Always fans of a city break, we were more than happy to accept an invitation from the besties to join them for a few days in Liverpool.

Knowing nothing of the city, apart from its the home of the famous Cavern Club and it was the European City of Culture in 2008, we were excited to see what Liverpool had to offer.

After a long drive north, we found our hotel, in a great location, on the edge of the city, and close to the docks. High up in our rooms we had a great view out over the Albert docks, where we could watch the sun go down and the sparkling lights start twinkling against the dark night sky, making the place come to life.

A couple of G&T’s sitting looking out on the view & we were ready to start exploring. The docks have been brought back to life and are now full of bars and restaurants buzzing by night. We entered a bar with a sign on the door offering 2 for 1 cocktails until 7pm. As it was 7.05pm we were a tad late. We asked the men to check with the barman to see if we could squeeze one in. They felt it was too cheeky so we continued on the gin. There were a couple of groups of girls still drinking cocktails. We didn’t think anything of it, until we headed off to find some dinner and saw a sign on the window saying the 2 for 1 cocktails was extended to 11pm during November 🤪 . If only they’d asked!  🍸🍹

Next morning we took a trip on the hop on hop off bus. Very touristy, but the narrator was excellent, gave us a lot of information and with a great deal of humour. The tour gave us our bearings, showed us how compact the city is and gave an insight to what we might want to visit. Staying aboard to go back round a quarter of the way, we alighted at the library. An incredibly modern structure built within the old building, the huge spiral staircase rising around the centre taking your eyes up to the magnificent window in the roof. Amazing idea. Next door the museum was the same, the exterior of the old building retained but inside very modern. We ambled through the museums several storeys, taking in the exhibits before finding ourselves on the top floor looking out onto the beautiful city.

We wandered back out onto the chilly streets, up through the Christmas Market (not quite on a par with Birmingham), stopping at a hostelry for refreshments, then headed to the radio city tower for more spectacular views high above the city.

Our tour continued to St George’s Hall. Originally the city’s infirmary,it was transformed in the 1840s & 50s to accommodate a concert hall and the law courts. Unfortunately as some of the building was off limits to visitors that day our tour was short lived, so there was nothing left to do but head for the Cavern Club.

There are three areas to the Cavern, the pub across the road, the Club where the Beatles and Cilla played and the Lounge at the back of the stage which opens for live, ticketed events. The Club, open daily from mid afternoon to late, is fabulous. Smaller than I imagined, with brick walls and low vaulted ceilings, it is engulfed with memorabilia from photos of musicians that have played there, to signed guitars in large glass cases. Live music is played from the small stage, including renditions of Beatles songs. With a small bar at one end and the stage at the other, it still has a fabulous atmosphere and we spent several hours, surrounded by chattering, laughing people, absorbing the music and the memories.

Day two was a bit wet and blustery, so we started our day of culture with a visit to the original docks of Liverpool, now hidden under the city’s modern shopping centre. Our guide was very knowledgeable and extremely passionate about his city’s history. It is only a small area that is now available to visit but we spent an interesting hour with him learning about how the docks came to be, their demise and how they were rediscovered and partially excavated.

The day continued with visits to the Merseyside Maritime Museum, with tales and exhibits from the years of slavery, of which Liverpool played a huge part in the transportation of slaves. Another floor is devoted to information and displays about the Titanic and the Lusitania. Then on to the Museum of Liverpool, telling the story of Liverpool through collections of costume and art. We emerged into the drizzle of a November afternoon for a quick dash to the pub and a pint, before a change at the hotel and on to China Town for dinner.

Our final full day was again chilly, but dry, so wrapping up we headed for the Pier Head, for a ferry across the Mersey 🎶 ………… it had to be done. We had a better view of some of the iconic buildings, such as the Liver Building with its magnificent “Liver Birds” looking down protecting the city, the two beautiful cathedrals and the docks.

We alighted across in Birkenhead, where there is an exhibition, housing a German U Boat sunk at the end of WW11. It has been cut into sections to enable visitors to see how life aboard might have been. There are artefacts retrieved when the U Boat was recovered from the sea bed and footage from days aboard the vessel. Very moving and humbling.

We headed back across the Mersey, serenaded by Gerry and the Pacemakers, and headed to the cathedrals. Wow, the modern Roman Catholic cathedral circular and lit by enormous stain glass windows. Back out into the rain covered streets, where around every corner there’s statues and art celebrating Liverpool’s history. Then on to the gargantuan Anglican Cathedral, where one of the guides hailed from our home town. It too is filled with beautiful stained glass windows and is very active within the community. There were classes being held, guided tours, exhibits and local school children rehearsing their nativity play. Sadly we were under time constraints and had only a short time to look around, before heading for a well earned afternoon tea and a rest.

Suitably filled, there was time for a bit of shopping before heading back to the hotel to freshen up ready to enjoy our final evening in this lovely city. The streets and dock area were certainly ready for Christmas,
with wonderful light dispays and glorious trees. The lights around the docks reflecting magnificently in the water.

The lambananas, dotted around the city during the City of Culture year, still standing tall and proud, the focus of many a tourist photo.

We had such an interesting , fun filled time in Liverpool. The buildings and history are amazing, the people very friendly. Everywhere is within easy reach and well maintained. It seems the City had an incredible transformation ready for its time as the European City of Culture in 2008, but has managed to preserve its historic buildings and heritage. History and modernity existing easily alongside and within each other.

An amazing four days, we crammed so much in, but there’s so much more to do and see. I have no doubt the Fab Four will return………….. Thank you B&K for inviting us along.