The Towers and Trilithon Tour- Part II: Liverpool to London

For orientation purposes, Part I of the blog covers west of London (Windsor, Stonehenge, Bristol, Bath, and Stratford-upon-Avon), and this section picks up at Warwick Castle, northwest to Liverpool, further north to the Lake District, and Hadrian's Wall in the far north near Newcastle.

Warwick Castle

Another travel tip from our friend Irene was if we were going to Stratford and wanted to see a proper English castle, pop over to nearby Warwick. Although it was a drizzly day, the visit did not disappoint. Warwick Castle is the stuff of childhood play fantasy come to life, with towers, walls, regal halls, and dungeons to explore with no pesky live royals to hamper access.

View from tower

It has its own place in history, playing roles in the War of the Roses (1455-87) and the English Civil War (1642-51) . King Edward IV was imprisoned there for a while, Richard III ordered building of gun towers, and Elizabeth I visited. Generally being on the wrong side of these conflicts led to gradual disrepair, but it had a rebirth as a tourist destination after a 1858 visit by Queen Victoria to the 4th Earl of Warwick. In 1978 it was bought by the Tussauds Group (the wax-works people), which may explain the presence of Henry VIII and his wives.

Liverpool

After the castle adventure, it was off to Liverpool. I did not know what to expect but felt a compulsion to pay homage to the Fab Four. Although the Beatles' music is known by all, I can't imagine other generations fully appreciate the profound impact the entire phenomenon had on children of the '60s. I was thirteen when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and 19 when they broke up in 1970. They were the cliched "soundtrack" of my teen years: we grew up together. Every Beatles song or headline corresponds to some memory from middle school (known as junior high school back in the day) through college.
It is one of the 100 most visited cities in the world by international tourists and Beatles tourism, from bus tours to museums to memorabilia, clearly is the #1 reason. Evidence of their legacy and role in spearheading the British Invasion is everywhere. We stayed on the waterfront next the Mersey ferries near this popular photo op.

Bronze Beatles in front of Port of Liverpool Building

That's where we hopped on the Beatles Tour bus for an introduction to the city and its legendary places which served as inspiration for many of their classic songs. Being there in the flesh made that much more real.

Visiting those landmarks and driving past the childhood homes of the four lads made clear what a small area spawned this "revolution", if you will, and how remarkable that they found one another. You will go by the corner where John's mother was tragically killed by a speeding car, the barbershop on Penny Lane, and the now-abandoned children's home Strawberry Field.

John Lennon's childhood home

The original Cavern Club, the basement dive most closely associated with the Beatles' early days, no longer exists. It was filled in in 1973 during work on the Liverpool Underground, but the location in Mathew Street alley features many tributes to that era, and some present-day nightspots. To be fair, many of statuary tributes around town are less than faithful likenesses.

The Cavern Wall of Fame

"John" outside the Cavern Club entrance

The Beatles led the British Invasion and specifically introduced the Mersey Beat Sound to US shores. Groups recalled primarily by those of my generation (i.e., Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas, The Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers) are celebrated by Liverpudlians. One of the biggest local stars immortalized by a life-sized recreation was Cilla Black. The beloved Cavern Club hatcheck girl, befriended by the Beatles and possessed of talent and drive, she had a 50 year career in the UK as a recording and TV star until her death in 2015.

Cilla Black (1943-2015) on Mathew St.

Back at dockside we visited The Beatles Story, a tourist-friendly museum that traces the band's history. You can see:

1. George's first guitar
2. A recreation of the Cavern Club
3. A copy of the 1843 circus poster that inspired "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"

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They also display what they call the "Holy Grail" of Beatles memorabilia: a very rare original 10" acetate from  1962 with "Hello Little Girl" on the A-side and 'Til There Was You" on the B-side. This  recording was presented by manager Brian Epstein to producer George Martin which led to him suggesting EMI Records sign the group, launching the quartet. And the rest, they say......well, you know !

Sold at auction in 2016 for £77,500

I was pleased to find much more to the city than Mop-Top history and Mersey Beat memories. From Beatles lore, I expected to find a hardscrabble, tough, somewhat seedy port town. Maybe it was post-WWII, but modern Liverpool is quite different, with beautifully restored historic structures and an exciting cultural vibe. It shares a similar history with Bristol, a city it overtook as the major Western UK port by the 19th century, when Liverpool was headquarters of the Cunard Line and other major shipping companies. It was also a major player in the Africa/North America/UK slave trade triangle. It was still a very vital port in WWII and also suffered heavy damage from German bombing. Since the 1970's there has been a major renewal and reinvention of the city. At the heart of this is the impressive re-purposing of the waterfront, and in particular Albert Dock.

The Albert Dock complex

A modern marvel when it was opened by Prince Al himself in 1846, Albert Dock was the first enclosed, non-combustible dock warehouse system in the world, and the first structure in Britain to be built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone. Due to war-time damage and the loss of much shipping business, it deteriorated and was closed in 1972. With meticulous planning and dedication, the dock was refurbished and reopened in 1984 to much acclaim as major tourist site while preserving the historic character of the docks and warehouses. It is home to four major museums (the aforementioned Beatles Story, Tate Liverpool, the Mersey Maritime and International Slavery Museums), restaurants, hotels, and commercial spaces.
Other random sights around town include:

1. A nude statue on the old Lewis's Department store. Its official title is Liverpool Resurgent but locals dubbed him 'Dickie Lewis' for obvious reasons.
2. A collection of brightly painted Superlambananas, an unlikely lamb/banana hybrid, designed by artist Taro Chiezo.
3. Gigantic Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, opened in 1978. 
4. Gigantic Catholic Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, opened in 1967.
5. Chinatown.

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I was puzzled and amused by the side of a building "advertising" Van Gogh Ltd., a fictional business involving cloning Vincent's ear. I learned it was a project by Lu Pingyuan for the Liverpool Biennial 2016 celebration of international art.
 
 In summary: so much to see and do in Liverpool, a fun place, highly recommended.

Pier Head, Liverpool with an equestrian Edward VII, the Cunard Bldg. (L), Port of Liverpool Blgd. (R)

The Lake District

I have heard about the beauty of the Lake District in England since my freshman year at UC Berkeley studying the Romantic poets, especially Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth. The area is a National Park and considered one of the best spots in England for enjoying the scenery and tramping. We spent the night in an inn overlooking Windermere, the largest natural lake in England. The weather was a bit cloudy and wet, but the village was exactly as you might expect, quaint and rustic. I am sure in high season it is rather unpleasantly congested. 

Lake Windermere

The local library has a permanent exhibit telling the tale of the Windermere Boys of WWII. 300 or so child survivors of concentration camps were flown to the Lake District to recover in body and spirit. This compassionate reaching out to refugees from the great horror changed lives on both sides, and many of those children have gone on to lead distinguished lives in their adopted homeland.

I'm sorry my photos really don't do justice to the pastoral beauty of the region.

Roadside stone bridge

This stock photo might give you a better idea

Further north in Grasmere is Dove Cottage, the home of Wordsworth during his lake days. You can visit the modest home and inspect some curios like his passport and the document from Queen Victoria naming him Poet Laureate of the UK in 1843. His best-known work is "I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud" with the first stanza:

          I wandered lonely as a cloud
          That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
          When all at once I saw a crowd,
          A host, of golden daffodils;
          Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
          Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

Dove Cottage, Grasmere

(Mea culpa: My liberal arts education is a bit lacking, as I conflated William Wordsworth with William Blake, a contemporary but quite different poet and artist.) 

Hadrian's Wall

Traveling north nearing the present border with Scotland you will find another Roman gift to Britannia. In 122AD, then Emperor Hadrian decided he had had enough of trying to tame the wild men in the north, so he demanded a barrier be constructed 73 miles from east to west coast. It demonstrated the mastery the Romans had with what we now call infrastructure: walls, bridges, roads, fortresses, and gates They were built to last, and they have, as you can still see the extensive ruins of the largest Roman artifact anywhere.

Current scholars suggest the wall was not primarily intended for defense, as at a height of 16-20 feet (5-6 meters) an invading army could likely breach it. It may have functioned to collect taxes and regulate trade between the two sides. At several sites you can inspect the well-organized grid of a fort, including baths, quarters for cavalry with horses, barracks, and officer's compounds.  

Bathhouse overlooking the North Tyne at Chesters Roman Fort

Foundations at Housesteads Fort

Floor decoration in Commander's complex at Chesters, representing a symbol of authority (i.e., cock & balls)

Part of the extant wall

A long stretch of the wall visible worming its way over the crest of the hill

Chesters Roman Fort also has a museum with artifacts from the area. Here a few that caught my eye.

Genii cuculatti-  3 local spirits, possibly for fertility

The Metal Mirror collage

Photographer Stephen Sacks was inspired by ancient Roman coins found in the Coventina Fountain, changed by time and the effects of water. This led to "The Metal Mirror", images of these coins shot with special filters and lights.

We lucked out when we spent the night at a funky local inn and pub called the Railway Hotel & Bistro in Haydon Bridge. The people were warm and friendly, the bed comfortable, and the food surprisingly good (I had the pheasant). Four stars!!!!

The last of our 11 days exploring the countryside was spent driving south towards London. Just off the M1 motorway past Newcastle upon Tyne, you literally cannot miss the landmark Angel of the North. The steel sculpture by Antony Gromley in 1988 is 20 meters (66 ft) tall, with wings measuring 54 meters (177 ft) across, and a irresistible photo op.

 

(You may have noted a higher-than-usual number of selfies. That is because we learned one family member worried we would be blown up by UK terrorists, so we sent daily photos stating "Alive and well in ________!")

Part III of this blog will pick up in London and then back to Timaru via Singapore. 

Stay tuned.