Boulton & Platt

70 years ago one of Hitler's staff sent him a memo suggesting that "an early concentrated attack on Britain is necessary, on Liverpool for example, so that whole nation will feel the effect."

So it was that, in May 1941, Liverpool, particularly in the north of the city around Bootle and the docks, was blitzed.

The following year the resulting rubble was dumped on the beach at Sefton, partly to shore up the sea defences, but also because there was nothing else to do with it.

And there it lies today. Bricks have been smoothed by the sea and the steel rods from reinforced concrete have rusted. But still, a number of the bricks give away their original starting place. A reminder to anyone who walks there what went on night after night 70 years ago.

Nothing you see in this picture is naturally occurring. Its all man made and it was all transported here in 1942.

What struck me as I walked along the beach was the range of colour to be found in the debris from deep reds to fading yellows and everything in between. The initial plan was to take some shots and convert to black and white - but looking through them in Lightroom, that seems too much like an obvious reaction - to create dark, moody, depressing images. Its not a depressing place - sure, it makes you think and perhaps my reaction surprised me, but there it is. I've known about this place for a while, but today is the first time I've ever seen it. I owe it to myself to return.