The national society for THE the study and protection of Victorian and Edwardian VICTORIAN architecture and allied arts SOCIETY LIVERPOOL GROUP NEWSLETTER December 2010 St Andrew, West Kirby, is an exceptional late work by John Douglas which (though begun in 1889) was only completed in its present form in 1909, two years before the architect’s death (see our 19 March talk). A memorial service was held here in October for former Newsletter editor, John Hawke- Genn (see p.9). PROGRAMME (The charge for each lecture event is held at £3.) Saturday 22 January 2011 - 2.15pm ULLET ROAD UNITARIAN CHURCH The ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING will be held beneath Gerald Moira's fine painted decoration on the vaulted ceiling of the Unitarian Church's library. An informal talk by Edmund Harris, the Society's recently appointed Churches Conservation Adviser, will follow. Edmund will reflect on his work for the Moscow Architecture Preservation Society as well as on current church cases. Saturday 19 February - 2.15pm QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, School Lane BUILDING THE BIG DITCH Glen Atkinson will present his unique Victorian 'magic lantern' slides of the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, warts and all. Carol Hardie sets the scene in her account below. The ‘Industrial Archaeology’ theme will be continued later in the year with proposed talks on the Liverpool Overhead Railway and the Isle of Man’s Laxey Wheel. Saturday 5 March 2011 - 2.15pm QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, School Lane DOUBLE BILL "Frank Dickinson and Me" Andrew Richardson takes us on a tour of the remarkable Little Holland House, an Arts & Crafts gem in Carshalton Beeches near Croydon. Dickinson virtually built the whole place himself, he and his wife spending their whole happily-married life beautifying what is not only a lovely house but one that exudes joy and romance. Andrew was to fully appreciate the house as his main hobby is woodwork and, as you must try something to fully appreciate it, he will include a few of his own creations as well! "Leighton House and Kensington" The second half of our 'two-parter' will be a talk about the recently refurbished and reopened Leighton House in Kensington. Tony Murphy will discuss what's there and what's been done in the context of Lord Leighton's life and work and with a look at the considerable Victorian interest of the surrounding area. Of course, Merseyside has interesting holdings of Leighton's work, in both painting and sculpture, so the talk will finish with some pointers for seeing him for yourself, whether in the Royal Borough or closer to home. Saturday 12 March - THREE C20th LIVERPOOL CHURCHES (a C20th Society event) Following Tony Murphy’s popular and successful tour of suburban twentieth century Liverpool (and Bootle) churches, we shall visit by coach some more good examples of the city’s remarkable religious heritage. Visits are planned to St Christopher’s, Norris Green (Bernard Miller, 1930-2); St Columba’s, Anfield (Bernard Miller, 1931-2)– splendidly restored interior with a fine reredos tapestry (originally in Miller’s Withington church, Manchester) and chapel triptych by Mary Adshead and ceramics by Julia Carter Preston; St Matthew’s, Clubmoor (F. X. Velarde, 1930) – access to this church hasn’t been easy to arrange so this is a good opportunity to view Velarde’s interior. We’ll also have a look around Norris Green. There will be a buffet lunch at St Columba’s. There are 34 places for this event. Dep 10.30 Skelhorne Street, next to Lime Street station. Finish there by 5.15pm. Cost (including light lunch) is £29 (£27 concessions). Please book with Aidan Turner-Bishop, Twentieth Century Society NW Group, 61 The Boulevard, Preston, Lancs PR1 4PH. Tel: 01772-824154 email: [email protected]. Cheques are payable to ‘Twentieth Century Society North West Group’ or just pay on the day (having booked in advance - early booking essential). Saturday 19 March - 2.15pm QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, School Lane EDWARDIAN SUNSET In recognition of the centenary of John Douglas's death, Graham Fisher will celebrate the Cheshire architect's later work alongside that of Arts & Crafts architects in the early years of the C20th. Friday 25 March – 7pm at the ARTISTS' CLUB, Eberle Street We return to this attractive venue after the success of the 50th Anniversary gathering in 2008. Eberle Street is off Dale Street, diagonally opposite the pick-up point for Society trips. The Club is at no.5 on the left hand side from Dale Street – a security buzzer is to be pressed for entry. We shall gather for sherry (or soft drink) before the 3-course meal at 7.30. Homemade soup will be followed by roast (or vegetarian alternative) and conclude with dessert (or cheese-board) for a reasonable £22. The evening will include an informal report from Joseph Sharples, currently based in Glasgow. Early booking would be much appreciated. Saturday 16 April - 2pm at the MEDICAL INSTITUTION, Hope Street corner (gather at rear entrance, through car park in Arrad Street) Diana Goodier will co-ordinate this visit to Clark Rampling's elegant 1837 building, with its library and lecture theatre. A talk will be followed by refreshments, concluding about 3.30pm. Early booking (£3.50) is essential as 20 is the maximum number. Saturday 21 May - day visit to OSWESTRY Nick Roe writes: "Oswestry is a Shropshire market town with many fine buildings that witness its Victorian and Edwardian prosperity. We plan to visit Oswestry School, which has a High Victorian chapel by Edward Haycock and a house by Temple Moore; the Town Hall by 2 Thomas Lockwood of Chester; impressive commercial buildings including work by the Shrewsbury Arts & Crafts architect Frank Shayler. The medieval parish church was comprehensively restored by G. E. Street, with some outstanding stained glass and other fittings." The coach will leave Dale Street/North John Street corner at 9am prompt, calling at Hooton Station at 9.25. We will meet Nick at the fabulously Italianate Gobowen Station, just before Oswestry. Return to Liverpool is expected to be by 6.30pm. Cost: £18 (packed lunch suggested) Thursday 16 June - FRANCIS DOYLE DAY Led by Guy Snaith This will be a full day exploring the work of Liverpool architect James Francis Doyle. The morning will be devoted to three buildings in the City Centre, where Doyle’s career is linked with that of Richard Norman Shaw: The White Star Line Head Office in James Street, Parr’s Bank (now the NatWest Bank) in Castle Street and the Royal Insurance Building in North John Street. It is hoped that access will be granted to at least two of these buildings. After lunch at your convenience in Liverpool City Centre, we will reconvene for an afternoon coach tour of Doyle’s suburban work including St Luke’s, Walton (the chaplaincy for Everton Football Club) and St Barnabas, Penny Lane. BOOKING DETAILS FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT OUR FIRST NEW YEAR MEETINGS. CHESTER CIVIC TRUST at the GROSVENOR MUSEUM, CHESTER All lectures open to non-members, suggested donation £3 (no booking). These Wednesday lectures begin at 7.30pm 19 January: Elizabeth Davey, REDISCOVERING BIRKENHEAD 16 February: Peter de Figueiredo, POST-WAR PLANNING AND CONSERVATION IN CHESTER 16 March: Graham Fisher, EDWARDIAN SUNSET 20 April: David Watkin, VISIONS OF ROME - PIRANESI AND THE FORUM THE BUILDING OF THE ‘BIG DITCH’ – THE STORY OF THE MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL Self-preservation prompted the building of the Manchester Ship Canal. An economic lifeline to a city in decline, this extraordinary and audacious engineering project - to turn an inland city into a major port - was planned to transform the fortunes of the region. There were several reasons for the downturn in Manchester’s trade and manufacturing revenues. With four-fifths of her overseas cargos passing through Liverpool, that city was exploiting this dependence to the full, with the Liverpool Dock Trust - in debt to the tune of £6 million in 1851, and keen to recoup this money - imposing ever increasing dues. (Companies sometimes found it cheaper to use the port at Hull). Keen to maintain their monopoly, Liverpool had also bought land in Wallasey pool to prevent competitive docks on the Wirral side of the Mersey and Liverpool dock excavations were even dumped in the river with the intention of damaging the Birkenhead side. The railway companies, too, were taking their share, levying crippling charges on the Liverpool to Manchester route. Liberation from this stranglehold was essential if Manchester was to thrive. 3 The idea to build a deep water passage from Manchester to the sea was not new. Since the early 18th century there had been navigation between Liverpool and Manchester along the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, but it had poor, badly constructed locks, and was unpredictable: affected by winds, drought and flood, exiting to a tidal estuary. The channel was also badly silted with mud and sand and could not carry large freight ships. (Boats called Mersey Flats were used, so called because of the shallow draught they required.) As the grip of Liverpool and the railways tightened and living standards in Manchester fell, the idea - daunting but inspiring - began to gain traction once more. It fell to Daniel Adamson, a Manchester engineer, boiler manufacturer and mill builder, to seize the initiative. On the 27th June 1882 he convened a meeting of local civic dignitaries and businessmen at his home, The Towers, in Didsbury, and the Ship Canal Committee was formed. Though support for the project was strong in the region, there followed a long struggle to secure the necessary sanction of a Parliamentary bill.