Liverpool - Day 3

We packed up and left the hotel in the morning, and walked up Dale Street to the Central Library. Part of this is a modern building, but it also incorporates the amazing Picton Reading Room.

There is also the Hornby Library.

The modern part is also impressive, with a glass dome on top and a roof terrace.

We then went across the road to St George's Hall, regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world.

It combined the High Court with a music concert hall. First we could walk round the old holding cells and a display of punishment equipment.

Then upstairs to the Crown Court itself.

Along a corridor was the Liverpool Tapestry, made when Liverpool was European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Then the viewing gallery of the main hall with a fantastically elaborate organ.

We next went for some brunch at Leaf in Bold Street. Shirley had a full English breakfast, Scott had scrambled eggs with chorizo and sausage. It was very good.

While we were eating we worked out that the funeral of Ken Dodd, who died not long before, was about to take place at the Anglican Cathedral. We decided to take a walk up and have a look.

There was quite a crowd, and there was a big screen TV showing what was going on inside.

Shortly after it started we had to head for the station, where we caught the train home about 1.30pm, going via Wigan and Haymarket again. We got home about 6.15pm.

Liverpool - Day 2

For breakfast we went to the nearby Moose Cafe. This was great, Scott had fluffy cheese pancakes, bacon and maple syrup and Shirley had Green Line, a vegetarian potato hash with haloumi cheese served with toast. Very delicious!

It was raining in the morning but forecast to be dry later. We walked to the Mersey waterfront and went straight into the Museum of Liverpool.

This was interesting, we watched a short film about Liverpool's place in the British Empire. Then we had a walk around the exhibits, some train stuff and a mural cityscape.

It had stopped raining so we went for a walk outside. First we saw the "three graces", the impressive old Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.

We saw the Mersey ferry but didn't go on it.

And a statue of the Beatles.

We headed along the waterside to Albert Dock, first going in the Piermaster's House.

At Albert Dock itself we had a walk round the Slavery Museum and a bit of the Maritime Museum.

After this we walked up to the other side of the city centre, to the Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral. This has an interesting history as it was originally planned to be the largest cathedral in the world, but the plans were abandoned after the second world war as being too expensive.

The crypts had already been built by then, and are very impressive. You're not allowed to take photographs there unfortunately.

The upper part is a circular modern building, very interesting nonetheless.

We walked back into the city centre and headed for the Radio City Tower. This is a 138m high tower which you can pay to get to the observation deck at the top. The views were very good.

We could see abseilers cleaning the windows of the Lewis's Building.

We walked up past St Luke's bombed out church, which has been left as it was after the war.

Then we went for a pint a the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, a historic pub with ornate decoration.

Even the gents toilets are impressive.

We then went back to the hotel for a rest.

For dinner we went out to the Kasbah, a Moroccan restaurant in Bold Street which we'd seen earlier. We had hummus dips to start, then Shirley had lamb kofta kebabs with chips and salad, and Scott had lamb shank tagine with bread. It was very good, not as chain-like as the Mexican meal we had the previous night.

We went for a last drink at the Lime Kiln, a Wetherspoons pub, then went back to bed.