Aside from my love of the accent, I think that Liverpool is one of the friendliest cities in the UK. Everyone always seems to be happy. As LT is from just across the Mersey in
Wirral, I've been lucky enough to be able to regularly spend time in Liverpool (and Wirral) when we
visit his family. These are my
favourite free things to do in the city:
Museum of Liverpool:
Sitting on the waterfront and opening its doors in 2011, this
massive museum tells the history of the city. It contains more than 6,000
objects and has spaces dedicated to the great achievements of Liverpool's
people, including its rich musical heritage and impressive footballing
prowess. It's a fabulous place to learn
about Liverpool. It's also an
incredible building, where I spent many a happy hour listening to the locals
chatting.
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| Museum of Liverpool |
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| Advertisement for the wonderful football exhibits at the Museum of Liverpool |
Penny Lane:
Made famous by The Beatles song of the same name, Penny Lane is
situated, well….in Penny Lane. Who
knew?? PL was the bus terminus that Paul
McCartney changed at when visiting John Lennon and vice versa, so it was an
area that the songwriters knew well.
Many of the sights mentioned in the song remain in place today,
including the fire station at nearby Mather Avenue, and the white Barber shop,
which is now Tony Slavin’s store.
Throughout the years, Liverpool Council has had to spend a
fortune replacing street signs for Penny Lane, which have been frequently
stolen by fans of the band.
If you’re looking for more Beatles stuff, then Liverpool is full of
it. Other sights included childhood
homes, The Beatles Story in the dock area, and the famous Cavern Club in the
city centre. Abbey Road isn’t,
though! The zebra crossing made famous
by the band on the cover of the album is in St Johns Wood in North West
London.
SuperLambBanana:
No, that's not a typo. Liverpool is the home of the original and possibly only SuperLambBananas on the planet. Japanese artist,
Taro Chiezo, designed the SuperLambBanana for the city. He now lives in New York, presumably with all his SuperLambBanana
money.
The original is located in Tithebarn Street in the city, but
there are more in the plaza outside the Liverpool Museum. The original is
basically a massive yellow lamb type sculpture with a banana shaped tail, hence
the name… You can also buy your very own SLB in any of
the tourist offices. I absolutely love
them, although they do take a while to explain to people who haven't seen
one. How many can you spot??
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| What's not to love?? |
Walking Around Albert Dock:
You can't fail to be impressed by Albert Dock's transformation
and it's a fantastic place to eat and drink and take in the waterfront sights
and sounds. AD is the largest collection
of Grade 1 listed buildings in the whole of the United Kingdom, which is a
phenomenal achievement for any city.
Here, you will find the Tate, The Maritime Museum, The Beatles Story and
The Slavery Museum. Just up from the
dockside is the famous Liver Building, that is one of the most iconic buildings
in Liverpool. On top of the spire sits a liver bird, which is the
symbol of the city. Albert Dock is one
of Liverpool's 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
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| Albert Dock...obviously. |
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| The glorious Liver Building |
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral & Liverpool Cathedral:
The two Cathedrals in the city are a mere 0.6 miles apart and are
both worth spending time in. The
Metropolitan can be identified by its unique design, which was one of 300
designs submitted from around the world when architects were invited to send
details of their vision for a new Liverpool Cathedral in 1960. This was the fourth and final attempt to design
and build on the site.
A short distance away is Liverpool’s other Cathedral, called erm..
Liverpool Cathedral. What were the
chances? LC is the UK’s
largest Cathedral and boats Britain’s largest organ and the world’s
heaviest bells. All in the same
building, people! You can access the
third floor gallery and get fantastic views of the interior of the
building. In addition to this, there’s
an eternal flame in place to commemorate the victims of the horrendous Hillsborough
disaster, the kneeling Madonna statue, and a quite humungous stained glass
window.
Walker Art Gallery:
Situated in the William Brown Street
Conservation Area, this area has more galleries and public buildings in one
place than any other street in the UK. Walker Art Gallery is one of the largest in
England and features works from artists, such as Degas and Rembrandt, to 20th
Century masters, Freud and Hockney.
The Tate:
First three floors are free of charge,
with sometimes only a fee payable for any special temporary exhibitions. This is England’s largest gallery
outside of London and takes pride of place on the waterfront at Albert
Dock. It houses a magnificent collection
of contemporary art and holds the national collection of British art from 1500
to the present day with more than 70,000 works of art.
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| I'll be there for yoooo... |
Coffee In Central Perk:
Ok, so it’s not technically free, as you should probably buy a coffee
when you’re in. Otherwise, the staff will likely
wonder what you're doing there. However,
it is a fantastic place to relax after a long day of sightseeing. The Café is obviously based on the fictional
Friends hangout, and offers a great range of drinks in a comfortable
setting. On the large flat screen TV,
constant episodes of the comedy are shown, so you can grab yourself a sofa and
relax. Unfortunately, unlike your
favourite Friends, this Central Perk is too popular to allow you to sit in the
exact same seats every time you go!
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| Getting our coffee fix at CP |
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| The wonderful Liverpool skyline (as taken from Birkenhead, Wirral) |
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