58-644: Seacombe ( / ˈ s iː k ə m / ) is a district of the town of Wallasey , on the Wirral Peninsula , England . Administratively, Seacombe is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside . Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough of Wallasey, within the geographical county of Cheshire . At the 2001 Census , the population of Seacombe
116-751: A brief stint as a teacher at Manchester Grammar School he worked in shipping offices in Liverpool and Port Said from 1910 to 1912. From 1912 to 1915 Stapledon worked with the Liverpool branch of the Workers' Educational Association . During the First World War he served as a conscientious objector . Stapledon became an ambulance driver with the Friends' Ambulance Unit in France and Belgium from July 1915 to January 1919; he
174-436: A community based station. The town is served by the local newspaper, Wirral Globe which publishes on Wednesdays. Liverpool Echo also covers the area. The town has three railway stations : Wallasey Village , Wallasey Grove Road and New Brighton . Electric trains to Liverpool and Birkenhead generally depart every 15 minutes; this reduces to every 30 minutes during late evenings and on Sundays. Grove Road station has
232-412: A correspondence with Woolf) and Winston Churchill . In contrast, Stapledon's philosophy repelled C. S. Lewis , whose Cosmic Trilogy was written partly in response to what Lewis saw as amorality, although Lewis admired Stapledon's inventiveness and described him as "a corking good writer". In fact Stapledon was an agnostic who was hostile to religious institutions , but not to religious yearnings,
290-579: A dog whose intelligence is increased to the level of a human being's. Stapledon's work also refers to then-contemporary intellectual fashions (e.g. the belief in extrasensory perception ). Last and First Men , a "future history" of 18 successive species of humanity, and Star Maker , an outline history of the Universe, were highly acclaimed by figures as diverse as Jorge Luis Borges , J. B. Priestley , Bertrand Russell , Algernon Blackwood , Hugh Walpole , Arnold Bennett , Virginia Woolf (Stapledon maintained
348-604: A fact that set him at odds with H. G. Wells in their correspondence. Together with his philosophy lectureship at the University of Liverpool, which now houses the Olaf Stapledon archive, Stapledon lectured in English literature , industrial history and psychology . He wrote many non-fiction books on political and ethical subjects, in which he advocated the growth of "spiritual values", which he defined as those values expressive of
406-455: A large car park with over 160 spaces. Until 1969, Wallasey had its own corporation bus service; from this date, the operation was taken over by Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive . The Wallasey bus service was relatively constrained within the borough boundaries and had two distinctive features. One was the unusual livery, which appeared to be two shades of yellow (officially it was "sea green" and rich cream, but it always looked yellow and
464-452: A reputation for smuggling and “ wrecking ”, the act of luring ships onto rocks or sandbanks with false lights in order to raid their cargo. Underground cellars and tunnels, which were used to hide cargo pilfered from wrecked ships still exist in the town. As late as 1839, the “Pennsylvania” and two other ships were wrecked off Leasowe in a severe storm, and their cargoes and furnishings were later found distributed among local residents. By
522-458: A space-themed visitor attraction situated near the ferry terminal. Spaceport was opened on 26 July 2005 by Merseytravel Chairman Cllr Mark Dowd. It closed at the end of 2019 due to large financial losses. In November 2022 a new children's attraction, Eureka! Science + Discovery opened at the same site and welcomed 100,000 visitors in its first year. Wallasey Town Hall is situated in Seacombe. It
580-632: A visa to do so. In 1950 he became involved with the anti-apartheid movement. After a week of lectures in Paris, he cancelled a projected trip to Yugoslavia and returned to his home in Caldy, where he died very suddenly of a heart attack. Stapledon was cremated at Landican Crematorium. His widow and their children scattered his ashes on the sandy cliffs overlooking the Dee Estuary , a favourite spot of his that features in more than one of his books. Stapledon Wood, on
638-500: A yearning for greater awareness of the self in a larger context ("personality-in-community"). Stapledon himself named his spiritual values as intelligence, love and creative action. His philosophy was strongly influenced by Spinoza . Stapledon is considered one of the forerunners of the contemporary transhumanist movement. Film producer and director George Pal bought the rights to Odd John and in 1966 Castle of Frankenstein magazine reported that David McCallum would play
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#1732852437164696-462: Is Da Totem Habes! , translated as Give it all you've got! The area was immortalised in the title of "Party Seacombe", an instrumental by George Harrison on his Wonderwall Music album. Michael Portillo lived briefly in Seacombe in 2003 for the BBC TV programme When Michael Portillo became a Single Mum , which saw the former Conservative MP experience life as a single parent (he also worked in
754-575: Is a Grade II listed building. During World War I it was used as a military hospital. Seacombe is also the location of Guinea Gap Baths. It is the oldest swimming pool in the Wirral, with the first swimming club being founded in the 1890s. It was originally filled with sea water, being so close to the River Mersey. The nearest school to Seacombe Ferry is Riverside Primary School. The school has over 200 pupils and over 25 staff. The school's Latin motto
812-502: Is at an elevation of between 0–18 m (0–59 ft) above sea level. Seacombe is dominated by three landmarks. The first of these is one of the terminals for the Mersey Ferry , the legendary "Ferry 'cross the Mersey" described by Gerry & The Pacemakers . The ferry travels in a triangular route between the Seacombe, Woodside and Liverpool Pier Head terminals. The second landmark
870-492: Is at an elevation of between 0–50 m (0–164 ft) above sea level, with the highest point being around St Peter and St Paul's Church in New Brighton. The area now called Wallasey comprises several distinct districts - Egremont, Liscard, New Brighton, Poulton, Seacombe and Wallasey Village. These gradually merged to form a single built-up area during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Unlike in most other towns, there
928-625: Is contained in the parliamentary constituency of Wallasey , which has been held since the 1992 general election by Angela Eagle of the Labour Party . Wallasey is situated at the north-east of the Wirral Peninsula, on the western side of the River Mersey and adjoining the Irish Sea . The area is approximately 9.5 km (5.9 mi) east-north-east of the Dee Estuary at Hoylake . Wallasey
986-423: Is no single Wallasey town centre, although the main shopping area is centrally located at Liscard. Both the parliamentary constituency and the former County Borough of Wallasey also include (or included) Leasowe , Moreton and Saughall Massie , which are now usually regarded as separate settlements. The town forms part of the wider Birkenhead Urban Area , which in 2011 had a population of 325,000. This contains
1044-406: Is now called Wallasey Village , and there were smaller hamlets at Liscard , Poulton and Seacombe , from where there were occasional ferries across the Mersey . There was also a mill (at Mill Lane), and from the mid-18th century a gunpowder store or magazine at Rock Point, located well away from the built-up areas. The main activities in the area were farming and fishing. The area also had
1102-624: Is the last remaining of the three ferry terminals which used to connect the Borough of Wallasey, the others being Egremont Ferry and the New Brighton Ferry, which operated from its own pier, running parallel to the New Brighton pleasure pier. Seacombe Ferry is also the starting point of a four-mile (six-kilometre) unbroken promenade, mostly traffic-free, running alongside the River Mersey to Harrison Drive beyond New Brighton. Local landmarks are St Paul's Church , standing on its own traffic island, and
1160-459: Is the parish church of St Paul. The third is a building housing some of the ventilation systems for the Kingsway Tunnel , a colossal structure which faces the river. It consists of two huge grilles which resemble stereo speakers, and a central concrete flue-like structure. This building has an almost identical counterpart on the Liverpool side of the river. Seacombe was also home to Spaceport ,
1218-449: The 2011 Census , the population was 60,284. The name of Wallasey originates from the Germanic word Walha , meaning a Briton, a Welshman, which is also the origin of the name Wales . The suffix “ -ey ” denotes an island or area of dry land. Originally the higher ground now occupied by Wallasey was separated from the rest of Wirral by the creek known as Wallasey Pool (which later became
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#17328524371641276-462: The Lancashire industrial towns, and many of the large houses were converted to inexpensive hotels. A pier was opened in the 1860s, and the promenade from Seacombe to New Brighton was built in the 1890s. This served both as a recreational amenity in its own right, and to link up the developments along the estuary, and was later extended westwards towards Leasowe. The New Brighton Tower , the tallest in
1334-754: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame . Stapledon was born in Seacombe , Wallasey , on the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire, the only son of William Clibbett Stapledon and Emmeline Miller. The first six years of his life were spent with his parents at Port Said , Egypt. He was educated at Abbotsholme School in Derbyshire and Balliol College, Oxford , where he acquired a BA degree in Modern History (Second Class) in 1909, promoted to an MA degree in 1913. After
1392-534: The Asda superstore in Wallasey). Falkland Road in Seacombe, which runs from Brighton Street to Liscard Road, is the birthplace of the writer, peace campaigner and philosopher Olaf Stapledon , (1886 - 1950), author of Last and First Men and Star Maker . Stapledon's birth certificate gives his place of birth as "Poolton (sic) - cum - Seacombe". The prominent Welsh dramatist, literary critic and politician, Saunders Lewis ,
1450-743: The British Interplanetary Society, invited him to give a talk on the social and biological aspects of space exploration. He also travelled internationally, visiting the Netherlands, Sweden and France, and in 1948 he spoke at the World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace in Wrocław , Poland. He attended the Conference for World Peace held in New York City in 1949, the only Briton to be granted
1508-457: The Kingsway Tunnel to Liverpool. In addition, there are several services which link the districts of Wallasey and nearby towns such as Birkenhead, Leasowe and Moreton. The following people were from Wallasey: Olaf Stapledon William Olaf Stapledon (10 May 1886 – 6 September 1950) was a British philosopher and author of science fiction . In 2014, he was inducted into
1566-629: The Liscard and Wallasey Village areas. The area now called Wallasey comprises several distinct districts which gradually merged to form a single built-up area during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Further growth continued well into the 20th century and eventually spread into the Leasowe area and beyond to Moreton . The UK's first guide dog training school, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association ,
1624-724: The Tower Ballroom in New Brighton. On 12 October 1962, they played there as the support act for Little Richard . Wallasey was also the home base of two other leading Merseybeat groups, the Undertakers featuring Jackie Lomax , and the Pressmen featuring Ritchie Prescott and Phil Kenzie who later became a successful saxophone soloist. The world's first passenger hovercraft service operated from July 1962 to September 1962 between Leasowe and Rhyl in North Wales . Local MP Ernest Marples
1682-405: The areas near the sea offer a much improved beach and many leisure activities. The Floral Pavilion plays host to regular productions and national stars such as Ken Dodd , and Vale Park is a public park. Housing here ranges from large villas near the sea to suburban semi-detached homes, and some terraces in parts of the area. New Brighton is served by a railway station of the same name. Poulton
1740-462: The country, was opened in 1900 but closed in 1919 and dismantled shortly afterwards. However, its ballroom continued as a major venue, hosting numerous concerts in the 1950s and 1960s by local Liverpool bands as well as other international stars. After 1886, with the opening of the Mersey Railway allowing access via a tunnel to Liverpool, the pace of housing development increased, particularly in
1798-401: The docks became a centre for engineering industries, many associated with shipbuilding , and other activities including sugar refining and the manufacture of cement and fertilisers . Bidston Dock , the last in the area, was opened in 1933, but was filled in during 2003. During the latter half of the 19th century New Brighton developed as a popular seaside resort serving Liverpool and
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1856-451: The docks), the marshy areas of Bidston Moss and Leasowe , and sand dunes along the coast. The area was sparsely populated before the 19th century and horse races organised for the Earls of Derby on the sands at Leasowe in the 16th and 17th centuries are regarded as forerunners of the modern Derby . Old maps show that the main centre and parish church ( St Hilary's ) were located at what
1914-641: The duration of the Second World War Stapledon abandoned his pacifism and supported the war effort. In 1940 the Stapledon family built and moved into a new house on Simon's Field, in Caldy , in Wirral. During the war Stapledon became a public advocate of J.B. Priestley and Richard Acland's left-wing Common Wealth Party , as well as the British internationalist group Federal Union . He supported implementing
1972-410: The early 19th century, the shoreline between Seacombe and Rock Point started to become an attractive area to which affluent Liverpool merchants and sea captains could retire. Development at Egremont began around this time, and gained pace with the introduction of steam ferries across the river. The area also had a defensive role overlooking the growing Port of Liverpool . In 1829, Fort Perch Rock
2030-429: The inspector in charge would blow a whistle and there would be an amazing Le Mans -style start with up to fifteen double-decker buses , including racing engines, close manoeuvring and competitive gestures between the crews for the first few hundred yards until the routes gradually diverged across the borough. Now, regular bus services ( Arriva North West routes 432 and 433) depart Liscard every 10 minutes and travel via
2088-430: The line terminated on 16 June 1963. Much of the line to Seacombe station was used as the approach road to the Kingsway Tunnel. Seacombe is situated to the north-east of the Wirral Peninsula, adjoining the River Mersey to the east. Seacombe is less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south-south-east of the Irish Sea at New Brighton and about 11 km (6.8 mi) east-north-east of the Dee Estuary at Caldy . The area
2146-413: The main shopping area, with the covered Cherry Tree precinct and an extensive shopping parade outside. Central Park, originally the grounds of Liscard Hall, is the largest park in the town. Much of the area is residential and contains mainly high-density semi-detached housing with some terraces. The gatehouse of the old Liscard Battery remains. Liscard Hall was destroyed by a fire on 7 July 2008. The damage
2204-469: The most southeasterly section of Wallasey, is best known for its Mersey Ferry terminal, with regular ferry boat departures to Pier Head in Liverpool and Woodside in Birkenhead. There is a commuter ferry service direct to Liverpool during peak hours, while for the rest of the day the ferries are geared to serving tourists with a circular cruise visiting Birkenhead Woodside ferry terminal as well. Seacombe
2262-642: The national average on 'A' Level results. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada , the local television station TalkLiverpool also broadcasts to the area. Television signals are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter and the Storeton relay transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Merseyside , Heart North West , Capital North West & Wales , Smooth North West , Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West , InDemand Radio and Wirral Wave Radio,
2320-403: The north end of Wallasey Village, the main street leads to the promenade and coastal park, and two golf courses. The promenade passes here, running from the 'Gunsite' around to Seacombe, a total of over 7 mi (11 km). New Brighton was a popular seaside resort after the mid-19th century, but declined in popularity after the 1950s. Nevertheless, the marine promenade is part of a walkway and
2378-462: The popularity of New Brighton as a seaside resort declined dramatically, as did the use of the docks, and Wallasey gradually became more obviously a residential suburb for Liverpool , Birkenhead and the other towns in the area. The Beatles played some of their first shows outside Liverpool at the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard in 1960, and over the next few years also played several times at
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2436-602: The recommendations of the Beveridge Report and spoke at the first public meeting of the Left Book Club 's "Readers' and Writers' Group". Some commentators have called Stapledon a Marxist, although Stapledon distanced himself from the label stating that "I am not a Marxist, but I have learned much from Marxists, and I am not anti-Marxist", though he did refer to himself as a socialist. After 1945 Stapledon travelled widely on lecture tours. Arthur C. Clarke, as Chairman of
2494-408: The service was generally known as the "yellow buses"). Secondly the services mostly radiated from Seacombe Ferry terminal across the borough and bus departures coincided with the arrival of the ferry. Vehicles were lined up facing outwards from the kerb and, every 10–15 minutes, the passengers (several hundreds at peak hours) would arrive from the ferry boat. When all had boarded their respective routes,
2552-658: The south-east side of Caldy Hill , is named after him. Stapledon's fiction often presents the strivings of some intelligence that is beaten down by an indifferent universe and its inhabitants who, through no fault of their own, fail to comprehend its lofty yearnings. It is filled with protagonists who are tormented by the conflict between their "higher" and "lower" impulses. Stapledon's writings directly influenced Arthur C. Clarke , Brian Aldiss , Stanisław Lem , Bertrand Russell , John Gloag , Naomi Mitchison , C. S. Lewis , Vernor Vinge , John Maynard Smith and indirectly influenced many others, contributing many ideas to
2610-515: The title role. In 2017 a multimedia adaptation of Last and First Men by Oscar-nominated Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson was released, featuring narration by Tilda Swinton and a live score performed by the BBC Philharmonic. In 2019, Justin McDonald and Kate Hodgson wrote, produced, and starred in a short film adaptation of Stapledon's "A Modern Magician." Directed by Mark Heller,
2668-530: The universe and has influenced much of my writing ever since. Ideas such as a "supermind" composed of many individual consciousnesses forms a recurring theme in his work. Star Maker contains the first known description of what are now called Dyson spheres . Freeman Dyson credits the novel with giving him the idea, even stating in an interview that "Stapledon sphere" would be a more appropriate name. Last and First Men features early descriptions of genetic engineering and terraforming . Sirius describes
2726-441: The ventilation tower for the Kingsway Tunnel with its mighty extraction fans. As with Poulton, the area developed with housing for the dockworkers and nearby industries, and much of the housing is owned by Magenta Housing or is terraced. The Guinea Gap swimming baths are located between Seacombe and Egremont. When compared to the national average, the schools of Wallasey slightly underperform on GCSE results. However, they are above
2784-575: The world of science fiction. Clarke wrote: In 1930 I came under the spell of a considerably more literate influence, when I discovered W. Olaf Stapledon's just-published Last and First Men in the Minehead Public Library. No book before or since ever had such and impact on my imagination; the Stapledonian vistas of millions and hundreds of millions of years, the rise and fall of civilizations and entire races of men, changed my whole outlook on
2842-682: Was 15,158, (7,081 males and 8,077 females), increasing to 15,387 (7,554 males, 7,833 females) at the Census 2011. Seacombe is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Seccum. In 1845 George Turnbull was the civil engineer who designed and built the Seacombe Wall sea defence that helped drain the marshes behind the town. Seacombe was originally a terminus for the Wirral Railway ; however, passenger services ended on 4 January 1960 and all services on
2900-610: Was awarded a PhD degree in philosophy from the University of Liverpool in 1925 and used his doctoral thesis as the basis for his first published prose book, A Modern Theory of Ethics (1929). However, he soon turned to fiction in the hope of presenting his ideas to a wider public. The relative success of Last and First Men (1930) prompted him to become a full-time writer. He wrote a sequel, Last Men in London , and followed it up with many more books of both fiction and philosophy. For
2958-505: Was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery. His wartime experiences influenced his pacifist beliefs and advocacy of a World Government. On 16 July 1919 he married Agnes Zena Miller (1894–1984), an Australian cousin. They had first met in 1903, and later maintained a correspondence throughout the war. They had a daughter, Mary Sydney Stapledon (1920–2008), and a son, John David Stapledon (1923–2014). In 1920 they moved to West Kirby . Stapledon
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#17328524371643016-425: Was born in 61 Falkland Road on 15 October 1893. Marjorie Cottle , pioneer female motorcyclist was born in the town in 1900. Wallasey Wallasey ( / ˈ w ɒ l ə s i / ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral , Merseyside , England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Cheshire , it is at the mouth of the River Mersey , on the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula . At
3074-486: Was built, and in 1858 Liscard Battery . In 1835 Liscard Hall was built by another merchant, Sir John Tobin . Its grounds later became Central Park. His family also developed a “model farm” nearby. With the expansion of trade on the Mersey, new docks were constructed between 1842 and 1847 in the Wallasey Pool, and by 1877 the dock system between Wallasey and neighbouring Birkenhead was largely complete. The area around
3132-580: Was founded in the town in 1931. A statue sits outside the Floral Pavilion Theatre to celebrate this. The Wallasey Golf Club is where club member, Dr Frank Stableford, developed the Stableford system of points scoring. This was first used in competition in 1932. Because of its docks and proximity to Liverpool, parts of the area suffered aerial bombing in 1940–41. After the Second World War ,
3190-447: Was originally a small fishing and farming hamlet beside the Wallasey Pool (hence its name). It developed with the growth of the docks, mainly as an industrial and terraced housing area. Egremont developed as an affluent residential area in the early 19th century, and was named by one Captain Askew who built a house in the area in 1835 and named it after his Cumberland birthplace . Seacombe,
3248-514: Was responsible as Minister of Transport (1959–64) for introducing parking meters , yellow lines and seat belt controls to the UK. The "Solar Campus" on Leasowe Road was the first building in the world to be heated entirely by solar energy . It was formerly St George's Secondary School, and was completed in 1961 to the designs of Emslie Morgan. The solar panels on this establishment have since been removed due to high costs and has been renamed. Wallasey
3306-425: Was so severe, the whole building had to be demolished. Wallasey Village has a mixture of mostly 20th century semi-detached and detached housing, a shopping street, with a floral roundabout in the centre. St Hilary's Church is an ancient foundation; the old tower is all that remains of a 1530 church building which burned down in 1857. There are two railway stations , Wallasey Village and Wallasey Grove Road . At
3364-483: Was struck by an F1/T3 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day. Wallasey became a County Borough in 1913, and its town hall was officially opened in November 1920. The borough boundaries expanded to include Moreton and Saughall Massie in 1928. The County Borough of Wallasey was incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral on 1 April 1974. The town
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