Dear Motley Crew,
“Have you been to Liverpool before?”, he asked. “No, we haven’t”, I answered. A pause. “Actually”, I said, “We have. We ended up there in 2019 after we caught the wrong train out of Manchester.” “I don’t think that that counts”, he said.
So here we were, in Liverpool for the first time and it was all just beyond these bottom gates.
The sheer size of the docks through which we would be travelling was over-whelming. They were, of course, built for boats much larger than a narrowboat, and so to cruise along the Liverpool Link is considered to be one of those "must-do" narrowboat trips.
At the top lock, one of the CRT workers asked if we could pick him up at the bottom lock and give him a lift through to the last two locks. We were delighted to realise that our fellow traveller was none other than Sid, after whom Sid's Ditch was named, and we were treated to a running commentary on all things Liverpudlian as we steamed along.
Whilst Sid, and Foxes Afloat, for that matter, may be enamored of the changes that are occurring on the waterfront, UNESCO has viewed the transformation with a more jaundiced eye, and in July of this year, Liverpool was stripped of its World Heritage status.
Sid had a story about everything - from the peregrine falcon's nest on the roof of the warehouse, to the planned Everton Football stadium and the refurbishment of the Titanic Hotel
But how to show it all to you dear Motley Crew - this amazing run into our moorings? I am indebted to Foxes Afloat for the following edited version of their video which says it all so much better than I could. It comes with a warning though; you’ll find the background music running around in your head for days!
This, then, was to be home for the next five days. A few minutes walk from the city's centre, in close proximity to the museums and the bars and restaurants of Albert Dock, and all for free - water, power, and the mooring. How could we want for more?
Most of what I knew about Liverpool centred around its architecture, and we had had a tantalising taste of what was on offer as we made our run along the Link. Seeing the Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and The Port of Liverpool Building for the first time was just awesome. These buildings have come to symbolise the city itself and to see them as few others do, from the canal, was a real treat.
These three iconic buildings are known collectively as The Three Graces
Perched atop the clocktower on the Liver Building are two of Liverpool's famous Liver Birds - probably its most famous Liver Birds
Their names, by the way, are Bertie and Bella, and it is said that whilst Bertie watches over the city and its people, Bella keeps watch over the ships and their crews. In its beak, each of the birds holds a branch that is variously thought to be either a piece of seaweed or an olive branch.
Squarely placed between its taller companions, the Cunard Building seems, externally at least, not to be quite as imposing as its neighbours. The interior, however, is something else.
The third "Grace", The Port of Liverpool Building, is the oldest of the trio, and was formerly known as the Mersey Docks and Habour Board Offices. It seems that the original design did not include the large dome that dominates the building. By happy circumstance, this was added later by the architects in order to give the building a more imposing look. Personally, I think they nailed it.
Inspiration for the dome came from an unused design for the city's Anglican Cathedral
Located on the city-side of the Cunard Building, is this striking edifice, known variously as Albion House, 30 James Street, or the White Star building.
Constructed between 1896 and 1898, it pre-dates the Cunard Building by some 16 years, but I have to wonder at the possible irony on Cunard’s behalf, when, in 1914, they constructed their new premises, directly opposite those of White Star.
The White Star Line, was, you see, the owner of the ill-fated Titanic. On the 15th of April, when the Titanic began sending out SOS calls, it was RMS Carpathia, a Cunard ship, that responded, and navigated the ice fields for two hours to rescue 705 survivors from lifeboats.
In a further touch of irony, in 1934, the British Government forced the merger of the Cunard Line with the White Star Line. It seems that pride might indeed go beforeth a fall.
Curious ties and links were not, however, to be restricted to the Cunard and White Star buildings. Liverpool’s Town Hall, constructed in 1754, has also seen its fair share of historic associations.
In 1775, for instance, the building was bombarded by striking seamen during the Liverpool Seamen’s Revolt. Then, in 1881, the Feniens, a secret political organisation that was dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic, attempted to blow up the building.
But the most astonishing circumstance of all for me, was that the final act of the American Civil War occurred here in1865. A Captain Waddell, who had been sailing the globe and had not learned of the end of the war until arriving in Liverpool in August of that year, walked up the steps of the Town Hall in November, and presented a letter to the Mayor of Liverpool surrendering his vessel, CSS Shenandoah, to the British government.
We also happened upon delightful instances of quirkiness,
and maritime buildings of substance.
That’s all very well, I can hear you all intoning, but what about, you know, The Beatles? Of course, Liverpool is all about The Beatles and we found The Fab Four strolling along the waterfront, and taking in the sights.
We also found lonely people,
and famous ones.
We found well-known lanes,
and famous barbers, with all the heads he’s had the pleasure to have known.
But on the wall outside the Beatles Museum, we discovered this mural that has continued to challenge and intrigue us and sent us deep into the world of Beatles songs and titles. I’m not certain that all these portrayals are Beatles song titles – they can’t be can they?
In the interests of our sanity, I’ll give a packet of chocolate digestive biscuits (dark chocolate) to any crew member who can identify all the song titles depicted here. The competition will be fierce as I know a couple of Iceberg Watch Officers who would sell their collective grandmothers for chocolate digestives. You can post your lists in the comments or send me an email, so won't you please, please help me?
Just to re-assure that the offer is genuine
And so dear Motley Ones, our time in Liverpool has come to an end. Only one thing left for us to do.
The Captain, The Commodore and Mrs Chippy
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