Liverpool (27 July)

Ahoy! I’m in the port town of Liverpool, England.

Question for my personal curiosity: What is the first think you think of when you think of Liverpool?

Question for your interest’s sake: What do you call a resident of Liverpool? A Liverpoolean? A Liverpoolite? No. They are Liverpuddlians. No joke.

This morning I started the day with a glorious 5.5-mile run along the Avon River outside of Stratford. It’s the longest I’ve gone in a while and I really loved it. The countryside is beautiful and it’s so fun to run through it and feel so free.

The bus ride to Liverpool was nearly 3 hours. Upon our arrival, we checked into our hotel and went right to the docks. There we talked about the early church members who traveled through Liverpool before joining with the other Saints and heading west. We sang a few hymns there at the docks and I enjoyed thinking about those pioneers and especially about my ancestors. (Dad, did Robert Clifton come through Liverpool? That’s the main name I recalled today.)  I wondered what they felt as they stood on those docks. Were they certain that they were making the right decision? How did they know? Did they have a plan once they landed in North America? I really admire their tenacity and their willingness to give everything for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We found a statue the Church has given to the city to represent immigration to the new world. It’s estimated that 9 million immigrants went through Liverpool.

Liverpool docks

Doesn't it just have the church-statue feel?

Next we went to the Beatles Museum. I learned a bit about the Beatles so I can be a bit more culturally literate, but this was not the highlight of my day. 

Beatles Museum

Then I went with a few people to the international Slavery Museum. Liverpool played an important role in the slave trade. I enjoyed the contrast between this museum and singing hymns at the docks outside because I thought about how one place can be used for good or evil—the gathering of Zion or the commodifying of human beings. I saw two docks still standing that were constructed for the slave trade in the eighteenth century. They have left them there as a memorial and a reminder.

We went to the grocery store to get some stuff for dinner. Imagine eating food straight from the grocery store every day and having no way to prepare or refrigerate it afterwards. So, I ate a yogurt with blueberries, a whole wheat pita, and green beans. Interesting, huh? But it’s the least expensive way to go.

A bunch of us sat around in my hotel room enjoying our hodgepodge dinners and then Lori, Suzanne and I went for a walk along the docks. It’s Lori’s birthday! We ate strawberry trifle and looked around at the various statues and buildings. 

 City sites along the water

Liverpool is a pretty exciting place. The reason for my initial question is this: Kathryn and I were talking a lot about how much history is here, yet many people think only of the Beatles when they hear Liverpool. I thought of immigration. And from this day forward, I’ll think of a nice city where I enjoyed some history, thought about some ideas, and enjoyed the good weather.