The entrance to Liverpool's famous Cavern Club. Photo / 123RF
The entrance to Liverpool's famous Cavern Club. Photo / 123RF
The home of the Beatles and one of the world's most famous football teams has a rich and interesting history, discovers Holly Ryan.
Friends in London were adamant: Anything north of the UK's capital was no man's land. Safe to say, I didn't have much hope for Manchester or Liverpool.
Flying in over the red brick houses and vast countryside I decided it couldn't be that bad, and cruising through immigration at Manchester's international airport was enough to convince me that the city must have been on to something. For anyone who has ever had to endure LAX or Heathrow, Manchester's 20 minutes of border control is a blessing.
Manchester and Liverpool have had a chequered past. During the industrial revolution, a boom in textile manufacturing and the removal of trade guilds in Manchester saw it become the world's first industrialised city.
With the development of the 58km Manchester ship canal in 1894 from the mouth of the Irish Sea in Liverpool through to Manchester, the two cities expand rapidly, evolving into the heart of the British trade empire.
At the time of its opening, the canal was the largest river navigation channel in the world and, at a cost of around 15 million (equivalent to more than 1 billion today), it was also one of the most pricey. The Port of Manchester quickly became the third busiest port in Britain,
By the early 20th century the city had seen its peak. Following World War II and with the development of large container ships and advances in more efficient transportation, the canal was rendered almost irrelevant, and Liverpool as a port town began to decline.
Arriving in Liverpool on an unusually sunny day, the architectural beauty of the city hides any scars left by the 1930s Depression. Most of the historical buildings erected during boom time still sit cuddled up next to the famous Mersey River.
This quickly becomes the "infamous" Mersey after it becomes clear just how many times Gerry and the Pacemakers' Ferry Cross the Mersey can be played in one short boat trip. Despite looking as though they would rather jump into the Mersey than hear the tune one more time, the staff on board were friendly and happy to explain some of the city's history and more famous landmarks.
Possibly the three most iconic buildings perched along the rivers edge are the Pier Head buildings also known as the three graces - the Royal Liver Building crowned by two liver birds (the city's symbol, although often mistaken for pelicans), the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.
The trio are constructed on what was Georges Dock, the third dock built in Liverpool but unused due to being too small and shallow for the larger more commercial ships.
Albert Dock in Liverpool. Photo / Supplied
Throughout Liverpool there are a number of references to the Titanic, including at one of the area's larger hotels, named after the ship and also decorated on the theme of the Titanic and the White Star Line that built it.
The doomed ship's maiden voyage of in 1912 was originally planned to leave from Liverpool where she was registered at the Cunard building, however it was changed to Southampton instead. Standing in front of the Pier Head looking away from the river, one building above the others catches your eye, although as the largest building in Liverpool, it would be hard to miss - the Liverpool Cathedral.
In the late 1800s Liverpool was humming and the city decided to pay tribute to this success with the building of England's largest cathedral - a title it still holds to this day. The cathedral also boasts the world's largest organ.
In 1902, 22-year-old Giles Gilbert Scott won a competition with his inspired design of the cathedral, and in 1904, King Edward VII laid the foundation stone, although it wasn't until 1978 that the final section of the building was completed.
The Cathedral is well worth a visit if only for the 360-degree views from the top of its tower across the city, the Mersey and beyond. From this vantage point it is easy to see how beautiful and green Liverpool is and the relatively flat landscape gives views for miles.
The view from the Liverpool Cathedral. Photo / Holly Ryan
By 1851, a quarter of Liverpool's population was made up of Irish migrants, most of whom were Catholic. By the early 1900s, determined not to be outdone by the Anglicans, the Catholics designed a cathedral larger and more opulent than any other in England. A long-term cash shortage as well as World War II put paid to these plans and by 1960 the general consensus was that the Catholics needed a church regardless of the size or opulence to worship at. In 1967 the Metropolitan Cathedral was consecrated - more commonly known by the locals as Paddy's Wigwam.
Although the first mass was held there over 50 years ago, the unusual shape, incredible mosaics and coloured glass give the feeling of a much more modern and futuristic building. Despite the beauty above, the real gem is hidden beneath the cathedral in Lutyens' Crypt. For the historical nuts or those simply interested in Liverpool's history, the crypt contains all of the historical items documenting the history of both the church and the surrounding Liverpool area. The crypt also houses four large spaces, each holding between 300 and 500 people - spaces that were used to worship in after the crypt was built but before the cathedral was finished, as well as a treasury filled with relics, symbols and ceremonial dress on display.
St Luke's Church, Liverpool. Photo / Holly Ryan
The city's third main church, is less well known. St Luke's Church, or "the Bombed Out Church" got its nickname after being hit in the heavy air raids on Liverpool during World War II, and most of its roof and windows were ruined beyond repair. For a long time the future of the church was uncertain, however the skeletal remains of its foundation form one of the city's most beautiful landmarks, particularly on a good day.
Over the course of the war, Liverpool suffered huge casualties in the military air strikes. Large areas of the docks were damaged or destroyed although, the city's largest building and a clear target, the cathedral, was almost unscathed, suffering just minor damage when a bomb bounced through the ceiling and out a side wall. Local historians theorised that at the time Hitler wanted to use the cathedral as a base or a vantage point over the city and so was averse to bombing it.
The rest of the city was less fortunate. Liverpool was targeted and hit hard and it was into this war-torn era that four of the most famous musicians in history were born - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, more commonly known as the Beatles.
Even for those who are not Beatles fans, the Magical Mystery Tour is worth a ride. The tour traverses an often unseen part of Liverpool, into the leafy suburbs, along the famous Penny Lane and past Strawberry Fields - an old children's home - and back to what is left of the old Cavern Club where the Beatles and many other stars have played over the years.
Penny Lane is in my ears and on this sign. Photo / Holly Ryan
The famous club was closed in 1973 and filled in, but in 1984 when the tourism value of having such a club became clear, it was rebuilt using most of the original bricks and following the original plans.
To this day, the venue hosts bands and singers as it did back in the 70s and 80s.
For a long time, Liverpool was a struggling city economically and unemployment was high. In the mid-90s, the city began to see an economic upturn. Today, the city is humming and has a strong music and cultural scene. Its historical buildings are now surrounded by museums, art centres and theatres and most of the city's original buildings remain, renovated for either apartments or offices.
In 2008 Liverpool was named European Capital of Culture, which resulted in significant investment in the city, subsequently boosting tourism numbers.
It is easy to while away a day at Albert Dock and Pier Head. The museums alone would take up this time, showing the boom and bust of the city as well as documenting its slave trade, maritime history and football history, or at the Beatles Museum or Tate Liverpool art gallery. The central city is within walking distance and is easy to get around.
For football fans, Liverpool's Anfield Stadium tours are also worth doing with the tour taking you through the fan and player areas and telling the story of football in the region. The city's view of the team was probably best summed up by one of its managers Bill Shankly who famously said, "Some people think football is a matter of life and death I can assure you it is much more important that that".
Having survived the economic rollercoaster, the Liverpool of today is a fantastic mix of old and new and a striking destination in its own right. Those Londoners were wrong about the North.
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Getting there: Cathay Pacific offers the fastest connection to Manchester from New Zealand with one stopover at the airlines hub in Hong Kong.
