April 17-18, 2010
The reputation of some cities precedes them.
Liverpool’s image seems to have been unfairly tarnished by decades of long held perceptions based on nothing more than ignorance and flimsy, unfounded stereotypes.
What has been written and said about the city in the past is largely immaterial now though.
I set off on a two day trip to the heart of Merseyside for my first visit to Liverpool with no preconceived opinions, other than liking the distinct Scouse accent.
It took just 70 minutes on a direct Eastern airways flight from Aberdeen to reach the 2008 European city of culture.
Evidence of recent change is everywhere, from the gargantuan Liverpool One shopping complex to the refurbishment of the Liverpool to Leeds canal at Pier Head.
Finding your way around a new city can be exhausting but Liverpool is different.
It is the most well signposted place I have ever visited and I couldn’t get lost even if I had wanted to in my short stay there.
Although a mountain of concrete and steel has been poured into the modernisation of the city centre, it has not been to the detriment of its historic buildings.
I took a quick walk around to familiarise myself with my new surroundings and immediately headed to Pier Head to admire a trio of buildings known as the ‘The Graces’.
The Royal Liver Building, where two Liver Birds symbolically stand watching over the city and River Mersey, is breathtaking and sits beside the equally grandiose Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building.
Viewed from the waterfront, the three structures, which were all built in the early 20th century give a hint as to the wealth accumulated by a city which at one stage was one of the biggest ports in Europe.
Football has played a prominent role in the city over the last century and as a sports reporter and avid football fan I was keen to take in a Liverpool or Everton game.
Unfortunately neither were playing on the Saturday I was there and instead I joined a legends tour of Liverpool led by former Reds forward John Aldridge.
Anfield is a fascinating mixture of the traditional and the modern and it was a thrill to sit inside the home dressing room which remains unchanged since the days of illustrious former managers Bill Shankly, Joe Fagan and Bob Paisley.
After touching the famous ‘This is Anfield’ sign in the tunnel before walking out onto the pitch it was surprising to observe wooden seats in the main stand.
The sight of the Kop, one of the most renowned stands in world football, was awe inspiring and Aldridge, a prolific goalscorer in his career, gave an entertaining insight into his time at the club and his own career.
After a brief tour of the club museum, which houses replicas of Liverpool’s five European cup trophies, I walked through Stanley Park to take a look around Goodison Park, the home of Everton.
Both city clubs are among the biggest in England but their grounds are in the middle of residential areas, with Everton’s hemmed in by old-fashioned terraced houses.
I stopped for something to eat at Liverpool One, a gleaming shopper’s paradise which unusually is uncovered allowing the air to punctuate the feverish pursuit of retail therapy.
Novotel (40 Hanover Street), which served as my base in the city, was an odd combination of the retro and modern in design and appearance, but it was centrally located and comfortable.
The Echo Wheel of Liverpool, situated beside the Echo Arena from which it takes its name, offers superb views across the metropolis, the Albert Dock area and the River Mersey.
After surveying the landscape from an elevated position I headed to Chinatown – Liverpool has one of the oldest established Chinese communities in Europe – for something to eat and enjoyed a sumptuous and reasonably priced meal of salt and pepper squid and monkfish at the Jumbo City restaurant (36 Nelson Street).
There was no shortage of bars and clubs nearby and I had a couple of light refreshments at The Peacock (49-51 Seel Street) and the labyrinthine Heebie Geebies (80-82 Seel Street) before heading back to the hotel.
Liverpool prides itself on its musical history, much of which is based around the formation of The Beatles in the city.
It’s a mecca for fans of the legendary band, with museums, tours and the refurbished Cavern club where they were first spotted before being catapulted to stardom.
It may be some form of sacrilege to admit, while in the city at least, that I am not a fan of the Fab Four, although I can appreciate their contribution to popular music.
I avoided all of the tourism attractions connected with the band and although it would be wrong to downplay their contribution to their hometown, there are plenty of other things to see in the city.
On the second and final day of my trip I headed first to the magnificent Liverpool Cathedral (St James Mount).
The huge stained glass windows were stunning, as was the sheer enormity of the organ and Gothic arches inside the sandstone building which is the largest Anglican cathedral in Britain.
After a short walk down Hope Street I reached the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (Mount Pleasant).
Its cone shaped design makes it distinctive, while inside a canopy which hangs above the white marble altar resembles the crown of thorns of Christ the King and immediately caught my attention.
The Walker Art Gallery (William Brown Street) boasts a multitude of treasures with works of medieval and renaissance art, as well as impressive collections of 17th century and impressionist paintings, including works by Rembrandt and Monet.
The painting which I was most taken with at the gallery, which is free to enter for all, was a modern view of the Liverpool landscape by Welsh artist Ben Johnson.
The Three Graces, cathedrals and Albert Docks are all visible in the 2008 cityscape which depicts the city with an astonishing clarity and freshness.
It is hard to believe that in the late 18th century Liverpool was the European capital of the transatlantic slave trade, as illustrated in the International Slavery Museum.
Located inside the Merseyside Maritime Museum on Albert Dock, it documents the beginning of the slave trade until its abolition and the legacy of the forced migration of millions of Africans.
Disturbing but educating and with many interactive exhibits for children, the International Slavery Museum, which is also free to enter for all, gives an enlightening and sometimes uncomfortable view of the city’s past.
I ended my trip with a walk around the refurbished Albert Dock area, which is now full of galleries, shops, bars and restaurants, pausing for a meal at Romana Villa (6 Wood Street) for a hearty portion of calamari and penne arrabiata before taking a much needed rest.
Unfortunately my flight back to Aberdeen was cancelled as a cloud of volcanic ash drifted across Britain from Iceland.
The long train journey home gave me time to reflect on a dynamic, revitalised city, full of energy and rich in culture.
Liverpool still has its rough edges but the spirit, wit and humour of its people remains undiluted and there is surely nowhere else in the country like it.
A version of this article appeared in the Press and Journal newspaper on Saturday, June 26, 2010.