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There will be free screening of Gardens of Stone on Saturday 20th January at the Neuro Support Centre in Norton Street (next to National Express). The event starts at around 13:00 and will include Ged Fagan's model of Gerard Gardens on display.
Spaces are limited, but if you would like to attend please email me at;
gardensofstone@fsmail.net
and I will add your name to the list. I need to confirm the final numbers on Monday, so an early reponse would be appreciated.
have just emailed you.
:)
Interesting, but why have you posted the same thing in 3 different threads?
Just in case it gets 'lost' from the summary as further threads are added. It could be assigned under any of the chosen subject headers, just hoping people who are interested get a chance to see it. Apologies for the 'belt & braces' approach.
I think maybe in case someone, somewhere misses it and doesn't use the whole board or it gets hidden if another posting in the same category makes it fall from the lead page. It seems peeps do use the whole board though so will see it somewhere eventually :)
It may be a good idea if peeps do what Missinformed has done and that way others will know who else is going from this site which may encourage others. It's a truly great film and always causes genuine interest and debates and people from the area swapping memories etc. It's also a very good pictorial record of Liverpool through the decades too.
All previous screenings were free too and people have sadly been turned away at the door and on the phone at the 4 FACT screenings which also included some of the Liverpool groups who are included in the soundtrack such as The Farm and The Christians. Local media figures from Radio Merseyside, the Daily Post & Echo and culture Co have also given it a massive thumbs up.
It was also shown at local venues to the subject matter such as Holy Cross/Marybone centre and The Silvestrian as well as to over 100 CDS housing residents at their annual meeting in the LACE centre in Sefton Park.
Best Regards to you all.
Ged.
How about a soundtrack CD?
The problem is copyright permission which is holding up the release of the dvd for general release. The artists have no problem with it, but it's up to whoever owns the rights to the music and archive film etc, though the latter has pretty much been overcome.
Thanks for letting us know.
Unfortunately I'll be working so I won't be in attendance.
One day though hopefully I'll get chance to come to a showing.
Best wishes for the day.
Ross
Thanks Ross, I am hoping to arrange further screening in 2007 under a '20 years ago today' banner (including a Sgt Pepper type photo!). in 2007 it is 70 years since Gerard Gardens was opened, 50 years since Violent Playground was shot there, and 20 years since it demolished. Altough the film focues upon Gerard Gardens, it represents all residents of the tenements in the 20th Century. I will post any further screenings when confirmed.
It's great the way it's 70 years, 50 years and 20 years. It's worked out well thats hasn't it?
The idea of the Sgt Peppers photo is great.
Ross
who else is going to the screening? looking forward to it!
Sometimes an organisation will contact Paul to see if he can accommodate them for a screening. This one was requested by Hornby housing for a number of their residents so we're in their hands on how they publicise it and how many attend so Paul has asked if we can add to that number. Up to now Merseyside Heritage, Scottie Press and Liverpool t.v. will be amongst those in attendance with hopefully some of you guys so we can put some faces to the names. We never tire of this screening as it's always new people getting to see it and it usually provide some good talking points afterwards.
Paul has just contacted me to ask that I put a message on here saying that Hornby Housing have confirmed that all available seats are now taken so those that have emailed him privately will have a seat, apparently the room only holds 30 and they've said that if there is sufficient demand, they will ask Paul for another screening at some later date. Thank you for your support.
I will have to go a later screening:tear:
I would never make the saturday one from work.
Thanks to everyone who has expressed an interest in the film, the screening on Saturday is now full subscribed.
I will keep the forum informed of any future screenings, and I am looking forward to reading reviews (good or bad!) from any budding Barry Normans / Mariella Frostrups out there.
The film was absolutely brilliant.
Me and Bunf had to leave just as the discussion started up at the end because of parking ...grrr.
Many thanks to both Paul and Ged for making us welcome..
Thanks for you attendence, it was good to put faces to the 'handles'. I am glad you enjoyed the film, and sorry you missed the discussion at the end. The film struck a nerve with some of the former residents, which led to a lively debate on the changing face of Liverpool City Centre.
I hope to have more screening soon.
This afternoon I saw Paul's "Gardens of Stone" film and enjoyed it very much.
It lasts about 75 minutes and is mainly concerned with Gerard Gardens, one of Liverpool's most famous art-deco styled tenement blocks of the 1930s.
There is also archive movie footage of Liverpool including the city centre in the 1920s, and comparisons with earlier architecture in Vienna (the Karl Marx Hof), which influenced Sir Lancelot Keay (Liverpool Corporation's architect).
The film is divided into 7 decades starting with the 1920s when the reasons for building the tenements are explained.
Sir Lancelot Keay appears, as well as one of the original tenants saying how modern and convenient her gas cooker was.
The 1958 film "Violent Playground" is mentioned, as it was filmed in Gerard Gardens. The tenants were not happy that rags were hung on their washing lines, to give a more downbeat atmosphere.
When we reach the 1970s there are some lovely colour home movies, showing fashionable tank tops, children playing and parents socialising.
Gerard Gardens began to be isolated by new roads and flyovers, and the building of the second Mersey Tunnel devastated vast areas nearby. There are great birds-eye views of the construction of the roads.
There is also film of the area as it appears today.
The commentary is always interesting and the music has been selected to match whichever decade was being featured.
Thanks to everyone concerned. :handclap:
The only regret I had was that I'd eaten before I set out as a good spread of food was also supplied. :)
Thanks Philip, I am glad you enjoyed the film. It does provide a rollercoaster of emotions for former residents of the tennies, evidenced by the discussions that followed the screening. It also highlights some of the mistakes made by collective councils and town planners, who had no understanding of the communities the tennements helped create.
I will continue to try and deliver the film to a wider audience.
The film was very emotional.
Although, I have no involvement in anything to do with Gerard Gardens, it was really sad to see the breakdown of such a tight knit community.
I have heard my mum talk many a time, about her childhood in King Gardens, and she remembers it very fondly and with great nostalgia. Unfortunately she has no photos!!
Paul let me take some photos of his model of Gerard Gardens, and has given permission for me to post them here.
It's just gets better everytime I see it, you can miss the odd thing in the first screening or two. To see that concrete carbuncle called Hunter Street now with its 6 lanes, coupled with two lanes per flyover, it's nothing more than a monstrosity - an inner city motorway.
Ex residents describing how the Kingsway tunnel wasn't wanted and how naively they thought they never had a voice in opposition to it is poignant.
The after screening discussion threw up many points, not least how the natural place for a second tunnel would have been in the south of the city but opposition from the leafy suburbs of Aigburth and the difficulty in obtaining CPO's was off putting for a council who saw tenement residents as cannon fodder. It was also reported how late night dynamite blasting kept local schoolkids awake and how the badly positioned walkovers were more like obstacle courses as young and old had to negotiate them just to shop or go to the doctors as they were now becoming isolated by major roads creating islands.
It wasn't all moans and groans though and some of the interviews with ex residents at the end were a delight, I mean, where else but Liverpool would youngsters make up a game of bingo by spotting a verticle row of bog lights on the tenny landings?
Pleased to meet Caroline and the two Phil's. :thumbsup:
that made me laugh!:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
Likewise, Ged, & I include everybody from this forum. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
Paul talking after the film.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/...aulsudbury.jpg
Another pic showing Paul, PhilipG and Ged in deep discussions prompted by the after screening debate.
http://www.scottiepress.org.uk/main.htm
If you scroll down, you'll see some pics of the last and previous screenings which have included some notable local figures.
hello ged, just been looking at the stone models, pretty impresive, pity they were pulled down they would have made great apartments. i remember them quite well. i came from the top of breck road and heyworth street.:celb (6):
Welcome to the site, just saw your introduction posting. Thanks, ref the model. There is a thread in the past liverpool section called early liverpool housing which goes into the tennies in more detail. You can see what was done with the Bullring, the inner city ones would be worth a fortune now and we only have to look at St. Anne's apartment which were Great Richmond street tennies for proof of that.
I can't see the link at the bottom of the Scottie Press Main Page, if you having the same problem, click the attached;
http://www.scottiepress.org/gallery/stjoes.htm
Then scroll down, it is the third feature on the page.