Feeling the Merseybeat – a day out in Liverpool

We recently spent a very enjoyable day in Liverpool taking in some of the main attractions in the waterfront area. On arrival at Liverpool Lime Street, we took the exit onto Skelhorne Street which led us down Elliot Street, Parker Street, Church Street and Lord Street, basically once on Elliot Street you just keep walking forwards and you’ll come to the dock area. A leisurely walk will take about 20 minutes through the shopping area, we didn’t stop to look at the shops, but it seemed to be a very vibrant city with all the high street names and more for the dedicated shopper!

We followed the route from the station and found ourselves at Pier Head. There was quite a lot to see here; the splendour of the Three Graces consisting of The Liver building with its famous copper liver birds Bertie & Bella on top, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool building.

Bella looks out to sea and Bertie looks towards the city, legend has it that Bella is watching out for the safe return of the boats and their crew whilst Bertie is watching over the families waiting at home for them.

The ground floor of the Cunard building now houses the British Music Experience which tells the story of British Rock & Pop. We didn’t have time to visit but we were reliably informed that it was a must do so we’ll add to the list for our next visit.

All three of the magnificent buildings have graced the area since the early 1900’s and really are a remarkable sight, they also overlook the statue of Edward Vll resplendent on his horse.

A statue of the Beatles was unveiled here in 2015, always attracting a crowd eager to have their photos taken with the Fab 4. Most onlookers only see the artwork for what it is but there is hidden symbolism within the work; in John Lennon’s hand the artist has created two acorns, John & Yoko used to send acorns as a symbol of peace. On the bottom of Ringo Starr’s shoe is engraved L8 this is the postcode of the area in Liverpool in which he was raised. The belt on the coat of George Harrison is engraved to represent his Indian Spiritualism whilst Paul McCartney is holding a camera which is said to be a nod to the memory of his wife Linda who was a respected photographer.

Close by the statue you will find the Mersey Ferry terminal where you can book a river trip along the Mersey to see all the sights from the water.

We hopped on a City Bus tour from Pier Head which takes about 50 minutes to travel around the sights and arrive back at the waterfront and Albert Dock. The guide on the bus was great fun keeping us amused with his wit and telling us all about the history of the places we came across.

Albert Dock is steeped in history but has been redeveloped into an area full of life & energy with  lots to do and see. With several cafes, bars, restaurants, street food and quirky food vendors such as the London double decker bus with a diner on the top deck and the steam bus converted into an ice cream van! there is something for all tastes when the hunger pangs strike!

There was so much to see at the Albert Dock:

The Tate Liverpool – art gallery & museum. Entrance is free but you have to pay for some exhibitions.

The Museum of Liverpool –  this new eye-catching building opened in 2011. Entrance is free. There are some of the best views of the area from the viewing gallery on the top floor.

The Maritime Museum – entrance is free, donations welcome.

Victorian Carousel – a reconstruction but still beautiful with its vibrant coloured horses.

Waterside Moorings – we saw lots of lovely narrow boats moored here.

Liverpool Mountain – a sculpture by Ugo Rondinone in Mermaid Courtyard. It is a fluorescent tower and part of the sculptor’s Mountain series.

We walked all around the waterfront and found it to be vibrant, busy, modern yet keeping the character of the old dock buildings.

A few other items of interest that we spotted around the city:

The coloured pigeons on the Bank of Liverpool building – art installation.

A Case History (the Hope Street Suitcases) – art installation on display since 1998, each case has a label with a name of someone famous from Liverpool.

The Umbrella Project – a dazzling display of hundreds of brightly coloured umbrellas which form a canopy over Church Alley in the city centre. It’s part of the initiative that raises awareness of autism and related conditions.

The Hard Day’s Night Hotel – features a figure of each of the Beatles on its façade

The Chinese Arch – entrance to China Town

Although it was cool, grey & drizzly we had a really enjoyable day out surrounded by the old & the new, we will definitely return to visit some of the attractions we didn’t have time for on this trip.