We have heard so much since the Brexit referendum about the will of the people well we want to share with you the voice of the people of Liverpool expressing their clear will and intention. They are loudly calling on City Council politicians and Chief Executive Tony Reeves to protect and preserve this wonderful part of the heritage of our city.
4350 people have signed the petition to Save the Bucket Fountain and it still continues to attract signatures.
We’d like to share with you some of the over 2950 responses left on the change.org website which included 402 comments (approx 14%) which in itself is an amazing statistic. Of all those responses only 4 stated they were open to the fountain being moved to a different location. Here is a selection of some of the moving and heartfelt comments left by those who signed the petition to Save the Bucket Fountain:
1. LOCATION
More than 150 comments stated specifically that the fountain should stay in its current location. The will of the people of Liverpool is clear the overwhelming majority are happy with the fountain’s current location and see no reason at all for relocation.
Listen to the Voice of the People:
I’m signing this because this is a wonderful kinetic structure in the right place. It’s wonderful – please don’t move it, please don’t lose it.
Calming place in a busy city centre.
This fountain is iconic. It belongs where it is. We don’t need yet another hotel.
This fountain is part of a quiet haven in the city and needs to be saved.
I believe that this is an important public space and should not be bulldozed and developed.
That fountain is a source of pleasure for so many people. I used to take my son there. Please, please don’t destroy it. We have plenty of other spaces. Please, please keep it.
This belongs to the city, and its location creates a unique space and air of calm in an increasingly busy city. You can build a hotel anywhere, just don’t build it here. Leave it alone.
This is a unique piece of art and as much a part of Liverpool’s heritage as the Liver Birds and Dickie Lewis and is a fantastic feature of this public space. It should be preserved as it is, and the surrounding plaza made more attractive with appropriate landscaping, planting and outdoor seating.
Open space, small pockets of solitude provide breathing space, temporal locations for users of cities to pause, think, recharge. More thoughtful pockets of urban space need creating, not less.
Specifically, this fountain and its location is of significant cultural and historical regional significance.
2. HERITAGE v CIVIC VANDALISM
Listen to the Voice of the People:
This is a throwaway generation but does not mean a developer should have the right to deprive the city and its many visitors of a working piece of art. An individual should not have the right to make a decision that affects so many.
Because it’s a bit of history for so many of us and our children. Don’t destroy it as the council have done with so many historic sites.
Sick to death of hearing about yet more clueless greedy developers coming in trying to erase every trace of this city’s proud heritage. Enough soulless hotels and apartments are being put up. It appears nowhere in our city centre is safe.
I wouldn’t trust the developers to save it.
Hotel v Liverpool heritage site – no contest.
It’s the buckets! What next – the Liver birds!
I don’t want this beautiful fountain being manhandled in some careless manner by a greedy developer. I’m concerned they won’t have a clue where to relocate it and will probably damage it “accidentally” to save the cost of reinstalling it.
Liverpool needs to stop trying to destroy pieces of its heritage and culture, however small. This is a beautiful hidden gem in our city that occupies a very small place.
I loathe property developers and their abuse of communities.
There is enough land for corporate greed. Please leave some heritage for future generations.
3. FAMILY/MEMORIES/COMMUNITY
Listen to the Voice of the People:
Part of my youth and I love to retrace my childhood steps and know where I can find it!
My mum and dad used to take me to see these whenever we were in town. They hold such a special place in my heart.
The bucket fountain has been part of Liverpool culture for years – my mum took me to see it when I was younger – I’ve taken my children and they will take their children – it is beautiful and needs to stay.
This fountain has so many memories for me from my youth and childhood. It would be a travesty to lose this, especially in view of its architectural and historical significance.
I remember visiting this fountain with my gran when I was a young girl, and I was delighted when years later the fountain was restored to its former beauty. We’ve got enough hotels in Liverpool without taking away part of our history.
This is such a special space for me and my kids. Was our secret place and we would spend hours there – stop robbing us of things that are important to our city! Not everything should be bought and bulldozed. And most certainly not my time and memories here!
This fountain has been part of my life having visited it many times over the years. Lots of good times and happy memories. Have taken lots of visitors to our city to view it.
I remember standing with my dad as a child mesmerised by this fountain and still love watching it today. When will the council stop the destruction of our city?
This is an institution in Liverpool. I remember it as a child. Have developers not torn down and destroyed enough heritage yet?
I loved them as a child and my kids love them too.
4. PUBLIC ART
Listen to the Voice of the People:
Kinetic sculptures are such a though-provoking experience – let’s not lose this much-loved old friend.
Artistic and unusual conversation piece.
Because it’s such a wonderful inventive and joyful piece of sculpture (and my great-uncle Richard Huws was the architect).
This is a very special and complete work that belongs in its specific environment, from which it absolutely should not be moved.
This fountain is part of my experience of Liverpool from visiting as a child with my dad to spending romantic days wondering around the city with my partner. The fountain is a symbol of civic optimism and is a striking piece of art that speaks of its time and is timeless simultaneously. Civic space is important – who wants to stay in a hotel looking directly at other hotels? The reason people want to visit this amazing city is because of surprising elements like this – a sudden unexpected artwork that breathes beauty and mystery into the space.
This is one of the most engaging pieces of public sculpture that I know.
This is a unique piece of art and deserves to be maintained and cared for. Personally, this was my first introduction to Modern Art as a child long before the city had art galleries and installations on every corner. I loved it as a child in a very grim 1970s Liverpool and I love it now. Leave it be.
It deserves its place close to our famous waterfront. It is a stunning piece of sculpture in a perfect setting.
It’s an iconic piece of public art in the city.
I love the buckets. We all love the buckets. Get a sense of wonder and leave our buckets alone!
All the above comments are eloquent testimony to the serious and considered views of Liverpool residents and beyond, that this fountain is appreciated and valued even when there are other voices saying the opposite. Engage will publish more information soon about the campaign to protect and preserve the Piazza Fountain in its current location. It seems to us that the only way to effectively save the fountain for future generations is for the city to ‘Take Back Control’ and return this Grade II Listed monument into public ownership as it was for over 30 years before the Council disposed of it in a 150yr lease to a private developer for him to build a hotel on the site.