.
Trees will be planted in front of the apartments on the southern side of Edge Lane to create a boulevard atmosphere.
David Rudkin, of Halsall Lloyd Partnership architects, said: “It’s a modern interpretation of the architecture that was there before.”
Work on the commercial hub, based off Jubilee Drive, is unlikely to start until the effects of the recession have gone.
It is hoped progress can start being made in early 2011.
http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/news/article.php?id=54

Meanwhile Charles Clover gets it a bit right about the plight of the people whose lives have been thrown int turmoil by some half brained idea by some boffin in Whitehall.


CURS sold the idea to John Prescott’s sprawling department. Nevin was brought in as an adviser. Parliament and press were never properly consulted — otherwise there would have been an outcry. The idea was buried in a paragraph in Prescott’s 2002 Communities Plan. Prescott got the money from Ed Balls at the Treasury, whose wife, Yvette Cooper, came to preside over the 12 pathfinders as housing minister.

Nevin is now acting chief executive of NewHeartlands, the pathfinder which is ripping the heart out of Bootle and Edge Hill and is about to start on the lovely “Welsh streets” in Toxteth, where Ringo Starr was born. But his ideas are increasingly under fire. The theory of housing market renewal identifies the cheapest housing as a problem requiring state intervention. It ignores the welfare of the people affected, the quality of their houses or how well they fit into the cityscape, the environmental impact of demolishing them and the blight that the threat of demolition imposes on an area.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7035090.ece
Well worth a read.
Nemisis wrote http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/02/elizabeth-pascoe-is-finally-evicted.html
http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/04/two-heroines-against-pathfinders.html

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/02/01/liverpool-edge-lane-campaigner-forcing-me-to-leave-my-home-is-a-violation-92534-25730351/
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/search/label/Edge%20Lane%20Liverpool

http://www.edge-lane.info/

Museum of Liverpool-Citadel of Disaster

The news that John Venables is back behind bars is tragic for Denise Bulger now Denise Fergus. It is still a heart-wrenching topic that evokes strong feelings on Merseyside and further a field. Yet is was not too long ago, 2006 in fact that Museum Director David Fleming had to make a public apology to Denise Bulger for daring to suggest that the topics in the then proposed new museum would take in a contemporary twist to the darker side with an…….exhibition.... of the Hillsborough tragedy and the Jamie Bulger murder. The man has to be sick in the head I thought.




On the 27th November 06 an article appeared in the Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/nov/27/europeancityofculture2008.communities

The Beatles to James Bulger: Liverpool at its best - and worst
Merseyside split over £65m project that has enraged murdered toddler's mother
The aim is certainly ambitious: to create a museum, unlike any other in the world, to celebrate the rich heritage of Liverpool. From prehistory to its days as a hub of the British empire, to the Beatles and Alan Bleasdale.

But the £65m project to capture the city's "creativity, its wit, its imagination, its sheer contrariness" is already dividing opinion in Merseyside. There has been rather more of the latter than the former, particularly over the decision to ensure that the museum reflects its tragedies as well as its triumphs. The mother of James Bulger, the toddler who was killed 13 years ago, was incandescent when told her son's murder might feature in the Museum of Liverpool. There are concerns over its design too.

But it seems Denise Fergus, mother of James Bulger, who was murdered by two 10-year-old boys in 1993, was not consulted and learned that the story of her son's death could be told in the galleries only when she read a newspaper report. "I am boiling with rage," she said. "What kind of callous people would think of doing this in the name of art and culture? They must be mad if they think I am going to stand by and watch them do this to the memory of my precious son."
Ms Fergus added that she would take legal action to prevent pictures of James being used in the museum. David Fleming, director of National Museums Merseyside, has now written to Ms Fergus to apologise but claims his vision for the museum had been distorted.
Please read the article but it all started when Joe Riley wrote after said idiot Fleming opened his mouth and bile came out while Yoko Ono looked on.

Museum to tell of city's dark side
Nov 15 2006
By Joe Riley Arts Editor, Liverpool Echo
THE new £65m waterfront museum of Liverpool will be the biography of the city.Dr David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, told a launch reception for the project that it would also reveal a "darker side".Among the issues covered will be the James Bulger and Anthony Walker murders and Hillsborough disaster.He told the town hall dinner attended by Yoko Ono: "This will be the most radical and imaginative city museum in the world."Liverpool is already one of the most extraordinary cities in its subject matter and it is fitting that this museum is being created here."It is the legacy we will be bequeathing to future generations. Together we can make history."Dr Fleming said the building would be "a great physical legacy of 2008" on a par with past achievements such as St George's hall and Liverpool cathedral.The "warts and all" museum would reflect the port and people.Dr Fleming, who said city museum and gallery attendances were growing faster than anywhere in the country, added: "The city needs a far larger museum to do it justice." Among promises was the display showing "the Beatles could only have come from Liverpool."Yoko Ono nodded her approval as she sat among cultural and business leaders.She told the ECHO: "I want to help spread the word. I am very keen to find out more."National Museums Liverpool chairman TV presenter Loyd Grossman said: "This building will be the best of its type as the world's leading city heritage museum."It is unique and the most exciting museum project in Europe. It will be the most significant permanent benefit of Capital of Culture."Also announced was a £1m donation to the museum from the Garfeld Weston Foundation, the largest gift NML has ever received from a trust or foundation.
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=museum-to-tell-of-city-s-dark-side%26method=full%26objectid=18097982%26page=2%26siteid=50061-name_page.html
I recall thinking is this man stupid is he really allowed to make decisions that affect people. Does he really deserve being in control of our heritage when he interprets things this way? He should have been sacked.
Larry Nield commented in his then weekly column.  http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpooldailypost/ourview/columnists/larryneild/tm_method=full%26objectid=18166046%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

He went on to destroy Manchester Docks while UNesco looked on. http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,2026581,00.html
Denise Fergus refuses to speak with The Oldham Echo and the Liverpool Daily Ghost for the way they portrayed the tradgedy of her sons murder and she speaks through Mercury press.

The picture is the Rome MAXXI which opened last year...well they both look the same.

Alexandra Tower- A 100kg Pane Of Glass Falls Out

Emergency services were called out to Alexandra Tower on Princes Parade at around 1.30pm yesterday.

It is the green sore thumb in the centre of the picture that from a distance looks like its a chimney out of the Liver Buildings.
The Fire station manager, said: “It weighed 100 kilos and it is made of special toughened glass. There was a loud bang and when it hit the floor the debris sprayed up to 30 metres away. It went everywhere.” It is thought the glass may have shattered because of freezing overnight temperatures and yesterday’s sunny conditions.

A search and rescue team abseiled down the building to examine the damage. Roads were closed off.
A special crane was brought in last night to allow workers to remove the rest of the broken glass and repair the damage.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldpbusiness/business-local/2008/07/08/developer-city-lofts-collapses-into-administration-96026-21299348/ City Lofts the developers went into administration in 2008.

I am so suprised that this has happened, I thought it would last at least 10 years before pieces started falling off.

Museum of Liverpool-The Trustees Have Stolen Our Views.

And we have all lost something dear to us that cannot be replaced at any cost. In his column today courtesy of the Liverpool Daily Post, the morning museum, Phil Redmond tries to placate the need to waste £750,000 of our cash on "Flemings Folly" which has destroyed the world heritage site. The Rome MAXXI rip off museum is a view that was well worth paying for he says. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/03/phil-redmond-professional-scouser.html   Despite him telling me it should have been built in Birkenhead. So the scouse wedding at the Liverpool Museums is over and now they will all sit down and have a drink. No, its one disaster to another and Phil as chief placater tries hard but gets it completely wrong. I have written to Phil Redmond because I dont think all the facts are out, it is not just a restrictive covenant that is the problem here and we need more answers, there is an act of Parliament. The Liverpool Daily Ghost (dead man walking) should be doing this. It was not one building owners view to give away, it belonged to all of us, something we could have for free. Our Iconic views our heritage and dont forget they destroyed Manchester Docks. How small minded the argument that we needed to destroy our best asset our world heritage site to do it is. People are waking up to this but with the Daily Museum working overtime hiding information, the propoganda machine keeps on turning. Others are not convinced http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/03/believe-it-or-not-this-band-came-from.html but the local papers hold the circulation and thrust the views of Redmond onto the public without our say. He and "Fuzzy Felt Fleming bully editors but even they couldnt get this one past the Echo. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//2010/02/24/revealed-tax-payer-funded-national-museums-liverpool-paid-out-750k-for-spoiling-a-waterfront-view-100252-25901760/  

The truth is that there was a small group of people with the power that came up with this idea. Mike Storey was a trustee of NML (Disgraced Council leader had to resighn) before Redmond came along but Alexis Redmond has been there since the inception of the big white Elephant-On-Sea. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/liverpool-museums-how-much-have-they.html  One trustee resigned because of Phil and Alexis formed a conflict of interests at the Museum.  http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/museum-of-liverpool-are-trustees-out-of.html The trustees are out of control.

They have stolen our waterfront views right under your nose.

Redmod finishes off his column

P.S A smaller but significant point in the cash for covenant story. The money actually went to a local developer, part of the local econemy. Every little helps.

How little Redmond knows, George Downing is a tax exile living in Spain and I dont think he neede the money.

Phil Redmond-A Professional Scouser.

Lets ask a question. Where does he live? Childwall? Croxteth, just by where Brookside was filmed…..no. Woolton or even Cressington Park? No one of these.

Tirley Garth, Utkington in the leafy Cheshire Green Belt just one hamlet up from Tarporly is where. They don’t have many scouse weddings in this part of the world. Now you don’t begrudge a man making something of himself but true to form the old saying; When a scouser makes it, they bugger off to London and when they half make it the move to the Wirral has a strange association here.
I last spoke to Dr Redmond shortly after the National Trust AGM that was held at the Oldham Echo Arena. I was helping with a historical tour to some of the delegates after the event. I bumped into Tristram Hunt the respected historian, BBC presenter and Times Journalist. He had not long done an article entitled Liverpool Capital of Vandalism http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article3507204.ece for the Times. It was inspired and titled after a phrase I sent him Capital of Destruction, referring at that point to our Georgian past. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2008/01/29/living-on-the-eve-of-destruction-64375-20405391/

As I spoke to him opposite Mann Island I noticed the wavy hair of Dr Redmond and his wife with a small group walking towards me. I was showing Tristram the soon to disappear views as the Thee Black Slugs were just being started and explaining that a Dock which predated the Albert by 60 years was destroyed to make way for the museum being built that Phil was the Chairman of NML, at that time and his wife a trustee was a strange co-incidence. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2007/09/what_scouse_culture_means.html   One disgruntled trustee had just resigned from NML stating the Redmond’s constituted a conflict of interests. NML just ignore conflicts of interests as they ignore legal covenants. "Oh here is one of the people responsible" I said and Phil stopped grinning like a little cheeky scouser. I knew Phil as a client of mine I had sold him some bits for his mansion. “Wayne we have to move on with the times” he said.

This is not moving on these were my cherished views Liverpool Museums should be protecting us not ruining us” http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/11/loyd-grossman-lectures-us-on-heritage.html

“Well what would you have put there?” he said “A park” I replied “Besides the finance for these three grotesques is paying for the museum its disgraceful” Alexis chipped in “Oh no its not” she said. “I have looked over all the minutes of trustees meetings I am well aware of how the finances are stacked”.
Phil in full glare of Tristram then said pointing to the whole development including the museum that he was steward of as Chairman of NML. “It all should have been built in Birkenhead” I nearly threw him in Salt house Dock. “You have been culture supremo watching all this happen and you have done nothing look at the mess as I pointed to One Park Worst, Widnes Tech on speed, opposite on Chavasse Park. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/09/liverpool-world-heritage-city.html  “They have destroyed our future this is bad. “You are right but the consolation is it will all fall down within 50 years”. There is no consolation to me I wont be around”

Tristram and his wife sensing an engagement said their goodbyes I thought he may have written about it, and I continued rattling with Phil as Alexis and their two architect friends looked on. “We should talk about this in more detail in the new year,” he said and I caught up my party. I never did tie up with him. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/02/museum-of-liverpool-are-trustees-out-of.html


I read Phil Redmond’s column in the Liverpool Daily Ghost last week. Its usually waffle and this particular one is not available on line. Perhaps because the editor is aware of its inaccuracies. Entitled, Why the twists in the tales make it great to be scouse. Well said Phil did you e-mail in this column from the Mansion in Cheshire.
He goes on to say how last weeks story broke about the £750,000 paid out by NML to a commercial property developer. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news//2010/02/24/revealed-tax-payer-funded-national-museums-liverpool-paid-out-750k-for-spoiling-a-waterfront-view-100252-25901760/

He says Well, yes but the unfortunate situation is that if you want to build anywhere in a city, especially in a complex historical area like the Pier Head, you will encounter, well, complex and historical problems. This was one of them. He says he will come back to this and I await tomorrows column where he will I think try to kid the public.
He says “It basically boils down to £750,000 brought in £72 million and delivered a museum on time and on budget.”
This, as most of his column is made up, They have destroyed the World Heritage Site and now it transpires there was covenants to protect this happening. We were first told it would be open in 2008, then 2009, then 2010 and now 2011. The original design had a price of £42 million which is now nearer £80 million and it appears all the money is still not in place. Something I am not in the least surprised about with the utter chaos surrounding this whole project.

I await his writing tommorrow, he will probably be doing it now after he has finished off bullying Mark Thomas the editor into kidding the public. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/should-mark-thomas-be-relieved-of-his.html  who lives on the Wirral. There was not a mention into the wasted money in the Daily Ghost. I sent the editor Mark Thomas a AJ piece about they have come to an agreement relating to the 3XN, the museums architects sacking. Next day it was entitled, to placate the NML.Harmony breaks out at Liverpool Museum. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/02/25/harmony-breaks-out-in-liverpool-museums-spat-with-architect-92534-25910055/  This is a disgrace what a placation of the facts which needed a little more investigation. The day before It was great to see the papers holding them accountable. Shock horror the Echo at that. They should be accountable which is why I have written to Mr Redmond for a full account of the financial mess that is NML. Requesting some details that the press have not looked into. A letter has also gone off to the National Audit Office asking for a full inquiry. I await a cover upo by The Daily Ghost.

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-daily-post-turning-into-morning.html

http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/10/oldham-echo-mind-control-to-major-tom.html

SS Manxman Owner Charged With Fraud.

Achilleas Kallakis. He was once the owner of the prestigious India Buildings in Liverpool.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/12/03/turmoil-reigns-at-india-buildings-100252-22394368/

Picture thanks to Business Week. Entrepreneur Achilleas Kallakis has appeared in court charged with 23 offences relating to alleged £61m frauds against Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Scotland.
Kallakis, formerly known as Stefanos Kollakis, and Alexander Williams, formerly known as Martin Lewis, appeared at the City of London Magistrates Court.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/01/mortgage-fraud-commercial-property-sfo
Kallakis and Lewis are charged in relation to alleged property loans frauds against AIB of £56m, and an alleged shipping loan fraud in relation to Bank of Scotland of around £5m.
They were charged with:
• 13 counts of forgery,
• Five counts of fraud by false representation,
• Two counts of money laundering,
• One count of obtaining a money transfer by a deception.
Property Week revealed in April last year that Kallakis was being investigated in relation to the alleged AIB fraud.
The case was sent to Southwark Crown Court and the next hearing will be on 4 May.
He also owned India Buildings and left the place in turmoil when bills were left unpaid

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/01/uk-property-fraud-kallakis  He was called Mayfair’s Walter Mitty after it was alleged that he was the same person who had been duping rich American into buying bogus titles in the 80s.
Fourteen years ago he pleaded guilty to fraud at Southwark crown court, admitting selling "lordships" to Americans, Australians and Arabs for £85,000. Kollakis, who at the time worked for a travel company in Croydon, bought the titles from the Manorial Society of Great Britain, sub-divided them into districts and then offered them for sale via newspaper adverts. The scam claimed to be taking advantage an ancient process known as subinfudation - splitting and increasing the number of titles. But the practice had in fact been banned in 1290.
A jury had heard how Kollakis and a co-conspirator used false names and passports as well as bogus companies, including a fake firm of solicitors, to set up the Institution of Heraldic Affairs. One of the phoney companies used a Latin motto which translates as "virtue is the way".

Kollakis's past reveals a string of small-scale failed businesses which appear to have no assets. Among the ventures to sink into administration were the SS Manxman, a floating disco boat moored at West Waterloo Dock in Liverpool, and Electras, a nightclub in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. He, in some shape or form, and in my opinion, still owns this rusting hull after numerous campaigns were taken up to save it. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/12/ss-manxman-lies-rusting-its-disgraceful.html


ACHILEAS HEEL.

Chambre Hardman and the Lost City of Liverpool

While looking for inclusions I came across this  which was a BBC programme narrated by John Peel that I had a small part in.

Edward Chambre Hardman-It Was Well Worth The Fight.

How can you measure what a small piece of culture means to a city. It’s a hard one but I feel very proud to have played a part in the saving for the people of Liverpool the Edward Chambre-Hardman archive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Chambr%C3%A9_Hardman


I will write it up one day. It took several years and a lot of lobbying. It is interesting to note that a new exhibition is going to start this week, this time it is about his wife Margaret's work, also a keen photographer.

Margaret Hardman, wife of Edward Chambré Hardman, was the powerhouse behind his highly successful photographic business for more than three decades.
Now, for the first time, the life and times of the energetic perfectionist are being uncovered in a new exhibition at their former Rodney Street home.
Margaret hired, fired and ran a staff of up to 30 people, and was a perfectionist, inspecting every one of the thousands of images taken by Hardman for his clients throughout the city and beyond.
Born in 1909, Margaret joined Hardman's photographic business, “Burrell and Hardman” in 1926 when his studio was on Bold Street.
She was a competent character and a keen photographer, and the fact that Hardman left her, a young woman, in charge of the business when he needed to go abroad showed his confidence in her.
A romantic relationship – not without turbulence – began to blossom, and Edward and Margaret married in 1932.
Chambre Hardman
It will also include some of her own photographs, many of which capture performers at the Liverpool Playhouse.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/capital-of-culture/capital-of-culture-liverpool-news/2004/02/26/dust-covers-come-off-remarkable-life-of-chambre-hardman-100252-13990644/
It was over 6 years ago that I read in the Daily Post about the closing of Chambre-Hardmans house. The article was by Peter Elson of the Daily Post who put in a lot of his time, devoting himself to the cause of saving the archive. We embarked on a long and vigorous campaign that ultimately led to the National Trust acquiring the house after it was threatened with closure. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-59rodneystreet.htm  Mike McCartney, Pau'ls brother saying it was a good thing to have the archive sent to a museum in Bradford. He was a waste of time, a lazy man with Liverpool's history while living on the Wirral. He was a secret trustee of the archive. One of the trustees was a curator of the museum it was to go to. http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northwest/series6/hardman.shtml  We managed to get the BBC involved and a bit of research found that the trustees has wasted 300 grand. It was damn hard work but was well worth it to have a little piece of Liverpools culture on view for all to see.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/03/01/liverpool-exhibition-devoted-to-chambre-hardman-s-wife-margaret-100252-25933580/


Cameras and Camisoles opens on March 17 and runs until October 31,Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 3.30pm. Admission to Rodney Street is by timed ticket only. Call 0151 709 6261.

Wayne Colquhoun