Thursday 4 March 2010

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

2 comments:

  1. Destroyed Manchester dock? They had to dig it up first.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They had to dig it up first before they destroyed it you mean?

    ReplyDelete