Liverpool One

Liverpool was granted the title 'European Capitol of Culture - 2008' a few years ago, and so there have been tonnes of development in the city centre since we lived there 2 years ago and it's now all finished and open and they did a FANTASTIC job!

Liverpool is named after a mythical bird, the Liver bird (pronounced lie-ver). The new area of downtown is call Liverpool One (due to the fact that it's in the post code L1). Hence, the bilboard of the Liver bird holding a 1 in his mouth

Everything looks even nicer all decorated for Christmas



My favorite sandwhich takeaway place

The very crappy excuse for a Christmas market

Grant with the Albert Dock behind him
The Liver building, if you look closely, you can see two Liver birds at the top of the two spires...this building looks gorgeous lit up at night

Inner part of the Albert Dock
The new arena, this is across the quay from the flat we lived in in 2006, we watched this get built. This is where the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards were held in November.
A view of the top of the Catholic Cathedral from the docks, it's also called 'Paddy's Wigwam'

A view of the Anglican Cathedral, which is at the opposite end of Hope street from Catholic cathedral
The coolest Starbucks in the world at the end of the Beatles Story (museum)

Life in Liverpool - our neighbourhood

We moved into the basement/cellar of a big old victorian house. We're 2 minutes from Sefton Park, the biggest park in Liverpool and Lark Lane, a trendy street.

Our entrance

Our building

The gates to Sefton Park

Sefton Park in the fall, very pretty
Sefton Park in the Winter, not as pretty, but still nice

The Palm House, in the middle of Sefton Park, a popular wedding spot

The Library

Lark Lane

This is a house I passed on the walk to the Liver Laundrette

Bonfire Night a.k.a Guy Fawkes Night

A little history lesson...

Remember, remember the fifth of November

The gunpowder, treason and plot

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

Guy Fawkes was in charge of executing the Gunpowder Plot, a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament with King James I and the protestant aristocracy inside. The plot was foiled and he was caught, hung, drawn and quartered.

They used to celebrate Guy Fawkes day by little kids making an effigy of Guy Fawkes and sitting on the street saying 'penny for the guy?' and then would burn the effigy on November 5th. This is a little politically incorrect these days, so now they call it bonfire night and set off fireworks in the backyard. Bigger cities also have a big fireworks display.

Another tidbit of info, if you are a vet, be prepared for people coming in on or a day before, demanding you give them a tranquilizer for their dog because they freak out from the noise, and get very angry and yell at you when you say, 'I can't prescribe a tranquilizer with out seeing your dog and have you pay for an exam fee.'

We went to the fireworks display in Sefton Park, 2 minute down the road.

Moving

Documentation of the move from Buckshaw to Liverpool

Packing up 23 Durham Drive...

My 'I'm not having fun packing' face

Loading the rental van...
Pretty much all cleared out and spotless

Grant driving the van (a 'white van man', meaning a man who drives a white van, it's a term here...seriously)

Uloading the third and final trip...

Grant doing some skillful manouvering of the 5 million tonne chiropractic table

Unloading everything in the new place (tv box in the bathroom)
Bike in the living room...
Et, voila! The new place!
The office area
The spare room where we keep all the junk