The Liverpool Divergence
I was born in Leek, Staffordshire, in 1963, and lived there for the first three years of my life. In the last 48 years I have resided in (in order):
During this time, I've worked away a lot, spending weeks or months away from home, with postal addresses in:
(I've also travelled around a bit on my various adventures. I would like to travel a lot more – I still want to ride a motorbike around the world. Lack of money is the only thing stopping me from doing things. I'll be severely pissed off if I die and the only thing that has held me back is money, or the lack of it. But, that's a rant for another time.)
- Keighley (W. Yorks) 1966-71,
- Harrogate (N. Yorks) 1971- 81,
- Hull (E.Yorks) 1981-82,
- Münster (W. Germany) 1982-83,
- Blackpool (Lancs) 1983-85,
- Wesham (Lancs) 1985-87,
- Maryport (Cumbria) 1987-95,
- Congleton (Chesh) 1994-2014,
- Munich (Germany) 2009-10.
During this time, I've worked away a lot, spending weeks or months away from home, with postal addresses in:
- Oxford (Oxon) 2006-08,
- Boston (Mass, USA) 2005 and,
- Philadelphia (Pa, USA) 2005-06.
(I've also travelled around a bit on my various adventures. I would like to travel a lot more – I still want to ride a motorbike around the world. Lack of money is the only thing stopping me from doing things. I'll be severely pissed off if I die and the only thing that has held me back is money, or the lack of it. But, that's a rant for another time.)
Can't be bothered reading through all these 'words'? Well, you might miss something but, click here to go to the bit with pictures...
So, “How come you've ended up in Liverpool?” is a question I've been asked a lot, of late. It's not that simple to answer; there are a few reasons, some of which should be come evident in the coming months.
Liverpool, believe it or not, was my first choice of university, back in 1981. I came to look around, with the intention of studying German. I wanted to be an interpreter. Sadly, the arrogance of youth, laziness because German came naturally, and the simple fact that I did no revision for my A Levels, changed my plans. Although the results weren't a complete disaster, they weren't good enough for what I had envisaged. With 20-20 hindsight, a little revision would have changed the whole course of my life. Would my life have been better? Who can say. It would probably have been different and I am sure that I would have done 'stuff'. I doubt that I would have done all the unusual things I have done though. We can always say 'what if?'.
You can torture yourself with 'What ifs?' ad nauseum. I did what I did and made decisions at the time, given the information and knowledge I had at that time. Some of my choices turned out to be poor, in retrospect. When I made them, they seemed reasonably sane and logical. But, that's in the past and there is nothing I can do to change them, now.
My decision to move to Liverpool was not made in haste. For whatever reason, since 2010, I have been unable to secure full-time employment. After 25 successful years in e-Learning, as Programmer, Graphic Designer, Instructional Designer, and Project Manager, working for some big names in the UK, US, and Europe, nobody is interested in my services any more. Then, there's all the other stuff I've done, alongside my professional life. I have published two novels, had articles, reviews, and photographs published as a Freelance Music Journalist (both in print and online), I've designed artwork for CDs, made a video documentary, worked on an epic Northern Soul movie, spent two years as a Radio Presenter, I've designed web and built websites, yet, no one wants to employ me to do any type of job. Why? Well, that's a good question that I have spent hours trying to understand.
It's not that I don't want to work. I do.
It's not that I'm asking for too much money. I'm not.
It's not that I'm applying for jobs I'm not qualified or experienced for. Why would I bother?
Perhaps, it's my age. Maybe, some of the views I've expressed over the years have come back to haunt me. Perhaps, the way people learn has, indeed, changed more in the last 5 years than in the previous few thousand although, I seriously doubt it.
Liverpool, believe it or not, was my first choice of university, back in 1981. I came to look around, with the intention of studying German. I wanted to be an interpreter. Sadly, the arrogance of youth, laziness because German came naturally, and the simple fact that I did no revision for my A Levels, changed my plans. Although the results weren't a complete disaster, they weren't good enough for what I had envisaged. With 20-20 hindsight, a little revision would have changed the whole course of my life. Would my life have been better? Who can say. It would probably have been different and I am sure that I would have done 'stuff'. I doubt that I would have done all the unusual things I have done though. We can always say 'what if?'.
- What if I'd stayed in the civil service? I could probably have retired as a Principle by now, after 30 years of service (I was only 20 when I started work at Lytham Land Registry). I would probably have the life I had imagined, thirty years ago.
- What if I'd studied harder and become an interpreter? Well, yeah. In reality, I was never going to be a conformist. My childhood was unusual, to say the least. Hey, it was the 1970s.
- What if I hadn't become a father when I was just 21 (and again at 26)? I wouldn't have my two wonderful, remarkable, beautiful daughters. I may not have planned it that way but, they are the best things I've achieved in my life.
- What if Munich had not gone tits up? Yep. (Then again, I didn't figure out what was going on during 2009 until 2013!)
You can torture yourself with 'What ifs?' ad nauseum. I did what I did and made decisions at the time, given the information and knowledge I had at that time. Some of my choices turned out to be poor, in retrospect. When I made them, they seemed reasonably sane and logical. But, that's in the past and there is nothing I can do to change them, now.
My decision to move to Liverpool was not made in haste. For whatever reason, since 2010, I have been unable to secure full-time employment. After 25 successful years in e-Learning, as Programmer, Graphic Designer, Instructional Designer, and Project Manager, working for some big names in the UK, US, and Europe, nobody is interested in my services any more. Then, there's all the other stuff I've done, alongside my professional life. I have published two novels, had articles, reviews, and photographs published as a Freelance Music Journalist (both in print and online), I've designed artwork for CDs, made a video documentary, worked on an epic Northern Soul movie, spent two years as a Radio Presenter, I've designed web and built websites, yet, no one wants to employ me to do any type of job. Why? Well, that's a good question that I have spent hours trying to understand.
It's not that I don't want to work. I do.
It's not that I'm asking for too much money. I'm not.
It's not that I'm applying for jobs I'm not qualified or experienced for. Why would I bother?
Perhaps, it's my age. Maybe, some of the views I've expressed over the years have come back to haunt me. Perhaps, the way people learn has, indeed, changed more in the last 5 years than in the previous few thousand although, I seriously doubt it.
Liverpool was not a place I had considered moving to. I went to gigs at the Empire, Royal Court, Philharmonic Hall, in the final years of last century but, other than that, and my brief visit in 1981, my knowledge of the city could be embossed on a postage stamp: Beatles, Cilla, Red and Blue, Toxteth riots, Buck Tarbrush, Degsy Hatton, Boys From The Blackstuff, and that is pretty much it. A considerable amount of ignorance, it has to be said.
Secondborn girlchild ended up at university here and extolled the virtues of the city. I visited in 2011 and did a brief walkabout http://www.godofthunder.co.uk/liverpool.html of the obvious sights. When she graduated in 2013, I came to see her get her certificate at a ceremony in the Anglican Cathedral. I became quite taken with the idea of coming to a city with so many amazing buildings; so much Deco and Gothic architecture, a veritable cornucopia of monumental masonry. During 2014, it became clear that Congleton didn't want me. I'd given it twenty years to offer me a reason to stay but, it made no efforts. Liverpool, on the other hand, was teasing me, fluttering it's eyelashes, tempting me with the biggest organ in the country, generally being a bit of a slut. You have to admire that kind of thing and, let's face it, offers aren't flooding in. So, in August 2014, as I had in 2009, when I moved to Munich, I took a scary step and ended up on the Smithdown Road, L15.
Secondborn girlchild ended up at university here and extolled the virtues of the city. I visited in 2011 and did a brief walkabout http://www.godofthunder.co.uk/liverpool.html of the obvious sights. When she graduated in 2013, I came to see her get her certificate at a ceremony in the Anglican Cathedral. I became quite taken with the idea of coming to a city with so many amazing buildings; so much Deco and Gothic architecture, a veritable cornucopia of monumental masonry. During 2014, it became clear that Congleton didn't want me. I'd given it twenty years to offer me a reason to stay but, it made no efforts. Liverpool, on the other hand, was teasing me, fluttering it's eyelashes, tempting me with the biggest organ in the country, generally being a bit of a slut. You have to admire that kind of thing and, let's face it, offers aren't flooding in. So, in August 2014, as I had in 2009, when I moved to Munich, I took a scary step and ended up on the Smithdown Road, L15.
Whether this move will work out better than my [second] attempt to embrace The Fatherland, only time will tell (maybe I should try a location that doesn't begin with the letter 'M'?). Hopefully, this time, I won't get involved with a pathological liar and get the blame for whatever shit he pulled. Yes, Karl-Peter Bauer, or whatever name you're going by these days, I'm talking about you. We're not finished yet. I know you'll find this and I want you to know I'm not done with you. Your time will come.
Nevertheless, I'm here and I'm still trying to find a source of income. My hope is that Liverpool will offer an opportunity sooner, rather than later.
In the meantime, I wanted to get to know the area, learn a little about the place and see what all the fuss is about. People from Liverpool love it and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. In the short time I've been here, I can see why. The place may be a little schizophrenic, but it is a great city. You can see where the money has been spent, though. Liverpool One and the touristy bits have, clearly, had big wads of moolah cast in their general direction, and they are pretty impressive. I still think that more could, and should, be done. Why, for example, are the buildings at The Pier Head not gloriously illuminated at night, to showcase their magnificence? Why is Liverpool not buzzing constantly with movie crews, musical events, and other such endeavours? The city of culture from a few years ago appears to have gone off the boil. It is not dead, by any means, but it's not throbbing with global appeal, as it should.
Other parts of the area, not so much love is being lavished. Some sections of the city remind me of those films made in the years after WWII; vast swathes of wasteland abound, seemingly forgotten, abandoned and derelict buildings, desperate for someone to show them some tender, loving care, what appear to be renovation schemes, put on hold or, forgotten. North of the city centre, there are some incredible buildings that are crying out for someone to restore them to their former glory. Sadly, you know that this is unlikely to happen because, as lovely as they are, no one is going to spend money on them, because the surrounding area is not one of the chosen locations for the benevolence of those with the power to make things better. Still, as long as they are there, I shall seek them out.
Hopefully, as I learn more about Liverpool, I shall amend, add to, and extend the content. For now, it is what it is. I hope you enjoy my look at Liverpool.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
15th November 2014
P.S. If you fancy giving me a job, you know, I'm available at reasonable rates... :-)
Click here for the first bit...
In the meantime, I wanted to get to know the area, learn a little about the place and see what all the fuss is about. People from Liverpool love it and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. In the short time I've been here, I can see why. The place may be a little schizophrenic, but it is a great city. You can see where the money has been spent, though. Liverpool One and the touristy bits have, clearly, had big wads of moolah cast in their general direction, and they are pretty impressive. I still think that more could, and should, be done. Why, for example, are the buildings at The Pier Head not gloriously illuminated at night, to showcase their magnificence? Why is Liverpool not buzzing constantly with movie crews, musical events, and other such endeavours? The city of culture from a few years ago appears to have gone off the boil. It is not dead, by any means, but it's not throbbing with global appeal, as it should.
Other parts of the area, not so much love is being lavished. Some sections of the city remind me of those films made in the years after WWII; vast swathes of wasteland abound, seemingly forgotten, abandoned and derelict buildings, desperate for someone to show them some tender, loving care, what appear to be renovation schemes, put on hold or, forgotten. North of the city centre, there are some incredible buildings that are crying out for someone to restore them to their former glory. Sadly, you know that this is unlikely to happen because, as lovely as they are, no one is going to spend money on them, because the surrounding area is not one of the chosen locations for the benevolence of those with the power to make things better. Still, as long as they are there, I shall seek them out.
Hopefully, as I learn more about Liverpool, I shall amend, add to, and extend the content. For now, it is what it is. I hope you enjoy my look at Liverpool.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
15th November 2014
P.S. If you fancy giving me a job, you know, I'm available at reasonable rates... :-)
Click here for the first bit...
