New Brighton, Wirral.

[daveh]

New Brighton sits at the top right-hand corner of the Wirral peninsula just under ten miles from home.

[photax]

Hi Dave,

Beautiful pictures ! Just had a look at google earth: This part of the earth is "terra incognita" to me, just made it to London and Cornwall x-years ago. Is this an old military area ? I like the lighthouse, is it still in operation ?

MIK

[daveh]

MIK,

Thanks. The fort was built in Napoleonic times to guard the mouth of the Mersey. I don't think it was in use for too many years, and I doubt it fired a shot in anger - unless it did during WWII. It's named Fort Perch Rock. It's now a museum.

The lighthouse was built in the early 1800s too. It was in use till about twenty five years ago. It is though being maintained (? by a family trust).

The wind-farms are springing up everywhere. On the second photo you might just be able to make out a gas platform on the horizon, just to the left of centre.

(We might need to look the details up, to make sure I have got the dates and suchlike correct.)

Dave.

[nikonbob]

Dave

The third picture reminds me of here if those are grain elevators that i am seeing. Those windmills are popping up over here too and locally there is a movement to stop one such farm. I see the need for them but darn they are ugly in certain settings.

MIK

If Dave will pardon me for jumping in here, Liverpool was a very important western terminus for the Atlantic convoys during WWII and a departure point for the convoy run to Russia. Convoys were critical to the out come of the war and the Battle of the Atlantic was the longest running battle lasting from beginning to end.

Bob

[Wahoo]

Nice photos Dave, I've been there a loong time ago, I remember the Old Castle but not the Wind Farm.

New Brighton, isn't that where Ringo worked about 50 years ago ?

Danny

[daveh]

Danny, I do remember a Ringo connection with New Brighton, now that you mention it. I had to look it up: he was a barman on the Mersey Ferry boats. The ferries still run between Birkenhead, Liverpool and Liscard but not to New Brighton now. There used to be a pier and landing stage just where the round building is on the right of photo 4. The ferry used to bring people in their thousands to New Brighton, mainly from Liverpool, on day trips. Now they go to Benidorm. The wind farms have only arrived in the last few years.

Bob, as you say Liverpool was important in WW2 - Battle of the Atlantic, Western Approaches. There is a museum now on this theme www.liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk/history/ New Brighton itself doesn't have any docks: most are on the Liverpool side with others in Wallasey and Birkenhead, with Cammel Lairds, the ship builders also in Birkenhead.

Dave.

[mickeyobe]

Splendid pictures, Dave.

When I look at pictures of windmill "farms" and of off shore oil pumping equipment I much prefer the windmills.
If we must have a choice between necessary evils perhaps we should try to change our perceptions of these devices. The oil pumps look like ugly prehistoric predatory creatures. The windmills are graceful, soaring, elegant birds.

There is a dispute right now about setting up a windmill "farm" off the Toronto shoreline in lake Ontario.
I don't know how it will play out. Either way some people will be unhappy but we need the electric power whether it is coal, nuclear, hydro, solar or wind.

Mickey

[nikonbob]

Dave

A few of the old guys in the CPOs Mess had fond memories of Liverpool but not the convoy runs themselves.

Mickey

I guess it is pretty common to have resistance to the establishment of windmill farms but as you say what choice is there at this time. I had not heard of the proposal down your way.

Bob

[daveh]

Bob,

....and of course there is a large number of people whose memories would not have been so fond. By that I mean the numbers of slaves who were moved on to their new homes form Africa via Liverpool. I am not sure about those free people who went to America, Canada, and elsewhere. Some might have had fond memories, others less so. Those second world war convoys must have been hell.


Mickey, I certainly agree with the lesser of evils theory. I prefer them out to sea rather than on land - well, I think I do. I always wonder if they are quite as energy efficient as they are claimed to be. There seems to be some political gain in promoting them in the present climate (in both senses of the word).

Dave.