Kensington, Liverpool: Difference between revisions
Snowy 1973 (talk | contribs) Undid revision 191837343 by 172.201.66.19 (talk) |
|||
| Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
The [[Merseytram]] System (Line 2) was due to run through Kensington, but this has now been cancelled after funding from the [[British Government]] was denied. |
The [[Merseytram]] System (Line 2) was due to run through Kensington, but this has now been cancelled after funding from the [[British Government]] was denied. |
||
This district has recently started installing new WRTL Arc post-top streetlights to replace the old [[sodium]]-based [[GEC]] streetlights that were existent. However, [[Philips]] streetlighting is commonplace as well on side-streets: but the [[Thorn]] Beta 5 streetlight is also used, on side-entry streetlights. |
|||
==Cultural references== |
==Cultural references== |
||
Revision as of 17:57, 27 February 2008
Kensington is an inner city area of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England. It is an area primarily of housing situated east of the city centre, bordered by Edge Hill, Everton and Fairfield. It is statistically one of the poorest areas of Liverpool and is considered one of the most deprived districts in the United Kingdom. It is known locally as "Kenny".
Etymology
Unlike Kensington in London, this has a different origin: the name is from the Old English personal name Cyneræd + -inga "people of" + tun "farm", suggesting "farm of Cyneraed's people". The name was recorded as Ceneresintune in 1139.
Description
The area is made up largely of Victorian terraces. A number of local shops such as newsagents exist along Prescot Road and Edge Lane, the area's two main roads. It has a high crime rate and average incomes are well below the national average. Residents of the area have a 50% chance of dying below the average UK life expectancy.
There are few nightlife attractions in Kensington, though the area does boast a number of true Liverpool pubs.
Community and regeneration
In recent years due to an influx of money from the 'The Kensington Regeneration' programme, improvements have been made, with rundown houses redeveloped and street monitors being put in place to keep a good social order.
KensingtonVision, a Social Enterprise Community Interest Company setup in May 2007, has been producing videos and other media related projects about the area, including the Venture Housing Green Apprentices Video. KensingtonVision gave away free broadband connections and piloted connection to broadband via Freeview set top boxes to local residents.
In November 2007, Kensington had its own temporary community radio station KVfm 87.7(KensingtonVision). The radio station was run on an RSL (a temporary radio licence from OFCOM). The studio was built in the local McDonalds restaurant and ran live radio broadcasts from 8am to 8pm each day, with numerous community organisations taking part. As well as broadcasting on FM (picked up in Skelmersdale and the Wirral), it was streamed on the internet, with listeners as far afield as the US and Slovak Republic. Funding was put together by Steve Faragher (Director of KensingtonVision and a local resident) from various sources including C7 local social landlord, and the National Lottery. Despite spending ten months trying to get funding from local regeneration company Kensington Regeneration, KVfm was unsuccessful.
Transport
There are regular buses (numbers 8, 9, 10 and variants thereof) providing services to the city centre, as well as to Huyton and St Helens.
The Merseytram System (Line 2) was due to run through Kensington, but this has now been cancelled after funding from the British Government was denied.
This district has recently started installing new WRTL Arc post-top streetlights to replace the old sodium-based GEC streetlights that were existent. However, Philips streetlighting is commonplace as well on side-streets: but the Thorn Beta 5 streetlight is also used, on side-entry streetlights.
Cultural references
The area was described in the song Streets of Kenny on the HMS Fable album by Liverpudlian band Shack. The song's main theme centres around the availability of heroin and cannabis in the area.
Millionaire John Elliott spent ten days in the district living in a council flat under state benefits as part of the Channel 4 programme The Secret Millionaire (episode broadcast 6 December 2006). He assisted a family living in a council house as well as paying several thousand pounds to a local asylum centre. Strictly, the road he lived on throughout his stay, Balmoral Road, is in the Fairfield district.
Notable residents
- Atomic Kitten member Natasha Hamilton grew up in Kensington.
- Shack's frontman Mick Head was born and raised here.
- The McGann brothers grew up in Kensington.
- Former Liverpool F.C. player Phil Thompson was born in Kensington.