Liverpool & painting

Monday 3rd July to Monday 24th


I don't propose to spend ages writing about our stay in this city, but will comment on its highlights, and a disaster or two.

Highlights were a lovely visit by Sally & family, the journey from Thurcaston on a Sunday morning only took 2 hours, the weather was great and we introduced the kids to The Cavern, though it is of course a recreation. Sam & I went to see the Beatles Story, he was quite impressed, I wasn't. Hannah surprised Carol by expressing an interest in going to the Museum of Slavery.

I spent about a day at the Maritime Museum, particularly enjoying the "Seized" section about HMRC's activities. I asked at the museum why there should be cast iron columns all around Albert Dock, apart from two granite columns. They didn't know, but quickly found out that this section was built a little after the rest of the dock, I suppose it would have been difficult to get just 2 more cast & installed.

The "Ferry across the Mersey" was great, as was the Uboat on exhibition on the Birkenhead shore, certainly worth a visit.

Liverpool's 3 Graces with the new museum

Jessie Hartley's tower with both Cathedrals behind

U534, showing damage caused by the depth charge that sank it.
The U boat was salvaged as it was thought it might have refused to surrender
after cessation of hostilities because it was carrying treasure.....it wasn't!

The Cathedrals are a must, and Hope Street between the two has some interesting statues & buildings. Carol thought the Anglican one was tremendous & managed to take communion. I thought it was very interesting, and surprising, not seeming to be as large as it is, probably because the floor is unencumbered by columns. Interesting, but I thought the RC Cathedral was fantastic, the light flooding through the stained glass and some of the statues hit the spot for me. What I was a bit upset about, having been a Civil Engineer in the '60's, was how the construction methods & materials used effectively fell apart & the building was very nearly demolished rather than being repaired.

Anglican Cathedral viewed from over Kings Dock

The cavernous interior of the Anglican Cathedral

Archbishops Shepherd & Warlock on Hope Street, Anglican Cathedral  behind.

The Archbishops are looking towards the Catholic Cathedral

Lovely old street just off Hope St. It has been used for many films.
Note the chap appearing left & right courtesy of PhotoStitch

Approaching the Catholic Cathedral

The lantern in the Catholic Cathedral

The Walker Gallery has some great stuff, but the museum alongside was not up to much, & hoards of school children ensured it was lively! Just over the was is The Empire, where we saw Legally Blonde, a great show on tour, but the sound system needed adjustments, we stuffed our fingers in our ears & then were able to understand the dialogue.

Walking back from there it started to pour & I reached into my ruck sack to pull out our waterproofs, but the first thing out was the camera, which clattered onto the pavement & the lens elements disassembled! It looks as if an economic repair is not possible.

We sorted out buses to get around from the bus station alongside the dock, including one that took us to Speke Hall. On the way we saw Penny Lane, and the house is lovely, except Carol's back cried stop, so we will have to finish off another time. I have some pics taken on Carol's phone but I can't find the download lead!

We took a guided bus tour with a live guide. It was interesting what he told us about the large, fully detailed, bronze male figure over the front door of the old Lewis's store. It seems that when originally mounted it was set further from the building, but when it rained drips of water fell onto people from a certain part of his anatomy! These guided tours are usually worth taking.

One evening I went to do the Mersey Tunnel Tour at the wonderful Art Deco style ventilation station alongside the Cunard building. There are many many steps to climb & descend, but the 2 1/2 hours flew by.

Just across from the tunnel tour is this building, the White Star Lines building.
It looks very much like the old Scotland Yard building, yes it's by the same architect.

The new Museum of Liverpool opened on 19th, 4 days after we left, but it was far from complete, they were working very hard to complete the first display floor, but it looks interesting, but we were not enticed into Tate Liverpool, even with its Magritte exhibition at £9).

We also caught a film one Wednesday ( 2 for 1 ) and saw the film Senna & were thoroughly glad we managed to see it.

But we ran out of time, & the anodes were fizzing away in the salt water with all the jelly fish around Lily. Lily was polished up whilst there, tipping an Elsan cost £5 (!!!!!) a pump out only £10. Would we go again? Like a shot, barring mishaps we're coming back next year!

 Thursday 14th we left the dock at 9.30 with 4 other boats on another lovely day. We had a pretty good trip, except we gathered some stuff on our prop, but not in a way that created loads of splashing, so it wasn't too obvious, except we were well behind the others & didn't have time to stop! We stopped where we spent the night before our trip into the city, & on Friday cruised into Burscough, mooring 150 yards before the Wharf.

From Saturday 16th to date I have been repainting the inside of Lily. It smells pretty strongly of oil paint, but the half from the front deck to the shower room looks so much better. The trouble has been getting the batteries charged, never getting anywhere near full voltage, a fact I mention to Mark of M & D boat services when he brought us 180 litres of fuel @ 84p. Mark the Spark came as a result of this chat, & we decided it would be as well to get the alternator, & particularly its control mechanism, away for checking. On Sunday 23rd I decided to tweak up the belt tension to give as good a charge up as possible before removing the alternator........only to find one of the pivot bolts sheared & the pivot bearing shattered!! Mick the Welder has now been brought in, & we have gone off by train to see the family in Chichester. Hopefully it will be all set when we get back, but we are booked into a B&B for the first two nights so I can paint the bedroom.

Burscough is a really great little place, lots of great people & a good range of facilities, do stop in a try it out if you are passing.

Latest news, welder sourced tubes to make mountings & today the checked over alternator was refitted & ob Saturday, when we have returned from Chichester, it will be tried out.