HAPPY 800TH BIRTHDAY LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool is a city, which is best known for being the birthplace of The Beatles and Football. It is in North West England. It has 2 Cathedrals, 2 great football teams, Liverpool FC and Liverpool Reserves, (only kidding) Everton FC.
As an Ambassador of this wonderful City of Liverpool it is my place to inform you of what is going on and that there are so many places to visit. Below is just a few of them.
There is also the Writing On The Wall Festival
City-wide venues, Liverpool, Merseyside.
Date(s): 14/5/2007 - 19/5/2007
[t]:0151 707 4313
[w]:www.writingonthewall.org.uk
Through words, music, lyrics, song, dance and discussion, Writing on the Wall
calls upon you to explore the legacy of slavery and exalt in the history of
rebellion, as Liverpool celebrates its 800th birthday and marks 200 years since
the abolition of the slave trade.
This year’s festival offers an assembly like no other to look at the tensions
and creativity that maintained the dynamic that put Liverpool on a world map,
and in the world consciousness. Themes are justice and resistance, slavery past
and persecution present, through Hillsborough and Shrewsbury, taking in the
music of Coltrane, the poetry of Africa, and the sounds of Black Liverpool.
The festival will culminate in a wild celebration of power and poetry with
Benjamin Zephaniah, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Levi Tafari and the MDI African
Dancers, playing out before boarding the Zion Train for live dub and dancing the
night away.
For full details of the programme visit www.writingonthewall org.uk
Saturday 09:00 - 19:00
Sunday 09:00 - 19:00
Croxteth
Hall and Country Park
The coat of arms for Liverpool has birds called
cormorants with bits of seaweed or ‘laver’ in their mouth. On the right is
Triton, a sea god, half man half fish and he is blowing a shell. The other
figure is Neptune and he has a three-pronged spear called trident. They both
have skirts made of seaweed. The Latin words ‘DEUS.NOBIS HAEC OTIA.FECIT’ mean
‘God has bestowed these blessings on us’. Nowadays the city of Liverpool just
uses a liver bird as its logo. Recently plans have been announced that the
Merseyside area is to get a £3,000,000 statue of Neptune rising from the water
in Liverpool Bay. It is to be off the shoreline at New Brighton but it has not
yet been announced when it is going to be placed there.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King is the
Roman Catholic Cathedral. It is a modern design and was opened in 1967. It was designed by a non-catholic, Sir
Frederick Gibberd and can hold 2,200 worshippers. Because of its shape it is
sometimes affectionately known as “Paddy’s wigwam.” Pope John Paul 11 visited the
cathedral in 1982.
The Anglican Cathedral was designed by a Catholic, Sir
Giles Gilbert Scott when he was only 21 years old. Building was started in 1904
and completed in 1978. It is the largest Anglican Cathedral in the world, has
the highest Gothic Arches and Vaults, the highest and heaviest set of bells in
the world and the biggest organ to be found in any church.
The Royal Liver Building was opened in 1911 and was
one of the first tall buildings in the world to use a network of concrete and
steel beams to support it. The clock has four dials, each 7.6m (25 feet) in
diameter, which makes it larger than Big Ben in London, and the largest public
striking clock in Britain. The building has 17 floors, is 322 feet high to the
top of the Liverbirds and each Liver bird is 18 feet high.
The Bluecoat Chambers were built in 1717 and were used
for the education of poor children up until 1906. The building was partly
destroyed during an air raid in 1941 but restored in 1951 and is now used as an
arts centre. Very often artists sell paintings from the railing outside.
Across the road from the Albert Dock at canning place
is the site of Liverpool’s first dock. It was opened in 1715, but has now been
filled in and built on. The Albert dock opened in 1846. It was designed by a
Yorkshire man Jesse Hartley who was the dock engineer. After use as a bonded
warehouse to store rum and tobacco it became disused but was renovated in the
early 1980’s by the Merseyside development corporation and has been one of the
notable successes in the regeneration of Liverpool and the attraction for visitors.
It is now home to shops, restaurants, The Tate Museum, The Maritime Museum and
The Beatles Story Museum. It is one of the most popular attractions in Britain.
Fred Talbot of Granada TV has his floating weather map at the Albert dock.
There are 6 museums in Liverpool; three are situated
at the Albert Dock. 1. The Maritime Museum, which was opened in 1980 and
has lots of indoor exhibits tracing the maritime history of Liverpool, its
involvement in the slave trade and its importance as a great port and passenger
terminal for famous transatlantic liners. Outside there are floating exhibits.
2. The Museum of Liverpool Life opened in 1993 and explores the history
of Liverpool, its people and their contribution to national life. 3. The
National Museum of Custom and Excise opened in 1994 and shows custom
control and how sniffer dogs help in the war against drugs etc. You can even
search for contraband yourself. 4. The Liverpool Museum and William
Brown Library was opened in 1861. There are lots of different exhibits on
five floors, including aquaria, a planetarium and opportunities to handle
specimens and use microscopes and computers in the National History Centre.
The Picton Reading Room and Hornby Library next door was opened
in 1879 and was the first public building in Liverpool to have Electric
Lighting. 5. The Conservation Centre was opened up to show how works of
art and statues are cleaned or restored to their former state. 6. Western
Approaches Museum is situated behind the Town Hall and shows just how
important Liverpool was during the Second World War.
There are many Art Galleries in Liverpool. There are
the University of Liverpool Art Gallery, Sudley House, The Tate Gallery, The
Walker Art Gallery and other smaller ones. The Tate gallery was opened in 1988.
It is a sister gallery to the one in London which was presented to the nation
by Henry Tate who owned the Tate and Lyle sugar factory in Liverpool. The
walker art gallery was opened in 1887 and was paid for by the wealthy brewer
sir Andrew Barclay walker. It contains many famous paintings and lots of
glassware, china, silver and furniture. Sudley house was formerly the home of
the Victorian ship-owner George Holt and contains his collection of works of
art
Speke Hall in South Liverpool is a black and white
half-timbered Tudor mansion. It was built by the Norris Family and completed in
1598. At one time in Britain, during the rein of Elizabeth I, Roman Catholics
were banned and as the Norris family were Roman Catholics they built their own
chapel within the house and had hiding places for priests. The central cobbled
courtyard has two yew trees called Adam and Eve. When the Norris family left
the house, the Watt family bought it. Speke Hall stayed in the Watt family
until the 1920’s when Adelaide Watt, an unmarried woman with no children, died.
Since then The National Trust have bought the house and gardens. There are
lovely gardens and lots of woodland and in 2001; a Maize Maze was planted in
the shape of the Hall.
Croxteth Hall and Country
Park
Croxteth
hall and Country Park has 500 acres of woodland and parkland. The mansion has
displays showing life in a great country house about 1900. There is a special
farm animal collection, walled gardens and a miniature railway and adventure
playground. There are also special events throughout the year.
The Town Hall houses the Council Chambers where
Liverpool City Council holds their meetings.
Designed by John Wood, it is the city’s third Town Hall and was built
between 1749 and 1754. It has survived a cannon attack in 1775, a fire
in 1795, an attempt to blow it up in 1881 and war damage in 1941 as well as Beatle
mania. On top of the dome is a statue of Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Arts and
Handicrafts and all around the building are sculptures of animals from the
countries with which Liverpool traded
St. George’s Hall near Lime Street Station was opened
in 1854 and is a fine example of a neo-classical building. It was said by Queen
Victoria to be “worthy of Ancient Athens” and was formerly used as a concert
Hall and for the crown Courts of Liverpool. Many famous trials took place there
before the new Elizabeth II Courts were built. The Hall has a priceless Minton
tiled floor which is normally covered for protection but is uncovered for
viewing at certain times of the year. The author Charles Dickens often gave
readings in the building. The Hall has also been used in many films sometimes
doubling for Russian or American Buildings.
The Beatles are probably the most famous music group
in the world. In 1961, 62 and 63 they often played the Cavern Club in Mathew
Street. Cavern Walks built on the site of the old club contains shops, offices
a reconstruction of the cavern club and a statue of the Beatles. The Beatles
along with other Merseyside bands like Gerry and the pacemakers, and the
swinging blue jeans etc were part of the “Mersey sound” that swept the country
in the 1960’s. At the Albert Dock there is a multimedia experience called ‘The
Beatles story Exhibition’ which also has a replica of The Cavern Club and
traces the Fab Four’s rise to fame. John Lennon, who Liverpool have just
renamed their airport after, was killed by a gunman in New York on 8th
December 1980.
The club was founded in 1878 as St. Domingo’s Sunday school,
moved to ANFIELD in 1884 and then to Goodison Park in 1892. There have been
many great players and managers but probably the most legendary was ‘Dixie’
dean. He was born in Birkenhead and played for Everton in the 1920’s and
1930’s. In 1927/28 he scored 60 goals in 39 first division matches and in all
377 goals in 431 league and cup appearances. He died of a heart attack, at
Goodison Park in 1980 after watching a derby match against Liverpool. There is
a family enclosure and tours by special arrangement.
Everton
Trophy Cabinet
Past
Players Managers
Liverpool
FC is often hailed as the most successful club in English Football History.
Founded in 1892 when Everton FC moved from Anfield to Goodison Park. There have
been many successful players and managers but probably the most legendary was
Bill Shankly. He was a tough Scotsman with great character and between his
appointment in December 1959 and his retirement in 1974 he transformed the
club, won many honours and laid the foundation for achieving great success. Bob
Paisley took over from him and under his management the Liverpool team truly
became Champions of Europe. The famous ‘Kop’ was demolished in 1994 to make way
for an all seater stadium. The tragedies in the Heysel Stadium, Brussels in
1985 and at Hillsborough in 1989 were deeply felt by officials, players and
fans and there is a memorial at Anfield to those who lost their lives. There is
a tour of the stadium but advanced booking is advised. In 2001 under the
management of French man Gerard Houllier Liverpool FC won the treble. They won
the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup and the Worthington Cup. No other British team have
managed to achieve winning 3 Cups. Since winning them they have also won the
SUPER CUP and the Charity Shield.
Liverpool
Trophy Cabinet
Past
Players Managers
The people of Merseyside have a natural wit and humour
and the area has given rise to many entertainers. Here are just some of them.
ARTHUR ASKEY, ATOMIC KITTEN, CILLA BLACK, STAN
BOARDMAN, JEAN BOHT, FAITH BROWN, BILLY BUTLER, LES DENNIS, KEN DODD, KENNY
EVERETT, FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, BILLY FURY, BILL KENWRIGHT, GERRY MARSDEN,
GEORGE MELLY, DEREK NIMMO, TOM O’CONNOR, JOHN PARROTT, TED RAY, LITA ROSA,
ALEXEI SAYLE, THE SEARCHERS, THE SPINNERS, MICHAEL STARKE, FREDDIE STARR,
CLAIRE SWEENEY, LISA TARBUCK, JIMMY TARBUCK, RICKY TOMLINSON, FRANKIE VAUGHAN,
NORMAN VAUGHAN, COLIN WELLAND AND MANY MORE.
The Liverpool and Manchester railway was opened in
1830 and was the first railway with a timetable to carry passengers using steam
‘trains’. George Stephenson was the engineer chosen to build it and his
‘rocket’ ran on it and won a prize of £500 for reaching a speed of 30 mph. At
first the trains stopped near Edge Hill but by 1836 a tunnel had been built to
allow them through to Lime Street Station, however until the tunnel was widened
and ventilated in 1870 the trains had to be lowered and hauled back by cable.
There are two road tunnels under the river Mersey and
one rail tunnel. The Mersey railway, opened on 1886, was the world’s first
underwater railway and the first to be converted from steam to electric in
1903. Queen Elizabeth II opened the newer road tunnel, called Kingsway, in
1971. The older road tunnel, called Queensway was opened by King George v in
1934 and celebrated its diamond jubilee in 1994. It is over 2 miles long and
nearly three quarters of a mile of it is under the river.
The first ferry service was started in 1150 by the
minks of Birkenhead priory. They used small boats to row passengers across the
river. I the 19th century more people wanted to cross and by 1845
there were steam paddle boats and better landing facilities had to be built.
The Prince’s landing stage was in its time the longest
of its kind in the world. During the first world war the ferry boats were used
to escort troop carriers to Belgium and as a result were allowed to use the
name Royal and became “The Royal Iris” and The Royal Daffodil” people all over
the world know about the Mersey ferries because of the song by Gerry and The
Pacemakers called ‘Ferry Cross The Mersey’. Sadly The Royal Iris is no longer
in service as a Mersey Ferry.
Liverpool Airport which has recently been renamed
Liverpool John Lennon Airport was opened by the city council in 1933 and the
new terminal building was completed in 1986. There are regular flights to many
parts of Europe and it is the main base for Royal mail flights to and from all
parts of Britain. Easy Jet have many flights run from Liverpool. The airport
has once again undergone building work to make the terminal bigger to cope with
the fast increase of passengers.
The Airport is the first airport in the UK to rename
itself after one of its famous sons. Former Beatle, John Lennon.
The old terminal Building has recently been renovated
and is now The Marriott Hotel. Decorated in 1930’s Art deco style. There is
also The David Lloyd Centre next to the hotel.
During the Second World War, 1939 to 1945, Liverpool
was very important for bringing in supplies from other parts of the world,
especially America. 75 million tons of cargo and 1.2 million American soldiers
passed through the port. Western Approaches, the secret command centre for the
Battle of the Atlantic, was in Liverpool and can be seen behind the town hall.
Because of the importance of the docks there were lots of bombing raids and
thousands of people were killed. Lots of children were evacuated from the city
for protection. St Luke’s church has been left as a reminder of those days and
there are lots of war memorials to remember people who lost their lives trying
to ensure that we have a safe place to live in.
The Liverpool overhead railway was opened 9n 1895 and
claimed to be the first and fastest overhead electric railway in the world. It
ran for 7.5 miles along the docks, had 17 stations and was 16 feet (about 5
metres) above the ground. It provided excellent views of the docks, ships and
liners and was often called ‘the Dockers’ Umbrella’ as it was possible to
shelter under it in the rain. Unfortunately it was closed in 1956 and was
demolished in 1958.
Thousands
of people flock to see the Grand National every year at Aintree, Liverpool.
Millions all over the world watch it on TV. Some people however think that the
race is cruel and try to stop it. In 1993 the race was stopped due to problems
at the start and in 1997 there was a bomb alert and the race meeting was
cancelled and Aintree was evacuated. The race is over 4 miles long and the
horses have to jump 30 fences. One of the most well known winners was RED RUM
who trained in Southport and won the race in 1973, 1974 and 1977. There is a
bronze statue of RED RUM at Aintree Racecourse and he was buried there when he
died a few years ago.
This event
is held every year in Liverpool City Centre over the August Bank Holiday
Weekend. Thousands come to celebrate the work of not just The Beatles but also
other bands such as The Who, The Rolling Stones etc. The Weekend starts off on
the Saturday with the Beatles Auction held at LIPA and a concert in Chavasse
Park, which is free. On Sunday The Beatles Convention is held at The Adelphi
Hotel. This goes on all day and features many Beatles tribute bands. On Bank
Holiday Monday 6 stages are placed around the City Centre and Hundreds of
Beatles Bands and other tribute bands perform to those who go. Pubs in the area
also put stages up and have bands playing all day. Fun Fairs are set up and it
is generally a really good family day out. Visitors from all over the world
come to visit Liverpool just to celebrate this enjoyable weekend and pay
tribute to the best band in the world The Beatles.