Quick! What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think Liverpool? If you answer “The Beatles” or “Fab Four” or “Lennon and McCartney,” you are correct!
LIVERPOOL is the place where a young John Lennon met a young Paul McCartney. Together, they formed a band and the rest is history. I made that journey through history at the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. It is an unassuming place outside but, once you walk through the doors, you enter into another time in the history of Rock ‘n’ Roll. With a headset to guide me, I walked through a maze of passages which recounted the early life of the Beatles in picture and sound: how they came together to form a band, what musicians of the time influenced them, and how their career took off in the early ‘60’s. In every room, there are original instruments used by the group including other personal affects. One room is a re-creation of "The Cavern" —the pub where the Beatles played numerous times before becoming international stars. In a room dedicated to John Lennon, I was able to look through his famous tinted glasses. The piano on which he composed “Imagine” is there with hand-written lyrics. Overall, it was a great experience and a “must see” place for fans of the Beatles.
Liverpool itself is a port city and the home of a powerful football (soccer) club. But it is also a depressed area. High unemployment and juvenile delinquency have left their marks on the city that was once known for its ship building and prosperous ports. Today, you can walk through some revitalized areas with interesting shops but it is not without having to pass by dilapidated housing, graffiti-marked walls and trashy streets.
My time in Liverpool ended with a visit to the Roman Catholic Cathedral. It was built in the 1960's and was very controversial given its strange design. The Cathedral is built in the round--seating about 2000 people. The outer wall has several smaller chapels--each dedicated to a particular virtue or gift of the Holy Spirit and each designed with different colors and works of art. Compared to the lofty Anglican Cathedral just down the street, the Catholic Cathedral may not be so impressive but it has the warmth and friendly feeling of a parish church that is an active place of worship.
In contrast to Liverpool, YORK is a classy, ancient city which boasts a 2000 year old history. Founded as a Roman outpost, it passed through the hands of the Normans and Saxons before being rebuilt in medieval times. Under the hugely impressive structure of York Minster (Anglican Cathedral), excavations have uncovered the remains of a Roman fort, a Saxon church, a Norman church, and a medieval church. A Roman well under the foundation of the present church still gathers water which flows to the sea! The Cathedral boasts some of the largest stained glass windows in Britain. One window --nearly 1000 years old-- contains illustrations from every book of the Bible and is considered to be one of the finest examples of medieval stained and painted glass. York is also a great place to window shop. I found stores and outlets that would be familiar to U.S. shoppers. For those who don’t care to shop, tea houses and pubs are ready to serve you any time of the day.
My time in Liverpool and York were memorable and presented me with two very different pictures of life in Britain.
Fr. Perry
