Anglican Cathedral

I watched "Julie & Julia" this week and quite frankly I don't know where she found the time to work a full time job, cook all those meals and blog about it without being on crack or speed!

This week is Graduation week and I have been looking after some of the VIP's and even got to say 4 words to Kim Catrall, I think they consisted of "Hello, this way please". And all this deserved pomp and ceremony is taking place at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, now I thought I would reserve the Cathedral's for a time when I was running dry on 'Scouse Sights' (I reserve the right to copyright this as Google doesn't show this as a result!). However, I am in the cathedral, I got a couple of nice shots inside and out so thought I would share them with you. Well worth a look around, entrance is free but for a few quid you can go up to the tower which is brilliant if you get the right day!

For more information on this magnificent building check out their website here.

The monsters are coming!

Right, since I have been told by a couple of people that this blog is seriously lacking in regular content and I feel I have started to use my Tumblr account for inane ramblings and postings I am turning over another new leaf and kick starting with some small posts. In my defence I always have my camera with me and have snapped hundreds of photographs I want to share with you.

I would like a new camera for my birthday and wandered into town along Bold St which has provided a wealth of curiosities over the past few weeks, however, none quite so staged or on the other hand bizarre. On the streets of Liverpool yesterday 4 monsters invaded the town centre, in a scene no doubt thought up after watching A Nightmare Before Christmas 5 times too many, the broadband Niggles and Narks were out promoting O2's Home Broadband. All too happy to have their photo taken all I can say is it is just as well it wasn't a few drinks into a Friday evening the excessively friendly way in which some people greeted them!

Graffiti

As you will have gathered from previous posts I am not a fan of inane Graffiti but I like expression with meaning. In other words I hate people who just spray paint their names/tags. There is one in particular at the moment who feels that any bit of space is their right to spray their initials onto. However there is no real story behind this just things I have seen and kind of liked!

And I am back in the room

Well this year hasn't got off to a great start has it, in terms of blogging. At least this is healthier than my tumblr blog which I have had for about 6 months ago and I am now on post 2. So what has kept me so busy that I have neglected my inane musings I hear you ask well nothing other than life, however, I have kept a careful watch up and around and now I have acquired a new lead for my camera phone I can bother you all once more!

Having just verified my last post was over 2 months ago I will have to publish the photos and articles over the next few days.

Liverpool has seen its own March of the Penguins in and out of the city, I believe some are still dotted around the city in similar style to the Superlambanana's. Other than getting to see all the effort people have put into making something fantastic and imaginative I got to see a lot of the city I would not normally see unless I had a bit of business in that area. I would often pass The Bluecoat on the way to Quiggins in years gone by, however, with the building of Liverpool One and the construction of its new pedestrian entrance on Church Street I rarely walk by. However, I could hear the penguin call which led me to another unrelated installation in the trees of The Bluecoat's trees, entitled Specimen Colony, a collection of brightly painted bird boxes which despite the magnificent architecture can be quite dark and dismal. This is the work of Scotish born artist Alec Finlay who did this work as part of the 2008 Bienial, I may come to things late but I am appreciative!

Graffiti

You see so much of it around these days, well "tagging" where someone with no imagination sprays a couple of initials to leave their mark. This I would say is tantamount to vandalism. However, I do have an appreciation for someone who has taken their time and been a little more creative.


I took the first photo a couple of months ago and the following day it had been painted over, the building behind it is now being demolished so I do wonder the point of wasting man hours and paint for boxes which will undoubtedly be repositioned!



I was until recently unimpressed with the craze of stenciling because I felt it was a quick win for a graffitist and put them in the category of taggers. I am slowly being won over by the imaginative work and places there are appearing.

LIGHTS...Camera...Blog

Liverpool University has done some work on its Engineering Department building on Brownlow Hill. This is another of those gems that I saw as I walked along and now occasionally when I am on my way home will walk the long way around to the station to have a look at it!

It looks as though the building has had a lighting structure slipped onto the top, the building alternates colour every few seconds and the video below intimates it can be set up for more complex displays. I have also taken some additional photos at the bottom of this post.

The video posted on Vimeo of the light show describes the remodeling of the Sheppard Robson building.

Liverpool Department of Engineering from Sheppard Robson on Vimeo.

"Sheppard Robson has completed a luminous, glass clad engineering laboratory for the University of Liverpool, a two-storey ‘Active Learning Lab’ with an outer skin of reflective and fitted glass panels that illuminate Liverpool’s skyline.

The Active Learning Lab is part naturally ventilated, floating above the existing 1960’s two-storey podium building below. The lab offers extensive views west towards the city centre, south across to the iconic brutalist Metropolitan Cathedral and north across the University campus."

Source:

Liverpool Christmas Lights Switch on (2009)

Well you know Christmas is on its way when the selection boxes start to appear the week kids return to school in September! Gladly other Christmas milestones are a little more time appropriate, such as the annual Christmas light switch on.

This year Liverpool 1 will be leading the way and having their own switch on a day before the city's own event on the 19th November 2009.

18th November - Liverpool 1 - where we see the opening of Santa's Ice Palace and an evening of activities for more information please follow this link.

19th November -Liverpool City Centre - There is no official "switch on" however the city will become illuminated by the presence of the Snow Princess and as she walks through the city the lights will come alive, there will be no advertised time as to when this will begin as they do not want crowds to follow her around. There is no big celebrity pushing a button this year, however this particular spectacle sounds much better! Additional activities will go on throughout the city such as the unveiling of the Nativity story in Rapid Hardware and the Unveiling of the Christmas tree. This will be part of what has been named the "Winters Trail".


Go Penguins!

This year Lewis' will be displaying 7 of the community penguins, I am not sure if they will be permanently there however they are on display on the 19th November a sneak peek before the official launch on the 22nd.