Love Letter To Liverpool

 Hello,

I hope whoever reading this is well, happy and having a lovely day. 

The sun is out here and although it definitely feels way too cold to be sure Winter isn't over and Spring is truly here, we are nearly at the end of April. 

Today as I walked into town, I felt the warm sun on my face and felt so excited for warmer days. I recently started gardening a few weeks ago and today potted up my Christmas Rose's to bloom in December and some Crocus bulbs alongside my Iris, Forget-me-nots, and Lobelia. I love the feeling of being in the sunshine, my hands in the soil and watching something so small, growing and flourishing through the seasons. 

Jack and I recently moved to a pretty Cheshire town, not far from our parents and to have a little yard with a washing line that pulls out, pots with plants and a mini greenhouse is wonderful. 

I realise I haven't caught the blog up since last September and I feel like I need to update an old friend. I have been feeling quite poorly for most of that time to be honest. Reducing prednisolone alongside three bouts of Covid and two chest infections was really hard. I'm now on the lowest dose I can be but waiting to see the endocrinology team as my adrenal glands aren't working as they should. I feel so fatigued as always but also so achy and dizzy a lot of the time so I'm hoping my appointment soon will help. Everyone looking after me has been so helpful and kind. 

Due to this, I sadly had to leave the wonderful job I had had for two years in Liverpool. Through my role I learnt a lot, met some lovely people and grew A LOT. Having to catch a bus for one hour each way every time I went into the office and becoming unwell quickly meant I had to work from home and this enabled me to work as long as I could, but I just wasn't recovering quickly enough to return and we decided after six month's of trying post-leaving-hospital that we should move closer to home. We settled on Cheshire as it's in-between Jack's office and our families' and it's been so nice to have support and time to see our loved ones more. 

Saying this, I feel like living in the city I'd always dreamed of living in for just over two years changed me. It made me more confident, more open to new ideas, find new inspiration, closer to Jack (we both started jobs four days after moving into a tiny apartment and didn't know a single person or most of the city) and I think it changed the trajectory of my life. It was here we were living when we got engaged at Formby Beach on my 25th Birthday, it was here I attended A&E more times in six months than I had in my life (6 times though I only remember 5), here where I stayed over three weeks in hospital (cumulatively) through this and here where I was diagnosed with EGPA Vasculitis after feeling really unwell for 12 years. Here I turned two years older, here we had our banns read at the wonderful St Bride's Church as well as St Lawrence back home, here Jack started two jobs - the latter, the best job he's ever had and the one he enjoys the most. It was here we lived both in the famous Albert Dock and within a city centre for the first time in our lives. It was during our time living here that we married (I will do a blog post commemorating the day soon as it is nearly our anniversary!) More changed internally and externally in those two years than I can really fathom and I am beyond grateful to have had the experience. As hard as some things have been, they have moved us forward, given us the support we needed and opened our eyes. 

I realise, despite mentioning my love of the wonderful city of Liverpool in previous blog posts when I wasn't living there, everything became too busy to blog whilst I was. I thought this post could be a 'love letter' to the city that changed us and to perhaps encourage anyone reading this to go and explore Liverpool. 

Places to see:

1. The Anglican Cathedral/Metropolitan Cathedral

2. Royal Albert Dock

3. Echo Arena

4. Try the Wheel to see over the city

5. Everyman Theatre

6. Walk along Hope Street stopping for coffee on the way - 92 Degrees do great coffee and The Quarter does yummy lunch, as does Papillion. 

7. Shop in Liverpool 1

8. Try eating places along Albert Dock

9. Visit the Walker Art Gallery, Tate gallery (now at RIBA North), The Open Eye Gallery on The Strand. 

10. Visit the cells underneath St George's Hall 

11. See the City via open top bus

12. Go to the Cavern 

13. For a special occasion eat at Panoramic 34 - One of the UK's highest restaurants. 

14. Visit China town and find new cuisine in the Chinese supermarket

15. Try 'Baltic Bakehouse' for fresh bread a pastries in the Baltic Triangle or Try 'Rough Handmade' that sell similarly incredible pastries, on Albert Dock 

16. Visit 'Merseymade' to check out art sold by local artists

17. Visit one of the many lovely libraries in the city, including the 'Picton Reading Rooms' in Central Library or to visit Andrew Carnegie's plaque in the lovely Wavertree Library - I used to go here a lot!

18. Walk around the Georgian Quarter and marvel at the beautiful architecture, call into Abercrombie Square park. 

19. Visit Sefton park and the Palm House

20. Visit 'The Reader' at Calderstones and find local markets, reading groups and a wonderful café. I attended a book festival there once complete with author talks. 

21. Walk down lark lane and try the cute cafe's - I loved Minna and The Third Cafe for delicious veggie food. On the topic of veggie food - please try Egg Cafe in the City centre also, as well as The Glass Onion on Smithdown Road. 

22. Mooch around Bold Street, try Mowgli Street Food, buy retro t-shirts at Resurrection and call into Utility  for cute gifts

23. Try the Liverpool Underground to get around, you can get all the way to Chester from Central Station

24. Call into FACT on wood street to see unique art exhibitions and indie films.

25. Go to the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum (they used to have their own little Octopus called Polpo who I loved!), International Slavery/Maritime museum, and hop on the train and go to the Lady Lever gallery in Port Sunlight.  

26. Pick a new favourite tea at the Liverpool Tea Warehouse

27. Get a cream tea at Cuthbert's Bakery next to the equally amazing bookshop Reid of Liverpool (I went for my 25th Birthday to both and it was heavenly)

There are so many more things to do in the city, so this list is by no means exhaustive, these are just some of the experiences that I had! :)

I hope if you do get to visit, that you enjoy the city as much as I  always do. 

Write soon! x