Jeremy, a fan, wrote to my office; having read this blog, he offered us some sightseeing tips for Liverpool. Sadly, we couldn’t spend much time there as all the hotels were booked up for the Grand National, a local horse race (in which quite a few horses finished without riders!). Some of us did have time to see the two cathedrals — but that’s all — so, here are excerpts from his letter, with some photos (mine and others’) and my comments added [in brackets].
Dear Mr Byrne
Think of Liverpool, an even smaller city...
The Philharmonic Hall [which is our venue] is on Hope Street [a little bit of English humour here]:
Hope St is also famous for it having a cathedral at each end: the Anglican, which is Europe's largest, and bizarrely enough was designed by the same guy who designed the iconic British red telephone box. Personally I find it a bit bland…
[Here is a photo I took. It may indeed be typical of many Anglican churches — though much larger — but I would call it ominous and looming, as opposed to bland]:
…but at the other end of the street is “Paddy's Wigwam” — so called because it's Catholic (Liverpool is full of Irish Catholics) and because of its shape.
[Here is a picture of the “wigwam” — more like a crown for an alien God if you ask me]:
The best way I can describe it is that inside it is like a cross between a cathedral and an art gallery — all the chapels within have been designed by different artists, each with their own distinctive style. If you should be lucky enough to visit on a sunny day, the light shining though the coloured glass of the tower and side panels is really stunning. A TV programme a couple of years ago invited people who pass by the cathedral each day, but who had never been inside, a chance to see inside — workmen building outside, a nurse who caught the bus on the road outside, etc. — the nurse in particular was very touched by the place, giving a tearful thank you for being shown what she hadn't even realized was there. I don't know if it is still in operation, but last time I was in Hope Street, they had a laser beam from one end of the street to the other, linking the two cathedrals.
[For years the Anglicans (Protestants), who hold power in most of England and dominate local politics, refused to grant Catholics the right to build their temple, using various legal and political tactics to postpone or delay construction; eventually the Catholics prevailed.]
Even closer to your venue is the Philharmonic Pub — world-famous for its gents toilets, of all things!
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Very ornate, and a popular place for people of either gender to visit (to view, that is!)
Rather than the Tate gallery at the Albert Dock, I would suggest you visit the Bluecoat Chambers in the city centre; this site has a good article, which may explain why I think it may be of interest... though I would add that quite apart from its cultural value, it's also a great place to get a coffee or whatever, in that it has a nice quiet courtyard at the rear, which is a nice peaceful place to take a break — seemingly miles from the busy city centre which is in fact just yards away from the front of the building.
I did think that it was near the Bluecoat that the only Confederate embassy outside the US was located, but in searching for links to give you more info, it seems I may have been confused; but for your information anyway...
Whether you visit the Tate or not, also at the Albert Dock is the International Slavery Museum, though even just casting your eye on the decoration of buildings & the entrances of the grand buildings in the business part of the city (Brunswick Street, Castle Street, etc), Liverpool's part in the slave trade is all but evident.
If you or any of your party care to take a "Ferry 'Cross The Mersey", it may be of interest to know that the model for NYC's Central Park is over there in Birkenhead; I'll let Wikipedia explain...
Oh one final example of little-known Liverpool is the tunnels that were built under the city 200 years ago, and of which nobody is certain of their purpose; again, I'll let this link explain...
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[This is an amazing story. In the early 1800’s, an eccentric tobacco millionaire had secret tunnels dug under his company lands in Edge Hill. For decades he extended them until there was a labyrinth under that whole section of town. Why? For what? No one knows exactly. No one knows the extent of the tunnels either — Williamson was secretive about them, and after he died, his housekeeper sold all of his personal belongings — so if there were plans for the tunnels they haven’t turned up.
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When construction ended on his business properties and mansions, he focused his efforts on the tunnel project. He employed thousands of men, all digging by hand, and when his wife Elizabeth died in 1822, he doubled his efforts. There are double-decker tunnels, and even a triple-decker exchange has been found — some areas are still being dug out. Some claim that he was being altruistic, as the soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars needed work; others claim he had apocalyptic religious leanings, and the tunnels were to be a refuge come the end of the world. Williamson and his followers would seek refuge in the tunnels while God destroyed the evildoers above, then they’d emerge and build a new city — a kind of contemporary Noah. The labyrinth is eccentric — there are tunnels that go nowhere, and some that Williamson ordered dug and then bricked up.
There’s an anecdote from the 1830’s about some railway workers who were digging nearby the tunnels. A hole suddenly opened up beneath them; they looked down, and saw Williamson’s workers looking up at them. The railway guys fled in terror, thinking they had opened up a hole in hell.
Another anecdote describes a dinner that he hosted for a group of his contemporaries; he served them a poor meal, something like bacon and beans. Some guests left, offended by the meager fare, but those that stayed were rewarded. To them he said, “Now I know who my true friends are. Follow me…” and he led them into another room where a massive repast had been laid out.
Thank you, Jeremy!]
