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Mike McCartney's Secret Wirral

This is the first of a series of planned books that will allow Mike McCartney to focus his rather insightful and surreal gaze on regions and cities around the world.

In his dual role as photographer and the official Cultural Ambassador for the Wirral Peninsula, Mike McCartney - artist, songwriter and raconteur - is able to experience and record the life of this jewel in the North West of England's scenic crown in his own individual and insightful way.

This book will reflect the personal view of the area Mike and his family has lived in for many years. It is his tribute and a singularly atmospheric impression of the Wirral, which has a recorded history stretching back to the gritty Viking days.

It is Mike's own contemporary record of an area that is flanked by the rivers Dee and Mersey and is washed by the frequently turbulent waters of the Irish Sea. It is a haven for commuters, boasting striking countryside and yet paradoxically enjoys a thriving industrial and commercial sector.

This book follows on from his acclaimed collection of memorable black and white photographs of the 1960s ' Mike McCartney's Liverpool Life' - depicting the time when Mike was a part of the legendary Mersey Beat scene, his own group The Scaffold later enjoying several terrific hits including the evergreen Lily the Pink penned by Mike.

The MMLL book complemented a major exhibition of Mike's photographic work which was rated as one of the most popular displays ever in Washington DC's Smithsonian Institution, located right on the American capital's main Mall.

This eminently collectable and eclectic collection of Wirral images are a reminder that Mike has a sympathetic eye and pitch for the unusual and help place Wirral firmly on the world's tourism map. It is due for publication in 2008.