22/04/23 - Psychogeography in Liverpool

 Discovering a City through Adventure Lab Caching

March 2023 and several new A-Z Hidden City Walk books were released. Liverpool, an excellent addition - a city I will be exploring more, now that I have discovered cheap advance tickets on London Midland railway.

Before hitting the pubs, I combine walk 1 and 2 from the book with many Adventure Lab Caches. All goes well, until the battery on my phone dies at 1pm. And I remember that my return train ticket is an e-ticket. 

Walk 1 - Seven Streets

This is an architecture based walk that takes me along the original seven streets of medieval Liverpool.  Dale, Castle, Chapel, Tithebarn, Water, Pepper and Juggler.

Things learned;

• Liverpool had a castle, the masonry used to build the docks
• Ye Hole in Ye Wall is the oldest pub
• Their history with the American Civil War
• First shot was from a canon made here
• The last act of the war was Captain Waddell surrendering his ship to the Liverpool's Lord Mayor
• The last lowering of the confederate flag was on the River Mersey
• The buildings that make up the "three graces" - Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool

Royal Liver Builidng

Town Hall - The Beatles waved to fans following their 1964 world tour

Down at the Dockside

Walk 2 - The Mersey Beat

A musical based walk, mainly looking for statues or plaques on walls for former live music venues. A queue of a 100 Japanese meant I got nowhere near the Beatles effigy at dockside but Ronald Wycherley did not make it as big in the Far East. As a Cold War Steve fan, I refused to photo Cilla.

Things Learned;

• Beatles music blares from every doorway in Matthew Street
• Most commercial enterprises are named after one of their songs
• Frank Hessey's music shop that sold the merseybeat groups their instruments
• Brian Epstein's record store

Somewhere along Matthew Street

The Less Popular Ronald "Billy Fury" Wycherley 

This walk pointed out the White Star pub. Not troubling the Good Beer Guide (although it should). An 11am opener and an authentic Victorian Pub that only concession to the tourist is the relatively high prices. I had the place to myself, so could explore the photos and memorabilia shared 50-50 between the Beatles in the Snug Room and sailing / The Titantic. Still more to do - I missed the gold figures at the end of the radiators and the carved staircase post.

Bizarrely, the beer was a first London Pride (far, far way from home) for a very long time. It was in absolute perfect condition and setting a high bar for the afternoon's pub crawl.

  

Was never going to walk past this

Why pay for the Beatles Museum?  Drink where they drank.

ALC Locations

Adventure Lab Caches are an on-line treasure hunt that usually add a bit of unnoticed interest to City Walks. They didn't disappoint in Liverpool. Amongst the usual war memorials and items of civic pride were a couple of gems.

Things Learned;

• Freddie Mecury and Queen had quite the history in the City. The Queen Insurance building a potential reason for the bands name, although other theories are available
• A Lost Public Art of Liverpool pointed out locations unlikely to be found by accident.
• As did "You May Not Have Noticed" - interesting items hidden in plain sight, such as the boundary stone and busts of Swiss psychologists 

Ray and Julie - commissioned to last 6 months.  27 years ago

Jung proclaiming that Liverpool is the "Pool of Life"

Liverpool Fans

With them playing at home on a rare 3pm Saturday kick off, the city was awash with Full Kit W*nkers.  

I have questions;

• Why are they going on guided City Tours? We don't get this in Smethwick for the Baggies
• How did the Scandinavians get so drunk at 10am in the Morning?
• And did they make it to KO?
• How did the locals who left the Lion Pub at 2:35pm get to their Anfield seats in time for KO?
• And how was my 5:27pm Lime Street return train packed with them? 

Off the 10:15 train, outside Lime Street

Walk Details

Distance - 5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - A-Z Hidden Walks in Liverpool, Walk 1 and 2

Geocaches - 26 ALCs and 1 micro