Sefton Park Area [Archive] - Yo! Liverpool Community Forum

Kev

12-27-2007, 09:10 PM

THE first phase of work has started on a multi- million pound regeneration of historic Sefton Park.

Workmen have started preparing the park for contractors to move in on January 7.

The £5m, 50-week project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, aims to restore the park to its former glory while meeting the needs of today’s users.

It involves the complete refurbishment of existing footpaths, watercourses and lakes within the park, renovation of rockeries, grottos and caves and new planting.

Fountains, railings and street furniture will be replaced, while park monuments will undergo specialist restoration.

The café will be rebuilt, to include community facilities and new toilets, while further toilets will be available at a new kiosk at the end of the lake.

Liverpool’s executive member for the environment, Cllr Berni Turner, said: “Sefton Park is one of the most beautiful green spaces in our city and deserves its title of being Liverpool’s equivalent of Hyde Park.

“However, it’s in need of essential restoration and refurbishment work following decades of underinvestment.

“The £5m we’re spending will restore the park to its former glory and create top quality facilities for families in a safe and welcoming environment.

“We’re determined to encourage as many people as possible to get out into the city’s many parks and gardens and make the most of the green havens on their doorsteps.”

Birse Civils, which recently restored Taylor Park in St Helens, has been awarded a £3m contract by the city council for the refurbishment and upgrading of the park.

Specialist restoration of the monuments will be done by William Anelay.

Silt taken from the lake will be dried out and then used as soil in the park, while dangerous trees, and some which obscure the park’s original views, will be removed, while hundreds of new trees will be planted.

The park and the Palm House will remain open during the work, but anglers will not be able to use the lake once work starts on the area.

Echo/ Daily Post

ChrisGeorge

12-27-2007, 09:12 PM

Great to hear, Kev! :PDT11

Chris

AK1

12-27-2007, 09:14 PM

I read about this earlier, great news! We have some of the best parks in europe if not the world. It's only right we ensure they are kept in a good state of repair.

PhilipG

12-27-2007, 11:57 PM

Are we going to get Eros back?
Or even the copy that we were promised?

Ingo

01-07-2008, 12:51 PM

Are we going to get Eros back?
Or even the copy that we were promised?

Haven't posted for a while, but I just saw that they're about to start work on the park which made me excited. My favourite aspect of Sefton park are the watercourses and features surrounding them, it'll be so great to have them all looking good and running properly again...

Phillip, have you heard that they're planning to restore the fountain to make it into a working water feature? Not sure how they will do this as I thought that it was originally cast to be a non-working fountain, as the one in Piccadilly Circus is also.

PhilipG

01-07-2008, 07:35 PM

Haven't posted for a while, but I just saw that they're about to start work on the park which made me excited. My favourite aspect of Sefton park are the watercourses and features surrounding them, it'll be so great to have them all looking good and running properly again...

Phillip, have you heard that they're planning to restore the fountain to make it into a working water feature? Not sure how they will do this as I thought that it was originally cast to be a non-working fountain, as the one in Piccadilly Circus is also.

Yes, I did hear that, and my thoughts were exactly the same as yours.
I don't know if either of them have ever functioned as fountains.

verdi

02-02-2008, 03:10 PM

I just came past Sefton Park, and the Old Farm field is all sealed off with hoardings, it looks like building work of some kind. It also says lottery funded, Anyone know what's going on?

Kev

02-02-2008, 03:24 PM

There's info here (http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1895)

verdi

02-02-2008, 03:31 PM

Thanks Kev, thats put my mind at ease :PDT_Xtremez_12:

marky

02-03-2008, 05:21 PM

New notice-boards have just been erected around Sefton Park. From what I've read, it doesn't look good for the Aviary (to be a garden), or the lakes' Terrapin population (to be removed to a terrapin sanctuary).

Here's a snippet of info about Eros:
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/Sefton_Park_info.jpg

quincyg

02-25-2008, 01:28 PM

taken September last year in Sefton Park. First time I'd been back in years. great to see it restored. last time I'd seen it it was in a terrible state.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture390.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture397.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture414.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture401.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture408.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture426.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/blogging%20pix/Picture398.jpg

Howie

02-25-2008, 01:45 PM

taken September last year in Sefton Park. First time I'd been back in years. great to see it restored. last time I'd seen it it was in a terrible state.

And a big thanks to the late George Melly, who as patron, helped make this happen. :PDT_Piratz_26:

Max

02-25-2008, 01:55 PM

I need to really visit the Palm House, never been despite living only living a few minutes away from Sefton Park and always going to the park regularly.

Kev

02-25-2008, 08:37 PM

Here's a few from a while ago:

http://static.flickr.com/55/168842548_bc39e2b255.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/168842548/)

http://static.flickr.com/59/168843551_5e27f3d5c6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/168843551/)

http://static.flickr.com/44/168843684_c7c8137fc2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/168843684/)

http://static.flickr.com/52/168844321_a6ee22762d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/168844321/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/383880307_41c0dbdf86_o.jpg (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/383880307_41c0dbdf86_o.jpg)

Kev

02-25-2008, 08:42 PM

Has anyone noticed that the lake is being drained?

Max

02-25-2008, 10:19 PM

Has anyone noticed that the lake is being drained?

I saw JCB's working by the lake when I was taking morning frost pictures but never thought they were draining the lake, I assumed they were fixing the pathway or something.

They messed up the field by the palmhouse though.:eek:

marky

02-25-2008, 10:40 PM

I was there a couple of days ago and the lake had dropped a foot or so. Also a lot of trees have been hacked down along the banks of the streams. The slurry is to be dumped in the fenced-off field to dry out.

Re: The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41457

rosieposie

02-28-2008, 02:56 PM

I went to tha park last night and have to say was saddend by the amount of trees they've cut down. The trees were healthy and it seems so unecessary and inappropriate to be cutting them down for any other reason. The plans for the park on paper sound great and as someone who spends a lot of time there in the summer it will be a joy to walk around a lovely, clean and restored space. Have they gone a little too far tho with regards to the destruction of these trees and no doubt great disturbance to the natural habitat for many birds?

I believe there is to be a protest about such things in the park on Sunday at 12. How many people will turn out I dont know but im led to believe that many are not at all happy with whats going on.

marky

02-29-2008, 02:06 PM

The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain/Eros base: The scaffolding was removed this morning. Maybe it's going to get lifted very soon.
Bandstand: Getting surrounded in scaffolding today.
The stone fountain by Aigburth end, has now gone.
The sound of the chainsaw, can still be heard and there are lots of logs around.
There's a half-marathon here on Sunday, just incase anyone thinks of taking the car.

Kev

03-01-2008, 07:14 PM

1st March 2008:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2302734598_ae3f708834_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/2302734598/sizes/o/)

Click here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijob/2302734598/sizes/o/) for the larger, original version.

Guess what's missing:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2260/2301937375_559726efef_o.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2260/2301937375_559726efef_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2301939863_9eb267493a_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2301939863_9eb267493a_o.jpg)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/2301940075_cf09d99819_o.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/2301940075_cf09d99819_o.jpg)

A.D.W

03-01-2008, 07:58 PM

Fine pictures, Kev, but where has the stone fountain gone?? And why have those trees been cut down??

johnmed

03-03-2008, 06:01 PM

Went for a walk to Lark Lane and back through the park with t'other half. Wanted to have a look at the lake being drained and was really hoping to capture an old 'Rola Cola' can, but had to settle for old car stereos, Lilt and LifeStyle cola cans.

The scaffolding firm 'Bee Jay' made me laugh!

Nice to see some more money being spent, on such a lovely park.

John

chippie

03-04-2008, 02:08 AM

Nice one of the dome, and was that a moorhen scratching around there in the undergrowth?

johnmed

03-04-2008, 12:54 PM

Cheers, and couldn't tell you mate!

jimmy

03-06-2008, 12:54 AM

Park renovations raise concerns

The Palm House is at the centre of Sefton Park
Restoration work at Liverpool's largest park has angered conservationists who fear it is disrupting wildlife.
Work at Sefton Park, which is Grade II listed, has included draining the main lake and felling several trees.

The aim of the £6m facelift is to restore the park's original Victorian look and qualify for cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Tony Duckworth, project manager for the revamp, has said ecologists have been working closely with contractors.

But campaigners believe the improvements are destroying the park's natural attractions.

More tree planting

Local resident Helen Seymour said she feared many birds will die as a result.

"These works have been done over the breeding season, and there won't be very much breeding going on this year - not only that I think some of the existing birds will die," she said.

But Mr Duckworth has defended the project, saying: "The design team have got their own ecologists and the contractors on site have also got ecologists guiding them day by day.

"We were given a three-month window to do the work on the trees and we are about to finish today or tomorrow, so we are well within the time they gave us."

He said the trees had to be cut down in order to repair the banks of the watercourses and enlarge the cafe.

Sefton Park is home to the Palm House, a Victorian glasshouse which has already been restored with a £2.4m HLF grant.

marky

03-06-2008, 09:05 AM

This protest? artwork didn't last long, as it was erased the day after this pic was taken. There was another one which I'll check on later.

Edit: All trace of protest has been erased, except for some stencils painted on a JCB. Even a nice stencil of a girl has gone. (I only saw this on the TV news, so didn't get a pic).

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/seftonprotest.jpg

phredd

03-07-2008, 04:00 PM

Went to Sefton Park today to see what state it was in.
Bl00dy shocked I was.
The "Information Board" gives very little away.
Is this the time of the year to be draining lakes and felling trees?? I think not.
Have a look at what it was like this morning >>>>
Had the wife in tears because of the wildlife prediciments.
They are draing the streams into the lake. Notice small waterfall in pics 4 & 5.
The JCB had taken out the sandstone blocks.

Oh and the Chinese State Circus is on as well.
Dont like Circuses or is it Circi ? :slywink:

A.D.W

03-09-2008, 01:00 PM

Went to Sefton Park today to see what state it was in.
Bl00dy shocked I was.
The "Information Board" gives very little away.
Is this the time of the year to be draining lakes and felling trees?? I think not.
Have a look at what it was like this morning >>>>
Had the wife in tears because of the wildlife prediciments.
They are draing the streams into the lake. Notice small waterfall in pics 4 & 5.
The JCB had taken out the sandstone blocks.

Good grief! I agree with you, Phredd. I went this morning for a quick half hour and the place is in a right old mess. Sad to see all the different birds huddled together on the little bit of water left on the lake. Saw a few squirrels, but the little blighters were to quick for me and my camera!

:PDT_Xtremez_42:

DaisyChains

03-09-2008, 08:04 PM

Was anyone else ever told as a child about the Giant's Chair in Sefton Park?
I think it is on the path up towards the Palm House.
It was just a big stone that looked in the shape of a rugged seat.

marky

03-09-2008, 10:43 PM

That large stone is still there on the right as you head up into the Palm House (original entrance, that is). I wasn't told it had a name, but it was always hard to climb.

AK1

03-09-2008, 10:48 PM

Why does park restoration have to involve so much tree felling? The same thing is happening in Stanley park. Simply planting new ones doesn't have the same effect. One of the best things about our parks is seeing all the mature trees which create the illusion your in the woods. Alot of this is being lost all over the city.:disgust:

drone_pilot

03-09-2008, 11:16 PM

What a disaster, just council sponsored Vandalisim.:mad:

Ingo

03-10-2008, 11:46 AM

Absolutely agree with everyone. For me, the worst part is the way they've ruined all the islands in the middle of the watercourses. It made me realise how integral those areas are (were?!) to the beauty of the park. I'm sure that when Andre & Hornblower laid out the park in the 1800's they fully intended it to grow and mature into the vistas we see today (before restoration), so the idea that the park should to be returned to its Victorian appearance is a strange one. I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt and see what it all looks like when the've finished, but there's no denying they have been way too trigger happy with those chainsaws. Eros better look f***ing good when it's restored.

Digital Fanatic

03-10-2008, 02:16 PM

I does look a mess at the moment, but I am prepared to put my faith in the restoration, afterall it's a park not a nature reserve? There will be some upset to the local wildlife, but nature is great at bouncing back when things like this are done. The park has been neglected for far too long and was overgrown in many parts.

The water courses were chocked and certainly not running at the rate they were designed to.

I'm sure it will look fab once the work is completed (Well i hope so :PDT11 )

:034:

johno

03-10-2008, 09:34 PM

Hi folks,
Does anyone have any idea how they drained the lake in sefton park.
Wonder if the opened the outflow into the culvert underneath Aigburth road leading to Otterspool park. Any ideas

knowhowe

03-14-2008, 02:46 AM

http://www.chesterwalls.info/gallery/oldpics/cyclists.jpg

The KKK on their day off? Actually the Liverpool Century Cycling Club in Sefton Park. Anything more known about these guys or when the picture may have been taken?

A.D.W

03-14-2008, 02:35 PM

Ducks on the boating lake.

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/parks/sefton/2008/seft0903088.jpg

Kev

03-15-2008, 10:24 AM

an excellent pic and very sad at the same time

knowhowe

03-15-2008, 02:19 PM

http://www.bwpics.co.uk/gallery/liverpoolpics/palmhouse.jpg

The Palmhouse in 1985...

http://www.bwpics.co.uk/gallery/liverpoolpics/palmhouse3.jpeg

...and how it appeared in 1990, a mere five years later- disgracefully boarded up and derelict.

http://www.bwpics.co.uk/gallery/liverpoolpics/palmhouse2.jpeg

As it looked when it was new in 1899- the pride of the city

http://www.bwpics.co.uk/gallery/liverpoolpics/palmhousenew.jpg

...and here it is in all its restored glory during the Summer of 2002.

The Palmhouse in Liverpool's once-splendid Sefton Park was a gift to the city by Henry Yates Thompson. It was designed by a Glasgow firm, McKenzie & Moncur ("hothouse builders and heating engineers to Queen Victoria") and completed in 1895.
Designed in the tradition of Joseph Paxton's classic glass houses, it was stocked originally with a magnificent collection of exotic plants. There were nine marble statues on display inside together with a marble bench. On plinths around the outside there were a further eight bronze & marble statues by Charalliand of famous explorers and naturalists including Charles Darwin and Christopher Columbus.

At the beginning of World War II the Palmhouse was camouflaged in case the glass reflected the moonlight and thus act as a guide for enemy aircraft. Matt oil paint was used on the outside of the building- grey stripes were painted over the dome, and the rest was coloured green to blend with the surrounding parkland.
In the blitz of May 1941 a bomb fell nearby and shattered all the glass. It was reglazed in 1950 at the considerable cost of £6,163 and continued to be enjoyed by the people of Liverpool. From childhood on, it was for years one of this writer's favourite places to visit.
However, a period of decline and deterioration culminated in its closure in the l980s. Many at the time considered the deliberate neglect of the Palmhouse to have been an ideological act of vandalism by Derek Hatton's Militant Labour government.

In June 1992, a heated public meeting was held highlighting the dereliction and demanding the building's restoration. A petition of 5000 names was presented to the City Council by what had become the "Save the Palm House" campaign. For the first time ever this cause generated cross-party support from the Council for the refurbishment proposal.
A fund raising campaign was established, with a "sponsor a pane" programme generating over £35,000. This led directly to the conversion of Save the Palm House into a registered charity, the 'Friends of Sefton Park Palm House', later the Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust.

There was a feasibility study into possible uses of the Palmhouse and a number of events were held there- which were surprisingly successful in view of the unglazed state of the building.
Working in partnership, Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust and Liverpool City Council were successful in bringing together a funding package to restore the building and construct new facilities to ensure a viable future for the building. £2.5million was raised from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, the European Regional Development Fund, Liverpool City Council and the Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust. The reconstruction started in Februrary 2000 and, in September 2001, the glorious palmhouse was at last officially re-opened to the public!

Kev

03-18-2008, 06:27 PM

£6million upgrade unveils Sefton Park pond's hidden secrets

Mar 18 2008

YEARS of debris have been uncovered in the lake of one of Liverpool’s most popular parks as it undergoes a £6m upgrade.

Workers have started draining Sefton Park’s lake in order to carry out restoration work.

Swan mussels, some the size of a mobile phone, and 10 species of fish have been moved to Calderstone Park while the work is carried out.

Stone sides of the lake are being repaired, and a new kiosk is being created. The old jetty is being demolished and a new one rebuilt

Liverpool Council will not be offering a boating service once the lake reopens, but there will be potential for a boating business to use the new jetty.

The Aviary Cafe will be repaired and enlarged to create a central feature and make space for a community meeting room and ranger base.

The silt from the top of the lake has been dried and re-used as soil elsewhere in the park.

The water levels have been lowered to allow for mainten- ance work, but ecologists have asked for some water to remain in the middle of the lake.

The fish have already been moved and will not return until next spring, to allow time for the pond to return to a habitable environment.

The project is being monitored by the Environment Agency, and the health of the fish will be monitored.

Tom Duckworth, park manager, said: “There has been some disruption but there are also long term benefits.

“It’s a very complicated project, but it is going to plan.”

Work on the trees was finished a month before schedule after the weather conditions meant the birds returned earlier than the ecologists had expected.

The £6m regeneration of Sefton Park began in January and includes building a play area and repairs to the various buildings in the 200-acre park.

Specialist restoration of the monuments is being done by expert William Anelay.

A grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will cover 75% of the cost, and Liverpool City Council will pay for the rest.

The park’s famous grade II listed Palm House, which was also refurbished in 2001 with Heritage Lottery cash, will remain open while the park upgrade takes place.

Fishing in Sefton Lake is prohibited until the work is finished and the park will remain open to the public, 24 hours a day.

Digital Fanatic

03-19-2008, 01:54 PM

Does anyone know if the Terripins have been re-homed? I heared they were going to a Terripin sanctuary? :)

Digital Fanatic

04-09-2008, 02:04 PM

Feature on BBC Liverpool about Sefton Park with pics!

Click Me! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2008/03/13/nature_sefton_park_regen_feature.shtml)

:034:

Max

04-09-2008, 04:50 PM

Too many pathways are blocked for my liking, I use Sefton Park to get to Lark Lane faster when I need to get to St Michael's station, there wasn't that much wrong with the park to be restored anyway.

A few repairs on street lamps maybe some more lamps, clean a lake and fill In lumps and bam It;'s fixed.

naked lilac

04-30-2008, 08:35 PM

Thanks Digital Fanatic..I was wondering on that update.. It will be smashing to see , I believe , in 50 weeks.. Hope it is done by August..??? Lovely park:PDT_Aliboronz_11:

Kev

05-15-2008, 11:13 AM

A CONSERVATION area in Sefton Park could be under threat if “promises” continue to be broken by contractors, say activists. Read (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/05/15/fears-over-park-conservation-area-64375-20912478/)

kevin

05-15-2008, 11:22 AM

Does anyone know if the Terripins have been re-homed? I heared they were going to a Terripin sanctuary? :)

And have the scallies been rehomed until the park is ready for them again?
:rolleyes:

Kev

05-15-2008, 01:32 PM

According to the Human Rights thingy, these gangs must be rehoused at the tax payers expense, there is talk about turning the PAlm House into a bail hostel too. :PDT10

kevin

05-15-2008, 01:41 PM

According to the Human Rights thingy, these gangs must be rehoused at the tax payers expense, there is talk about turning the PAlm House into a bail hostel too. :PDT10

And what about the fish? Currently refugees in Calderstones lake but how will they ensure they capture and return the right ones to Sefton Park? Families may be split up, some never seeing their parents or siblings again. Who'll look after the old fish as their faculties decline, if their children have resettled elsewhere? Another burden on the welfare state?

This hardly helps the fabric of society and, mark my words, there'll be a price to pay in the long term.
:rolleyes:

marky

06-17-2008, 09:54 AM

Eros/Fountain site.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/Eros_site.jpg

Site of Jetty, Aigburth Vale end of lake.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/Culvert.jpg

Stone Chair broken. This was o.k. a couple of months ago. Until the 'improvements' started.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/Stone_Chair.jpg

Large rock. Some things never change.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/Large_Rock.jpg

Max

06-17-2008, 01:45 PM

I hope they finish the field by the tower blocks soon, I want to do a long exposure of the Palm House at night and need the field for a decent angle.

That part of Sefton park was In good condition too so why did they need to fix up that part?

Ged

06-17-2008, 03:46 PM

Go to the top floor of Mere Bank heights Max. It's at the flat iron of Greenbank Lane/Drive.

Samp

06-17-2008, 07:26 PM

On the subject of parks, I had a nasty shock this morning in Newsham Park, I was so shocked I had to go home and lie down.

While walking through the Rose garden (so called in days gone by) I spotted some contractors putting in some bedding plants. I have been walking through there every morning over the last four years and it's the first time I have seen a bedding plant!

I went over to the contractors and asked them, did they have the right park?

They all started laughing!

A lamb-banana has been placed there also, right on top of one of the very few roses in the park.

Max

06-17-2008, 09:32 PM

Go to the top floor of Mere Bank heights Max. It's at the flat iron of Greenbank Lane/Drive.

Would need someone to let me In them wouldn't I?

Ged

06-17-2008, 09:34 PM

Trades entrance before 9am or hang around like an idiot like I do, then spend 10 mins convincing them you're not casing the joint. My friendly face usually does the job so don't know if you'll get in thinking about it. ;)

PhilipG

07-11-2008, 08:40 PM

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2658466189_ceb3e74fa0_o.jpg

Maggie May

07-25-2008, 04:39 PM

does it still have a lake....

phredd

07-25-2008, 05:07 PM

Maggie
Funny you should ask that question.
We have just returned home from the park.
Took a few pics plus this one of the Lake:- >>

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7615/captured200872500007ew6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7615/captured200872500007ew6.a6dcbe551f.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=508&i=captured200872500007ew6.jpg)
Both it and its stream will look great when finished.

Phredd

phredd

07-25-2008, 05:14 PM

And a few more:- >>>

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6065/captured200872500001nn9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6065/captured200872500001nn9.28b11b6f12.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=380&i=captured200872500001nn9.jpg)

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/673/captured200872500000kq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/673/captured200872500000kq9.6a7c03ffa8.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=329&i=captured200872500000kq9.jpg)

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1220/captured200872500003dw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1220/captured200872500003dw4.ed4fd20c27.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=380&i=captured200872500003dw4.jpg)

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2750/captured200872500004mx1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/2750/captured200872500004mx1.dd60e85f3e.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=508&i=captured200872500004mx1.jpg)

Phredd

Maggie May

07-25-2008, 07:16 PM

Oh the difference.....the reason I asked was that our junior docs are advertising their summer ball..and after having been on this site I got to thinking of my student nurse days and the summer balls we had then.....we danced til dawn then went boating on the lake....(with permission I might add)...all the girls in their ballgowns,the chaps in their DJ's....supping champers and strawberries.....watching the sun rise......some of the docs lived in flats not far away so we then decamped there for a hearty breakfast:rolleyes:

Maggie May

07-25-2008, 07:18 PM

P.S sorry I posted this on its own originally.....I may one day get my head round finding whats already here.....senior moments I'm afraid.....:unibrow:

Kev

08-21-2008, 01:54 PM

SEFTON Park palm house has been named one of UK?s unique destinations.

Best Western Hotels has teamed up with travel expert Simon Calder and embarked on a search to discover the unique places the country has to offer.

The grade II listed palm house is ninth on its list.

Liverpool Echo

ChrisGeorge

08-21-2008, 11:31 PM

Great photographs and information in this thread! :handclap:

Chris

marky

09-03-2008, 09:58 AM

The Aviary was getting demolished a few days ago. The cages to the front had been removed. The area was fenced off, but workmen don't seem to work on Sundays, if anyone wants a last look inside.
Old Nicks Caves: The pool in front of this has been dug for a while, but I think they are digging deeper to find water to fill it. This cave exists on a very early postcard (I saw it on the 'net, somewhere)

marky

11-11-2008, 10:15 AM

The plaques have been re-installed in the Rathbone statue. They are still fenced off, though. Some pics are on the Museums Flickr page. They seem to be a mixture of repaired/original/replica.
Conservation of Sefton Park monuments - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmuseumsliverpool/sets/72157605593457509/)

Old Nicks cave has had the large cage removed from the entrance if anyone wants to have a look. Last time I entered it was via a much smaller hole. It is used by junkies, so you might want to listen out for them before entering.

naked lilac

11-11-2008, 07:03 PM

Nice to see such talented people at work to duplicate the originals work of arts.. ta for sharing..

For the Cave having Junkies living inside... Can't the authorities remove them?

Well, thanks for updates on this magnificent park.. Such a pretty place. Nice to hear it is being kept alive and repaired.. I would love to see more pics .. ta

Gerry

11-11-2008, 07:40 PM

During the summer we visited that beautiful park along with Walter Mitty. When the work is completed it will be a magnificent public space again.

naked lilac

11-11-2008, 10:52 PM

During the summer we visited that beautiful park along with Walter Mitty. When the work is completed it will be a magnificent public space again.

:handclap::PDT_Aliboronz_24: Hilarious Gerry:002::PDT_Aliboronz_24:

Paddy

11-11-2008, 11:20 PM

This thread has gone some way to restoring my commitment to this board.

Ged

11-12-2008, 10:31 AM

Ronijayne

11-12-2008, 06:14 PM

Rather than remove the junkies - why not subtly advertise that it is 'the place to be' for them - then one night brick it up with them inside - problem solved - or have I given the game away.

Walter Mitty Gerry - whoever could you mean?

Good idea. I don't think I will recognize Sefton Park next time I see it. I lived with my Grandmother for a few years in Treborth St. I went to the park most days. Good memories.

Paddy

11-12-2008, 06:33 PM

I can remember when the Cafe openend, the aviary had birds, the water font worked and we climbed on the Peter Pan statue. I rowed on the lake played footie on the fields and counted magpies all year long. Sefton Park is and always will be a fantastic park.

tezmac

12-17-2008, 10:11 PM

Anyone remember Old Nicks' Cave

Kev

12-28-2008, 01:24 PM

28th December 2008

The Caves

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/3143095835_07fc2312ee_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/3143095835_07fc2312ee_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/3143095533_8cce8fcb31_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/3143095533_8cce8fcb31_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/3143924948_0d72ac7f80_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/3143924948_0d72ac7f80_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/3143095307_e05effa099_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/3143095307_e05effa099_o.jpg)

brian daley

12-28-2008, 04:13 PM

Paddy

12-28-2008, 05:25 PM

I did my courting, my footie, my dreaming in Sefton. I lived at the bottom of Lark Lane and walked over Sefton nearly every day. I loved to sing and would sing all my favourite songs while counting magpies.I remember the cave, and as a child climbed all over peter pan on a hot summers day. I remember the circus coming in the sixties. I would sometimes just sit in the palm house and talk to my girl. The cafe in the centre of the park was sometimes open and a bottle of coke went down well. If not then it was the water spout that stood there for years.The aviary was going then and they had very colourful birds flying around inside. I knew the park like the back of my hand. I went through this summer and saw the drained lake, I bet they found some engagement rings at the bottom. :ninja:

Kev

12-28-2008, 08:17 PM

28th December 2008 - Samuel Smith Obelisk

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/3143094529_32ecda1218_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/3143094529_32ecda1218_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/3143094407_8a0a6aaf5c_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/3143094407_8a0a6aaf5c_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/3143923896_0981929430_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/3143923896_0981929430_o.jpg)
Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water water that I shall give him shall never thirst.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/3143923736_c7b4780217_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/3143923736_c7b4780217_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3143923500_cdc19c3f5d_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3143923500_cdc19c3f5d_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/3143923370_6e6804c7a7_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/3143923370_6e6804c7a7_o.jpg)

irishseashipping.com

12-29-2008, 11:57 AM

Interesting seeing the detailed shots of the cave and the re-exacavated pond.

I drive past this location several times a week and recall in the 1970s - the last time any serious work was done on the park - that the cave and cascade inside were briefly restored and open though up to that point I recall it being fenced off when my great uncle would take me for walks around there in the 60s.

The details photos of the caging on the opening is somewhat intriguing - some sections appear to be held in place by springs. Is that to allow trapped wildlife to be able to force its way out?

John

Max

12-29-2008, 03:49 PM

Good to see that there securing the cave better, for years the wired gate was cut open so anyone could go In.

Cool to see a pond re-excavated too.

Looking forward to the restoration being completed, It will be more photogenic especially for sunrise.:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

Glad I only live down the road from this park.:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

naked lilac

12-29-2008, 08:04 PM

I remember Old Nicks Cave ,as a child in the 40's it seemed huge and spooky. many's the game of hide and seek were played there on summer days during the holidays. both parks were just a walk away from our lodgings in Mozart St. I recollect Princes Park being more sedate than Sefton Park. You would see Nannys from the large houses in Princes Avenue and Devonshire Road pushing their charges around in huge perambulators. The posh kids in their tennis whites would play on the courts their and we ragged urchins used to look longingly at the rich kids at play. The used to be a little maze in Princes park, a flower clock and some lovely floral walks.
Sefton Park was the main park,with its open air theatre,bandstand ,boating lake and Palm House ,it was a wonderland. Peter Pans statue and Old Nicks Cave added to the fun of the place. You did'nt need a penny to go there and we used to love sitting by the boating lake watching the toffs go by. A magic place then ,could be again.

This amazes me, how fun a park WAS.... Those Caves could still be open to play hide and seek in the daytime.. If necessary close them up at night.. but, those blue, terrible looking spring-like gates are just an eye sore.. I understand that hoodies, or punks, etc.. may take part in the caves at night.. but, isn't it a shame....that security couldn't be put in place for such things.. A park should be like what you remember Brain D. and what others remember as children.. PEACE and FUN..
I loved Sefton Park.. loved feeding the swans, and birds.. and just walking and enjoying the beauty.. I do hope it gets back to how it used to be...

Kev

12-30-2008, 11:01 AM

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/3143921774_c15a52828a_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/3143921774_c15a52828a_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/3143922128_4bf9c29eab_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/3143922128_4bf9c29eab_o.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3143092845_6ea1cd6c0b_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3143092845_6ea1cd6c0b_o.jpg)

Paddy

12-30-2008, 11:18 AM

Look at those houses, substantial properties. London is like that in parts I wonder about wealth. I don't know what the fish sculpture is about, perhaps we could be enlightend.:unibrow:

A.D.W

12-30-2008, 01:41 PM

Fine pictures, Kev.

Kev

12-30-2008, 02:49 PM

Cheers :PDT11

There are villas all the way around Sefton Park.

taffy

12-30-2008, 07:13 PM

Here's a few more photos of work in progress, It's nice to see Eros back in place.

Paddy

12-30-2008, 07:37 PM

Well I have been busy of late :rolleyes:

M6AJJ

12-30-2008, 07:49 PM

taffy

12-31-2008, 10:40 AM

Great pictures Taffy, Eros back in place, the bandstand being repaired, looks like Sefton Park is coming back to life after many years. I must have another trip back to see the Palm House etc.

I don't remember Gladstones statue being there, wasn't it somewhere in Prices Park?

Tony

Glad you liked the photos. I believe William Gladstone was always there. The stolen metal plaques have been replaced and the statue cleaned. The bandstand was completely disassembled and taken away for repairs and is now being put together again.

Paddy

12-31-2008, 11:46 AM

What about the Band :handclap:

M6AJJ

12-31-2008, 10:55 PM

You know that really brings back memories, when I was about five we were put into a nursing home around Sefton Park (me Mum was in hospital, and me Dad was at sea) and the treat on a Sunday for all the kids, was bread to feed the ducks, and a visit to the bandstand to hear the band. Never forget it...

brian daley

01-01-2009, 03:44 AM

Sefton Park is becoming a place to be proud of ,on my recent visit I was pleased to see the past being recaptured by the wonderful restoration work that is being carried out there. The Palm house is a prime example of the beauty that is being rescued from the near destruction that was wrought by years of decay. One cannot live in the past ,but memories can be strengthened by the sight of things that part of your childhood. The statue of Columbus outside the palm House was enigmatic when I was young , now that I am older and a little more knowledgable,it's true meaning is more apparent and those responsible for its salvation are to be commended. The Peter Pan statue,the Dolphin fountain ,Bandstand and all thise wonderful statues that fill this parkland ,are reminders of what this park meant to this city, which was second only to London ,within the British Empire, and a sister of New York in the transatlantic scheme of things.
Oh Liverpool, Yo Liverpool ! Your songs have been sung the world o'er, your beauty,once lost ,is now born anew and you come once again into the nations consciousness as city of winners and not whiners,as a place to be enjoyed and rejoiced.

phredd

01-16-2009, 08:36 PM

Paid a visit to Sefton Park today after many months away.
Was very supprised to see how far on they are and was very impressed.

Took these snaps while there :->>>>

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/7613/captured200911600002nc0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
By phredd (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/phredd)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/148/captured200911600003wn9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/2455/captured200911600004uf5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5493/captured200911600005gn4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7724/captured200911600006zf3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/259/captured200911600007rb8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/9928/captured200911600008cw1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

After a period of illness I feel I have missed a lot in the home city.
Decided I must get out more.

HNY to all

Phredd

Samp

01-16-2009, 09:07 PM

I have just been looking at this thread and catching up on the last few months.

If you would like to enjoy the park as it was in days gone by, then take a trip to Botanic Gardens, Churchtown, Southport during the summer. All the activities you mentioned from the past are still happening there.
Brass bands every Sunday during summer, boating lake, Birds galore! (feathered kind)
Nice gardens, beautiful flowerbeds, tearooms, and even a small museum.

All Free! Well worth a trip for the family.

ItsaZappathing

01-16-2009, 09:27 PM

Cheers for the info Samp :)
Brilliant pics all.
Phredd, isn't that tree stump fantastic :D
Well captured.:PDT_Piratz_26:

Norm NZ

01-16-2009, 10:16 PM

Nice Pics Phredd! Glad you are over your illness, and a Happy New Year to you too! Cheers, and keep the photies coming!!:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

Kev

01-26-2009, 03:56 PM

REPAIR work has started on the historic bandstand as part of the multi-million pound refurbishment of Sefton Park. Read (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/01/26/bandstand-returns-to-glory-days-100252-22780854/)

phredd

01-26-2009, 04:28 PM

Kev

02-10-2009, 10:24 PM

ONE of Liverpool?s favourite parks has been valued at ?108m by the Government?s architectural watchdog.

Cabe, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, put the value on Sefton Park in a report aimed at revealing the true worth of the nation?s parks.

Cabe said its valuation was based on the park?s physical assets, excluding the land.

The council lists the value of the park as ?1, but Cabe wants councils to list the ?true value? of parks to encourage more investment in maintenance.

Last night, it said its new valuation framework includes park use as an indicator of the wider value provided by a green space to communities, as well as plants, trees, paths, venues such as the Palm House and sporting facilities.

The new framework could be used by local authorities to negotiate higher section 106 planning payments from developers, Cabe said.

Its report states that the value of the land itself is irrelevant, as it depends on its planning status, and cannot or will never be sold, and the land itself does not need maintaining.

Last night, Liverpool?s environment leader, Cllr Berni Turner, said: ?The ?1 value is merely an accounting device and does not reflect how much we value Liverpool?s parks.

?We are investing more than ?5m to transform Sefton Park and the final results this summer will be stunning.

?We?re restoring memorials, planting new flowerbeds, improving footpaths, landscaping the park and installing a new playground. This is just part of our multi-million pound investment in the city?s green spaces. You cannot put a cash value on Sefton Park. It?s priceless.

?But the Cabe research is interesting and is a good way of allowing residents to understand how valuable their local park is and realise just how lucky we are to have such an asset on our doorsteps.? more (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/02/10/watchdog-value-liverpool-s-favourite-park-at-108-but-council-list-at-just-a-1-64375-22891493/2/)

phredd

02-18-2009, 07:41 PM

Another visit to Sefton Park yesterday :-

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/2825/captured200921600000wt5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/2749/captured200921600007mu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5663/captured200921600004os9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1060/captured200921600005ef6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5563/captured200921600006qt8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Not the best of pics I have to admit :slywink:

Phredd

fred flinstone

02-25-2009, 06:37 PM

Hi guys, I'm trying to find out whether or not the lake is still empty. It looks it from the photos above :D, but I want to make sure (don't want to waste a journey). Anyone visited in the last few days?.

JMLE

02-25-2009, 06:43 PM

It was still empty last week.

fred flinstone

02-25-2009, 06:52 PM

It was still empty last week.

Cheers JMLE, odds on it's still empty, just want to make sure before I make the journey :).

Ged

02-25-2009, 07:34 PM

Fred, there looks to be a good bit of Barney Rubble in it too.

geoffrey

03-02-2009, 12:27 AM

Suspected WW2 bomb found in Sefton Park lake

POLICE have cordoned off a 100m area of Sefton Park after the discovery of a suspected WW2 bomb in the recently drained lake.

Walkers in the park spotted a suspicious outline in the silt at around 6pm this evening and contacted police who have called in army explosives experts.

Insp Mike Jarman said: "We've found something in the park. We don't know what it is yet. We've called the Explosive Ordnance Department. The fact that it's in the middle of the park and in the lake means we have not had to evacuate anybody."

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/03/01/suspected-ww2-bomb-found-in-sefton-park-lake-92534-23039597/

irishseashipping.com

03-02-2009, 12:40 AM

There must be a lot of unexploded ordnance around Merseyside dating from the air raids of the 1940s.

Remember the one that was found a couple of years back at the Twelve Quays terminal and had to be taken out to Liverpool Bay to be blown up.

John

marky

03-19-2009, 06:08 PM

The cascade inside Old Nicks cave has been switched on.

Digital Fanatic

03-28-2009, 12:55 PM

The cascade inside Old Nicks cave has been switched on.

Anyone got any pics? Haven't been down there for a while? :)

Digital Fanatic

04-08-2009, 06:04 PM

Check out BBC Liverpool for pics of the park now... starting to look really nice now! :034:

Click Me! (http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/image_galleries/sefton_park_gallery.shtml)

:handclap:

Kev

04-08-2009, 06:14 PM

I must take a trip up there again, cheers :PDT11

phredd

05-01-2009, 04:45 PM

Hi all

Wife and I took a trip to Sefton Park today and all we can say is "WOW" what a change. It is beautifull now.

Fountains where on for a short while then they were turned off but I managed to get a few before hand.

A great morning out.

Question:- Who was Ginger ? shown in the last picture.

Phredd

edwardo

05-01-2009, 08:49 PM

Nice Pic.who did the wood sculpture anyone know.

phredd

05-01-2009, 09:04 PM

Nice Pic.who did the wood sculpture anyone know.

If you mean this one. I do not know but it is getting a bit worse for ware down its RHS as you view it.
I think it is wood rot and decay along with a bit of human help.
It needs preserving ASAP.

Phredd

Samp

05-01-2009, 09:05 PM

Nice pictures Phredd!

You have started something now, with that picture regarding Ginger.

It must relate to a park worker?

phredd

05-01-2009, 09:09 PM

Thanks Samp.

The little memorial is outside the caves. I fear it might be desecrated as it wooden and just stuck loose in the ground.

phredd

Digital Fanatic

05-07-2009, 01:46 PM

Has the boating lake been filled with water now?

Paddy

05-07-2009, 03:07 PM

I seen a gang of ducks in a pub on Smithdown road so its probably not. :PDT10

marky

05-07-2009, 04:41 PM

The boating-lake is full of water, but the water-features (fountains, or Old-Nicks Cave) weren't on today, when I passed.
Some terrapins seem to have survived.

Digital Fanatic

05-08-2009, 12:56 PM

Cheers Marky :PDT_Aliboronz_24:

Digital Fanatic

05-08-2009, 12:56 PM

I seen a gang of ducks in a pub on Smithdown road so its probably not. :PDT10

ha ha :handclap:

phredd

05-11-2009, 11:46 AM

Did anyone find out any info on Ginger >>>>>>

Phredd

Digital Fanatic

05-26-2009, 07:49 PM

Had a ride around on my bike on Monday... must say the park looks great with the water features starting to take shape... not much "running" water or fountains to be seen... wonder why they don't leave the water features "switched on"?

I thought they had bored some more holes in to the underground water course?

:034:

annajane

06-06-2009, 09:44 PM

I went down about a week ago (the 29th) and was surprised to see the progress made.

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Sefton%20Park%20Lake%20(1)%20%5b800x600 %5d.JPG

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Sefton%20Park%20Lake%20(2)%20%5b800x600 %5d.JPG

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Sefton%20Park%20%5b800x600%5d.JPG

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Fairy%20Glen%20Waterfall%20(1)%20%5b800 x600%5d.jpg

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Fairy%20Glen%20Waterfall%20(4)%20%5b800 x600%5d.jpg

And there are at least three duck families with ducklings, so that's a good sign on the wildlife side. They're even put in little ladders for the ducklings to climb out of the lake:

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Duckling%20Ramp.JPG

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Duckling%20(2)%20%5b800x600%5d.jpg

http://www.annajanef.plus.com/may2009/20090529%20Ducklings%20(6)%20%5b800x600%5d.jpg