Nigel Blackwell
Acerbic post-punk outfit Half Man Half Biscuit formed in Birkenhead in 1984, and revolve around the partnership of singer/guitarist Nigel Blackwell and bassist Neil Crossley. The group have accrued a cult following over the span of 14 albums, as much for their irreverent takes on small-town England as for their wry social commentary. When you’re described as “the greatest English folk band since The Clash,” you know you’re doing something right. When John Peel describes you as “a national treasure”, your cult status is confirmed.
Frequent Electric Trains.
Hamilton Square
The historic, Georgian Grade I listed Hamilton Square is the civic heart of Birkenhead. The gardens at its centre hold a statue of John Laird and a series of memorials, including the Borough’s war memorial. From the edge of the gardens you can look across the river and see Liverpool along the shore. Behind you is the town’s retail core and the road to the shipyard. Hamilton Square is a place of hope, designed to showcase the grandeur and growth of Birkenhead. It is also a place of reflection, the way in and the way out of Birkenhead.
Walking up from Hamilton Square rail station – presided over by a Grade II listed hydraulic tower in the Italiante style – you enter Hamilton Square at its north east corner where you will find the location sign and QR code. Once you’ve loaded the track for this location, we encourage you to wander around the square and gardens and take it all in: the statues and monuments, the handsome granite and sandstone Town Hall, the Edinburghian grandeur of Gillespie Graham’s design which comprises the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings outside of London (after Trafalgar Square). When the sun shines, the light dances between the lush greenery and the sandstone faces; on less exuberant days, there’s plenty of cover and plenty to catch the eye.
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