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Warrington named the worst place in Britain for culture


Dizzy

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Apparently Mr.Parr had the high level bridge over the canal built as he got hacked off waiting in his pony and trap when swing bridge open.A hall AND a bridge,may not be art but surely style.P.S.His house at Grappenhall was pulled down by WBC.

The walled garden of Grappenhall Heys remains, and was awarded a substantial HLF grant two years ago. http://www.hlf.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/%C2%A3961000-restore-glasshouses-grappenhall-heys-walled-garden

 

And the restored glasshouses were officially opened almost a year ago http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/leisure/interviews/11539933.Grappenhall_Heys_Walled_Garden__pound_1million_glasshouses_project_to_be_unveiled_this_Sunday/

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That, Davy, is not confined to Newton but a country wide epidemic. I worked in a local pub many years ago and the amount of times people left without their crutches and walking sticks was miraculous, it should have been renamed The Lourdes Inn

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Sid, that's a revelation :wink:  thank you.  Bewsey Street is only short but I imagine it's changed a lot since 1817.  I walked down it yesterday and was admiring the buildings.  All around that bit of town there is some lovely architecture.

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Interesting stuff re the Sugar Houses.   From the maps I've just looked at I'd say they were definitely near where the new bus station is now. and Parrs Bank like already said  I'll screen print and upload a copy next.

 

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Better way...... click this link which shows an overlay of an 1888 map and google view as it is today (street layout pretty much the same as the map on the previous link I/PJ posted which show the sugar houses).

On the left hand side you can increase/decrease the opacity of the layers between old and modern. 

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=53.3908&lon=-2.5942&layers=171

 

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  Even the "Shittles" in town are art, a ridiculously expensive and ill conceived installation(in my opinion) but art all the same.   We are all surrounded and influenced by art all our lives.  

Our award-winning Guardians? http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/other/warrington/00000015.htm

 

For a quarter of the price of Brum's Floozie in the Jacuzzi I'd say we got good value.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/news-opinion/floozie-jacuzzi-runs-up-eye-watering-6450838

 

In 20 years we'll have the save our skittles heritage campaign...

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Our award-winning Guardians? http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/other/warrington/00000015.htm

 

For a quarter of the price of Brum's Floozie in the Jacuzzi I'd say we got good value.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/news-opinion/floozie-jacuzzi-runs-up-eye-watering-6450838

 

In 20 years we'll have the save our skittles heritage campaign...

I doubt it but many thanks for helping show just how subjective art is. Incidentally, what is Birminghams total annual budget compared to Warringtons? ????

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  • 3 weeks later...

Good for you Gary to put them right on the correct facts.  However they still are way way out in the case of Darlington in terms of Heritage.  Maybe if they visited these towns they could find the truth.

 

I am not the greatest fan of our local council over some of the decisions they have made in the past to destroy this town but what has happened in the past as Gary quotes if Fact

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About 100 of us at the Parr Hall last night for the organ concert (not bad for any organ concert according to the organist). Half of me is pleased to have such a great instrument in the town, even if it does restrict how we use the Parr Hall, but half of me says it would be better (even if for some other town's "heritage") to have it somewhere where it's played regularly, like the abortive plan to move it to Sheffield cathedral. Great story in the programme about how Mr Hopwood ordered it for Bracewell Hall as a wedding present for his organist fiancee, only for the wedding to be called off!

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About 100 of us at the Parr Hall last night for the organ concert (not bad for any organ concert according to the organist). Half of me is pleased to have such a great instrument in the town, even if it does restrict how we use the Parr Hall, but half of me says it would be better (even if for some other town's "heritage") to have it somewhere where it's played regularly, like the abortive plan to move it to Sheffield cathedral. Great story in the programme about how Mr Hopwood ordered it for Bracewell Hall as a wedding present for his organist fiancee, only for the wedding to be called off.

We numbered 95, Steve, and I am glad you were there.

 

In May, 2014, at my last meeting with Jan Souness, Managing Director of Culture Warrington, she conceded that the organ is NOT in the way of other events in the Parr Hall.

 

I agree that it is a pity it isn't played more than it is. The programme notes aren't correct though, and in quite a few places.

There has never been any foundation to Queen Victoria being present at the inaugural recital - which was at Bracewell Hall on 7th November, 1870.

Dr William Spark, Leeds City organist played on this occaision. The French organist/composers, Guilmant, Widor, Lemmens and Saint-Saens each played the organ when it was in the avenue du Maine demonstration hall in Paris.

The story about the broken engagement is also a bit of padding.

 

The Secretary of the C-C Organ Supporters Group is making sure that these notes are updated for the next recital.

The late Douglas Carrington, a former Editor of 'The Organ' magazine, wrote the notes on the organ in the Parr Hall.

In his last paragraph, he said 'It is maintained by David Wells of Liverpool, whose enthusiasm and skills make the historic musical instrument a joy to hear and to play.'

He also said 'The importance to the nation of this organ cannot be overstated'

I think this is what we MUST convey to others !

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I would have thought organ music would appeal more to the classic fm listener.

We both think the same way, Davy51, but the cost of advertising on Classic FM would have been far more than could have been afforded.

The following was Culture Warrington's Marketing Campaign in the lead up to Ian Tracey's recital on 12th March, 2014:

Liverpool Echo advertisement  £505.62

Smooth FM Radio advertisement  £2,214.00 (running Monday 3rd March until Monday 10th March)

2000 Flyers (personally delivered to Liverpool Cathedral by Culture Warrington for the Christmas events ) £50

Marketing Staff time : £350

 

It was unfortunate that these flyers requested by Ian Tracey for Liverpool Cathedral's October, 2013 Anniversary Recital didn't materialise in time to reach the 1,000 or so organists who would have been there, or for the thousands of visitors to the Cathedral in the lead up to Christmas.

 

In addition, costs of opening the Hall in the morning for the organ tuner and evening for the recital :£200

Full day staffing (minimum 2 people): £240

Cost of organ tuning : £300

 

The result of this was that Culture Warrington had invested £3,800 in time and resources, staging and marketing.

 

The tickets were, and still are, priced at £5, and slightly less for concessions.

 

In addition to the advertising which Culture Warrington did, I contacted many organists' associations in the North West, North East, the Midlands and North Wales, and also made sure it was on www.organrecitals.com.

 

I was delighted that 272 tickets were sold as a result of the various ways publicity was given to the event.

 

In conclusion, in order to attract a good audience, it needs to be a well known and highly regarded Recitalist, whose fee would not be affordable due to the low pricing of the tickets.

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Crikey the Echo and FM Radio advertising prices are extortionate !!  No wonder you didn't do that this year.

Looking at those figures for the 2014 recital although there was a good turnout (272 tickets sold) the event ran at a loss of around £2500. 

I can't help but think thats a lot of money which could have been utilised elsewhere. 

You mention recitalists fees not being affordable with low ticket prices, I can't see anything that shows their actual fee, how much do they charge and was that in addition to the costs you mentioned for 2014 and did you have to pay for this weeks recitalist too.

Did this weeks event run at a loss too ? I presume it must have :(

 

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