Visit our predecessor's
web report on their trip to Liverpool
in 1999. (Above: Liverpool skyline seen from the Mersey)
from the slave trade,
to the expansion of trade with the USA and Ireland,
to the influx of Irish immigrants because of the potato famine (in the mid 1800's),
to the rise of the luxury cruise lines (e.g., Titanic, Lusitania, etc.),
ending up with economic decline and eventual riots in 1980, which led to the National Gardens Scheme that helped revitalize the decayed harbor core of the city. This was a remarkable example of the government using manipulation of landscapes and ornamental plants to address inner city blight.
Above: Mike also impressed upon us the magnitude of the Liverpool harbour warehouses and the solidity of their construction. These docks were refurbished in the early 1980's, but the primary structure was incredibly robust, as shown above right by the thickness of the archways.
Liverpool was a very wealthy Victorian city, exemplified by magnificent buildings (below left) and the cavernous Anglican Cathedral (below)that towers above the city skyline. This was a magnificent structure build of local sandstone.
Some of us had to take the Ferry Across the Mersey in honor of the famous early 60's song... (above)
And we also enjoyed a much too brief tour of the superb Maritime Museum (left) that is highly recommended to anyone with interest in maritime lore and practice.
Unfortunately, every time I begin to mention how interesting the local maritime history is, I get the response below...
