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.

April 23rd 2010 - St George's Hall

Happy Saint George's Day, I hope you're having a spiffing time! This is St. George's Hall , a neo-clasical building and Prince Charles' favourite. Designed by London architect, Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, aged 25, the building was opened in 1854. Elmes died in 1847 and never got to see the finished building. The Hall has a ballroom, law courts and concert room, alongside the second largest pipe organ in the world (The largest is in the Anglican Cathedral). £23m has been spent recently in a major restoration and it was officially reopened on 23rd April 2007 by Prince Charles.

February 4th 2010 - Penguins at St. George's Hall

St. George's Hall has become a temporary home to many of the sculptures from the recent 'Go Penguins' art trail - hundreds of decorated penguins which were dotted around the city. The penguins are being auctioned for charity so were on display at the Hall today. In the foreground of this photograph is the 'Young Heart's Run Free' mirrored penguin by artist Gill Smith. Behind the sculpture is the Hall's world famous pipe organ and a stained glass window bearing the city's crest.