2011 - Day Out 11: Liverpool

Date: Saturday 21 May 2011

It was time to venture further afield, so Mr UKBuses and myself are off to Liverpool, then disaster strikes before we even start the trip. Mr UKBuses lets me know that he can't walk as his knee has become inflamed, I even offered to push him in a wheelchair around Liverpool, but for some reason he declined, I don't think he liked the words "River Mersey" in the same sentence. The tickets had been booked, so as not to waste them, I go for an exploration around Liverpool, a place that I have wanted to visit for a few years, and now the summer is with us, it is a good time to visit places further afield.

An early start to my Saturday, I catch National Express West Midlands Service 276 into Stourbridge, alighting at the ring road to catch my next bus to get me to Wolverhampton. As there are only two straight through buses to Wolverhampton before normal service on a Saturday Morning (0635 and 0835), I have to catch a couple of buses, so I catch my first bus, National Express West Midlands Service 257, where a changeover and a little wait ensues at Kingswinford, where I catch a short working Service 256 (Starting at Kingswinford), into Wolverhampton. I arrive in Wolverhampton, with just under an hour to wait for my train, so I buy a newspaper and sit and read it outside Wolverhampton Railway Station. I make my way onto Platform 1, where I catch London Midland's 0919 journey to Liverpool Lime Street. I am on the train for just under an hour and a half, with nice views, especially at Runcorn where I think I am further down the River Mersey. Arriving on time at 1044, I arrive at Liverpool Lime Street, a station which I like on my first visit, it is spacious, clean and a lovely building.

After a quick visit outside, I go to the ticket office, where I get my day ticket for the local area transport, and I make my first trip of the day, by going underground, and I catch the train from Lime Street to Moorfields on the Wirral Line, changing at James Street along the way. Apart from the train, I am surprised at how this looks like a mini London Underground. It is a very quick journey, and upon arrival, I make my way back to the outside world, and follow the signs to Pierhead, but I also spot another landmark, so divert and after a walk of about 10 minutes, I arrive at the famous Albert Docks. I have a walk around and find myself a few years too late, as "This Morning" have moved south, and Fred Talbot's Weather Map has long gone. I have done a full lap of the docks, and find myself heading towards Pier Head, a short walk past the memorials, I arrive, and have about ten minutes to wait.

It is just before twelve o'clock, and a trip to Liverpool must mean a trip on a Mersey Ferry, so even though I'm not a fan of the water, the ferry is arriving and I decide to go aboard, I even sit outside on the top deck, even though it does look like it may rain. We head out towards the sea, but we eventually turn around and cross the Mersey and after nearly half an hour we arrive at Seacombe. I make my way back onto dry land, and can say that I would go on "The Ferry Across The Mersey" again, but I will make sure that I wont sing the famous song, as I wouldn't want people on board to get wet. I make my way to the bus stop, where after a little wait, I catch the 409 to my next destination, Birkenhead. The bus journey takes just under ten minutes before we arrive in Lily Savage's stomping ground, and it is nearly time for the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, so I have to find somewhere to see it. My first port of call is J.D. Wetherspoons, "The John Laird" but as they are not showing it, I have to quickly find another place to watch. As I look right and in the distance, I think I see a pub, so walking down Claughton Road, I find "The Mackenzie", and I am glad to see several large screen televisions, all showing the qualifying. I get a drink and find a seat, Q3 takes its usual suspects, with Rubens Barrichello surprisingly going no further. Q2 is about to start and there is a crowd building up, all offering their thoughts on Qualifying as it happens, and Q2 takes the usual suspects, and Schumacher makes it through. All that is left is Q1, and it is a strange session as most drivers are now leaving it late and making only one lap time to save their tyres for the race, Schumacher doesn't even leave the garage, and the usual takes pole, Red Bull, with Mark Webber taking the spot for the team, Button is in 5th. The Mackenzie is a nice pub with very friendly people, but I have to make a move and I make my way to explore.

I'm on the over side of the Mersey, and I have a little walk around Birkenhead, the main centre is like a shopping centre and reminds me of Redditch. I find the local Gregg's and decide to have a couple of pasties for my lunch. I sit down and eat my dinner, and now I have the task of finding the bus station, I do nearly get lost in the maze of shopping centres, but after about 15 minutes, I find it, now I have to find the stand for my next bus, and it is stand 7 for my next journey. I need to get back to the main city centre, so I have come across the Mersey, there is one other way back, and that is under the Mersey. My bus arrives and I catch the 407 to Liverpool and the bus does take me there in ten minutes, but first I have my encounter with The Mersey Tunnel (or the exact name is The Queensway Tunnel). When Mr UKBuses told me about the tunnel, I thought you would be in and out within seconds, but I didn't realise how long the tunnel was. After doing a bit of research, I found out that the tunnel is 2 miles long, and it is a surreal experience on your first journey through there. The bus has to stay in the far lane (middle of the tunnel) due to the size, but it is like something out of Grand Turismo, with no central carriageway, cars seem to be coming at you. I arrive back in Liverpool, in Whitechapel, (not London!) and after my encounter, I soon find a JD Wetherspoons, or more precise, A Lloyds Bar, "The Fall Well", which is situated under a shopping centre. A quick coke in a pleasant Lloyds Bar, a place in the main Liverpool centre, and a pub that is not choc-a-bloc equals an ideal pub.

Break over, and now I am going to explore Liverpool City Centre, I enter a shopping centre above the Lloyds Bar, and for the next hour I walk around and all I see are pedestrianised streets of shops, and the city is a busy place with loads of shops, so I decide to turn down a side street to avoid the crowds and I find myself in another shopping centre and even more busy crowds. I see a another side street, and what a discovery, I'm in the birthplace of The Beatles, and I've turned into a street called Matthew Street, I only find out what is located in this street by chance, but I see a sign for "The Cavern Club", a famous venue, where Brian Epstein first saw the performance of a band called "The Beatles". The original club is still here, but the original and famous entrance has not survived due to redevelopment of the area. It has made my day to find The Cavern Club, a place I didn't plan to visit, but am glad that to avoid the crowds, I chose to walk down Matthew Street. I had done a fair bit of walking around the city, so a break was in order, and I find a pub to rest my weary feet, "The Williams Gladstone", a popular pub, and from the outside looks like a Wetherspoons, but is in fact a traditional real ale pub. After my quick break, I need to get my bearings, and I spot a sign for Moorfields station, so I go back underground for a brief trip back to Liverpool Lime Street.

I make my way back into Lime Street and have just over an hour to kill, so I try and find the JD Wetherspoons "The Richard John Blackler" where as I leave the station, find out that Whitechapel is virtually around the corner, how far did I walk from here to begin with and end up at Moorfields? No wonder my feet were aching. A brief walk and I do find "The Richard John Blackler", where I plan to have some tea, but as I walk into the pub, it is jam packed, so I walk around the corner and find a McDonalds to fill my stomach. Since I spent less time having tea, I make my way back towards the station, and decide to have a bottle or two of "Becks Blue" in "The Crown Hotel", opposite Lime Street. I have fifteen minutes before my train is due, so after a cigarette outside the station, I find out which platform my return train is on, and it is already at the station, so I climb aboard, where I rest my feet ready for the journey back.

The train leaves Lime Street, a bit busier on the way back than the journey this morning, but it seems that everybody else has tired themselves out, I was joined by a mother and her two daughters that had hit the shops, and as she was showing her kids what she had bought, instead of grabbing her bags, she seem to keep grabbing my knee. She did apologise, so I quickly replied "Carry On!", for some reason, the table was laughing away. As we stopped at the stations along the way, the train was emptying, with my carriage virtually empty when we arrived at Crewe. Two more stops to go and we were back in Wolverhampton, where just before arrival a lady decided that she needed to change her top, so she did in front of everyone, a pleasant surprise to end the journey which seemed to wake everyone up nearly asleep in the carriage. Upon arrival in Wolverhampton, it wasn't long to wait where I catch National Express West Midlands 256 back into Stourbridge and after missing my usual Black Diamond bus by seconds, I catch my final journey of the day, Midland's X96 back home, where I go and relax my now aching feet.

I'm glad I went for a visit to Liverpool, this being my first time there, I spent the day looking around the city so that I could get my bearings for future visits here. Overall it was a good day out, and now I did find my way around Liverpool and how the transport operates, I hope to make a return visit soon. My highlight of the day was the ferry crossing and returning back under the river. I'm glad I used this opportunity to get a bit more confidence when visiting new places alone, and I think you need to use your first visit to explore the place and get used to surroundings. Hopefully normal service will be resumed and Mr UKBuses makes his appearance with me on the next visit to Liverpool.