Adventures in Heritage: A Hearts of Gold Update from John Maguire

Hello! My name is John Maguire, and I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Heritage Development Officer for the Hearts of Gold project. My first task this month has been to familiarise myself with the fantastic, co-created Heritage Trails developed with the local communities in Bootle, Netherton, and Formby.

These three distinct trails celebrate the past, highlight some of the many amazing community organisations and faith groups in Sefton, and showcase the green spaces in the borough. These insightful routes honour the richness of our history and take you past parts of Sefton you may have walked by many times without ever really noticing.

For me, the Bootle Tanning Building really impressed. A monument of solid architecture. Understanding our past informs our present, which in turn helps shape our future.

The word ‘heritage’ can be off-putting to some, but I prefer to see it as time travelling, a window into other worlds viewed through the lens of those who lived before us.

I had the pleasure of being shown around Crosby library and the archive. Nothing beats the smell of old books and each volume contains a hidden history – an invisible story and insight into lives lived, all bound together. The extensive collection of maps and old photographs acts as a magical portal to how the land here in Sefton has been shaped through the years.

I plan to keep you updated each month as I work on the project and share with you more of my adventures in heritage.

You can find details of the Heritage Trails here…

Have you explored the trails yet? We’d love to see your photos or hear your stories from the route. Send your contributions to heritage@seftoncvs.org.uk and help us bring our shared history to life.

By sending in your photos or stories, you are giving us permission to share them in our future Hearts of Gold project updates.