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New sculpture for Bootle Oriel Station: 08 December 2009; A new sculpture, ‘Past, Present and Future’ by local artist Stephen Hitchin, has been unveiled at Bootle Oriel Station.

The giant steel sculpture, commissioned by Merseytravel and standing over eight metres tall, reflects and celebrates the history and growth of Bootle, its people and the wider Merseyside community.

Bootle Councillor and Chair of Merseytravel Mark Dowd, said: “Not only does the sculpture reflect on the history of Bootle it is also a celebration of the growth of Bootle alongside Liverpool.

“The images in the sculpture make reference to some key events in Bootle’s history. It is an interesting piece of work and one that I am sure many people will enjoy.”

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel added: “While we appreciate the need to modernise our facilities, we also recognise the importance of their past and the history surrounding the area, with this in mind we wanted a sculpture that would represent the past, present and future of Bootle, which Stephen has captured perfectly.”

The sculpture, part of Merseytravel’s ambitious and wide-ranging Public Arts Strategy, depicts a variety of images of the town throughout the years, including the docks and Captain Johnny Walker.

During the Second World War, the docks made Bootle a target and as a result it was one of the worst hit areas outside of London

Bootle also played an important part in the Battle of the Atlantic. Gladstone Docks as well as Liverpool served as vital ports during the war and never closed despite being the target of repeated Bombing raids.

Gladstone Docks were also home to Captain Johnny Walker who commanded the HMS Starling and along with the 2nd Support Group were instrumental in Allied Victory of the Battle of Atlantic.

Captain Walker would occasionally rest in the Mayor’s Parlour in Bootle Town Hall and the HMS Starling’s bell and flags signalling the General Chase can be found today on display within Bootle Town Hall.

The sculpture also makes reference to the Liverpool Overhead Railway which ran the length of the docks and was primarily built to ease congestion, but turned out to be popular with visitors due to the amazing view of the docks, shipping and the transatlantic Liners on the River Mersey.

Images of Bootle’s trade, shipping and infrastructure can be seen within the three steel metal plates of the sculpture.

Stephen Hitchin, whose work is currently on display at the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Gallery & Museum (VG&M) said, "The sculpture has been designed to be viewed from all angles, giving people something to see from both the main entrance and also the platform level.

"I spent many hours researching this piece and I was interested to find out so much about Bootle`s history, in particular the importance that the area played during the war - it has given me a rich source of reference and I have included what I hope is a fitting tribute, combined with a more up to date reflection of current day events."

Bootle Oriel Station was officially opened in June 2008 after undergoing multi-million pound improvement works including a new ticket office, booking hall, footbridge and new lifts providing free access to the platforms.

Picture caption: (left to right) Artist Stephen Hitchin with Councillor Mark Dowd; Back to Media Centre