Liverpool (2) - Maritime Museum, The Beatles Story and a walk

A new day dawns over Liverpool. The sun is out and I am eager to join it. I drag hubby out before 9am for a walk along by the Mersey towards Brunswick. Lots of new developments here and more being built. The joggers are out in force as are the cyclists. It's cold but we are well wrapped up. Later we are being picked up by some cousins of the hubs so they can discuss and swap notes on family. So we have to choose a place to end out walk which conveniently is by a Crown Carvery. People are still tucking into breakfast as we sit down with our hot drinks.

We have a table by the window and get nicely warmed before venturing out back into Liverpool. At midday we are picked up and travel through the Mersey tunnel into Birkenhead and the Wirral. After all the family chat (and I've had a trip round the most excellent garden and petted the dog - a friend for life now) we are taken back to our hotel via some 'family properties from the past' and the other river tunnel. The rain is back with us again!

Looking towards The Wirral

The following day it is teeming with rain. We see the queue to enter The Beatles Story. A coach load standing in the rain. That's not for me. Instead we head round to the Maritime Museum. Definitely worth a visit. There is a special exhibition about the Titanic. Though the ship was built in Belfast it was registered in Liverpool and a high percentage of the fixtures and materials came from Liverpool and Liverpool men served on the ill fated ship. There is a monument along from the ferry port dedicated to the engine crew who died.

Titanic Memorial

The Slavery Museum can also be found in this building. I ventured in and walked out. I'd recently seen an exhibition at the Docklands Museum and I just couldn't face another. Liverpool is part of that awful history and we saw the dock where the slave ships were repaired but I find the whole thing distressing. I've been told that the Liverpool Slavery Museum has won awards.

Maritime Museum - torpedo

Radar

Later I head back out to The Beatles Story. It is about 4pm and there are no queues. What a brilliant place. Lots to take in, lots of memorabilia and of course the music. I'm not the biggest fan of the Fab Four, though I fancied Paul McCartney, and I know the lyrics to many Beatles songs off by heart. I preferred their later stuff but I recognise what they did for the music in the UK and I find their music nostalgic these days. In my twenties I owned the red collection double album. My brother was more a Beatles fan than me and we agreed a swap. I gave him my double album in exchange for his Motown Chartbusters Vol 3 with the silver cover. I never regretted it but I did buy him the CD version of the Motown album some years ago!