John Laird Centre

I took this photograph some time ago for two reason, I love Victorian buildings and the added bonus was it started with the letter J and I knew it would could in handy for ABC Wednesday, however I kept forgetting my intent and diverted into other Js as the rounds past by but eventually it now makes an appearance.

This was originally the Laird School of Arts, the first public art school outside London, and the first ever purpose built college of art and science in England which opened in September 1871.  John Laird not only financed its construction but the also running costs and it was given to the town of Birkenhead.  Laird is most famous as part of the shipbuilding company Cammell Laird but he was also a great philanthropist and endowed many of the fine buildings in Birkenhead, would become its first mayor of and then retire from shipbuilding to become Birkenhead's first Member of Parliament.     

The school closed in 1979 and the building was purchased by Stanton Marine to use as their headquarters when it was extensively renovated and renamed The John Laird Centre.  Stanton Marine later became part of the British East India Company who now use the building as their headquarters which is rather appropriate, and perhaps the building has come full circle, because Cammell Laird built most of their ships in the 19th Century.
 

 An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week sojourning at J here

  

Birkenhead Boathouse and Bridge

It was daffodils time when I took this picture of the Boathouse in Birkenhead Park.  The park itself was designed by Joseph Paxton on reclaimed marshland and opened in 1847 for the then rapidly growing town of Birkenhead, the first publicity funded civic park in Britain,  The boathouse was originally designed by a young architect called Lewis Hornblower, its full name is the Roman Boathouse and with sponsorship by the Mobil Oil Company was renovated and  restored in 1990. In keeping with the theme a

new pebble mosaics inside by Maggy Howath featuring fish, birds and sun was created and installed

Paxton created serpentine lakes to give the impression of natural rivers and Lewis Hornblower designed their bridges (along with park railings and gates).

On this my first visit to the park, my own favourite was the Swiss Bridge which must be one of the few, if not only, covered bridge in Britain.

Meanwhile here are a couple of geese wondering if they or the fishermen are going to find anything interesting.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet this week sojourning at B here

Window Seats

Maybe these chairs were here so you could sit while you browsed, or look through the window or even perhaps they were for sale. They are glitzy enough for Christmas.  I'll never know; I was following the crowds on a sunny winter's day to visit the famous ice-cream shop a few doors down at Parkgate on the Wirral.

Mary the Teach is our hostess for the midweek meme  Window Views and Doors Too