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Thread: Gardens of Stone: Free City Centre Screening

  1. #16
    MissInformed
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    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..

  2. #17
    Senior Member The Gardens's Avatar
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    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.

  3. #18
    PhilipG
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    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.
    The only regret I had was that I'd eaten before I set out as a good spread of food was also supplied.
    Last edited by PhilipG; 01-20-2007 at 08:10 PM.

  4. #19
    Senior Member The Gardens's Avatar
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    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.

  5. #20
    MissInformed
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    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!!

  6. #21
    PhilipG
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    Paul let me take some photos of his model of Gerard Gardens, and has given permission for me to post them here.
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  7. #22
    Re-member Ged's Avatar
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    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?

  8. #23
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    Pleased to meet Caroline and the two Phil's.


  9. #24
    MissInformed
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ged View Post
    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?
    that made me laugh!

  10. #25
    PhilipG
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ged View Post
    Pleased to meet Caroline and the two Phil's.
    Likewise, Ged, & I include everybody from this forum.

  11. #26
    MissInformed
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    Paul talking after the film.


  12. #27
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    Default Gardens of stone at the glaxo centre

    Another pic showing Paul, PhilipG and Ged in deep discussions prompted by the after screening debate.
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  13. #28
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    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.

  14. #29
    chippie
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    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.

  15. #30
    Re-member Ged's Avatar
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    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.

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