I've just arrived home after an overnight visit to Liverpool to see my youngest son who is at the University of Liverpool and it was fantastic to see him again after what seems like ages!
Liverpool is a fantastic city and thoroughly recommended for a visit. The last time we were there, we concentrated on the Albert Dock area which has seen a fabulous refurbishment and on it's own took a full two days top visit. This time, we were walking around the extensive 'Liverpool One' which I think is what you and I would call the city centre. A memorial to John Lennon is on the left.
Liverpool One is extensive, safe, clean, tidy colourful, vibrant and a pleasure to be in. The variety of things to do is good as you might expect and what is a bonus is the architecture. I guess from the revenue from successful commerce over the centuries, there are some massive buildings, gorgeous edifices of different style, variety, size and age.
I did visit a lovely spiritual resource centre on Renshaw Street and it is packed with spiritual goodies of all kinds!
The most impressive I guess is the opera house, vast sandstone building with massive columns at the front guarded by lions. But that's not alone, there are many mini grand buildings like this one, the Adelphi Hotel is unique, square and almost white, there are churches everywhere, some in good repair, some not so good like St Lukes, damaged during WW2 but still performing a function to attract visitors despite there being no roof. As you walk further afield, there are some empty shops and buildings like everywhere else, and I've put a picture of one of them here, the picture house, which must have been very impressive in its heyday.
Nevertheless, there were many city centre staff to keep the place clean, help visitors and despite it being packed to the gunnel's on this lovely day (26 degrees and wall to wall sun) I never saw a police officer or PCSO and frankly there was no wonder because the atmosphere was so positive and the people so friendly.
We paid a visit to the World Museum which was okay and mostly shopped for bits and pieces for the boy. I can now boast I have been in Primark in Oxford Street, London, Carr Lane in Hull and in Liverpool One! I know how to party!
Below is a picture of leaf cutter ants in the 'insect' section of the museum carrying some cut leaves to their nest along a piece of rope kindly provided by the staff for the entertainment of visitors!
I like the Liverpool sense of humour, dry and self-critical usually, but there was a sign in a cafe which cheekily read, "A balanced diet is a piece of cake in each hand!" How true! (I was very good, I only had a croissant and a coffee.)
We had a couple of meals at the Childwall Abbey Hotel, a converted Abbey house would you believe, in Liverpool 16, and the food was excellent.
Enjoy the second half of your weekend.
Chat soon
