Visits and meetings postponed

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Bearing in mind the latest Coronavirus guidance, Friends of Williamson’s Tunnels has decided to suspend public visits to the tunnels with immediate effect and until further notice.  If you or your group has an existing booking we will contact you shortly.

For the same reason, the monthly FoWT members meetings in Liverpool are also suspended for the time being.  We will contact members when the situation changes.

We hope you will understand that these measures are to reduce the risk of infection and we look forward to returning to normal arrangements in due course.

If you have any questions about this, please contact us.

Freddy O’Connor

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We were greatly saddened to learn this week that ex-FoWT trustee and popular local history author Freddy O’Connor had passed away after a period of illness.  Freddy was one of the original group who established Friends of Williamson’s Tunnels in 1996. He was a steadfast and dedicated member of the FoWT committee, taking part in the many hundreds of meetings and events which filled our first ten years and helped secure the tunnels’ survival in often challenging circumstances.

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Freddy O’Connor (centre), with early members of the FoWT committee in Williamson’s house in early 1997.  (L-R:  Frank Hodges, a guest, Steve Moran, John McKeown, Freddy O’Connor, Frederika Whitehead, Richard Moran, Bill Douglas)

Away from the tunnels, Freddy was best known for his popular series of books ‘A Pub on Every Corner’, which vividly recorded so many of the old drinking houses of Liverpool. Another of his titles – ‘Our City, Our Heritage’ – painted a riveting picture of the the old city’s streets and housing.

We will miss our old friend and we extend our sincere sympathies to his family.

Liverpool Echo, What’s On: Take a tour of the Tunnels the public don’t get to see ..

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Check out this new video at the Liverpool Echo, What’s On…

Once again we were delighted to welcome the Liverpool Echo for another visit. This occasion was for their ‘What’s On’ guide, filming a video blog on the Non-public sections of the Williamson’s Tunnels.

We were also contacted this week by the Photo Editor from “Süddeutsche Zeitung” which is a South German newspaper. They have requested photographs for an article they have put together on the Williamson’s Tunnels.

If any of our followers are in Germany this weekend, look out for the Saturday Edition of the paper (Sat 4th Feb).

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/exclusive-tour-hidden-williamson-tunnels-12541666

Tunnels visit weekends planned

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We’re just starting planning for next year’s tunnels visiting weekends. With 2016 rapidly approaching, we’re provisionally looking at two weekends in April and another two in September.

These are the comprehensive tours of the normally-closed sections, so as well as seeing the latest excavations in the Paddington tunnels, visitors go underground on the house site, experiencing the legendary Banqueting Hall.

We’ll post details here as we get closer, including how to book.

Follow us for updates by e-mail.

The lowest layer of Paddington, for now ...

Deeper and deeper …

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Things are getting insanely deep at Paddington now.  These photos were taken on 25th October 2015 and show the digging team at work and taking a well-earned break.

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When you think just a couple of years ago this area was packed almost to the top with rubble, we used to invite visitors to touch the ceiling.  That was because we knew the day would come when we’d excavate and that ceiling would end up very high above, way out of reach.

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And yet we still haven’t hit the bottom, nor do we know yet how much further this part of the tunnels goes down.  The diggers filled our 130th skip last week.  Who knows how many more will be needed …