Friday, March 28th, 2025
This morning we checked out of our hotel in Durham.
On our drive to Liverpool we saw a beautiful full rainbow.
On our drive we saw some Highland cows in England.
In the village of Brough, Cumbria, England we saw the medieval ruins of the Brough Castle. It was built on the site of a Roman fort, Verteris in the 12th century.
Much of the fields and farms that we passed were divided by stone walls. This began in England in the 12th century and continues today.
We arrived in Liverpool and it was such a beautiful day but very windy!
We got off the bus and headed to lunch where we had reservations at the Philarmonic Dining Rooms.
The Philharmonic Dining Rooms was called The Phil by the locals. It was a historic pub built between 1898 and 1900. It was famous for its mens toilets! Buddy Holly performed here as well as Paul McCartney (as seen on James Corden’s The Late Late Show).
Outside of the Philharmonic were two signs, one that allowed dogs and the other that mentioned the toilets in the mens room.
Once we ordered our food, we had to visit the restrooms to compare the men’s to the women’s. Women could check out the men’s room if it was vacant. The men’s room was definitely more elaborate than the women’s room.
The Philharmonic as we walked in for our reservation.
We ate lunch in the room where Paul McCartney did a surprise performance with James Corden from The Late Late Show. Here is a YouTube link to watch the surprised guests in the pub, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPmD9C2uab4.
After lunch we had time to visit the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. It was the largest Catholic cathedral in England. The architect that won an open competition was Frederick Gibbard. One of the requirements for the design competition was that every member in the cathedral could see the altar. Gibbard’s design was a cathedral in the round. Construction began in 1962 and it was completed in 1967.
The main focus was the white marble altar and the floor was also gray and white marble.
We saw the statue of Hugh Stowell Brown. He was a 19th century preacher and social activist in Liverpool. His statue was one of three Liverpool clergymen who received the honor of a statue.
The Wellington’s Column or it was also called the Waterloo Memorial was completed in 1863. It was a monument to the Duke of Wellington that celebrated his achievements. His most notable was the Battle of Waterloo.
In the photo below, the Art Deco building on the left was the George’s Dock Ventilation building. It was a ventilation shaft for the first Mersey tunnel and also had some offices. It was built in the 1930s.
The building on the right of the above photo was the Port of Liverpool building that was completed in 1907. During WWII its eastern wing was damaged from a bomb hitting the building. It was restored after the war ended.
The Beatles bronze statue was located on Liverpool’s waterfront. It was sculpted by Andrew Edwards and placed in 2015. The statue was donated by the Cavern Club which was a famous music venue. The Cavern Club was also where the Beatles began!
The Beatles statue was the most popular selfie spot in Liverpool and it was very busy when we visited. Of course we took photos too!
Our next stop was the Royal Albert Dock for The Beatles Story!
The Beatles Story was a museum that had authentic memorabilia and incorporated immersive experiences. If you were a Beatle fan then you were impressed with the displays. We had an audio guide that allowed us to move at our own pace. This experience gave us the complete history and rise of the Beatles. It was well worth the time. Click through the slideshow below to view some highlights from The Beatle Story!
When we left The Beatles Story, we drove down Penny Lane. Penny Lane lyrics were written by Paul McCartney. It was memories of his childhood neighborhood in Liverpool. Some of the people named in the lyrics were based on actual people that Paul remembered. If you don’t know the song please look it up and listen to it.
Our bus driver also took us past John Lennon’s childhood home. The current homeowners have a plaque on the front of the home and another sign on the side of the driveway entrance letting people know where his home was located. The plaque on the home said that John Lennon lived in this home from 1945-1963.
After a busy day in Liverpool we checked into our hotel in Chester, England.
