A Little Light Reading

I know there's no such thing as 'too many books' but having just moved house sometimes it felt that way.  It took a lot of effort to give my wee library a new home.  Public libraries have the same problem on a larger scale.  This beautiful addition to the main library in Liverpool not only provides a home for thousands of volumes, it also creates a beautiful, cathedral-like workspace for the bookworms of the city.

New Kid on the Block

This magnificently complex gothic edifice - Liverpool Anglican Cathedral - looks as if it has towered towards the heavens for many centuries.  In fact, that couldn't be further from the truth.  Construction was started a year after man's first powered flight, and wasn't finished until nine years after the first moon landing.  Famously, it is connected to the city's Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral by Hope Street (more by coincidence than design unfortunately).  It is the longest cathedral in world and if you're fit and free from vertigo, its huge bell tower provides tremendous panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. 

The Downward Spiral

I spent a great day at the Museum of Liverpool perusing exhibits which tell the many different stories of this great city.  Some exhibits were plain and unassuming, while others were a bit more ostentatious.  But for me, the most eye-catching thing in the whole place was the central staircase.  Every angle brought a new view; and every view brought a new angle.  It's part lighthouse, part seashell and - at the risk of sounding like a staircase headcase - I could have wandered around it for hours.

Close Encounters on the Beach

What would an alien look like if he landed on Earth and decided that his first priority was a bracing stroll on the beach?  That probably wasn't the question sculptor Antony Gormley was asking as he placed dozens of these figures - made in his own image - on the beach at Crosby, near Liverpool.  Each figure is weathered differently by the sea, wind and weather and consequently they all seem to have adopted slightly differing personalities.  The statues stare out to sea in silent contemplation, encouraging mere humans to do likewise.  And just to bring the whole thing back down to Earth, this chap's 'spaceship' is the roof of the local leisure centre.

Blooming Housing Market

When I was a poor student, luxury accommodation consisted of a room with a window and access to a toilet that was shared with fewer than a dozen other students.  Things appear to have moved on a bit and most halls of residence here come with en-suite bathrooms and state of the art cooking facilities.  This building even looks quite good from the outside - and the view over a wildflower meadow must make even the most appalling hangover seem just a little more bearable.

Take a Bow. Or Two...

Meanwhile, back in Liverpool...  The city is rightfully very proud of its maritime heritage.  The dock area is a great place to explore and a lot of money has obviously been spent on rejuvenation over the last few years.  Even the architecture has been carefully chosen to reflect the city's maritime roots.  This beautiful building literally mirrored the older buildings of the area, and metaphorically mirrored the bow of this very bright lightship.

Reflections of History

I currently live in the north of Scotland but the chap who manages my career has got a good sense of humour, so I've been working in Liverpool for a while.  I don't think I've ever been so surprised by a city.  All negative connotations evaporated as soon as I had the opportunity to explore the place on foot.  I'm sure if you look up 'architectural juxtapositions' in the dictionary it just says: 'Liverpool'.