Forgot to come back to this. The last night, my birthday, we ate at The Silk Road. Really nice tapas and mezze. It’s near the waterfront.
https://www.silkrd.co.uk/our-restaurants/silk-rd-liverpool-restaurant/
Used to go to Liverpool a bit when I was younger to see my grandma and other relatives but never did much of a tourist thing. I suppose Liverpool in the 70s and 80s wasn’t exactly on any must see lists. We stopped down near Albert Dock at the Hampton by Hilton, nice enough and good value, right behind Baltic Fleet pub. We went full on tourist as I wanted to show my lad as much as I could in the time we were there. A couple of days before I tried to book on the tour that goes round the Beatles houses, run by The National Trust but it it was full. So booked on The Magical Mystery Tour instead, but you don’t get to go into the houses. I thought it might be a bit naff but I really enjoyed it. Saw loads of Liverpool that I’ve never been to before. Appropriate soundtrack accompanying each place and the guide, who’s probably done it a thousand times was really informative. Couple of hours long, all the obvious places to hop and off for pics, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, all their childhood homes, schools, colleges etc, fire station, bank and barbers from Penny lane, pub from Ringo’s Sentimental Journey etc
Had a wander from Albert Dock along the waterfront to the ‘Three Graces’ – Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building, Port of Liverpool Building. Beautiful structures built at a time to reflect the wealth and importance of the city. Royal Liver building have just started doing tours up to the top which gave us great views over the city and up the coast to Bootle and where they’ll be building the new Everton ground. Went into the clock tower and watched a short film of the history of Liverpool animated onto all of the walls/clock faces. Up close the Liver birds are enormous things, 18 feet tall – one faces the city, the other faces the sea.
The Cunard Building now houses the British Music Exhibition which I was really impressed by – plenty of artefacts, Bolan, Bowie, Hendrix, Smiths, Mondays parephanelaia. Loads of interactive things too. My lad sat and played the drums with headphones on for half an hour, smashing the skins along to a tutorial. He enjoyed it so much he now wants to learn to play and get himself a set. I had a few bad goes on an electric guitar, won’t be purchasing one of those.
Then we went on the ferry across the Mersey, off course we did. They play the song and everything. You get brilliant views of Liverpool and beyond.
I’m an atheist but love a good church. We went to both Cathedrals. Both stunning buildings but completely different. I’ve been to the Catholic one before, lovely cafe next to it by the way, but never the Protestant one. We had to queue for a bit for that one. My lad was desperate for a pee so we shot off to find somewhere and ended up at The Grapes. I can remember when his age being in the same situation a few times and my dad nipping me into a pub and he always felt obliged to buy a half rather than using their toilets for free, did the same, well a pint. Wife’s texting me as she was nearing the front, ‘Where are you?’ Having a pint when I’m meant to be in church. Oh, the cemetery behind is really nice as cemetries go, shaded and serene.
I thought the cathedral was amazing. One of the biggest in the world. Genuinely took my breath away. There’s a smaller place of worship at the back that’s as big as any church. Really glad I went in.
Had a drive up the coast to Crosby Beach to see Another Place, the Anthony Gormley statues. They stretch for two miles. It was sunny, my birthday and I was on the beach with my family. Good memory.
On the final day we did a little pilgrimage to my dad. At age six with his two older brothers he was sent to The Royal Liverpool Seaman’s Orphanage. His dad was away at sea and two years later was killed in a motorbike crash and he also had two younger siblings. My grandma had no option. He talked of it with affection but I can’t begin to imagine being put into an orphanage at six. It’s at Newsham Park, we pulled up and got out the car and I broke down in floods of tears. It’s a place my dad often mentioned but I’ve never seen. From there we did a quick drive round Anfield and Goodison for my lad. Anfield looks like a major European ground now, loads different from what I remember. Then to my grandparents’ graves, West Derby way, then home.
The only things I wanted to see and didn’t have time for were a tour round St George’s Hall and a couple of hours in Sefton Park but we’ll go back and do that.