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World Tour of England 2024

All Change for Liverpool

I dropped off my apartment keys at the shop where I had picked them up, before partaking in coffee, and a danish at the cafe next to the station. There were many trains leaving the platform before mine at 12.11, but it departed only a minute after the scheduled time.

The journey was around 50 minutes. This was just as well as the train was essentially standing room only. I did have a seat booked but it seemed quite anti-social to barge my way down the train and demand it so I “took the hit”, listening to another couple of episodes of “Dead Man Running”.

I rolled in to Liverpool Lime Street not long after 13.00, and made my way to Lydia Ann Street, where my apartment check in was to be. Despite check in advertised from 3.00pm, I had been told that my apartment was ready.

My first impressions of Liverpool were that the streets were smaller, and it seemed “older” than Manchester. It also felt a lot busier but not in any opressive way.

I was pleased to find my apartment very much a “studio”. It was well proportioned with a large balcony. I wondered if I may have use of this given the weather.

After some personal administration, I ventured out to explore.

My feet took me through Liverpool’s shopping area with the usual run of high-street stores, to the “Cavern Quarter”. As the name suggests, this is the area where most would agree that “The Beatles Began”, being the location of the eponymously titled venue where the group originally performed. Since that time, the original (underground) club was filled in to the extent of being irretrievable, but the area was excavated, and a new Cavern was opened in the 1980s. Th e original entrance is the fact the modern day fire exit, and is located behind a statue of Cilla Black. If you don’t know, she is another performing legend of the area. She knew, and worked with The Beatles on a number of occasions, but is perhaps better known to people of my age as the presenter of “Blind Date” in the late 80s, and early 90s.

The area felt very “touristy”, with many bars named after Beatles songs and I wondered in what regard the locals held this place. It is always a dichotomy where, as a tourist myself I am expected to frequent, and spend my money in these areas and I’m never quite sure whether doing that just aggravates a situation that “riles up” locals. I resolved to move on.

I then went on a mission that took me to the outskirts of the city centre. This was to find a shop that would refill my shampoo, and conditioner bottles. A quick “Google” search turned up that there is one in the “Toxteth” area of the city so I headed in that direction. On arrival, I found it closed and “by appointment only”. However, the journey there was a fascinating one as I had the distinct impression from what I saw about me that this may be considered a “rough” area. Further research proved that this was somewhat correct and was verified by the presence of run-down buildings, some with holes in the roof. The juxtaposition of the plush city-centre and partially abandoned outskirts was not something I am unfamiliar with. One sees such things in Edinburgh, Glasgow, even Dunfermline,and in fact cities around the world. I considered the extent to which local council investment never seems to get these things quite right.

Back in the city centre, I found a drinking establishment and enjoyed a pint of ale, and some peanuts, having had nothing since my danish pastry in Manchester that morning. I was pleased to hear many Liverpool accents around me and guessed that I was in an establishment mainly frequented by locals having just finished work (it being late in the afternoon), and people perhaps having a pre-dinner drink.

I had experienced significant uncertainty as to exactly where to take my evening nourishment, combined with a desire for simplicity and a lack of expense. This being the case, I enjoyed a supermarket pizza, a bottle of wine, and a stack of “Pringles” at my accommodation. These fitted the bill irrevocably, and were also enjoyed to an extent that defied their seemingly lowly standing.

The opportunity to wash my clothes was taken.