John Maguire (Creative Director, ArtsGroupie CIC)
Those of us who were able to take part in the final activity of the conference were rewarded with an extremely engaging and informative tour of the city. John was very attentive to the interests of the group and provided a tour rooted in deep historical context, blending academic rigour with an entertaining narrative style.
Pictured: Librarians visiting the Memorial to the
Marine Engine Room Heroes and The Nelson Monument.
We were therefore led on a bespoke tour starting at the Liverpool Waterfront by the Museum of Liverpool, and near to RIBA North, with views of the “Three Graces” – The Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool building which together form a classic panorama of the city.
Pictured: John leading the tour in sight of ‘The Three Graces’.
We moved on through the civic district of the city via the Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas, which is Liverpool’s parish church on a site of worship since the mid-1200s. While it now looks incongruous against more modern surrounding buildings, it more than maintains its place as a gathering place for its congregation and outreach projects.
Pictured: Church of St Luke, Liverpool – ‘the bombed-out church‘.
An unexpected treat came in the commercial centre of the city, by way of serendipitous access to Liverpool Town Hall, courtesy of John’s brother Liam who works there! He gave us access and a brief history of the Neoclassical building.
Pictured: Liverpool Town and Librarians on tour!
The walk moved onto see the Cultural Quarter of St George’s Hall, the Museum of Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery and Liverpool Central Library. It’s easy as a resident of the city to take these places for granted so it was great to see them with a renewed perspective to help me appreciate them all the more. Central Library was rebuilt and reopened in 2013, combining a stunning glass roofed central atrium space with the historic circular Picton Reading Room, as well as the Hornby Library and Oak Room. It was in the latter that we saw one of the jewels of the collection, a rare copy of Audubon’s The Birds of America and which drew the walk to its conclusion.
Pictured: Liverpool Central Library, Picton Reading Room;
Artscape paving outside the entrance.
John’s tour leader dynamic was enjoyed by the group, and it was great to hear that our fee will be used to provide community heritage and arts projects, including puppet shows, for children from less affluent areas of Liverpool over the summer holidays. If anyone comes back to visit Liverpool again, I hope they remember John’s historical anecdotes, I for one will think of him the next time I see statues of Minerva!
Clair Sharpe, University of Liverpool
Pictured: rare book in the Hornby Library.
Pictured: Brocklebank Dock and tug boat; grafitti in the city.
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