From Liverpool to Ellesmere Port

The Ferry speakers shouted "Ferry ´cross the Mersey" as i went over to Birkenhead. A guard on the ferry pier explained the way to the Manchester Ship Canal. After 7 miles I had to realise that this canal haven´t got any towpath, so I drove along the industrial areas until I reached the beginning of the Shropshire Union Canal. In the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port, where the Shropshire Union Canal starts, I finally bought my own British Waterways Key - I am now able to get water and use the showers which are located along all canals :) Unfortunately I was too late for the museum.
The day was hot and I was so happy to reach the fresh country side again.

Liverpool - Liver Birds

What kind of bird? Nobody knows, but it is the symbol of the city Liverpool :)

Liver Birds

Liverpool - Verdicts and Prisoners

Liverpool - St. George´s Hall

In the Victorian period Liverpool grew quickly. New buildings helped to show the world how wealthy the city, an important world port, had become.

Liverpool - The Philharmonic

Already in Kidsgrove Tim told me that I had to visit The Philharmonic, the most famous pub in Liverpool.
Come for a beer with me :)

Liverpool - Merseyside Music

At the beginning of the 60s a new sound was played in dozens of cellars in Liverpool. It is not sure who brought the first American Rock´n Roll and Rhytm & Blues to the city. Some says it was the seamen which brought the first records, others says it was the American soldiers who served at the American Air Force Base in Burtonwood. Whichever it was, within months the music boomed and influenced the youth around the world.
In Liverpool new music clubs opened everywhere. The best know clubs were the Cavern, the Iron Door, the Blue Angel, the Casbah, the Peppermint Lounge, the Sink, the Downbeat, the Grafton Ballroom, and Hope Hall. Outside the city centre were ballrooms, church rooms and public halls to play in. Every day new groups were formed and at the climax of Merseybeat there must have been around 400 groups in and around Liverpool.
Those groups were quite successful and climbed the charts, so as a result, promoters from all over the world became interested in booking groups from Liverpool. At that time "from Liverpool" was a mark of quality. So the problem arose that Liverpool promoters suddenly did not have enough of the established local groups for their events anymore. This was the big chance for new and lesser known Liverpool groups to step into the spotlight.
From this point The Beatles only was one group of hundred others. But what made one difference was, that they were the first to write their lyrics themselves, the others played songs written by already famous american musicians, like Buddy Holly or Elvis.

The list below contains some of those I first heard and liked - just roundabout 4 years ago, thank you for that Bluebottle :)
Feel welcomed to listen and to enjoy!

Cryin Shames - Please Stay
The Merseys - Sorrow
Gerry And The Pacemakers - Ferry Cross The Mersey
The Cherry Boys - Kardomah Cafe
Liverpool Express - You Are My Love
The 23rd Turnoff - Michael Angelo
Wimple Winch - Rumble On Mersey Square South

Liverpool - St Luke´s Church

St Luke´s Church was designed by John Foster in 1802 and later redesigned and completed by his son John Foster Junior in 1831. The Church, perpendicular in a gothic style is well known for its decorated pinnacles and traceried windows. In 1941 the church suffered considerable war damage by incendiary bombs. The church and its gardens were then purchased by the City Council as a place of rest and tranquility after the war.

(click on pic to enlarge)

Liverpool - Anglican Cathedral

The Cathedral was built on St James´ Mount between 1901 and 1978 and is made of red sandstone. The architect Giles Gilbert Scott was only 22 years old. The original design of the Cathedral had two towers rather than the single central tower which was finally built, it is the second largest Anglican Cathedral in Europe. The tower is 100 m high and it holds the highest and heaviest peal of bells in the country. During the Blitz of 1941 George IV and Queen Elisabeth visited the Cathedral, encouraging the people of Liverpool to keep building.

Liverpool - The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King

From outside this catholic cathedral looks like an industrial complex. The building, designed by Frederick Gibberd, is made of concrete, and has an unusual circular design. It is topped with spikes that represent the crowne of thorn worn by Jesus. Anyhow, the inside of the building is quite impressive.
The best of it though was the cafe of the cathedral Piazza - since week I had not had such a delicious salad :)

Being Part Of The-Beatles-Mania, Pt7

Yes, I did it!
I booked a Beatles Fab4-tour by cab and saw the homes of John, George, Ringo, Paul, Penny Lane, the Strawberry Fields, the church yard were John played with the Quarrymen and the hall where Paul and John first met :)
At 2pm Gareth picked me up in front of the Adelphi Hotel and took me for 2,5 hours around the city to the different places. It was a great tour, Gareth had a lot to tell, had a book full of pictures and played the right songs to the places we went. Thanks a lot, cave-man :)

Liverpool - Rainy Days

It rained in Liverpool for two days.
On the first day of rain I went to The Museum of Liverpool which is to recommend. I stayed for 6 hours but didn´t see the half of what they collected. In the evening I went to the Cavern Club where I sang along with all the other tourists :)
On the second day I stayed in bed, either I had been eating something bad or it is the english water, I had the runs again.
I have to thank my landlady, she checked how I felt, went to the pharmacy and bought me some bananas as I started to feel better.
Anyhow, here is a small collection of what I saw in the museum, pics from the Cavern Club and some wet streets from my way back in the evening.

Liverpool - Shopwindows

Liverpool - China Town and Arch

Liverpool has one of the oldest established Chinese communities in Europe.The trade links between China and Britain, via the ports of Shanghai and Liverpool were instrumental in the establishment of a Chinese community within the city. The main trading goods were silk and cotton wool. The first vessel arrived in Liverpool direct from China in 1834. With the revision of the East India Company´s charter, the China trade was the first time thrown open to private enterprise.
The first wave of Chines immigrants arrived in 1866 with the establishment of the Blue Funnel Shipping Line, a branch of the Holt Ocean Steamship Company, which ran a line of steamers directly from Liverpool to China.
Chinese sailors who decided to stay in Liverpool and work from here settled in an area of the city that was close to the docks in Cleveland Square. Boarding houses were first opened by the Holt Shipping Company to accomodate their workers. It was here and in the surrounding streets that the first Chinese settlers started their own business supplying services to their countrymen.
When World War One started there were up to 6000 Chinese seamen in the British Merchant Navy and around 1500 of them were based in Liverpool. After the war, the settlement spread slowly inland into the side streets.
The demolition of the area, known as Chinatown, began as part of the 1930s council scheme to replace the old insanitary courts and warehouses with modern buildings. This plan was met with resistance from members of the community.
It was at this time due to the general economic depression and immigration restriction that the Chinese community in Liverpool saw a reduction of its population size.
The bombing of Liverpool in the 1940s destroyed much of the old Chinatown. Members of the community were moved into new tenements.
Today members of the Chinese community no longer restricts their business interests to Chinatown and shops and clubs are spread throughout the Merseyside area.

Graffiti Pt7 - Liverpool

Liverpool - More Great Buildings

I have been walking around in town for several days by now, there are a lot of big beautiful buildings even if Liverpool was hardly hit by the May Blitz in 1941.
Here comes a big collection :)

Liverpool - The Albert Dock

The Albert Dock and its warehouses were designed by Jesse Hartley and built between 1843-1847. The Albert Dock is one of the earliest enclosed docks in the world. The Dock was opened by HRH Prince Albert on 30 July 1846, and soon became busy dealing with imported goods such as tea and cotton. By the late 19th century business declined because the dock could not accomodate large cargo ships. The Albert Dock fell into disrepair after the Second World War, and was threatend with demolition during the 1960s and 70s.
The Merseyside Development Corporation began the regeneration of the dock in the 1980s.
Today the Albert Dock is the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in England.

Liverpool - River Side

I arrived Liverpool by train in the early afternoon. I had decided to go for Bed & Breakfast and checked in at Pat´s Guest House in Kirkdale. After having brought luggage and cycle inside I took the bus down to city and went for a walk along the River Mersey.