BROOKSIDE REMEMBERED
Museum of Liverpool marks 30 years since first screening of soap
30 years ago this week, Brookside hit our screens for the very first time as the new Channel 4 was launched. Watched by 4.2 million people on that first night, it ran for 21 years, with the last episode broadcast on 4 November 2003. Brookside marked a revolution in social realism on tv, and after Brookside, soaps were never the same again.
This Sunday 4 November, the Museum of Liverpool will celebrate the soap’s 30th anniversary, with a day of activities, attended by some very special guests.
Brookside’s creator Professor Phil Redmond CBE, will be taking part in an In Conversation event on the day from 1 – 2:30pm. Led by Pete Price, Phil will be joined by Peter Cox who wrote 227 episodes between 1986 and 2003 and Dean Sullivan and Claire Sweeney, who played father and daughter Jimmy and Lindsey Corkhill, from Number 10 Brookside Close.
At 11am and 3pm, tours will also take place of the Writing Liverpool exhibition, which shows how writers found inspiration in Liverpool's turbulent history and how key works have changed national and international perceptions of the city. The exhibition includes items from the set of the soap including the famous Brookside Close sign.
A Brookside Crafternoon will offer families the opportunity to help make a mini Brookside Close between 2 and 4:30pm, and visitors can share their Brookside memories throughout the day.
Phil Redmond, who is also Chairman of National Museums Liverpool said: “It’s quite unbelievable that it’s been 30 years since Brookside came to life on our screens and I am now old enough to be a museum exhibit! We always tried to make the programme as real as we could within its fictional setting and the outstanding quality owed a lot to the writers, actors, staff and crew who took that special magic that Liverpool provides and made a great programme.
“Dean, Claire and Peter were all long-standing contributors and there until the final episode, so it will be great to have this day and share an afternoon of reminiscence and nostalgia to mark what would have been its 30th anniversary.”
All events are free, so visitors can drop-in on the day, but In Conversation with Phil Redmond is expected to be popular, so will take place on a first-come first-served basis.
Contact Lucy Cattell - Media Officer
e lucy.cattell@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk t 0151 478 4615 f 0151 478 4777
National Museums Liverpool,127 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2JH
w liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
Notes to editors
Museum of Liverpool
The Museum of Liverpool is the largest newly-built national museum in Britain for more than a century, demonstrating Liverpool’s unique contribution to the world. As the first national museum devoted to the history of a regional city, it showcases popular culture while tackling social, historical and contemporary issues and is a fantastic, free family day out.
The Museum has received generous support from several major funders, along with grants from trusts and foundations, corporate support and individual donations. Major funders include the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS)
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) was responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England’s Northwest and had five key priorities: Business, Skills and Education, People and Jobs, Infrastructure and Quality of Life.
The European Development Fund (ERDF) is making a real difference to people and businesses in the North West. With €755 million to invest between 2007 and 2013, ERDF is enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s economy by supporting growth in enterprise and employment. ERDF in the North West is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government – for further information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf.
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 30,000 projects allocating £4.5billion across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk
About National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool comprises eight venues. Our collections are among the most important and varied in Europe and contain everything from Impressionist paintings and rare beetles to a lifejacket from the Titanic. We attract more than 3 million visitors every year. Our venues are the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, UK Border Agency National Museum, Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.