Mersey ferry terminal revamp reveals weight of history

ANCHORS at Seacombe stand the test of time. When the bridges, at Seacombe Ferry Terminal, were 1st installed, Queen Victoria was on the throne and Liverpool FC were 2 years from being formed. The giant linkspan bridges are now being replaced after withstanding everything the Mersey's thrown at them for more than 130 years. As part of the ₤7m project, original cast iron anchors holding the landing stage in place since 1890 were brought to the surface. The anchors are so well preserved they will continue to be used. The landing stage will also be revamped as part of the work that started in December 2020.

Marine Operations Manager Ian Hayman said:- "We actually had to get out the anchors that hold down the landing stage while carrying out the surveys. What we 've discovered is that many of them are actually the original ones installed when the linkspan bridges were put in place and they 're in good working order. The only real changes we need to make is replacing some of the chain, but bar that, they 're a piece of history that's still doing a good job."

The old linkspan bridges will be removed this summer and new, lighter ones installed.

Mr Hayman added:- "The weight of the bridges is around 350 and 290 tonnes each which means they're outside the lifting capacity of the crane, which means some work has to take place before they can be taken out. For example, on the north linkspan, the roof is being removed and then split into 2 sections to enable the crane to lift each bit safely. The new bridges will be considerably lighter thanks to modern techniques and materials. They'll both be assembled in Garston Dock, lifted onto a barge and then floated down the river and lifted into place using the crane. There's also going to be a refurbishment of the landing stage pontoon and booms. When they were originally installed twenty years ago, the plan was always to get to this initial point and carry out a major revamp to take it through the next twenty years.

Principal Officer, Structural, Civils and Marine Gareth Denton said:- "It's a real testament to the Victorian engineers that they were able to get such heavy structures in there in the 1st place, although it's likely that they assembled most of it on site."

He also added that the new bridges would:- "be quite similar to the 1 at Pierhead. In the design process we've taken into account the heritage elements so externally it will give the appearance of the 'arch' that it does currently."

The project team discovered the original Victorian gangways were hydraulically operated and there was a hydraulic locomotive lift that raised trains onto the floating part of the structure.

New hydraulic gangways will be installed on the landing stage, replacing the manual ones.

And the original fog bell, which is still operational, will be restored.

Gareth said:- "The current gangways aren't the originals (they were installed in 1970) but the principle is the same as when the linkspan bridges were 1st installed. We're looking at whether we can keep one of them maybe as an 'historical' piece, but we'll also need them both for spare parts for the gangways at Woodside."

Services are currently being re-routed to Woodside while the Seacombe Ferry Terminal work takes place.
 

LCR Music Board Black Lives Matter Manifesto

LIVERPOOL City Region Music Board is proud to share its Black Lives Matter Manifesto, now published on the Music Board's website. Created in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement and born from the Board's dedication to diversity and inclusivity, the manifesto details the Board's commitments to acknowledging the contribution of Black people to the local music scene, past and present, while also improving the support and incorporation of Black music professionals, Black led organisations and their work, into Liverpool City Region's music and music culture eco system.

Following the recent recruitment of eight new Music Board members, the Manifesto's action to increase the cultural mix of Board membership and sub groups, with a commitment to a minimum of 30% Black membershas now been accomplished. And the Board is well underway in developing its specific Black Lives Matter sub group.

LCR Board member and Chair of the new BLM sub-group, Jennifer John, who played a significant role in the creation of the Manifesto, said:- "As a black female music industry professional, I know 1st hand about the challenges that exist when trying to progress in an industry that's historically not as inclusive as it should be. As a Music Board we aim to be proactive in the strategic development of a sustainable infrastructure that includes and supports black artists working within the sector across all music genres. The BLM sub group is a collaboration of music industry professionals and creatives who have a wealth of experience and a cross section of skills and experience that we can all share and learn from. This is an invaluable opportunity to redress imbalance and create a sustainable and dynamic sector that the City Region can be extremely proud of."

LCR Music Board, and specifically its BLM sub group, is contributing to a research project led by The University of Liverpool, which focuses on the challenges and needs of Black music creatives and industry professionals, as well as those specialising, in Black music, based in the Liverpool City Region. This research project will generate key recommendations that will inform actions to be driven into policy and practice by the LCR Music Board.

Going forward the LCR Music Board aims to consciously ensure that the City's Black music scene is fairly represented in all marketing materials that sell the City as a music tourism destination. And the Board has made the decision to no longer use the acronym 'BAME,' nor will it use "urban" as the generic term to describe music of Black origin.

Yaw Owusu, LCR Board member and members of the BLM sub group, said:- "This commitment to real change is long overdue. The forming and empowerment of the Sub Group will be an effective way to progress the manifesto commitments, as a body that can, and will, make sure there are fair, equal and equitable opportunities for so many, who due to their ethnicity have not had those opportunities in the past. We will also work with organisations and individuals who understand that real inclusion will allow us all to benefit from a richer and stronger music ecology in the Region."

Jennifer John added:- "If Liverpool is to be an authentic City of music then it needs to reflect the multi culturalism and more specifically the contribution that Black people and Black music has made and continues to make, and the corresponding wealth of music, culture and business that results from this. We believe that this is also core to being a UNESCO City of Music, in the 21st Century."

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:-"From pioneering artists to our legendary grassroots scene, music is an indelible part of our Region's DNA; something that we are famous for across the world. I set up the Liverpool City Region Music Board to protect our musical heritage, promote its exciting present and shape its future. But part of shaping the future has to be about coming to terms with our past. That means honouring the contribution of black people to the industry and taking action to tackle the structural inequalities that still exist. We have worked closely with communities across our Region to develop and launched our Race Equality Programme last year, have taken action to improve representation on the LCR Music Board and I'm really proud to see how they have come together to produce the Black Lives Matter Manifesto."

The LCR Music Board Black Lives Matter Manifesto has been decorated in bespoke artwork commissioned by local artist, Sumuyya Khader. She recently set up Granby Press, a community based organisation with a focus on printed material and design while also developing an archive of black culture and history in the L8 area of Liverpool.

The LCR Music Board BLM Manifesto can be downloaded from the Board website:- LCRMusicBoard.Co.UK.