A Ferry Crossed the Mersey

To commemorate August 1914, three huge marionettes were brought to Liverpool to walk the streets and tell the story of Liverpool during World War One.  Mary and I joined my dad, Linda, Josie and Hattie for a weekend in Liverpool to see the giant puppets.  I didn't get very good photos, but you can watch them on this footage. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-28488065

The marionettes are amazingly lifelike, testimony to the talent of the puppeteers. 

The first day, we walked several miles (according to my JawBone band) following the puppets and checking out the old Albert Docks.  The girls thought it was funny when "The Girl" sat down in the street and apparently peed.  I thought it was kinda, well, odd.  Then I remembered a friend telling me that this is what Chinese children do in the street, so I wondered if maybe they brought the show from Beijing, even thought it was a french theater company?
I'm still confused as to why the puppet peed in the street.  I may never know.

The last time I visited Liverpool I was in university.  We came to Liverpool following a favorite DJ to some famous dance club (I don't remember the name of) and we stayed in a cheap and cheerful youth hostel with free toast and tea in the morning.

Hattie found a place to belong.  Only the British will understand the pun.

The Albert docks have renovated into quite fancy apartments with cafes, restaurants, gift shops and museums lining the ground floors.  Richard and Judy used to host the This Morning show from the Albert Docks and the last time I was here you could still see the floating weather map, but it is since long gone.  It was quite exciting, as a kid, to watch Fred jump over to Ireland, never knowing if and when he was going to fall into the water.

Mary, looking quite city-chic with her new purse from Primark

Grandad, Mary, Hattie and Josie

Where's Linda?

Here comes grandma!

We decided to take a spin on the wheel.  City wheels seems to be the thing these days.  Ever since the London eye brought in the millennium, it seems like most major cities now have their own version.  Poor Linda kept her eyes shut for most of the experience.  But she didn't throw up and we all appreciated that!

Liverpool's Echo Arena

We saw a Ferry Cross the Mersey!

Gerry & The Pacemakers - Ferry Cross The Mersey (1965)

Grandma, resting in her wheelchair

We headed to Chinatown to find the dog.  He was also taking an afternoon nap.

We stayed in the Travel Lodge on The Strand opposite the docks.  You really can't beat the location of this hotel.  The only real complaint was the lack of air conditioning.  Not usually a problem, but it was a very hot weekend and the hotel is very much a greenhouse.  Poor dad took several cold showers overnight and I slept next to the only fan we had.

We ate dinner at the Red Hot World Buffet, in Liverpool One, so all the girls could eat whatever food they fancied.  The food was surprisingly good and there was a great variety.  Liverpool One is an open air mall, behind Chavasse Park with plenty to do, and it's own year-round beach.

The next day, my dad and I took a walk and I took some photos of interesting architecture on the way. 

The Port of Liverpool building to the left, the Royal Liver Building (with the UK's largest clocks, don't you know) to the right

Cunard Building

I wonder where the cruise ship was headed.

Our Lady and St. Nicholas church and Atlantic Tower

We couldn't quite figure out what this art deco building was, but figured it was some kind of control building for the Mersey Tunnel.  Turns out it's George's Dock Ventilation and Central Station of the Mersey Road Tunnel.  

Next up, Edinburgh...

Romans, Eagles, Faeries and Priories - UK 2014

Once again, I decided to spend a month in the UK to avoid the blistering heat of West Texas in July. Once again, temperatures in England soared, making it the fourth hottest summer since 1910.  

Five months pregnant and with no AC, I was a complete joy to be around the whole month!

It must be Heathrow!

This year, my UK blog is more of a photo blog.  For one, I am so far behind and maternity leave probably won't afford me much time to catch up (I keep imagining maternity leave is going to be something like an extended summer vacation with to-do lists and lunch plans.  Then I remember I will have a newborn baby to care for, and I seem to remember that being quite time consuming the first time around).  

Mary spent lots of time learning about Romans.  You can't visit my hometown and not learn about Romans and the Reivers.  

It was kid activity week at Birdoswald Roman Fort.  This place is a lot more fun and interesting than when I used to visit on school field trips.  Back then, we would don our wellies (it was always raining on these days) and walk down Hadrian's Wall.  We would be instructed to reenact some battle scene which usually meant scrambling over the wall in the rain and charging at the enemy, trying not to slip on the cow pats.  My favorite part of those trips was the bus ride and my bait box (why do northern English folk call a lunch kit a "bait"?).  

Mary learned about Roman musical instruments, clothing and weaponry.

Checking out the remains of some barracks

Someone has been here before :)

Sheep selfies

Then it was time to get serious.  There was a battle looming and Mary had to prepare.

Again, a lot more fun than a wet-wellie scrummage.

While we were around Brampton, we stopped by Fruits and Shoots for some peaches and walked around my old school town.

On another day, we visited my old lunchtime haunt, the Capon Tree Cafe. They still serve delicious food and cakes and the stairs still feel like they're about to collapse any moment.

One place I had never visited was the Lakeland Bird of Prey Center.  We spent an afternoon there looking at the birds, eating a picnic in the gardens, watching a demonstration, and visiting the quaint cafe.  Wherever you visit in England, there will be a quaint little cafe.

The gardens are very Beatrix Potter. But then, all English gardens are.  

Living in Midland, I forget what real gardens look like.

 

I taught Mary how to make daisy chains.

We found a magic doorway.

These were our favorite birds, the African Fish Eagle.  We were amused, and a little alarmed by its call, which you can see on this YouTube vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbzx2Qy_g8k

Mary's favorite bird of prey; the Peregrine Falcon

The flight show was really interesting and informative.

Mary had the opportunity to handle some pretty impressive birds.

Said quaint cafe

We spent some time at Lanercost Priory, just a few miles outside of Brampton.

The beautiful and now tranquil setting of Augustinian Lanercost Priory belies an often troubled history. Standing close to Hadrian's Wall, it suffered frequent attacks during the long Anglo-Scottish wars, once by Robert Bruce in person. The mortally sick King Edward I rested here for five months in 1306-7, shortly before his death on his final campaign. Yet there is still much to see in this best-preserved of Cumbrian monasteries. The east end of the noble 13th century church survives to its full height, housing within its dramatic triple tier of arches some fine monuments.

Reading its noble history makes me feel a little guilty that we used it as a hideout when we wanted to skip class.  I bet Ben and Kate remember the Jesus Loves You pencils.

 

 

Local artist drawing the priory

Another local place I used to frequent was Kirklinton Hall.  We ambled around these old ruins long before the place attracted any attention from potential buyers, so imagine my surprise when I heard it was now a "Hall and Gardens"  http://www.kirklintonhall.co.uk/ 

Sometime in the last few years, Kirklinton Hall was bought by a barrister, Chistopher Boyle.  Mr. Boyle plans to restore the 17th century ruin to its former glory for his, now ten year old, son Henry and his future wife.  Let's hope Henry doesn't grow up to defy his father and become a Caribbean Cruise entertainer or decide he'd rather live in Essex.

I met Amanda and her kiddos and we spent the afternoon checking out our old place.

At the forefront of the gardens is Longcleughside Beck, leading to the River Lyne.  Alongside the beck is the Faerie Glen, a woodland walk where children can spy hidden fairies hanging from the trees and hiding in nooks.  A walk over some footbridges will take you to the river, or you can sit up top on the bench and eat sweet peas as we did.

I was terrible at spotting fairies.  Luckily, Billy has a keen eye.

We let the kids go off an finish the fairy hunt.

 

It's hard to imagine how on earth this place can be restored without tearing it down first.  I'm pleased someone is trying.  It's a magical place and it will be a formidable home.

Next installment.... Liverpool and the Giant Puppets...