Mersey Life September 2021 | Page 8

SPECIAL ARTWORK TO WELCOME VISITORS TO KIRKBY TOWN CENTRE
UNIQUE TV CALL OUT FOR BEATLES FANS

IN BRIEF

SPECIAL ARTWORK TO WELCOME VISITORS TO KIRKBY TOWN CENTRE
UNIQUE TV CALL OUT FOR BEATLES FANS
Poster designs by Kirkby primary school children have been incorporated into a special piece of artwork welcoming people to the town centre .
The artwork featuring the colourful and creative designs will be displayed at a key gateway to the town centre on Telegraph Way and it is due to be installed over the coming weeks .
In March , primary school children in Kirkby were invited to design ‘ Welcome to Kirkby Town Centre ’ posters to celebrate the arrival of the new retail development .
Over 500 brilliant designs were submitted , with pupils from Westvale Primary School , Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School , Kirkby Church of England Primary School , Millbrook Primary School , St Laurence ’ s Catholic Primary School , St Marie ’ s Catholic Primary School and St Joseph the Worker Primary School taking part . Some have been incorporated in the specially created town centre artwork , while others have been on display in the window of a shop unit . All the designs can be viewed on the Council ’ s flickr page .
Cllr Tony Brennan , Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development , said : “ This is a really exciting time for Kirkby and one which we should all be celebrating . This wonderful piece of artwork encapsulates this . The children of Kirkby have played a special part in putting this together , which is fitting because we want future generations to benefit from all of the new amenities arriving in the town .”
Cllr Margaret Harvey , Cabinet Member for Children ’ s Services , added : “ Seeing all of the children ’ s designs and how this special piece of artwork has come together can ’ t help but put a smile on your face ! The artwork will brighten up a key gateway to Kirkby Town Centre and add to the positivity around the town .”
KFC was the first new unit to open at the new retail development last week , with Taco Bell opening this week . A Morrisons superstore , sixpump petrol station and a larger Home Bargains are all scheduled to open over the coming months .
Plans are also progressing to deliver a new multi-screen cinema scheme including food and drink outlets in the town centre .
Beatles fans and hat lovers were invited to put on their most flamboyant Fab Four headwear for August Bank Holiday Monday and take part in a unique TV show being made in Liverpool .
‘ Hats Off to The Beatles ’ is part of Statues Redressed – a project where statues across the city have been given a temporary new look by artists and designers to celebrate and debate their place in the city today .
As part of the project , which is being turned into a special for Sky Arts , Merseyside milliner Stephen Jones created four spectacular songthemed hats for The Beatles statue at the Pier Head . Each Beatle was given his own hat – Penny Lane for Paul , Here Comes the Sun for George , Yellow Submarine for Ringo and Help ! for John .
The statue became the focal point for Hats Off to The Beatles on Monday August 30th .
Culture Liverpool asked fans to come together in fabulous Beatles themed hats to help celebrate the Beatles and also to create a special moment for the TV broadcast .
Culture Liverpool ’ s Development Producer , Eliza Willis , explains :“ We called on the public to come down on Bank Holiday Monday wearing their own Beatles hats . They could be flamboyant and bright or subtle and simple ! This will be part of the Sky Arts show and so it was a chance to get on TV . People gathered around the statue and filled the waterfront with colour and joy . The end result will feature on the finale of the Sky Arts show .”
The date coincided with the end of Beatles Week so as well as Liverpoolbased fans , lots of visitors joined in the celebration too . The Beatles bronze , which is one of the most photographed statues in the city , was specifically chosen by Hoylake-born Stephen Jones , who is one of the UK ’ s leading milliners . All of the artists and designers involved in Statues Redressed were allowed to pick a statue from more than 200 around the city .
The Redressing ’ s aren ’ t permanent , they ’ ll be there for a maximum of a month .
Statues Redressed is part of a bigger summer campaign called Very Public Art which features installations in different parts of the city .
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