Aigburth underpass gets a cosmic makeover

Liverpool’s connection to Doctor Who is, perhaps unsurprisingly, largely uncelebrated but it’s worth noting that three of the show’s biggest names hail from the city.

Tom Baker’s riotous autobiography is full of recollections of corner pubs and the whiff of incense from Catholic churches, while it may be less surprising for people to know that Paul McGann, who played the eighth incarnation is also from Liverpool, along with his many brothers.

But Lis Sladen, a screen companion to third, fourth, tenth and eleventh Doctors was also born in Liverpool and her character even got a spin-off show, The Sarah-Jane Adventures, on CBBC. Sadly Sladen died in 2010, but her connection to the city has been immortalised as part of a project to improve an underpass in Aigburth by local artist Nicola Taggart.

Gary Steele from the South Neighbourhood Team initiated the idea last year with the backing of local Ward Councillor Patrick Hurley, with the installation of the artwork being carried out by social enterprise Jigsaw.

Nicola carried out a number of workshops in the area which involved working alongside local residents groups and Sudley School to gather ideas for the artwork, with Sladen appearing due to her attendance at a local school in Aigburth Vale.

The underpass, which links Aigburth Road from Jericho Lane to Ashfield Road, has previously been blighted with graffiti in the past and has also received a much-needed lick of paint.

“The subway has been in a bad way for too long, and I’m hopeful that by improving lighting and security, and by getting the local community involved in creating some superb artwork for the subway walls, it will be a better used and safer environment for local people,’ said Patrick Hurley.

The new artwork will be unveiled tomorrow (Friday 26 April) but you can get a sneak peak above.