Liverpool In Its Prime

Liverpool has a reputation as a land of "scallie men" and hooligans given the extreme poverty and joblessness in the area from the 1970s to the 1990s. Before I moved to England whenever I told a Brit I was headed to Liverpool they would make a little noise and say "oh, Liverpool" and force a smile. Some admitted that in the past they would avoid the whole Merseyside because they thought their car stereos would be stolen. But many also said that the city was improving and that Liverpool's status as a European Capital of Culture in 2008 provided an entirely new direction for the city. The thing is, it wasn't really a new direction for Liverpool but rather a return to some of the earlier grandeur of this city.

Large manor homes dot the various neighborhoods of Liverpool and he skyline is full of gorgeous buildings that went up when it was the center of

Some of Liverpool's Grand Past

the global shipping trade. Shipping can be a broad term and it is important to identify that this wealth primarily came from Liverpool's role in the transatlantic slave trade. In this "trade triangle" ships from Liverpool would carry finished products to Northern Africa, unload them, sail down the coast to Southern Africa and pick up slaves, transport the slaves to the Caribbean/Americas to work in sugar/cotton/tobacco plantations, load up with these goods to bring back to the UK for processing, and then take the finished products to Northern Africa to re-start the cycle. By the early 1800s around 40% of all the worlds trade goods came through the port at Liverpool as a result of the slave trade as well as trade with Asia. Last week I visited the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool and I appreciated the honest description of Liverpool's role in the injustice of slavery. An interesting tidbit is that despite the fact that slavery was outlawed in England by 1834, Liverpool was a sympathizer to the Confederacy during the US Civil War and built ships for the south. 

Albion House, The White Star Line Headquarters

The other boon to the shipping trade in Liverpool was immigration to Australia, Canada and the United States. My great-grandfather John Morgan sailed from Liverpool when he emigrated from Wales to the US!  This transport of immigrants was highly profitable and Liverpool was headquarters of the White Star Line, a company most famous for building and owning the Titanic! Despite the fact that the Titanic never spent time in Liverpool, it was registered to the White Star Line so Liverpool was painted on the stern of the ship. I spent some time exploring the Merseyside Maritime Museum (it's in the same building as the slavery museum) which in addition to a big exhibit on the Titanic also includes exhibits on the Battle of the Atlantic, the UK Merchant Navy and the changes in shipbuilding over several hundred years. 

Can you tell a difference?

This is a bit of a tangent but two of the most thought provoking exhibits in this museum were an exhibit on illegal goods coming into the UK via all ports (air and sea) and an exhibit on homosexuality on cruise ships. The exhibit on illegal goods had opportunity for kids to try their hand at pinpointing false goods and identifying illegal transport. In what was probably the weirdest and most hilarious example, attendees were asked to identify coffee by smell and determine if poo had been added to it. I wouldn't have noticed this portion of the exhibit if I hadn't seen an elderly woman deviously trying to get her grandson to take a big whiff.

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The exhibit on homosexuality on cruise ships was at first glance striking because of the flamboyant pink sign which I first thought was using "gay"in terms of happiness. The exhibit told the story of how gay men found community in little micro-societies on cruise liners in the 1970s and 1980s which allowed them to be "out" as opposed to the hidden and often persecuted lives they led when on land. The other striking thing about this exhibit was the fact that it was right beside the kids section, a placement which I doubt would ever happen in the US because a museum would want to avoid complaints from conservatives and prudes.

Another vivid example of Liverpool's former glory is Sefton Park, a public green space a little south of the city center. Sefton Park was opened in 1872 on a parcel of land that had been a royal hunting ground until the late 1500s. It is over 200 acres and contains ponds, trees, meadows, playing fields and lovely areas to relax. In the summer Liverpudlians come here with barbecues and picnics and enjoy the sun and company. Sefton Park is where Justin and I enjoyed the Bonfire Night fireworks display just a few weeks ago. It is a beloved landmark in the city and a huge part of Liverpool culture. Right now the mayor of Liverpool is in a fight with most of the city for his plan to sell off one of the park meadows for development into condos. Big news is that the city historian found the original park plans and it shows that the meadow was purposefully designed as a part of the the park, not left as an afterthought of unused space. In theory this should mean that the meadow is protected and not available for the mayor to sell, but we'll see. So far the mayor sounds like a bit of a dimwit since his other plan is to do away with the bus lanes which also serve as the bike lanes.  Anyway, here are some photos of Sefton Park which barely do it justice!

The view from the Southern Entrance to Sefton Park

The park designer purposefully left parts un-manicured

In my humble opinion, the most impressive part of Sefton is the Palm House. It was build in 1896 and contained exotic plants from around the world. During the war the glass was shattered by nearby bombings and despite some repair in the 1950s it sat in a somewhat decrepit state for 50 years. In the late 1990s some local people who remembered visiting the Palm House as children decided to campaign and fundraise to restore the building under the guidance of the local conservation society. It reopened in 2005 and contains an amazing variety of plants. Outside of the Palm House are sculptures of famous explorers and scientists like Captain Cook and Charles Darwin. In addition to being open each day for visits by the public it is used for concerts and special events. On a cold Liverpool day nothing seems better than to walk inside and be surrounded by bright tropical colors and warm air! 

Palm House? Don't mind if I do. 

Just like in Hawaii

Some of the gorgeous orchids.

Have a seat and enjoy the colors

I don't know what this is but I dig it. 

The statues guarding the Palm House

In focusing on so many structures and institutions build in the 1800s I'm not sure I conveyed the current culture (in terms of arts and intellectualism) of Liverpool the way that I intended. This city has 18 well used branch libraries in addition to the utterly gorgeous Central Library which was refurbished and reopened two months ago. But perhaps the best way to express the culture of this place by the fact that most of the museums or historical buildings I've visited have noted that it was a group of local citizens who had the impetus to create or restore the museum or building. The Liverpudlians recognize the importance of the local historical record and are determined to share their past and preserve it for the future. Perhaps it is to combat their reputation or perhaps it is less about the external views of the city and more about an internal recognition of what this city has. In any case I have reaped the benefits of this cultural capital and feel all the richer for being here.