Leaving Liverpool for Birkenhead
Back to Liverpool, except this time, we stayed in Birkenhead. While the beloved was (working) at the UK Drum Show, I explored this town across the Mersey. The Premier Inn we were in was quiet on a Saturday, the town centre was bustling with activity and undergoing a significant facelift.
Their Waterstones is fabulous, with a large cafe and - get this, toilets in the cafe. It’s possible to do this! I also noticed a signed book by a Liverpool author, which I had just purchased and was glad to have signed at the Birmingham Literature Festival.
A bit of research revealed the library was worth seeing. In my eyes, every library is worth seeing, and I walked a good 15 minutes out of the town centre to reach this beautiful Georgian building perched on a hill surrounded by trees and autumnal splendour.
I heard music when I popped in; not what you expect in a library. It turned out to be a fundraiser and a couple of people were singing a Beatles number - because that’s the law in this part of the world; you can’t go more than 3 minutes without a Beatles reference in Merseyside.
I discovered murals of Paul O’Grady while looking at the map by chance. On my last day, I decided to check them out on my way back to the station, dragging my wheely case behind me. As I passed the station and headed towards the riverfront, the rain started to fall and soon became heavy. I spent about 15 minutes walking in the pouring rain, trying to navigate a map that led me to dead ends along the river. It didn’t help that I was in a quiet industrial area with hardly anyone around. However, I’m glad I persevered.
Once I reached Liverpool, I treated myself to an extravagant Sunday brunch for one at Ezra & Gil. I spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the excellent shops and reading my book in various coffee shops until it was time to head home.
Popping between Liverpool and Birkenhead over the weekend proved simple and inexpensive, and we headed back into the city for dinner on the Saturday evening. The Met Quarter has a newly opened food hall and I was delighted with finding Little India, which served excellent food and offered attentive service.
Birkenhead is on the mend, and Merseyside never disappoints.
