Wirral Matters, Autumn 2008
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Alan Brack reports – Rod was educated at Calday Grange Grammar School and after a brief flirtation with the Civil Service Autumn 2008 - A CELEBRATION OF 80 YEARS moved into local government, first in Birkenhead and Man of the Trees later in Liverpool. When the Merseyside Council came Every year, as you know, the Wirral Society presents into being he took a post in their Planning Department. The Keith Davidson Award to the person or persons In that capacity, the Committee agreed, he could who have made a significant contribution to protecting possibly find himself in embarrassing conflict with the WIRRAL MATTERS or improving the Wirral environment during the Society’s views and though he remained on the NEWS and VIEWS from THE WIRRAL SOCIETY - FOUNDED 1928 previous twelve months. Committee he gave up the Secretaryship. THE WIRRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ENGLAND (CPRE) Had the award existed some 40-odd years ago one That situation ended when Mrs Thatcher’s undoubted winner would have been a young man in his government brought the Merseyside County Council President: Professor John Tarn OBE DL FRIBA FRSA FRHistS FSA early twenties named Rod Tann. (and all others like it) to a premature end. Rod moved And in this, the Society’s 80th anniversary year, we to the Merseyside Fire and Defence Authority to salute him and relate the story of how a highly become Wirral’s Emergency Planning Officer, a post What’s the Wirral to YOU? commendable one-man campaign to save a belt of from which he retired last year. A high viewpoint from the top of Liverpool’s Anglican trees from being felled led to a near-lifelong and active cathedral shows the Wirral peninsula laid out between membership of the Executive Committee. After leaving the County Council Rod was elected Vice- the mountainous Dee coast of Wales and the River Rod, of course, is now the Society’s Chairman and he Chairman of the Society and following the very sad Mersey. It gives a snapshot of what makes and has has held office in one guise or another for over 40 death of Keith Davidson he became the Chairman. made Wirral a good place to be. Work – the years. Rod may have been born in Yorkshire but having development of the shipping trade with all its One day, in his early lived in Wirral for well over 40 years or so he is a associated industries, patches of woodland and twenties, Rod was Wirralian through and through. He has also been countryside, varied shorelines and easy access to horrified to hear that it connected with the West Kirby parish church of St. wilder places and the rest of Britain. was proposed to fell a Bridget’s for most of that time. He is an Assistant When major industry first descended on Wirral, it was group of mature trees Church Warden and is Honorary Curator of The welcomed. People generally were not interested in the growing in a field between Charles Dawson Brown Museum which contains a countryside as any sort of special resource. Workers the Rectory and St. collection of early Christian, Saxon and other medieval came for the quarrying, shipbuilding, soap-making. Ch-ch-changes Bridget’s Church in West relics, most of which were found when the church was Houses spread across field and common. It was then By the 1980s people began to shop more by car than Kirby. He protested to the restored in 1869-70. that people started caring for what was left and pushed by bus. Shopping centre development reflected this. then Hoylake and West Apart from his wife Jane and his two grown up for better planning and conservation of public open In 1988, architect Keith Davidson advised: Kirby Urban District children, Rod’s other great love is the 60-70 strong spaces. ‘Each of Wirral’s Urban villages should have its own Council but getting Wirral Symphony Orchestra of which he is the In 1936 Viscount Leverhulme wrote, as a preface to shopping precinct and a square as a meeting place nowhere he seized the Chairman and, seemingly, also the general manager, The Wirral Society’s book - ‘Wirral Countryside, A with activities for senior citizens and youth nearby to nettle and decided to go programmer, and factotum. He is also a violinist in the Cautionary Guide’, promote a spirit of community and identity.’ straight to a man whose voice would certainly be orchestra. ‘Of recent years there has grown up in all parts of The building of Birkenhead’s Pyramids Shopping listened to. England an increasing realization of the natural Centre and multi storied car park embodied these With some apprehension one day he knocked on the beauties of our country and a deepening apprehension ideas – by 2008 the norm in any shopping area. It door of his Member of Parliament, the then Speaker, of the dangers which threaten them.’ also gave the opportunity to all to see panoramic Selwyn Lloyd MP. Unlike the UDC, Selwyn Lloyd We see the benefits now in better landscaping of our views - to Cammell Laird’s shipyard and down to tree- listened to what he had to say and declared he would environment through tighter planning controls and the lined Borough Road, once the country lane called take the matter straight to the Tree Officer at Cheshire efforts of groups of individuals who have discovered ‘Happy Valley’. Hilda Gamlin wrote in 1892 – County Council. they can make a difference. ‘A lovely vale with primroses covering the banks, The Wirral Society, a pioneer in this movement to take As a result the trees are still standing proudly today the wild violets and woodbine so profuse that a stroll responsibility for change, continues to energetically and Rod could be forgiven if, when he sees them, he in the early dewy morning enabled one to secure a discuss and actively enquire into Wirral planning and quietly congratulates himself on his initiative. graceful decoration for the breakfast table. supports projects which enhance our small, but rich Soon after this episode Rod bumped into the Honeysuckle, wild roses and blackberries followed in legendary Victor Smith, a Liverpool solicitor who lived and varied peninsula. seasonable succession.’ in Caldy and whose deep love of Wirral and its flora CONTENTS and fauna knew no bounds. 1. What’s the Wirral to YOU? Ch-ch-changes Mr Smith was at the time the Society’s Vice-Chairman 2. Port Sunlight; Backford; Contacts and anybody who knew him will not be surprised to 3. Chairman’s Report; Drinking Fountain hear that within a toot of the Wirral Horn Rod found Rod captures a moody view of Parkgate – one of Keith Davidson Award himself on the Executive Committee as Hon. Sec. Wirral’s 38 Conservation Areas. 4. What Does the Wirral Society Do? He was 24 and can probably claim that he has been He also enjoys cycling and whilst not up to Beijing 5. The Importance of Wirral Open Spaces. the Society’s youngest secretary so far. standard most highways and byways of Wirral have 6. Dinosaur; CPRE; Community Gardens; Puzzle Box 7. Poem; Protecting the Balance Rod (short for Roderick) was not born in Wirral but in seen his tyre tracks at some time. However, with all his 8. Other Wirral Ways Beverly, East Yorkshire, and has lived in Wirral since interests and commitments it is hard to imagine how he 9. Current Issues the age of four after his RAF Squadron Leader father finds time for any relaxation. 10. Celebrations; Conservation Conference moved in to take over the erstwhile RAF West Kirby ‘If you feel strongly about something,’ he explained, 11. Then and Now camp. ‘you’ll always find time for it. And I like to keep busy.’ 12. Alan Brack on Rod Tann WIRRAL MATTERS 4 WIRRAL MATTERS 1 A Village of Vision Exploring the Southern Borders THEN and NOW This year’s Wirral Society Summer Outing to Port Old villages discovered just off dual Sunlight, led by Elizabeth Davey, gave members the carriageways 1934 1962 opportunity to visit one of country’s most heralded Backford - St Oswalds church 1270 industrial villages and the best known of Wirral’s thirty Acknowledged founder of The Wirral Society, Joan Was it post war economy or lack of planning that led eight Conservation Areas. The tour took in many of the Royden wrote in Cheshire Life - to erection of village’s 900 listed buildings, ranging from the former ‘‘Local Authorities now possess, under their Planning ‘Ugly concrete and wire fencing at Pensby ‘Fire Engine Station’ to the schools in Church Drive. Schemes, power to disapprove any plan submitted to Secondary Modern School…(which) one can hardly William Hesketh Lever began work at Port Sunlight in them on the grounds of unsuitability of design or of the imagine being tolerated on the playing fields of Eton.’ 1888; over the years transforming an initially materials to be used.” unpromising site into a unique model community. At this time the Cheshire CPRE branch gave free In 2008 advice on all plans submitted to them. They also Among the later additions to the village were the Lady Pensby High School now sports trees and a new supported a scheme where any builder could buy Lever Art Gallery and Sir William Goscombe John’s painted iron fence. But is it all just a matter of taste? moving War Memorial, with its theme of ‘defence of the designs for small houses for a nominal fee. In this home’. Unveiled by two of Lever’s employees, one experimental stage it was hard to organize this.