On my final day up in the English northwest, I detoured through Liverpool for a day trip before heading back to London. An hour train ride from Manchester, and I was there. I planned the least for this trip – my rationale: it was just a day trip, surely I’d have enough Beatles things to see to keep me occupied! And if all else failed, I could go to Anfield to see what all the fuss is about. Thankfully the latter didn’t happen, because the weather had some other plans.
My first thought after exiting Liverpool Lime Station – it was smelly! Like a damp, musty smell that you can’t get off your clothes kind of smelly. That shouldn’t have affected my trip, but it wasn’t really a great start to the day. The city centre was right by the station so that made getting around by foot a breeze. I learned that most English cities were built around transport hubs so the main shopping attractions were within a stones throw, but of course that’s not why I went. It was an eclectic mix – a gigantic shopping mall smack in the heart of the city, but then a few streets away, quaint little shops and Albert Dock further down by the water.
Working from the outskirts back into the city, my first stops were the gate to Strawberry Field and Penny Lane. I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest, just that I had to go – I was in the Beatles’ hometown, I appreciated their music despite being a few generations too late, and they continue to be popular sites for fans to this day. It felt completely unreal though, and devoid of any of the emotion I was expecting. I remember standing in front of the gate and taking in the sight – but no emotion. No identifiable emotion, no sense of longing to know how John felt back when he spent time at the orphanage, no sense of overwhelming emotion walking down Penny Lane, just nothing. In hindsight, I think I was overwhelmed by my trip as a whole, and couldn’t process the emotions in the moment.
Afterwards, I stopped briefly by Sudley House before going to Liverpool Cathedral. The rain had just started coming down, and I left my umbrella in the train station along with the rest of my luggage. I didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of the building’s exterior (thanks, rain) but even my limited view of it/time spent there was enough for me to appreciate its beauty. The gothic revival was something (note my bias, though – I’m a sucker for anything symmetrical, nuanced, meticulous and detailed) and, if I didn’t have other places to check out, I would’ve easily spent my whole day trip there trying to take the perfect photos that just wouldn’t translate on to film.
From the cathedral, I went straight back to the city centre with no idea on how to spend my last few hours. The rain was really coming down, but it was the annoying kind of misty rain, the inescapable rain that seeps through everything and chills you to the bone. I ended up walking past Chinatown and some Georgian houses, past a man yelling something – only made out the word “red” before smiling and walking on – straight to the Liverpool waterfront. The rain was seeping right through my boots by this point, but (un)fortunately, the weather made for a fantastic photo session. The fog and mist made commuting a nightmare, I found out, as I queued up to see how long it would take a ferry to dock. They also added dimension to my photos – or so I thought when I was taking them – and the challenge of keeping my camera safe + capturing these amazing photos I envisioned in my mind + avoiding the rain were enough motivation to stay out by the docks.
Overall, Liverpool wasn’t what I thought it would be, but it wasn’t as terrible as it could have been. It felt like there wasn’t much to do, I couldn’t understand anything in the scouse accent, and the rain was inescapable, but it was a nice place to visit. I only regret not visiting the slavery museum, and think I just needed to travel with someone who would truly appreciate the city since my bias against their football team.
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I grew up in a town not far from Liverpool – the Scouse accent must take some getting used to for those who aren’t from the area. I really like Liverpool as a place – the Albert Docks and the stretch with the Three Graces are probably my favourite parts of the city, but I also enjoyed touring the suburbs to see places linked to the Beatles. The International Slavery Museum is really interesting and well worth a visit should you return – as is the Maritime Museum.
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