Liverpool

Liverpool - a city of surprises. Even though it was described in one of the brochures as a 'vibrant city going through regeneration' and voted 'European Capital of Culture' last year we didn't have high expectations (did wonder if it would be another Blackpool) but the drawcard of seeing where our grandparents may have left their homeland and sailed off into the wide blue ocean was something we couldn't resist. So off we went on Friday evening. We came back thinking that Liverpool was a city we could live in (and as far as we go that is a real compliment). It's home to many a musician, has the River Mersey running through its middle, and a wonderful mix of modern and old architecture (though unfortunately the city may now be one of those to suffer greatly the economic downturn with high unemployment). We were staying a bit out of the city and so after a very good trip on Friday night (2.5 hours - Harry's workmates had painted pictures of being stuck in traffic around Birmingham for hours - we were so alarmed that we made sure that the thermos, books and food were in the back seat) we were ready to hit Liverpool.
The range of architecture was quite something (abandoned grain silos and warehouses, old buildings made into apartment blocks, new buildings of all shapes and sizes along the side of the river with the older ones (the Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool building), new and old cinemas and theatres, the Gothic style Anglican cathedral and the new circular Roman Catholic Church). It could look all haphazard and unattractive, but the tall modern skyscrapers seem to integrate with the old and pedestrians could easily get everywhere by wandering around the buildings and along the path that linked the docks to the main shopping area. The war memorial was a garden in front of the town hall with a plaque and little garden for I think every recent war that has featured Liverpudlians. All in all - quite a compliment to the town designers. But they did have a river to work with - wide, deep and long. The city is a bit like Wellington really - a natural place for people to wander, eat, play and participate in events (museums, statues, visit of the Ark Royal aircraft carrier).

And the music - home to the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black (who used to wait at tables at the Cavern where the Beatles first played), Billy Fury, Billy J Kramer and hundreds of others I haven't heard of but Liverpool is proud of. We did the Beatles thing - and followed the story of this famous group around on a bus - saw the birth places of Ringo and George (poor enough to be born at home and spend most of their lives in two bedroom terraced houses) and John (living in a semi-detached with aunt and uncle but not allowed to play music except outside on the porch), and Paul also living in a terraced house - but a bit more up market and encouraged to play guitar and write songs. John's house has been bought by Yoko Ono and gifted to the National Trust (blue plaque commemorates that he has lived there - you can only have one of those if you have been dead 20 years - so Paul doesn't want one yet even though his house was recently purchased by the National Trust).

"Penny lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go stop to say hello
On the corner is a banker with a motor car..." ... and beneath the blue suburban skies we drove down Penny Lane - I had images of a narrow cobbled stone lane, but it is actually a two lane suburban street with the banker, barber, fish and chip shop, newsagents still at one end of the street. We could imagine a young John skipping down the road at the end of the school day singing what could be future hits.
"Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to
me"....and Strawberry Fields was an orphanage run by the Salvation Army and John used to play with his mates, climb trees and presumably enjoy the company of those living in the large 19th century manor house that has now been demolished and the grounds quite overgrown with not an ounce of romance there.
"Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?" ... and we saw the grave yard where Eleanor was buried in 1692 - a few generations older than John and Paul but obviously an inspiration. John and Paul met at the nearby church hall where John's band the Quarrymen were playing a gig.

It isn't surprising that Liverpool has a maritime history. The museum showed us details of the sinking of the Titanic, Lusitania and the Empress of Ireland, all in a short space of time and all taking the lives of Liverpudlian crewmen and immigrants. Our grandparents must have travelled to the city and lived in the somewhat appalling conditions until they could get a berth on a boat (thankfuly they didn't wish to immigrate to America or Harry and I might not be around today). There were stories of famine and disease (the Irish also landed in Liverpool to escape the worst of the potato famine), and after a while boat companies began to provide hostels for future passengers in the hope of providing some, if not much, comfort. I wandered the docks thinking about my grandmother at 5, looking up at those big ships and having no idea what New Zealand would be like but her mind frighteningly full of images while her tummy rumbled.

"Life goes on day after day

Hearts torn in every way

So ferry 'cross the Mersey

'Cause this land's the place I love

And here I'll stay" ...

and then it was over the Mersey for Sunday. We picnicked on New Brighton beach (the only ones) and watched others, fish and walk their dogs and visited the Black Rock museum (there wasn't much there except an exhibit on the Submarine 'Thetis' that sank due to human error and some cool views of the lighthouse and rocks). We then drove around the suburbs and coast line and said goodbye to Liverpool by walking around the Hoylake marine lake (in the cold and windy late afternoon we enjoyed - or should I say I - walking the narrow path between sea and the man made lake while skipping around the waves as they crashed around our feet).