Liverpool and the loud Welsh ladies (?) experience

Another one of those "so why did you go there?" weekends - a trip to Liverpool this time.

So, why? Well, we hadn't been there since 1987 or so apart from work visits. We guessed that it had been improved a little since then. Also because we found a really cheap trip. Normally we trundle around by train or National Express coach and find cheapo hotels to stay in. This time a local coach firm offered the trip and a nice central hotel with food included at a stupid price. Although this meant becoming one of the "coach tour types" we felt it was safe - no excursions, no group dinners, just a coach up and back with a hotel in the middle. Have a look at Edwards coaches for the full horror of some organised coach tours though.

Our coach was a last minute elderly replacement for the planned nice new one. Only 1.7 million miles on the clock though so plenty of life in it yet:

We had a nice run up to Liverpool despite the best efforts of some stereotypical Welsh valley women who occupied the back of the bus, drank shots, sang (out of tune and loudly) and had voices that were clearly due to many years of heavy smoking. Noisy irritating lot. For those unfamiliar with the Valleys stereotype, here is the Wikipedia entry to enjoy:

The area is less diverse than the rest of the country, with a relatively high proportion of residents (over 90% in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil) born in Wales. High rates of teenage pregnancy give the area a slightly younger age profile than Wales as a whole.

The Valleys suffer from a number of socio-economic problems. Educational attainment in the Valleys is low, with a large proportion of people possessing few or no qualifications. A high proportion of people report a limiting long-term health problem, especially in the Upper Valleys. 

The limiting long term health problem used to be related to mining diseases. The back of the coach crew had alcohol as the cause. They also ran a very noisy "quiz competition" amongst themselves which confirmed the comments above about educational attainment! They were off to Liverpool to find an Irish pub, watch the Ireland v Wales rugby game and get drunk. 

We found other things to do, luckily.  The Atlantic Tower hotel has a great position on the waterfront - here is the view from our bedroom window, with the "parish church" next door and the Liver Building behind it:

Strangely we stayed there back in 1987 too - the crew used to work for Scottish and Newcastle Brewery who owned the Thistle hotel chain then. Discounts on hotel stays and free beer too.  Happy days, why did she ever leave???

Steve (Bron the Spaniel's dad and Cardiff Waterbus man) had given us a Scouser's walking tour of the city to follow. We added a visit to Liverpool marina to check it out and covered 11 miles in the day. Well worth it though!! The marina is a little sad, and has a serious tidal restriction (realistically a couple of hours at each high water when the tide is high enough and the stream outside is slow enough for a safe lock in/out). Here is the lock entrance without the water outside:

Back in the city, we were amazed by the Anglican Cathedral - the largest in the world apparently. Outside is not so grand but the sheer scale of the building inside is amazing. Here is the small Lady Chapel as an example:

The area around the cathedral has lovely old houses and some interesting street sculptures to enjoy:

The nearby modern Metropolitan (Catholic) cathedral looks strange from the outside but after a while spent inside, you get the "feel" of the place and come away quietly impressed. The outside was nicknamed "Paddy's wigwam" and you can see why from this stolen image:

Remember that Liverpool has a high number of folks with Irish Catholic backgrounds. The interior:

Steve told us that we had to visit the Philharmonic pub / dining rooms to admire the woodwork and the toilets. Hum. Carl and Julie (the other resident Scousers here) said the same thing. So, we forced ourselves to comply. Here is the detail on Wikipedia.

If you have seen / remember our blog post on Rothesay then the Philharmonic toilets are a smaller version and not quite as grand (sorry Liverpool). Follow the link above and then compare to this picture. Warning  - for ladies of a nervous disposition, this picture shows places you probably never ever want to witness:

The large Chinese contingent living here - the oldest in the world - built a stunning arch (the largest multi-span arch outside of China apparently):

and their influence extends to the street signs too:

Finally, two iconic Liverpool things. Firstly the "Ferry cross the Mersey" made famous by the song (for younger readers or those folks outside the UK, or those old nostalgic characters, watch Gerry and the Pacemakers video ) This is a 1959 ship, still working:

And then the "three Graces", the stunning waterfront buildings near the ferry terminal that show the power and financial muscle that Liverpool had (sadly, a lot of it through slave trading in the past). A UNESCO world heritage site and just beautiful. The Liver building first with the famous Liver birds on top:

then the Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings:

which also look stunning at night:

On the way back, the impact of hangovers, late nights and lots of food seemed to quieten down the Welsh Valleys ladies. Or perhaps it was the knowledge of how much they had spent on alcohol...

If you haven't been to Liverpool recently, go.