Liver Birds, Bricks, Sculptures and Georgian elegance ...

Well, it has been quite a hectic twenty four or so hours... a great re-union dinner with Kathy, Anne, Ann, Janneke and the 'boys' - Josh (now a 6' something strapping community policeman) and Laurie (nearly 6' cyclist and musician) - for those that don't know - I last saw Josh and Laurie nearly 10 years ago - so it took some getting used to their physical appearance - but their charming characters remain in tact!

Yesterday Sunday - Kathy, Anne and myself set off for Liverpool - EU Milennium city - of growth and plenty of expenditure. Sadly the first foray into Liverpool was battling the lack of car parking space - Destination 1 was the Walker Gallery near Lime St Station to see an exhibition by the 'New Radicals - from Sickert to Freud' . The Walker gallery designed in 1882 by H. Vale has a facade that consists of a rather pompous Roman temple, with a portico of free-standing Corinthian columns. Nevertheless, I found it quite interesting architecturally and certainly imposing - the exhibition itself was not very inspiring except for a piece by Duncan Grant (of the Bloomsbury School) called Farm in Sussex. However, a great surprise was a large piece by Ben Johnson -He has reproduced famous city landmarks of Liverpool in amazing detail in this huge architectural panorama - cityscape.

Then, much to my annoyance the waterfront development was disappointing- I found the dock area either 'over-developed' in- appropriate architectural styles, dwarfing the magnificent old structures like the '3 Graces' - or alternatively there were large vacant spaces resembling building sites - Liverpool City Council -please bring back Wil Alsop's Cloud Project idea!! After a wander around Albert Dock and a bit of sustenance in the shape of giant scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam at the Tate ... nothing like a few calories to soothe the troubled beast ... we continued down the old dock road towards Crosby.

Here to our delight we came upon the Liverpool I have hoped to see before the massive brick warehouses and docks are sold off to developers - here was the Liverpool of director Terence Davies Of Time and the City -for those of you who haven't seen the film - try and see it, it is both a love song and a eulogy to Liverpool. It is also a response to memory, reflection and the experience of losing a sense of place as the skyline changes and time takes it toll., here was the Liverpool of the ghosts of dockers, of sweaty workers drinking in the Sailors Inn or Woodcutters Arms - now deserted and sad, boarded up, empty. Here was the Liverpool of the massive warehouses of the 1900 - when trade flourished - now replaced by scrapmetal yards, recycled garbage on its way to China .. rusting twisted iron and steel, bricks, bricks and more bricks aged with fungus, coal dust, pollution ...





I remember how Davies begins the film with a quote from A.E. Housman's "A Shropshire Lad" that emphasizes this melancholy that the past is no more: "That is the land of lost content / I see it shining plain/ The happy highways where I went / And cannot come again." ...nothing could be more true - I was here now and felt some resonance with the words and his beautiful B&W imagery of his film.

The grey sky started to clear .. it was nearing 2.00 pm and according to my two expert guides - full tide was now - if we were to see the Gormley sculptures emerge from the ebbing tide we had to make our way to Crosby - post haste.





I had read about the installation and had seen pictures of the figures - but nothing prepared me for the rather 'surreal' experience of these cast iron population - dense, still, inaniamte - yet filled with dreams, hope, life and reaching out to a place beyond ....another place -



Another Place is a piece of modern sculpture by Antony Gormley, now installed permanently at Crosby Beach. Another Place consists of 100 cast-iron, life-size figures spread out along three kilometers of the foreshore, stretching almost one kilometre out to sea.The figures - each one supposedly weighing 650 kilos - are made from casts of the Gormley's own body and are shown at different stages of rising out of the sand, all of them looking out to sea, staring at the horizon in silent expectation.

Gormley suggested that the work is seen as a poetic response to the individual and universal sentiments associated with emigration - sadness at leaving, but the hope of a new future in another place. for those of you who are familiar with my own research work and writing you will understand that I found the experience and sentiment profound and overwhelming.

After a leisurely stroll back to the car along marine boulevarde with its wonderful Victorian and Edwardian houses - we picnicked in the seaside Victorian gardens and reflected on the experience.








Manchester City was our last destination - I was absolutely stunned by the development since my visit in 1999. We arrived into Manchester along Liverpool Rd and the first sight was the incredible Beetham Tower - resembling a silver dagger it pierced the evening sky, overshadowing the historical Castlefields pubs, canal and science museum. Designed by Ian Simpson and completed in 2006 it is the highest building in Manchester and apparently the tallest residential building in Europe... some competition for - Mr Grollo. We then made our way to Spinningfields and settled in with a coffee at Carluccio's to watch the last 14 overs of the test match on the big outdoor screen- would have liked to see a win for Oz but didn't seem to matter sitting here in England - and after all it was great to see Monty Panesar do his thing.



Kept wandering and being amazed at the development - Calatrava's bridge over the Bridgewater Canal, The Manchester Civil Justice Building - has to be seen to be believed - fondly known as the 'filing cabinet' the building features a spectacular 60-metre glass façade, an environmental veil to provide solar shading, an 11-storey atrium and dramatic cantilevered, asymmetric ‘fingers’ to resemble the rising steps to justice. And I thought Berlin was beyond compare !!!!





On the way home we diverted to the Manchester City Stadium (just for you David Rutherford), and the magnificent Gorton Cathedral now sitting completely out of place in the middle of a 'slum' suburb - however, I understand there are moves to redevelop the area?? After getting lost in Abbey Hey - we finally got home totally exhausted....

Today, Monday has been full of more surprises - a trip over the hills of Derbyshire/ edge of the Peak District to Buxton, reputedly the highest 'town' in England. Buxton was developed as a Georgian spa and the buildings and some streets reflect the Georgian splendour. We walked past the restored Opera house into the magnificent Pavillion Gardens, past the Old Hall Hotel reputed to be the oldest hotel in England, one time host to Mary Queen of Scots to the gracious Crescent with its Georgian facade, the Town Hall (1888), and the Natural Bath building - unfortunately these were closed till 2012 for renovation.






After a bit of negotiation of one way streets etc - Kathy managed to park right in fron of the University of Derby Great Dome - Once a magnificent 18th Century stable block built to house the 5th Duke of Devonshire’s horses and servants, it is now a convention centre for the University - Swinburne may like to aspire to this structure as a model?







On return to Marple, Kathy, Josh and myself set out again to a rather peaceful hotel/restuarant on the road to Glossop - situated high over the valley with views to Manchester and the Welsh mountains we dined on mouth watering fare - complete with English strawberries and cream ... enough, enough ... I must go and have a siesta.



Love Lariane xx