My Mersey Paradise..

I wonder how many of you actually appreciate and/or realise the status of where you live? 

(for those who live in and around Merseyside)

(So I don't have to cut back later, I will be referring to both Liverpool and the Wirral.)

(Anyone hating history, scroll down to the <<>> to read about modern celebs)

 I certainly don't appreciate it.. and then like a wave it'll hit me! It's happened a few times, when I've heard a story or accidentally looked into something. The sheer amount of stuff that has happened around here is actually quite astounding.. Yes the Beatles, but it appears that is just the tip of the scouse-berg.

I think I'll start from an earlier date.. 1715.. the year the first dock in Liverpool was built. Thanks to this helpful economic addition, the rest of Liverpool's future at that time was funded by the one and only Slave Trade, bit awkward.. It is good to know, however, that many prominent scousers at that point were at the forefront of abolishing the Slave Trade..

Fast forward a bit, at the beginning of the 19th century, and we were seeing a huge 40% of the entire worlds trade passing through Liverpool, fair do's, and then in 1830 the worlds first intercity railway was built between Liverpool and Manchester. Again, fair do's.

White Star Line HQ

A major thing that interests me is Liverpool's involvement with the Titanic. The ship was originally supposed to pass through on her maiden voyage, but the plan was cancelled at the last minute and I can't seem to find out why.. Bruce Ismay, one of the men behind the ship's creation (the twat with the moustache who jumps in the lifeboat in the film), lived in Liverpool and had a mansion in Thurstaston on the Wirral, and continued to live there until after the First World War.. White Star Line's head offices were in the city centre as well, right next door to James Street Station and is still there, but virtually unused, something which really pisses me off, a building with that much history is just sitting there! As can probably be guessed, a large portion of the crew were from Liverpool and surrounding areas, including the lookout who spotted the iceberg, and finally, the ships bell and all of her 900 portholes were made in St Helens, very cool.. 

Fast forward a little bit to the Second World War and Liverpool was indeed a key feature.. during this time we see our beloved city suffer 80 air raids, killing over 2,000 people and wiping out more than 70% of housing. Birkenhead and Wallasey on the Wirral also suffered, with the deaths numbering in the hundreds..

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As will probably be known, the Wirral and Liverpool is and has been home to a number of celebrities, but I won't be mentioning a lot of them.. Before I mention the obvious ones, I'd like to delve into some others. April Astley comes to mind, an amazing woman who underwent sexual reassignment surgery, and was not officially recognised as a woman for most of her life. There's Derek Acorah.. moving on.. Rick Astley.. That's right, the Rick Rolling started right here.. Pete Burns is from Port Sunlight.. The awesome twat that started Hornby toys (Frank Hornby) hails from these parts.. Y'know what, there is just far too many to list and I don't want to undersell anybody or miss out crucial people whilst listing relatively generic celebrities. Look it up yourself! 

Filmed on the Liverpool Docks

Talking mainly about Liverpool here, it's quite a nice surprise to know how much Liverpool is featured on TV and in Films, either as itself or standing in to replicate New York or Dublin and other such places.. We have the 51st State with Robert Carlyle and Samuel L. Jackson, Nowhere Boy about John Lennon, and of course the wonderful film Shirley Valentine! 

G'wed Ladbrokes..

Those three examples were both set in and shot in Liverpool. The following were shot in Liverpool, but set somewhere else.. Alfie, Captain America, The Dark Knight, The Deathly Hallows and Fast and Furious.

A little bit less prestigious but still interesting is that Natwest, Ladbrokes, Hovis, Coca Cola and Foxy Bingo have all filmed adverts in Liverpool.. winning.

There we are..we learned, we laughed and we loved, now piss off.

Jack 

Recognise? Liverpool Central with the John Lewis building in the background..