street litter is a problem in liverpool!!!

runcorn is a small town near liverpool with a nice bridge...

it spans the river mersey and the manchester ship canal

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720,000 rivets were used in its construction!!!
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leaving the bridge towards liverpool

well...are you???

public sculpture on the way to the supermarket today...

i had forgotten about this sculpture in wolstenholme square and came across it today on the way to tesco`s...it was commissioned for the liverpool bienniale 2002 and fortunately stayed after that...by jorge pardo and called penelope...quite nice, isn`t it...it is really near cream...i wonder what the clubbers make of it!!!

some other nice buildings in london...

the lloyd`s building...also known as the inside-out building because of the placing of pipes and lifts on the exterior...designed by richard rodgers and completed in 1986...the building had the first glass lifts in the uk...there are 12 of them

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the nat west tower...42 floors and the tallest building in the city of london (but not the tallest building in london)...designed by richard seifert for the nat west bank with the shape following the bank`s logo...opened in 1980...it has some status as the first skyscraper in the city of london

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centre point...looking at it from tottenham court road...35 floors and opened in 1964...a nice example of 60`s architecture and it is now listed so we will see it for years to come...i love it

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muji...not really a building but a very nice sight...in tottenham court road...things cost 2 or 3 times as much as in japan!!!

i like gherkins..especially this one in london!!!

my uncle's topiary...and he is not a professional...not bad!!!

i am staying in new cross..it is very multi-cutural...so we can get great watermelon!!!

waiting for the bus in london...

...hi-tech bus stop
(euston road)
and the bus did come on time!!!

yesterday...on the train to london

on the 15.48 from liverpool to london

the mersey estuary through the runcorn bridge

in london...can't put photos on yet...please wait a little while!!!

the kingsway tunnel under the river from the wirral to liverpool

approaching

in

further in

leaving the tunnel

exiting the wallasey tunnel on the way to new brighton yesterday in the rain...

under the river to new brighton...and my fave seaside cafe

the tables and seats are from old mersey ferries...and there is a boat on the wall..new brighton is a faded seaside town that i love!!!

frothy coffee and scone in the seaside cafe new brighton

the backs of georgian houses...with chimney pots

more neo-classical...walker art gallery and fountain

neo-classical architecture is abundant in liverpool...

...this means lots of nice columns

doric

ionic

corinthian

manchester is great for indian food...

...this is the sweet counter in lily`s cafe in ashton...highly recommended!!!

tadao ando in manchester...

...my favourite japanese architect works wonders in concrete in the uk...in 2002 this screen was erected as part of the redevelopment of piccadilly gardens in manchester...now people walk through it...walk past it...sit in cafes built in it...and look at it...nice job tadao!!!

there are 2 tunnels under the river mersey...this is the queensway one

it took 9 years to complete and is 2 miles long...it was opened in 1934 by king george V...if you look carefully you can see a statue of him on the right

the detailing is very nice art deco style and all buildings are grade 2 listed...it is always a great experience going through the tunnel...but we have to pay a toll (£1.30) at the other end!!!

concrete relief on brick wall...

...the university of liverpool has been acquiring art since its foundation in 1881...many of the buildings constructed by the uni include sculptures on the exterior...sometimes decorative or more often symbolic of the use of the building...this relief of names of famous engineers is on the civil engineering building...maxwell fry did this piece in 1960 when he was 61 years old...he was regarded as the father of the modern movement in architecture in britain...he trained in liverpool and went on to practice with walter gropius (founder of bauhaus)...nice job maxwell!!!

liverpool is not just about georgian architecture...

...this is one of liverpool university`s libraries...the sydney jones library where i spent many an hour studying...opened in 1976 and designed by the architect sir basil spence...he was a modern post-war architect who also designed coventry cathedral...interesting shapes and textures...nice job basil!!!

i love Barbara Hepworth`s work...

and this one is right by my place in the university grounds...i know there is a debate about who put holes in metal first...her or her hubby Henry Moore...i like to think it was her...anyway this bronze sculpture installed in 1969 is beautiful and weathering very well

(abercromby square)