MIHS 50th BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATIVE LECTURE - SIR NEIL COSSONS
Neil’s power point presentation was described as an “anecdotage” (a new word to me!). It was a fascinating travail through Neil's memories of Liverpool, amazingly from as early as 1946. By way of introduction, Neil outlined that his father, a schoolmaster, had decided “what family holidays were for”. They were for “Seeing where the country's wealth comes from”. So Bognor, Butlins, Blackpool, Torquay and Prestatyn were off the list. Instead in the late 40's the Cossons went on holiday to places like Sheffield and Hull.
More importantly for us, they also went to Liverpool. Neil let slip that he had a sister, and we were informed that whilst these “interesting” holiday destinations had not irreparably damaged her for life, going to places like Portsmouth and Liverpool (where he saw HMS Vanguard) had a great
influence on Neil. He was fascinated by steam engines on the docks, the Overhead Railway, trams, railways, ocean liners and steam road vehicles - then still in frequent use in Liverpool.
So in 1958 Neil went to Liverpool University and as a student he said Liverpool seemed “magical”. Once there he joined a varsity “club” called LUPTS (Liverpool University Public Transport Society). (Still going, Ed). Of course in these days there were lots of “affinity” groups and it didn't seem odd to be in one. Today being in such a society might evoke the comment “I didn't know people could be so sad!” He found the choice between a “Sociology” lecture and drifting down to the Pier Head to see fifty or so ships a difficult one to make on a hot summer's day!
Whilst at University, Neil bought a one pound share in preserving a former Liverpool tram, the total cost in 1960 being £50. And this is the green Liverpool tram many of you will have seen at the National Tramway Museum, called “869.” Neil regretted that Liverpool had NO preserved ship on the Mersey and showed images of what he called “lost opportunities” such as the IOM boat Manxman (we were shown distressing pictures of her being cut up in the North East), HMS Plymouth (now being scrapped in Turkey), no old ferry boats saved, and more.
Liverpool’s World Heritage Site status does not seem to have had great influence on the people of the city. (“A prophet is without honour in his own land” Ed.). Liverpool should laud and applaud this fact (but we don't). Neil listed places in Liverpool that had just “slipped their moorings without so much as a whimper”, the Sailors' Home (“if only it had kept going another two years”), Crown Street (the inexorable march of changes needed by
railways), the lovely attractive chimney (pictured) at Smithdown Lane (it would serve no purpose saving it, but as Neil sagely added, “Neither does Stonehenge!” By contrast, the (reluctant) saving of St Pancras in London has created an international railway terminal for this country.
The voice of conservation in this day and age is so much weaker than it was in the 1980's and 90's.Neil remarked that councils, these days, will more or less allow any development, irrespective of merit, if it promises to bring jobs to the area. He said the paradox was that the new high rise
buildings in the centre of town were very poor in design, meanwhile “older and better buildings were being bulldozed”.
Neil opined that Liverpool was bereft of something in the quirky Liverpool environment but some treasures have survived, Oriel Chambers (its architectural design only being exposed thanks to German bombing), St George's, Everton (”The only way I could get in was to go for a service there!”). By contrast Liverpool has the best pre-Second World War Airport surviving, (the only other two contenders being Le Bourget and Templehof) Neil's suggestions to MIHS:
1 Recognise what we've got that needs saving, draw up a plan.
2 Get advocacy at a political level.
3 Make a noise, use the press and radio.
4 Get a popular noisy “champion”. The example given was a chap in Bristol who was very well liked by the people of the city. And when interviewed his every fourth word was “Bristol”.
Neil said there was great merit in gathering like-minded groups of preservationists together, to find common ground. He summed up with “Liverpool is a place where peculiar things happen” and here he showed an image of the restaurant at the Pier Head.
Now I'd better put a disclaimer in the above if the reported speech was not exactly as Neil said and moreover my notes were written in subdued light as most of you know, I am on some strong medication at present, but I think I got the sentiment of his lecture. As you know the last thing I want to do is upset anyone.
Neil’s power point presentation was described as an “anecdotage” (a new word to me!). It was a fascinating travail through Neil's memories of Liverpool, amazingly from as early as 1946. By way of introduction, Neil outlined that his father, a schoolmaster, had decided “what family holidays were for”. They were for “Seeing where the country's wealth comes from”. So Bognor, Butlins, Blackpool, Torquay and Prestatyn were off the list. Instead in the late 40's the Cossons went on holiday to places like Sheffield and Hull.
More importantly for us, they also went to Liverpool. Neil let slip that he had a sister, and we were informed that whilst these “interesting” holiday destinations had not irreparably damaged her for life, going to places like Portsmouth and Liverpool (where he saw HMS Vanguard) had a great
influence on Neil. He was fascinated by steam engines on the docks, the Overhead Railway, trams, railways, ocean liners and steam road vehicles - then still in frequent use in Liverpool.
So in 1958 Neil went to Liverpool University and as a student he said Liverpool seemed “magical”. Once there he joined a varsity “club” called LUPTS (Liverpool University Public Transport Society). (Still going, Ed). Of course in these days there were lots of “affinity” groups and it didn't seem odd to be in one. Today being in such a society might evoke the comment “I didn't know people could be so sad!” He found the choice between a “Sociology” lecture and drifting down to the Pier Head to see fifty or so ships a difficult one to make on a hot summer's day!
Whilst at University, Neil bought a one pound share in preserving a former Liverpool tram, the total cost in 1960 being £50. And this is the green Liverpool tram many of you will have seen at the National Tramway Museum, called “869.” Neil regretted that Liverpool had NO preserved ship on the Mersey and showed images of what he called “lost opportunities” such as the IOM boat Manxman (we were shown distressing pictures of her being cut up in the North East), HMS Plymouth (now being scrapped in Turkey), no old ferry boats saved, and more.
Liverpool’s World Heritage Site status does not seem to have had great influence on the people of the city. (“A prophet is without honour in his own land” Ed.). Liverpool should laud and applaud this fact (but we don't). Neil listed places in Liverpool that had just “slipped their moorings without so much as a whimper”, the Sailors' Home (“if only it had kept going another two years”), Crown Street (the inexorable march of changes needed by
railways), the lovely attractive chimney (pictured) at Smithdown Lane (it would serve no purpose saving it, but as Neil sagely added, “Neither does Stonehenge!” By contrast, the (reluctant) saving of St Pancras in London has created an international railway terminal for this country.
The voice of conservation in this day and age is so much weaker than it was in the 1980's and 90's.Neil remarked that councils, these days, will more or less allow any development, irrespective of merit, if it promises to bring jobs to the area. He said the paradox was that the new high rise
buildings in the centre of town were very poor in design, meanwhile “older and better buildings were being bulldozed”.
Neil opined that Liverpool was bereft of something in the quirky Liverpool environment but some treasures have survived, Oriel Chambers (its architectural design only being exposed thanks to German bombing), St George's, Everton (”The only way I could get in was to go for a service there!”). By contrast Liverpool has the best pre-Second World War Airport surviving, (the only other two contenders being Le Bourget and Templehof) Neil's suggestions to MIHS:
1 Recognise what we've got that needs saving, draw up a plan.
2 Get advocacy at a political level.
3 Make a noise, use the press and radio.
4 Get a popular noisy “champion”. The example given was a chap in Bristol who was very well liked by the people of the city. And when interviewed his every fourth word was “Bristol”.
Neil said there was great merit in gathering like-minded groups of preservationists together, to find common ground. He summed up with “Liverpool is a place where peculiar things happen” and here he showed an image of the restaurant at the Pier Head.
Now I'd better put a disclaimer in the above if the reported speech was not exactly as Neil said and moreover my notes were written in subdued light as most of you know, I am on some strong medication at present, but I think I got the sentiment of his lecture. As you know the last thing I want to do is upset anyone.
