Looking through the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, with trees overhanging and people walking through

Marsh Lane Time Tunnel

Looking through the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, with trees overhanging and people walking through Looking through the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, with trees overhanging and people walking through
Part of the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel with a mural depicting the damage done by the 1941 blitz Part of the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel with a mural depicting the damage done by the 1941 blitz
A busker with his guitar in the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, standing in front of the brightly painted timeline mural A busker with his guitar in the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, standing in front of the brightly painted timeline mural
A painted image of the Heliotrope plant as part of the mural in the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel A painted image of the Heliotrope plant as part of the mural in the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel
Marsh Lane Time Tunnel with local people walking and cycling through the tunnel Marsh Lane Time Tunnel with local people walking and cycling through the tunnel
Part of the timeline mural in Marsh Lane Time Tunnel showing two construction workers building a rail track, with the caption 'Liverpool-Bootle rail link 1850' Part of the timeline mural in Marsh Lane Time Tunnel showing two construction workers building a rail track, with the caption 'Liverpool-Bootle rail link 1850'
Looking down the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, to see the silhouette of the busker and an elderly lady with a shopping trolley Looking down the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel, to see the silhouette of the busker and an elderly lady with a shopping trolley
one of the flowers painted on the wall has a crude 'knob' (penis and testicles) scrawled next to it one of the flowers painted on the wall has a crude 'knob' (penis and testicles) scrawled next to it
Looking down the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel with the busker silhouetted at the far end Looking down the Marsh Lane Time Tunnel with the busker silhouetted at the far end

 

Hiding underneath Bootle New Strand station in Merseyside, connecting the New Strand shopping area with a large Asda supermarket is Marsh Lane Time Tunnel.

The pedestrianised tunnel is covered with a painted mural throughout, containing a historical timeline of the local area, including the building of the local railway in the 19th century and the effects of World War II. The mural was created by local neighbourhood groups a few years back, and by the looks of the galleries on the Bootle History website, it was a real community affair, which included help with the design and painting by local schoolchildren.

I was in the area today, so I took my camera along to get a few pictures. My visit was enhanced by a very friendly man with a guitar busking at one end of the tunnel. He was just wonderful. He welcomed me to the tunnel, told me that people often take photographs of the murals, then launched into a rendition of The Kinks’ Sunny Afternoon. Turns out, he only knew two chords and the first line of the lyrics. I think it was his whole repertoire.

When the tunnel was quiet, he’d gently strum the two chords. Then when people started walking through the tunnel, he’d launch into the single line of lyric … the end of which he couldn’t seem to remember. So he just kind of faded out and then repeated.

I’m now listening to the proper version to clean out my brain …

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Do stop by if you’re in Bootle.

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