Liverpool’s Festival Gardens was a jewel in the crown of the city when it opened as part of the International Garden Festival celebrations launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984.
A photo next to the iconic Yellow Submarine was a rite of passage for Scousers of a certain age - along with a ride down the red dragon slide.
Although the Festival Gardens is now home to a beautiful park, the site of the actual festival was left in a terrible state.
It has since been derelict for over thirty-years and Liverpool Council have been working to transform the site from landfill to 1,500 brand new homes, although costs have spiralled above the budgeted figure of £52 million.
But we have dipped into the archive to take a look back at the heydey of Festival Gardens, to bring back some nostalgia whilst we wait for the site to be transformed once again.
Although the Festival Gardens is now home to a beautiful park, the site of the actual festival was left in a terrible state.
9. The floral clock at the Liverpool International Garden Festival, 1984
Image: Aq94 via Wikimedia
10. The Black Prince at the Liverpool Garden Festival, 1984
Image: John Firth/Wikimedia
11. Liverpool International Garden Festival, 1984
Image: Pete Chapman/Wikimedia
12. And now...
The site being cleared in 2021. Image: Vinci/Liverpool City Council