the cutMORE IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL

Inside this edition

Waterworks Urbanism!Litter binsFloating tea ceremony

Rare flowersand much, much more

WWW.BIENNIAL.COM

Urbanism 09 is the name for five days ofexhibitions, discussions and celebrations alongthe Leeds & Liverpool Canal that explore itspotential and future uses. It brings togetherartists and architects from all over Europeinvited by Liverpool Biennial to respond to anarea of North Liverpool and South Sefton that isthe subject of one of the UK’s most ambitiousinitiatives of urban renewal. It will showcase theprojects that have been running since February(and introduce some new ones) and also invitespeakers from up and down the country todiscuss the issues we have been engaging with.Urbanism 09 is the finale of all this activity andan opportunity not only to have fun on and alongthe water but also to share views on how thecanal could be made a better place. Urbanism 09takes place at St Winnie’s School from 16–20September.

All our visitors were inspired and intrigued bythe Leeds &Liverpool Canal that wends it waythrough the area from a semi-rural northern tipto the city centre in the south. Many of our visitors,such as Lambert Kamps, from Holland, could notunderstand why this waterway, bounded byhousing, was so little used. In Holland, of course,they use their waterways as vital transportroutes, as major social and recreational spaces as well as much valued natural environments.

Danilo Capasso, from Italy, told us about thecreation of new neighbourhoods in a medievalcity such as Sienna, often cited as a model ofsuccessful urban design. Before even a spade isplanted in the ground, each new communitythere must have a ‘palio’, a banner thatestablishes its identity and stakes its place in the annual horse race in the central piazza.Meanwhile, each neighbourhood in Venice isdefined by its bridge that represents its lifelineto the rest of the city. Over a few months in thespring, Danilo looked at possible sites forintervention along the canal and was excited todiscover the wharf at Bank Hall that had playeda central part in the development of the canal.Danilo recreates this history in his installation,Portoallegro, at that site.

Raumlabor, a collective of artists and architectsworking across Europe to breathe new life intoneglected urban spaces, were similarly excitedby Carolina Wharf and have created an imaginaryjourney from St Winnie’s School to the wharfopposite in their installation, The Promising Land.Squash Nutrition have been hard at workthroughout the spring and summer planting andtending a kitchen garden at the school with thehelp of local residents and they will be offeringsamples of the Sefton Produce made from it,with chutneys and jams on offer each day.

Shuttling back and forth between these two hubsthroughout the five days will be a collection offloating structures created by Ben Parry, DavidBade, Lambert Kamps and Public Works offeringa range of activities from tea drinking to painting,all of them offering opportunities for conversation.

On Saturday evening these crafts of creativitywill form a parade. Joined by those built by groupsin the neighbourhoods, some working by themselvesand some with the help of local artist and boatbuilder, Dave Webster, as well as Leeds & LiverpoolCanal regulars such as the Pride of Sefton andmembers of the Mersey Motor Boat Club. Thisfloating procession starts from St Winnie’s withimagined uses of the canal glimpsed on bridgesalong the way created by artist Alan Dunn andReDock in collaboration with local groups. Theprocession ends at Portoallegro at 8pm withsurprises from Liverpool Lantern Company, Mothand Rob Sweere.

Meanwhile, back on land as part of the Art forPlaces engagement work, artist Kerry Morrisonhas been working with botanist, Alicia Prowseover the past six months to make the very bestof the natural assets of the canal. They havebeen harvesting elderflower, installing beehivesand inspiring the council to install bins along thetowpath and remove redundant fencing to openup pleasant green spaces from which to enjoy it.

All these people and more will be active over the five days of Urbanism to talk about what theysee as the canal’s potential and hear your ideas.We hope you can come.

Urbanism 09

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PARADEPARADEPARADE

Roll up, Roll up! (in sensible footwear)

The Canal Parade is really coming together with over20 boat and craft already registered to participate. The parade will begin at St Winnie’s at 6pm, Saturday19 September and finish at Bank Hall, 8pm for thegrand finale at Portoallegro. Everyone’s welcome, sobring your family and friends and come and see thespectacle of the grand Canal Parade!parade@biennial.com

PARADEPARADEPARADE

3

Saturday 19 September11am – 6pm All exhibitions open11am–12.30pm Brunch conversation with Rick Lowe6pm–9pm Canal parade from St Winnie’s to Bank Hall

Boats gather at 5.30pm at Carolina Wharf, Bootle, finale 8pm at Bank Hall

Sunday 20–27 September11am – 6pm Chance to see all the commissions and exhibitions at St Winnie’s and Bank Hall

Wednesday 16 September11am – 6pm All exhibitions open.

Pedaloes, canal taxi and artists boats available each day from St Winnie’s

Thursday 17 September11am – 6pm All exhibitions open

Propositions for the Happy City: artists and architects talk about their projects

1pm Squash Nutrition: with samples of St Winnie’s Produce1.30pm Raumlabor: a journey through The Promising Land 2pm Kerry Morrison: Performance ‘Alternative Views’2.30pm Muf Architecture: Feral Arcadia 3pm Refreshments3.15pm Danilo Capasso talks about Portoallegro3.45pm Public Works: Canal Club4.15pm Visit to Ben Parry’s Tea House, David Bade’s Chairity Boat, Raumlabor’s ‘The

Promising Land’, Public Works’ Canal Club, sample St. Winnie’s produce and participate in Rob Sweere’s Silent Sky.

Art for Places ‘Waterworks’: discussion and exhibition

5pm A roundtable discussion chaired by Paula Ridley, Chair of Liverpool Biennial including Pauline Davis, Managing Director of NewHeartlands, and Laurie Peake, Programme Director, Public Art, Liverpool Biennial.

6.10pm ‘Waterworks’ Competition announcement and drinks8pm End

Friday 18 September11am – 6pm All exhibitions open

How to Design the Happy City conference

9.15am Registration. Tea and coffee.

SESSION 1 Ingredients for the Happy City

10am Chair’s Welcome: Martin Stockley, Chair of North West Design Review Panel, Places Mattter!

10.15am Keynote Speaker: Joost Beunderman, DEMOS10.45am Michael Palwyn: Exploration Architecture11.15am Ian McArthur: Groundwork11.45am Q&A: All speakers12.15pm Breakout sessions with tea and coffee 1pm Lunch (with opportunity to see the exhibitions, sample Squash’s Bootle produce

and take out a pedalo)

SESSION 2 Measuring the Happy City – the business case

2pm Keynote Speaker: Marcus Dixon, Savills2.30pm Pete Halsall: Bioregional Quintain 3pm Q&A: All speakers3.30pm Breakout sessions with tea and coffee4.15pm Feedback and Plenary5pm Chair’s round up and finish 6pm–9pm Portoallegro launch party at Bank Hall

Urbanism 09 Programme 16–20 September 2009St Winnie’s School, Merton Road, Bootle, L20 7ARPortoallegro, Syren Street, Bank Hall

To book your place in the conference please visitwww.placesmatter.org.uk/urbanism09or call 0845 220 2800

Over the past twelve months one of our mostcommon sights along the Leeds & LiverpoolCanal has been the plastic bags attached tofences up and down the towpath.

However, we shouldn’t be damning of thisstrange habit. Clearly the bags are tied to thefences because there is nowhere else to putthem. Contrary to what some people may think,people in Bootle, dog-walkers included, areactually picking up their rubbish, putting it intobags but having simply nowhere to put them.

That is until August. In mapping the wildlifeand plantlife along the canal, artist KerryMorrison also included data on rubbish hot spotson the towpath and armed with her data Kerryhad asked for some bins from Sefton Council.They agreed and have now installed 10 litter binsat key access points onto the canal tow path inBootle. It’s a small step but what a result!.

‘A lady scooped up her pooches pooh and walkedto the new bin at Pennington Road bridge todeposit the deposit. She returned to her walkalong the Leeds and Liverpool canal towpath’.Kerry Morrison, Artist, 26 August 2009

MOTH projects digital stories onto city wallsfree-style. Using hand-held projectors they willilluminate (and animate) unusual places alongthe canal. They have made a new work for the Portoallegro launch party on Friday 18September and will also be projecting from a boat during the Boat Parade on Saturday 19 September.

The Plaza Cinema, Crosby Road North, has a new Cinema Social Club. Every Thursdayafternoon from 1.15pm (apart from schoolholidays) at the Plaza. Come and see a greatmovie, enjoy a chat with new and old friendsover tea, coffee and biscuits and, if you’re inthe mood, try your luck at Bingo or the Raffle.Admission is £3 (members) and £4 (non-members). More details on 0151 474 4076.

Litter Bins

4

MARROW ANDGINGER JAM

Makes 6 x 1lb jars of delicious golden jam

INGREDIENTS4 unwaxed lemons4lbs marrows, peeled and cut into sug

arcube

sized pieces4lbs jam sugar (with added pectin)

A large knob of fresh root ginger (about 85g),

peeled and shreddedEnough glass jars for 6lbs

Muslin bagWaxed paper, cellophane, rubber band

s

METHOD1. Pare the zest from the lemons with

a peeler,

then juice them, keeping the juice, shells

and any pips. Tie the shells and pips into a

muslin bag.

2. Put the marrow into a preserving pan with

2tbsp of the lemon juice, then cook on a

medium heat, stirring often, until the

pieces are turning translucent and soft but

not mushy.

3. Bubble off any juices before stirring in

the sugar, the rest of the juice, the zest,

ginger and the muslin bag. Stir until the

sugar dissolves.

4. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about

10–15 mins or until the marrow has softened

completely and the jam has reached setting

point (see ‘Testing for a set’ below).

5. Pot the jam into warm jars. The flavour of

the jam will mature and intensify over the

next few months, so tuck it away in a dark,

cool place.

JARSUse jars which are free from cracks, ch

ips or

flaws – the best sizes are 450g/1lb. Prepare the

jars by washing well in warm soapy water and

rinsing thoroughly. Dry them in a cool oven

(140C, 275F, Gas Mark 1) for about 10–15

minutes. If possible, fill whilst still warm to

prevent them from cracking when the hot

filling is added

TESTING FOR A SETRemove the pan of jam from the heat.

Drop a

teaspoonful of jam onto a cold saucer. Allow it

to cool for 1 minute then gently push your finger

through the jam. If it wrinkles then the jam will

set. If it doesn’t, return the saucepan to the heat

and continue to boil for a few more minutes then

test again. Repeat as necessary

FILLING THE JARSFill to the top then wipe the rims of th

e jar with

a damp cloth. Immediately cover with a waxed

disc whilst still hot (waxy side down). Allow to

cool then cover with cellophane, securing with

a rubber band. For long term storage secure the

cellophane with a screw top lid

STORAGEStore in a cool dark place. Once the jam

has

been opened for use store in the fridge

MOTH

off school for the day, rowing down the ‘Cut’(Canal) in a borrowed coffin. That is aparticularly fond memory of mine.

I suppose that looking back we were luckycompared to lots of kids in and around theBootle / Liverpool area. There was quite a lot of poverty about and yet despite this I’m surethat most of us got something positive out of St Winnie’s which during my time there was afairly new school. St. Winnie’s is opposite thelocal St Winefrides Roman Catholic church andas was the case in those days religion was thebackbone of the school. The priest used to visitregularly and we used to have to go to churchregularly as a school. I have mixed feelingsabout the religious aspects but overall we got afairly good standard of education. We all met newfriends or they came up with us from JuniorSchool just across the road. I don’t think bullyingwas too bad, it was there but I suppose it alwayshas been and always will to some extent.

When asked to write this down I thought I wouldhave trouble remembering very much about theschool. Some of it has come flooding back, someof it is lost in the mists of time. I hope this littlememoir brings back some fond memories foreveryone who reads this. I hope that all my oldfriends have been as fortunate as I have in lifeand can look back on their days at St Winnie’sas amongst their most happy years.

I loved that smell of polished floors you get inschools. They always smell slightly different ineach school, as though they all have their ownrecipe for floor polish. Just occasionally wheneverI have been to my children’s schools and had awhiff of the old floor polish, BANG! back comethe memories, strange isn’t it when some kindsof smells remind you of your past?

Hello, my name is Des Byrne, I went to ‘St Winnie’s’from September 1961 to 1965. I left the schoolaged 15, so long ago...

I can’t remember too many of the teachers namesbut I do know that Mr Nevin was the Head Teacherat the time I was there. There was a relativenewcomer to the school, Mr Wilson, a young artteacher. He was brilliant, a breath of fresh air.

I particularly remember Mr Parsons whointroduced a lot of us youngsters to classicalmusic – adifferent kind of music than perhapsmost of us were used to. He once took us on aschool trip to the Philharmonic.

All the teachers taught two topics as far as I can remember, as well as the core topics, Maths,English, Religion, History, Geography and P.E. – notice no Languages. I’m sad to say languageswere not on the curriculum in those days forordinary schools, it’s a shame, it left a goodproportion of my generation clueless when weeventually started to go abroad or actually metsomeone from abroad.

Then there was Mr Rogan the science teacherwho was always (to me) a bit of a bore. All I canremember about him is that he tried to makeus think he had this magnificent sense of smelland could smell when someone was chewinggum or ‘chewie’ as we used to call chewing gum.He would sometimes chuck the board duster atthe individual concerned!

Then there are the notoriously memorable dayslike watching two fellow pupils who had ‘sagged’

From 7–18 September, Alan Dunn and Re-Dockpresent ‘Canal& – Suggestions for a Future Canal’.Amazing images emerged from a years work with over 2,000 Bootle and Seaforth residents on urban and economic issues. Imaginative, funand bizarre futures for the Canal. Look out forposters from the project on billboards at 225Knowsley Road, Bootle.

The summer 2009 growing season continuesand already I’m getting very interesting earlyresults from the Orgonite trial we started in May.One gardener with a poly tunnel started toharvest runner beans at the end of May!

Another who planted the Orgonite rather latein the season in June has seen impressive andrapid growth from just seeds. She reported“The best bit is the flavor and quality of veg andfruit and that I have got so many runner beansthe canes gave way!”

Meanwhile a follow up to last years startlingresults from P Barker is that he rotated thelocation of the Orgonite from the ‘good’ soil tothe ‘poorer’ soil. He still got amazing resultsfrom the plants in the poorer soil.

His ”Paris Market Baron” carrots from KingsSeeds, Suffolk (see below) don’t look likenormal long carrots and are ideal for shallowsoil. The results are an average of about 4–6times growth from the Orgonite patch comparedto the ones with no Orgonite planted. It wasn’tjust the carrots themselves, as he pointed out,it was also the fact that the green leaves fromthe carrots were a lot different from the carrotpatch with no Orgonite, and they took upconsiderably more space in the planted rows.

He’s had so many carrots now he’s giving themaway and even selling them!

Orgonite Early Results Mark Bennett

My Days at St Winnies

Canal&–Suggestionsfor a Future Canal

5

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Wild WildFencesKerry Morrison and street performance actorAndy Pollard have taken to the towpath to assessthe value of fencing and walls along the Leeds &Liverpool Canal from Stanley Dock to the Red Lionin Litherland. They try to understand the relationbetween the boundaries and fences and theleisure and social activities that happen along thecanal. Do they help or hinder? Are they useful ornot? Kerry and Andy have been documenting thevarious fence types in terms of how they look andfeel and how they are used – here is a guide tofence spotting in your area.

1. Wood panel2. Mesh and steel layers3. Concrete panel4. Kerry measuring brick wall5. Temporary fencing6. Classic pallisade7. Steel rod railings8. Steel rod railings9. Breeze block and classic pallisade10. Classic pallisade11. Blue steel rod railings12. Classic pallisade and barbed wire13. Classic pallisade with plants14. Mesh fence15. Vegetation16. Classic pallisade

Urban WalksPlacesMatter! commissioned Urbanwalksto create six brand new independent urban

walks around the Bootle area. The routeswill take in the Canal path between Marsh

Lane and Liverpool and five of the walkswill be circular routes taking in local green

spaces and linking onto the Canal towpath.

The distances will range from 2 to 3 miles.

Leaflets with the routes will be distributed

to local households by the end of September

so watch out for them. If you have notreceived one by then please contactUrbanwalks on 0870 242 7507

1 2

4

8

10

12 13 14

15 16

11

9

5

6 7

3

7

Paul Kelly from NewHeartlands comments‘renewal does not happen overnight, and thisalso applies to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.The process of change has started however,and local people we talk to are clear that theenvironment in and around the canal has beenimproving. Already the waterway is cleanerand there have been litter bins installed on towpaths, thanks to British Waterways and SeftonCouncil. Hats off to all those involved so far!We now need to work hard to bring the canalback into our daily lives and get more activitieshappening on it. We are confident this commissionwill help in this process, and get more peopleusing the waterway through Bootle.’

The ‘Waterworks’ exhibition has now beenmoved to St Winnie’s on Merton Road, Bootlefor Urbanism (see page 3 for opening times),this time with the scale models. The Commissionwinner will be announced on Thursday 17September at 6pm. Overall, there were 69 entriesfrom across the globe which were whittled downto the five finalists: The Antillia Collective(Edinburgh), Nex Architecture (London), Bianchinie Lusiardi Architetti Associati (Cremona, Italy),Studio KAH (Bath) and Duggan MorrisArchitects (London).We wish them all luck!

‘Waterworks’ is a mobile structure that willhouse canoes and kayaks to offer watersportsactivities to local people as well as a base foreducation activities for young people in theborough focusing on the wildlife along thecanal. It is the first commission for the Art ForPlaces programme and the designs anddrawings have been on show at Bootle NewStrand Shopping Centre in August. The ideasgenerated a lot of discussion with a lot of peopleexpressing anxiety over its security and safety,‘It’s a lovely idea but will it get ruined?’ onelady asked. Despite these concerns, localresidents seem very happy that the ‘Waterworks’commission is coming to their area. One Bootleresident said ‘It’s so great its being done herewhere I live’ and others hope that the structurewill encourage and increase activity on the Canal.

The three year Art For Places project aims tointegrate public art into development areaswithin the NewHeartlands Housing Marketrenewal programme. Eventually there will bethree public art commissions across Merseyside’sHousing Market renewal areas – Sefton, Liverpooland the Wirral. Art For Places is a partnershipbetween these three local authorities,NewHeartlands, Liverpool Biennial and localHousing Associations.

Which artist, architect or urban designer will build the newmoveable structure ‘Waterworks’ for the Leeds & LiverpoolCanal in Sefton... the results are about to be revealed!

Waterworks CommissionSOME POINTS OF VIEW

The canal that winds its way through Bootle, that has been an important part of its history, had become an embarrassment. It was seen as a problem, a place that was unsafe, dirty and so it was neglected. Over the past year or so wehave seen positive changes. Access points to thecanal have been opened up, tow paths repaired,some rubbish cleared and most significantly newbuilding developments along the canal havebegun to embrace it – seeing it now as a positiveasset rather than something to be ignored.

There is a way to go, we need to work towardsgaining ‘cruiser’ status once again for the canal sothat it can be maintained to the highest standards.My hope for the future of this commission is for itto be a leading example of this change with thequality of its design. It will add something pleasingand visual to the canal and will be used practicallyto encourage and increase leisure activity,particularly amongst young people. Most of all I hope that it will be something that the people of Bootle will be proud of. Roger Driver

Re-opening of canal link between Liverpool’sAlbert Docks and the country’s canal network hasstimulated huge renewed enthusiasm for the longneglected Leeds & Liverpool Canal in SouthSefton. The number, vitality, and imagination ofthe entries for this commission demonstrate justhow creativity can be used to showcase theregeneration of the area and reinvigorate thisleisure amenity and linear nature-park – to turnthis Bootle ‘backwater’ into a ‘frontwater’.Tom Clay

QUACK QUACKI can’t wait for the new ‘Waterworks’ c

ommission!

It’s always nice to see people walking up and down

the Canal. It’s been quite lonely the last few years,

so hopefully it will attract more familiesand children

which we like the best, free food! (but don’t give us

bread, it makes us fat. Kitchen and garden scraps,

especially the green leafy kind are much better)

The ‘Waterworks’ exhibition, Bootle New Strand shopping centre

Spot the kingfisher...More Scouse VicarBy Billy Forshaw October – date TBCA fictional account of Bootle during the

Second

World War. Drawn from many historical sources,

including eyewitness accounts, this moving story

charts the life of a family in the local community

and their struggles for survival.

For further information and to book your place

visit Bootle Library at 220 Stanley Road or call

0151 934 5781.

Berlin based architects Raumlabor have spentthe last few months researching the historiesof the area around St Winnie’s School and havecreated a wondrous story based on realhistorical characters.

Raumlabors story is not constrained by accessto history; they do not have to rely on a fewdusty documents left in an archive, speculativebooks or hearsay. Raumlabors story is actually

precisely how history has always been made,because it is made complete for a purpose. Raumlabor invent what they cannot find andplayfully fill in the gaps where needed.

Join Raumlabor as they take you on an adventure,through the gates of The Promising Land, pastSt Winifreds Well. Over the Squash fields to theCanal and via boat or rickshaw across fromEngland to India to the Jantar Mantar in Rajastan.

Raumlabor. The Promising Land – A Really Fictional Story

St Winnie’s today...

The former pitch on the East England side

CAROLINEAs the close advisor of the Prince Regent (laterGeorge IV) it was Lord Liverpool’s exclusive dutyto keep the Prince’s German wife Caroline awayfrom the Royal Court. This was a nerve wrackingand tiring job. Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Princess of Wales was eager tobecome Queen of England whereas PrinceGeorge, who only married Caroline for financialreasons, preferred to spend his nights with theCountess of Jersey. Caroline was ugly, rarelywashed and had many other discourteousGerman attributes. Robert, now Lord Liverpool,spent a good deal of his time trying to persuadeCaroline to travel around Europe rather thanfrequent the Royal Court. Robert had travelledwidely as a young man and pointed out manyinteresting places to Caroline, who was thankfulfor the advice and took her chance to see theworld. Caroline became Roberts confidant onhis more sentimental questions and they spokeof his late mother, his childhood and his dreams.When he discovered the sketch of Amelia’s parkit was Caroline who advised him to go aheadand buid the Park his mother had designed.Afterall, she reasoned, it had been his fathersintention when he had purchased the land inBootle in 1769.

THE FOOTBALL FIELDWhen Lord Liverpool visited the Park in 1812the land was home to two football clubs thatused the lawns on either side of the Canal astraining gorunds. Formerly the two clubs OrielFC and Strand United were one club, the BootleFC, also known as the ‘Big Boots’ played on afield that was owned by Gary Hurst, a brewerfrom Merseyside. He owned the pub called TheBottle Club that served as Bootle FC’s home andwas on the side of the field. When the Canalwas planned in 1764 the pub was to bedemolished as it was right in the middle of the Canal and Gary Hurst eventually died after a long fight with the British Waterwaysadministration to keep his pub open. Hurst leftland to Bootle FC but the club started fightingover which side of the prospected Canal to playon, they split up in anger before the Canal waseven built. The land was then sold to CharlesJenkins who purchased it to build a summerhome for himself and his young family and thepark became the dream of his beautiful, belovedwife Amelia. After her untimely death, Robertsfather had fallen into a grief stricken dispairand must have terminated the proposed projectof the summerhouse with the Indian garden.

In 1773 after the Canal was built, two footballclubs, Oriel and Strand, were founded. Theyasked the Earl of Liverpool for permission touse the land once more. He agreed and on bothsides of the Canal the clubs opened a clubhouse,later moving into two pubs, the Oriel Wharfand The Strands Castle. They both still existtoday as The Wharf and The Merlon.

THE SKETCHIn 1808 Charles Jenkinson, better known asLord Hawkesbury, Earl of Liverpool, died. It was not until 1814 that his son Robert foundthe documents that stated his father hadpurchased, in 1769, the land on the banks ofthe Canal at Bootle where St Winnie’s sits now.

Along with the documents he found a strangeneatly coloured sketch of an imaginary gardenentitled ‘Amelia’s Park’. The sketch was notsigned but from the handwriting and the nameof the park Robert knew it had been drawn byhis mother Amelia Watts who he had never met,(she died a month after his birth). His fatherhad never really spoken to Robert about herbecause his new wife Catherine didn’t like itwhen her husband spoke of the beautifulAmelia. She had been his wife for little morethan a year when she died.

THE GARDENThe garden in the sketch Robert found had twoparts divided by a large lake with boats on it.One side was titled India, the other England.On each side of the lake a path led around thepark. In England there was a tea house, a maze,a forest, a cloister with a herb garden, a fountaincalled Holywell and a wharf where the boatswere tied. On the India side there was a smallwooden jetty for the boats to land next to avillage of little duck houses on pillars entitled‘Fort William’ and a large house with a courtyardnamed ‘Begums Home’. This was surroundedby a wild garden which had four objects calledcalled ‘Taj Mahal’, ‘Qutub Minar’, ‘Golden Temple’and ‘Christ Church’ in the corners. In the centrewas a square with some strange objects named‘Juntar Mantar’.

AMELIARobert knew immediately what the drawingmeant, as his mother Amelia had been thedaughter of William Watts, a director of theEast India Company. She had not only grownup in Calcutta (Fort William), but her motherFrances was half-Indian – a fact that mightexplain Amelia’s enchanting beauty. Robertheard the news of his grandmother Francesdeath in 1812 in Calcutta. Robert was 42 andhad just been elected as Prime Minister whenhe heard the news of her death. He had nevermet Frances, never been to India (not even inthe time when he was Secretary of War and theColonies). The news made Robert stop amidsthis successful career and think for the first timeabout his roots but as his father was dead andhis stepmother would not talk about it Robertfetlt desperate. His wife Louisa, although agood wife, was not someone he confided in.

Princess Caroline by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1804.

9

THE ARCHITECTLord Liverpool (Robert to his friends) commissionedno less than William Nash to design the Parkfor him on the Bootle side of the Canal. Nashwas Prince George’s favourite architect, he wasthe director of the Regents Canal Company andhad made many designs for buildings in andaround Regents Park. Nash produced a layoutof a park and adapted the elements of Amelia’splan onto the Bootle site. He spent a lot of timeresearching Indian architectural design andfinally handed the plans for this new park toLord Liverpool in 1813. Lord Liverpool wasdelighted and decided to name it Carolina Park,after Princess Caroline, the then future Queen ofEngland, who had given him such wonderfuladvice. By the time Lord Liverpool received theplans he was very occupied by his job as PrimeMinister. Napoleon was causing many problemson the continent and an alliance had to be builtup with the Prussian King. By the timeNapoleon was defeated at Waterloo a newproblem emerged...

THE CAROLINE CASEIn 1814 Caroline had left Britain for a long journeyaround the Meditteranean. She bought a housein Italy and rumours reached the Royal Court thatshe had had an affair with her servant Pergamo.It was becoming obvious that George IV wanteda divorce from Caroline and Lord Liverpool becamethe one who was to collect evidence of adultery.He became entangled in a schizophrenicsituation: his friendship to her on one side andsending spies after her on the other. Carolinewas not at all amused when she discovered whathe was up to and sent him several angry letters.Lord Liverpool then became afraid he mightdraw attention to himself as too close a friendof Caroline’s so he decided to cut all his tieswith her, including the plan to build the Parknamed after her in Bootle. Nash’s plans werefinally lost when Lord Liverpool ordered to hidethem in 1820 just before a trial had begun againstCaroline. Even though witnesses came from allover Europe, with over 800 petitions and nearlya million signatures Caroline won the trial due toher popularity. Over 800 that favoured her causewere collected. William Nash, however, had fallenin love with the Indian architecture he had workedon for Carolina Park and adopted it to his RoyalPavilion in Brighton, a bullding that George IVcommissioned to spend romantic nights with his lover Lady Fitzherbert.

THE INDIANEven though the original plans of Carolina Parkwere lost, evidence is left in a description by RamMohan Roy, a friend of Lord Liverpool, whom hehad consulted on the designs of Jantar Mantar(the large observatory in the centre of the park).Ram was an Indian intellectual and reformer andLord Liverpool spent many evenings with himdiscussing human rights issues such as theabolition of slavery and religious reforms.

Ram Mohan Roy wrote in a letter to the greatmogul in 1813

“I have seen the plans that the terrific architectWilliam Nash has drawn for Carolina Park. LordLiverpool is eager to realise an imagination ofhis mother who grew up in the Raj: a Park ontwo sides of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in thetown of Bootle close to Liverpool. On one side ofthe Canal there will be a forest in which replicasof particular sights in the United Kingdom willbe represented: the Abbey at Holywell in Waleswith a herb garden, the tea house of CatherineCranston in Glasgow, the Hampton Court Maze,the imaginary King Arthurs Castle off TintagelHead in Cornwall and a swan shaped ferry boatthat takes you to the Indian side. The Wharf is a large basin surrounded by little houses, anabstraction of Fort William. Directly behind thelanding bridge there is an amazing building thatreminds me of the greatest architecture in ourcountry, with elaborate columns and wide wingson both sides. Nash imagines here the house ofLord Liverpool’s grandmother in Fort William.Behind it starts a wild Rose Garden with rosesof all sorts from all over the world. In the fourcorners of the garden there are small replicas ofthe Taj Mahal of Agra, the Qutub Minar of Dehli,the Golden Temple of Amritsar and Christ Churchin Shimia. The centre of this beautiful arrangementshall be the Jantar Mantar of Jaipur.”

CAROLINA WHARF AND ST WINIFRED’SThough the park was never fully realised, LordLiverpool had commissioned some work to bedone to the site. The basin on the Indian sidewas constructed with a little mansion for thewarden in the shape of St Winifred’s Well inHolywell. The strange object still remains todayon Carolina Wharf and it has very close similaritieswith the column before Holywell Well. Thecolumn was moved from the other side whenvery much later St Winefried’s School was built here.

After Lord Liverpool’s death in 1828 the land in Bootle was passed to his his younger brotherCharles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, 3rd Earl ofLiverpool. Before Charles died he sold the landin 1849 to British Rail for the construction ofthe Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.After the construction of the viaduct that dividesthe land from North to South, British Rail soldthe 4 shares of land to different owners: WestIndia and East England were sold to the BritishMinistry of Education to build schools for thefast growing community of Bootle. West England(the smallest share) was sold to the owner ofThe Wharf pub, who later sold the bigger partto a scrap metal enterprise. East India was soldto a coal vendor, who brought coal from the minesof Wigan and sold them to the industry in thedocks. This man was a Spanish immigrant namedManfredo Garcia-Perez. When the sales agentof British Rail told him the story of the land hewas about to purchase and what he knew ofCarolina Park, Garcia-Perez decided to give hisenterprise the name Carolina Coal Company.

The strange object...

Amelia Watts 1769 by Sir Joshua Reynolds

10

“I have seen the plans that the terrificarchitect William Nash has drawn forCarolina Park – a park on two sides ofthe Leeds & Liverpool Canal in thetown of Bootle close to Liverpool.”RAM MOHAN ROY 1813

12

Dual Module House Imagine walking down the Canal on a clear daywith the water as still and reflective as a mirror,the buildings and houses can be seen in thewater but upside-down. It almost seems likethere are two worlds, the real world up abovethe water and the reflected world in the Canal.The illusion is only broken by a few ripplesfrom a breeze or a duck swimming along withhis family.

Next to Portoallegro at Bank Hall, the Polishartist Maciej Kurak has fixed this illusion bybuilding a house that includes it’s own reflection.Right-way-up and upside-down have becomepart of the same thing, and once reflected inthe water it becomes quite hard to distinguishwhat is what. If right is part wrong, if goodseems impossible, but wrong is not real, if theyare the same thing and we turn it around it allgets terribly confusing and we better let go ofsimple oppositions.

This installation is part of POLSKA! YEAR.POLSKA! YEAR comprises over 200 projectspresenting the most interesting achievementsof Polish culture to the UK audience. The culturalprogramme is coordinated by the AdamMickiewicz Institute, which is responsible for the promotion of Polish culture abroad. To find out more visit www.PolskaYear.pl

Dual Module House

Canal ClubThe architects Public Works have created afloating “Canal Club” which will be moored at St. Winnie’s School from Thursday 17– Saturday20 September. The Canal Club will be open eachday from 11am – 4pm.

The Canal Club is a floating office, production anddisplay space designed to bring the conversationabout the canal to the canal itself. The Canal Clubis a visitor, to the canal and to the work done byartists, community workers and local organisationsso far. In its short life it tries to bring together allthe different stories and experiences of the spacesalong the canal combined with local knowledge tocreate scenarios that start to hint towards futureregeneration of the canal.

Join us for workshops, conversations and drinks.

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Taxi Launch Prompts Email

Hi!

Whilst I appreciate it may be no fault of your own,

I couldn’t help but observe that the upside-down taxi

wasn’t displaying an appropriate hackney cab licence.

I have therefore this very afternoon procured one

from Sefton Council’s Taxi Licencing Department, in

tasteful perspex complete with screw holes for ease of

fixing. Please collect it and display in the appropriate

location as soon as possible on the upside-down taxi.

For your records, the licence number is ‘2 DUX’.

In this instance Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

is making no charge for this service.

Tom Clay, Sefton Council

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To date Kerry Morrison and botanist AliciaProwse have recorded142 different wildflowers growing along the Canal, including;rare and protected species – orchids, broomrapeand purple rampling-fumitory; edible plants –water mint, potatoes, wild rocket, blackberries,and many more. (Trees are not on their specieslist but plums, hazelnuts, and elderflower growin plenitude and Kerry has knocked up severalbottles of cordial and lots of jam). Here are the top 21…

1. Bittersweet2. Ivy leaf3. Orchid4. Gypsywort5. Balsam6. Aster7. Red Campion8. Funitory9. Broomrape10. Vetch11. Thistle12. Crane’s Bill13. Periwinkle14. Agrimony15. Willow Herb16. Clover17. Catkin18. Dock19. Water mint20. Lavender21. Budlea

Wild WildFlowers

1

5

10

14

18

19 20 21

11

15 16 17

7

2

6

3 4

8

12

13

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On Thursday 17 September at 5pm Rob Sweerestages his Silent Sky action at St. Winnie’sSchool. Rob invites participants to lie on the top of a boat for 30 minutes and have a silentconversation with the sky. If you would like toparticipate come to St Winnie’s from 3.30pmto find out more. Photographs of Rob’s otheractions all over the world will also be on showalong Bank Hall; you can view them from theopposite towpath between 16–20 September.

Rob Sweere’s Silent Sky

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In February of this year David Bade spent amonth in residency at Seaforth, creating anextraordinary series of portraits of localresidents. The Bade Chairity Boat takes thisproject a step further, putting a painting studioon the canal and adding a sculpture studio and a gallery in the process. David invites allartists from the area, professional or amateurto show their colours and contribute to theevolving installation.

The Bade Chairity Boat will be on the canalfrom the 16 – 20 September, welcoming youon board!

Still in the boatyard...

The BadeChairity Boat

Klondyke KaleidoscopeTuesday 17 November 2.30pm – 4pm

The Klondyke Residents’ Association have

collected lots of source material to preserve the

history of the William Jones Estate in Orrell.

They produced an 80 page book and a DVD

with over two hours of oral history of residents.

Discover more about the neighbourhood and

contribute your own memories. For further

information and to book your place visit

Bootle Library at 220 Stanley Road or call

0151 934 5781.

We’re Lovin’ It!The Sea Cadets have been getting really stuck intoboat building this summer. Kenny Griffiths,Commanding Officer of the Sefton Sea Cadets toldus ‘they’ve been having such a great time.Previously they had only constructed things likerafts using oil drums but for this project theyhave been able to work far more ambitiously.There have been a few in particular that havepractically spent their whole summer working on the boats’.

It’s back to school soon unfortunately but not beforethe Boat Parade on Saturday 19 September whichwill have the Sea Cadets featuring in pride of place. Come along and show your support!

Our Fab 4 swan pedaloes had an eventful summer.Just six days on the water offering families thechance to explore the Canal at a leisurely pacethey took off for a flight of fancy. Yes, they tookoff from their moorings for an evenings jauntalong the Canal.

We think some friends must have wanted to takethem into Liverpool for a bit of site seeing. Or, isit that the Newcastle-born swans just wanted togo home? But it’s hard work manoeuvering a

swan pedalo and they got left in Bankhall for usto give them a lift back home. No damage wasdone, and soon they were ‘grounded’ (a littlemore firmly) back in Bootle to make sure theyonly come out to play in the daytime.

The swans will return during Urbanism from16 – 20 September between 12pm – 6pm and for the Boat Parade on 19 September, pedaled by some fantastic young people who enjoyed the canoeing

Mmm... I’m gonna’ try (with a little help from my friends)

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(Floating Mint Teahouse)For our ceremony we selected fresh mint, anessential of Moroccan tea culture known as aWhisky Berber. The mint plants are integratedinto the architecture both because it is beautifuland they provide the leaves for the tea madeon a small wood-burning stove inside.

The Floating Mint Teahouse aims to be self-sufficient, the weather provides both power tothe boat (via a solar panel and electric outboard)and grows the raw ingredients for the tea. It is a mobile hand-made self-propelled structuremade from reclaimed furniture, drawers,tables, beds and wardrobes collected fromhouses across Liverpool.

Come aboard!

A teahouse or tea room is a space for drinkingtea. This ritual occurs in many cultures buthappens in different ways. In Japan the traditionof the tea ceremony takes place in a speciallydesigned teahouse. These spaces are used formeditation, discussion, calligraphy, or simplyto talk to friends and drink tea.

The Floating Teahouse tea ceremony is a mixtureof tea drinking traditions from around the world,the Salon de The’s of the Middle East, the OrientTea Houses of Tajikstan, the Russian Tea Roomsof New York and the British tea culture of a brew,a cuppa or a tea break.

Teahouse in progress

On Saturday 19 September you can join a

collective sea watching event at Crosby. What

are those 100 iron men on the beach looking at?

Hope for strong westerly winds to bring the

migrating seabirds. Warm, wind and

waterproof clothes are a must! Meet in the

first car park at Cambridge Road, Crosby

Coastal Park. 9am–12.30pm

Or, for those who prefer to look at the stars joi

n

the Liverpool Astronomical Society for a slide

show followed by some star gazing – wrap up

warm and hope for clear skies! Meet at the

Alt Centre, Hightown, 7.30pm–9.30pm

Sea WatchingThe Sketch and Pedal Ride with Kerry in July stayed sunny!

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Sefton Produce:The Future‘Sefton Produce’ is an exciting, creative urbanfood project concerned with growing and cookinglocal food in Bootle. Taking an arts and healthfocus, it has emerged from Squash’s commissionby Liverpool Biennial to create a temporarycommunity food garden and kitchen by thecanal in Bootle this summer.

Squash envisage a 3 year inter-generationalproject working with residents living throughregeneration; amongst temporarily vacantbrownfield sites. They will work together tobuild temporary allotments to produce freshfood for local people. A mobile kitchen pod will provide an inspiring space to makefantastic food, including more pots of Bootlejam and chutney.

Working with gardeners, chefs and artists,residents of all ages will be able to explorepersonal, family and community well-beingthrough getting involved in local food production.

Squash will also be sharing the fruits (and veg)of their labour during the Urbanism conference.There will be interactive garden and pantry toursand of course food! Expect to see ploughmanslunch with St Winnie’s grown chutneys, creamteas with lovely ‘Sefton Produce’ jam. There willalso be a soup kitchen serving up vegetablesoups and salads – sample the freshest greenleaves, potatoes and tomatoes.

For more information contact Squash on thevegetable phone 07791 155 998 or emailsquashnutrition@yahoo.co.uk

The Romans considered beetroot juice an aphrodisiac...

From this... to this... to this.

Sean in Morocco’s Moroccan Mint Tea

INGREDIENTSLoose green teaYoung fresh mintSugar

Moroccan Mint Tea is always served in

small glasses.

Add a heaped tablespoon of loose green tea and

a heaped tablespoon of sugar to a medium-sized

teapot and pour over boiling water. Add a nice

big bunch of fresh mint, stalks-and-all.

Pour out one glass full and then pour it back in

to the top of the pot – this helps the tea brew

nicely. Repeat this process until the tea is a

nice bright yellow-green colour.

Once the tea is ready, pour each glass from

high enough above the glass to cause the tea

to foam a little.

Remember – Moroccans like their tea strong

and very sweet!”

Tim Rice – the UK expert on the wild flowerspecies Fumitory has confirmed we have a rareand protected plant growing along the canalverges. The purple ramping-fumitory (Fumariapurpurea) is “nationally scarce, found in only16–100 different 10x10 km grid references in GB”. It is classified as “rare” and is one of the 5 plants on the Liverpool B.A.P. (BiodiversityAction Plan) We have found three varieties offumitory growing – but the purple ramping-fumitory, pictured here amongst the wild flowerscommonly known as mouse-ear, speedwell, anda nettle, is a glorious find indeed! Who wouldhave thought!

RARE PLANT FOUND!

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Portoallegro –Bank Hall Marina

Portoallegro will be open to the public from10– 20 of September. It sits minutes from BankHall Station – a short train ride from Moorfields.A variety of canal posters line the pedestrianwalkways that lead to Portoallegro. A taxi boatis also available (can be hailed from St Winnies,Merton Street).

Portoallegro will host its grand opening partyand the final reception of the ‘Happy City’conference on Friday 18 September from 8pm.It will also be the final stage of the Canal Paradeon Saturday 19 September.

The Portoallegro design and contents aredeveloped in collaboration with Italianjournalist and curator Diana Marrone.

If you want to find out more about Danillo’s work in Naples visit www.napoliest.it

Making a port will breathe life into this stretch of the canal. The morepeople and barges that visit Bank Hall,the faster the area will be restored tothe proud site it once was.DANILO CAPASSO

Liverpool’s area of Bank Hall was at the forefrontof the Industrial Revolution. The area has seenthe progression from man-powered machines,to steam power, to the fast-paced world ofelectricity, motorways and high-speed railwaysall in the last 150 years.

Today, the area is no longer such a symbol ofinnovation. Following the decline of the areasfactories in the 1980’s, Bank Hall remainsmostly forgotten, waiting to be invited into the new era.

Portoallegro is exactly this – a newly imaginedBank Hall Marina, which offers a fascinatingtaste of industrial heritage, even without a boat!The vision was created by Naples-born artist,Danilo Capasso, who was inspired by three monthsof research into creating a new identity for theLiverpool canal.

Danilo’s aim is to transform a disused tarmacparking lot into a fictional canal port, completewith Post Office, café, wharf garden and boatyard.Visitors can sit and chill out whilst listening togood music, watching a film or simply enjoyingthe views.

Apart from the beautiful architecture thatsurrounds Portoallegro, the story of the area’spast and heritage will be told through photographs,stories, readings, interviews and a novel.Portoallegro will also be guest to works such asthe Dual Module house by Polish artist MaciejKurak (see page 12) and an experiment to viewthe sky by Rob Sweere (see page 14).

Entrance to Portoallegro is on Syren Street, off BrasenoseRoad via Bank Hall Street.

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Diary of a BargeDiana Marrone has been inspired by the gloomyromance of canal barges and their forgottenhistories to write a poetic novel about a fictionalbarge called Murillo. The novel will be recordedand available to listen to in one of the containersat Portoallegro. Below is an extract.

CANAL DIARY‘Some know that barges are often given namesby their owners. But every Barge has a soul, it transmigrates over time, epoque by epoque,driver by driver, Souls never forget the storiesthey have witnessed. I have been so many things,from a pirate to a work horse, a luxury cruiser.Would I like to begin another life? Of course butfirst I have to succeed in leaving this place, herefrom underneath. Knock, Knock. Please can youopen me? I am here under your feet, under theBank Hall Wharf.’

Let the Honey FlowBy Kerry Morrison

I wrote a list of the flowers bees like, but it’sactually easier to say what they don’t like. They don’t like concrete or stone slabs, lots ofmown grass, bark chipping, gravel chippingsand mulch or decking (unless – there’s lots offlowers too!). They can’t tolerate insecticidesor weed killers.

They love the blossoms of trees, what we liketo call ‘weeds’. Pollinating our fruit and vegand any flowers they can clamber onto or into,they love dandelions – an early source of foodin the spring. They love clover, supplying sweetnectar from late spring all the way through tolate summer. And they love himalayan balsam– one of the best sources of pollen and nectar atthe end of the flowering season and a last feastto produce a food stash of honey to take themthrough the harsh winter months. If Seftonblooms – in gardens, on verges, in parks, onroundabouts, in pots and in planters onpavements and in yards, in baskets and onrooftops, and along the canal – then honey will flow!

Our beehives have now been installed up anddown the Canal and our beekeepers have beentrained to take good care of them. Expect to seesome Sefton Honey coming to a shop near you!

What a month its been... our drive to get moreand more people on the canal has been exciting,exhilarating, hilarious, sometimes with colourfullanguage and exciting collisions... We shouldn’texpect anything less from a vibrant urbanenvironment.

Over the August period, 600 young people fromthe Bootle area have taken part in canoeingactivities on the canal. They haven’t gone toWest Lancashire or the Albert Dock to do this,but they stayed right here on this greatwaterway in their own neighbourhood. Novel Heh!

The weather has been crap... lets be honest,but young people don’t care about that, andthe feedback has been 100% positive. It is clearpeople love going on the Canal. So lets makethe most of it and get them using it more! TheCanal Taxi proved an interesting talking point.If you haven’t had a ride make sure you get ago and the Water Rollerz were loved by all(except for the punctures). A special mentionshould go to the group of young women fromYKIDS in the Klondyke who undertook a weekstraining in canoeing and kayaking. Certificateswere achieved and a great week was had by all.Well done.

Great summers activities on OUR stretch ofwater. Let’s look forward to next year.

Watersports Roll OnWater Rollerz...

T H E C U T I S P R O D U C E D A S P A R T O F A R T F O R P L A C E S S E F T O N W H I C H I S S U P P O R T E D B Y

DESIGN BY MIKE CARNEY. WWW.MIKESSTUDIO.CO.UK

Ε Β

BAC K PAG E

The Amphibious SkipThe iconic ubiquitous roadside skip is everywhere.They are a sign of construction or demolition,clearing out rubbish or renovating a house,something to fill up or something to scroungein – for one man’s rubbish is another man’sgold. They look rather like a tank, but if artistBen Parry is right they also have excellent

buoyancy and a combination of the two couldmake a useful amphibious vehicle in crisissituations like flooding, natural or man-madedisasters. Parry’s skip is cunningly disguised as a skip, the walls are made high with wood,rubble is piled on-top and the pilots are hidden within.

Liverpool Biennial and all the Artists would like to thank: Asia Maldachowska, Max Skorwider, Kuba Szreder, Craig Mcchesney, Rotunda College, Vera Boggan at AtlanticCorner Hotel,Pride of Sefton (particularly Barbara Hardwicke), Dave Flynn, John Kelly, Sefton Council HMR team (especially Tom Clay, Lee Payne), Sefton CouncilEnvironmental Protection Dept – Kerry Connon and her wonderful team, Local Solutions, Steve Higham, Brian Gates (Morrisons), Seaforth Residents Group, South SeaforthResidents Group, The Expect Centre – The art group and John Furlong, SING, Crosby Housing Association / Maritime Housing especially Mandy Elliott & Claire Lomas,Lorraines Florists – the best in North Liverpool, Merseytravel and Seaforth & Litherland station, Cllr Gordon Friel, Cllr Doreen Kerrigan, LinacreOne (especially ChrisSullivan), Linacre Mission, Riverside Housing, especially Nick Stephenson, St. Leonards Youth Club, Brunswick Youth Club, Plus Dane Housing especially Paula Thompson,Irene Crone, Vikki Finnigan, Bowersdale Park, Alf Draper, Gregory Gurner, Andy Foulds, Sara Smith, Graham Parry, Chris Cameron, Liver Boat Company, Barry’s Skips,Cosmopolitan Housing – Diane Maddocks, Julie McNally, Queens Bedford Residents Advisory Group, Queens Community Centre, Bedford Community Centre, AdactusHousing – Stephanie Roberts, Chris Richardson, YKids, Commodore Bill Cheatham and all at Mersey Motor Boat Club for their enthusiasm, Dave Webster and boatbuilders, Bulky Bobs, Peter Woolley (and all of the very welcoming history group), Waterways Trust Museum (Ellesmere Port), MerseyTravel, Cycle Solutions and all theindividuals that have walked, talked and cycled this summer.

Spirits of the WaterBy Stephen Jubb

A body of slow waterThat bends its wayFrom Pier Head to Leeds,A curving line on the map.

Smooth flowing water roadTaking barges here and there,Dotted with anglers and familiesTaking their time on the banks.

If you go down to the canal today,And if you listen very hard,You can hear the canal of oldGroaning with the weightOf heavy industrial burdens.

And, in the present,We can remember allThe thousand and thousandsWorking the everlong daysTo make their daily bread On the canal of life.