George Kenyon – Modern Mooch

Wide Angle View – Liverpool

Posted on September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 by modernmoocher

So here we are at RIBA North to take a closeup wide angle view of the past.

In 1969, the Architectural Review magazine launched Manplan, a ground-breaking and often uncompromising assessment of Britain’s built environment at the end of the sixties.

Combining pioneering graphic and print techniques with powerful photojournalism, the attention grabbing magazine sought to question and critique architectural ideas at the time.

Photography lay at the heart of the series- through striking black and white reportage, Manplan revealed how architecture and urban planning shaped people’s daily lives, highlighting social issues that continue to be relevant today, such as inadequate housing, community, and loneliness.

Workers’ housing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with Dunston Power Station behind.

Image: Tim Street-Porter Architectural Press Archive RIBA Collections.

Bold in tone and innovative in style, Manplan reframed conversations on urban development and brought attention to socially conscious design within the built environment.

The Wide-Angle View exhibition reflects on its legacy and highlights the powerful role photography and design can still play in communicating and challenging over half a century on

Lillington Gardens Estate Pimlico

Image: Tony Ray-Jones

My Visit to the estate in 2018

Constructed in phases between 1961 and 1980 to a plan by Darbourne & Darke.

The estate was among the last of the high-density public housing schemes built in London during the postwar period, and is referred to as one of the most distinguished. Notably, seven years before the Ronan Point disaster ended the dominance of the tower block, Lillington Gardens looked ahead to a new standard that achieved high housing density within a medium rather than high-rise structure. It emphasised individuality in the grouping of dwellings, and provided for private gardens at ground and roof levels.

Blackburn Corporation office tower and shopping centre.

Image: Peter Baistow

My visit in 2025 – the tower and shopping centre having been significantly remodelled.

Architects: BDP

Preston Bus Station

Image: Peter Baistow

My visit in 2018 – prior to refurbishment and listing.

Architects: Keith Ingham for BDP.

Newcastle Civic Centre with bronze statue of Tyne God by David Wynne.

My visit in 2017 which also included the Interiors and the Council Chamber.

Architects: George Kenyon.

The companion exhibition catalogue to the RIBA’s photography exhibition: Wide Angle View: Architecture as social space in the Manplan series 1969-70.

Purchase here.

Given the current government’s drive for new build housing and new towns, I feel that the time is right to reassess the role of our citizens planners and architects own shaping this new New World.

Let’s all plan The Plan.

In July 2025, the government published its five-step plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing. This plan committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, alongside a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing.

Policy Paper

Consideration should also be given to all the infrastructure that the housing may require – the schools, hospitals, libraries, shops, play areas et al.

No more shabby PFI, but substantial public buildings of real quality and distinction.

No more developer led, overseas capital fed, elite inner city out of town cookie cutter ghettoes.

Newscastle Civic Centre – The Grand Entrance

Posted on May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 by modernmoocher

Opened on 14th November 1968 by King Olav of Norway, opened for me by Debbie Harvey on Friday 5th May 2017, thanks ever so much.

This takes us into architect George Kenyon’s Civic Centre

Cast Aluminium portals and reveals to Ceremonial Entrance by Geoffrey Clarke.

Staff on reception were once able to notify officials of the arrival of guests and dignitaries, using this right bang up to the minute electrical intercom.

To the right is the engraved John Hutton Screen engraved glass panels depicting – the inventive genius of Tyneside’s most famous sons and daughters.

From left to right: George Stephenson the steam locomotive, Sir Charles Parson the turbine engine, Sir Joseph Swan electric light bulb, Lord Armstrong the gun.

Brigantia – Celtic Goddess of the tribe, The Three Mothers – offering fruit for fertility, Mithras – the slaying of the bull , Coventina the goddess of a well, she reclines on a water-borne leaf and below her are three intertwined figures of nymphs of streams, for in those days every self-respecting stream had its own tutelary deity. All have been found when Roman temples have been unearthed on the Roman wall.

A twenty three foot high, eleven tiered chandelier of hand cut Bavarian crystal from Westphalia, hangs above your head. This chandelier was commissioned on behalf of Newcastle City for the opening of the building in 1968. It has 119 light bulbs, the crystal on the top is in the shape of a castle on the base of the chandelier are sea horses. The walls are lined with random English oak, the floor down stairs is Portuguese Verde Viana marble.

Elegant Arne Vodder designed sofas litter the entrance, this truly is a palace of delights a temple of Municipal Socialism, take your shoes off set a spell.

Y’all come back now!

Newcastle Civic Centre – Council Chamber

Posted on May 8, 2017May 13, 2026 by modernmoocher

Within the exterior of architect George Kenyon’s distinguished civic drum sits the inner sanctum of the Council Chamber – my thanks to the delightful head of hospitality Debbie Harvey for providing me with the most erudite and educational tour.

Outside the division bell, set against Danish slate, was originally to be found on the HMS Newcastle.

This silver bell is of the 10,000 ton cruiser HMS Newcastle presented to the ship by the Lord Mayor and citizens of Newcastle upon Tyne to mark her commissioning in 1937. Launched by the Duchess of Northumberland on the 23^rd January 1936 at the Walker Naval Yard. In 1959 HMS Newcastle was towed from Portsmouth to Newport Monmouthshire to be broken up.

The entrance padded with soft green leather the door clad in hand carved Cedar of Lebanon.

We illuminated the illuminated sign and entered – what treasures await, leather and teak furniture by acclaimed Danish designer Arne Vodder, worth thousands and thousands of pounds. Fine Swedish marble and further Cedar of Lebanon acoustic cladding, each surface of the highest quality and chosen to enhance the sound properties of the space. The councillors seated once a month on 149 leather clad seats with integral voting and microphone modules. A high grey, skylight lit domed ceiling.

This is work of the highest possible quality, a proud summation of Municipal Socialism, our friends in the North, matched with the imaginary world of the Man from Uncle.