Liverpool City Breaks 2012 

Just a few short years ago, Liverpool had a terrible reputation as a run down and poverty ridden town that few would think of visiting for pleasure. However, in recent years it has seen something of a renaisance and was awarded the status of European Capital of Culture in 2008 and justly so.

My family and I ventured to Liverpool last summer. I have been a big fan of the Beatles since my teens and to be honest, the only reason I wanted to visit the city was to see the band related city sites, however, we had a fantastic short break here and I was extremely impressed with not only the city but also the friendliness of the people of Liverpool.

We arrived late on a Thursday afternoon and checked into our hotel, the brand new Jurys Inn Hotel just across from the Albert Dock and the Echo Arena. We emerged an hour or so later for an afternoon stroll and I was immediately struck by how pleasant the Albert Dock area was. I was vaguely familiar with the Albert Dock from seeing Fred doing the weather on 'This Morning with Richard and Judy' but that was about as far as my knowledge went. The area is now home to many cafes, museums and shops and is an extremely pleasant place to spend some time.

The old television studio is now the Tate Britain and also in the vicinity is the excellent 'Beatles Museum'. The souvenir shops also stock some nice stuff, mainly relating to The Beatles and the city's two big teams, Liverpool and Everton. The area was bustling with people when we visited and was very lively. The general atmosphere of gaeiety was further enlivened by the 'Yellow Submarine' amphibious bus which sails through the Albert Dock and drives around the surrounding roads. The Magical Mystery Tour bus also leaves from the Albert Dock which adds further colour to the area.

On our second day, we were booked onto the Magical Mystery Tour for the afternoon so decided to take a walk through the town centre in the morning. I was amazed at how modern and clean the town centre looked. Having never visited Liverpool before, I had no way of comparing what had gone before with the sparkling new shops and buildings I seen before me, however, practically the entire area must have been flattened to make way for the shiny new shopping area.

We finished our day (after the Magical Mystery Tour) in the Cavern Club on Matthew Street listening to Beatles songs played live by a solo guitarist and very pleasant it was too. Liverpool must surely now be one of the best city break destinations in the UK.