Les Jones – författare

Bounded by the River Dee and Wales on one side and the River Mersey and Liverpool on the other, the Wirral Peninsula has its own special history. The major towns on the Mersey – Birkenhead and Wallasey – have a strong industrial heritage. New Brighton on the Irish Sea coast was developed as a resort whereas the south and west of the Wirral is largely rural with small towns and villages. Ancient and recent history are intermingled on the Wirral, with areas of natural landscape and parklands, medieval villages and ancient buildings built of the local sandstone close to the industrial development and docks on the Mersey in the north-east and Port Sunlight to the south.A–Z of The Wirral delves into the history of the peninsula. It highlights well-known landmarks and famous residents, and digs beneath the surface to uncover some of the lesser-known facts about the Wirral and its hidden places of interest. Significant moments in its history are covered, as well as its notable buildings and other features, including famous names associated with the area from early times to the present day. This fascinating A–Z tour of the Wirral’s history is fully illustrated and will appeal to all those with an interest in this part of the North West.

The Wirral peninsula encompasses a fascinating diversity of places. Bounded by the River Dee to the west and the Mersey Estuary to the east, this unique area includes urban and industrial centres such as Birkenhead and Wallasey, built around the docks, the towns of Hoylake, West Kirby and Heswall, the faded seaside resort of New Brighton, rural hinterland and the unique Port Sunlight model village.In Wirral Pubs, author Les Jones takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the area’s watering holes, many of which have retained features and traditions of previous ages. Brimming with quirky tales and fascinating facts, this carefully crafted guide initiates readers into the fascinating history of the Wirral’s pubs.

Over half of the Wirral’s built environment is Victorian; the era has left a huge imprint on the area. In this period the first docks across the River Mersey from Liverpool opened and Birkenhead became a pioneering planned Victorian town, including its municipal park and lodges which later provided the template for Central Park in New York. The coastal town of New Brighton was also developed as a coastal resort at this time and Lord Leverhulme built his masterpiece garden village at Port Sunlight. Alongside these, many grand Victorian public buildings, town halls, baths, markets, libraries and such were built as well as more humble but equally noteworthy structures. Another Victorian gem on Wirral is the magnificent cemetery at Flaybrick and the work of many nineteenth-century architectural greats such as Pugin, Gilbert Scott, Norman Shaw and George Street can be found throughout the area.Fully illustrated throughout, all those interested in the history of the Wirral will find this a fascinating exploration of the Victorian heritage of this area.

The Wirral Peninsula is a place of contrasts. The large north-eastern towns differ dramatically from the rolling green acres of mid-Wirral and the breezy open shores of its western edges. Much has been written about this unique region over the years. Port Sunlight is particularly and deservedly renowned, as is a particularly popular group from the 1960s who performed on this side of the Mersey many times. There are, however, many lesser-known stories to tell of this exceptional peninsula and Secret Wirral sets out to illustrate some of these tales. Les Jones tells of the rise and fall of New Brighton’s Tower Grounds before chronicling the role the peninsula has played in the burgeoning entertainment industry. The many myths and legends that have built up on these once wild and windswept shores are covered in a later chapter, before a selection of unusual facts on some of Wirral’s diverse villages are discussed. The extraordinary history of the groundbreaking Birkenhead Park provides the contents of the penultimate chapter before some unusual facets of Wirral’s sporting and leisure industry concludes an evocative and interesting excursion through secret Wirral.

Separated by the River Dee to the west and the River Mersey to the east, the Wirral Peninsula has its own unique character. Towns such as Wallasey and Birkenhead have a strong industrial heritage, particularly connected to the docks; New Brighton was developed as a coastal resort; and there are also rural towns and villages with picturesque buildings and large country houses.The Wirral in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating area through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, including lesser-known buildings that show the changes that have taken place over the years. Gems include the medieval Birkenhead Priory, the magnificent early Victorian Hamilton Square, the world-famous Port Sunlight with the Lady Lever Art Gallery, warehouses by Telford at Ellesmere Port, churches by Pugin, Butterfield and Scott, Birkenhead Park, created by Paxton as the first municipal park in Britain and famously copied by New York, the fort at New Brighton, an early mansion by Alfred Waterhouse, venues frequented by the Beatles, and many more. This book will appeal to all those who live in or visit the Wirral.