The Model of Gerard Gardens is now on display for all to see at Liverpool Museum at the Pier Head.
As the scale model is set in the 1970s, period vehicles are used to enhance the display.
It was a proud day for me when quite unexpectedly, it was agreed that the organisation would take the model on a long term loan to exhibit at the new museum at the Pier Head'
On Monday 27th April, it was taken into their care to be measured for a case and mounted on a base it has now been seen by some of the 1 million plus visitors to the Museum and it takes pride of place in the People's City gallery - one of four such themed spaces in the 'X' shape.
The Model on display in the Museum, Photograph Joe Neary.
It was praise indeed when the museum's chief model builder and restorer told me that this was the best model of its type he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing at close quarters, telling me that even their own in house acquistions are often sanitised and devoid of life.
On the model, I have tried to set it in the early to mid 1970s, largely because that's the period of time how I remember it best and I also had the model cars from that era already in my possession from my childhood, so it did pay to hoard for a change.
As well as vehicles such as the old 3 wheeler milk float and obligatory ice cream van, there are working vehicles such as a post office van and coal lorry. There are personal touches such as the mobile shop and its store wagon which was an ever present in Gerard Crescent during that period as well as grocers delivery vans to Jim Moran's shop was was situated at the back corner of Cartwright House on the 'backie'.
A fire engine is en route up Hunter Street and a British Telecom works vehicle and workers are at work. The Police are attending a pallet fire but the culprits have long since scarpered of course. Children skateboard and ride scooters and bicycles around the set as well as people walking the landings.
At the bus stop on Christian Street you will find a man reading the newspaper, another with his golf clubs awaiting the Bootle bus and a lady with a bunch of flowers on her way to Ford Cemetery - well, you have to have an imagination for these things if they're to work.
