North Liverpool regeneration could spark city revival

Standing by his plans: Councillor Joe Anderson
Image (C)2012 Adam Wareing

LIVERPOOL is sitting in a slump of deprivation and unemployment; however, several proposals for the city’s neglected north could bring jobs and investment — but they are not without challenges.

Developments like the Great Homer Street District Centre (formerly Project Jennifer), Liverpool Waters, and the Football Quarter could significantly revitalise the area, but each has significant hurdles to overcome.

The city’s predicament was highlighted in a study by the GMB, published on gmb.org.uk in August 2011, that found Liverpool had the highest rate of unemployment in the North West at that time.

And in a further study also available on the GMB site, from January 2012, Paul McCarthy, Regional Secretary for the North West Region said: “There are parts of the region like Liverpool and Knowsley in such despair that more than a quarter of households with people of working age have no one in work. The prospects for these are bleak...”

Liverpool was also officially “…the most deprived city in England“, as revealed by David Bartlett on liverpoolecho.co.uk in August 2011.

In an article on guardian.co.uk, from January 2012, Amelia Gentleman also showed some of Liverpool’s hardship by talking to Thomas Bebb, 45, from Kirkdale — who, after debts and bills are paid, only has £20 per week left from his benefits for food and clothes.

However, several major schemes, have been proposed that have the potential turn the city’s fortunes around.

Liverpool City Council and South Sefton Council launched the North Liverpool & South Sefton Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) following a review in 2009.

The SRF summary can be viewed online from liverpoolvision.co.uk.

In the summary’s foreword, written by Liverpool City Council leader, Joe Anderson and the leader of Sefton Borough Council, Peter Dowd, it is stated that the framework was intended to offer: “… an overarching vision and integrated long term strategy to deliver fundamental and sustainable change in North Liverpool and South Sefton.”

However, so far, it has been far from plain sailing for a couple of the proposals mentioned in the document. 

The Great Homer Street District Centre (formerly Project Jennifer), began in 2000, according to greathomerstreet.co.uk, when local residents sought to improve the area.

As the website outlines, the regeneration scheme would include new homes, business accommodation, retail space, and a Sainsbury‘s that would be the largest superstore in Merseyside.

It is believed the development would generate more than 1,000 jobs.

Liverpool City Council took on the scheme and requested developer proposals in 2003, but since then the £150m project has hit some snags.    

A well-publicised dispute involving Sainsbury’s and rival supermarket Tesco threatened progress, but Tesco’s appeal against their planning permission refusal was rejected by the High Court in 2010.

The project now looks set to be dragged through further legal proceedings, as an inquiry is due to be held some time in the summer of 2012, after local businesses objected to the compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).

Cllr Anderson said: “I’m confident that we will get the desired outcome in the public inquiry and I’m sure the area will finally be developed.” 

Liverpool Waters is a project designed to revive disused areas of Liverpool’s dockland.

According to investmerseyside.com, the scheme will create offices, over 9000 new homes, a cultural building, a new cruise terminal and support local shops and restaurants.

The 55 storey Shanghai Tower will also be built, which would be the UK’s tallest building outside of London.

However, this scheme is also currently facing a significant problem.

In a story on bbc.co.uk, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO), were quoted as saying that the current proposals  would cause "a serious deterioration of [Liverpool's] architectural and town-planning coherence, a serious loss of historical authenticity and an important loss of cultural significance".

And that "several key views from the north will be blocked by the new developments, while also the hard-won views of the Three Graces from Kings Dock will disappear against a backdrop of supertowers".

There is a fear that the city’s World Heritage Site status could be put in jeopardy, unless the plans are changed.

Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Kemp has also been critical of the scheme, as reported by Luke Traynor on liverpoolecho.co.uk.

In the story, Cllr Kemp states that there is “hard evidence” that people come to Liverpool because of its World Heritage Site status.

He also said: “I choose having tourist money in the bank now over possible investment money in the future.”

In a story on liverpoolecho.co.uk by David Bartlett, Cllr Anderson has been quoted as saying: “From the city's point of view we want both – to retain the World Heritage Site status and to secure investment that the Peel project brings, so we will be working to reach a compromise.”

The head of Liverpool City Council believes that the development could bring in around £5.5bn of investment and between 15,000 and 20,000 jobs.

Cllr Anderson said, in an interview with The Brain in the Cookie Jar: “…I think we’d be absolutely mad to turn that down.

“The reality is, is I don’t believe people in America or in Scandinavia, or anywhere in the world, wake up of a morning and say “let’s have a look at World Heritage sites‘ status certificates, to see who, where we will visit today”.

“They visit Liverpool because of what we’ve got and the people that we have, and I don’t believe for one minute that it will impact on our tourism sector or our industry. In fact, on the contrary, if we redevelop that part of North Liverpool, and create those jobs and opportunities, I believe we will get more people coming to the city, not less.”

A proposal that could utilise the international appeal, and uniquely close proximity of the city‘s Premier League football clubs is the Football Quarter.

The scheme is a red and blue effort from two supporters’ groups, Keeping Everton In Our City and the Spirit of Shankly group, combined to be called the All Together Now Group.

A prospectus, available to download at thefootballquarter.com, was launched recently that says that plans will include a communal open-air ‘Fan Zone’ for supporters on match days, as well as museums, hotels, bars, cafes and transport links.

However, it seems the scheme still has a long way to go.

Dr. Paul Gardner, 28, from Kirkby, Youth Officer at Spirit of Shankly said: “The current obstacles are clear in this current economic climate with funding and support from the business community vital and difficult. But with innovative ideas and drive these can be overcome.”

He added: “The Football Quarter aims to be inclusive rather than exclusive. It has the ability to massively improve the North Liverpool area, but it must not detract from the essence that the area holds with Stanley Park at its heart. Whilst commercial development will be a big driver, community needs must lie at the forefront of any regeneration to deliver the best for all stakeholders.”

Cllr Anderson also spoke about the challenges the Football Quarter faces.

He said: “…whilst I think it’s viable and do-able and, you know, achievable, and it’s something that we should aspire to make happen, the reality is…Everton don’t have a lot of money.”

He added that for the current idea to work, both clubs would require new stadiums, but re-iterated that the plan was possible.

And said: “From our point of view, from city council’s point of view, we’re doing all we can behind the scenes to encourage it to happen.”

The MP for Liverpool Walton, Steve Rotheram, expressed his views on the plans.

He said: “…progress has been made in formulating outline proposals, but it will take an enormous effort to get the initiative from the page, to physical development of the area.”

Mr Rotheram acknowledged, however, that the potential for change in the area, both physically and economically, was “absolutely huge” and that the proposals “…could dovetail nicely with the regeneration of the wider area within North Liverpool.”

Another project which could give the city a significant boost is the proposed SuperPort.

Katerina Kerr, in a story on reported on ifw-net.com, said: “The plans will see the port gain a post-panamax-capable terminal, new multimodal facilities and almost a million square metres of storage and distribution space.”

She also stated that it would generate 1,200 jobs.

So, while Liverpool is currently facing adversity, if the proposed regeneration projects can get going, and remain sustainable, the city‘s future, and in particular that of North Liverpool, may not be that bleak after all. 


- Alteration 02/02/12: In the Cllr Anderson quote in paragraph 18, "public enquiry" was changed to "public inquiry".
- In paragraph 17 the word "inquest" was changed to "inquiry".

Importance of handheld consoles splits gamers

With the European release of Sony’s PlayStation Vita just around the corner, gamers are divided over the importance of handheld consoles in the time of smartphones.

The electronics giant’s new system is set for launch on February 22nd.

However, with smart phones also capable of gaming on-the-go, and the economy being the way it is, there may become a consumer reluctance to invest precious pounds in a dedicated gaming machine. 

John McGrath, 35, a student at the Open University, from Winchester, said that, if he were to choose a handheld device, it would be a smartphone “…simply because I'd rather have the combined phone/console functionality rather than a device limited to purely games or game-like applications.”

And Thomas Nally, 27, a receivables account handler, said: “Neither [of the console] handhelds are really appealing to me at the moment. I can’t bring myself to part with my money for either of them.”

He added that he was content to play portable games on his Android phone.

According to statistics published on ofcom.org.uk, it was revealed that in August 2011, more than a quarter of adults and almost half of teenagers in the UK were smartphone owners.

This included Android, iPhone, and Blackberry handsets.

However, Martin Atkinson, 30, a Sony games tester, from Wales, said that he thinks handheld consoles are “still relevant“.

He believes that they have “superior games” to smartphones and that higher production values warrant the price of those titles.

He also said: “Controls are also a major factor. Buttons are vital for "proper" games.”

PlayStation Vita follows the success of the PlayStation Portable (PSP), released in Europe in 2005, which reached a cumulative sales total of 70 million units worldwide in June 2011, according to Stephany Nunneley on vg247.com.

Japanese sales of Vita are currently slow, according to Tom Phillips at eurogamer.net, but it is still early days for the console, which was only released there in December 2011. 

As reported by Tom Magrino, on gamespot.com, John Koller, Sony’s director of hardware marketing, was unconcerned by the numbers.

He is quoted as saying: "If you look at the word-of-mouth factor, it's really strong because people are bringing it home and really enjoying it…"

The hardware specifications seem impressive — it includes a four core processor, an OLED touch screen, a rear touch pad, six-axis motion detection and, of course, GPS and Wi-Fi support.

However, the PlayStation Vita not only has smartphones to contend with, but also the handheld console king in rival company, Nintendo.

Nintendo’s dominance in this market dates back to the Gameboy, launched in Europe in 1990, which — in its various forms and revisions — became synonymous with handheld gaming around the world for more than a decade.

Because of the Gameboy’s affordability, long battery life and killer titles, such as Tetris, Super Mario Land 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, it saw off competitors time after time.

The console, including revisions, shifted 118.69 million units cumulatively, according to Matthew Humphries at geek.com and was followed by the Gameboy Advance, which was also a success.

The company has, in recent years, achieved remarkable sales with the dual-screened Nintendo DS, released in Europe in 2005.

With all revisions combined, to date the Nintendo DS has sold more than 151 million units worldwide — making it the second most successful console of all time, behind Sony‘s PlayStation 2.

Part of the console’s prosperity came thanks to Nintendo’s marketing strategy, as it sought to appeal to casual gamers, and those who wouldn‘t usually play videogames, with titles like Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training.

Nintendo’s current generation handheld, the 3DS, released in 2011, can display 3D images without the need for glasses.

Richard Bell, 22, a student from Liverpool said: “I do think, for gamers, the handheld console market will hold out against smartphones. But only as long as PSP and DS titles remain exclusive.“

He added though that, if there is a failure to do this, the convenience of buying smartphone games may outweigh the limitations in their controls.

Indeed, the importance of exclusive titles for hardware sales cannot be overstated.

Despite a sluggish start, 3DS sales gained momentum, according to Alexander Sliwinski at joystiq.com, after a price drop and also the releases of some of Nintendo’s top franchises on the platform, such as Super Mario 3D Land, and Mario Kart 7.

And with titles such as LittleBigPlanet and Resistance: Burning Skies on the horizon for PlayStation Vita, perhaps Sony are right to not worry just yet.

It seems that for handheld consoles to stay relevant and overcome the smartphone threat, exclusive titles are now more important than ever.

Sonic fans to get another old-school installment this year as the hedgehog simply can’t escape his 2D roots.

SEGA announced last month that the second episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be released in 2012, as reported on computerandvideogames.com by Jake Denton.

A trailer for the game has been unveiled, and also a 36-minute video, entitled Sonic: The Birth of an Icon (named Sonic: History Of An Icon on Youtube), that celebrates more than 20 years of the spiky blue blur.

Computerandvideogames.com quotes Sega of America executive, Haruki Satomi, who said: "The first entry in the Sonic 4 saga was a major success. We've listened to the fans and been hard at work making sure we recapture that same spirit of fun in Episode II. We hope the fans will enjoy it."

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 harks back to the classic side-scrolling format of the series’ 1990s heyday, with the story taking place immediately after the Mega Drive title Sonic & Knuckles from 1994.

While the developers have tried valiantly in recent years to prove that Sonic can work as a 3D platformer, he’s never seemed quite as at home than in his native 2D habitat.

More than two decades have passed since Japanese developer Sega decided that burger-scoffing Alex Kidd was to be given the boot as the company mascot.

In the early ’90s Sega sought a greater market share from a dominant Nintendo, and the company’s designers were tasked with creating a mascot that could rival Mario.

It was felt that the hyperactive hedgehog in the company logo’s blue, designed by Naoto Oshima, was the answer.

In Sonic: The Birth of an Icon, Tom Kalinske, President of Sega of America from 1990-1996 said about the hedgehog:  “He wasn’t your laid-back soft, nice guy. He had a little bit of edgyness to him and a little bit of smart-ass-ness to him, if you will. I think that made him very appealing to kids and teens.”

Sonic the Hedgehog, released in 1991, was a title that finally gave Sega’s Mega Drive console (Genesis in North America) something truly defining.

It also took full advantage of the system’s capabilities for graphics and sound.

Also in Sonic: The Birth of an Icon, Yuji Naka, the programmer tasked with building the title said: “I like fast things and I thought it would be nice to create a game where the more skilled you became, the faster you complete a stage.”

He added that speed was a factor that would help differentiate Sonic from Mario.

This wasn’t Sonic’s first game appearance, however, he had debuted as a rear-view mirror hanging toy in Sega’s 1991 arcade title Rad Mobile.

After the successful first outing, a great deal of hype begun to build for the unveiling of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which was labelled “Sonic 2s day” for the European and North American releases, on Tuesday November 21st 1992.

More Sonic sequels followed, as Sega looked to embed their spiky hero into the public consciousness.

However, beyond the Mega Drive, Sonic’s transition to 3D platformer has stumbled along the way, with some mixed reviews.

While the Sonic Adventure titles were lauded, games like Sonic the Hedgehog from 2006 have received strong criticism.

Eurogamer said about Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): “What should have been a dramatic return to form for Sonic…has turned out to be an absolute mess.”

However the blue hedgehog is on a decent run of form at present, and after the well received Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in 2010, Sonic Colours, released the same year for Nintendo Wii, was called  “…the best Sonic game in 18 years.” in a review on ign.com.

Sonic Generations, released in November 2011, celebrated Sonic’s 20th birthday with a triumphant mix of nostalgia and adrenaline-fuelled action, that really brought the series‘ best 2D and 3D elements together.

And although the 3D-level Sonic experience has been greatly improved, it seems that Sonic’s greatest asset is still that undeniable side-scrolling charm.

Alteration 02/02/12: The words "It also took full advantage of the system’s 16-bit graphics and sound." were changed to "It also took full advantage of the system’s capabilities for graphics and sound."

The Simpsons is set to hit 500 episodes, but the show’s true achievements may well be in the past

THE FOX NEWTORK’S long running animated TV series The Simpsons is set to reach its 500th episode, during its current 23rd season.

However, the show has endured some criticism since its ‘90s peak.

The show managed the incredible feat of having been on our screens for twenty years in 2010.

And in an interview with Matt Smith for Sky News, show creator Matt Groening said: "We made some shows that were good and then we kept on doing it. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it to end." 

However, David Bennun said in an article from 2009 on guardian.co.uk: “The show has now been substandard for nearly as long as it was impossibly great, and folk have been pointing this out for nearly as long as that.”

Also on guardian.co.uk, Dean Driscoll wrote in 2007: “The fact is, The Simpsons jumped the shark a decade ago.”

He added: “The decline of The Simpsons is a source of great pain to me. Along with repeats of Monty Python's Flying Circus, it shaped my sense of humour and even political awareness - one of the greatest pleasures being learning what was behind the jokes I didn't get.”

However, Robert Canning wrote for ign.com in 2010: “The Simpsons is still a funny show. That's it. It's that simple. It's still worth watching and has been for years. And, yes, I'm talking about all those years after Season 9. There are plenty of classic episodes to be found in Season 12, Season 14, Season 18 and the rest.”

Though he added: “Admittedly, the classics came more consistently in the single-digit seasons, and there are episodes from that era that will never be topped. Ever.”

According to hollywoodreporter.com, The Simpsons supplanted the The Flintstones for the record of the longest-running animated series in 1998.

The show overtook Western series Gunsmoke as the longest-running scripted American series by going into its 21st year.

In October 2011, it was revealed by hollywoodreporter.com that The Simpsons would be renewed for two more seasons, taking it to 25.

Before this, however, a pay dispute raised doubt about the show’s future.

According to a story published on bbc.co.uk in October 2011, the Fox Network issued a statement claiming that it could not continue to make episodes of the show unless cuts were made to the actors‘ wages.

However, as reported by Paul Harris on the guardian.co.uk, a last-minute deal was struck to bring the show back from the brink.

The article says: “The final terms of the deal have not been revealed, but the Hollywood Reporter said the cast had now taken a pay cut of about 30% and would not be getting a share of the back-end profits. However, that wages slash still means they will each receive an average of $300,000 [£193,000] for every episode.”

During the early 1990s, The Simpsons became a pop culture phenomenon, after starting out as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.

A long-awaited feature film, The Simpsons Movie, was released in 2007 and currently has a score of 7.5/10 on IMDb.

The series is renowned for its famous guests, and it was revealed on January 31st 2012, on the website for Sky News, that controversial Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange will appear in the landmark 500th episode.

In 2007, Simpsons fan and contributor to msnbc.com, Patrick Enright, published a list of his top 10 episodes.

His choices go no later than the seventh season, with half of them from the show‘s fifth season alone.

About his number top choice, “Last Exit to Springfield” from season 4 he says:

“Simply unbeatable, from the scene in which Homer fears Burns may be coming on to him to his “Godfather”-esque daydream…to the sadistic orthodontist who hooks Lisa up with braces that “predate stainless steel, so you can’t get them wet.”…This is the episode that every self-respecting “Simpsons” geek must be able to recite verbatim.”

So, while The Simpsons should certainly be applauded for its staying power, the real achievement would be to consistently hit the heights of its golden era again.

The 500th episode will be screened in the US on February 19th.

Charity’s Banksy calendar helps festive appeal to exceed expectation

 Making a difference: KIND founder, Stephen Yip.
Image ©2012 Adam Wareing

KIND, a children’s charity, based in Liverpool, created their own Banksy 2012 calendar to help raise funds for their Christmas appeal.

About 1,000 of the calendars featuring the works of the controversial street artist were sold, and the proceeds went towards providing Christmas hampers to disadvantaged families across Merseyside.

Although Banksy was not directly involved, the charity’s founder, Stephen Yip, 56, from Liverpool, believes that the artist would have no objections to his work being used.

He said, slightly misquoting Banksy: “I always liked Banksy’s stuff and I think one thing that sticks in my mind is something he said about “copyright is for fools“. So I thought, well, most of this stuff is on public property, it shouldn’t be a problem producing a Banksy calendar.”

Stephen added: “So...I’d like to thank him and I’m sure he would appreciate the fact that, you know, his street art has helped a lot of families in need this Christmas.”

Banksy recently made the news with his piece “Cardinal Sin” that can be seen in Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery.

Unique: The garden at the charity's SEED centre.
Image ©2012 Adam Wareing

The KIND Christmas appeal went on to raise more than £36,000 in total, which provided almost 1,000 hampers.

The charity also delivered donated toys right up until Christmas eve.

Pearl Gormley, 61, who is a learning mentor and family liaison officer at
Wellesbourne Primary and Nursery School said: “The hampers are wonderful.”

Pearl added that KIND make a massive difference to the families referred by the school.

She also praised the work the charity does in its summer residential breaks, which are for children aged 6 -13.

And said: “We refer some of our children to go and they learn lots of essential skills.”  

Despite contributions being down from 2010’s appeal, which raised around £46,000 and supplied 1,200 hampers, Stephen claimed they had expected to be down by about half.

He said that, considering the economic climate, they did tremendously well, but sadly added that more than three hundred families had to go without a hamper, as demand exceeded supply.

Stephen, who was honoured with a Deputy Lieutenant Commission in November 2011, stated that the charity would learn from the recent appeal, and try to gain more publicity.

He added: “People are amazed that a charity our size does so much. You know…we’re not the NSPCC, we’re not Barnardo’s, but we do punch above our weight. We work and provide a service to a lot of children and families both in the city and the county as well."

Student flats to be built on ghost-myth site

 Haunted?: The Church of St. Andrew.
Image ©2011 Adam Wareing

A CHURCH RUIN in Liverpool City Centre — believed to be haunted — is set to be turned into 100 student flats, but a developer says: “There is no ‘presence‘.”

The Church of St. Andrew, on Rodney Street, sits adjacent to the Mackenzie Monument.

Local folklore claims that William Mackenzie lost his soul to the devil at poker, and that his body sits upright, at a card table inside the pyramid —  to cheat Lucifer by not being buried in the ground.  

However, Tracy Russell, of Penlake Ltd, the company that will provide the accommodation, said: “There is no fact in the myth.”

She claimed that although Mackenzie was a very wealthy man, he was not a gambler.

Tracy also revealed that she had consulted a paranormal enthusiast to help dispel the ghost story and claimed: “There is no ‘presence’ at the site at all.”

She added: “The myth is something that has been generated over the years...for entertainment.”

The sandstone exterior of the church is set to be fully restored, and the flats will be built inside the existing structure. 

Part of a monumental myth?: Mackenzie’s tomb. 
Image ©2011 Adam Wareing

The protected area around the tomb will be cleaned up, landscaped and separated from the accommodation.

Liverpool author, Tom Slemen, wrote in Haunted Liverpool 1 about the “Rodney Street Spectre“. 

He stated: “I do think that many of the sightings and encounters are with Mr Mackenzie.”

In the book, he tells the story of 68-year-old Dr Lionel Harland, from 1871.

He wrote: “Mackenzie’s face looked as if it was lit up by a red flame, and his eyes were ink-black and lifeless. As the doctor shivered, the figure in black walked straight through the wall of the cemetery.”  

Rachael Sumner, 27, a student at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Personally, I don’t know if I would live there, but I can see why it would appeal to some people.

“I imagine it would be a lot of fun for a group of friends to live there, knowing about the supposed ghost. People like to be scared.”  

The project is being undertaken by Middle England Developments, who are managed by Penlake, and it is expected that the renovation will be completed “on or before 1st September, 2012”, according to a document available online from propertyfrontiers.com.

Howard Skempton joins a.P.A.t.T. Orchestra in bringing the crypt to life

Tales from the crypt: Howard Skempton conducts the a.P.A.t.T. Orchestra.
Image ©2011 Adam Wareing

THE UNIQUE a.P.A.t.T Orchestra infused life into the Lutyens’ Crypt Concert Room, at Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral last week, with help from renowned Chester-born composer Howard Skempton.

Mr. Skempton, who formed the Scratch Orchestra in the 1960s, won the prize for ‘best chamber-scale composition’ by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2005 for his string quartet piece Tendrils.

He said: “Working with the a.P.A.t.T. Orchestra was inspiring and heart-warming. Everyone was friendly in a special Liverpudlian way.”

The ‘open-ended’ ensemble, who comprised around 40 members on the night, are an extension of avant-garde Liverpool band a.P.A.t.T.

The concert, Beneath the Ground, included the world premier of Hope Street Melodies, an intoxicating work, written by Mr. Skempton especially for the evening.

Two of his shorter pieces, Lament and Air Melody, were also performed. 

The orchestra also gave a rendition of the swirling In C by Terry Riley, and debuted The Spiral Staircase, a melancholic, and at times fittingly doom-laden work, composed by a.P.A.t.T.’s Jonathan Hering.

Jonathan revealed that the piece took inspiration from ideas in Mark Z. Danielewski's book House of Leaves.

He said: “I wanted to musically represent the concept of 'descent'.” 

He added: “It was an absolute joy working with Howard.”

Another a.P.A.t.T. founding member, Stephen Cole, a.k.a General Midi, spoke about the orchestra’s ever-changing roster.

“It’s such a drop-in kind of centre. People can come and go…so its always interesting to see what the orchestra’s going to be and sound like.”

He also said that the group are always seeking challenges, both as writers and musicians.

The aim, according to the group’s blog, was to utilise the crypt’s acoustics and imposing physical space to “consider concepts of depth, resonance and claustrophobia”.

General Midi said: “Being in a pub and playing is not always the best way to get a lot of music across, particularly this style, so we find interesting venues that may inform or command the piece. This is an amazing sounding building — it’s been designed for things like this.”

About writing Hope Street Melodies, Howard Skempton said: “I was aware that the crypt would be the venue and was certainly influenced by images I found on a website.”

He also said: “I'm inspired by the seriousness and commitment of Jon Hering.”

This concert was the third of the a.P.A.t.T. Orchestra’s four-part Lottery-funded series called Musical Settings.

Previous performances have been at Liverpool’s World Museum and Sefton Park’s bandstand.  

The final part of the series, Beyond the Physical, takes place on February 29th at FACT.