McFilter

Scouting Scouseland

Happy New Year!

I had a good time over the Christmas break, although I seemed to spend most of the time travelling - up to Rainford just before Christmas, down to Kent on Boxing Day (bit of a mammoth trek after having a blowout on the M6 toll road and so being reduced to 50mph due to the space-saver spare for most of the journey!), back to Cambridge briefly before heading up to Norfolk for New Year...

At the start of all that, Rebecca and I popped into Liverpool for the day, as you'd have known if you followed the link I posted to my question to Stuart as part of his Review 2006 series.

Given the current multitude of roadworks and related upheavals, we only drove as far as Kirkby station and let the frequent and easy train take us the rest of the way into the city - a journey I haven't made in over fifteen years. As always, I was transfixed by the view from the window from Sandhills onwards: the track passes over the Leeds-Liverpool canal and swings parallel to the river, giving a great view of the docks before it disappears underground to Central station.

We'd done the Albert Dock area last time we visited, so this time I wanted to cover some of the sights a bit further inland. From the station we headed past St. John's tower to William Brown Street and thus saw St. Georges Hall, the Museum, library and Walker Art Gallery.

We had a look round the Walker, and saw the David Beckham video which is on display at the moment. Not that I was particularly impressed with it, but it was mentioned today on the Art In Liverpool blog (see the link).

Then it was back past Lime Street Station and up Mount Pleasant to the Metropolitan Cathederal. I hadn't been inside before - its one huge circular space - which works well and is an interesting change from the conventional church layout. When we were there the place was crawling with BBC technicians getting things ready for the Midnight Mass broadcast on Christmas Eve.

Leaving Paddy's Wigwam led us naturally along Hope Street, past the Everyman and the Phil(harmonic Hall). We'd timed it so that we could stop around here for lunch, and The Quarter restaurant proved an excellent recommendation. Thanks Stuart. The food was lovely; service was superb; and we even bought one of the artworks on display on the walls.

Our energies restored, we explored the surrounding area some more. If we do come to Liverpool then I really want to live somewhere around here - gorgeous Georgian housing stock; walking distance to the centre; the university; the Phil; Everyman; restaurants...

We didn't stay too long at the Anglican Cathederal, as a service was about to start. Instead, we wound our way back down Bold Street via a boarded up pub with a huge Banksy mural on the side, through the Chinese arch in Chinatown, pausing briefly at the bombed out church (St. Lukes).

Time was getting on by then, so we finished up with a wander round Church Street and Whitechapel for a few last bits of Christmas shopping. Then back to the station, and home.