Toxteth Heritage Trail launched today

THE fascinating history of Toxteth is being celebrated with the launch of a new heritage trail.

The trail plots a route through Liverpool 8 showing its architectural treasures and highlighting how the area has developed over the centuries.

It will be launched on Tuesday 24 July at 2pm by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, in a ceremony attended by local community representatives and historians.

The trail shows some of the area’s outstanding architecture, including the ancient chapel, the Florence Institute, Toxteth Town Hall, St James in the City Church and the “Welsh Cathedral” - the Welsh Presbyterian Church. It also takes in the Grade II listed Princes Park.

Those taking part will also be following in the footsteps of some fascinating individuals including the man who helped to save 40,000 people from Nazi persecution, the preacher who brought a circus to his services and the gardener who inspired the design of parks throughout the country.

“Even those people who have lived in this area all their lives will almost certainly find things they do not know about their own neighbourhood if they follow the trail, “ said Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods. “Toxteth has a rich and varied history which is sometimes overlooked and one that many people outside the area will find a revelation.

“There are numerous buildings of outstanding architectural interest and many fascinating tales about people who lived and worked in Toxteth.

“We are building on that heritage to ensure that not only are we celebrating Liverpool 8’s past but that it has a bright future as well. This trail is part of the Love L8 project which is highlighting what this area has to offer.”

The trail is marked by banners and display boards at each of its five distinct areas and there are blue footprints on the pavements marking it out. Brochures describing the trail are available from many of the venues along the route. 

Pedestrians and cyclists can tackle the full three and a half mile trail in full or in the five stages, each of which has its own special character.

It starts at St James’ Church at the junction of Upper Parliament Street and St James Place. The first leg of the trail goes from Upper Parliament Street (the old entrance to the deer park) up Park Road. The other parts of the trail are Park Road South from Beresford Road to Ullet Road; Princes Park ( from Ullet Road to Lodge Lane) ; Lodge Lane (from Bentley Road to Smithdown Road) and Smithdown Road to Ullet Road.

Primary sponsors for the trail are St James in the City and funding has been provided by the City Council, Plus Dane and Tesco.

• To pick up a handful of the maps and brochures for historical group or tourism purposes, please contact the Park Road offices of Plus Dane on (0151) 330 3519.

Exciting find unearthed for launch of Toxteth Heritage Trail

This treasure has been unearthed in the basement of the former Granby School – and it was moved there when the Tiber Street School on Lodge Lane  was demolished. 

It is a fine, carved wood commemorative plaque to the soldiers who died in the First World War. 

If anyone can shed more light on it, or knows someone who might, then please come along to the launch of the Toxteth Heritage Trail tomorrow, as we pull it from the school basement, dust it off and once more remind ourselves of treasures such as this – some still hidden, across the city.

The launch ceremony will be at 2 pm on Tuesday 24^th July, outside the Greenhouse Project on Lodge Lane. But there will be people on location from 12.30 pm onwards, with the official opening by the Mayor at 2 pm.

Billy Maxwell, Liverpool City Council Neighbourhoods Team Leader, South Liverpool told me

former Tiber Street School, Lodge Lane

"It was a lifelong local resident, Ivan, who said he thought it was there. We drove round on the off-chance to be told the old Granby school basement had been cleared. We talked the caretaker into letting us look anyway and in the gloom, like a scene from tomb raider, we found it.
Tomorrow will probably be the first time it has seen the light of day since the Tiber Street Primary School was demolished."

If you cannot get along to the launch of the Heritage Trail tomorrow but think you can help Billy and local residents to learn more about the war memorial, you can contact him at Edge Hill Customer Focus Centre,  80 to 82 Wavertree Road, Liverpool. L7 6PT. T: (0151) 225 8693

Former pupils might also be interested in the Facebook Group for the school 

Bogus callers: L6 / L13

Message from our local police

We have a recent report of two male bogus callers stating that they are
doing insulation work for LHT. LHT have confirmed that this is not true.
Male one is described as Scottish, late 30`s white,and goes by the name of
Jock or possibly Paul. Male two only has a very vague description of being
20-30 years of age. Their current mode of transport was a mighty van.
A mighty van is some times used by LHT. This van could possibly be stolen.
The two males gained access to a property by smashing a padlock off a
communal door, stating they were carrying out work for LHT and need to use
the loft space. We believe these two males were trying to gain access to
the flat below.

Please be alert

Shakespeare in Newsham Park: Publicity

Hello everyone, I know there has been a lot of interest in this event from my readers both here and on Twitter and Facebook. Please have a look at this flier which has just arrived in my inbox for further information. Mark and Pam Boardman tell me that tickets are £7 from News from Nowhere bookshop on Bold Street, or £5 concessions. However, for the disorganised, a deal may be done 'on the door' at the performance. 

And the Liverpool Network Theatre group have now been in touch to say that tickets are also available on the internet.


I am sure the residents of Kensington and Fairfield will be delighted to see this performance brought to their area, sharing it as they do with such lovely places at Sudley House and Reynolds Park.

We are on the cultural map!

Communities through film

Please see invitation below to Kensington, Fairfield and other Liverpool residents from Merseyside Polonia.

Merseyside Polonia in cooperation with Yellow House  would like to invite you to the third event of ‘Communities through Film’ project. Come on Thursday 12th of July, 2012 at 6.30pm to Kensington Community Fire Station.

As part of the project we will deliver 4 events, which will show movies about different communities. We already hosted 2 communities: the Middle-Eastern community and the African community. Both events were very enjoyable, there was a good discussion and good-tasting food.

Now it’s time to introduce the Asian community. The special guest is our Indian friend Bisakha Sarker from the Liverpool Indian Community. Bisakha is artistic director of Chaturangan, a Liverpool based company engaged in creative activities to raise the profile of South Asian dance. Also she is a highly respected performer, producer, choreographer,  researcher, educationalist, critic, writer and video maker. The film that we’ll have a chance to watch is "Roots and Wings".

As always apart from film you will have an opportunity to find out more about unique customs and traditions from the representatives of these local communities. There will be an opportunity to taste homemade traditional food.

See you at Kensington Community Fire Station, Beech Street, Liverpool L7 0EU

Free Entry!

A tribute: Rose Bailey Close, Croxteth

It is two years ago this week since Councillor Rose Bailey sadly and unexpectedly suffered a fatal heart attack whilst visiting  her family in Germany.

Today, proud members of her family, the Labour Party in Liverpool, local residents, members of the Police force, Housing Association representatives, council staff and the elected Mayor of Liverpool were present at the unveiling of Rose Bailey Close. A new housing development built by Lovells in partnership with Cobalt Housing.

Rose Bailey Close in the heart of Croxteth is the first of what the Mayor has promised will be a series of regeneration projects in the ward that Rose represented, and as he spoke to the large assembled crowd, Mayor Anderson said that every new project would remind us all of her, as she was the one that kick-started the progress in the area.

I have to say the houses look very attractive, the location is a good one, close to a major junction, and at the gateway to the once blighted Stonebridge Cross where at last regeneration work is underway. Unlike some developments named after famous people or much loved local figures, I think this is one to be proud to have your name upon.

There are those who say that Rose would have been mortified by all the fuss and the attention, but I think secretly she would have been pleased to have been honoured in this way, certainly her family are very proud.

Councillor Peter Mitchell, in his contribution thanked Councillor Malcolm Kennedy for his help in ensuring that this new development could be named in tribute to Rose, and my photo shows the three ward councillors, Peter, Martin Cummings and Stephanie Till with Malcolm at the entrance to Rose Bailey Close.

Shakespeare at Newsham Park

The Friends of Newsham Park and the Academy of St Francis of Assisi are pleased to announce that the Liverpool Network Theatre Group will be performing The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare on Sunday 15th July at 1.30pm.

The group has performed regularly in Reynolds Park, Sudley Park and Lowlands but this will be the first time at Newsham Park. The performance will be outdoors in the grounds of the Academy, the backdrop will be the former Park Head Gardner's mock Tudor House. The show WILL GO ON NO MATTER THE WEATHER!!! 

 

Come to the Lodge which is accessed on Gardners Drive, just through the lights on the junction with Sheil Road and Boaler Street.