Last Updated on September 20, 2022
To me, the city of Liverpool is an engaging display of counterpoints: Youth plus tradition. Hip, fast, and energetic yet relaxed, cool, and laid-back. Not only new, but also nostalgic. Busily playful. Clean yet gritty.
I begin my self-guided tour in the expansive, well-developed harbor area that stretches on for blocks. My goal is simple and commonplace, yet exciting: to find the famous larger-than-life bronze sculpture of the Fab Four and to have my photo taken with them. Along the way I encounter delightful sights and sounds.
I walk along the River Mersey (yes, the very same as in Ferry Cross the Mersey, Gerry and the Pacemakers, circa 1964). I soon notice small padlocks hanging from a heavy iron chain that separates me from the water. I see more and more of these hanging padlocks, some so old that they are rusty, and a few so rusty that they are disintegrating and broken. They all have names written or painted on them. Finally, I encounter a local Liverpoolian who can satisfy my curiosity about these padlocks. “They’re called love locks,” he tells me. He explains that it’s a tradition for sweethearts to hang a padlock on the chain as a public declaration of their bond to one another. I am enamoured with the whole idea.
Love Locks
Along the way, a huge waterside ferris wheel and a merry-go-round add to the happy vibe. So do the two street musicians I pass – one a black man blowing his trumpet, the other an old white dude strumming and singing along with his cd’s and speakers.
Before reaching the Beatles sculpture, I unexpectedly come upon two other lovely, large bronze sculptures. The first, titled “The Crossing,” depicts a somber 19th Century family of four – mother, father, son, daughter – prepared to board a ship in Liverpool to emigrate to America, as did tens of thousands of English seeking a better life. The second sculpture, titled “Waiting,” is a lifesize muscular workhorse, a beast of burden used for over 250 years to transport cartloads of shipments away from the Liverpool docks to local warehouses and railroad yards. At the peak of this tradition, which continued through WWII, more than 20,000 workhorses were used by the Liverpool Carters. The practice ended in the 1950’s, but this statue, completed in 2010, is a monument to the affection and appreciation with which the memory is still held. In the presence of both of these sculptures, I am touched and emotionally moved.
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
At last, I see the crowd waiting in line to get up-close and personal with Paul, George, Ringo, and John. My turn comes. To myself, I am singing, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and I do just that with my favorite Beatle, John Lennon, while an accommodating fellow-tourist captures the shot on my phone.
Six lanes of speeding traffic separate these harbor attractions from downtown proper. Lively crowds of pedestrians cross this huge thoroughfare according to well-regulated signals. I am still training myself to look right (not left) when stepping off a curb! On the other side of this busy boulevard, for block after block, big, attractive buildings face the harbor and river. They include sleek, modern constructions as well as samples of lovely 19th architecture. Amid them is the entryway to an open, sprawling, multi-level urban mall, the likes of which might be found in any large 21st century city.
Yes, I like Liverpool. I like the contrasts and the juxtapositions. I like the reminders of tradition alongside new concepts and the pride in history alongside new design. “She Loves Me…Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!”
~Julie Helms~