Great post. Many years I attended the Laird School of Art, founded by the same John Laird who's Birkenhead ship yard built the Alabama (now called Cammell Laird's). I believe the way the Alabama was built also provided the inspiration for the way Captain Nemo's Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was (partly) built in Birkenhead secretly. Roll Alabama Roll!
I passed the Laird School of Art on the 28 bus going to Park High School in the early seventies and was amused that every student wore a grey trench coat from the Army Surplus store in Birkenhead. Always wanted to go there but it was not to be. You are right about the Alabama/ Nautilus connection . . . that was confirmed by my brother on his website "Jules Verne and the heroes of Birkenhead ". It's the culmination of four years of meticulous research and has brought up fascinating links between Jules Verne and our home town of Birkenhead. If you are interested be prepared . . .it's a massive amount of reading but articles 5 and 25 should interest you. Also the Raphael Semmes Wikipedia page gives a good run-down of how he was Verne's inspiration for Captain Nemo. Who would have thought ? All the best from New Brighton.
@@kennethlamb378 Just read some of your brother John's web site. Really detailed research brilliantly presented. It has made me want to re-read some Jules Verne. I used to get either the blue Birkenhead Corporation 77 or 78 bus, or the green Crosville F34 bus, to the Birkenhead Park stop, then walk up to the art school from there. And yes, I had a trench coat bought from the Army Surplus stores (although it was black or very dark blue, so I guess a naval one). My dad told me about the Alabama/Nautilus Cammell Laird's link after we went to see 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea at the Winter Gardens in Hoylake. He also told me that the layout of Central Park in New York is based on the layout of Birkenhead Park. Who would have thought that? All the best from Grasse.
@@kennethlamb378 Just read some of your brother John's web site. Really detailed research brilliantly presented. It has made me want to re-read some Jules Verne. I used to get either the blue Birkenhead Corporation 77 or 78 bus, or the green Crosville F34 bus, to the Birkenhead Park stop, then walk up to the art school from there. And yes, I had a trench coat bought from the Army Surplus stores (although it was black or very dark blue, so I guess a naval one). My dad told me about the Alabama/Nautilus Cammell Laird's link after we went to see 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea at the Winter Gardens in Hoylake. He also told me that the layout of Central Park in New York is based on the layout of Birkenhead Park. Who would have thought that? All the best from Grasse.
@@philipboland2938 Thank you very much for the kind words regarding my brother's website. I hope you had a great time at the Laird School of Art . . . I would have loved to have gone there myself. It is a solicitors now and the building is being kept in great shape and yes . . . Birkenhead has quite a few not widely Known connections it can be proud of. Cheers.
@@kennethlamb378 Yes, my time at the Laird was fun thanks, and I learned a lot there (about art and almost as much about politics from the very left-leaning staff). I was accepted after being given a cauliflower to draw in front of a lecturer of all things. My course also included some academic classes taken at Birkenhead Tech, which I remember (perhaps uniquely for any further education college), housed a nuclear bunker underneath the snooker room in the basement (at least that's what we were told, I never saw it for myself). Going back to your brother's site and Birkenhead's submarine heritage, I also have vivid memories of being taken to see the Revenge (one of the first Polaris nuclear subs) being launched at Cammell Laird's (would have been '67 or '68 I guess). Cheers,
English folk song. The Lancashire cotton merchants couldn't help themselves by building an illegal warship for the rebels, under the noses of the British government and the pro Union majority in Britain.
Great post. Many years I attended the Laird School of Art, founded by the same John Laird who's Birkenhead ship yard built the Alabama (now called Cammell Laird's). I believe the way the Alabama was built also provided the inspiration for the way Captain Nemo's Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was (partly) built in Birkenhead secretly.
Roll Alabama Roll!
I passed the Laird School of Art on the 28 bus going to Park High School in the early seventies and was amused that every student wore a grey trench coat from the Army Surplus store in Birkenhead. Always wanted to go there but it was not to be. You are right about the Alabama/ Nautilus connection . . . that was confirmed by my brother on his website "Jules Verne and the heroes of Birkenhead ". It's the culmination of four years of meticulous research and has brought up fascinating links between Jules Verne and our home town of Birkenhead. If you are interested be prepared . . .it's a massive amount of reading but articles 5 and 25 should interest you. Also the Raphael Semmes Wikipedia page gives a good run-down of how he was Verne's inspiration for Captain Nemo. Who would have thought ? All the best from New Brighton.
@@kennethlamb378 Just read some of your brother John's web site. Really detailed research brilliantly presented. It has made me want to re-read some Jules Verne. I used to get either the blue Birkenhead Corporation 77 or 78 bus, or the green Crosville F34 bus, to the Birkenhead Park stop, then walk up to the art school from there. And yes, I had a trench coat bought from the Army Surplus stores (although it was black or very dark blue, so I guess a naval one). My dad told me about the Alabama/Nautilus Cammell Laird's link after we went to see 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea at the Winter Gardens in Hoylake. He also told me that the layout of Central Park in New York is based on the layout of Birkenhead Park. Who would have thought that? All the best from Grasse.
@@kennethlamb378 Just read some of your brother John's web site. Really detailed research brilliantly presented. It has made me want to re-read some Jules Verne. I used to get either the blue Birkenhead Corporation 77 or 78 bus, or the green Crosville F34 bus, to the Birkenhead Park stop, then walk up to the art school from there. And yes, I had a trench coat bought from the Army Surplus stores (although it was black or very dark blue, so I guess a naval one). My dad told me about the Alabama/Nautilus Cammell Laird's link after we went to see 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea at the Winter Gardens in Hoylake. He also told me that the layout of Central Park in New York is based on the layout of Birkenhead Park. Who would have thought that? All the best from Grasse.
@@philipboland2938 Thank you very much for the kind words regarding my brother's website. I hope you had a great time at the Laird School of Art . . . I would have loved to have gone there myself. It is a solicitors now and the building is being kept in great shape and yes . . . Birkenhead has quite a few not widely Known connections it can be proud of. Cheers.
@@kennethlamb378 Yes, my time at the Laird was fun thanks, and I learned a lot there (about art and almost as much about politics from the very left-leaning staff). I was accepted after being given a cauliflower to draw in front of a lecturer of all things. My course also included some academic classes taken at Birkenhead Tech, which I remember (perhaps uniquely for any further education college), housed a nuclear bunker underneath the snooker room in the basement (at least that's what we were told, I never saw it for myself). Going back to your brother's site and Birkenhead's submarine heritage, I also have vivid memories of being taken to see the Revenge (one of the first Polaris nuclear subs) being launched at Cammell Laird's (would have been '67 or '68 I guess). Cheers,
Somewhat sad tale for a Liverpudlian to hear but she gave them a good run! Another roistering account!
English folk song. The Lancashire cotton merchants couldn't help themselves by building an illegal warship for the rebels, under the noses of the British government and the pro Union majority in Britain.