Paul McCartney and Jane Austen, both!!!!!

Sir Paul Mc Cartney and Jane Austen are to be honoured at the opening of the newly refurbished Liverpool Central Library. Paul McCartney will have his name placed on a plaque alongside the names of other famous Liverpool writers, on the side of the building.

On the pavement, outside of the library, will be placed bricks with the names of books found inside the library. These will include Pride and Prejudice.

The library will also have inspirational quotes by John Lennon on display.

Paul McCartney honoured

at Liverpool Central Library

Sir Paul McCartney will appear on the Liverpool Literary

panel outside the city's Central Library

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A list of Merseyside writers to be immortalised in a special panel on Liverpool's Central Library has been revealed.

Sir Paul McCartney was the most popular choice to be added to the Literary Liverpool panel.

Other names to be displayed include Lynda La Plante, Willy Russell and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

The panel will be displayed on the rear of the William Brown Street building following its £50m redevelopment.

Finalists were selected by the libraries and archives team as well as members of the public.

Pavement engravings

Sir Paul said: "I would be very happy for my name to be used on the external cladding of the redeveloped Liverpool Central Library and Archive. Thank you for doing me this honour."

The tribute to Sir Paul comes after the library discovered a prize-winning essay written when he was 10.

Written in 1953, the work for the Queen's coronation had lain undiscovered in a scrap

book for over 50 years.

Engraved on the pavement will be titles of books which can be found in the building including Pride and Prejudice, Educating Rita and Peter Pan.

Famous quotations such as "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans", by John Lennon, will also have their place in the new library in an area dedicated to inspirational quotes.

The library will also house the Liverpool Record Office with its 14km (8.7miles) of archives. Computers will allow visitors to download music and books onto MP3 and MP4 players.

Liverpool City Council's Head of Libraries, Joyce Little, said: "The redevelopment of Liverpool's Central Library is a huge project and will make the venue one of the best public libraries in the UK."

The newly refurbished library is scheduled to reopen in Spring 2013.

Hey!!! you Americans are becoming English.

You really MUST stop watching films about Jane Austen.

Can't be doing you any good.

The next thing, you will all be buying silver encased dance cards. When you want to dance, or chat to somebody of the opposite sex, you will have to sign their card and wait in turn. God forbid if you renege on your appointment.

All the best,

Tony

And the OSCAR goes to the microphone!!!

The BBC have an archive, not just of sound recordings and television recordings over the decades but also of equipment.

Here is an article about the microphones King George VI used and yes they still do work, perfectly.

Have a listen to two presenters using it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12591587

Going for a run

A VIEW OF TENBY HARBOUR

Marilyn, Emily, Abigail and myself have been staying in Tenby for a few days this week.

Tenby is a beautiful Georgian Town on the rugged Pembrokeshire coast in South Wales. Marilyn comes from Tenby and we were visiting her mum and dad.

The weather in Wales is mostly wet. Last week there was a lot of sea mist and fog rolling in from The Bristol Channel and The Irish Sea.

Tenby itself is set within the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park. The park comprises 300 miles of rugged, wild and beautiful coastline. It is the haunt of many types of sea birds, dolphins, small sharks, puffins and cormorants. Like Cornwall, the Pembrokeshire coast has traditionally been an area for fishing.

During the Georgian period Tenby was regarded as an elegant place to visit and take seaside holidays. Nelson and Lady Hamilton stayed here. George Elliot lived here for a short while. Jane Austen wrote in her letters about friends staying in Tenby. It is thought the Austen family may have visted Tenby. A nephew, in his reminiscences, recalls his aunts talking about it. Well known famous artists and actors have visited. Augustus John and Gwen John, his sister, were born and brought up in Tenby. Dylan Thomas used to visit Tenby from the boathouse at Laugharne just along the coast. Reputedly he left a first draft of Under Milk Wood on the bar stool in The Coach and Horses in Upper Frog Street. Beatrice Potter stayed in Tenby as a girl.

Last Wednesday I got up early, pulled on my NIKES and started out through Tenby town to the South Beach. Tenby is surrounded by beautiful beaches backed by rugged cliffs. There is North Beach, Castle Beach, yes it has a castle and South Beach. I chose South Beach because it is a mile of curving golden sand ending in tortuous pathways leading up onto rocky rugged cliffs .

The scene from the windswept cliff tops, on a clear day, shows a wide stretch of blue sea with Caldy Island with it's whitewashed Cistercian Monastery and other smaller islands that are inhabited only by sea birds. The view is magnificent. On Wednesday though, everything was shrouded in mist. A mysterious,Gothic scene. It felt dramatic running along the beach and up on to the cliffs. The smell of the sea and the strong wind made it feel wild and close to nature. It was an exilerating experience.

Here are some pictures from my run.

Oliver Twist's WORKHOUSE

A Victorian Workhouse.
Dr Ruth Richardson discusses her findings with Dr Paul Schlicke, editor of The Dickens Companion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9401000/9401431.stm

I couldn't access the radio interview on it's own but here is a link to the BBC website that will allow you to listen to the interview.

So, they think they have found the very workhouse Dickens used as his source for Oliver Twist.

Bath, Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp

Would you believe it. Yesterday the Guardian had that article about Georgian pornographic poetry and now, today, the Independent has an article about Bath. But not just any old article. Did you know Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp live in Bath? Nicolas Cage lives in The Circus no less. What is the world coming to!!! Bloody Hell!!! (Sorry about the expletive.)

Saucy 18th century poetry article

This article was in today's Guardian. I thought you all might be interested.

Click on the article to get full magnification.