L5-6QW

It’s been such a long time since I updated this particular blog, shame on me! L5 still stands proudly on its Welsh hill/mountain side and is about to face it’s first winter out in the elements.

Great news to report is the involvement of L5 in the amazing 

http://www.2up2down.org.uk/ project

…in a nutshell

- outside Artist came into the L5 area of Liverpool, Jeanne van Heeswijk

- people suspicious

- because people have been lied to for over ten years

- what’s an Artist going to do?

- outside Artist works over two years as part of a Liverpool Biennial project with local people in Anfield. L5 territory.

- L5 and 2up2down projects cross paths in Mitchell’s, a local bakery closed down due to HMRI

- outside Artist Jeanne, becomes inside Artist Jeanne

- we start working together

- we discuss regeneration and the effects it had/has on my family

- we walk up and around Granton Rd being filmed talking about what happened

- within the 2up2down project is Homebaked. ‘Us girls and Fred’ as Lynn puts it.

Lynn’s blog: http://www.2up2down.org.uk/lynns-blog/comment/

- I genuinely feel a strong connection with every person I meet there, all of us unique individuals that have come together under a common goal. 

- in steps Britt Jurgensen, Deborah Morgan and Graham Hicks

- they want to do a tour of Anfield

- we spend some time together, driving round the area, chatting, discussing…this is now the famous Anfield Home Tour.

- parts of my earlier filmed interview with Jeanne become part of the tour 

http://tinyurl.com/azv62zo Review of Anfield Home Tour - Laura Davis

- Jeanne invites me to put a photograph of L5 up in the bakery,

…shown here in this lovely photograph of Mum (Liz) and Aunty (Alice) after their tour experience, which they loved. 

Press feedback, both local and national has been brilliant with a visit from the BBC’s One Show coming to the bakery on Monday 19th November at 7pm.

2up2down and Homebaked is testimony to what Art can do, it can open doors.

Jeanne has recently won the Curry Stone Design Prize for this project and work in Rotterdam.

Great article in the Guardian giving a wider introduction to HMRI and Homebaked:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/sep/23/liverpool-biennial-review-hmr-anfield?INTCMP=SRCH

That was a big nutshell but hopefully a concise introduction? 

Another chapter of the L5 story…

L5 will move again in January when I return from my current project in Slovakia,

http://jaynelawless.blogspot.co.uk/

where I am the current Bridge Guard of the Marie Valeria Bridge from Sturovo Slovakia to Esztergom Hungary.

Installing - South Wales

So, last weekend Steven Williams, Dave Sinclair and I made the trip to South Wales. With help from Nicola Moorhouse and Alex the farmer we successfully installed L5-6QW in it’s new home on Gwealod-y-Garth Hill. The day was perfect as the weather was tremendous and the setting so beautiful. Alex got the boxes and poles up the hill for us while we marked out the positioning with string, a compass and a map showing the axis of Granton Road in Liverpool to replicate the position. Initially, Alex thought we could knock the short poles into the ground using the tractor, however the ground was too hard even for that beast!

We sought a new position higher up - and in hindsight a better position than the original - the ground was softer and we began ramming in the posts ourselves. Then we hit another snag, we’d been using a sledge hammer to start us off, hitting the poles in a little before using the post-rammer…this damaged the end of the poles (realised afterwards I should of used a rubber ended hammer) meaning the ‘connecting’ long pole wasn’t able to fit on. After a mild 20 second panic we realised the short pole was quite easy to pull out of the ground and swap ends. Lesson learnt. We got into a really good rhythm and once the short poles were in the lifting of the boxes was quick and really satisfactory as it just ‘works’, nod to Mr Butler’s engineering skills there…

It was good honest physical work and litres of water were consumed, everyone was shattered and sunburnt. One of highlights of the day was sitting back looking over the Welsh countryside with a cold bottle of lager thinking this was such an amazing spec for the work to stand…

“It was beautiful to see the sculpture early this am on the Garth set against the beginning of Welsh RCT Valleys. Strange, that these Valleys brought from their depths coal that made steel and iron, the fabric of your sculpture. But they now are amongst the poorest regions in the UK. Where Social Housing is also an issue.”

View from bottom of Granton Road, Liverpool 5

What’s left of our 150 sign…

View from 150 looking up towards demolition of the middle section of the street

View from 150 down to Oakfield Road

Demolition getting closer

Back entry, probably spent just as much time here as a kid as the front of the street!

‘The Rec’ round the corner

for playing footie and making dens

‘Tinned up’ tin

Vienna St

View from Walton Breck Road - Lothair Rd an Main Stand of Anfield

Changing view. Half the street down now and rebuilt on…our end still remains at the bottom of the picture, that’s Anfield Stadium in the background.

It’s important L5 gets going again and I’m pleased to say with the help of Steven Williams, Dave Sinclair and Nicola Moorhouse we have a date set in May. There’s been a few false starts but this time everything seems OK, for now! Hopefully Nicky’s learnt how to drive the quad bike and trailer by then. The boys don’t know what they’ve let themselves in for, it makes me smile to myself…

It’s going to be a GOOD day. No rain, no blizzards, sunshine (please), horses, beautiful views and the sound of scaffold being bashed into the ground with a post rammer! That reminds me, still haven’t got one! Tut!

Currently trying to get a new idea for another L5 related project off the ground…should know in the next few weeks if it’s a goer. Fingers crossed.

Well. As I’d said in the last post we were already on the back foot being a man down but we knew we only had one day booked with the Uni van so it was now or never to get the steel boxes and poles from South Gloucester to South Wales.

We set off bright and early then this happened…

Yup, a fat blizzard!

Hardly ideal when trying to install work up the side of a steep hill/mountain (there’s debate about this) Anyway, we got to the farm OK in the end but the skys looked ominous and after a ‘reckie’ carried out by Tim and I then further discussion with Alex, the Farmer it was decided it was too wet and therefore too dangerous to attempt an install. To say I was gutted is an understatement. I’d been planning this day for ages and was so pleased when Bath Spa Uni agreed to fund the move, providing a van and two highly skilled, wonderful members of staff. The situation currently stands that my work is sitting at the bottom of the hill/mountain in South Wales waiting for Spring in the hope that Bath Spa allow Simon and Tim to come back and help me install. It’s not looking great at the moment as I’m not getting any response to my emails to the Uni. We’ll see. If not, I’m looking for a couple of men/woman who aren’t afraid a bit of hard work with a post rammer and a sledge hammer to come and help! 

See how much fun we have though even when the chips are down!

This could be YOU!

Spot where L5 would stand if we can ever get it up the hill/mountain

Art brings everyone together!

Ok, it’s finally happening, L5 shall be moving to it’s next temporary home Wednesday 14th December. We are however a man down, and what a man! Simon, or Simon of Metal is sidelined for the action. He’s done his back in and can’t move so in his place steps Nicky Moorhouse, so now the team consists of Tim, Nicky, myself and a quad bike. It’s certainly going to be interesting. Installing a large scale, steel sculpture on the side of a mountain in South Wales will not be dull at least!

Also, great to see so much in the mainstream telly land on the subject. FINALLY giving these issues the attention it deserves. Channel 4 did a, Great British Property Scandal Week last week, I’ve posted a link to it if you missed it.

Also thanks to Ed Lippiatt who took all the work down last week from it’s location in South Gloucester, what a man, what a tractor. 

http://cache.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-property-scandal/articles/home/

L5 Cows…