Rapid Hardware

Jamie: 24th Apr 2005 - 00:55 GMT

another highly captivating whilst refreshingly unique piece. there has been some writing of the highest calibre appearing upon these pages of late. It's a trend i hope will continue.

jayne: 28th Apr 2005 - 16:06 GMT

nice to see that i am not the only lino lover in the city!

george: 8th May 2005 - 17:08 GMT

have you still got the lino i have developed a nasty hole in my shoe.cheers

elaine: 9th May 2005 - 19:57 GMT

hee hee yes, i have had it 20 years, so. but it is a particular kind of old fashioned weirdy lino, made of printed on pressed board rather than moderny lino, so not so good for the shoe mending

Peter: 9th Jun 2005 - 18:47 GMT

somehow, i missed this the first time around. ive jsut read it. nice!

elaine: 9th Jun 2005 - 19:06 GMT

ta, mate. it kind of goes with eye of the storm. i wanted to make some kind of art about rapid hardware because if i was who i am now i would have called going to rapid hardware my work, and taken pictures of the screws and stuff and documented my visits. i was quite bold, in a way, back then, but i did not have enough self awareness to realise the existential funk was my work, in quite a serious way. recently i have met up with a friend from those days and i was telling him about this, and he said very emphatically that going to rapid hardware was my work, so i made this posting in honour of that missed inhibited opportunity, in homage to the notion that it might be enough to stare at screws

martin : 7th Feb 2006 - 10:28 GMT

you must stop smelling the glue it not that good for you. Your comments made me feel quite sad...for you.
Liverpool is is jusy like any other city. You need to get out more !

Dave Nes: 7th Nov 2006 - 15:15 GMT

Reading this as prompted me to think your not a full shilling, a bit suicidal I can imagine. If your still alive start taking the medicine and try and have a positive outlook in life as its clear you are a very lonely person and without doubt a pretender if you think you are any type of artist. On top of all this your most probably not a bad person just a sad one

Johny DIY: 18th Nov 2006 - 21:01 GMT

I logged onto Google looking for Rapid Hardware, in search of a radiator, haaving read some of the above comments in particular the "artist" I cant help feeling looking for a bit of warmth are the least of some peoples problems, maybe she could send some lino and we could have a littl fire instead

PABLOMERSEY: 27th Dec 2006 - 15:48 GMT

Well Elaine you sound like you don't like our city ?

If that is the case get out of it and give someone a chance from Liverpool. Im fed up with whinging people like you who call our city, taking places from people who are from Liverpool and surrounding areas, have the qualifications and don't get a place because they have to keep place for the likes of you !

Go back to which ever town you crawled from, Maggot !

Chris : 31st Dec 2006 - 00:41 GMT

Take your lino around the Walker and weep artist my arse.

Catherine Penfold-Waxman: 19th Feb 2007 - 15:01 GMT

Just found this thread. Those last few comments are not only mean-spirited but way off the mark.

In the very first line Elaine establishes it's Liverpool of 1982, during a much rougher time. She's studying art, which means she's studying everything -- herself, her flat, marchers, buildings, lino and the screws at the local hardware store. It may seem introverted, but she is talking about a very thoughtful time, and I expect, a very formative part of her life.

Elaine is not dissing Liverpool. She is sharing her existential experience.

Chris: 22nd Mar 2007 - 15:10 GMT

Just read the piece its pritty poor, i guess its supposed to be creative writing but its jumbled hard to read and pointless whats rapid got to do with living in a cheap flat amoungst rioting scousers? lol i worked in rapid for 3 years and there were plenty of wierdos coming in like you but mostly they eventually bourght something!

Lesley: 4th Sep 2007 - 10:25 GMT

I loved the article, it really conjurs up lots of images, I was born and bred in Liverpool, our house had the same sort of lino, but it was yellow and black. My Sister still lives in Liverpool and Rapid Hardware is her Temple, she has to have her "fix" at least once a week, as for the comments of Pablomersey, where does his anger come from? Chris, you need to work on your spelling mate!

marje 10 40 gm: 16th Mar 2009 - 22:47 GMT

you can tell this is from some one who is passing through and just came here to get a decent education hope you remember us for that .am very pleased you moved on ,you sound very strange.