Part 2
The Liver building is the one at the back on the right of the pic. The 2 liver birds are at the very top.
Can you see them a bit better from this angle? Liverpool was originally just that a “lifer pool” “muddy pool” possibly tidal fed from the River Mersey. (Yes that is the river in the song “Ferry Across the Mersey”. There are tunnels under it these days linking with the Wirral peninsula by car and train but there is still a ferry which runs for tourists so you can visit Port Sunlight and other Wirral places. For those interested in a very brief history of Liverpool here is a good link.
Last year Liverpool was the Capital of European Culture. It still has a lot of redevelopment going on. You can read more about the Liverpool One development I showed you last time, here.
Back in the late 1980s early 1990s the Albert Dock was redeveloped. It was built originally as a place where ocean going boats could safely moor while unloading. It was just one of many which helped make the port very busy and thus rich. You saw last time just how big the guarded warehouse was which stored tobacco which was brought in.
These days there are some canal barges moores in the nearby docks. The canal system was a good way of bringing heavy goods inland as the roads were in a poor condition where each parish was responsible for maintaining their little bit, and the railways had yet to be built. The docks had good canal links. Liverpool Cathedral in the background.
Some larger boats moored in a neighbouring dock.
The Maritime Museum building is at the Albert Dock and also the International Slavery Museum where you can learn more about the slave trade and Liverpool. African faces are on some of the buildings showing where the wealth came from.
Click to read about the anchor pictured above.
What an amazing chute for loading goods into the back of carts.
Most of the original buildings stil survive but now have new uses.
Here’s a map and below what shops, restaurants etc. are where.
View from the map location looking East.
You don’t need to use your imagination to see what old fashioned boats would’ve looked like moored here.
View North
View West.
View South.
Here is the River Mersey looking South West -you can see the Wirral easily.
View to the North West. Ireland isn’t too far away.
The boats would’ve gone between those grey curved sides to enter the dock system.
It wasn’t just good coming in though. Many families emigrated from Liverpool. This sculpture was donated by the Mormon Church showing one such family. Click to read more. You can just see the hand of the other child behind the father that the description refers to.
Statue of Billy Fury who came from Liverpool. His most famous song I think was “Halfway to Paradise”.
Piermaster’s House. Can you see the taped up windows like people did during the war?
This rosebush was growing in the garden.
This colourful building is the Liverpool Metropolitan Police Station.
I loved all these jellybean colours in a shop window at the dock.
Now we go in to the Liverpool Tate Gallery. It is part of the Tate galleries in London and St. Ives Cornwall. I wish more of the London exhibitions would make their way out of London.
Epstein’s “Jacob and the Angel” in the foyer.
We weren’t allowed to take photographs of any of the art work- not even our multicoloured shadows made by the florescent lights in the top postcard of a work by Dan Flavin. The bottom postcard shows a floor we could walk on made from different coloured plastic tapes set as stripes originally by Jim Lambie. They were the highlights of the exhibition for my daughter.
The gift shop was well stocked. If you can’t make it in person then you can shop on-line here.
Lastly I leave you with a pic. of the cafe ceiling.
Next time we go through the back streets to Chinatown.
Sorry no crafting in this one. We have estate agents due tomorrow so I am sorting, tidying and cleaning instead of sewing. We want to get on the market as quickly as possible and relocate.
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