Day 11 – Liverpool

Albert Dock

Approximately 9 million immigrants from the UK and Europe embarked for the United States from Liverpool.  A majority of those left from the Albert Dock.  The dock and the surrounding area were predominately used for this purpose from the 1820s though 1970.  The docks were closed in 1972.  Between 1972 and the mid 1980s, the docks were left in disrepair.  Which negatively effected the economy.  Liverpool was not the best place to live during that time.  In 1984, renovation of the dock began, with completion in 1988.  Since then millions of people visit the dock each year.

During that time several cruise lines also used Liverpool as port, including the RMS Lusitania, which on May 7, 1915,was sunk by a German U-boat on its way from New York City to Liverpool.  Over 1,190 passengers were killed.  A majority of the crew were from Liverpool.  Only 600 people survived.  The tragedy led to the United States eventually entering World War I.  Today there is an exhibit of the Lusitania at the Maritime Museum at the Albert Dock.

Another tie to Liverpool exhibited at the Maritime Museum is the Titanic.  The RMS Titanic was owned by White Star Line which was headquartered in Liverpool.  Again, a vast majority of the crew of the Titanic were from Liverpool, including the captain, Edward Smith.  The ship hit an iceberg on April 15, 1912 on its way from Southhampton to New York City, sinking and killing over 1,500 passengers and crew. The band made famous by the movie, which died playing  “Nearer My God to Me”, were all musicians who played in Liverpool.

The Beatles

Penny Lane

I am not sure a trip to Liverpool would be complete without seeing some of the sites of the          Beatles.  Although, I’m not much for tours or tour groups.  Tiff and I signed up for a tour with          www.fab4tours.co.uk.  Our driver was Phil, and his car was named Eleanor Rigby.  You pay by car,  and Tiff and I were the only ones on the tour, which cost us about £ 70.

Phil took us all over the city showing us the various Beatles related sights.  One of my favorite sites was Penny Lane.  Seeing the various locations puts the song in proper prospective.   The song is really convey’s Paul McCartney’s childhood memories.

In Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he’s had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello

On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
The little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mack in the pouring rain
Very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back in

Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen (British Pounds)
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It’s a clean machine

Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she’s in a play
She is anyway

Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
Very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back

Strawberry Fields

The song Strawberry Fields is written by John Lennon about an orphanage which was located behind his aunt’s house where he lived.  Lennon used to hop the fence and play with the orphan children.  The orphanage staff attempted to chase him away, but it would not discourage him because he loved it there.

Later in life Lennon paid for the building of a new facility when the old one burned down.  The memorial in New York for Lennon’s death is called Strawberry Fields, based on his love for the orphanage.

Beatle’s Homes