David Charters

It has always been ‘over the water’ or ‘the other side’. But which side are you on?

Merseyside journalist, David Charters, popularly dubbed the Bard of Birkenhead, knows where he stands. But he wants to introduce more people to the charms of his town and the lovely hills, heaths and shores beyond it.

That is why his latest talk at Liverpool’s St George’s Hall will be entitled Mysteries of the Other Side - Wirral the Enchanted Peninsula.

In it, he will be telling many stories. Among them are - the church that should have been a cathedral, the dockland street that’s the breakfast capital of western Europe, the dinosaur’s foot, the oldest standing building on Merseyside, the shipbuilders’ cocktail, Scousers’ enduring love for New Brighton, the splendid park, the ancient yew tree, poets whose words haunt our world, cafes where gossip sizzled, boys and girls who dreamed of glory, boxing gloves and footballs, Knickerbocker Glories and rock stars.

And, of course, there will also be descriptions of Wirral’s beautiful seaside, the islands that come and go, the little hill, where dreamers built great empires.

Yes, David is an unashamed patriot. And Wirral is his beloved land. Now, he wants to share his passion with you.

His talk will be delivered in the Concert Room in St George’s Hall, on January 21 and March 17, 2016.

“What a glorious Liverpool setting for singing the praises of Wirral,” said David, aged 67. “And it’s the right place to be. People from both sides of the river cherish our heritage. Merseyside is joined by more than two road tunnels and an underground rail system.

“Whichever side you are on, it is home.”

For 25 years, author David was a columnist on the old Liverpool Daily Post. Now he writes the Bard of Birkenhead column every Tuesday for the Wirral edition of the Liverpool Echo. Earlier this year (2015), he was made an honorary fellow of Liverpool John Moores University for services to writing and communications.

His previous appearances at St George’s Hall include presentations of his play, A Dream of Wilfred Owen, and his talk on the American Indian wars, Ghosts in the American Dream.