Designers at work

Jun 24 2008 by Mr Brocklebank, Liverpool Daily Post

IS STAGING the Design Show Liverpool at the Contemporary Urban Centre, Greenland Street, an example of post-modern irony? Visitors will doubtless be intrigued by the image of modern Liverpool cleverly juxtaposed with scenes outside of urban dereliction, skips and scaffolding.

Why was this venue chosen and the fabulous Lutyens crypt beneath the Metropolitan Cathedral refused? Methinks a case of wig-wam ban.

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SATIRICAL magazine Private Eye is keeping tabs on the city, with the Piloti column berating Liverpool City Council’s head of planning, Nigel Lee. In his latest broadside, Piloti writes: “Mr Lee thinks I do not know what is going on in Liverpool” and rages about the “vandals, spivs and incompetents who spoil Liverpool”. Who can he mean?

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GRAFFITI artists were invited to respray the walls of The Picket music venue to mark its second anniversary at New Bird Street. Is it wise to encourage such behaviour given the recent jailing of vandals who “resprayed” a train?

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A READER boasted to Mr Brocklebank about giving an unrelenting 35-minute ear-bashing to the long-suffering Rachel Mulhearn, deputy-head of Merseyside Maritime Museum, about the Marie Celeste-like disappearance of scores of ship models. Shortly afterwards, 12 ship models rematerialised. See, they do listen!

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MR Brocklebank is fretful about the fate of pictures by celebrated Sandon Society painter Roderick Bisson, formerly hung in Bluecoat Art Centre’s old café. They were inspirational works by an artist who helped the centre survive many lean years. Where are they now? As a vital part of its historic fabric, should they not be displayed again?

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WHILE staying at Liverpool’s Britannia Adelphi Hotel, broadcaster Rob McLoughlin went to reception and asked: “Is it possible . . ?”

But before he could finish the sentence, he received the answer: “NO!”

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AS Mr Brocklebank’s plush railway saloon rolls past “work” to restore the Olive Mount chord, which we are assured will transform Liverpool Docks’ rail freight handling, he observes the pace of progress appears to be roughly restricted to positioning one particle of ballast a day. Was not the 1830 Liverpool & Manchester Railway laid in less time than it is taking to reinstate this short stretch of track?

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THANKS to Mr Brocklebank and his readers’ obsession about correctly identitying the four curious statues fixed to the Hard Days Night Hotel’s facade, sales of these model figures in its shop have rocketed. But when excited foreign visitors get their miniatures of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich home, will they not be distressed to find they look like Gandalf, Gollum, Bilbo and Legolas – and cry out “Zabadak!” in anguish?