When you think of the most picturesque waterways in the region, the Bootle stretch of the Leeds Liverpool canal might not instantly spring to mind.
As the longest canal in Britain, it takes in swathes of green space along the Pennine trail, but its passage through South Sefton nestles between densely packed residential areas - driving straight into the heartlands of industrial Liverpool. Though much of that industry has now departed.
It has left the canal much quieter, albeit bruised by its demise as a crucial economic artery. But it remains a symbol of hope for Bootle, especially to Brian Dawe.
