Josephine Butler House

Josephine Butler House in the process of destruction by the developers. Flogged by John Moores University, abandoned by Liverpool City Council

St John the Divine Victorian church spire saved

St John the Divine spire saved by campaigners

Dec 11 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

St John the Divine in Fairfield

CAMPAIGNERS last night claimed a victory for people power after it was announced a threatened Victorian church spire in Fairfield, Liverpool, has been saved from demolition.

The church council of St John the Divine has agreed a deal which has rescued the spire of the church.

They agreed to sell the building to developers Huyton-based DDL90 at a much reduced cost, in return for an agreement that the spire will remain intact. It followed a concerted effort from local heritage campaigners, councillors, and the charity Save Britain’s Heritage, whose expert stonemasons proved the building had a financially viable future.

Last night, Jonathan Brown, of Merseyside Civic Society, said: “We regret the diocese had to be shamed by public outrage into doing the right thing, but congratulate them for eventually seeing the light. We are also very grateful to the Daily Post for its coverage of the story.”

Liverpool Diocese decided in June that the spire had to be knocked down because the structure might collapse and costs of repair were prohibitive.

The church won a special court case to allow it to demolish the spire in September, but only yesterday announced the deal to save it.

Last night, the city’s historic environment champion Cllr Berni Turner; Cllr Colin Eldridge, who campaigned to save the spire, and Fairfield’s Cllr Louise Baldock said they were delighted by the decision.

And the Venerable Ricky Panter, Archdeacon of Liverpool, said the case showed the dilemma facing many of the diocese’s churches. “On this occasion, the church council were able to agree a rescue package, but this isn’t always the case and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made”.

St John the Divine Victorian church spire saved

A THREATENED Victorian church spire has been saved from demolition following a last minute deal.

The church council of St John the Divine has agreed a deal which has rescued of the spire of church in Fairfield, Liverpool.

They agreed to sell the building to developers Huyton-based DDL90 at a much reduced cost in return for an agreement that the spire will remain intact.

The church council had been awarded a court judgement giving them permission to demolish the spire on health and safety grounds.

As the building does not meet listing requirements, the church was unable to get money from English Heritage.

The Venerable Ricky Panter, Archdeacon of Liverpool said: "While it is tremendous to have been able to have preserved the spire at St John’s this case shows the dilemma facing many of our churches.

"Very often they are caught between the heritage lobby calling for buildings to be preserved and the financial reality that there is no money to pay for the work to be done.

"On this occasion the church council were able to agree a rescue package however this is not always the case and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made".

"The Diocese of Liverpool is very conscious of the many fine church buildings that exist in the Diocese and works hard to help local vicars and congregations preserve these buildings."

"It would have been easy for them to demolish the church and sell the land, once they found out that the spire was unsafe and beyond their means to repair.

"We particularly owe a debt of thanks to Reverend Andrew Porter and his congregation at St John the Divine for finding the money to save the church and spire for posterity by reducing the sale price accordingly.

"It is a great day for Fairfield's heritage and a great way to end the 08 Culture year in our neighbourhood".

Daily Post 10/12/08

Quentin Hughes the Man who Saved the Albert Dock

The Man Who Saved the Albert Dock

Professor James Quentin Hughes MC* OBE (1920 – 2004)

Soldier, Educator, Architect, Historian, Authority on Fortifications

Professor James Quentin Hughes was an only child and was born in Liverpool on the 28th February 1920 and educated at Rydal School in North Wales. In 1939 at the beginning of his university training as an architect at The Liverpool University School of Architecture he volunteered for Officer Training with the Royal Artillery. He was dispatched on the illustrious Force H convoy sent to relieve the beleaguered island of Malta, Jimmy ( as he liked to be called by his friends) Hughes, lived through the appalling bombardment. He organised the coastal battery defences and the training of the locally recruited Malta Regiment. In January 1944 with a party of five parachutists, under the command of Major Tony Widdrington, he took off from the American air base in Italy, on Operation Pomegranate. Their aim was to raid the airfield at San Egidio and destroy German reconnaissance aircraft prior to the forthcoming landings at Anzio.

As they neared the airfield the landing lights came on and four Junkers flew in. A fifth crashed and burst into flames, it was 10.30 pm before they were able to release their bombs. As they were defusing surplus bombs, one exploded, killing Widdrington. Hughes was temporarily blinded and concussed. After being taken to hospital he was interrogated and then placed in solitary confinement, after being told that he would probably be shot as a saboteur. Hughes had partly recovered, and although he was blind in one eye the Gestapo insisted that he must be handed over to be shot, but a German Staff Officer whom he had befriended in hospital, succeeded in getting him re-classified as a prisoner of war।

During his stay in hospital he met an American Army Air Force sergeant and a private in the Signal Corps and while outside Modena, on a train heading north, the three men climbed out of the windows and escaped. Hughes and his comrades headed for the Allied lines. At the end of March, helped by the local partisans, Hughes joined an escape party of 22 PoWs and headed for Fermo, near the Adriatic coast. Quentin was awarded an immediate MC for the raid. The citation stated that he and Widdrington had destroyed four Ju 88s, two Fieseler Storch aircraft and one Ju 52. Within a fortnight of learning of the award, he was told that he had been given a Bar to it for his escape. In July 1945 he was injured in a Jeep accident and had to retire from the Army।

1946 saw the completion of his undergraduate studies at Liverpool in Architecture, reading a second degree in Town Planning. He gained his PhD at Leeds University and was appointed to the teaching staff at the Liverpool School of Architecture. He was made Reader in Architecture in 1972. In 1955 he became a lecturer and later reader at the Liverpool School of Architecture. He was a well respected teacher, and many of his undergraduates will remember with affection his appearances in the Lecture Hall dressed in battle fatigues sporting a 9mm captured Luger modified as a cigarette lighter।

His time on Malta left a lasting impression and deep affection for the islands and the Maltese, which led to him writing of the definitive architectural histories of the Island. In 1968 he moved to Malta to set up The Royal University of Malta Department of Architecture at the invitation of the Maltese Government. He became its first Professor of Architecture and inspired a generation of architects. He received the Order of Merit of Malta in 2004. He is a founder member of the Fortress Study Group, and was editor of their journal "Fort". Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999 for services to Architectural Conservation.

Quentin Hughes later in life became a conservation architect, earning him admiration and respect for his conservation and lobbying efforts from many grateful Merseysiders, who, to this day are able to admire the many important Liverpool buildings which he was instrumental in saving for future generations to appreciate।

He is the author of numerous books including:

"Seaport -Architecture and Town Planning in Liverpool"(1969),

“Military Fortress”: Architecture and Military History in Malta (1969)

"Strong as the Rock of Gibraltar" with Athanassios Migos (1995)

“Who Cares Who Wins” (1968) An account of his military adventures.

"The Building of Malta:1530-1795" (1956)

by Rob Ainsworth

The Liverpool Working Horse Monument

A Registered Charity

Appeal for donations

Please send donations no matter how small to:

Sharon Brown (Secretary of the Group)
Liverpool Carters Working Horse Monument Project,
P O Box 136,
Liverpool
L14 5WZ।

Or you can donate safely on line at the LWHMF वेबसाइट

http://lwhmf।tripod.com/

Liverpool Carters Monument Donations Welcomed

The Liverpool Working Horse Monument

A Registered Charity

Appeal for Donations

An oppertunity to contibute towards heritage

The Liverpool Retired Carters' Association is campaigning to raise money for a monument to the working horse in Liverpool. The monument - a full size bronze statue of a working horse designed by renowned sculptor Judy Boyt - would be placed at Hartley's Quay, Albert Dock, Liverpool. It would commemorate the importance of the working horses to the economic development of the city. As part of the fundraising initiative a limited edition of 20 miniatures of the full-size statue, also cast in bronze, is available to purchase. The maquette stands about 18'"high and is an exact copy of the full-size statue, retailing at £8,000.

The first mini-statue was bought by Ms Lynette Beardwood whose family have strong carting connections. The second statue has been purchased by Lord Vestey, whose companies used numerous horses throughout the city to transport goods.

The Monument

The Liverpool Working Horse Monument 'Waiting' has been designed by renowned equine sculptor Judy Boyt in consultation with the members of the Retired Carter's Association। The horse will stand approximately 16 hands high (1।80m, 6'), cast in bronze, on a rectangular slate base। The base will have the outline of a wagon and two horses plus a potted history of the Liverpool working horse sandblasted into the surface।

The estimated total cost for the monument is now £120,000। To date through their own efforts the Carters have amassed a balance of over £76,000 has been raised.

Fundraising is ongoing and they have been designated as a charitable organisation. The location for the monument has yet to be confirmed। The Carters feel a position on the Albert Dock site i.e. Hartley Quay, would be appropriate as many of them trod the cobbles in this area during their working lives.

The Project

The proud history of the Carters and their horses was in danger of being lost, but the members of the Retired Carter's Association have kept their history alive by their determined efforts to get recognition for the Liverpool Working Horse. For more than 250 years horses were used to move goods to and from Liverpool docks and businesses। At their peak more than 20,000 horses worked on the streets of Liverpool, more than in any other city outside London.

During the Second World War the Liverpool Carter's and their horses maintained the vital link between the docks and the city, keeping food and raw materials moving during the most difficult of times। By the 1950s horsepower had been largely replaced by petrol-driven wagons which could move larger loads more quickly. It was the end of an era.

Cultural value to Liverpool

Judy Boyt is a renowned sculptor who has completed many important commissions। These include Rebellion commissioned by Standard Life in London for which Judy was awarded the Royal Society of British Sculptors medal in 1993. She won the British Sporting Art Trust Award 2001 for Evocation of Speed, sited in Epsom town centre and has produced bronzes of many racehorses including Golden Miller which is located at Cheltenham Racecourse.

To have a sculpture by such an eminent artist would be a fine addition to the impressive collection of statues in Liverpool।

Historical Importance

A guidebook to Liverpool in 1914 reported "It is the boast of Liverpool that the horses employed in the city's industry are the finest in the kingdom, and it is a boast to which it is scarcely possible to take exception."

It could be said that Liverpool was built on the back of horses and we believe that their important role in the city's history should be properly celebrated with a monument to their loyalty and service. There is huge public affection for the working horse evidenced by the response in terms of support and donations whenever any publicity for the monument appears।

The monument would be a popular addition to the cultural and historical heritage of Liverpool and to have it in place for the 2007 Charter celebrations and the European Capital of Culture year of 2008 would be a fitting tribute to both the Carters and their horses।

Further Information Liverpool Monuments BBC David Charters Article. Liverpool Monuments Judy Boyt Liverpool City Council Liverpool Heritage Forum National Museums Liverpool Scottie Press LWHMF Web Site or http://lwhmf.tripod.com

Please send donations no matter how small to:

Sharon Brown (Secretary of the Group)
Liverpool Carters Working Horse Monument Project,
P O Box 136,
Liverpool
L14 5WZ।

Or you can donate safely on line at the LWHMF वेबसाइट

http://lwhmf।tripod.com/

Many thanks for showing interest.Publish Post

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was founded on 12 November 1898, by a donation from Sir Alfred Lewis Jones, a Liverpool Shipowner. The donation of £350 created the first school of its kind.
The school has made many contributions to tropical medicine especially in identifying the vector for malaria, for which Sir Ronald Ross won the first British Nobel Prize in 1902.

Today the school continues its work as a post-graduate school and is a registered charity affiliated to the University of Liverpool. In October 2005 Bill Gates donated £28million to the school which will more than double the size of the school.