Hello from Manchester, UK!
There are three major cities "up north" here in England. I've now lived in two of them - Leeds, and Liverpool. These two cities are very different from each other, yet geographically very close. The third major city is Manchester, which is where I'm at now. Yet another city to explore that I'm sure will have its own unique feel, charm, and history.
Liverpool certainly draws more tourists due to the music history and closeness to the docks and boats. The people of Liverpool are also known as Scousers, and there is a very pronounced "scouse" accent here which can be a bit difficult (for me at least) to understand. Scouse is also a stew made of biscuits and fish! The name is actually tied to immigration from Ireland, and some will tell you about their roots being forever associated with Ireland rather than England.
Leeds, on the other hand, isn't known for tourism. It's only the eighth most visited city in England. But having lived there for three months, tourists are missing out on visiting this charming city. A bonus is the short train rides to nearby cities with equal beauty and appeal. The River Aire and the canals tie it all together. To me, it feels a bit more like a working class city, with a strong manufacturing and financial base. It also has five universities, so the vibe skews younger.
More on my Manchester exploration next month, but here's a bit more from my Liverpool experience in July:
Tate Liverpool
It was an easy walk from my co-working space to Tate Liverpool, so one rainy day I walked on over. Tate Liverpool is one of the four Tate Museums in the UK, with the others being Tate Britain, Tate Modern (both in London), and Tate St. Ives.
I must say though, this one was quite exceptional!
Chester
I love my day train trips. A quick, 40-minute train ride from the Liverpool docks, and you're in Chester - a small cathedral city which was originally a Roman fortress. This city, like York and others, is known for the Roman walls that surround it. It is also known for their clock tower, which is the second most photographed clock tower in England, behind Big Ben. The University of Chester is found here as well.
It's a scenic little town with a great vibe, some good food, and lively street scene. You can also walk around the top of the walls and see some nice views!
The Cavern Club
The Cavern Club is the most famous rock and roll club in the world! The Beatles played here 292 times between 1961 and 1963 before heading to bigger venues throughout the world such as The Ed Sullivan Show in early 1964. What other major bands have played here? Well, how about: The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Kinks, and The Who - just to name a few!
Finally...
I can't believe how fast this summer has gone. Actually, the last six months have flown by. Anyone lucky enough to get to England must see London, but if you're fortunate enough to come back, exploring "up north" is something many don't think about, but definitely should.
Now I'm ready to spend my last month (for now) in England in the city of Manchester. I've never written about how popular European football (soccer) is to the Brits, but they are passionate about it. There is a real rivalry between the Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool teams. There's even a inter-city Manchester rivarly between Man City and Man United.
When August comes to an end, I'll be heading back to the US for a few months. I haven't been back since I left December 31, 2019. So much has changed since then. I'm really anxious to reconnect with family and friends that I've missed very much.
I'll keep posting and keeping my blog updated from the US. Luckily, there's no end to the amount of blogs that I can post, because my European journey will continue as of January 1, 2023!
Thanks for following along!
ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT
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Bob Tapper
tapp@bobtapper
Outside US: +01 9494846275
Inside US: (949) 484-6275
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