Palatine Club, 1969
Palatine Club, 1864
The Post-War reconstruction (or destruction depending on your point of view) of Liverpool city centre, saw many fine buildings swept away. This fine palazzo at the foot of Bold Street was one. Built in 1854 to the designs of G.O. Parnell, it was painted by William Herdman for his great undertaking, the book Modern Liverpool. The fine chromo-lithograph shows an impressive building with classical detailing built out of shining Bath stone. Herdman (son of WG) was impressed by the building but not by its use – perhaps cocking a snook at the London rich:
The principal building in this view is the Palatine Club House. Club life has never found a congenial atmosphere in Liverpool, which is an arena for busy hands and fertile brains to labour and scheme and thrive in, but affords very small scope for wealthy leisure to expend itself in enjoyment. The habits of life engendered by commercial pursuits are quite unfavourable to the “dolce far niente” (translation pleasant idleness/sweet doing nothing) principle, which is essential to the club lounger.
I remember the building in the mid-1970s. The Press Club were its last tenants if I remember correctly. Why pull down such a good building for the characterless modern shops that replaced it is an almost pointless question? I wish I knew the reasoning behind such wanton destruction. On a totally unrelated point, note the hand-drawn milk float further down the street.
I completely agree with Colin’s statements about the wanton destruction.
The problem is, the Council/powers that be have just not learnt their lesson in the slightest.
Edge Lane is currently being swept away and other parts of historic Liverpool are becoming fewer and rarer every week.
With ‘mysterious fires’ happening in buildings that people can not find an alternative use for becoming more and more frequent, I fear that this is a trend that will continue until somebody or something can put forward a passionate and moving argument that will move the people of this city to stand up for their heritage and not simply take it for granted.