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Drama in the Park
Taylor Park - A Chapter in Our Own History
May Day Event
Victorian Day
The Beginning
A Walk with Samuel Taylor
Research Through Drama
Legacy of Samuel Taylor Portrait Gallery
Taylor Park - The Legacy of Water
Regatta Day
Visit to the Archive Library
Image Library
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A Walk with Samuel Taylor
Location: St Helens
Community groups were invited to join Mr. Samuel Taylor as he strolled around the park.
Mr. Taylor aka Geoff Bennett was accompanied by Park Rangers.
The purpose of this activity was to view the Park's changing history as seen through the eyes of a victorian landowner, park rangers, adults who remember the park in its heyday and children, who know it in its present situation.
Samuel Taylor welcomes the visitors and says how glad he is that they are able to benefit from the Park's amenities.
Mr Taylor and a Ranger take the group for a walk around the lake. They meet a young Victorian who is about to run off but then stops to talk about what the park has done for him. Mr Taylor pauses to pass on information about the park Circa 1893.
The group look at the activities by the lakeside and Mr. Taylor is concerned to see a group suspected fish poachers, who would, in his time, have been taken by the gamekeepers and placed in irons. The rangers explain that these men have licences to fish which can be purchased from a post office.
Mr Taylor notes the large number of waterfowl on the lake and hopes that he is not paying for their purchase. The rangers inform him that these birds, like the audience, are regular visitors to the park and are free birds.
Mr Taylor notices a number of tall lighting gantries adjacent to the park. The rangers and audience explain that these are the floodlights for St Helens famous Rugby League Club. The team uses Taylor Park for weekly training sessions.
Halfway around the lake, the group come across a children's playground. Mr Taylor is amazed by the playing 'contraptions' and asks what was wrong with the old rope swing from a sturdy branch and a 'tin tray down the slope' of his youth. The rangers point out that such activities, as well as being dangerous, were damaging to the trees and plants.
As they stroll through a grove of rhododendrons, music can be heard in the distance. The visitors are taken to the old bandstand where a lone musician is playing. A mother and child are listening.
The musician stops and narrates her tale to the audience, finally playing a tune the audience can sing and play along with. Mr Taylor sings some 19th century songs and much to the amusement of his audience gives a handsome rendition of a love song.
Mr Taylor takes the group to the top of the 'big hill' from where they can view across the town. Mr. Taylor admits, with remorse, that in his time the view would be obscured by factory smoke but now the air is more clear and the view extensive.
He draws their attention of the quarry and points out where once was the formal garden and aviary.
The Ranger points out the cleats which are in place for abseiling
activities and mentions the number of activities for youth carried out in the modern park.
The party walks down the path towards the quarry gate where they hear a protest song and meet with a sixties hippy who is bemoaning the entrapment of wildlife. She talks to the ranger and Mr Taylor about changes in attitude on conservation.
The mother and child reappear and tell Mr Taylor and the hippy off for making a noise which will frighten off the wildlife. She invites the visitors to join her as she visits the Oak Wood with her 'little Peter', a regular outing.
The group move into the Oak Wood where they sit and watch for wild birds and squirrels.
This is a haven of tranquility, sheltered from the sounds and smells of the sprawling townscape. This area is an example of the work of the rangers and volunteer groups who have cleared much of the invasive, rhododendron, a foreigner from North America and The Himalayan mountain range. In its place, they have planted native woodland which has encouraged the return of the wildlife.
The silence is broken by some shouting from the paddling lake. The group move down to the lake and meet a pair of teenagers who are enjoying a picnic by the pool. They talk about the fun they have until one of them cries out. She has sprained her ankle slipping on the bank.
The ranger is asked to take the bather back to the centre for first aid treatment. He advises the group what to do in emergencies. Mr Taylor suggests vinegar and brown paper.
The party return to the centre for refreshment and to discuss the differences through time.
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