LFC celebrate icon

The great grandchildren of historic British Prime Minister Sir William, Francis and Penny Gladstone visited Liverpool's iconic Isla Gladstone Conservatory as part of celebrations for the venue's first anniversary.

The Isla Gladstone Conservatory opened in August 2009 following the £14m regeneration of Stanley Park by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Football Club, and Managing Director of LFC, Christian Purslow was guest of honour.

Pictured below are Steve Rotherham, MP for Walton, Liverpool FC Managing Director Christian Purslow, Francis Gladstone (son of Isla Gladstone and great grandson of William Ewart Gladstone, 4 times Prime Minister in the 19th century) and Cllr. Tim Moore, Cabinet Member for the Environment for Liverpool City Council.

The historic Victorian glasshouse, which underwent a two-year restoration programme, is named after textiles designer, Isla Gladstone and has selected examples of her artwork incorporated into the interior of the building.

Three generations of the Gladstone family continued the legacy of the Victorian statesman and four-times Prime Minister with the unveiling of a plaque to celebrate both the venue's and the city's links with the Gladstone family.

The Gladstones were joined by Christian Purslow, Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club, Councillor Tim Moore, Cabinet Member for the Environment for Liverpool City Council, Steve Rotherham, M.P. for Walton, and Gemma Hindley, Managing Director of the Isla Gladstone Conservatory to mark the occasion.

Liverpool FC Managing Director Christian Purslow said: "It is an absolute honour and privilege to be invited to the Isla Gladstone Conservatory.

"The club is committed as ever to the local community and it is fantastic that such an architecturally magnificent building has been restored as a beacon of beauty in the city and Liverpool Football Club was glad to be a partner in the restoration project."

Francis Gladstone, one Isla Gladstone's sons, continues to keep the legacy of his mother's work alive, having developed catalogues of her life and work with his wife, Josephine Elwyn-Jones Gladstone. The Isla Gladstone Project to revive and reprint the fabrics she designed between 1963 and the early 1980s is also underway.

He said: "It is a profound honour to be here today, along with representatives of each of Isla Gladstone's six children (including two younger Islas!).

"It is a great honour that the building has been named after Isla. The building means so much to the people of Liverpool and through its restoration more and more people are seeing what she achieved in her lifetime. It is fantastic that this can now live on in future generations."

Gemma Hindley, Managing Director at The Isla Gladstone Conservatory, who recently won a Daily Post Woman Achieving in Business Award, commented: "We were extremely honoured to welcome the Gladstones, along with special guests from the local community to unveil a plaque at the Isla Gladstone Conservatory.

"It is a fantastic way to commemorate the legacy of the Gladstone family and its links with the venue.

"The venue has proved to be a great attraction for both local residents and visitors to the city over the past year. I never would have dreamed what myself and the team have managed to achieve.

"The future is looking very good for us. We have the good support of the local community, which makes it a very happy place to work."

The Isla Gladstone Conservatory will also be hosting a first anniversary fun day on Monday, August 30 between 11am and 4pm.

There will be various activities throughout the day including hot air balloon rides, climbing wall, cooking demonstrations and much more. The event is free but there will be a small fee for the activities. Kemps Bistro will also be open throughout the day for food and refreshments.