From A Distance

Saturday's edition of the Culture Show on BBC2 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/cultureshow/ ), which is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer until next Saturday, included a feature on the changing face of Liverpool by the architecture writer Tom Dyckhoff. Focusing on the Big Dig in the city centre, Dyckhoff swooped over the waterfront in a helicopter as he waxed lyrical about some, though not all, developments on the city's skyline. The helicopter shots were impressive, if a little heavy on the panoramic angles. A pity, then, that Dyckhoff should fall into the metropolitan hack's default mindset by juxtaposing images of the Toxteth riots in 1981 with footage of the marches & demos from the Militant years. Dyckhoff allowed himself an extended rant about Hatton & Co. without delving into the political context of the time. Next time you're up here, Tom, let's meet up for a discussion on what was generalised & glossed over in your piece, placing it, too, in a cultural context.