A guide to Liverpool

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There is much about Liverpool that most people will be aware of: the port; the Beatles; the inalienable right of all Scousers to consider themselves comedians - often justifiably; and the two great football teams (Liverpool and Everton, though Bill Shankly thought it was Liverpool and their reserves). But there is a lot about the city that will really surprise visitors. King John gave Liverpool its first Charter in 1207, and for several centuries it remained a minor settlement. But as West Indies and American trade surged it became more and more important, until at one point early in the 19th century some 40 per cent of world trade is said to have passed through it. Part of that trade was the shameful slaving that began in 1700 when the vessel Liverpool Merchant sold a cargo of 220 people in Barbados, a phase of its history commemorated at the International Slavery Museum in the docks. The significance of the port of Liverpool is reflected in its recognition as a World Heritage Site, and anyone visiting the now celebrated Albert Dock complex will see why. As a port Liverpool became a cosmopolitan place, something still seen in its ethnically diverse population of a little over a million in the city and suburbs. It had the first Black community in England and the first Chinese community in Europe - more than 2 per cent of Liverpudlians are of Chinese origin even today, and it doesn‚t take much effort to find great ethnic cuisine in the city. Perhaps it is that creative blend of cultures and traditions that made Liverpool such a creative hive. In the 1960s it changed music forever with the Fab Four, but also Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, Billy Fury and a host of other talents. Again in the 1970s and 1980s this musical originality was seen in Echo and the Bunnymen, Wah! Teardrop Explodes and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and in the last 20 years more new names have surfaced - The Farm, The Zutons, The Wombats...The music scene is alive and well and probably always will be, unless you are over 40 when it is not what it used to be. The burst of energy that gave us The Beatles also saw the emergence of poets like Adrian Henri and Roger McGough, playwrights like Willy Russell, and original writers like Brian Jacques, whose readings of the Redwall series have made many a long car journey shorter by miles. There is a thriving theatre scene in the city, and the renowned Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra flying the flag for 'serious' music too. One of the great surprises for those unfamiliar with Liverpool is the wealth of its architecture. From innumerable sitcoms and news reports they may recognise the so-called Three Graces of the Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building, and The Port of Liverpool Building. But will they know Liverpool has more Georgian structures than Bath? Or that only London has more listed buildings? Pugin and Paxton and Giles Gilbert Scott all left their mark on the built environment here, among a crowd of equally visionary designers. There is vibrancy about Liverpool that other cities envy, be it in the contemporary cafe culture, the traditional pubs, or the superbly utilised buildings of the old docks. The Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum are located here, as are a selection of interesting shops and eateries. In many cities it is the cathedral that dominates architecturally: in Liverpool this is not the case, although the city has not one but two fine cathedrals: the Anglican, designed by Scott, and the more modern Catholic example, known locally as 'Paddy's Wigwam' from the shape and the predominance of Irish worshippers there, and the builders who made it. There is a huge amount to do in the city, but one thing not to be missed is the view of the city from the Mersey Ferry. Try and do it without Gerry Marsden's tribute to it coming to mind. Da da, da da da da, dum de da, de dum de da...

Attraction

Albert Dock Company Limited
Birthplace of the Beatles (NT)
Conservation Centre
Croxteth Hall and Country Park
Formby Red Squirrel Reserve (NT)
HM Customs and Excise National Museum
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Liverpool Museum
Liverpool Museum & Stadium Tours
Liverpool Museum Natural History Centre
Liverpool Planetarium
Merseyside Maritime Museum
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King
Museum of Liverpool Life
National Wildflower Centre
Open Eye Gallery
Tate Liverpool
Ten Pin
The Beatles Story
The Casbah Coffee Club

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Places to Stay near Liverpool

Bridpoint Serviced Apartments (0.22 miles)

Lord Nelson (0.24 miles)

The Liner at Liverpool (0.25 miles)

Travelodge Liverpool Central (0.33 miles)

The Focus (0.35 miles)

Opal Court Liverpool (0.38 miles)

Liverpool Marriott Hotel (0.38 miles)

The Reach Serviced Apartments (0.38 miles)

Unique City Apartments (0.42 miles)

Sir Thomas Hotel (0.44 miles)

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