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)

i think i`ll change the name of my blog to LET`S ICE CREAM VAN!!!

they are everywhere here!!!

the woman who was operating it shouted at me not to take a photo of her...i didn`t want to anyway...she was nothing special...but i wonder why she was so camera-shy???

different town...different cafe...different length spoon

copperpot cafe
blackpool
17cm long spoon

i`ve never quite understood why we vote on a thursday in england...but we do

i loved school...so i hated voting day cos my school was turned into a polling station and we had the day off...when i became a primary school teacher i loved voting day cos my school turned into a polling station and we had the day off...this is the local nursery school turned into a polling station yesterday when we voted for our members of the european parliament...i guess the teachers were happy!!!

i spy with my little eye 3 things beginning with K

(crosby)

did you notice on yesterday`s blog there were some men standing on the beach...well they are not men!!!

they are art!!!

antony gormley is one of our great living artists and we are fortunate to have this amazing installation on the beach at waterloo/crosby...100 cast-iron life-size men are spaced out along 3 kilometers of beach and all look in the same direction out to sea...he used his own body to make the moulds

liverpool has a nice beach at waterloo...

the river mersey is very wide and opens into the irish sea...it seems like you are at the sea-side...even tho it is just a river...and there is a beautiful wind farm in the sea...today the tide was out

the spoon situation gets worse...look at what they gave me this time to stir the latte!!!