Garston News Views and Discussion

[A.D.W]

Any upcoming meetings about this Proposed Waste Recycling Plant?

[taffy]

Any upcoming meetings about this Proposed Waste Recycling Plant?

Not that I'm aware of but the new petition needs signing, see web version here

http://www.notothelorries.com/

[Paddy]

After my recent trip to Liverpool I have been thinking about issues that I feel are of concern. Something came to my attention about life under the bridge these days. It seems that homes, and even new houses still exist under the bridge yet the community has little or no leisure venues. The community I feel needs a few places to go in the area. A nice big Wetherspoons perhaps, a sports centre or community hall for bingo and dancing. And why not? I walked down Window Lane and I was shocked by the decline not even a shop. As a lad I was always aware that under the bridge was a very tight knit community. However I remember Window Lane as a place you could buy things without having to go to the village and you could certainly have a pint there. Surely with the new developments and regeneration in the area the social life of the community should be catered for. And yes my sister in law is the councilor for the area. However it is people power that makes pressure. As the area is developed it would be nice to think that private capital could be used to provide leisure and shopping facilities in the area. And better street lighting.

[Kev]

Being part of Garston, it has these things despite them being the other side of The Bridge, maybe its that barrier of the bridge.

[Max]

Under the bridge mostly has a pub on King St and and one newsagent on Banks Rd. The Cafes are on Blackburne street and only dock workers would use them.

Does need a community centre or something simular.

The boat on the shoreline is smashed up now to visit too.

[Kev]

There's Garston Urban Village Hall, plus the Village itself.

[Max]

I like village area best, i just like village vibes. The roads are busy round the village area though, always on my driving lessons up there.

[Paddy]

Well I don?t live in the area anymore so I can only work on my past experience. My past experience tells me that discrimination against that part of Garston has always been around. The village is beyond any doubt the focus area because of the demographic factor. Having said that it seems unreasonable to build new homes and insist on historic sanctions against the community. Even if you don?t want to have a pint under the bridge yourself people who live there might. It seems to me that attitudes about where you come from prevent helping to change that immediate environment. You could apply the same reasoning to parts of Speke and brush of social policy change on the basis of ?Oh well it has always been like that anyway? The present reasoning seems to be let Bryant and May look neat and industrious with small office spaces and business units. So that people going to the Airport feel the feel good factor. What about the folk who live behind in one of the oldest communities in Liverpool are we hiding them? I know Doreen cares but Doreen can not do everything on her own. Entrenched attitudes have to change about the area. They are now building new homes. Will the new dwellers be labeled as them from under the bridge? As a sociologist I know the facts don?t speak for themselves it is the interpretations of facts that matter. When Garston was doing alright economically they did have places to go like the Blue and the Rag so why doesn?t the community be empowered to reinvent itself? Their perfectly capable. I remember the Woodcutters as a lad and the joy they brought to children in the Garston area. Also the pram race. Another misconception about under the bridge is that the people are hostile. That?s not true. Historic neglect has made them weary is more to the point.

[Norm NZ]

Re: 'Life under the bridge'

Quote:-"After my recent trip to Liverpool I have been thinking about issues that I feel are of concern. Something came to my attention about life under the bridge these days. It seems that homes, and even new houses still exist under the bridge yet the community has little or no leisure venues. The community I feel needs a few places to go in the area." unquote:

" I totally agree Paddy, the community should have more facilities for recreation and enjoyment! But it never did have!! you would have to go back pre-war! to the time when the old Jubilee Institute in King St was going!! and there was'nt much more than this! the area was always over loaded with pubs, and this was all that was needed, don't forget, in those early days pubs were used by people as a extension of their own homes, 'The Parlours' & the "Snug's was their entertainment area's. Those wanting a 'night out' would prefare to travel to the 'Village' The Wintergardens, the Co-Op Hall, Masonic Hall etc for dancing, and the Empire and Lyceum cinema's of course for the movies " I remember it all so well!! Cheers

[taffy]

Well I don?t live in the area anymore so I can only work on my past experience. My past experience tells me that discrimination against that part of Garston has always been around. The village is beyond any doubt the focus area because of the demographic factor. Having said that it seems unreasonable to build new homes and insist on historic sanctions against the community. Even if you don?t want to have a pint under the bridge yourself people who live there might. It seems to me that attitudes about where you come from prevent helping to change that immediate environment. You could apply the same reasoning to parts of Speke and brush of social policy change on the basis of ?Oh well it has always been like that anyway? The present reasoning seems to be let Bryant and May look neat and industrious with small office spaces and business units. So that people going to the Airport feel the feel good factor. What about the folk who live behind in one of the oldest communities in Liverpool are we hiding them? I know Doreen cares but Doreen can not do everything on her own. Entrenched attitudes have to change about the area. They are now building new homes. Will the new dwellers be labeled as them from under the bridge? As a sociologist I know the facts don?t speak for themselves it is the interpretations of facts that matter. When Garston was doing alright economically they did have places to go like the Blue and the Rag so why doesn?t the community be empowered to reinvent itself? Their perfectly capable. I remember the Woodcutters as a lad and the joy they brought to children in the Garston area. Also the pram race. Another misconception about under the bridge is that the people are hostile. That?s not true. Historic neglect has made them weary is more to the point.

I agree with a lot of what you have to say Paddy but the closure of pubs in Garston and elsewhere is simply because people's habits are changing. They no longer use pubs in the way they once were used. So the pubs become uneconomic and close through lack of local support. The same goes for social clubs too.

I've often wondered why communities ( in their true non PC sense) and their activities die out. The answer must be their failure to help themselves through lack of local leadership. By this I don't mean the local council. Such leadership can only come from within or else it simply reinforces the dependancy culture. So the people of Garston have to look to themselves as to why the excellent Garston Carnival which ran for many years and indeed the pram race died out. A recent attempt to bring new community life to Garston was the "Artistic Republic of Garston" organisation. I don't know the background but this seems to no longer be functioning. Was it due to lack of support from the locals?

[Ged]

What was Bankfield House where the fun run I used to do started from, wasn't that a community centre at one time?

[Kev]

A recent attempt to bring new community life to Garston was the "Artistic Republic of Garston" organisation. I don't know the background but this seems to no longer be functioning. Was it due to lack of support from the locals?

Would u agree that the recent A.R.C of Garston only served the interests of those directly involved? I'm unsure of how it engaged ordinary members of the Garston Comunity.

What's happened to The Slaughter House Art gallery?

[Paddy]

Well I can remember the Bobbins! I found Norm and Taffy to be quite interesting, let?s think about it! When I say it should have leisure facilities I don?t mean it should be full of pubs gaiety, and general hedonism. What I encountered was a limbo. On one hand there is regeneration as in new homes being built. Then the other side of the coin is neglect of the still existing older part of the area. On Window Lane the street lighting was appalling and you must consider that in this day and age it is unacceptable, even if some folk find it atmospheric. I know Norm is right about the area and I do realize that the village is only a step. However some of the old stigma should vanish with regeneration. The no go area mentality went out with the ark in my book. If you consider how the Scotland road area has once again become a thriving community with social clubs and its own news letter the ?Scottie Press? then it should not be to difficult to imagine a Garston that is more cohesive. To get there, attitudes have to change. I think the biggest change has to be the unlabeling of the area .Also with changes in how we shop and how we dine the area might be amply served with just a few outlets. So it is not a massive economic project. Empowering is something that can be brought about by the dynamic of creativity that exists within communities. Lets face it discourse is better than a laugh and a joke about the place.

[taffy]

Would u agree that the recent A.R.C of Garston only served the interests of those directly involved? I'm unsure of how it engaged ordinary members of the Garston Comunity.

What's happened to The Slaughter House Art gallery?

The Slaughterhouse Gallery has closed I believe. I think the ARC tried to involve the community but clearly didn't succeed. Whose fault would that be? Remember the fun day the ARC had last year. Surely an attempt to involve the community and advertise what the ARC were about.

[Kev]

I didn't know any of them despite living in Garston all my life, they would often play up their links to Garston I felt. At the top you had the Artist Alex C, then it filtered down to numerous individuals who were suposed to be artists, designers all from Garston. I'm not sure if I was a local lad in my younger years during the 80's if I'd have been inspired by the project. I was too busy playing football.

The day of the fun day, my mum didn't know much about it despite being in a local pub working at the time.