Through out my university course, we have had the opportunity to learn several new skills, use new and up to date equipment, work with others including people who are involved in the professional industry.
This Client Brief requires us to find our own client, in the area of photography that we intend to progress into after we have gratuated University.
For my last project, our client Brief, I was able to work with Sefton Council Archive, which is housed in Crosby Library, in their local history archive.
Whilst trying to research Litherland, and find information regarding the small suburb of Liverpool I was quite shocked that I could not find a large amount of research material. I intend to contact the Crosby Library local history archive myself anyway, however I received their information and was told that they would be able to help me after getting a reply from a member of staff at the Liverpool Central Library Archive. I have gotten in touch with them first as I thought that the Liverpool Central Archive would not have as much material on Litherland, and so I could add to their photographic collection. I was informed that Liverpool Central Archive does not actually house any information on Litherland, as Litherland is only a suburb of Liverpool but is not part of Liverpool Council; instead it comes as a Borough of Sefton Council. Hence my contacting the Sefton Council photographic archive, in Crosby.
I decided to produce a series of images and and submit them to the archive, so that if anybody else decides to research Litherland, now or in a ten years or so, they would be able to compare my images to some of the imagery from the early and late 1900's. As the manager of the archive in Crosby Library said:
"In ten years the places that you have photographed may have changed, been demolished or completely forgotten about and run down; however, the images you produce now will be a documentation of now and archival, in ten years they will represent the past."
"In ten years the places that you have photographed may have changed, been demolished or completely forgotten about and run down; however, the images you produce now will be a documentation of now and archival, in ten years they will represent the past."
- Mark Sargant
Having lived in Litheland all of my life, I know a number of sites that have either changed, been refurbished or buildings that have completely disappeared within the last ten years or so. Before going out and photographing, I compiled a list of these places so that I knew exactly where I wanted to go and photograph. This also allowed me to check off each place, and it helped me to manage my time, making sure that I did not spend too much time photographing one site and then spending less than ten minutes at another place.
Below are my final 11 images and a description of why I chose to photograph each site, or the significance of the place to me.
1 – Litherland Bridge
This first image is of Litherland Bridge, I do not remember this but I have been told that there used to be a lift or swing bridge there. I have also seen images of the old bridge, it was a large structure and I think that it being pulled down would have made a massive change to the city scope. I decided to photograph this bridge because I know that photographs of the old bridge are accessible to the public, and therefore both images could be compared.
2 – Church Street Flats
On this site, there used to be a nightclub called Secrets and then before that, there was a cinema named the Regal. I never knew the Regal cinema; however I do remember when Secrets nightclub was there as my sister sometimes used to go there on Saturday nights. The M6 leads to the M58 motorways, which is used as the most common route to take to travel to Liverpool; then on the roads leading into Litherland these flats, are one of the first things that you see. Therefore, the flats display a new renovated area and I believe that this gives Litherland a good image.
3 – Litherland NHS Walk in Centre
When I was younger; this building was Litherland Town Hall, however now it is a NHS walk in centre. The Town Hall had a Ball Room, and in the Hatton Hill entrance (photographed), I have been told that there was a small room and window that people would go to where would pay their rent on council houses.
4 – KFC Building
Once a pub called the White House, this building also had a sign saying ‘Tut ‘n’ Shive’. This always confused me, as I did not know what to call this pub. A couple of years ago it was turned into a KFC fast food restaurant, which now generates a lot of business. I wanted to document this place in Litherland, because I think that it is a beautiful building and it would be a shame if it was ever demolished. At least now, I have a photograph of the building to remember the place that many people would have memories of.
5 – Hatton Hill Park Main Area
Back when I was younger, the small mounds that appear in the background of the park, behind the park equipment used to be made out of concrete and gravel. One day, my father, my sister and I, were on our bikes riding over the mounds and my sister went over her handle bars and broke her arm. I believe that the mounds were dug up and replaced with grass and asphalt. I think that many peoples childhood memories may somehow include stories of this park.
6 – Hatton Hill Park Children’s Play Area
The Children’s Play Area in Litherland Park has not been there very long; however since it has been there it has been very popular, with children playing there with their parents after school and at weekends.
7 – Hatton Hill Park Children’s Play Area with Queen Elizabeth Court in the background
I decided to photograph the Children’s Play Area twice from different perspectives, due to the fact that I wanted to try and include as much information in my images. Within this image, I was able to include Queen Elizabeth Residential Home in the background. I actually went and interviewed some of the residents of this nursing home for my last project; 1 of the interviewees told me that the park used to be farm land, and that part of the park, used to be situated on the very spot where this man now lives. I found this very interesting, I hope that in 10 years or so, people will be looking back on my photographs and remembering their own stories and memories of these places.
8 – The Red Lion Pub
As of 2007 there were estimated to be 668 Red Lion Pubs in Britain, I found this information from an online search engine. Fortunately Litherland has its own Red Lion Pub, which is accessible by foot and is also close to Seaforth and Litherland rail way station. This is a very iconic building in Litherland as it can be seen by people driving over the freeway, and from the road that leads from the M58 into Litherland.
9 – St Philips Church
I have always thought that St Philips Church on Church Road was a beautiful building, and I know that many people from Litherland feel that same way. The church is situated alongside a dual carriage way, and therefore it was very difficult to take a photograph of the church without there being a number of cars driving past it. I was eventually able to catch a gap in the traffic, and was able to photograph the church without a car, truck or van obstructing the church.
10 – Subway Building
This building, a few years ago was the local post office; my friends and I always used to buy our travel cards in the post office and then get the bus into Liverpool City Centre. However, now it is one of the most popular sandwich shops to come over to the UK from America, a Subway store. Unfortunately I was not able to find any images of this place when it was the post office, but I am pleased that I was able to document the building as it is now.
11 – Litherland Tesco Supermarket
1 – Litherland Bridge
This first image is of Litherland Bridge, I do not remember this but I have been told that there used to be a lift or swing bridge there. I have also seen images of the old bridge, it was a large structure and I think that it being pulled down would have made a massive change to the city scope. I decided to photograph this bridge because I know that photographs of the old bridge are accessible to the public, and therefore both images could be compared.
2 – Church Street Flats
On this site, there used to be a nightclub called Secrets and then before that, there was a cinema named the Regal. I never knew the Regal cinema; however I do remember when Secrets nightclub was there as my sister sometimes used to go there on Saturday nights. The M6 leads to the M58 motorways, which is used as the most common route to take to travel to Liverpool; then on the roads leading into Litherland these flats, are one of the first things that you see. Therefore, the flats display a new renovated area and I believe that this gives Litherland a good image.
3 – Litherland NHS Walk in Centre
When I was younger; this building was Litherland Town Hall, however now it is a NHS walk in centre. The Town Hall had a Ball Room, and in the Hatton Hill entrance (photographed), I have been told that there was a small room and window that people would go to where would pay their rent on council houses.
4 – KFC Building
Once a pub called the White House, this building also had a sign saying ‘Tut ‘n’ Shive’. This always confused me, as I did not know what to call this pub. A couple of years ago it was turned into a KFC fast food restaurant, which now generates a lot of business. I wanted to document this place in Litherland, because I think that it is a beautiful building and it would be a shame if it was ever demolished. At least now, I have a photograph of the building to remember the place that many people would have memories of.
5 – Hatton Hill Park Main Area
Back when I was younger, the small mounds that appear in the background of the park, behind the park equipment used to be made out of concrete and gravel. One day, my father, my sister and I, were on our bikes riding over the mounds and my sister went over her handle bars and broke her arm. I believe that the mounds were dug up and replaced with grass and asphalt. I think that many peoples childhood memories may somehow include stories of this park.
6 – Hatton Hill Park Children’s Play Area
The Children’s Play Area in Litherland Park has not been there very long; however since it has been there it has been very popular, with children playing there with their parents after school and at weekends.
7 – Hatton Hill Park Children’s Play Area with Queen Elizabeth Court in the background
I decided to photograph the Children’s Play Area twice from different perspectives, due to the fact that I wanted to try and include as much information in my images. Within this image, I was able to include Queen Elizabeth Residential Home in the background. I actually went and interviewed some of the residents of this nursing home for my last project; 1 of the interviewees told me that the park used to be farm land, and that part of the park, used to be situated on the very spot where this man now lives. I found this very interesting, I hope that in 10 years or so, people will be looking back on my photographs and remembering their own stories and memories of these places.
8 – The Red Lion Pub
As of 2007 there were estimated to be 668 Red Lion Pubs in Britain, I found this information from an online search engine. Fortunately Litherland has its own Red Lion Pub, which is accessible by foot and is also close to Seaforth and Litherland rail way station. This is a very iconic building in Litherland as it can be seen by people driving over the freeway, and from the road that leads from the M58 into Litherland.
9 – St Philips Church
I have always thought that St Philips Church on Church Road was a beautiful building, and I know that many people from Litherland feel that same way. The church is situated alongside a dual carriage way, and therefore it was very difficult to take a photograph of the church without there being a number of cars driving past it. I was eventually able to catch a gap in the traffic, and was able to photograph the church without a car, truck or van obstructing the church.
10 – Subway Building
This building, a few years ago was the local post office; my friends and I always used to buy our travel cards in the post office and then get the bus into Liverpool City Centre. However, now it is one of the most popular sandwich shops to come over to the UK from America, a Subway store. Unfortunately I was not able to find any images of this place when it was the post office, but I am pleased that I was able to document the building as it is now.
11 – Litherland Tesco Supermarket
Before this site was turned into the large supermarket Tesco, it was waste land and before that it was Lanstar Tannery. During the construction of the Tesco, the builders had to excavate around 3 layers of earth and mud to get rid of the poisons and chemicals that had seeped into the ground. I especially like this image, and the images of the KFC as you can see the Red Lion Pub in the background of both. Also, I am very happy with this photograph of Tesco, as I achieved the right level of lighting, and I took this on a Sunday morning so that the car park was not as full as it usually is on a Saturday or on a day through the week.
