On 2nd May our Local History Secretary was delighted to escort 80-year-old David Picton and his wife on their first-ever visit to Liverpool. Mr Picton is the great-great-grandson of Sir James Picton, who gave the clock tower to Wavertree in 1884 and after whom Picton Road is named. Although David Picton was born in Wirral, where his father ran a garage called 'Erzanmine' in Irby, he moved 'down south' at the age of 3 months and now lives near Eastbourne in Sussex. His grandfather Stafford Picton was manager of the Scala and Futurist cinemas in Lime Street, Liverpool, and his great-grandfather William Henry Picton was an architect (his work including the former Victoria Welsh Chapel in Crosshall Street).

Mike took the pair on a tour of the city centre, past several of the office buildings designed by Sir James Picton, and out to Wavertree to see Sandy Knowe and of course the clock tower. The visit also took in the magnificently-restored Picton Reading Room - named in honour of Sir James, who was chairman of Liverpool's Libraries Committee for almost 40 years - and the Record Office where the staff had kindly made available a selection of archive material for Mr & Mrs Picton to look at. Then it was back to the Pier Head, for the couple to continue on their Fred Olsen Round-Britain cruise. It had been a memorable day for all concerned!