Liverpool Daily Echo
October 26, 2004, Tuesday
CHANGING MERSEY: 125 YEARS OF THE LIVERPOOL ECHO: WHY WE’VE ALWAYS
LOVED THE ECHO;
FAMOUS MERSEYSIDERS TELL PADDY SHENNAN WHY THE PAPER IS SO IMPORTANT
PADDY SHENNAN
Rex Makin
THE veteran Liverpool solicitor and ECHO columnist: “When I was a
student I was a supernumerary for the Daily Post and ECHO.
I remember covering the crowning of the Rose Queen in Speke and the
annual meetings of the Literary and Philosophical Society and the
Band of Hope.
“I was privileged to know the former editor Ernest Hope Prince, who
gave me a number of assignments. And I met a series of news editors
who were giants in their day.
“The ECHO has been a family newspaper throughout its history. Although
it’s changed its format at various times, it’s still the most informed,
up-to-date and readable newspaper in Merseyside. It eclipsed the old
Evening Express and a new generation of writers and journalists have
succeeded their distinguished forebears. ”
Alan Bleasdale
THE playwright and novelist says: “At its best, the ECHO is a
campaigning newspaper, and I have first-hand experience of that.
“Not too long ago, I contacted the ECHO and it subsequently reported
what I felt to be the authorised desecration of graves in West Derby
Cemetery.
“The response I got from people after that article was remarkable.
“It was as if I’d written a play. The ECHO does reach out and touch so
many people and that, in essence, is at the heart of what a newspaper
serving any city — whether it be Liverpool, Man-chester, Birmingham
or Cardiff — should do.
“I also remember religiously walking to the shops at 6pm every Saturday
with my late father to buy the Football ECHO.
“That is a very, very fond memory. ”
Lord Alton of Liverpool
“THE year in which the Liverpool ECHO was launched was part of the
decade which saw the first state-provided elementary education,
the secret ballot in elections and a raft of social reforms.
“The Irish Question, the Armenian massacres and atrocities in the
Balkans were part of the staple fare of Victorian politics. The two
political leaders were Disraeli and Liverpool’s son, William Ewart
Gladstone.
“During the 125 years that have fol-lowed there have been two World
Wars, extraordinary breakthroughs in science and technology, massive
emancipation and a revolution in communications.
“Throughout all this time the Liverpool ECHO has been a faithful
observer and recorder of life in this great city, whether it is in
the reporting of news, the championing of causes, lively expressions
of readers’ views, or the recording of their births and deaths. ”
Margi Clarke
THE actress and TV presenter says: “I love the ECHO because it
helped introduce me to nature. When I was little I would spend all
day looking forward to my dad coming home from work with the paper
because it always featured the lighting up times.
“They were always on the same page, just underneath the Curly Wee and
Gussie Goose cartoon, and they told you what time the sun came up and
when it set. I used to always check the times straight away and then
I would go out at the time the sun came up just to watch it happening.
“That was the starting point for me falling in love with the natural
world. ”
Billy Butler
THE Radio Merseyside DJ and ECHO columnist says: “Ahh, the Liverpool
ECHO, our local paper, where would we be without it?All the local news,
the gossip and sport — all the stories about people and places we
hold dear.
“The memories: The Back Entry Diddlers cartoon strip by the brilliant
George Greene. Rushing to buy the Saturday edition with the half-time
scores (always in the stop-press). Waiting at the corner of the street
to get the Football ECHO. The Over The Mersey Wall column with George
Harrison. Looking through rows and rows of cinemas to decide where to
go. Looking in the Personal’ column for those cryptic messages. The
thrill of seeing your picture in the ECHO.
“Getting into trouble with my grandad for burning the previous night’s
ECHO, before he’d read it. Curly Wee and Gussie Goose, The Finishing
Touch, Spot the Ball.
“The many brilliant special editions. Looking through the Folk, Jazz
and Beat column to see if my group, The Tuxedos, was mentioned. The
dramatic headlines when John Lennon was shot. My immense pride
in winning ECHO Scouseology Awards and appearing in The Greatest
Entertainers and The Greatest Merseysiders polls.
“The many, varied opinions aired on the readers’ letters page each
night. What do I miss most when I’m away? Hand on heart it’s our very
own, our much-loved ECHO!”
Roger Phillips
THE Radio Merseyside phone-in host says: “The ECHO is a major part
of the life of Liverpool.
“While, of course, there are times it makes me furious, it has also
made me proud to be living in this area.
“The ECHO has made a real and tangible difference to the city —
most recently (and currently) with its great Stop The Rot campaign.
“And it has been THE paper to turn to at times such as Hillsborough.
“It has a whole host of brilliant writers, as evidenced by how many
have moved on to the national press.
“I can’t think of another city which has such an important and loved
evening paper.
“Happy birthday, Liverpool ECHO. Here’s to the next 125. ”
Jimmy McGovern
THE dramatist says: “Although I found it hard work, I really enjoyed my
spell as an ECHO columnist. And I got more response from a piece in the
ECHO than I did from an episode of Brookside I’d written, even though
that programme would have been watched by five or six million people.
“The ECHO has a great relationship with its readers.
I was recently talking to a national newspaper journalist about
the response in Liverpool to the murder of Ken Bigley. It made me
realise that you have to live in Liverpool to understand the city —
outsiders don’t understand it, especially at times of grief.
“I think that’s because the city is Celtic; it’s the only Celtic city
in England. Just look in the phone book almost everyone has an Irish
surname. ”
Jack Jones
THE former docker and TGWU leader, who still fights for pensioners’
rights at the age of 91, says: “I used to sell the ECHO on the streets
when I was 10 or 11 and it cost a ha’penny!
“I remember my father reading it avidly — as did most working class
people in the Garston area, where w elived. It was a must — unlike
other papers, which were hardly read at all.
“The ECHO was so important, because people didn’t have TV in those
days, and radios only started coming in around the mid-20s.
Ken Dodd
THE comedian and winner of the ECHO/Radio Merseyside Greatest
Merseysiders poll: ” I couldn’t do without the ECHO; it’s essential
reading. I can go back to the ECHO of yore, when all of Liverpool’s
many cinemas and theatres had their ads and listings on the front page.
“The ECHO does a very good job of reporting on Merseyside matters
and is very entertaining.
“In fact, it’s tattyphilarious and discumknockerating! I do shows up
and down the country and buy evening papers in many different towns
and cities, and the ECHO compares more than favourably.
“And I was delighted to be named the Greatest Merseysider’ in the
ECHO/Radio Merseyside poll — that was the best and most important
award I’ve ever received, because it was voted for by people in my
home city. It was very, very moving.
“The ECHO also does a great amount of community work, but I think
it — and all newspapers — should have a Happiness’ page, so when
we’re not feeling too clever we can read just the good news.
“Long may the ECHO resound and resound . . . long may we hear the
ECHO!”