Coast - North West England

I've just watched episode 5 of season 1 of 'Coast'. It covered north-west England, my home, and as such was especially interesting to me. Some of it I already knew, a lot I didn't.

Liverpool - I already knew it was England's most important port in the triangular slave trade, and that much of it's wealth and the large, grand buildings came about because of the slave trade. What I didn't realise, despite living there for 2 years, and working in the city centre for 4 years, was that evidence of the slave trade was all around. Many of the buildings had motifs and pictures carved into the stone depicting the slave trade. On one building there was a slave ship carved into the stone above the entrance. St Martin's Bank (think it's now Barclays, and the branch I used to use!) has a carving of a man stood above two African children, the children with chains around their ankles and wrists. The chains look like bracelets, but don't be deceived. Next time in Liverpool I will have to look out for these signs.

The programme also mentioned that Liverpool was a major port for people emigrating from Britain to the New World, i.e. America, Canada, Australia etc. This is something that particularly interests me, given my interest in early American history, exploration and colonies etc.

Formby - Also used to live in Formby! There were 5000 year old footprints in the clay. These are uncovered all the time by the erosion of the sand, but once uncovered only survive a couple of days before themselves being eroded. Showed someone who has spent years cataloging the footprints and learning from them about the people who they belonged to. Belonged to people living after the last ice age, Britain covered in primeval forest, so large proportion of people living by the coast. Around the time of the end of hunter gatherers, when farming was just about to begin. Discovered particles of carbon in the footprints, indicative of either bonfires, or early smelting of iron.

Southport - Holiday destination. Also lived here. Also had lifeboat station. In Dec 1886, major lifeboat disaster when a German sailing ship, Mexico, was sinking 4 miles out to sea. Lifeboats from Southport, Lytham and St Annes all independant of one another set off to try and rescue the people from it. Very rough seas, bad weather. Lytham lifeboat rescued the people after 4 hours of rowing across stormy seas. Lifeboats from St Annes and Southport lost (though 2 people from Southport lifeboat survived). 29 people died. British public and Queen Victoria donated £30,000 for the families of the lifeboat men, thus started the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Today it is one of Britain's best supported charities. Staffed by volunteers and raises £90m a year through donations.

Blackpool - again somewhere I used to live. Holiday destination from 1880's people from the mills of Lancashire coming for holidays and days out. Now seedy, lots of stag nights, binge drinking, one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the country. The images of the sea along the front reminded me of going with my dad to see the rough seas and giant waves crashing against the sea wall, lots of mist and spray blowing in our faces.

Morecambe Bay - I now live in Lancaster, just near Morecambe Bay (3 miles away). Largest tidal estuary in Britain. Treacherous for people walking across them that don't know what they are doing, many people have lost their lives, most recently Chinese cockle pickers. In 1530's due to huge number of deaths on the sands, a Royal Sands Guide was appointed to safely guide people along the sands and across them. There has been a Sands Guide ever since, current guide is the 25th in a long line of guides (not related).

Ravenglass/Sellafield - nuclear power plant, controvertial. Used to pump out very toxic nuclear waste into the sea in the 70's. Today still pumping out waste, but much less toxic/nuclear.

Workington - Big steel industry, boom town in industrial revolution. Used to provide all steel for Britain's railways, but now hardly any steel industry left.

Also nearby, the Workington coal mines. Women used to be employed sorting the coal above ground after it had been mined. Hard work, coal dust in eyes, mouth etc. Interviewed 2 old women who used to do this job. They described then as the 'good old days' and enjoyed their jobs, and wished they could still do it (if they were younger). If you worked in service in those days you only got about 7 shillings a week, working sorting the coal you got £7 a week!

Maryport - evidence of a Roman fort, and other buildings, granary, forge etc. 1000 soldiers probably would have been stationed here. From Maryport to edge of Scotland, coastal defences running up to Hadrian's wall. Mile-fortlets every mile with 8-12 men in, with two watchtowers between each of them. Only needed for 20 years or so around 80-120AD before no longer needed as threat had been vanquished.

A very interesting episde.