Voyages of Gabriel: Liverpool

Thu 7th July to Sun 10th July Liverpool Docks

A quick summary of our four days in Liverpool (photos at the end):

Sights and activities –

o We ascended the Radio Tower to see great views of the city

o We visited the World Museum, which looks at different cultures, geology and wildlife in various parts of the planet. We enjoyed it, except certain sections were only dimly lit, and we couldn’t read the information labels which were at knee height.

o The new Museum of Liverpool was in a brand new love it or loathe it building with a huge spiral staircase in the middle. The items on display were very interesting, in particular the exhibit about the Overhead Railway, which ran on tracks on a steel frame above the roads and other infrastructure, all along the Mersey front for several miles, between the buildings and the docks.

o The docks area was home to an exhibition of vintage vehicles for the weekend, some of which had been converted to food outlets. We also found hundreds of padlocks attached to the railings along the front.

o We tried to book seats on a trip from Liverpool to Salford along the Manchester Ship Canal, but apparently a bridge has collapsed and no passage is possible.

o After a tip off from David Brennand, we tried to visit the old lock from the original Liverpool Dock, which apparently is under John Lewis, but sadly the staff we spoke to there were not aware of its existence.

o Elsewhere in the shopping centre called Liverpool One, we found a merchandise shop for Everton, called Everton Two. It makes a clever and satisfactory address for Everton supporters.

o We went to the Baltic Fleet, an old sailor’s pub, where they were singing sea shanties. We didn’t have enough voice or repertoire to join the singaround. We had picked up sore throats at the Middlewich Festival, and we were still recovering. They had a decent still cider, though.

o We didn’t repeat the main sights we saw last time, such as the two cathedrals, the Tate, the Maritime Museum, the Museum of Slavery, and the Beatles Story. There is a lot do in this city.

Eating:

After a Pizza Hut Buffet on Thursday we had a fantastic meal on Friday at Viva Brazil, where different meats are carved at your table, and there is unlimited food available from a buffet. Saturday gave us a very enjoyable Malaysian restaurant in Liverpool One, called Yee Rah, and on Sunday we tried a Mexican street food establishment. Lots of places to choose from.

Church: On Sunday we went to the Britannia Adelphi Hotel, where Hope City Church meet and celebrate every week. The worship was excellent, although all the songs were new to us. The message was very clear, about letting God be in control, and not letting bad news get us down, such as the economy, Brexit, exchange rates etc. Not just looking at the problems, which does not help, but seeing who is in control and trusting him.

Boaters:

We were moored next to John Boy, from Ripon. They were returning to visit Liverpool where they grew up, and they had crossed the Mersey from Ellesmere Port. They asked for leaflets about BCF and Canal Ministries. We spoke to Maureen on Blue Roan, last seen in Keadby. We met the man from Adagio, who told us about the shanty evening. We also met the people on Scrumpy, who finally came down the locks on Thursday. The lady had got the dates muddled.

Weather: heavy rain at times. Forecast not always right. Saturday was a washout for the Vintage Rally, which was also why the museum was packed out.

TV: We had a good signal, and watched Andy Murray win his Wimbledon title.

Photos: