As you’ll know if you’ve read the previous post this has been, in some ways, a bit of a week. So on a day that promised sunny intervals I felt I could do with a good gentle walk. Starting at the top of Princes Boulevard, then a circular route through Liverpools 8 and 1, back to the beginning.
Often on urban walks I’ll focus on side streets and hidden gems. Today I decide to stick mainly to main roads and maybe see things I’d normally walk or drive past.
- Next along is the lovely Greek Orthodox church.
On the corner of Princes and Upper Parliament the Cathedral looms. 
Looking across Catharine Street to lovely Egerton Street. The line of the street entirely spoiled by its 1980s additions along there. The City Planning Department must have been asleep that day.
This means a great deal to so many of us who miss the old Everyman and its Bistro so much. Here’s our short film of its last day in 2011.
- A new Everyman for all of us.
And I understand from people who’ve been inside that it looks great and feels ‘oddly familiar’. Can’t wait. 
Next it’s the Catholic Cathedral. 
A piece of 60s architecture I think works perfectly. 
Frederick Gibberd’s beautiful work in stained glass. 
I begin looking up from my life. 
Though I have no religious beliefs I find this building inspirational. 
And always have. 
Since I was an altar boy here, at its opening celebrations in 1967.
Leaving the Cathedral, looking along Hope Street at the new Everyman. 
- Around in Rodney Street, the tomb of William Mackenzie, Victorian civil engineer and gambler. Urban myth says he was buried sitting up at a card table, yeah.
Arriving at town now, time for some serious looking up.
But before we do, a word about this place on Bold Street.
I never pass here without a fond smile. The woman on the mic in the shop announcing today’s bargains is a gem and her demonstrations of a Scouse accent in full flow are peerless. Today’s particular treat was ‘Come on ladies, get yer cupcake dresses(?) – supposed to be £19 but today we’re giving them away for a fiver!’ A while back someone was sniffy about her on Twitter. I immediately stopped following them.
Anyway, looking up. If you’ve been around this blog for a while you’ll be more than familiar with Liverpool city centre by now. But even if you live here you might not have done much looking up at the buildings above the shops. Here they are.
Coming briefly back to earth, at the end of Paradise Street.
What will we do, in the end, with all these places full of tiny rooms? Squeeze whole families fleeing the Tories’ Bedroom Tax into them?
At the corner of Great George’s and Parliament Streets, a curiosity.
A good walk then and a reminder of the power of looking up and looking out from your life. As I write the rain is bucketing down, but that was a good sunny interval we had today.
And remember during 2012 we catalogued a whole year of Friday Walks.
one word for a change ron GREAT
Good to see. Always look up from street level – so much of the history and architectural fineness can be found there.
The “Welsh Cathedral” wasn’t a C of E Church. It was actually a Welsh language Calvinistic Methodist Chapel (more recently known as The Presbyterian Church of Wales).