Liverpool 9/8/15

We are still in Liverpool enjoying our “holiday”!!!! And despite very variable weather, have managed to get out and about doing the sightseeing touristy thing – kind of enjoying it.

All of this fun and games took place once we had broken the back of our pressing maintenance jobs on Celtic Maid. With a little help from our friends (get that Liverpool Beatles reference??) we now have the rust removed and newly painted gas locker and engine bay floor. Hooray – we won’t sink today!!

And then we were off. Within easy walking distance from our moorings in Salthouse Dock we were able to

• investigate the history and cultural development of the City of Liverpool through the amazing exhibits in the Museum of Liverpool
• understand the horror of slavery and its link to Liverpool history at the International Slavery Museum
• discover the huge connection with shipbuilding and cruise liners at the Merseyside Maritime Museum
• empathise with the impact on children of their (often forced) migration to Australia and Canada
• appreciate our own and other’s artistic talents at the Tate Liverpool gallery
• connect with the beauty and reverence of the amazing Liverpool Cathedral
• spend some time in the Cavern Club in Matthew Street – the starting venue for a number of very famous musical acts over the years
• sign the condolence book for Cilla Black – a Liverpool lass of great talent who sadly died last weekend
• continue our love affair with the ease of shopping in Liverpool.

Whew…. But wait there is more!

We spent a day taking the train to visit the beautiful area of Port Sunlight built by the Levers of detergent and soap fame to house their workforce in healthy and safe environments. It is now 80% privately owned and all the gardens are maintained by the Sunlight Trust who also run the Port Sunlight Museum, Bridge Cottage and other attractions. We also took the time to wander through the Lady Lever Art Gallery –  home to a huge collection of art and artefacts collected by the Lever family. Visit the Port Sunlight website to find out more – well worth the visit.

On Friday we invested a day to experience Blackpool – holiday destination to the English for generations. A seaside resort (now ageing sadly) it boasts many small hotels on the foreshore, a long and very clean sandy beach that experiences massive tidal changes, three long piers full of entertainment and fun, and the Pleasure Beach complex of rides and attractions. Not to mention cheek by jowl fish and chip shops, icecream parlours, and all manner of stalls selling kites, toys, hats, memorabilia, blackpool rock, fairy floss and other candy!!! We had a wonderful trashy experience complete with a “Kiss Me Quick” hat for Bron lovingly presented by Malcolm. And the 90 minute train journey each way was also a bit of an adventure with many mint fights (sorry Malcolm – Bron ate the last soft mint!!!) and crisp munching (do you ever stop eating Julia and Bob???). What a great fun day – highly recommended!!!!

Luckily the weather has treated us well for the last few days and we hope it continues as we prepare to leave on Thursday. But the consensus is that it is a great place to visit by narrowboat and highly recommended.