Planetarium Celebrates Historic Anniversary

The World Museum’s Planetarium

The World Museum’s famous Planetarium celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020, making it the longest surviving planetarium in a British museum, having attracted over two million visitors to explore the wonders of the universe since its opening in May 1970.

The Planetarium has enjoyed many special moments over the years. Its inaugural display of moon rock brought back to earth by the crew of Apollo 11 drew queues stretching hundreds of metres and 32,000 visitors over the course of three days.

In September 1993, the space and time gallery was officially opened by the groundbreaking physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking. The gallery provides a fascinating introduction to the Planetarium with displays including rockets, telescopes, meteorites and (of course) moon rocks.

In February 2016, the World Museum set up a live connection with the International Space Station and the British astronaut Tim Peake, who then took questions from pupils attending the event from schools all around the country and others watching online.

The Planetarium is a truly unique Liverpool institution that has entertained and educated millions over the last half century. Bartletts Solicitors sends our heartfelt congratulations to everyone at the World Museum, and our hope and expectation that the Planetarium will continue to electrify and inform visitors for the next 50 years and beyond. You can find out more about the Planetarium here:

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/celebrating-planetarium-50

Walker Art Gallery Fashion Collection

Folding fans were introduced into Europe in the 1500s through trade with China and Japan.

The Walker Art Gallery hosts a magnificent collection of Western European fashion and costumes, showcasing a range of styles dating from 1700 to the present. The collection covers both female and male fashions, representing the very latest trends at various points in time over the last 300 years.

The collection includes day and evening wear, hats, gloves, underwear, shoes, handbags and jewellery. One area of focus is Liverpool’s dressmaking trade, which was at its peak between 1870 and the 1930s, and revolved around Bold Street – the ‘Bond Street of the North’. With the city booming at the time, Liverpool was renowned for its quality shops and luxury fashion designs.

Modern designer fashion is reflected in pieces by the most famous designers of the last 50 years, and the gallery also displays a collection of leisurewear and streetwear, with examples of designer tracksuits and trainers dating from the 1970s onwards. A collection of 19th century ivory fans provides fascinating insights into their origin and often surprising uses.

Find out more about this unique collection from our friends at the Walker Art Gallery:

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/collections/walker-art-gallery/fashion

Support For Liverpool Food Bank

Micah Liverpool Food Bank Project

Help make sure that people in the local community don’t go hungry during the coronavirus pandemic by supporting the valuable work of our friends at Liverpool Cathedral and their Micah Liverpool food bank project.

The food bank gives out between 230 and 250 emergency food parcels each week to anybody in need, containing essentials like milk, cereal, tinned goods, tea, coffee, vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice, bread, biscuits, cake and toiletries.

The busy food bank has come under increased pressure during the current pandemic and urgently needs supplies of breakfast cereals, tinned tomatoes and, in particular, UHT milk for pregnant women and toddlers.

As the situation evolves, demand on the food bank is sure to increase, so now is the perfect time to donate food and toiletries, offer financial support or volunteer to assist. Find out more at:

https://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/43/section.aspx/37/micah_liverpool_support_during_coronavirus_april2020

Baby Hospice Funding Shortfall

Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice

Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice is a registered charity providing 24 hour care and support for families of babies with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses.

The hospice relies on fundraising for 80% of its annual income, and has recently lost thousands of pounds as a result of cancelled events. It desperately needs help to be able to continue with its vital work helping seriously ill babies and infants.

Bartletts Solicitors is a proud supporter of Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice, and we would like to encourage everyone to support the charity at this critically important time. You can find out more below. Please share the link with as many as people as possible so we can act today to protect the tomorrow for Zoë’s Place:

https://www.zoes-place.org.uk/liverpool/default.aspx

3D Virtual Tours

World Museum’s Dinosaurs and Natural World virtual tour

As the nationwide series of lockdowns continues, it is important to remember that some wonderful exhibitions and collections can be viewed from the comfort of our own homes. National Museums Liverpool offers a wealth of content online, including virtual tours of galleries, exhibitions and museums, such as the World Museum and the International Slavery Museum.

To take one example, the Dinosaurs and Natural World gallery at the World Museum explores the story of life on Earth through a collection of full-size dinosaurs skeletons, time tunnel and Climate Change displays. You can find out more here:

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/virtual-tours

The National Gallery Of The North

The Walker Art Gallery, William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EL

Bartletts Solicitors has a longstanding relationship with the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

Established in 1877, the Walker Art Gallery houses one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious art collections, featuring beautiful paintings, sculpture and decorative art from the 13th century to the present day.

Often referred to as ‘the National Gallery of the North’, the gallery closed temporarily in 1931 to allow an extension to be built. Gifts of £10,000 each from George Audley, FC Bowring and Thomas Bartlett helped pay for the work.

Today, our firm is proud to continue to support the Walker Art Gallery and its collection, which reflects the people of Liverpool’s commitment to and appreciation of the arts.

Liverpool Cathedral’s Famous Bells

The Bells of the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Where do you think the highest and heaviest collection of church bells are located? Are they in London, Paris or Rome?

All wrong, they are in Liverpool Cathedral, and they have a direct link to Bartletts Solicitors. 

Thomas Bartlett was a successful Liverpool businessman who worked from Marldon Chambers where we are based. You might have guessed already from his name that he was a direct relation of our owners. Thomas left money in his will for a ring of 12 bells for the new Cathedral which was under construction.

He died on 4th September 1912, more than a quarter of a century before the bells which bear his name were cast, and 39 years before they were first rung. In accordance with his wishes, his final resting place is in the ringing chamber where his ashes sit in a coffer on a stone plinth.