England V Slovenia - bring it on!!!! Come on Slovenia World Cup 2010
England V Slovenia - bring it on!!!! Come on Slovenia World Cup 2010
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If you think that Liverpool is going to be non-stop homage to the Beatles and the Cavern Club you'd be right. But Liverpool is more besides and these days it's a hip and happening city which has done much to shake off the dowdy, run-down and depressed image it had in the 1980s.
I had the pleasure of spending two weekends in the city in 18 months and found that there is much for Liverpudlians to be proud of.
Liverpool is often over-shadowed by it's near neighbour Manchester but I feel that the former is a much more friendly place and deserves the reputation it has for the warmth of it's welcome.
If you are spending a weekend in the city I can recommend a number of accommodation options to suit all budgets. At the top end is the Crowne Plaza down by the Liver Building and close to the landing pier for the famous Mersey Ferry. It is ideally situated for access to the main city centre area and also the visitor and leisure attractions of the Albert Dock.
The Feathers Hotel on MountPleasant is a mid-range hotel and is situated just a short walk (up the hill) from Lime Street Station and the main shopping area.
The Campanile is a budget hotel chain and the Liverpool hotel is situated almost opposite the Albert Dock and shares it's site with the equally good value Formule 1. A double room in the Campanile will set you back around 30 pounds a night and breakfast is extra at a fiver a head.
So,
you've got somewhere to stay - what is there to do?
Where do I start? I suppose the Albert Dock is as good a place as any. The Dock is just one of the success stories in the regenration of Liverpool and this area is one of the most cosmopolitan parts of town. You could say that, with it's shops, visitor attractions, bars and restaurants and stylish warehouse conversion apartments that it is almost a small town in itself.
The dock was built in 1846 to unload and store cargoes from all over the world. The buildings are handsome red brick structures and are very imposing. The buildings make up the largest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings in the UK.
The cluster of buildings around the main part of the dock house visitor attractions such as The Beatles Story and the Tate Modern Liverpool, some bars and restaurants and of course the GranadaTelevision studios where Richard and Judy used to broadcast from. There are also a few shops and these are typical of the shops you get in touristy places - why do they think you want to buy tartan in Liverpool?
I can recommend visiting the Beatles Story - it's fun and interesting and there's a great mock up of the original Cavern Club as well as lots of outfits worn by the Beatles; the story is told chronologically as you make your way through with music to match playing in the background.
The Tate Liverpool does not have it's own permanent collection but stages visiting exhibitions so check in advance to find out what is on when you're there.
The Albert Dock offers a variety of eating possibilites from a traditional pub serving a good selection of meals to upmarket restaurants and trendy bars serving tapas-style dishes.
I would say though that the Dock does not really have any child-friendly eating places. Also some parts of the Dock are quite open and if you are sitting outside at a cafe or pub keep an eye on the kids!
While you are down at the Dock a great thing to do is take a ride on the Yellow Duck Marine Tour. The Ducks are reconditioned ex-WW2 amphibious vehicles, which means they can be used both on land and in the water.
The tours leave hourly from the Dock and first take you on a tour of the city centre with a commentary as you travel. Unfortunately it can sometimes be hard to hear the commentary while in heavy traffic.
The Duck then makes its way back to the dock where you get a terrific splash. I thought it was great but kids will absolutely LOVE it and they can even have a go at steering the Duck once you get into the wider part of the dock.
You can buy tickets from the tourist office in the Dock and it costs around 10 pounds for adults and 8 pounds for children but you can get discounts by buying a book of vouchers which will give you good reductions on all the attractions based around the dock.
The main part of town has all the usual chain stores but for more unusual items head for Parr Street which has some interesting shops selling furniture and designer house wares.
To see the two cathedrals for which the city is so famous take a walk past the Adelphi Hotel and head up Mount Pleasant. Before you reach the top there are a couple of good antiquarian and second-hand bookshops. At the top you come to Rose Street. Turn right for the red stone Anglican cathedral and left for the modern looking Catholic cathedral known by the locals as "Paddy's Wigwam". When you look at the two, it's strange to think that, in actual fact, the Catholic cathedral was finished before the Anglican. Both are beautiful churches but if I was to recommend just one to visit, it would have to be the Wigwam. Go inside and at the right the of day the light pouring through the stained glass windows is gorgeous.
Just around the corner on Hope Street is the Philharmonic pub. Known to locals as the "Phil", it is possibly the grandest pub you'll ever set foot in. It's all mosaic floors and Victorian tiles in rich shades of red and green. There is a tremendous horseshoe-shaped bar behind which are ornate mirrors and elaborate chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The stained glass fanlights are something else again!
Apart from the beer, what everyone somes to the Phil for are the toilets! They are magnificent and this is why they have been voted, on many occasions, the best public toilets in Britain. It's actually the mens' loos which are the ornate ones (The ladies are nice and clean but that's all you can say about them). The mens' have immensely high ceilings, ornate brass fittings and amazing ceramic tiles. Ladies - if you want to see the toilets for yourselves - just ask a memeber of staff and they will check to make sure the coast is clear. Don't be shy - they're used to people asking!
As you would expect, there is plenty of choice for good eating in Liverpool but I would particularly recommend the Lower Place on Hope Street which is in the basement of the Philharmonic Hall and is popular with the pre and post-performance crowd for the Philharmonic Hall and the Everyman Theatre, Zorba's - a family run Greek restaurant on Lecce Street just off Mount Pleasant and the fantastic Carribbean place at the bottom of Parr Street - by day it's more of a cafe but serves delicious West Indian food in the evenings.
The city centre is easily covered on foot but public transport is good if you're going further out of town.
Most tourists do the Mersey ferry and it does give good views of the city skyline but really, unless you want to go over to the Wirral it's not a must-do activity. A good trip is the Beatles bus which takes you to all the main locations like Strawberry Fields, the childhood homes of the members of the Beatles and Penny Lane. If you are a fan, this is an easy way to see all the sights in one go.
Liverpool has a happening club scene - the best known is probably Cream which you'll find just behind Parr Street but there are loadsof cool places in this area. To catch live bands try the Lomax or the Academy (at the University, near Paddy' s Wigwam) although there are loads of pubs advertising live music too. The city has a thriving comedy scene and I reckon the best venue is Blue down at the Albert Dock. There are a number of good theatres staging repertory theatre and hosting touring productions.
Liverpool is a vibrant city which is fast developing a reputation for style. However it is not as pricy as, say, Leeds or Manchester and I think has more to offer families than those other northern cities.
Definitely worth a visit!
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Great review!! I'm a Liverpudlian and I haven't even been to half the places you have including the Gents Loos in the Philly. I'm personally not a lover of the Catholic Cathedral due to the fact that I have my exams in the cript of it, so a visit there is definetly not enjoyable. I moved out of Liverpool recently but I can definetly say the nightlife is the best, in the summer in Mathew Street you feel like your on your hols. Keep up the good work. Jo x
eve6kicksass 31.05.2004 11:42
I still have yet to check out Liverpool....you've given me some great reasons on going now with this outstanding op on it...Chris xxx
SimonJB 27.05.2004 11:31
City of Culture 2008 and potential World Heritage City!!! These two accolades surely sum up how great Liverpool is. Nice review. I visit Liverpool as often as I can, and was there for a Conference last month for a weekend. The conference was about Liverpool and its regeneration...so watch out, if things go as planned this will truly be one of the greatest cities again like it once was.
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Advantages: Planes land and take off from here. Those planes take me places. I'm happy(ish) as a result. Disadvantages: No decent restaurants, shops or anything else. The staff need customer service training, and the builders need a kick of their backsides.
Dec 18th, 2003
very helpful by (100%):
