Liverpool

We took a short break over the weekend and had an overnight stay in Liverpool.  Liverpool is a great example of a city that has faced it's changing fortunes throughout the ages.  Evidence of it's extreme past wealth can be seen - its grand buildings even grander than most other northerm cities and towns.

 The Liverpool Port Authority building rivals any building in London.

 And the Liver Building, one of the "Three Graces" that stand on the Pier Head has clocks that are larger than Big Ben's.

 Our hotel was in the restored Albert Dock, one of the many of the huge docks complex that lined the river front in the city for many years.  Many of the other docks have been filled in and the large warehouses pulled down now, but the Albert Dock has been restored and has many uses now.

 The hotel was handy for the many museums and places of interest along the river front (the River Mersey).  I love this statue of a family waiting to emigrate to America.  The city saw many families leave from here for a chance of a better life, but it also saw many immigrants arrive from the Carribean and China and also from just across the sea in Ireland.

 The newish museum of the city history on the river front told us lots of stories about the occupants over the years.

 The middle building is the Cunard building.

 Liverpool was only made a city in 1880 and so the Cathedral is relatively modern, and the interior took us completely by surprise.

 I loved the modern stained glass windows celebrating the ordinary working people of the city.

 And this modern window of Jesus was striking.

 The interior is vast - we didn't expect it to feel so huge.

I loved our brief visit to this northern city that is often out on a limb.  It has reinvented itself as a very busy tourist destination now and I'm glad to see it bustling and alive once more.

Another Place - ticked off my list

Another Place has been on my list of places to visit for a long time.  Unfortunately, it was an incredibly misty day when we visited, but we felt that it did add to the atmosphere of this incredible place.  I thought it was stunning and would love to return on a sunnier day to see the contrast.

 There are 100 of these solid cast iron statues placed on the beach in Crosby near Liverpool.

 We noticed that they are all weathering very differently.

Well worth a visit.

Elsecar - and it's hidden treasure.

I've taken to you to Elsecar many many times before and shown you some of it's hidden gems, but I managed to photograph a real treat for you this evening.  

It wasn't the "Bun and Milk " club.  This was the miners lodging house for single coal miners who were brought in to work at Earl Fitzwilliam's new colliery in the 1750's.  As well as bedrooms, it contained a social club, but it was teetotal - hence the nick name of this fine establishment (now apartments).

 before the colliery was built, Elsecar consisted of 4 farms and nothing else.  These very early miners cottages were designed by the renowned architect John Carr of York.  Earl Fitzwilliam had employed John Carr to design a new wing on nearby Wentworth Woodhouse his country pile - I think it's amazing that he used the same architect to design his workers homes.

 I would love to step back in time to when the whole population of the village shopped here too.  Almost all of the old shops are now converted to houses.

 I do remember some of them being shops up until the 1970's - it's such a shame we changed our shopping habits so much.

 Milton Hall is the large community centre that would have been the centre of village life.  it's here that scenes like the baby clinic, pantomime, scouts and guides, village dances etc would have been played out over the ages.

 The old pit yard has a multitude of different uses these days - being part of the Heritage Centre, most of the great old buildings and workshops have been saved and re used.  Part of this building was Earl Fitzwilliams own private  railway station - now a very noisy indoor children's play area!!

 You can find bricks made at the old brickyard and ironmongery made at the old foundry.  It's hard to believe that everything that was used in the colliery would have been made in the village.

 The old flour mill is still a spectacular building backing onto the canal.  It now houses a stained glass craft company.

 The old railway station operates steam trains on a regular basis.  They have also opened a small museum to the Miners Strike of 1984-1985 which is quite moving and free to wander around.  It hasn't got much in it, they are building up a collection, but the photographs are heartbreaking (as was the whole debarkle!)

 Holy  Trinity Church has many interesting features.

 It has some very sad reminders of the area's past.

 But the real treasure is inside.  4 stunning windows to commemorate World War 1 in Elsecar by William Morris no less.  The colours are very William Morris - so rich and deep and green.

 I didn't have much time as they were about to start their Maundy Thursday service - a bit late in the day, but the Vicar had been to meet HRH the Queen in Sheffield at the Cathedral's Maundy service.

 I think these are fabulous - such a treasure in such an unassuming place.

 I hope that you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Have a lovely Easter each and every one of you.