July 31st 2010 - Falkner Square

Falkner Square was completed in 1830 and is truly a gem in Liverpool's crown. It was one of the first public open spaces in the city and is of great historic importance, surrounded by Georgian terraces. The Square is named after Edward Falkner, born in 1760. Falkner was a well-liked individual who became Sheriff of Lancashire following a very successful military career. The area around the Square was purchased by Falkner and his family and Falkner Square was completed in the mid 1800's. Although the houses were grand, they stood empty for a number of years as they were considered too far from the City Centre to travel by horse and carriage. During that period the area was known as 'Falkner's Folly' but later became more popular and all properties were inhabited. Most are now apartments, with one building converted into a well known Youth Hostel, favoured by young travellers from around the globe for it's friendly Liverpool welcome. I took this shot of Falkner Square for the early evening light through the trees.

July 29th 2010 - St Andrews Church - Summer Fruits
The Church of St. Andrews in Rodney Street was built by the Scottish Presbyterian Church in 1823. It is in great need of restoration - hopefully it will be fully restored for its 200 year anniversary. The summer fruits in the foreground shroud the pyramid tomb of James MacKenzie - I shall tell his story in Halloween week; it is worth waiting for!

July 28th 2010 - 18 Sefton Park Road

An unusual door leading to a Georgian mansion behind. Another wet day in Liverpool; it has not stopped raining since the announcement of the hosepipe ban at least 3 weeks ago. This property is up for sale if you fancy a slice of bohemian living in Liverpool. I shall have to sell a few Paulo Sabian 2011 calenders to put my deposit on it! Due to numerous requests since starting this blog, I am now taking orders for calenders for 2011, so please email if you are interested in purchasing one, I shall post details soon.

July 27th 2010 - Peter Kavanagh's

One of Liverpool's most famous pubs is situated on the corner of Egerton Street. Peter Kavanagh was born in 1873 and was a successful landlord and a respected figure within the Catholic Church. The pub dates from the 1870s when it was named 'The Liver Inn', it was renamed in the 1970s after the man himself. The Hogarth Room in the pub is home to some beautiful murals which were painted by Eric Robinson in 1929. The murals depict scenes from Charles Dickens' 'The Pickwick Papers'. It is a real community pub with locals, students, professors and photographers amongst the clientele.

July 26th 2010 - Queen Victoria

Cunard's Queen Victoria sailed into Liverpool today. She is the second largest Cunard ship ever built after the Queen Mary. Camilla , Duchess of Cornwall, had a second tour of the ship in dock. Her first visit saw her fail to succesfully smash the champagne bottle on the side at the naming cermony.

July 25th 2010 - The Atlantic Avenue Diesel Engine

This diesel engine was restored as part of the regeneration of the Atlantic Avenue by Merseyside Development Corporation. It symbolises the use of trains in the area which were often seen but I haven't seen a dock train in years, they played an important part in the import and export trade of Liverpool Docks.

July 24th 2010 - Bankfield Street

A scene looking down to the docks and beyond to Wirral. A feel of two different eras coming together.

July 23rd 2010 - Tate And Lyle Sugar Silo

A forgotten grade II listed Liverpool building at Huskisson Dock - the Tate & Lyle Sugar Silo. It was built the 1950's. The sugar silo fell into a state of disrepair, but the building itself is still used.

July 22nd 2010 - Sailor At Regent Street

My eagle eyed son spotted this sailor on top of this abandoned pub. I have tried to research it but to no avail. I shall keep looking to find out more information. Perhaps the seagull on top his head may know.

July 21st 2010 - View From Switch Island

I noticed this landscape today whilst driving to work. If I turned 180 degrees the photograph would have been of the busy motorway interlink of Switch Island. The church in the distance is Sefton Parish Church a grade 1 listed building and one of Merseyside's oldest places of worship.

July 20th 2010 - Queens Drive Flooded

More heavy rainfall and the end of Queens Drive had to be closed due to flooding in the dip under the bridge. With the start of the school holidays lets hope the sun will shine. Surprisingly there is still a hose pipe ban in place.

July 19th 2010 -Isle Of Man Landing Stage

A wet end to the day and a photograph of the Isle Of Man Ferry Landing Stage. Parts of Merseyside have seen heavy rain today due to the tropical-like storms we've been having in the region, as can be seen by the drenched, glassy pavement in this photograph and the dark clouds hovering.

July 18th 2010 - Penny Lane

Month 7 for the Penny Lane sign and for new followers I am taking a photograph of the same road sign of Penny Lane to see the subtle changes over the year. A few extra names added, zoom in and compare with previous photographs.

July 17th 2010 - Paul, Chris And Charlie

Took this photograph of Paul, Chris and Charlie on their way to the Brazilian Carnival. They certainly caught the eye of everyone passing.

July 16th 2010 - Radio City Tower

Radio City Tower, pictured between the chimney pots of the Great Western Hotel in Lime Street,

was orginally called St. John's Beacon. It was built in 1965 and stands 125ft. tall. I can remember having Sunday dinner up in the rotating restaurant, which was a bit disconserting for a 10 year old. After falling into disrepair for many years following a kitchen fire, Liverpool's commercial radio station, Radio City, moved in during 1990.

July 15th 2010 - Reflection

A wet evening which is a good excuse to play around with light reflections. I photographed this image along Hope Street, the red light is from the neon sign of the Everyman Theatre. Out of focus and obscure can sometimes work just as well as pin sharp - it gives the image a truer sense of how I sometimes feel the scene appearing.

July 14th 2010 - Quiet After The Storm

The worst of this evening's storm had passed when I took this photograph. A peaceful scene, looking across to Wirral. I seem to have an affinity with the coast at the moment and I'm really enjoying the light, particularly in the evenings, down along the waterfront at Liverpool.

July 13th 2010 - Malmaison

A view of the Malmasion Hotel, stripped of its fascia due to construction problems; it reminds me of the insides of a compter circuit board. Perhaps extravagance is only skin deep? They don't build 'em like they used to!

July 12th 2010 - Sunset In Sefton Park

A sunset vista that I have never noticed before, and the scene lasted all of 5 minutes... I love this kind of image - it isn't laboured or even considered, it's just there where you least expect it, and so short lived and unexpectedly beautiful.

July 11th 2010 - Pier Head Landing Stage
Another peaceful end to the day, this is a photograph of the new landing stage used by the Mersey Ferries. The tunnel vent and Birkenhead Town hall are silhouetted against the evening sky.

July 10th 2010 - Form And Texture

I was down at the Pier Head last week and saw this wonderful bit of street sculpture. Merely the steps leading down to the new canal linking the Albert Dock with the Pier Head, but when the light hits the stone the colours sing. The Pier Head is certainly the place to be on a summer evening, the colours radiating are truly magical. I shall return for the next few days to make the most of the light.

July 9th 2010 - Stok

I had the pleasure of meeting grafitti artist, 'Stok', this evening. Understandbly, he didn't want to show his face. He was working on a piece in Princes Road, Toxteth. When asked about his views on Bansky he gave a wry smile and said "When you meet Steven Gerrard in the street you don't ask him about David Beckham". I also asked why he doesn't paint when it's dark, to avoid police hassle. His reply was, "Because I'm at home with my feet up having my tea!"A really genuine bloke who, through his art, is bringing communities together. He commented on how many people stop to chat while he's out painting...

July 8th 2010 - Three Faiths

I took this photograph today from the corner of Princes Road in Toxteth, at the point where the duel carriageway begins. I liked the fact I was able to capture three different places of worship within one shot - The Jewish Synagogue in the foreground beyond the railings and the dome and spires of the Greek Orthodox church and the Anglican Cathedral respectively, in the distance. Liverpool certainly boasts to be the World in One City, and the same can be said of all faiths. Just a few streets in the opposite direction is the new Mosque too, all buildings within just a few square metres of each other.

July 7th 2010 - Ringo Starr's Liverpool Home

It is Ringo Starr's 70th birthday today and he gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. He will also be remembered as the narrator of the children's televsion programme, Thomas The Tank Engine. This photograph shows the family home ( first house on the left) 11, Madryn Street, where Ringo grew up. The atmosphere on the street was charged with memories of times gone by. There were no cars parked and all but one house was boarded up ready for the bulldozers to move in. Is Ringo's house worth saving? You say yes, I say no. You say stop and I say go go go...

I was interviewed about this blog on BBC Radio Merseyside by Roger Phillips today. To listen to the interview visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p008m8g4/Roger_Phillips_07_07_2010/
(online for the next 7 days). Fast forward to just before the end of the first hour of the show. If you are a new viewer to the blog, thank you for visiting! Enjoy viewing the photographs of Liverpool from January 1st to the present. Your comments would be gratefully received. Paulo

July 6th 2010 - St. George's Hall at Dusk

A warm evening in Liverpool, with dusk fast approaching when I took this photograph of the side entrance to St. George's Hall; the recently extended and refurbished Empire Theatre in the background. Both buildings have been sympathetically lit to show them in all their glory, particularly the neoclassically styled Hall, which is in the William Brown Street Conservation Area and recognised as part of Liverpool's World Heritage Site. From the mid 1800's St. George's Hall was used as the city's law courts. Today, an excellent museum allows visitors a taste of what the atmosphere was like for many awaiting trial in the grim cells which still exist beneath the building, in contrast with the exquisite wood panelled law court and the majestic ballroom and chambers above.

July 5th 2010 - River Reflection

A beautiful sunset at the Pier Head this evening. I caught this reflection of the River Mersey and the floating landing stage in the window of the new, soon to be opened, Museum of Liverpool Life. A peaceful and still scene - it reminded me, strangely, of Venice. The light lasted for a few fleeting moments before disappearing.

July 4th 2010 - Calderstones School (Quarry Bank)

Inspired by watching the film, 'Nowhere Boy' last night, which documents the teenage years of John Lennon, I wandered along to his old school, Quarry Bank, now named Calderstones School. Although he named his first band after the school, John was said to have frequently been in trouble whilst studying at Quarry Bank. My wife, an ex-pupil of the school when it was still Quarry Bank and during the period after it changed its name to Calderstones in the 1980's (as part of the school re-organisation programme), had a much more positive experience and loved her time there. She tells an amusing tale about the opening of the Beatles Museum. Word got out that curators had been told there was a desk at the school which John had carved his name into and they were keen to acquire for their collection. Over the days that followed just about every wooden desk in the school had 'John Lennon Woz 'Ere' etched into the surface! John Lennon was just one of many of the 'famous sons' of Quarry Bank; from politicians and actors, to the comedian Les Dennis! Calderstones is now one of the largest and most popular comprehensive schools in the city. Set in stunning surroundings, this photograph shows the original Quarry Bank wing, a sandstone listed building, formerly the home of John Bland, a wealthy Liverpool timber merchant.

July 3rd 2010 - Liverpool Cricket Club
Founded in 1807, Liverpool Cricket Club is the oldest amateur sporting establishment in Merseyside. Lancashire 1st team regularly play here and some of the greatest cricketers ever have graced the wicket. Such cricketers as WG Grace, Wassim Akram, Andrew Flintoff and Viv Richards have played at this thriving and welcoming club.

July 2nd 2010 - Sefton Park Band Stand

The newly restored band stand looks splendid in the brilliant summer sunshine. It is said that it was the inspiration for The Beatles Sergeant Peppers album from a picture of it on a 19th century postcard. It reminds me of Echo and the Bunnymen playing the Larks In The Park music festival in the 1980's. Sefton Park is certainly looking fantastic after the recent redevelopment.

July 1st 2010 - The Ancient Chapel Of Toxteth
The first sermon in this chapel was made on the 30th November 1618 by Richard Mather. It is a grade 1 listed building. The land was sold by Richard Molyneaux to a community of Puritains so that they could practice their religion in relative freedom. Members of the Melly family are buried in the graveyard. A certain peace can still be felt which is surprising considering it is situated on such a busy road junction.