Who wants to be, down by the sea? Well if you're in the UK this week then pretty much nobody, as the coast takes a battering and large parts of the country seem to be getting washed away by gigantic waves.
Squeamish HQ is in Brighton and we've watched as the iconic West Pier has become another
victim of the storms. It looks like what was once a beach-based landmark will be washed away within the year, as the trust who own it carry on with the plan to let the structure be reclaimed by nature. Alright, so it's not exactly as inconvenient as large sections of railway getting carried off in Dawlish, but it does mark the end of an era as something vanishes from the skyline that was the background to countless walks, swims, kisses and parties. There are structures and buildings all around the country that we'd like to preserve for our own reasons...
Squeamish HQ is in Brighton and we've watched as the iconic West Pier has become another
victim of the storms. It looks like what was once a beach-based landmark will be washed away within the year, as the trust who own it carry on with the plan to let the structure be reclaimed by nature. Alright, so it's not exactly as inconvenient as large sections of railway getting carried off in Dawlish, but it does mark the end of an era as something vanishes from the skyline that was the background to countless walks, swims, kisses and parties. There are structures and buildings all around the country that we'd like to preserve for our own reasons...
1. It seems like ever since I could walk I have been climbing the perilous Wallace Monument. Sat on the hills just outside of Stirling its stony phallic presence makes those rain sodden hills look even more moody and green in contrast. The narrow spiral stairs and top platform with sides that are far too low are the closest I will come to an extreme adventure holiday with my cousins, grandma, uncles and aunts. I will always love it and hate the Rob Roy statue at the bottom which is obviously just Mel Gibson in a kilt. Squeamish Nicola
2. I couldn't nail it down to one single landmark, but it kills me when I see piece of London's musical history being torn down to make way for new flats and tube expansions. Sure, the fact that the Sex Pistols played their first live gig here might not be culturally relevant to everyone, but George Eliot (say) isn't culturally relevant to everyone yet she gets blue plaques. While some pieces of London's rock history do remain standing, the likes of theAstoria and the Marquee Club were deserving of historical preservation orders in my book. F1Kate
3. I was going to be a bit silly with this Friday Five*, but I've discovered my favourite building ever still hasn’t been saved. TheLangton Dock Pump House in Liverpool in once of the most beautiful Victorian buildings ever built, and it's crumbling into ruins. Just look at it. It's amazing - the red bricks, the windows, the steam pump and chimney stacks, I'm in love with it. And it's on a harbour so you could moor a boat alongside it. It's my lottery dream house - if I won millions I'd restore it to the glory it deserves.
*seriously, that Lego house I built went I was 10 should have been preserved for the ages - I've still not entirely forgiven my mum for making me tidy it away. Gareth
4. I would like us all to spare a thought for all the pubs that have struggled and been forced to allow Wetherspoons to swallow them up and become a characterless rooms with no music and names such as The Moon Under Water to give the impression they've ALWAYS been there. You know, the Moon Under Water! That pub with all the atmosphere sssssssssucked out of it but with oddly good ale on tap. Eurgh. Spare me. Squeamish Kate
5. I don’t want to see it restored, because I never saw it open, but I hope that the South Bay outdoor
pool in Scarborough remains standing in one form or another. It closed when I was 7 and I never swam there, but when I was 12 or 13 I remember visiting in the evening with my big brother and sister in law - we bought pizza, climbed onto the old wide stone walls, and sat and ate in the dark and I thought it was magical. I'd rather save that than a listed building any day. Squeamish Louise
2. I couldn't nail it down to one single landmark, but it kills me when I see piece of London's musical history being torn down to make way for new flats and tube expansions. Sure, the fact that the Sex Pistols played their first live gig here might not be culturally relevant to everyone, but George Eliot (say) isn't culturally relevant to everyone yet she gets blue plaques. While some pieces of London's rock history do remain standing, the likes of theAstoria and the Marquee Club were deserving of historical preservation orders in my book. F1Kate
3. I was going to be a bit silly with this Friday Five*, but I've discovered my favourite building ever still hasn’t been saved. TheLangton Dock Pump House in Liverpool in once of the most beautiful Victorian buildings ever built, and it's crumbling into ruins. Just look at it. It's amazing - the red bricks, the windows, the steam pump and chimney stacks, I'm in love with it. And it's on a harbour so you could moor a boat alongside it. It's my lottery dream house - if I won millions I'd restore it to the glory it deserves.
*seriously, that Lego house I built went I was 10 should have been preserved for the ages - I've still not entirely forgiven my mum for making me tidy it away. Gareth
4. I would like us all to spare a thought for all the pubs that have struggled and been forced to allow Wetherspoons to swallow them up and become a characterless rooms with no music and names such as The Moon Under Water to give the impression they've ALWAYS been there. You know, the Moon Under Water! That pub with all the atmosphere sssssssssucked out of it but with oddly good ale on tap. Eurgh. Spare me. Squeamish Kate
5. I don’t want to see it restored, because I never saw it open, but I hope that the South Bay outdoor
pool in Scarborough remains standing in one form or another. It closed when I was 7 and I never swam there, but when I was 12 or 13 I remember visiting in the evening with my big brother and sister in law - we bought pizza, climbed onto the old wide stone walls, and sat and ate in the dark and I thought it was magical. I'd rather save that than a listed building any day. Squeamish Louise
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