Cycling UK Forum

Hi TM, The really problematic root of most of the waterfront development is a legacy from "That Bloody Woman", I won't say her name! Think of a cider producing family.
When the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board went into melt-down she did a fix for a few of her friends? Instead of the terms and conditions of the deeds of grants being complied with, in effect the land reverting to the original owners as was in the covenant, she simple created the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, which when it messed up meant that it was snapped up by Peel Holdings, quid quo pro, friendship indeed?
Peel Holding have friends to this day in areas that favour their particular agenda!
They don't like using land they own for development when they can nick it from the citizens of Liverpool, their Isle of Man handling area being a case in point. They lost a court case over it, with a judgement that they couldn't re-apply for its use until the youngest person in the court had turned their toes up! Well the rude grabbers took it any way, despite my still having a pulse! Friends in the Council???
So they hold all of the cards which might be why UNESCO cried enough?
So TM, enjoy you next visit, I'd recommend spending a bit of time in the "Western Approaches Museum", Rumford Street. Read a book called "A Game of Birds & Wolves" to prepare you, great read.
I was in attendance on it's opening day, photo duties for the Russian Convoy Club. Human heritage. IGICB MM

Morning all, Way back, when I worked at the "Bee Motor-Cycles" in Liverpool, one of my duties was to get the bikes legally compliant.
So it was a nice work down to the Royal Liver Buildings, stand in the correct queue, set down the number plates, the document relating to the machine frame & engine number, hand over our company insurance certificate, and cheque for the Duty, then simply smile.
This was usually done in small batches, but no hassle encountered.
I would also go there in a personal capacity to re-new my "Red Book Licence" every 3 years, again no hassle.
Then they moved the Licencing service to the Corn Exchange building in Brunswick Street, then we suffered a little bit of hassle.
Then came the cock-up service in Swansea! What a mess. They grabbed all of the records from the local bodies, then things went pear shape.
If I had a query as to the specific dates when I passed my first test and also what dates I added different categories, they at the Local Office could flick through the card index and provide the details, smile nicely they deserved it.
Come Swansea they took the record, merely ticked relevant boxes as to what categories a person had, the binned the paperwork? Note they never set down details, so other than the fact they had ticked a box they held no details?
Folk would come to have real problems later on because even the simple tick box procedure got screwed up?
So when foolishly folk sent their licences to Swansea for any service those who failed to take a photo-copy of the nice bitt of green paper they could well suffer as badly as a chap I heard about. Because of their abysmal record keeping procedures they got back to say to him that they had no record of his actually holding a valid licence?????? It was much worse than most folk would imagine, as along with his car qualification they also denied knowing about his motor-cycle and HGV qualifications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The end result was that he had to retake all of the tests again, bugger thrice fold.
With the current computer system I expect things don't run too smoothly? IGICB MM

Hello Oldjohnw, What I was trying to wheedle from you is you actually naming the people who you think deserve credit for doing their political role in an Honest, Intelligent, Transparent fashion? Those people who haven't succumbed to the temptations that the vast majority of M.P.'s who fall into the trap of abusing the trust of the electorate!
I can't actually think of one to cite as an example. I don't care if they're Left, Right or Centre, as long as they stay straight. MM

Well, I think UNESCO should step in to establish the criteria, then they can de-list those who they don't think are respecting the greatness and beauty of the wonder of space! MM

Well Oldjohnw, Which gang of stupid idiots was in charge when the DVLA was created?
But even more importantly where are you going to find the better grade of eejits to run this country in a better fashion than we've ever known?
A land fit for heroes, You've never had it so good, The pound in your pocket blurb, blurb, No such thing as society??? The list of verbal garbage is endless! Even a dyed in the Welsh Wool like Nye was on the fiddle. The nobs in WW1 were hoarding and stockpiling in contravention of the law of the land. Show me a role model to follow? MM

Hi Di Bach, Al, My wife's uncle Trevor came from and lived in Abercynon! Her Da was from Mountain Ash. Dew t was hard! Bloody steep as well. IGICB MM

Yo Al, The DVLA is in meltdown! A national disgrace. When it was set-up they made a right Horlicks of everything, record destroyed after little data transfer! Ticks rather than Texts, so poor recording of driver qualifications, so problems will always crop up. MM

Hi again, Boy o boy, it would be a miracle if anyone to explain the thoughts going through the minds of the current and former political leaders in any city!
Even the brain workings of the blessed "Degsy", Brother Hatton, are beyond fathoming. With him it was always do as I say, not do as I do! Don't know if his own wife was at one with the lad, Socialism was not in evidence when they strutted around in their finery at the International Garden Festival? Well in baking heat sharp suits, fur coats and dripping with gold was an eye opener! A "99" wouldn't be elite enough for them. Definitely more Faberge Egg, rather than Cadbury's Cream Ones .
But the hardest thing to work out is the mental processes of the UNESCO panel?
In my eyes the Bramley-Moore development would be great for that area of dockland waste! To restore the 6 Sided Clock would please me greatly, especially as the land owner (Suspect right to title), Peel Holdings are a disgrace, laws mean nothing to them.
So I say - Sod Off UNESCO, go back to cloud cuckoo land! MM

* No worry Al, Better to have a living community than to live with the smell of mothballs lingering in our nostrils! (Mothaks for mothballs, another Liverpool great).
I'm always at our council for their loopy schemes, next two campaigns will be to remove the asinine cycle use without segregation on Princes Avenue's pavements! Then to restore the memorial to those who kept the Atlantic Trade Routes working during WW2. The beautiful tribute was for some strange reason removed at the time that the wet white elephant was created at the Pierhead! Inland waterway extension which should have never been carried out.
The memorial is I'm informed in store in a secret location, so secret that all of the paperwork relating to it has gone missing. Now that is sorely missed. MM

Morning all, Well, I think sites like the China Wall and Ayres Rock should be de-listed? I say this because I think they have had "Health & Safety" work done, hand rails etc.
But the reality is that the UNESCO mob want everything preserved in aspic. That might work in a miniature model village, but everywhere else that is asking too much.
That should mean only places inaccessible by modern transportation modes should qualify?
I think that the selection panel would de-list Tolkien's "Middle Earth", too accessible . MM

Well I said "Prevaricate", so being manipulative is just another form of arguing. But then that is what we're all on here for . MM

Hi again, Oldjohnw says he isn't going to argue , then he prevaricates! . You were spot on Ben . TTFN MM

Hi Oldjohnw, By your post that would mean that Boris Johnson speaks for you??
Possibly not, so why should the current elected Mayor speak for us? The previous elected Mayor was subjected to a public witch hunt, plenty of smoke and mud, little regard paid to legal fairness!
If we genuinely had a cause to trust our elected leaders, it would vanish in the wake of the stupid infrastructure work which has screwed up so many areas of the city! They're taking so long I do believe the pyramids took less time to build! (Joke)
Neither Joeor Joanne Anderson spoke/speaks for me. MM

Hi Cowsham, Been there, done it, got the T-Shirt and the medal!
Ridden through the Queensway Tunnel umpteen times, still legal to do so at specified dates and times. Used to go through for the Sunday club run. Even had a clubmate who had a puncture sit and swap the flat? Tunnel Police swooped and scooped him up!
Run through it as well on a few events, got those medals as well. Ridden and run through the Kingsway Tunnel as well, but that is only possible in specific events, not lawful normally to cycle or run through otherwise.
The Queensway was an easier ride to my mind, the slog uphill to get out of Kingsway took my knees off!
With Queensway they even had working traffic lights for a right turn to the Birkenhead Docks exit, when going from Liverpool! Scary thought with modern drivers.
My late mother walked through on the day King George V opened it in 1934.
Still Toll Free for Cyclists and Motor-cyclists .Blood expensive otherwise.
As an aside there are still some Toll Bridges in the area other than the big stuff at Widnes/Runcorn, Warburton beyond Warrington is one I used to go over quite often. Takes one back to the Turnpike days? TTFN MM
P.S. hi Mike scales, Get your ears blasted off these day by Gerry Marsden singing "Ferry Cross the Mersey"! Be more appropriate to play Billy Fury singing "Half Way to Paradise", he Billy, real name Ronald Wycherley, worked as a deck-hand on the ferries.

Thank you PH, Very true.
There is a small pocketbook available that is worth looking at -"Liverpool City Centre, A History Tour. All within a reasonable walk.
Slightly longer walk will take one to reach St Georges Church on Everton Brow? That church is the historic prototype the enabled the Yanks to have all of their iconic sky scrapers! None of those tall buildings would have been viable without the architectural first in the construction of that church. Stuff the box tickers in their sinecure posts in UNESCO! MM
* Oh dear Cowsham! B/Head, the "One "I'd" Town"? Their town park is worth a visit, if only to get a condensed tour of New York's Central Park.
But try singing "I wish I was back in Liverpool"? As for Tranmere Rovers? Repeat failures . MM

Hi all, So many people wouldn't recognize a true diamond unless it was polished up for bling!
Who can name a single city in the 21st Century that is the perfect image that some expect?
The main reason that is being cited for withdrawal of the status is that the Everton FC stadium will detract is billhooks!
Bramley Moore Dock isn't adjacent to the immediate waterfront, it is a good walk away.
I could lay out a very interesting heritage trail of firsts around Liverpool, none of which require the urging of the UN.
Unlike a certain pop group, Half Man, Half Biscuit, the critics are definitely "Half Baked"!
As for the Adelphi? Roy Rogers may have stayed there, but Trigger had the benefit of the Lord Mayor's stable, which is right by "Williamson's Tunnels", well worth a visit. IGICB MM