The Arts Society Welwyn Garden Liverpool trip

On 3rd September we set off for our four-night stay in Liverpool. On the way we visited Attingham Park. The warm, sunny weather was perfect for exploring the grounds, which included a wonderful walled garden, crammed with a variety of vegetables and flowers.

The House was equally interesting, particularly the details of life “downstairs”. The rooms were fully furnished, and it was possible to picture the life of these servants who observed a strict hierarchy of seniority.

On our first full day in Liverpool we met our Blue Badge Guide, Simone, and enjoyed an informative coach tour round the main attractions we would be seeing in more detail later on. The first of two stops in the morning was to visit the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, a truly awe-inspiring building with a fascinating history. Our second stop was the Metropolitan Cathedral, which provided quite a contrast in architectural styles. In the afternoon we visited Tate Liverpool and enjoyed some free time exploring Albert Dock.

Tuesday 5th September was a special day as we were visiting Crosby Beach to see Anthony Gormley’s “Another Place” which was keenly anticipated by our group.

The sun shone, the tide was out, and we were able to go on to the beach to view the figures. They stretched out for quite a distance, in fact as far as the eye could see there were solitary figures staring out to sea. Very impressive.

Then on to Port Sunlight, which resonated with our group as the creation of Port Sunlight influenced the Garden City movement, and we were told that Ebenezer Howard was greatly interested in the way in which Port Sunlight was developed. It was picturesque with small blocks of attractive varied housing and, as one might expect, lots of green open spaces.

Our final day in Liverpool started with a visit to the Central Library which combined modern architecture with historic rooms. As one entered, the building certainly had a “wow” factor. However, it was the Walker Art Gallery which deeply impressed many of our group, in fact several people spent their free afternoon further exploring and enjoying the wonderful works of art. Others went on the ferry across the Mersey or joined one of the many Beatles tours.

Homeward bound we stopped at Salford Quays to visit The Lowry. As we arrived earlier than expected we also had time to visit the Imperial War Museum North, and view the building designed by Daniel Libeskind which was intended to reflect the subject matter of the museum.

It was then onward to Welwyn Garden City and home.