An extremely entertaining and informative tour of Liverpool city centre and the Albert Dock afloat in a former D-Day landing craft. Liverpool friendliness and humour in abundance!

www.theyellowduckmarine.co.uk
32 Anchor Courtyard, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AS
+44(0)1517087799

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Now while there may not be anything at all unusual or quirky about a maritime museum, the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool is home to a rather peculiar and completely unique collection. ‘Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered’ is a permanent gallery displaying the methods used to smuggle drugs, weapons and other contraband across our borders. They range from the slightly weird (drugs inside a garden gnome), to the highly ambitious (over a ton of cocaine concealed in drums of bitumen!). You can even try your hand at playing border patrol with an interactive console that lets you control your own Cutter, while the kids can go ‘rummaging’ through a ship to see if they can spot any signs of smuggling.

Merseyside Maritime Museum
Albert Dock
Liverpool
L3 4AQ

0151 478 4499

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/collections/seized/

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The Walker is a really impressive gallery, with a collection that takes in a fantastic copy of Holbein's portrait of Henry VIII and other terrific pieces by Rembrandt, Millais, Rossett and Waterhouse, as well as slightly less impressive pieces by the likes of Degas and Monet. There's also a brilliant sculpture room and a really striking series of modern art in a side wing. Free entry and a beautiful building – though give the cafe a miss.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker
tinyurl.com/y3umrmm

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Another of Liverpool's museums, just round the corner from the Walker Art Gallery. It's got five floors of amazing artifacts and activity areas. Great for kids and adults.

On the same stretch as the Walker Art Gallery.

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Photographer Edward Chambre Hardman and his wife lived and worked at 59 Rodney St, Liverpool from 1947 to 1988. Their gracious Georgian house is a time capsule of 1940s life - right down to the food in the cupboard!

59 Rodney Street, Liverpool (near the Anglican Cathedral)
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-59rodneystreet.htm

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A seaside town a train ride from the city centre. Very old fashioned, donkeys, bouncy castle, ice creams, chips from The Marigold Cafe before coming home.

Take a picnic, enjoy sand, windsurfers and, on a good day, jaw-droppingly lovely views of the Welsh coast and Hilbre Island. Only walk to the island if you know what you're doing as the tide comes in fast, often behind you, and it is easy to get stuck!

West Kirby is on the Wirral Peninsular at the end of the M53.Trains every 20/30 mins from Central Liverpool.

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Giant dragons dancing in the street, eating lettuces and followed by loud drums and even louder firecrackers. A funfair, street food and families just out for a days' fun. All in a compact, interesting and friendly area.

In the city centre, go up Bold Street (where the WAGs shop) and follow the crowds. It's in February.

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Started in Victorian times for the education of the masses, this has moved with the times and has an excellent collection of modern art as well as huge, gory, or sentimental Victorian kitcsh.

As a child I adored "And when did you last see your father" and "The death of Nelson". My daughters loved "The Lady with the arrow in her booby" (not its real title, obviously). One huge room is dedicated to children who can paint and draw to their hearts content.

Right in the city centre.By Lime Street station(Lily Savage was born in Lime Street..on the pavement...allegedly)

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Best views of Liverpool are from Wirral. Try New Brighton as a starting point then carry on round the coast to Hoylake/West Kirby (plenty of food choices here) then up to Parkgate for great ice cream or fish and chips.

Don't forget to call in at Thursaston, near West Kirby, for Churches Organic farm shop and walks on Thursaston common.

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Children love the idea of going in a tunnel under the Mersey and crossing over on a boat. Park at Hamilton Square in Birkenhead, get the ferry to Liverpool (superb, heartbreakingly lovely view) and, after a stroll, picnic and visit to the Albert Dock, get the train back from James Street station. Steep escalators, lifts and friendly station staff. Cheap and good fun.

Hamilton Square is signposted from central Birkenhead and is itself an interesting area. The ferry is a five-minute stroll downhill from the station. Ask if you're not sure.

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Albert Dock is the heart and soul of Liverpool's waterfront, with so many cool bars and restaurants, PanAm, Blue, Est Est Est and Baby Cream. New places to eat like Vinea and Circo add to the already vibrant places to eat.

Tate Liverpool, the Site Gallery and many smaller art galleries offer the perfect mix of culture, right next door to the new Arena & Convention Centre. Now the famous Duck Tour and Shiverpool tours are great fun for a day out.

Albert Dock has seen Liverpool grow up in the last 20 years and will remain my favourite place to hang out on a sunny day on the quayside.

www.albertdock.com

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An amazing example of public art, these statues (100 of them) stretch along Crosby beach for 3 kilometres and out to sea for one kilometre. Go there at any time of day, but make sure you check the tides - you can't see any of them at high tide. It is atmospheric and beautiful, but at the same time down to earth - it's great to see whole families having picnics next to one of the figures and kids playing around them.

Crosby Beach
North Liverpool

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Crosby beach is a huge expanse of sand, where the Irish Sea buffets the dunes and the 100 iron men that are Antony Gormley's 'Another Place.' Very atmospheric, the men stare out towards the Wirral and the Welsh hills. Nice for a Sunday afternoon stroll, take the camera. Love it and long may it stay in Sefton.

Crosby beach is best reached from either Waterloo or Crosby and Bludellsands MerseyRail stations.
www.sefton.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=6216

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Parkgate is either part of Neston, or just next to it. Nice to walk along the front there, even if there is a chill wind. A couple of nice pubs down there, chippies, too, great bird life (and a brass plaque with info on birdies and the view over to Wales), as well as delicious home-made ice cream from Nichols. Can't miss it - nearly always a queue there.

Short walk from Neston, not far from Chester, or take the train or bus from Liverpool.

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The Albert Dock, the largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings in the UK, hosts the Beatles’ Story exhibition, an excellent Maritime Museum, the Liverpool Tate Gallery, shops, restaurants, and coffee bars, all in a picturesque and safe setting, close to the Mersey Pierhead, point of departure for the famous Mersey Ferries. It is a few minutes walk from the Royal Liver Buildings and the imposingly massive Liverpool Cathedral.

www.albertdock.com;
www.merseyworld.com/albert;
www.nmgm.org.uk/maritime

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Liverpool is a vibrant city with a great deal of culture and history and a restored docklands area with much that is of interest to the visitor. For me, the outstanding feature is the Beatles’ Story, an animated reconstruction of the history of this iconic group from its beginnings, through the loss of two of its members, to the present day. Visitors are provided with a headset through which they can listen, on demand, to explanations, and in many cases recordings of the band members themselves, appropriate to each of the 50 or so sections of the exhibition. The average time from start to finish is an hour and a half but you could easily spend longer there, especially if you choose to browse in the shop at the end of the visit. I think it says much for this Museum that my 10 year-old son found it even more fun than Liverpool Football Club.

Britannia Vaults, Britannia Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool;
tel: 0151 709 1963
Open 10am-6pm;
www.beatlesstory.com;
www.merseyworld.com/albert/beatexp/
www.merseyworld.com/albert/beatexp/

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The waterfront, known as the Pier Head, is home to three architectural gems, the Liver Buildings, Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building, known collectively as the “Three Graces”.

The M62 or via the Mersey Tunnel will take you into the city centre, by rail at Lime Street or even by air at John Lennon airport

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