I'm too lazy to search meself George but do you know who made the lunch and A-Z'D the books?
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I wonder. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...ars/e20301.gif
Everton library and the old Breck rd Rawdon library were amalgamated and reopened as the current one which is in the Breck rd shopping mall.
The old Rawdon was sold over to a private business. ( as you can see in the attachment).
Those old libraries should never have been closed. The Rawdon library was much better placed in it's original location - and not a noisy scruffy, run down shopping mall where it is now :(
I never went in Everton library, but it is such a nice building. The old Breck rd library had a proper library atmosphere - and not at all like the current modern library which is not much more than a large shop. :rolleyes: I suppose the excuse is that it was costing too much to maintain the separate buildings
Hi Bernie,
a bit late,but some pic's I took of Carnegie Library,today! Sad to see it in it's present state,probably awaiting demolition! At the back,there looks like there was an ornamental garden,with paths/lights,but all overgrown now! Couldn't get a shot of the front this time,due to roadworks,near the main entrance.
Steve.
Great photos Steve. :handclap:
It's a real pity the building's been left to ruin. The support scaffolding in the old photo is made from just thin logs, timber planks and rope - plenty of skills in that department from the docks and shipping, I suspect.
Forgot to ask,Lindy,but any idea who the "Rawdon" of the library in Breck rd,was?
As far as I know the Rawdon sisters of the Rawdon family bequeathed the library to the local people, also the recreational play area to the rear of the library (part of which now has new houses built on the site!).
There is a disused water fountain right by the old library, and I think the Rawdon family are mentioned on it. I will look next time I'm passing that way.
Terrible shame to see Lister library in such a sorry state :(
Also, earlier this week I noticed Lodge Lane library in a derelict state. I think most of the roof has gone.
Might pass there next week. (armed with my camera) :)
Not too clear but you can make out Chistopher Rawdon. It does mention about the playground as well as the library.
I'd heard that it was the Rawdon sisters, but perhaps that was something else.
Only just found this Lindy,but it sounds like it wasn't just Carnegie who donated libraries!
Though slightly off-thread,I thought I'd post these pic's of Lister drive baths,which is almost next door to the library! Maybe your dad had some involvement with it's construction Bernie? As you can see,it's no longer used as a swimming baths,and it's now a giant petshop supplier,including fish,in some of the old pools!
(sorry about pic' quality,I think I need a new camera!)
B/W pic' courtesy of L.R.O.
Steve,
Don't know if my Granddad was involved in the baths. My mother went to Lister Drive school in the early 1900's.
The Carnegie library on the corner of Lister Road and Green Lane was closed because of health and safety problems, although I don’t know any further details.
I passed by Everton Library just last week. The roof is wrapped in black plastic sheeting. Plans are apparently being considered as to its future use.
http://www.heritageworks.co.uk/everton.htm
PDF files outline various proposed schemes.
The new Breck Road library was created for two reasons, firstly money: it was cheaper to close two old libraries which were little used and to replace them with one new library which could be opened in modern, rented premises; secondly, usage: it was argued that a position in a busy shopping area would generate more custom. According to the library staff the numbers of people using the new library is more than double that of both the old libraries it replaced combined. However, the last I heard (some years back now) the landlord had increased the rent. Future rent increases appear to have been left out of the calculations which influenced the decision to make the closures. Once a library has been established in a rented building it is no small matter to move it out again, so future rent rises may become a problem, although in the current economic climate the landlord might well prefer to keep a steady tenant in place.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5263/...2fa2f6cc_o.jpg
Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) endowed libraries worldwide. When I was at the Central Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, I saw a letter from him giving money to the library. The Pratt received a donation of $500,000 from Andrew Carnegie to build 20 new library branches. As an industrial magnate, the man was a robber baron, with all the downsides to business practices that that implies, but he also did good in the world in terms of promoting education and literacy.
Chris
I was never out of Everton Library,me...always had me head stuck in a book as a nipper,I became so popular there the Librarians shared their sarnies with me,sometimes they would be sarcastic or crack a joke like..."We can arrange to have a bed brought in for you" or they would stick a label on the chair with my name on it in big letters or they would say you can't come in today the floors been polished. :)
I used to be there at lunch time most days when I was a school boy at John Hamilton. I read through all the bound volumes of Punch (mostly just the cartoons). At that time libraries were still mostly used for reading and the silence rule still held sway. The pressure for more use transformed libraries into community activity centres and drove out the old on-site readers.
Here's a cartoon of Carnegie that appeared in Punch.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/...1240fc99dc.jpg
Just wondering - does anyone know who is the John Hamilton that the school was named after ?
would it be this one ??
http://www.eighthundredlives.org.uk/...lton.aspx?JS=1
Yes, he did some good things and some not so good things. I don't suppose America threw money at it's immigrants. He did well too for us back home in Scotland buying a country park and gifting it to the people of the town. The park is still a cherished place. Peacocks used to wonder freely about it when I were a lad.
Hi Lindy
I don't know how old the school is. There was also an MP for Liverpool in 1880-1888 named John Hamilton, who was later raised to the peerage as Lord Claud John Hamilton (1843–1925).
Chris
It could be the road name as the school hamilton wing was on Hamilton Street?
Met an old friend inside the disused Everton Library on ST Domingo Road between us got some great pics, ,looking out at St Georges Church.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5254/img1015p.jpg
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Well in JB. That was a cracking day and as Griffo said, everyone tries to get in here but you need that bit o' magic - remember. I know Mart has some from that day too.
Good pic :PDT11
Thanks Lindy , Ive got a few more , I will post them up soon.
This was the library I borrowed my books from when I was at Major Lester School in the 50s.The walk up from Everton Valley after school with the book you had just finished not knowing what you were going to borrow was the best part of the day.
From Enid Blyton adventures or Sue Barton Staff Nurse to Robinson Crusoe to Hound of the Baskervilles you read your way round the Junior shelves hoping to be allowed into the more senior section as soon as possible.In the adult part of the library it was all polished wood and stone floors and a reading room with great shelves of reference books which you couldn't take home but were allowed to read at big tables. There were also the daily papers especially the Post ,Echo and Express which carried information about ships around the world and people would call in to check when their husband or dad was coming home.
The librarians were strict but fair and often questioned you on what the story was about to check you had actually read the book. To be allowed an extra ticket was great and long light summer nights reading in bed was what you did, remember TV finished about 10.30 in those days.
The downside was in school holidays when you allowed your books to be overdue something like a penny a day and if it went over a week or two a man in a uniform came to your house to collect the books and the fine- very embarassing.
So what happened to this library? - this was a GREAT public service free books and as many as you could read yet it is a ruined shell. It was a wonderful building but it is more important than that it was the freedom to read and learn no barriers no matter who you were you could use the library.Think of the thousands of children who haven't had access to childrens books, the women who want to read lots of fiction but put family first or the men wanting to read about anything from military history to footy biographies.I might be a bit harsh but I get the feeling there would be more protest about the local club closing down than there would have been about losing the neighbourhood library.
By the way we always called it the St Domingo Library never the Everton Library.
I worked in Kirkby Library in the 80s and it was the lifeblood of a town that had been built without thought to how people would spend their leisure time.It was a meeting place a social centre and a great resource for all the surrounding schools. Closing the libraries is closing minds.
Great recollections Doris., Obviously as you know, we saw your George at the St. Georges church reunion earlier in the year and great memories were shared by all.
It seems to be an urban explorers much sought after venue Doris because one of our contacts showed us a few calling cards that had been left lol
Anyway, another shot of our great explore.
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9...ryinterior.jpg
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