Most of my stories are set in the city of Liverpool in England. It is also the city I live in but despite that the city is ideal for setting a story in. Indeed, it is used by many film and TV companies as a location, including the latest Batman film. Liverpool city centre is often referred to in ‘quarters’ – and yes there’s more than four. Getting to know the neighbourhood quarters is a fab way to plan your day based on location. The city features the Georgian Quarter, Ropewalks, Chinatown, Baltic Triangle, St George’s Quarter, Waterfront, Cavern Quarter and the Knowledge Quarter and the Business quarter.
It is, however, most famous for its two football clubs, The highly successful Liverpool Football Club and the rather less successful Everton Football Club. And across the entire world, Liverpool is known for its huge contribution to music. It’s even picked up recognition from Guinness World Records as the world’s ‘Capital City of Pop’.
The Beatles is arguably the most successful band in history and was first formed in Liverpool in 1960. They’re still hugely celebrated there, and dozens of attractions are available for enthusiasts in the form of museums, plaques, and guided tours.
If you’re flying into Liverpool, you’ll probably be reminded of the huge impact that the band continues to have – its most popular airport was renamed John Lennon Airport in 2002.
Collectively known as Scousers, Liverpudlians or Liverpolitans, people from Liverpool are famous for their welcoming and inclusive attitude.
As a city that has so often been defined by its port, immigrants from every corner of the globe have often rubbed shoulders together for the first time here. It’s home to the oldest black community in the UK dating back to the early 1700s, and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.
The result is a hugely multicultural bunch that are nevertheless bound by an unmistakable love of their city. A sense of pride and of being from Liverpool rather than from England is not uncommon among residents.
During the Second World War, Liverpool became victim to the worst series of air bombings in the whole of Britain.
Even London did not sustain as much damage, with 200,000 out of 300,000 homes in Liverpool being damaged. 4,000 were killed, 10,000 were injured and 70,000 of the city’s inhabitants became homeless.
St Luke’s Church, or simply ‘The Bombed Out Church’, remains standing and has become an enduring symbol of this period. It also serves as a beacon of the resilience and spirit of the people. These days you can visit the church for music gigs, theatre performances, and food markets.
Liverpool is famous for being the origin of most of the Irish and English immigrants who left for America in the 1800s. During the industrial revolution, it also became the center of the world’s cotton trade and was famous for its high-quality fabrics.
The port served as a major hub for slave trading and is thought to have been the source of up to three-quarters of slaves sent to Europe by the end of the 18th Century.
This grim feature of Liverpool’s history is commemorated in the present day at the International Slavery Museum at the Royal Albert Dock.
So, if you would like to visit the locations mentioned in my stories, you would be very welcome here.
Fiction for tomorrow 