BARD OF BIRKENHEAD EXPLORES THE WIRRAL PENINSULA’S CELTIC ROOTS

David Charters, the Bard of Birkenhead, will give the second in his series of Wirral talks, Mysteries on the Other Side, in the concert room at St George’s Hall, Liverpool, at 7pm on March 17.  As that is St Patrick’s night, the writer and historian will be examining the influence of Celtic culture on Wirral – as well as regaling the audience with lots of stories and a few songs.

Back by public demand, this event follows the success of David’s first Wirral talk in the concert room at St George’s Hall on January 21^st.

David, 67, who was for 25 years a columnist on the old Liverpool Daily Post and now writes the Bard of Birkenhead column every Tuesday in the Wirral edition of the Liverpool Echo, said:

“My main ambition is to unite people on both sides of the Mersey in celebration of Wirral and some of its wonderful stories. In deference to the spirit of the shamrock, I will be telling of the well where Ireland’s great Patron Saint quenched his thirst – and there will be other tales about Irish contributions to Wirral.“But there will also be much to satisfy the souls of the English, Welsh and Scots. It will be a grand old mix and we might even have a song or two, so have a gargle before you come,”  

Some of the stories will be sad, others funny. All will be in praise of the peninsula he loves.

Joining the parade of people, in addition to St Patrick, will be the great Welsh poet of Birkenhead Park, the young Irish writer who headed for Birkenhead and ended up in Borstal, the world’s greatest railway engineer, the superb actress who lost her theatre, the wise priest and the folk singer who met our Barnacle Bill, as well as the pop singer, who didn’t make a fortune. There will be tributes to the diggers who died joining the banks of our river and to the little known heroes of a terrible dock disaster. Talking of digging, David will also speak of the peninsula’s forgotten mining community.

But there will much more for all Merseysiders, including memories of a lovely lolly ice.

Last year, David, who lives in Birkenhead, was made an honorary fellow of Liverpool John Moores University for services to writing and communications.

Other presentations he has given at St George’s Hall include his play, A Dream of Wilfred Owen, and his talk on the American Indian wars, Ghosts in the American Dream.

The second Mysteries on the Other Side starts at 7pm on March 17^th in the Concert Room at St George’s Hall. Admission £5 on the door.

TALK DETAILS:

Mysteries of the Other Side – Wirral the Enchanted Peninsula

Concert Room, St George’s Hall

Thursday, March 17th, 2016

Time: 7pm

Tickets: £5, pay on the door

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

Photo credited to the Liverpool Echo